Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-28
CRUTCH, THE PAGE.
From Tales of the Chesapeake" by George Al
fred Townsend "Gath."]


familiar to compound a julep, was suddenly
confronted by small boy on crutches-
"A letter." exclaimed Mr.. Bee, with the
frank of Reybold on it-that Yankeest of Penn
sylvania Wings! Yer's familiarity! Wants me
to appoint one U-U-U, what?"
"Uriel Basil, said the small boy GA clutches,
with clear, bold, but rather sensitive voice.
UTiel Basil, page in the House Of Repre-
sentatives, bein' an infirm, deservtn' boy,
within to work to support his mother. Infirm
boy wants to be page, on the recommends
ton OF Wing, to Dimmycratic committee.
say, gentlemen, what do you think OF that'
This last addressed to some other members
of the committee who had meantime entered
'Infum boy will make spry page" SAID the
Hon. Box lizard, of ArkanSaw.
eye,n said the orator, PontOtoc Bibb, OF Georgia.
Harder to get both than a ointment In these
when all ole Virgtnny is yaw to be TUX care Of"
said Hon. Fftzchew Smy. OF the Old Dominion.
The small bog standing up on cru!ches, with
from being cut down by these criticisms, stood
straighter, and only his narrow little chest
showed feeling. as it breathed quickly under
Il can run as fast as anybody he said i'm
petuously. my sister says so. You try me.''
WHO'S yo' sister, bubF"
who's Joyce?"
"Joyce Basil-Miss Joyce Basil to you, gen.
tlemen. My mother keeps boarders. Mr. Rey-
q
little boy from the South wants to work, that
the only body to help him find it is Northern
man. Don't your"
"Good hit!H cried Jeroboam Coffee, ESQ.,, of
Alabama. "That boy would run, If he could!''
Gentlemen" said another member of the
committee, the youthful abstractionist from
poet on the stump, the Hon. 1owndes Cleburn-
igsel merits and brings f home to Us: III Ju
"Gentlemen,'' said the Chairman of Com
mittee, Jeems Bee, sit pears to me that there's
social pint right here re-, Rey6old ben the
ought to have something II he sees fit to ask
for it. That's courtesy! We, of all men, gen.
tlemen, can't afford to forget it,
"No, by durn!" cried FitZchew Smy.
YOU'RE right, Beef" cried Box lizard. "You
give it a constitutional set"
"Rey bold,' continued Jeems Bee, thus en-
couraged, ''Reybold is ito speak OuD no ge-
nius He never will rise to the SUBMITS of use
fulness. He lacks the air. the swing, the pose,
as the sculptors say; he won't treat, but he'll
lend little money, provided he knows where
you goin' with it. If he amt open-hearted, he
amt precisely meant"
YOU'RE right, Beef" General expression.)
of the govment never intended all the patron
age to go to one side Mr.. Jeffson put that on
the steelyard principle: the long beam here,
Mr. Jackson only threw it considabui more on
one side, but even he, gentlemen, didn't take
the whole patronage from the Outs; he always
Thing and We can't 60 behind Hin Not IT and and
be true to our traditions. Do put it rtght?n
Bee said the youthful Lowndes Ceburn,
edty and Spirituality Of kaIh s hm s ls
Thanks, Cleburn,' - said Bee; this is a CON-
pliment not likely to be forgotten, coming from
you. Then 1t Is agreed. as the Chapman of yO
Committee, that aceede to the request Of MIR.
ReybOld, OF Pennsylvania"
layer from everybody.
"And now" said Mr.. Bee, ''as we WAR all up
late at the cluh Last ntpht nrOn0SQ take a
second Julep, and as Reybold is coming in he
at the door, speaking to some one. 'Chips.
indeed. What shall 1 give you money to
gamble away for? A gambling beggar Is worse
than an No SIR oS no
said the other voice. 'I've struck 'em all but
you. By the State Arms! I've got rights In
this distreek; Everybody pays toll to brave
The Northern Congressman retreated before
this pertinacious mendicant into his committee
room, and his pesterer followed him closely.
nothing abaShed, even into the privileged
cloisters of the committee. The Southern
members enjoyed the situation.
Chips, Right Honorable; Chips for old
Beau. Nobody this ten-year has run as long
as you. I've laid for you, and now I've fell on
you. Judge Bee, the fuSt business befo' yO'
committee this mornin' is assessment for old
on the black, failure of remfttanceS from Fau-
queeah, and other casualties by wind an
flood have put ole Beau away down. He's
institution OF his country and must be sus-
tained."
The laughter was general and cordial
amongst the Southerners, while the intruder
singular object; tall, grim half-comical, with a
leer or low familiarity in his eyes, but his
waXed mustache OF military proportions, his
patch of goatee just above the chin, his elab.
Orately Ciled hair and flaming necktie, set of
his faded face with an odd gear of f1nery and
impressiveness. His skin was that of an old
roue's. patched up and calked. but the features
were those Of a once handsome man of style
and carriage.
He wore what appeared to De a CASTOR
spring overcoat, out OF season and color on this
clustering winter day, a rich buff waiStcoat OF
an embossed pattern, such as few persons
would care to assume, save, perhaps, gamb-
Ter, negro buyer, or fine ''buck' barber. The
his frflled shirt-bosom. He wore watch-seals
without the accompanying watch. and his pam
falcons, though faded and threadbare, We're once
OF fine material and cut in style or eXtrava-
giant elegance, and they covered his long,
shrunken, but aristocratic limbs, and were
strapped beneath his boots to keep them
shapely. The boots themselves had been once
OF vanished kid or fine calf, but they were
cracked and cut partly by use, partly for COM
fort; for it was plain that their wearer had the
govt, by his aristocratic hobble upon a gold
mounted cane. which was not the least incon-
sistent garniture OF his mendicancy.
Boys" said Fi1chew Smy, 81 s'pose we
better come down early. There's a shillin',
you should resign or die premachorely!"
"Theres piece o. tobacker," said Jeems Bee
languidly, " all can afford, Beau this mornin'
went to chicken-fght yesterday and lost all
milne, said Box lizard, sis regulation pen
knife, contributed by the United States with
the regret, Beau, that l can't commodate you
with pine coffin for you to git into and git
away down lower than you ever BEEN"
"Iaws dollar, said PontoJoc Bib; "itll do
for me an Lowndes Cleburn, who's a poet and
genius, and never has no money. This buys me
OH, Beau for month"
The gorgeous old mendicant took them all
grimly and leering, and then pounced upon the
Northern man, assured by their wrinkles and
winks that the rest expected some sport.
"And now, Right Honorable from the banks
of the Susquehanna, Colonel Reybold-you see,
got your name; ben layin' for you come
down handsome for the Uncle and ornament OF
his capital and country. What's yore's?"
Nothing" said Reybold in quiet way. al
cannot give man like you anything, even to
get rid OF him."
You're mean" said the stylish beggar, wink
ing TO the rest. ''You hate TO put your hand
down in yer pocket, nightly. I'd rather be ole
Beau, and live on suppers at the faro banks
than love dollar like you."
I'm make it aV for Beau" said Pontotoc
Bibb, '.if he gives him a rub on the raw like
that another lick. Durn mean man, Gle
burn !"
Gone down, Northerner," pressed the incor-
rfgible loafer again; "it don't become a Right
Honorable TO be so mean with old Beau