Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-03-07

Mrs. Perkins was glad OF this, as the Dlbbns
debt was deep. Not that they did not pay
ready money, but somehow or other the ac-
count was always slipping backward, and
what they paid last Saturday was really on
account OF provisions obtained nine weeks
earlier.
"IIe's more like had drop to drink" said
Mrs. Perkins, not deeming H. wise To rest too
strongly on the cheerful view so suddenly
adopted by her neighbor.
swell, father, what brings you home so
early, said Mrs. Dibblns, as Jonadab strobe
In the room and eyed her with the searching
look with which Hamlet watched the king and
the queen his mother during the players
scene.
Mrs. Dibbns was always ready to be
alarmed, and when Jonadab, instead OF reply
ing, continued TO gaze at her in an distracted
manner, she concluded that the worst had
happened, and Immediately began to count the
children.
Mother" SAID Jonadab, "we have waited
long and arc now to be rewarded. Fortune
has condescended to look at me with half an
eye, and half an eye is better than no urn OF
the optic | have part, my dear. No longer
do understudy Others, though perhaps IL
would be too much TO say-that am to have
my part understudied. Still, Pm cast for an
essential part, go on at the crisis, and what's
more, the part has never been treated artistic
ally. / shall develop TT
"lsit HamlickW Mrs Dibbns asked, begin
ming to cry-an unfailing resource In what
ever mental disturbance befell her.
"No, my dear, it's not Shakespeare, It's the
'Corsican Brothers,
"Are you the brothers!" said Jonadab jun
Tor, called Johnny by his mother and Sprouts
by the youth OF the nelghborhOod who were
aware OF his business engagement at green
grocer's at the Butts.
"No, it's not the brothers; Pm not sorry
for II, as the part Is hackneyed | am cast for
doctor / 4 n gnnnthfnor Of
IL. You know, mother, 1t often happens that
what are called minor parts, when properly
played, turn out the chief thing in the piece
There was Lord Dundreary That was mere
accessory that no manager would have had
understudied. When the piece first came out,
II Sothern hadn't turned up to time it would
have been cut out and the play would have been
just as good. But Sothern worked it up until
1t became the piece itself, and that's what |
mean to do with the doctor. The piece will
run for a hundred nights; II can't do some
thing in a hundred nights / will retire from
the profession. My dear, this is an occasion
that should have its libation. We will carouse
John, fetch hi her from the neighboring es-
adjustment three pigs feet and also pot OF
'alf-and-'alf, which is fourpence in your own
jugs"
Jonadab was light of heart and inclined to
be merry; Mrs. Dibbin's JOY was tempered by
the certainty that something would go wrong
at the last moment. To the children the gaiety
OF the evening was eclipsed only by the ex-
ceedingly moderate satisfac ion to be got out
OF the ninth part of pigs foot divided with
whatever strict impartiality by Johnny. On the
other hand, it had come to them quite unex-
pectedly They were just going TO bed, and
were lingering over crust OF dry bread, with
intent to put of the evil hour as far as posi-
bic, when home comes father in highest spirits,
gives reckless orders for refreshment and has
not yet made the discovery that they are all
up. That will come by and by, ald they will
have to troop miserably o bed. In the mean.
time, they sucked their bones, they had rich
remafnders from their parents plates, and
before they retired to rest had the satisfaction
of hearing their father sing My JOHNNY was
a shoe may-ker," which Ma. Dibbins thought
he did much better than Toole But he said
diffidently, from the depths Of the now nearly
empty pot OF half-and-half, "No he thought
not"
The fact was, Toole was not in his line If
he had been no one could say what might have
happened in the way OF rivalry. But Jonadab
thought his style little low. There was q
style now, which, il pressed, Jonadab might
have admitted he could trile with But he
never mentioned it, and it was only hese com
ing upon him Unexpectedly when he was
learning part who heard him bring his voice
from somewhere near the top of his head, biting
his words in two and swallowing one half
with gulp-only those who heard this or saw
his awkward walk, dragging his left leg after
him as IL he were partially paralyZcd-only
these could guess who his model and rival was.
