The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-08


TO n ma gszipe Thus the money might be
made by himself. He was far too humble
man 10 think OF this expedient u nprompied
We formed a deputation and waited on him,
and eptreaied him, asa favor to ourselves,
that he would put on paper his recollections
OF the Great Duke, and OF Lord uxoridse.
n OF Picton and OF the battle, aud then, that
he would give his production TO the world.
He wa frightened at the suggestion, and se'
INJURED TO 10. he had never written line
u that had bsen printed, he knew nothing oil
Literary form, he remembered moth ng OF real
importance. We over ruled his objections;
we recalled one incident and anecd)ts after
another with which we bad been favored
II We told him that We coulu not expect To be
all our lives ia Miss Jones' boarding house,
and ttat Ga our after.life we wis led 10 Dos
sass memorial OF one whom We valued,
and loved, aud reverenced ss father.
Il Tue old naa's eyes filed when We said
this, he could not answer Us; hs mouth
twitched, he held on, his hand and IL shook
~ he squeezed each Of ours In turn.
'Besides,' said, 1 am On engrossing clerk,
30 s,all be able 10 give lite,a'y character 10
the Reoollections AID write them In legi-
BILE hand which goes I understand n long
way vita the reader 90 q pub ither.'
Il Now whit the composition OF this literary
venture was In progress the weather tnrned
bitterly cold. aud the Major caught chill
him 10 provids himself with great coat
Hs felt ss though n cold hand we're laid on
his back between the shoulders, pumbng
him--in fact, the great coat bad parted ~
the seam In the rear.
tie overhauled the old garment TO see
whether II would be possi bic for him To 10
pair IL himself. He tried the parted seam.
but the threads would DOT hold, they ffayed
tho edges. No. only professional could,
30 to speak, set the great coat on It's legs
again. Then he took IL 10 a Mr. Dawkins, a
small working tailor, who lived in a side
lane; man much given TO brandy, who
got drunk OF Sunday rs q matter OF oouree.
o Monday he was dismal, his head ached,
his hand shook, his Views Of life were soci'
alistic. On Mondays he was accommodatin &
TO his customers whether In the matter oil
price or repairs. The Maj N was not u man
OF the world or he would not have gone TO
Mr.. Dawkins on Monday. On Sunday he
had come TO the conclusion that something
must be done to his greatcoat or he would
not be able TO go TO church again, and on
Monday morning, accordingly, he turned
into Little Back STREET and into the tailor
shop He was at once almost stifed with
the closeness OF the room, the smell OF damp
cloth, hot irons Ind stale smoke. Mr.. Dsw-
kins tat on his table. his legs crossed, and
without his shoes, his feet encased In not
over-clean white stockings With his toes
which be was Jeseating. Mr.. Dawkins was
a pastv faced, small pox marked man, with
thick black hair and blask, frowsy chin.
dis thumb-r all re 8mbled the back OF tor
toise. Round his neck, over his dirty gray
waistcoat, hung skein OF blac < thread. He
bad been engaged for some minutes IN try
ing TO thread his needle When the MAJOR EN-
tered He had cursed the bad light, the
needles eye. the thread, and hiie in the back
room because his hand shook 80 that he
could not thread the needle.
Major Corn elious soon saw that the time
be had chosen was I'M udicious, but 10
YES too late for him To withdraw. He knew
the tailor, and the tailor knew him, Indeed
the man did many little jobs for the gentle
meo at Miss Joness. Mr. Dawkins's eye at
once recognized the customer, aud then
travelled down to his arm TO ses what hung
over it for him to operate upon.
How are you this morning. Mr.. Daw.
kips?"
mot at all we'll. Out OF sorts all over
How can man be we'll when he slaves all
day aud is worried all night by teething
baby? Squau, squall, squalll Look at my
hand how 1T shakes. l am unDerved by that
odious brat. / wish ii were not against the
law to drown babies. Mine would soon go
over Waterloo Bridge"
How can you, Robert?' exclaimed his
wife. looking into the room.
go back to your work. l was not speak
ing to you" ordered the tailor. Il don't
know what sort of work yen have for me to
do. Major, but tell you beforehand l cao
only boggle Ii with this shaking hand. Till
the baby's teeth are cut no work worth look
ing at comes out of this shop. Well, Major,
what is it?"
I've come to-to-just-ind really
with -" When the Major was nervous
his eloauence forsook him, he expressed him
self in sdverbs and proportions, and left the
imagination to supply the verbs and sub
staptlves He stood still, suffering think
ing he had said his say, or forgetting what
his purpose was.
"WelI, sir, what do you want with me?"
asked Dawkius, casting q scrutiniziDg glance
at Major Cornelius, and examining every
garment be wore with the eye of q critic, re-
morseless over defects. He looked for rent,
hole, lost button, frayed sleeve, whitened ell
bow, worn treuser-foot, burst-out button
hole.
"The-the-greatcoat. THAT is-it-if-
with-by any mesns-you see it is-weli
lnearly-just little the worse for wear, but
other wise good-no, not new-between the
|shoulders-yes, seat the elbow also-the
cellar, you observe-and the lappels-the
tail, think-with little"
Mr.. Dawkins took the greatcoat and spread
il over his knees,
1T is not quite new" said the Maj or
a pologetically. at is not, indeed, at all
new; but, think, with your admirable skill
it may be given another lease of life, say ten
years more service. 1t has been an old and
excellent garment, has kept me snug. and
screened me from many chill. have be
come attached to the coat. and do not wish
TO abandon it." DawkiDs said nothing, bet
his face assumed q sarcastic expression the
Major did not like. Then he snook his head,
raised the coat and held it before the win
dow. The light revealed all its imDerfec-
tons with cruel directness. it strea med
through the rents, it struggled through the
threadbare tracts. Then he turned the
great coat on one side, and explored the
right sleeve, aud shook his bead. Then he
turned it over on the other side and studied
the left sleeve; then he shook his head again
Next he turned the pockets inside oat; then
he went over the collar, aud broke into a
short laugh. Then he examined the lining
and shook the coat, and threw it contemptn
ously on the table at his feet.
mo good-but for the ragman." MAJOR
Cornelius turned deadly white. The room
swan round with him. the floor heaved and
fell, as though ie we're the cabin OF trans
port in the Bay of Bscsy. He who would
1 have marched fearless to the mouth OF can
non, shook in his shoes before Mr.. Dawkins.
/ L think, Mr.. Dawkins, you are mistaken.
4 A bit of cloth put behind that angular tear.
and q strip where the seam has parted
would make the old coat hold for some time
longer; aud If the cloth be thin,