Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-08-15
A CHANGE IN FORTUNE

| A CHANGE IN FORTUNE.
Timothy Bloom, salesman in Mr..
Crabbe's big retail dry goods store, was
stealthily eating his lunch in a dusty
corner amongst some empty packing
boxes. 1t was not very good lunch,
and warm as the day was, he had but
one glass of ice-water with it.
A very mild, pleasant-looking young
fellow was Timothy Bloom, with eyes
like pretty girls and fair hair parted
down the middle: but he was rather
doleful at this moment, for Crabbe,
senior, had just been abusing him for
permitting a lady who was not to be
suited by mortal salesman to get Oft
without buying anything, and had like
wise informed him that he had been
| five seconds late that morning and
would in consequence "be deducted an
eighth" on Saturday evening.
That was not pleasant, and MIR.
Crabbe's manner was not pleasant, and
the dusty corner and the stale sand
witch were not pleasant. And who can
wonder that poor Timothy Bloom look
ing up at row of decorated corset
boxes above his head, and taking his
idea from the winged infant pictured
upon them, remarked under his breath:
81 wish l was cherub."
At this moment, even as the wish
huttered up 10 the corset boxes, a little
boy, about three feet high, bearing on
his bosom a badge with the enormous
number 1889, came around the corner,
and fixed his pathetic eyes on Mr..
Blooms glass of water.
81 say, Mr.. Bloom" he whispered,
pathetically, "won't you give me .ust a
mouthful of that water? Mr.. Crabbe
says us cashes amt to have no drinks,
and Pm chokin'."
Mr.. Bloom smiled pitifully at the
child, a forlorn widows bread-winner,
and said mildly as he held out the
glass:
"Ilere, johnny, take halt. I'd let you
have it all if we were not limited to
one glass ourselves"
"Guess waters gettin' DEAR" said
Johnny, eagerly swallowing the share
allowed of the cooling draught, but
scrupulously careful not to exceed the
permission.
"Thank'ee. You're brick. Mr.
Bumps hit me a lick when asked him.
Here, have the evening paper. A Gus
toner left it on the desk. Save it for
me to take to mar when | 60 home to.
night. She likes to read the murders
them things
"Cash 1889" shrieked y female
voice. Cash. Cash"
ats Miss Pringle. must co." whis.
pered Johnny, and sped away in terror
There were ten cash boys in the
store. and they had been numbered
high to sound well.
Mr.. Bloom peered around the corner
at the clock, saw he had ten minutes
more TO himself, and opened the paper
The first thing his eye lighted upon
was the advertisement of Il fine coun'
try seat for sale, and he read il
through-the description of the stables
barns, bath-tubs, conservatory, veran
da, lawn and kitchen gardens; the
well, the tiled hall and frescOed cell
ings, as though he intended to buy il
for himself that afternoon.
| Then he cast his eyes upon an ac
count of how Mr.. Mullen had beater
Mrs. Mullen, and had been arrested
for SO doing; and then he found him
self reading paragraph to the elfect
that the heirs of Timothy Bloom, Of
Lancaster, England, if living, nigh
hear something to their advantage by
applying to Jones & Johnson, -
street.
"My name," thought Mr.. Bloom a
first. Then, with a start, he remem
bered that he had heard that hi
grandfather was named Timothy. Ger
tainly, he came from Lancaster, Eng
land. His father, David Bloom, hat
been an only son. He was an only sol
himself. Well, then, he was Timoth,
Blooms heir, if it should prove tina
the Timothy Bloom mentioned wa
really his grandfather's name.
"But, oh pshaw!" said Mr.. Bloom
"This sort of thing couldn't happen t.
me. It's some other Timothy, no
poor old grandfather" And he copie'
the address of Jones & johnson int
his pocket book and went back to hi
counter quite calmly, though he wrot
to Jones & Johnson that night.
However, wonders will never cease
When Tim Bloom, the meelle { of al
young men, went home that Saturda