III.
Sprouts, the ilrst-born of the illmitabc DID
bins family, was unluestiouably the most
notable OF the brood None of the rest rose
above mediocrity, except IL were the baby, who
had developed an astonishing talent for swal-
lowing small articles of hardware wi bout APP
parent Inconvenience.
Everything goes to its mouth the mother
said, lovingly, and not without a certain meas
ure OF pride, seeing that there was strong
reason to believe that the child had swallowed
a threepenny-bit, incautiously left within its
reach on the table. Threepenny-bits were not
hus lightly disposed of in the Dibbins house.
hold, aud 1t was only after looking high and
low that this conclusion was arrived at.
III Sprouts had been at home, it would not
have happened. Nothing did happen wrong
within his ken. At the moment OF the sus-
pected catastrophe Sprouts was 'cleanin' his
boots" They were not really his own, being
the possession OF n middle-aged gentleman
who lodged i'm Remington lane. But Sprouts
always called them "my boots" having in
them that measure of possession involved in
daily presenting them with new polish.
This was only one of numerous engagements
he held, concurrently with the necessity rigor-
ously imposed upon him by law, of going to
school twice q day. The first thing in the
morning Sprouts sit his fires''-that is to say,
he went to the house where the mldde-aged
gentleman lodged, and lit the fires. After this
he came home, had his breakfast, and went off
to school, where he was due at nine o'clock
When he came out at noon he went to clean
his boots, then home to dinner, school again
in the afternoon, and in the evening was
open to engagements on odd jobs by the
ncighbors.
But his great day was Saturday, and IL was
in connection with the labors of this day that
he earned the sobriquet by which he was popu-
larry known. Being free from school on Sat-
urday, Sprouts was able to devote his colossal
energies to the furtherance OF u green grocery
business at the Butts This necessitated his
rising at four o'clock In the morning and ac-
companying the van to Convent Garden. At
first, Sprouts duties were limited TO remaining
on the van while more mature green grocer
went In search Of purchases. He had TO be on
the lookout, first, to prevent incursions OF
thieves, and, secondly, TO answer the hail of
porters bringing to the van purchases made in
different parts OF the market
1t was this that brought home to Sprouts
the urgent necessity of having 'back In"
"1f you don't get q back in,n Sprouts ex-
planned to his marveling mother and the as
sembled family, "they can't find you, and then
they have to carry the sacks allround the other
carts"
Sprouts never went to bed Friday night
without this grave necessity weighing upon
his mind. III they were last at market the
other carts would get a back in, and Smithson
would be at disadvantage. A start at four
would secure the desired position, aud often
hprouts, waking at three and dressing by the
light Of the little lamp he had placed by his
bod over night, went off to rouse his master
and help to get the horse in.
1t will be well understood that with these
engagements Sprouts was a youth of sub
stance. His income, indeed, was stupendous.
He had shilling a week for lighting the fire I;
eighteen pence a week was his fee for cleaning
the boots OF the middle-agcd gentleman,
brushing his cloths and going occasional err
rands, while his Saturdays work brought him
in eightpence. This last does not seem much
But then, as Sprouts remarks with glistening
eyes, he has four meals in the day and endeav
ors to do his duty in respect of them, rs in
deed he does In all else that comes in his way.
Sprouts was eleven years OF age and small
for his years He had a singularly bright pair
OF eyes, and one OF the most knowing smiles
ever carried by human being Sometimes, If
you Glanced to walk on a Saturday in the
neighborhood OF Newington Butts, YOU might
have your attention attracted by large basket
coming down the street. Then you would be-
come conscious Of a smile, following which
cue you would come upon a mouth and after
ward would quite clearly make out behind the
basket very small boy, hitched on one side