, 1891-01-08
A BIT OF WALL PAPER
SENTIMENTAL "REMINISCENCES OF AN
OLD GENTLEMAN.

He Was from Troy. but He Started Life
in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of
His Early Married LIfe-struEEiIng for
n sIemento-The Hard Hearted Boss.
a middle aged mar who was gazing
absently out of a window of an elevated
car the other day started suddenly and
craned his neck to look at a big hole in
the wall Of brick and brown stone front
by which the train was passing. Two
or three houses had been torn down to
make room for improvements. and the
hole was all that was left of them, save
a litter of broken bricks in the cellar
and an acre or so Of wall p in many
designs upon the sides of the adjoining
building. The middle aged man got out
It the next station and walked back to
the hole. He stood ON the sidewalk a
moment, looking first upinto the air and
then at the half dozen workmen who
were removing the last traces Of the
wreck. Presently he appeared TO pluck
up resolution, for he gravely descended
the rough plank gangway that led from
the street to the bottom of the hole and
approached the boss of the gang.
Been tearing down these houses. ]
see remarked the middle aged man by
way Of introduction.
The boss stared.
We amt been putin up any, he re-
sponded.
SEEKING a SOUVENIR
That's what l meant. said the mid
die aged man imperturbably. Would
you mind lending me - ladder for a
minute or two
asNUbaN -, 4h..l. l.
with it, exclaimed the boss.
Il want TO climb up to that piece of
paper responded the middle aged man,
pointing to n section of the wall that
was covered with a greenery yallery de
sign. You see" be continued, II used
to live there.
There was n suspicion of moisture in
the middle aged mans eyes and a faint
smile on his lips rs he said this, and he
looked up at the soiled patch of p rs
q traveller might view the receding lights
of his native town. The boss was puz-
zled and suspicious. but after a
OF silence, while he pretended to be
watching his men. he said:
you can take that one in the corner
If you'll moveit yourself and put it pack
again"
The middle aged man bowed without
a word. took off his overcoat and laid it
gently upon a pile Of bricks. laid down
his cane, and proceeded, at the expense
of no little exertion, to place the ladder.
As he began to climb up the boss ran
over and said threateningly:
- here, now; no shenaniginl You'll
only get 4 broken BON or two il Won fall
from that ladder"
The middle aged man laughed quietly.
do not fear, - he answered; I'm not
going to commit suicide. III be- down
all right in a few minutes"
Nevertheless the boss detailed two Of
his men to stand under the ladder TO
break the fall of the stranger should he
try TO tempt death from the ladder top.
THE STORY.
The middle aged man climbed up. and
when he was at the top he could lust
reach the lower edge OF the greenery
wall paper. He looked at 1t
earnestly. and then drew ont n pocket
knife and cut off n small section that
contained the principal elements of tho
He put the SCRAP into his pocket,
descended, lugged the ladder back TO its
proper position, put on his overcoat and
once more before the boss.
Il am much obliged to YOU" he said.
You see, when / was first married we
to housekeeping here. We had
two u~nfurnished, unfinished rooms up
two flights. We were desperately poor,
wife and 1; just enough to get on with.
you know. The other people in the fiat
were also poor. They couldn't afford to
paper their vacant rooms and the land
lord wouldn't spent a cent. So we pa
pered them ourselves. We got the paper
we could find of the cheap grades
and wife made n paste out Of -four and
water. We fixed up a brush out of a
towel. Then with chairs and a table for
a stepladder we papered our-ou apart
ments. | saw the same old paper as l
was riding by. and / thought a piece of
it would be a nice souvenir"
The boss heart was touched.
And the wife," he said hesitatingly,
'is-er"-
.Oh, no!' exclaimed the middle aged
man. smiling cheerfully. shes alive
and herrty, thank you. We live in Troy
now. and we've got three strapping chill
Circumstances are better now, II
you please. Whenever l come to town |
make it a point to look at our first home,
and today / saw that it was only empty
air. The wall paper was there, though,
and l thought I'd get a piece to take
home to my wife as q remembrance of
our first housekeeping. ! am very much
obliged to you"
The middle aged man walked up the
gAngplank with quiet dignity, and the
boss, still disturbed by the episode. re-
marked:
"What . queer chap it il, 10y thun-
derTT-New York Sun.