Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-06-27
Shakespeare John and Josephine
Jane.
BY MARY E. BRUSH.

L By MAXI e. bhuOh.
Stop yer caperin' round, Shakes
peare Johnl Yer fur all de wo'ld like
cantankerous mule. Can't yer stant
still an listen to yer nanny! TAX
dis yer basket oh clo'es to de lady a
de Ebbitt House Mis- West she is
| de captains wife. De washin' oh d.
clo'es comes to two dollahs. You takt
ker OBJ de money, Josephine Jane, an
don't yer lose it, cause if yer does
yer'll git de biggest wollopin' yer ebel
had. Now mind, an be perite wher
de lady speaks to yern And, having
given this final injunction, NANNY
Linkum nodded her turbaned head and
went into the cabin to resume her tes
at the wash-tub.
Goodbye, Mammyp chimed her
son and daughter, as they went down
the road.
The Linkums (the head of the family
had named themselves after good
Father Abraham0 lived few miles
out of Washington, on the grassy
slopes leading up toward Arlington
flights.
On one side was grove of healthy,
young trees; on the other winding
road, whose red sands the Spring rains
had worn into ruts and gullies. Be-
hind were the hills, the soldiers bar
racks, officers quarters, observatory,
and tall flag staff of the Signal Station
of Fort Meyer In front was the
broad Potomac, and beyond it the
cities of Georgetown and Washington.
AS for the Linkum house itself, it
was only little low, white-washed
building, with a tall, smoke-begrimed
| chimney at one end. At the fuT ther
end of little lot, enclosed by snake
fence, was pen, containing two prom
ising young pigs; and near it rude
shed, in which Ulysses Grant Linkum
| kept superannuated mule. Chickens,
| ducks, and turkeys were plentiful, and
the Linkums were regarded as d thrift
| ty, industrious family.
Twelve-year-old Shakespeare John,
accompanied by his sister, Josephine
Jane, went down the well-beaten path
and opended the wooden gate, with
it's homemade leather hinges.
Shakespeare John was tall and
strong, with a wiry, well-knit figure, a
| wide, good-nat1red mouth, pudgy
nose, dancing black eyes, and mop of
woolly hair. His costume was not
very elaborate-a blue plaid shirt and
a pair of snuff-colored trousers that had
once belonged to his father. For this
reason they were large, of course but
the lad had shortened them considera-
bly, by rolling them up above his
ankles But the baggy part behind
there was no filing that out; and when
eyer Shakespeare John ran (Which he
very frequently did) there was great
wabbIing of drapery. Perhaps, though,
it was Just as well that the snuff-color-
ed trousers were not tight, because the
cloth was poor and could bear no strain;
and, besides, there was an ugly rent
there already, which Shakespeare John
had the misfortune to make while
climbing over the snake-terce around
his home.
Josephine Jane, having the we'll
known proclivities of her sex, was bet
ter dressed She wore pink calico
frock, stiff and shiny with starch, and
neat sun-bonnet and ruflied white
apron. She was short and fat, and
clumsy in her movements. In every
other respect she resembled her brother.
1t was only the middle of Spring
but the weather was mild, and neither
of the children wore shoes or stockings.
The hot sun warmed the sand in the
road, so that the twenty bronze toes,
tripping along, were not chilled. Even
if they had have been, l do not think
the children would have minded it
much, they were SO full ofjoyful antic-
ipation over their walk.
1t was not very often that they were
allowed to go to Washington alone.
Generally the clothes were taken over
bytheir father; but to-day he was doing
work which he couldn't leave.
Shakespeare John, l jest wish verde
heft yer side OBJ de basket said jose
phine, after they had crossed the Po-
tomac bridge: Yer lets me hab de
wo'st part oh it. 'Tain't berry perlite,
seein' as how yer is boy an older'n
| is.'
'Sho! But yer weigh mon l does
Josephine Jane De trouble am yer
is lazy. But den all oh de female per-
suasion is no-account critters!' Shakes
peare John exclaimed, taking his hand
out of his pocket and grasping hold of
one of the willow handles OF the basket
Yer hadn't orter talk so! 'Tain't
perlite 'Sides | hain't OBJ de female
persuasion Nanny am Mefodist
an pappy am Mefodist, an I'se elder
Mefodist or noiiin'.'
Pooh! Yer's ignerant, yer isl
Didn't yer know female meant gal p
But Josephine Jane, not paying any
attention to this information, began to
trill out, in shrill, piping tones:
de mock in bird, him sit an sing, an slng
De sky-lark him fly on de wing, de wing,
De rice bird
'Sho, Shakespeare what am dat?'
The two children hastily set down
the basket under dog-wood tree, and
stepped up to tall, board fence on
which were posted pictures, red, blue,
and yellow, representing the animals
and various attractions of 'Barnum's
Show
Dat am de elyphunt. Jumbo
Shakespeare John proceeded to explain.
He am de one what swum ober from
England He ct SO much, Queen
Victory dribe him away. Jake Sydney
done tole me bout him.
Did he swum cross, shuah? l
fought he'de drowned hisself! Why
didn't dey bring him in ship?'
Ship! Sho! Yer as a silly gal p
Shakespeare John exclaimed, con-
tempuously: 'Whar dye s'pose dey
git big enough ship? Jumbo's big
germ forty miles