The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-11-26

uAuCAoeoaiU liz" SPdPCf LILLY uaSc, OUT
his mate, Joe Toms, the hawker, trans
lated the history of the more select
murders to him. 'She ups and she
SCI, You amt never goin' to hear the
last, if you don't bloomin' well give
me my rights. 'Shant, sez he. 'Yol
shall, she says; or myswell father'll
jest knock tons of stufIin' out O you
swear you shall. Not a bloomin'
shall, says he; and he outs with his
plstll and he corpses her, and then he
tries the same on hisself, and misses,
and now lies in the horspital" Thus
would Mr.. Toms vary the language of
the reporters, to Jerry's great solace-
ment. The friends did not understand
politics Jerry explained his theories
thus: "One O the blokes round Ber-
mOndsey way comes to the yard when
was a-havin' my bit O grub dinner
time, and he seq, If you have bit
left, mate, don't mind havin' of it.
Amt bit since yesterday mornin'.' So
| goes him halves, and then he SEE,
! We'll be all right soon. amt had a
hover for fortnit; but swell gent
don't know what they call him, but
he's one O them what sends the per
lice and the swaddies over the water
and things-and he SEE we'll have
Wotesr I SEE: Did the cove give you
no grub! If he didn't give You no
grub, what's the good OF his ior2'"
and Jerry spoke no more.
And 50 the good days went on until
sails boy was born. She used to look at
the baby ythe hour and horoycs hada
mysterious YeamlNg In them; her
colo face crew soft IN its plaiuncSs,
and she acquired look CT Quiet pride
very different from her Old dim ncu-
trallty. The younwstcr grew nicely,
and he was a source of much sOmber
glce to jerry. The man used to light
UP his pipe and smoke in the gloomy
front room, while his SON sprawled
desperately round on the floor, and he
thought it was rum that he never knew
how pretty child was before If he
strolled on to the pavement with the
baby In bis arms, the costers and the
match girls used TO chatf HIM as they
passed. WAT till you ayes my lot;
you won't be SO fond o handlin of
en-" Amt old Jerry pleased with
hisselfl" and so on Sal liked all this
notice, and she liked to see her man
nursing her baby-she had position
III the world She never kissed Jerry
bat she would slap him on the back
and say. lOu re q proper old blCke.
| rubbed your two shirts through
while YOU was a-holdin' the KID.
Come, them" and then she would nuz-
zlc her hard face to the baby neck
in ecstatic abandonment. When the
youth tried to walk, he took the or
thOdox two steps and came down.
After this he looked round for plau-
dts, and Jerry always gave a grunt
of laughter, while Sal smiled and
looked proud. The more the baby
tumbled the more fresh and entranc-
ing Jerry found the performance.
How he do flop, to be sure" he OBJ
served again and again, and at length,
, with look of triumph-the look Of
, the successful authorize said: HE
can have his proper name, but I'm
goin' to call him Flop See2" "All
right" said Sal, and she humored the
mans whim. AS for Jerry, he made
the lives of his chums burdensome by
, explaining how this humorous con
ception first occurred to him, because
even six times was not quite enough
for him to tell the anecdote to one au
t ditor There are other parental bores
besides jerry.
But the good days had to go Jerry
rot hit by winch handle; he took nc
notice at the time, and carried on the
t usual dull round, till he was bothered
by a queer swelling on the hip, with {
! slight pain, which was just enough t
t prevent him from quite enjoying hi:
; usual games with Flop. The trouble III
; creased, until he took a day off anC
I limped To- the hospital. The case wa
! remarkable and it was at last settled
t that Jerry should undergo an opera
r ton, which happened to be of terri
f bic character. Sal could not eXactl J
, understand what had taken place, bu
. She trembled when she saw her man
t pale. yellowish face on the pillow II
a that grim ward, and she covered he
2 ewes with her apron when Flop order
t ed his father to come and have a game
e Jerrv's life was saved, but he was no
e good for much in the way OF worl
0 when he came out, and during III
r second stay in hospital he died, am
r Sal saw him put away. She sighed
!, little when the man said: Gene
e ma am, for she felt as II she shoul
1t stop there; and then she went al0ni
n carrying Flop, who tried to draw he
/ into talk Sal stifled her means SO a
G not to brighten the babbler, and sh
a pat him down when they got clear G
=. the vans She moancd then; for Jei
s, ry had been kind, and never hit hel
Il and She was going TO the room Wher
I, his pipe and his clothes lay. All tn
b evening Sal never spoke but once
e and that was when the neighboII
7. tried to comfort her; then she mad
answer, 1T amt no good talkin', poo
l old Jerry's gone, and he was a goo
t chap, and l got to work for the KID t
!. morrer." She woke often In til
n night, and when she did she pate
1t Fiop's soft legs and whispered to he
/; self, His fathers gone, and got
At go to work to-morrer.
'r Sal grew fonder OF Flop now an
l. she used to take him with her to tn
IL chad ubaro che wOrke