The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-04-22
stimulated him to think and white.
whlttle and think!

WulCCI0 ana Illnk
One genial afternoon in May, Alec,
crept out to enjoy the balmy air, and
by the noise of crowd of urchins on
vacant lot at a little distance, was
drawn in that direction. Here he saw
a colored boy, named Jack, attempt.
ing, or the amusement of the party,
all sorts of pranks in imitation of
circus performers. Bareheaded and
clothed in striped red and yellow gar
ments of coarse quality the negro lad
almost seemed made of India rubber.
Alec watched his capers in amaze
ment. Never before had he seen such
antics, or even thought them possible.
1t was no wonder that the frail, stiff
jointed little hunchtack dreamed it
all over again, as he did that night.
Next morning his whiting genius
took shape from this event, and before
noon he had produced rude pine i'm
age of the negro; head, arms and legs
loosely hung with bits of broom wire,
and the whole curiousIy arranged, so
that by working a string, it would
jump, nod, turn somersaults, and go
through quite a series of contortions.
With colored pencils, of which he had
some cheap specimens, he blackened
its head, neck, hands and feet red
dened its lips, whitened its eyes, and
rudely striped, in yellow and red,
the body all in imitation of the little
negro gymnast. Before it was COM
pleted his younger brother, who had
been with him the day before, named
it jumping Jack" And in the after
noon, when he went to the vacant lot
and exhibited it to the youngsters
there, it was not only universally, but
bois erously hailed by the same name
When he returned home. he brought,
instead of the jumping-jack. a silver
half dollar, for which he had sold the
boy to an eager, well dressed lad of his
own age. And not only this but he
had orders from the boys for nalf a
dozen more, to be made as soon as
pos. ible.
Oh, what proud, glad heart beat
within that deformed little body of
Alec's! How his temples throbbed!
How elastic his step! What flashing
eyes What skein of wild and hope
full talk he unwound to his mother /!
So much money for his whiting, AMI
a chance for more and more! Castle
sky-high and star brigh.
But / have not told you all. That
evening he whitfield, and the next
day he whitfield, and before night
had added to his capital three more
shining half-dollars. The next day
he doubled his money. The demand
for Jumping jacks Increased. Boys
came to the door, silver in hand, to
get what he had not time to make.
His grave Scotch parents began to
hold serious counsel over the matter.
If Alec could find such sale for these
pine images in that neighborhood,
why the whole city would require
thousands and what would sell to de-
lighted children in one city, would
sell every where also. If they could
supply the market, fortune might
readily be made.
Scotch blood, once aroused and chal-
lenged is sanguine and venturesome.
But it would be uninteresting TO
repeat all the details; so the rest of
my story shall be brief
Alecs Sunday school teacher, who
was a lawyer, procured for him a pat
ent on Jumping-jacks of every descrip-
ton q rich old uncle of Alec's mother
built him factory, and started him in
business and, within year from the
afternoon when the poor lad wondered
at the FRANKS of the colored boy,
Jumping-Jacks from the Ramsey fac
tory were selling in great numbers all
over America.
Eulf 6iiOC uIl HldhS q lOTLOCu WI
his knife"
To school he went; in abetter house,
all their own, tie family moved !;
easier circumstances, bette, health,
less eariness, and ample means for
doing good came to the Ramseys.
But the best point in my story is
that fine asylum and school for
bunch backs, free to the poor, is one
of the noble enterprises TO VIII lch Alec
has been chief G lutrihutor.
Those deformed lads in the carriage
wonder are from the "RamsAy Asylum
for hunchbacks."
That was Alec's carriage, and that
CROOKED gentlemen on the back seat'i
was Alec himself. Every fair after
noon he is out in this way, taking a
10 d of ''his boy - as he calls them,
and thus as often as once fortnight,
he gives every inmate of the asylum
turn in the park.-H Nicholas.
If religion could be made a part Of
life, people could enjoy any proper