The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-13
Taking the Boys Measure.
EE TIE REV. J. j.. COWAN.

spring suit, ana was 10 nave IL ncA|
week, in time to wear down to Squad
unk on the picnic excursion.
"Pm.check," said Jimmy; "piclcd
it out myself; that is, mother and
did. Didn't we, mother? Smith says
he can fit me to Il r. Good shape
Some boys have crooked shoulders
and some grasshopper legs. Hard to
fit. Take a twenty-four, / do. Re-
member all the mesreument, 'most,-
twenty-four breast, fourteen collar
twcnty-nine long, twen-Say there,
Dick let, that lat alone, 1 tell you
Yes, mother, Pm going in minute,
didn't I tell you SO (impatiently)?-
soon as I settle Sue, here, for nabbing
my ear"
What are you laughing at, Uncle
Harry?"
"Oh, nothing much! Just thought
what chance it was for the record
ing angel to take your measure
that's ALL"
Jimmy went OH about his errand,
and when he got back it was high bed
time and little past so, after the u.s.
ual amount of teasing to wait for just
another game, and grumbling at the
injustice of sending boy to bed before
it was dark, when all the other boys
in the town could sit up until ten, he
stumbled up the stairs in very bad
humor.
He got out of his clothes, but how,
no one but boy in bad humor and a
hurry to have it over can tell. How
lie was to get into such q tangled,
criss-cross muss the next morning was
another puzzle.
BLESSINGS OH the man that invent
ed sleep!" would have been very ap-
propriate motto to tack ON Jimmy's
bed that night; for, embraced in its
arms, he soon forgot Dicks felonious
intentions on his bat, the pending set
tlement with Sue of the "nabbing''
case, and the illhumor of the last mo.
ments, aroused by his sense of ILL.,
treatment, and was living again the
proud moments in the merchant tai
lor's room, where the soft, handsome
folds of the ''pin-check" goods were
being admired, and the hum of the
tailor's voice, as he said, "Open your
vest. please now lift your arms, so
stand straight, please; fourteen, twen-
ty-four; that will do," etc., rang in
his ears.
Presently it became indistinct and
confused. Then it began to ring out
again with new distinctness:
"Stand straight, please, Humph
Very much shrunken calves, these.
One, two,-only two errands for moth
er to-day and good deal of growing
over those. Open tho vest please.
Thirteen breast measure; small heart
inside cold and selfish wants every
thing for himself Some boys, with
generous hearts, measure twenty-five.
stand straight, please! Nineteen high
good deal of baby yet; whines and
pouts like one. A boy with sense and
manliness enough to take things rea-
sonably ought to measure thirty"
BY this time Jimmy was tumbling
and rolling at a precious rate. Great
beads of sweat stood Oh his brow, and
Something suspiciously like groans
broke from his lips.
"Pretty crooked, shriveled specimen
this! Hard to make his robe look de-
cent at all. Got it by the skin of his
teeth"
You would have thought Jimmy
was trying to put himself through Il
knot-hole, he shrank into so small a
corner of the bed.
"Cut a sorry figure before the throne.
If he'd only thought as much of how
his spirit grew, US having well-shaped
bod"-
A long low, gurgling sound came
from under the bedclothes, which were
gripped tight in both Jimmy's fists.
Tiptoe, tiptoe came footsteps down the
hall, and light cleaned along the
wall, and then shone into Jimmy's
face.
"Oh, how it shines! Let HE go
away,-away back, please, Mr.. Record
ing Angel! I'm so un-"
Jimmy, Jimmy! Wake up
What's the matter, boy?"
ooh! Mr.. An-Why, Uncle Har
ry! Pm so glad! II guess Tve
been dreaming; but tell you it was
mighty natural. Don't go yet ~
"But what about the recording all
gel ?".
"Why, don't you know what you
said last night about-about''-
"raking your measure, ch? AS
good as Smith's""
mo; but mean to make it so, Un-
Gle Harry. ."-Iitfsbauy, Pa.