Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-13
The BOY VINO ADVISED

O0tIOh HEee Fteas'l
The architect who plans high
front steps to a house is in league
with certain boys who have "large
and assorted stock" of meanness
born in their natures. Proof of
this can be found any day in the
week in Detroit, and the latest was
gathered in no later than Saturday
afternoon. A very nice young man,
dressed in the nobbiest stvle, and
sporting a cane which never cost
less than dollar, walked up the
front steps of Jefferson avenue
mansion and pulled the bell. 1t
was plain enough even to the driver
of street car that the young man
had an affection for somebody in
that house, and that he was about
to meet his charmer. But it wasn't
SO plain to a stub-nosed boy who
was drawinga picture of an Indian
warrior on the flag-stones with a
piece of indigo. He looked up,
quit his work, and, loafng along to
the gate, he called out:
"Them air folks don't want any
tooth-paste to-dayw
The nObby young man gave a
sudden start of surprise, but he in
8tantly realized the vastness of the
gulf separating him and that street
boy, and he did not reply.
"0ur folks don't want any
clothes-wringers to-day, and you
want to hear mel" called the boy
The young man heard him. Sew.
eral pedestrians also heard him,
and as they looked up the young
man wondered why no one an,
swered the bell.
'Pm telling you fellow up there y
said the boy, "that we don't keep
no boarding-house herel If you
want cheap board you must &C
around the corner, and three blocks
straight on! Do you propose tC
pay in advance?"
AS no one came to the door thu
young man pulled the bell again.
"Pm telling you that YOU cam
pass yourself off on us as a grass
hopper sufferer" shouted the boy
"If you want some cold vittles q
around to the side gate!
-Four pedestrians had halted OF
the other side of the street, and thu
young man looked down on the boz
and softly said:
"Boy, can you catch ten cents?'
eve don't sign no petishun
here for a national monument t.
the inventor of the djshpau!" re
piled the boy. "What Pm talking
to you is that you want to e
around to the cooks door!"
The young man wished a wisf
containing Alb grains fine that thu
builder Of those high steps hat
been dead for forty years, but tht
door didn't open, and the boy huns
right to him, calling out:
:" Hain't ! been telling you tina
you can't get in there? You may
be the private watchman on thii
block, but you can't go around
pulling front door-bellS and putting
on airsI If ! have to argy muct
longer I'll call the police "
"Pve got a half-dollar here, boyp
said The young man, as he turned
around.
"Let's see how II lookal" softly
replied the lad.
But the half-dollar was at home
The young man searched for it in
vain, and the disguGtea boy turned
to the men across the street and
called out:
Isn't it agin the law for Gel.
low to be taking q beeswax impres
sion of a front.door lock in the
daytime?"
They started to come over, and
the young man hurried down the
steps and up the street. He gave
the boy just one look. 1t was q
look in which railroad collisions
and steamboat blow.ups were
equally mixed and then frosted with
a Bogardus-kicker.
80! ye kin wink at me and try
to buy me off," growled the boy,
"but these principles Of honesty
we're painted all over me when
was baby, and they can't bG
rubbed out or bought up fol
wealth."
Just then young lady threw
open the door apd smiled and got
as Ear as, "Why, Fwed !" when she
discovered he wasn't there, Tbs
footman was out apd she had wait
ed to "fx mp" aud "Fwed" had
gone. She backed in and shut the
door, and the mean boy got down
to finish his Indian, mGtteringi
eff he couldn't raise fifty cent?
to reward me, how'd he ever man
age to glt that gal one o them cor
sets with a hundred and ninety
bones in it ?"