The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-09
Merchaqt Carl.

It was CarIs first business venture, that
is, in mercantile way. To be sure, he
had swapped jack-knives invariably getting
the worst of the bargain; had bartered
marbles, tops and whips, ever since he De-
came SO far advanced as dog, COW.
remember, on one occasion he traded his
new Sunday suit, sent home from the city
the day before, hat boots and all, for
small music-box, of the hand-organ stripe.
For days thereafter the neighbors were en-
tertained with the inspiring strains of ''Old
Dan Tucker" the sole tune played by that
music-box, which, after incessant grinding,
probably got disguised, for it refused even
a squeak out its only air, doubtless much to
the delight of the same neighbors So the
box was consigned to the attic where to this
day the dust falls quietly upon, and the
| spiders weave their flmly webs peacefully
about it, Just as the dust and cobwebs of
| oblivion have covered the whole transaction
SO far as Carl's remembrance of it is con-
cerned You see he tries to believe he has
entirely forgotten it, yet we notice he does
not like to hear it mentioned.
began to tell you about Carrs first ex-
perence as merchant, but first let me tell
you about Carl himself.
He is really, truly live boy, short and
stubby, with elbows and toes that have the
greatest faculty for poking themselves
through cloth and leather He has the
blackest eyes and hair, curling in little
rings all over his merry head; the roundest,
reddest cheeks, and freckles-who ever saw
boy without freckles? Carl has temper,
too, and very often in years past, OCCASION
ally now, grieve to say, his black eyes
snap and flash, his red cheeks grow reddel
= vet, his fists clench, and his feet fly agains
anything that is within reach of them
Still we are not sorry that he has a temper
if he but learns to control it. Then h
toazes the little girl across the way
fl Carl has no sister or brother, and he cat
n candy and green apples just like any othe
y live boy.
+, However during this particular summe
o Carl had not eaten much candy, simply be
= cause in the first place he had none to eat
e and the next had no money to buy any with
l. that is, no money where he could get at il
,r There was little red bank on one col
II ner of the mantle, with O most natural lool
ing frog crouching on its roof it was sue
is fun to see the greedy fellow take five cer
re piece into that wide open mouth of hi
~ ~ and gulp it down as if it was the most d
Y licious of real flies, and he the most hungr
oi of real frogs, that Carl quite forgot cand
m ,me until too late, for the frog never gave bac
s. ANYTHING he once had swallowed, and IL
IS bank was not to be opened until the fourt
I'd ID of July, CarIs birthday, when he would
ten years old.
So the bank got richer and heavier df
by day. Carl had lots of aunts and uncl
y, who were always pinching his red cheek
III tweaking his hair, pulling his black curl
md then giving him five cents to buy cane
ne with Carl rushing through the sitti1
L. room on his way to the store could not he
seeing the frog perched disconsolately
re- the bank, with wide open, hung
=, mouth.
~ 1t drew the five cents like magnet, ev'
though chubby and very often I am sor
ne IL to say, dirty little hand was clasping
er losely. Carl couldn't resist the template
wv # seeing how far down the iron throat t
ad ,d i've cents might get without leaving
ingers. In moment he would pull the
Jut, the mouth would fly open again. Car
81 face would wear a much a2grioved expr'
n, sion for ten minutes, and then the perforl
'as ance was all ready to be gone through wi
ed again whenever Carts fist was closed oy
ok another bit of silver. Still think if TEN
'er tation must needs be, that was very go
10 way to be tempted, and if I could have +
+ will, would give every little boy mon
in, box with a frog to swallow the penni
III An iron frog, you know, that would gi
the pennies back again 'in good order a
Ell condition"
'n- So the bank grew heavier, and the Fou,
;n ;rn of July was coming and Carl had an i'd
not an original one, perhaps-he wanted