The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-11-12


low garments Of coarse quality,
the negro d almost seemed made
of India rubber.
Alec watched his capers in
amusement. Never before had he
seen such antics, or even thought
them possible. 1t was no wonder
that the frail, stif:jointed little
hunchback dreamed it all over
again, as he did that night.
The next morning bis whiting
genius took shape from this event,
and before noon he had produced
a rude pine image of the negro
head, arms and legs loosely hung
with bits of broom wire, and the
whole curiously arranged, so that
by working a string, it would
jump, nod, turn somersaults, and
60 through quite a series Of con.
tortions. With colored pencils: Of
which he had some cheap speci-
mems, he blackened it's head, neck,
hands and feet, reddened it's lips,
whitened it's eyes, and rudely
striped in yellow and red the body,
all in imitation of the little negro
gymnast. Before it was completed
his younger brother, who had been
with him the day before, named it
"Jumping-Jack." Ard in the af-
ternoon, when he went to the va
cant lot and exhibited it to the
youngsters there, it was not only
universally but boisterously hailed
by the same name. When. he re-
turned home, he brought, instead
Of the Jumping-Jack, a silver half
dollar, for which be had sold the
toy to an eager, well-dressed lad
OF his own age. And not only this,
but he had orders from the boys
for half a dozen more ; to be made
as soon as possible.
Oh, what a proud, glad heart
beat within that deformed little
body of Alec's How his temples
throbbed! How elastic his step!
What flashing eyes! what a skein
of wild and hopeful talk he un-
wound to his mother? So much
money for his whittling, and a
chance for more and more! Gas.
ties, sky-high and albright!
But I have not told you all.
That evening he whitfield, and
the next day. be whitfield, and be-
fore night had added to his capi
tai three more shining half,dollars
The next day he doubled bis
money. The demand for jump
ing,jacks increased. Boys came
to the door, silver in hand, to gel
what be had no time to make.
His grave Scotch parents began
to hold serious counsel over the
matter. If Alec could find such
sale for these pine images in thai
neighborhood, why, the whole city
would require thousands; ane
what would sell elsewhere also
If they could supply the market, 6
fortune might readily be made.
Scotch blood, once aroused anc
challenged, is sanguine and ven
turesome.
But it would be unintoresting tc
repeat all the details; so the rest
Of my story shall be brief:
Alec's Sunday school teacher
who was a lawyer, procured fol
him a patent on jumping;jacks o
every description a rich old IN
Gle of A!ec's mother built him
factory and started him in busi
ness, and, within a year from th'
afternoon when the poor lad won
| dered at the pranks of the colore(
boy, jumping,jacks from the Ram
sey factory we're selling in grea
numbers all over America.
Truly Alec did "mak' a tortool
| WI his knife"
To school he went into bette
house, all their own, the tamil,
moved easier circumstances, bet
ter health, less WEAKNESS, am
ample means for doing good, cam
to the Ramseys.
But the best point in my stor,,
is that a fine asylum and schoolto
hunchbacks, free to the poor, !
one of the noble enterprises t.
which Alec has been chief contrl
butor.-1. L. Beman, st. Nicholas
There is no absurdity in az
proving as we'll as condemning tn
| ;p5ividual for a few DeODl