The Dickinson press., 1891-01-17
A BIT OF W ALL PAPER.
SENTIMENTAL "REMINISCENCES OF AN
OLD GENTLEMAN.

SENTIMENTAL "REMINISCENCES OF AN
OLD GENTLEMAN.
He Was from Troy, but He Started Life
in the polis-i;clnembranccs of
His Early Married Life-Strugsling for
u N:cMenta-The Hard Hearted BOSS.
A middle aged man who was gazing
absently out of a window of an elevated
car the other day started suddenly and
crancl his neck to look at Il big hole in
the wall of brick and brown stone front
by which the train was passing. Two
OF three houses had been torn down to
make room for improvements, and the
hole WAS all that was left of them, save
II litter of broken bricks in the cellar
and an acre or so of wall paper i'll many
designs upon the sides of the adjoining
building. Tho middle aged man got out
ut the lie. t 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
We're removing the last traces of the
wreck. Presently he appeared to pluck
up resolution, for he gravely descended
the rough plank gangway that lei from
the street to the bottom of the hole and
approached the boss of the gang.
'Bcen tearing down these houses,
see" remarked the middle aged man by
way of introduction.
The boss stared.
1--WE amt been putin up any," he re-
eponded.
SEEKING "A sc'sTENlR.
"That's what | meant" said the mid
die aged man ilnperturbably. "Would
you mind lending me ~ ladder for a
minute or two:'
"What i'll thunder do you want to do
with it:" eyclal:ncl the boss.
IL want to Climb up to that piece of
paper, responded the middle aged man,
pointing to IL section of the wall that
w%s covered with " greenery yallery de-
sign. You see" l.e continued, 81 used
tolive there"
There was IL suspicion of moisture in
the middle agel mans eyes and faint
smile on his lips is; he said this, and he
looked up at the soilcl patch of paper as
a traveller might view the rcceding lights
Of his native town. The boss was p,,z-
zled and suspicious, but after Il moment
of silence, while he pretended to be
watching his men, he said:
you can take That one in the corner
if You'll move it yourself and put it back
again"
The middle agel ,naa bowel without
a word, took OF his overcoat aal laid it
gently upon Il pile cf bricks. laid down
his cane, and proceeded, ut tie expense
of no little c:sV;tio.i. 10 place the ladder
AS lie began 10 clil.lb up the boss ran
over and sal! ;ire;tesingly:
see here, now; no shcna:i%in. You'll
only get Il broken bone or two if yon fall
froin that laller.''
The middle aged nl.n laughed quietly.
''Do not fear he answered; I'm not
going to commit s''iei'Ie. I'll DO down
all right in u 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 deat,l from the ladder top.
TILE STORY.
Tho middle aged lnun climbed up, and
when he was at the top he could Just
reach the lower edge of the greenery
gallery wall paper. lie looked at It
earnestly, and thea drew out IL pocket
knife and cut of ~ small section that
contained the principal elements of the
design. He put the scrapinto his pocket,
descended luggc'l the ladder back to its
proper position, put on his overcoat and
stepped once more before the boss.
81 am much obliged to you,' he said.
"Iou sec, whom was first married we
went to housekeeping here. We had
two unfurnished, unfinished rooms up
two flights. We were desperately poor,
wife and L; just enough to get Oh with,
you know. The other people in HE flat
were also poor. They couldn't afford to
paper their vacant rooms, and the land
lord wouldn't spent Il cent. So we pa
pered them ourselves. We got the paper
best wo could find of tho cheap grades
and wife made paste out OF -four and
water. We fixed up brush out of a
towel. Then with chairs ;tld Il table for
a stepladder we paperel our-our apart
ments. l saw the same old paper as
was riding by, and I thought a piece of
it would be a nice souvenir"
The boss heart was touched.
"And the wife," he said hcsltatingly,
''is-er'-
ooh, MOI" exclaimed the middle aged
man, smiling cheerfully. "Shc's alive
and hearty, thank you. We live in Troy
now, and we've got three strapping chill.
dren. Circumstances are better now, if
you please Whenever come to town !
make it 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 a remembrance OF
our first housekeeping am very ,nucl
obliged to YOU"
The middle aged man walked UP the
gangplank with quiet dignity, and thc
boss, still disturbed by the episode. re,
marked:
"What ~ queer chap it is, by thun.
der!''-New York Sun.
A Bans Opinion,
1t was a wise man who said OIL the
subject of wonans dress: 81 have founj
invariably tnat those women who really
understand the art Of dress, who know
what to wear and when to wear it, have