Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-11-11
MERCHANT CARL.

| 1T was Carts first business venture
that IS, in mercantile way. To be
sure, he had snapped jack-knives, in
variably getting the worst of the bargain !;
bartered marbles, tops and whips, ever
since he became so far advanced as
dog, COW. | remember, on one Oc-
casiOn he traded his new Sunday suit,
sent home from the city the day before,
hat, boots and al, for a 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 inces-
SAINT grinding, probably got disguised,
for 1t refused even to 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 it, and the
spiders weave their filmIy webs peace
fully about it; just as the dust and cob
webs of oblivion have covered the
whole transaction SO far as Carrs re-
membrance Of it is concerned. You
see he tries to believe he has entirely
fogOtten it, yet we notice he does not
like to hear it mentioned
began to tell you about CarlS first
experience as a merchant, but first let
me tell you about Carl himself.
He is a 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 blacklist eyes and hair. curl
ing in little rings all over his merry
head; the roundest, reddest cheeks,
and ireCkleS-whO ever saw a boy with
out freclIles? Carl has Il temper, too,
and very often IN years past, occasion
ally now, L grieve to say, his black eyes
snap and flash, his red checks grow red
der yet, his fists clench, and his feet fly
against anything that is within reach of
them. Still we are not sorry that he
has temper if he but learns to control
it. Then he teazes the little girl across
| the way. Carl has no sister or brother,
and he eats candy and green apples
just like any other live boy.
However during this particular sum
mer Carl had not eaten much candy,
simply because in the first place he
had none to eat and the next no mon
ey to buy any with; that is, no money
|
little red bank on one corner of the
mantle, with a most natural looking
frog crOuching on its roof; it was such
fun to see the greedy fellow take five
cent piece into that wide open mouth
of his, and gulp it down as if it was the
most delicious of real flies, and he the
most hungry of real frogs, that Carl
quite forgot candy until too late, for the
frog never gave back anything he once
had swallowed, and the bank was not
to be opened until the Fourth of July,
Carl's birthday, when he would be ten
years old.
So the bank got richer and heavier
day by day. Carl had lots of aunts and
uncles who were always pinching his
cheeks, tweaking his hair, pulling
his black curlS, and then giving him five
cents to buy candy with. Carl rushing
through the sitting room on his way to
the store could not help seeing the frog
perched disconsolately en- the bank,
with wide open, hungry mouth.
It drew the five cents like magnet,
even though a chubby and wy often |
am sorry to say, 4 dirty little hand was
clasping it closely. Carl couldn't resist
the temptation of seeing how far down
the iron throat the five cents might get
without leaving his fingers. In a mo-
ment he would pull them out, the
mouth would fly open again, Carl's
face would wear 4 much aggrieved eX-
preston for ten minutes, and then the
performance was all ready to be gone
through with again whenever CarPs fist
was closed over another bit of silver.
Still, think if temptation must needs
be, that was very good way to DE
tempted, and if | could have my will,
| would give every little boy money
box with frog to swallow the pennies.
An iron frog, you know, that would give
the pennies back again g in good order
and condition"
SO the bank grew heavier, and the
Fourth of July was coming, and Carl
had an idea, not an original one, per-
haps-he wanted to make some
money. Surely that's not original. So
he thought and thought and at last
Father, I wish you'd say yes"
ITO what, my boy?"
"TO-can | have a store just like
you do, day after tomorrow and sell
candy and apples, an pies, an things.
And have a big ledger-book to keep
count in. Take the money ats in my
frog bank; you know you always said
I'll have to be merchant-man. Can't
| begin, please, father"
Carl wasn't too much of man de
spite his ten-year-old next Fo'th o
July, sir" to put his arms right round
his fathers neck and give him a good,
sounding smack
His father laughed and said
Yes, l guess so; how much money
has the frog swallOwed?"
Carl didn't know; so the bank was
brought and the little boy sent out of
the room while the frog was made to
disgorge. Carl wasn't allowed to see
the process, lest he might try it for him
self some time. When he came in
again, a glittering little heap of silver
lay on the table; the bank was empty
the frog perched innocently upon it
with mouth wide-open as ever. When
the money was counted, Carl looking
over his fathers shoulder and croaking
(he can't sing note) =
The King in the parlOr cOuntir out his money
The Queen was in the kitchen. eating bread and
honey"
all through the operation of putting
the five-cent pieces in little piles of
twenty, and the quarters into little piles