Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-28
Charlie JOhnsOn's Picnic.

Charlie johnson went to picnic the other
day.
Charlie is firstrate fellow, only he's ter
ribly bashful.
He called to see Miss Jones one night. He
never would have been guilty Of such an act,
had she not met him coming out of church
-cornered him right up by the steps where
all the girls could see him-and made him
promise to come round the next night-be-
fore she'd let him go.
So the following evening Charlie arrayed
himself like lily Of the field, and started
for the Jones'
!, This happened last winter.
lie got there about eight o'clock. 1t was
quite dark. Charlie mounted the steps; rang
the bell and then-his courage failed him.
He cleared the six steps at one leap and fled
down the street.
Bridget went to the door. Nobody there.
Old Jones hailed Bridget and asked her who
rang the bell. "Shure it's some of-oi-of
thin lads that do be ringin' the bill livery
night, and-and thin run away-5ad look to
him, at arl and at arl -
"Once more to the breech, dear friends, -
was Charles soliloquy, as he slowly retrac-
ed his steps. With glad and gallant tread
did he re-ascend the front stoop and blithel
pulled the bell. Bat nimhly did he again
descend the steps and swiftly disappear up
the street, reaching the quarter post in forty
seconds.
Bridget at the door same result as be-
fore. Bridget waxed wroth. And old Jones
vowed he'd fix that internal whelp; so he
got piece Of stout broom-cord tied one
| end Of it to the iron railing On the further
side of the steps, about foot higher than
the top step; then passed it through a hole
in the filigree work Oh the other side of the
steps at the same height; brought the end
Of the string through the blind of the bay
window, thence into the parlor; afterwards
he went out and slackened the string, so as
to have it lay flat along the step where no
body would notice it in coming up-bu
where, if it were frightened up from within
the house, after one had gone up the step,
one would be somewhat apt to notice. it
in going down especially if one were in a
hurry.
Then Mr.. Jones sat down in the parlor
grasped one end of the string and waited for
the bell to ring.
Bridget, not aware that the old gent had
set the trap, had a ''little something fixed
up herself. She repaired to the kitchen
took the boiling tea-kettle from the range
meandered upstairs with it: sat down by
window right over the front door; and
waited, too, for the bell to ring.
1t rang.
The old man pulled the string-Bridge.
emptied the kettle-and Charlie
Well, it didn't hurt Charlie much. That
is to say, he was able in a couple of weeks to
sit up and have his bed made; and inside
of a month he could get around very nicely
on pair of crutches. To be sure, six of his
eye teeth were never found and his left eye
looked as if he'd run knot-hole into it,
But he didn't mind such little thing as that;
still, he never seemed to care to go down to
the Jones' afterward, as sort of GOODNESS,
as it we're, had sprung up between them.
Nowadays when Charlie wishes to expert
ence the ecstatic delight of a call on Miss
Jones, he goes out and lays down in the road
in front of his house and lets hack run
over him; It's just as much fun aud moi
near so far to 60. He thinks that by the
time he can let full grown omnibus drive
over the bridge of his nose, without making
him wink, he'll be able to stand anothe,
whirl down at Jones'
Shall have to defer the picnic story.