The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-07-21


what they paid last saturday was really on
earlier.
He's more like had drop to drink, : SAID
strongly on the cheerful view so suddenly
adopted by her neighbor
wen, father, what brings you nome 80
early, said Mrs. Dibbins, IS Jonadao strode
look with which Hamlet watched the king and
the queen his mother during the players
scene.
Mrs. Dibbins was always ready to be
alarmed, ana when JonalAb insteau o. rsi''S
ing, continued TO gaze at her in an absiTactel
manner, she concluded that the worst hau
children.
Mother said Jonadab, I'VE have waited ed
long and are now 10 be rewarded Fortune
has condescended TO look at me with nail an
eye, and half an eye is better than no nrn OF
the optic. have part, ny dear No longer
would be- oo c others aR to have
my part understudied. still I'm cast Tor an
essential part go on at the crisis, and What
more, the part has never been treatel artistic-
ally. shall develop IT, -
"lsit ilamlicki' Mrs Di5bins asked, pegin-
ming to cry-an unfailing resource in what
ever mental disturbance befril her.
No, my dear it's not Shakespeare IL s the
Corsican Brothers.'''
'' Are YOU the brothers.'' said Jonadab Jun
tChs S-AtAF7Nt - I'm tF his Irolt-4 49,
by the youth Of the neighb1Fa)od, who were
aware OF his business envty cement at green
grocer's at the Butts
No, it's not the brothers: I'm NOT sorry
Tor II, AS the part is haei1aeye. am Stss iV
the doctor, aud maan make so'hethlnS 81
IL: You know. mother, it ofen happens tatt
what are called minor parts, when properly
played turn ont the Oh ef thlsy IN the piece
There was Lord Dandreary Pa, was.a mere err,
accessory that no manager ppuld have had
understudied Wheu the f,.ess frs ea,ine out,
have been cut out andthe play gOuldhaye been
just as good. But Sotne'h WoyNed u up until
it became the piece itself, aud that's what I
mean 70 4 with the dpctor. IHe piece viii
run fora hundred nights; II ! can't do some
thing in a hundred nights Will retire from
the profession. My dear, ms IS an occasion
that should have lis li01iiOu. we viii carOuse.
John. fetch hi her from the ighboring es-
tablishment three pigs feet ana also pot of
'alf-and-' ali, which is foTpence in your own
jugs"
be merry; Mrs. Dib5in's joy was tempered by
the certainty that something would go wrOn z
Mt the last moment. To the children the gaetv
OF the evening was eclipsed only by the eX-
ceeiingly modera satisLac ION 10 be got out
of the ninth part OF a pigs foot divided with
whatever strict imnartality by Johnny. On the
other hand. it had come TO them quite uaeN-
pecteily. They were Just 60 ng 70 bed, and
were lingering over crust ~ dry bread, with
intent to DuE oil the eNi nutti rs lar rs p9s-l-
bic. when home comes father in highest spirits,
gives reckless orders for retreshnent, and has
not vet made the discovery That they are all
UP. That viii come by aAd D., and they Will
have 10 troop mis- srtby 20 oed. IN ne mean
time they sucked their bones they had rich
remainiers from their paren plates, and
before they retired TO rest had the satisfaction
of hearing their father sing " Ny Johnny was
a shoe mlv-ker,n which Mrs Diboins thought
he did much better than loOle. Bat he said
hfl
empty pot of half-and-hah, mo, he thought
not
The fact was, Toole was not in his line. II
he had been no one could say what might nav,
happened in the way of rivalry. Bat Jonadal
thought his sty.e a little low. There was
STYLE now, which, II pressed, Jonadab nigh
have admitted he could trife with. But n
never mentioned il, and II was only hese com
ing upon him Unexpectedly when he wa
| learning a part who heard him bring his vote
from somewhere near the top OF his head, bitinl
his words in two and swallowing one nal
with gulp-only those who heard this or saw
his awkward walk, dragging his left leg at c
him if he were partially paralyzed-0nl
! these could guess who his model and rival wls
III.
Sprouts, the first-bon OF the illimitable Dit
bins family was unluestiOnably he mos
notable of the brood. None OF the rest ros
above mediOcrity, except il were the baby, VIII
had developed an astonishing talent for swa
lowing small articles OF hardware WI holt ap
parent Inconvenience.
