The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-30
UP d.

IOOT Olu MI. ITejUCS was IlT0Q-uO
that he had been particularly busy-no
that was the pity of it. Time had beer
when every caller at 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 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. All this wor-
ried Mr.. Preface very much, for was he
not an old and faithful servant?
Mr.. Webster himself had given him the
position of janitor 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. III
These were few of the sad thoughts
occupying his attention one night as he
sat restlessfy in his armchair, wearied
with enforced idleness. 1t was rather
late for him, too. He usually 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.. Pretace was awaiting their return
Meanwhile, the poor old fellow was
slowly going over his sorrowful thoughts,
when he was suddenly startled by a
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 PROSTATE on the floor.
Bending over him were Pity and Sym
pathy, vainly trying to bring him to
consciousness.
Miss Upas, the lady who lived in the
adjoining chamber, gave this explana-
ton: Her neighbor 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..
did 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 q 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 ap-
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; docs 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; ssits
up awhile afterward, calling for my
assistance continually, until he locks
up the house for the night and shuts
up his eyes in slumber.
cat 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 'hurries up to
school; catches up with schoolmate
Stands up to recite; passes up to the
head of the class; 'dushes 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 sup
"Tommy Jones runs up to the store
on an Grand; trips up over stick
cries out that he is all bruised up unit
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. go from one to the other until ]
can scarcely totter. Nor would l com
plain even now if l thought my hell
were really needed. But there is thu
Brown family living next door; they arr
certainly quite as active as the Joneses
and, as they seldom require my services
l can only think that my presence oil
every occasion Qor it can not fairly b.