Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-07-16
UP.

That was the pity of it. Time had been |
when every caller ut Dictionary Man
sion had, first of all, paid their respects
to him; in return, he impaired to each
new visitor such little hints and general
information as its founder, Mr.. Webster,
thought they might need to aid them
in their researches.
But, alas those days were of the past!
In the rush and hurry of modern Amer
lean life, people could not wait to con-
fer with him. There were constant call
ers at the mansion with whom he had
never interchanged a word-people who
rushed through the halls, found the
room of the Word they desired to con-
suit, made their inquiries, and then
bolted unceremoniously. III this wor.
ried Mr.. Preface very much, for was he
not an old and faithful servantP
Mr.. Webster himself had given him the
position of ianitor when Dictionary Man
sion was first completed. 1t was COM
paritively small house then; and
through all its changes to the present
enormous structure, with its numberless
dodgers, he had remained faithfully at
his post.
These were few of the sad thoughts
occupying his attention one night as he
sat restlessly in his armchair, wearied
with enforced idleness. 1t was rather
late for him, too. He casually closed the
doors early in the evening; but that
night Orator Puff WAS to speak at the
Town Hall, and had engaged many of
the biggest Words to assist him, and
Mr.. Preface was awaiting their return
Meanwhile, the poor old fellow was
slowly going over his sorrowful thoughts,
when he was suddenly startled by
scream. 1t evidently came from dis
tant part of the building. Going into
the hall, he found it rapidly filling with
excited Words, anxious to know the
cause of the alarm. AS the commotion
appeared greatest in the corridor of the
GUS" he hurried there, and soon
found himself at the room of little Mr..
Up. Crowding past Curiosity, who
stood vacantly staring through the
door, he saw the body of the little
ledger lying prostrae on the floor.
Bending over him were Pitt and Sym
pathy, vainly trying to bring him to
consciousness.
Miss UpaS, the lady who lived in the
adjoining chamber, gave this explana-
ton: der neigbbor had come home
unusually late that evening. After
hearing him close his door, she felt
the jar of some one falling. Hurry
ing to his room, she discovered him
lying on the floor, apparently dead,
and, in her terror, she gave the piercing
scream which alarmed the house. Mr.
aid was the first to appear on the scene,
and was doing all he could to revive the
sufferer.
When Up had sufficiently recovered,
he told his story, as follows:
"Mine is simply case of nervous and
bodily exhaustion, caused by constant
overwork. There has not been night
for the last two years that | have not
come home so utterly tagged out that it
seemed as if | never could begin my end
less labor again. Ever since the Jones
family came to this town, my services
have been in constant demand from
early dawn till late at night. 1t APP
pears there is hardly an idea in their
heads but they think my presence nee
essary for its expression. For instance,
there is Father Jones. At first cock-crow,
he wakes up; then gets up and
'makes up the fire; 'does up his
chores; blacks up his boots; 'eats up
whatever his wife cooks up for break
fast; goes up to the store; figures up
the cash account; buys up more goods (;
marks up the prices; fills up the or
ders; 'foots up the profits; shuts up
the store; dresses up for dinner; sits
up awhile afterward, calling for my
assistance continually, until he locks
up the house for the night and shuts
up his eyes in slumber.
Sat the same time Miss Fannie dress
es up;' 'does up her hair; takes up
her book; gets herself up in her lesson
hunts up her bonnet; 'hurIIeS up to
school; catches up with schoolmate
stands up to recite; passes up to the
head of the class; 'fushes up at the
praise of her teacher; divides up her
luncheon at recess; and, as she rides
up home in the horse-car, makes up
her mind to 'be up at the head of the
school ere the term is up
"Tommy Jones runs up to the store
on an errand; strips up over II stick
cries out that he is all bruised up, until
his mother 'bandages up his knee, and
'hugs him up dozen times, and tells
him to keep up good courage and try
to cheer up
"And so it is the long, long, weary
day. / 90 from one to the other until ]
can scarcely totter. Nor would | com
plain even now if l thought my help
were really needed. But there is the
Brown family living next door; they are
certainly quite rs active as the Joneses
and, rs they seldom require my services
can only think that my presence OF
every occasion Qor it can not fairly bt
called assstance) is not indispensable
as the JoneSes seem to imagine
"Shameful, shameful" was the in
dignant comment of the group of listen
ers, as Up finished his story.
Said IncomprehenStbiltu 81 scarcely
can believe the Joneses to he so cruel a
to abuse such little man as Up lik,
that. just think of it-only two letter
high And here am l, very gian
among Words, and yet have only beer
called out once for month"; Then i
was for spelling at public school
and was Immediately dismissed. VIII,
could not the work be more evenly dis
tributed among u.s."
"You have spoken my sentiments ex
actly,n said DEMONSTRATION. "W