Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-10-07

AIR dealing tradesman.'
The immediate result of the pump in
cident was that the villa at Finchly did
not see Fred for some time, to the won
der and not little the anger of Nelly,
md her guardian being seized with tit
If humorous experiment, resolved that
the ancient litter of water from the
depths of the earth, should be put to
some profitable use.
Being guardian of the poor, he hated
tramps and vagabonds, whom he regard.
cd as among the worst of impostors, and
the pump suggested to HIM ready
means of testing their rascality.
Like most suburban places, Finchly |
was infested with tramps of the mendi. |
cant class, consequently opportunities
for putting the scheme into execution
were soon furnished in abundance, and
Mr.. Hughes bundle of experiences grew
fast, but extremely monotonous in its un-
attractive bulk.
HIS mode of proceeding whenever
beggar-a man of the sturdy class OF
course-came to solicit alms,was to have
him conducted into the small back yard,
where he thus addressed him:
"Look you here, my man, never give
money in charity, but if you like to try
your strength on that pump for an hour,
you shall have a shilling"
All eagerly set to work at first, but
when they found their labor attended
with no result, the expression on their
grimy vlsages was comical. The ex-
tremc wonder, temper, disgust. rage,
shooting forth in turn or together, were
study In human nature by no means
improbable.
The most prevalent sentiment among
the entire lot seemed to be that of indig-
nation at being made fun of, for howev-
er much the most depraved of men, as
regard honest labor, may be averse to
work as work, they have constitutional
objection to being put to anything which
tends to make them feel small and con-
temptible.
Your lazy fellow and your rogue alike
dread ridicule. And as to the peculiari-
ties of the natlonalities, Mr.. Hughes had
his humorous curiosity literally gratlfed.
The English, one and all, denounced the
pump as swindle, the national objurga-
ton which for generations was the ter
ror of France beng invariably added
Many huge fellow swore that he had
rather took turn on ''the mill"
The only Scotsman who tried his hand
at the business, threw down the handle
at the end of twenty minutes, and de.
clared it was ian awful waste of human
energy" AS for the Irish, who were le
glon, and generally earned the shilling
they described the affair as mighty dhry,
and departed, wishing the "ould gint'
IN a warmer place than the one he occu
pied. Not one in fifty came second time
and at the end Of three months, Mr..
Hughes Pump handle Hughes as he go
to be called in the observation-disclosures
his newly-created occupation gone, am
the old pump once more stood idle in 1T
rusty decrepitude, to the great relief OF
Nelly and the servants, for the boys O.
Finchley had begun to launch after then
comments more pungent than polite.
The noise of these proceedings spread
and as a matter of certainty, reached tn
ears of Fred's mother, who, resenting tn
infrequency of checks, did not visit a
the villa as formerly, and was in the hab
it of declaring that her brother had los
his senses, and ought to be looked after
'He is as sound as you, or l, said he
son; "1ndeed in my opinion a good dea
sounder than / am, or rather was, to
there is method in his madness; COCO
honest method, which was not the cas-
with me little while ago, for IN my mad
ness there was ssgacity of idleness."
His mother, who had never solled he
4ho IoE, Svl fofh av
3 counter, but had married gentleman G
2 ''high attainments, who, having spen
a all her money he could lay his hands OF
: died, leaving her widow in genteel POI
t erty. sighed, and in the shadows of he
= feeble brain wondered what the worl
was coming to, when her only and lido
izea son seemed to be forgetting that @
:. his fathers side, he came from an exec
0 lent family.
It Fred had altered, and for so young
!. man wonderfully. That one turn at b
s uncle's pump had turned him, as it wer
e clean round in his moral organization
e Aimless before, he had set himself RESI-
e lutely to look something tangible in tt
t face.
|. 81 am not genius" he resumed, "b1
e surely with health and strength l ca
d set to work at something honorable an
y profitable, and l willW
And he did. That II will'' of frn
IS textured brain can bring to its owner
d power which no magician with his paltl
., wand ever called from the vastly deep
e dark nothingness. Having fair know
e edge of several languages, he applied f
and obtained the situation of correspon
ing clerk in city firm, and after fe
e. weeks initiation, found that six hours
E. day employment in such an occupatio
n instead of doing him harm, did him
& great deal of good.
ID His uncle, well posted as to his pr
eeedings, wrote him encouragingly, az
l. at the end OF the first quarter of his pr
baton, insisted on his visiting the vii
Re as usual. smelly wishes it." and tn
was enough for Fred; "but,'' added N
D. Hughes, ''let US see what the other min
r, months will do" supplementing his l
y. mark with musty proverb which me-
d. not be repeated.
l. The other nine months were evident
i'd brimful of satisfaction to the uncle, for
as advanced Fred sufficient money to email
" him to become Junior partner In Il
firm, and what delighted MIN more, ga
G. his hearty consent to his marriage wi
ne pretty Nelly We're, whose fortune, no
be ever, he insisted should be strictly e.
is tied on herself.
AS for the pump, it still stands in I
a little back yard, the handle careful
y, locked to the side, and Fred, out of or
er itude, has had the frame work renew
be and gayly painted, for to him it will
er ways be anything but an emblem of I'd
lg ness"
an
ut