Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-10-19
MISC cELLAnEous.
N1CODEMUs DODGE,

| @ha HEN was boy in printing Office in
| SNN Missouri, loose jpintsd, long>legoe6
to"-headed, jeaus>cad, countrified cub of
about sixteen lonnged in one day. and witb>
out removing his hands from the deuths of
his trousers pockets. OF taking OF his fnded
rain of sluuch hat whose broken brim bun,
limp and ragged about his ears like bsp-
eaten cabbage leaf stared iudifFeren,Iv
around, then leaning his hip against the edi
tors table. crossed his mighty broeans. aimed
at a distant fly from q crevice in his unn,r
tooth, laid him low, and said with compo,
sure:
"Wha's the boss?"
81 am the boss" said the editor. followiue
'n's curious bit of architecture wondsringly
along up to its clock face with his eve.
Don't want anybody fur to learn the bn,
sincss, 'tain't likely?"
well. l don't know. Would van lik, 70
learn it?" A' ~
'PdP's Sc po' he can't run me uo', so
want to git a show som'ers if can; 'tain't
no difference what-I'm strong and hanr,y.
aud don't turn my back on no kind of
work, hard nur soft''
''Do you think you would like to lsarn
the printing husiness?"
''Well, don't rely k'yer durn what
Do learn, SOS git chance to sake nv wav
Id J,St as sooD learn print'n's anything.
Can you read?"
"Y"s-middIin'."
"Wrlte?"
""elr I've seod people who could lay
"Cipher?"
''Not good enough to keep store. I don't
rcckoo' but az iur ns twelve timos twelve I
Sin>t no siouch. 'Tother side of that ia what
gits me-"
NV here is your homer"
81 NJ from old Shelby"
What's your fathers religion. denomiua
"Him2 Oh. he's blacksmith"
mo. n"-l don't mean his trade. What's
his religious denGmiuqtion?"
"Oh-I didn't understand you bero'. He's
a Fresmason"
No. no-you don't get nv meaning vet
what ! mean is, does bo belong to auy
church,"
Now you're taIkip' Ceuldn't make out
what you was trying to git through yo' head
no way BIOug to.a church? Why, boss, he's
been the PIzsneSt kind of Freswill Baptis'
Tor forty years. They amt no pizener ooes'n
ne Ia. Mighty good man pan is Everybody
says that. 1t they say any different thsy
wouldn't do it where l Huz-not much they
wouldn't"
w hat IS your own religiop?"
"WeIl, boss, you've kind O. got me thar
and yet you hain't got me so mighty nuob
nusher think t if feIlsr he'ps another
When he's in trubble. and don't cuss. and
eon't dc any mean things. nor uutbin' he
ain 20. business to do, aud don't spell the
Savlours name with little 2. he amt run.
min no res's-he's abont a. saift as if he bs
longed 10 church"
But suppose lie did spell it with little
g-whst theD?"
"We!l, it he done it s,pu=poss I reckon
he wouldn't stand DO chance; he ouphrnt
have no chsnee. any way, I'm most rotten
certain about that"
''What Is your name?"
'NiccdGmus Dodge"
81 think maybe you'll do. Nicodemus
Wen give you trial, anyway"
can right"
When would you like to begip?"
"Now"
so, within ten minutes after he had frs.
gilppsed this nondescript. he was one of N.
aud with his coat off and hard at il.
Beyond that end of our es,ablisbment
which was furtherest from the street. was
deserted garden. Psthless, and thick " grown
WIN the gloomy and vilIaiDous .siinpson"
"eed and its common friend the stately snn
flower. In the midst of this mourpful sno.
was decayed sad little frame house. with
but one room, one window and m ceiling. Il
had M been smoke>house generation before
S'code"ns was given this lonely and gLostly
den as bed >chsmber.
ne village smarties recognized treasure
II" N'eodemus right swpy-a butt to pIay
}"ke' on. II was easy ts see that he was in :.
co"ceivab'y green and con6ding.
George Jones had the glory of perp.tra-
ting the frst joke on him. He gave him a
cigar with fre-cracker in it. snd then
w'nked to the crowd TO come; the thing ex-
ploded presently and swept away the bulk
OF Nieodemus' eyebrOwsN aud eyelsshes. He
simply said:
''I consider them kind of sseg'yars dam
gersome. !" aud seemed to suspect nothing
The next evening Nicodemus wayIsid.
George and poured bucket of ice-waEer
over him.