The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-03-19

that lasted me couple of months
"There seems to have been no great
sentiment against stealing. Would
the boys refuse to associate with a
com mpanion who they knew had stolen
maney?" I threw out.
swell, no, no, they wouldn't exact
ly refuse to associate with him." he
said, judicially. 1.-THE fact is, they had
toget money some way. They weren't
provided very literally. Their folks.
vou see. most generally didn't approve
of EN- Whv. [ recollect. myself. =
he started off with new gusto.-
"havin' to sell all the hats and um-
brellas on the hall-rack. once, to get
funds to go and see Mazeppa, at the
old Bowerv theatre"
No doubt. | seemed duly impressed
with the painful necessity of this
measure. for further details were
Forthcoming.
''There was an old party that went
| through the street every afternoon.
Ithat used TO call Yowlrigs That
was his way of pronouncine 'Anv old
rags?' Sometimes he shouted. Eggs
bottled instead. Rags, bottlesr See?
7 called Yowlrigs in. when the old lady
was away. and made the trade. Some
of the servants saw him going out.
and Preached on me; bnt I'd lit ont.
myself, before that. you bet [ had
it arranged, in them times, so I could
sleep in an engine-house, every once
in while"
"Bnt you had to go back at some
time"
''Yes; but I could always scare the
old lady by staving away long enongh;
that's where I had the inside track
She didn't ask any questions then.
The old lady was pretty fresh. Drink
ing was what riled her the most,
though"
"Ah, drinking? The gang went in
for that. too?"
"What the gang didn't go in for
wasn't worth doing. | got as drunk
as boiled owl when was fourteen
years old.
"A policeman brought me home on
his back at two o'clock in the morn
ling. 1t was whisky that done it; I'd
never took anything but beer before
that. One Of the kids had borrowed
some money from his fathers till,
that night, and nothing would do but
we must all take whisky, and get
| tight Then there aDds circus, and
don't you forget it. I got in the way
of it, and have been kind Of in the
way Of it ever since. had to brace
up a good deal on the steamer, for in
stance; nay be you took notice Of it?
But that's all over now Tt was for
something of that kind, | believe, that
the old lady finally fired me out. No,
don't know as it was, either I've for
gotten now just exactly what it Was
for" slightly scratching his head,
''there was so many rackets."
'She sent you away, thenp She
could not stand you any longer?
Well, l don't wonder at it.
He showed no ofense at unfavora-
BILE opinions.
"She had to do it, you know. she
had to do it. | can't blame her." he
replied. "She used to come up nights,
or early in the morning, to my room,
in her wrapper, and say prayers over
me. She used to tell what big things
my father had done, and how | ought
to be worthy of him, and all that; and
sometimes | used to promise I'd catch
anything. So there she was, one
morning.-I wish [ conld think now
exactly what it was for.-standing by
me like a gray ghost. waving hands,
-handkerchief,- high tragedy, see?
I'd finally got to go. She asked me-
how much money [ wanted. to take
me away where she'd never hear of
me again till she could hear something
that wasn't disgrace and shame.
was kind Of dazed on account of its
being so early in the morning and the
racket I'd had over night. and [ nam
ed certain sum, when l might just
as well have had twice as much.
When I woke up again, there it was
on the table beside me, When |
went down the steps the old lady was
behind the blinds, and | guess she
was crying"
Alas and alas, for the poor old lady!
II didn't clear offjust then, though" "
the scapegrace continued Not so
fresh. | waited till I'd spent all that
money, and then went back after
more IF you really want to get rid
of me, l said. give me five hundred
dollars, and I'll 60 She planked it
down, and | went
The frankness of these confessions
seemed incredible. Perhaps he saw
that [ marveled at it, for he explain
ed at once
"Oh, | don't mind telling you some
Of this stuff, for if you was to go back
to New York and inquire about me
you'd hear a dozen times worse
There's some advantages in having a
bad character, after all? Nobody can
do me any hurt. But that's all over
now. I had a good mother. see?
There's no discount on her. That's
what's always brought me round all
right"
1t was difficult to see in what the
brown-stone boy was so much better
than formerly, since he told of his
misdeeds-many more, and more SER
ious ones, too, than here set down
with the utter fippancy described;
but one could only hopefully take
him at his word. He had plausible,
ingratiating way with him. He
could fatter by artful air of respect
and Difference to superior wisdom, and
he could amuse, as well. by drolleries.
He had the social talents, an easy
skill at cards and billiards. knack at
music, and the like, with the aid of
which his brief successes were accom-
plished
He was now very fashionably dress
ed. He had evidently not spared mon
ey, and the tailor to whom he had en-
trusted himself had made very COM
plete thing Of it. He proposed to
hire an expensive livery-team and
take me for drive in the park |
opposed this as contrary
to his newly devised plan of economy
and reform, and we compromised by
partly walking and then taking an
open horse-ear. We passed the city