The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-03-15
JERRY JARVIS WIG.

[R. H. Barham in Swinton's Story Teller ]
"Joe," said old Jarvis, looking out of his
window-it was his ground floor back-aJoe,
you seem to be very hot, Joe, and you have
got no wig
ayes. sir" quoth Joseph, pausing and rest
ing upon his spade, "it's as hot day as ever
I see; but the celery must be got In, or
there'l be no autumn crop, and"
"Well, but Joe, the ssun's 50 hot, and II
shines so on your bald head Ii makes one
wink to look at It. You'll have q coup de
soleil, joe"
"a what, sir?"
aNo matter; It's very hot working, and Il
you'll step in doors I'll give you"
Thank ye. your honor, dropof beer viii
be very acceptable"
Joe's countenance frightened amazingly.
Joe, I'll give you-my old wigl'
The countenance of Joseph fell, his gray
eye had glistened as blest vision Of double
x fitted athwart his fancy; its glance faded
| again into the old filmy, gooseberry -colored
| hue, as he growled In a minor key, "a wig,
sirl"
eyes, Joe, wig The man who does not
study the comfort of his dependents is an un-
feeling scoundrel. You shall have my old
| worn-out wig"
II hope, sir, you'll give me drop of beer
to drink your honor's health in; it is very
hot, and -"
"Come in, Joe, and Mrs. Witherspoon shall
| give it to you"
"Heaven bless your honor" said honest
| Joe, striking his spade perpendicularly into
the earth, and pursuing his way to the door
| of the back kitchen.
| "Joe," said Mrs. Witherspoon, fat, comely
| dame, Of about five-and-forty-"Jo your
master is but too good to you; he's always
kind Joe, he has desired me to give you his
old wig"
"And the beer. Ma'am Witherspoong" said
Washford, taking the proffered wig, and
| looking at it with an expression somewhat
short of rapture.
"The beer, you guzzling wretch!-what
beer2 Master said nothing about no beer.
You ungrateful fellow, has he not given you
wigp
"Whv, yes Madam Witherspoonl but then
| you see, his honor said it was very hot, and
I'm very dry, and -"
go to the pump, sot" said Mrs. Wither-
spoon, as she slammed the back door in his
face.
Joe remained for few moments lost in
mental abstraction; he looked at the dsor,
|
throw it into the pig-sty-his evil nature rose,
but he resisted the impulse; he got the better
of Satan; the half-formed imprecation died
before it reached his lips. He looked disdain-
fully at the wig; it had once been a comely
Jasey enough, of the color of overbaked GIN
gerbread, one of the description commonly
known during the latter half of the last cen.
| tury by the name of a 'brown George But
Mr.. Jarvis wig had one popularity; unlike
most of its fellows it had tail-"cribbed and
confined, indeed, by shabby piece of faded
shalloon.
Washford looked att again; he shook bis
bald head. The wig had certainly seen its
best days; still it had about it somewhat OF
an air Of faded gentility; it was "like ancient
Rome, majestic in decay" and as the small
ale was not to be forthcoming, why-after
all, an old wig was better than nothing!
Mr.. jeremiah Jarvis, Of Appledore, in the
Weald of Kent, was gentleman by act OF
parliament-one of that class of gentlemen
who, disdaining the plain-sounding name OF
attorney -at-law," are, by legal fiction, de-
nominated solicitors.
jeremiah Jarvis was worthy exemplar OF
the class to which he belonged Few persons
in his time had created greater solicitude
among his majesty S lieges within the "weald.
He was rich, of course. Indeed his posses
sions were so considerable as not to be alto
gether accounted for, in vulgar esteem, even
| by the usual modes of accumulation; noI
were there wanting those who conscientiousIy
entertained a belief that a certain dark
colored gentleman of Indifferent character
known principally by his prediction for ap
| pearing in perpetual mourning, had beer
through life his great friend and counselor
and had mainly assisted in the requirement
of his revenues. That "old Jerry Jarvis ha6
sold himself to the devil" was, indeed, g
dogma which it were heresy to doubt in Ap
pledore.
When the worthy solicitor next looked out
of his gr6und-f1oor back, he smiled with nucf
complacency at beholding Joe WashforC
again hard at work--in his wig-the littl,
tail aforesaid oscillating like a pendulum il
the breeze. If it be asked what could Undue,
gentleman whose leading principle seems
to have been self-appropriation to make sc
magnificent a present, the answer is that Mr.
Jarvis might perhaps have thought an occa
sional act of benevolence necessary or pol
itic; he is not the only person who, havin,
stolen a quantity Of leather, has given ava,
pair of Shoes pour iamour de Dieu.
joe, meanwhile, worked away at the eel
ery-bed; but truth obliges us to say, neithe
with the same degree of vigor nor persever
ance as had marked the earlier efforts Of tn
morning. His pauses were more frequent
he rested longer on the handle of his spade
while ever and anon his eye would wande
from the trench beneath him to an object no
unworthy the contemplation of natura
philosopher. This was an apple hee.
Fairer fruit never tempted Eve or any Q
her daughters; the bending branches groane
beneath their luxuriant freight, and, dror
ping to earth, seemed to ask the protectin
aid OF man, either to support or to reliev
them. The fine, rich glow of their sur
streaked clusters derived additional Lowell
ness from the level beams of the descendin
day-star. An anchorite's mouth had watere
at the pippins.
: The heat was still oppressive; no beer ha
moistened his lip, though its very name
. uttered as it was in the ungracious tones of
Witherspoon, had left behind longing q
intense as fruitless His thirst seemed super
natural, when at this moment his left ca
experienced slight and tickling sensation
and a still, small voice-it was though
: daddy-long-legs were whispering to him
still, small voice seemed to say: "Joei-tak
an apple, Joem
Honest Joseph started at the suggestion
d the rich crimson on his jolly nose deepened
a purple tint in the beams of the setting SUI
his very forehead was incardinate. He raise
his hand to scratch his ear-the little tortuol
tail had worked its way into it-he pulled
out by the bit of shalloon, and allayed ii
y itching, then cast his eye wistfuliy towal
the mansion where his master was sitting /
the open window. Joepursed up his parche
lips into an arid whistle, and with despera
energy struck his spade once more into Il
celery bed.
Its northern extremity ended at the he'd;
D before mentioned; its southern one was
!; fearful vicinity to a Ribstone pippin-tree. Oh
!: branch, low bowed to earth, seemed ready