''Everything goes toits mouth the mothe
said, lovingly, and no without a certain mea:
ure of pride, seeing that there was a stron
reason TO believe that the child had swallowe
a threepenny-bit, incautiOusly lett within II
reach on the table. Threepenny-bits were nc
h4 hdAty dlfpQ5 Of II t4e 2t n9lna hoas'
/ low that this conclusion was arrive / at.
II Sprouts had been at home it would nc
have happened. Nothing did happen wron
within his ken At the m0men of the SIS
pected catastrophe Sprouts was &c eanfu' hi
boots.H They were not really his own bein.
the possession OF a middieaged gcntlema
who lodged IN kenningto . lane. Bat Sprour
always called them 'my boots hlvfng i
them that measure Of possession invo, we'd i
daily presenting them with new polish
This was only one of numerous engagement
he held, concurrently with the necessity. Iigor
ously imposed upon him By law OF going {,
school twice a day. The first thing in tn
morning Sprouts lit his fires''--that is rosav
he went TO the house where the middle-aS.,
gentleman lodged, and lit the fires. After thi
he came home, had his breakfast, and went OF
TO school, where he was due at nine o'clock
When he came out at noon he went to clear
his boo 5, then home to dinner school agair
in the afternoon, and in the evening wa
open to engagements on odd jobs by til,
neighbors.
But his great day was Saturday, and IL wa.
in connection with the labors of this dav thai
larry known. Being free from school on Sa-
urday, Sprouts was able to devote his colossal
energies TO the furtherance of green. grocer,
business at the Butts. This necessitated hi.
rising at four O'Clock in the morning. and ae.
companying the van to Convent Garden Al
first, Sprouts duties were limited to remaining
on the van while more nlafurc green grocer
went in search of purchases. lie hal to be on
the lookout, first, 70 prevent incursions oil
thieves, and secondly, to answer the hail of
he
different parts OF The market.
IL was this that brought home to Sprouts
the urgent necessity of having back i'm
"If you don't get back inn Sprouts ex-
planned to his marveling mother and the as
sembled family, sthey can't find YOU, and then
they have to carry the sacks allround the other
earts.n
Sprouts never went to bed Friday night
without this grave necessity weighing upon
his mind. If they were last at market, the
other carts would get back in aud Smithson
would be at a disadyan age Astart at fouY.
woul secure the desired position and often
Sprouts, waking at three and dressing by the
light of the little lamp he had placed by his
bed over night, went of to rouse his master
ana help to get the horse in.
lt will be we'll understood that with these
engagements Sprouts was a you h of sub
stance. His income, indeed, was stupei,tIons
lie had a shilling week for lighting the fire
eighteen pence week was his fee for cleaninur
the boots OF the middle aged pentlenan
brushing his cloths an1 gong occasional er,
rands, while his Saturdays work brought him
in eightpence- This last does not seem rnnch.
But then. as Sprouts remarks With glisteninu
eyes, he has four meals IN the aEar and ,neieav
ors 70 do his duty In respect of them ~ In,
deed he does in all else that comes in. his wav.
Sprouts was eleven years ofaage and small
Tor MS years de had singularly bright pair
OF eyes, ana one OF the most knowing smiles
ever carried by human being Sometimes, if
you chanced TO walk on Saturday in he
neighoorhood OF Newington Butts, YOU might
nave your attention attrac ed by large basket
coming down the stree Then YOU would be-
come conscious ~ a smile following which
cue YOU would come uaon a mouth, and after
ward would qui clearly make out behind the
basket very small boy, hitched on one side
ior tne more convenient carrying on his hip of
t the loaded basket This would be Sprouts
gong out ''oHgan errand, 2 life glowing 70 him
with the recollection of successful ''back inn
acneVed In the morning
sprouts got home late on a Saturday night,
anu II much pressed would admit to being a
nttie tired But he was up and of at seven in
tie morning to do his fires an clean his boots,
when ne was accustomed to accomplish in
time 70 come home, dress himself all in his
pest, ana either take charge of the household
OF go TO church. as IL rnf-b. ba r-a.aro In no