The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-12-27
SANS SPLENDID IDEA.


Joe Willett and Sam Day kept rival
peanut stands on opposite corners of a
busy city street, but this did not prevent
their being very good friends They
usually walked home together when the
labors of the day were over, and one
never had anything particularly nice for
lunch that he did not run across the
street TO share it with the other. Bat
there was good deal of difference in
the character of the two boys, for while
Joe was always frank and honest in
everything he said and did, Sam was in
clined to be little mean and under
handed. He didn't believe that honesty
was always the best policy, and he used
to tell Joe 50 very often.
One day, when Sam had lust filled
his roas,er full of raw peanuts, he was
startled by sudden burst of loud
music, and looking down the street he
saw procession coming, headed by
brass band, the members of which were
dressed in white and blue Behind the
chariot came elephants, ponies, cages
VI WIN bEtl9OSs StSalAClSt anu lLtu anu
women fantastically dressed, and riding
gayly cnparisoned steeds.
The circus! the circus!' cried Sam,
and Immediately forgot all about the,
peanuts in the rooster. lie kept turn
ing the crank it is true, but he did it
mechanically, and his whole attention
was on the procession.
When the last cage of animals had
passed by, and the music had died away
in the distance, the peanuts were burned
brown. Sans face grew very long as
he opened the rooster, and for a few
minutes he was almost stunned by the
calamity which had befallen him, for
he had never met with such a heavy
loss before.
He ran across the street to tell Joe
about it, and found that Joe had been
equally careless. He, too, had rooster
full of burnt nuts.
"N hat You goin' to do with emp
asked Sam.
Throw 'em away, of course" an
swered Joe.
i cant afford to throw EN- away"
said Sam.
And can't afford to keep 'em, "
said Joe, it would be poor economy
in my opinion. Besides, it wouldn't be
right People want the worth of their
money and they ought to have it."
edo Us YOU like, of course said
Sam, bat | advise you to mix good
and bad together. That's what I'm
goin' to do. In that way you won't
lose anything, and you'll get rid of EN-
all"
Joe shook his head and proceeded to
throw the burnt nuts into the street,
while Sam ran back to his stand to wait
on little girl who had paused before it
and was looking around for him.
wait q minute, sissy he said, and
he emptied the rooster of burnt nuts
INTO the big wooden tray, and mixed
them thoroughly with the good ones.
Then he measured out a pint for the
little girl.
"Some Of EN- is burnt" she said, as
she handed him five pennies. II can't
eat the burnt ones" and she looked
very douDtfully into the brown paper
bag.
Use 'em for coffee, then, said Sam,
laughing.
There were great many people on
the street VINO had come out 10 see the
procession, and Sam had all the Gus
tom he could attend to. BY noon he
had disposed of more than half his stock,
ind when night came the big wooden
tray was entirely empty.
''Ihat was a splendid idea of mine"
he said to Joe,' as they walked home
together.
You mean your idea of mixing the
nuts, ] suppose" said Joe. Odd you
sell EN- ali?'
Every one, answered Sam. "You
were foolish to throw yours away"
The next morning Sam saw two
ladies, TO whom he had sold two quarts
OF nuts the previous day, stop at Joe's
stand. He watched them, Jealous of
the custom they were giving his friend,
and vexed that they should buy of any
one but himself. Ard it seemed to him
that they talked longer to Joe than was
really necessary. When they went away
at last he ran over to ask Joe how many
pints he had sold them
'Tbey didn't stop at pints," said
Joe; 'they took three quarts. They
sad they threw away all those they
bought of you yesterday, for there were
so many burnt ones among 'em that
they got out of all patience. don't
believe they will ever buy of you again,
SAm. They said you must be careless
rooster"
They never did buy of Sam again.
he had the pain and modification of
seeing them stop very frequently at
Joe's stand, but they always passed his
own without even glance. And the
two ladies were not the only customers
be lost. There was perceptible de-
crease in his daily receipts for a long
time after the affair of the burnt nuts,
and a corresponding increase in the in
come OF his rival. And almost every
day no heard from Joe some remark |
which had been made about the poor
quahty of the stock hN kept People !