The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-02
JACOB AND POLLY.

JAOUb AND FULLY
Jacob Cattley was a messenger tc
Messrs. PcrkinsOn, Goldchest a. Co
the rich bankers in Lombard street.
AT least he always considered himself
attached to the establishment as n mes
senger, though he had never ''sioned
articles with the principals, and was
gust barely tolerated outside on the
pavement at an acute angle of the
building and three feet from the street
doors, where customers and clerks
were not likely to tumble over him. He
had been hanging outside this bio bank
Ior many years now; and it had become
u custom, OF late days, to send him on
httie errands which we're not within the
province of a regular clerks duty. and
which clerks of Parkinson, Goldchest 4
20. would have scorned to perform at
any price whatever. If anybody re-
quired cab, Jacob was sent for one; if
country gentleman with a bic bal
ance on the books wanted to be- shown
the way to the Bank of England. or
Blllingsgate, or the Tower, Jacob was
told of as guide; if something was
wanted surrephtiously by the clerks. in
The shape of a newspaper or a ham
sandwich, Jacob was sent for IL. and
there had been times when it was con-
sidcred safe to trust him even with a
telegram.
Jacob received no salary, but was
supported by voluntary contributions
like hospital; and what these coDtri-
buttons amounted to in the year there
mad been much speculation CONCERNING
at tho bank, amongst the clerks III
was set down by young and magma
tive minds as pretty penny. take IL
altogether" But taking Jacob Gait
icy altogether was, to the ordinary
observer, TO set him down as
a poor. half-starved, ill-clad. misera-
PIE Ple old man. struggling hard to
4Ve, and always on the brink !
OF failing at it. A shabbior old GENTLE
man was not TO be found between the |
bank and Houndsditch; but he was |
never IN rags, and he ALWAYS boosted a !
clean face under his rusty-brown ton |
hat, which he poised at the extreme |
back OF his gray head He did not an
pear to flourish on his contributions.
Dut grew thinner and more pinched
win every week of his outdoor service
there. "f on can see him shriyelino.
away, " one young man had seriousl2
asserted. He $ n regular miser. iii
be bound" And with his hollow
cheeks, and peaked nose, and promi-
nent chin, ground fine to match that
poor Pinched nose of his, he mfrht
nave been taken for miscr, or pan
per- or, indeed, anything deplorable.
sui be had what the clerks called
ms ups v; and Mr.. Goldchest, every
Saturday morning, when he left the
bank aud before he stopped into III
carriage, tho door of which Mr.. CattIev
always opened for him, gave him some
Ihlng, II was noticed; but whether a
sovereign or thrcopenny piece was a
matter of uncertainty, the cIayv-Iil,e
hand Of Jacob closing so quickly on the ,
gut The junior clerks Thought II
would be ''threepenny,n MIR. Gold
chest not being a liberal paymaster. in
thcir humble opinion, fOrcibly expressed ,
e;ch quarter day but Jacob, probably ,
OF retleent disposition, never let them ,
know, and at all events he did not way :
lat on his emOlumentS, and in the rainy :
ana frosty seasons caught many n cold :
ana cough, and wore, winter and sum :
mer' the same suit of gray threadbarc
CLONES, TO which, in very inclement
weather, red cotton neckerchief, re-
lleved by white lozenges, and tied in n !
strange knot was added, by way of
protection to giraae-like throat.
Jacob was considered n poor HANGER
on but Jacob had his hangers-on. too. f.
ana people whom in his turn he took
upon himself to patronize. There arc =,
a ways depths below depths in this ec>
centric world of ours, and always some
poor brother and sister to whom n hand
can be held out, or n little Kindness "
rendered, and Jacob Cattlev had his de- Z
pendent in the background. and ono
who waited and watched for him rs
regularly after banking hours on Sat !"
urdays, rs he waited and watched for =,
Mr. 1oldchest about noon; and this de-
pendent on Mr.. Cattley was a dark
haired, dark-cyed purvevor of ponpv
button holes" and two-pennv bon A.
luets; poor ilower-girl, who regarded ~
Mr. Cattley as regular customer on -
saturdays one who was always good -,
or penny, sometimes even two-pence. p
when he had been extra fortunate in :,
he city. Ia
Jacob, it may be said, never pur
chased his flowers in Lombard street: !.
10 one in that busy center had ever seen ~
Jacob Cattlcy spend penny-piece on -,
.nythlngi but once away from the city h.
roper, and hurlying away toward ~
'lacklriars Bridge ON the Surrey side 10
# which he lived, and which he crossed - -
- 'i"i ~ t"lCv uay 10 and from his &c
place OF business any one who had
AIKEN tho trouble TO watch him-which -
o. one ever had-would have seen , l,'
acob somewhere in the neirhborhood Ws
LudSate Hill bargaining with Polly ~.
aNter Tor noSegay every Saturday IN,
ltcrnoon. IN
Jacob Cattley would even condescend 70,
} patrUnize Polly Baxter, and to occa- d.
onally pass remark upon the wealth ro,
{, or the extent OF her stock in trade.
lt all this was done in an austere. m.
and-oilish way, which did not encour-
% conversation in return, and which asl
rs washed-out copy of the great itp
manner, when the bio bank .
skated across tho pavement 10 his che
rriaGe. Polly Baxter did not know az
is, and thought il was very kind Of 20
g old gentleman in the queer-lookipp ooy
mtorter 10 say q word or bow to her. T !,
Nv and then words which. with All Sai,
cir GOODNESS, had "A little ring in them 4
interest o. sympathy, or something GRO
d easy 10 comprehend, and which the .
wer-girl did not attempt in any wav 4.
account for. Sometimes she won 1oo1
rcd why he bought her flowers. or Nc.
lat nc did with them after he Uot 4
me; he was so particular about the hmm
nch he purchased, and had so strong sbr,
ancy for the brightest colors. MIST
Jacob Cattley was missed -
IN Lombard street, and from the exc
ghborhoOd Of Ludgate Hill; and Pol any
Bakers basket blushed with flowers jest
vain for him. Every day Polly Bax- TO h
had been accustomed to see him be-, Il
zen four and five trotting homeward, blia
u ms sharp lace set due south; every sugs
he bad said; Good morning." in his (
rave, fathcrly way. and with a sol the
bend OF his long neck; and on Sat after