The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-02

whom he rooms. More than 20 years ago,
when he first arrived in the city. young
married friend. taking pity On his forlorD-
ness, and thinking to add a mite toward
his own housekeeping expenses. offered
him a room in his home. Josiah ac-
cepted it with thankfulness. He
was provided for then, and he never
ceased to feel grateful to his benetactor.
The family has moved about several times
since then. The first move was not very
convenient for him, but he would as soon
have thought of choppng off his own head
as OF leaving. He had been with them
ten ears then.
SAINT any fire, and it YVES cold winter.
too. But he declared he didn't need fire.
ANYHOW. He was never in his room only
at night, and then he could 60 to bed. He
teok a bad cold, and then he assured
Aunt Sophia and me, in voice as
hoarse as crow. that if any one eould-of
couidn't-but for himself. he had found
that the best thing for cold was to stop
at the saloon on the corner just few steps
from the house, and take a hot whisky
today with just leelle lemon juice
squeezed in, drink it steaming not, and then
walk very briskly home ana get right int
bed, and one would sleep thoroughly warm
and comfortable all night and get rid of a
cold in no time. The idea of having a
warm comfortable room at home. and a
whisky today, too, if he wanted it, had
evidently never entered his mind; or if it
had, the thought that he would aave to
face a new landady in order to get it
would drive it out in hurry.
He was not drinking man. but he kept
ND the whisky today all during the winter.
Then the weather grew warmer, and he
got over his cold, AMI he gave I'D the
whisky toddy. he had no special liking
for it, and his habit of abstinence was
more firmly rooted tran this new fashion
of tipping.
Poor old Josiah! Good old Josiah!
Deep down in his heart, slowed away so
deep be thought no one would find it out,
he has real love for children. So over
laid was it with Shyness and sourness
that it might have remained undiscovered
to all time had it not been for the baby girl
that came to bless his friends late in life.
She dug her way straight down to that
eohwebby corner. in utter defiance of rusti-
ness and crustiness. and to the mild be-
wilderment of poor old Josiah himself.
and Of his staid. set methods.
Ee felt dreadfully ont OF equilibrium
when he began To sneak sheepishly into
the little store on the corner every
night on his way home, for CANDY
for the ''littIe one"; or. when the sensible
mother set her foot down against so much
sweets, and he had TO turn his attention t.
rubber balls and wooIly dogs, and tir
soldiers and the like. 1t was almost as Sc
we're a shock to bis nervous system as put
ting on his left boot first; but the '.littlt
ones" delight restored his equilibrium
somewhat, and SO he managed to exist i,
a semi-co mfortable state during her early
bahyhood.
When she was years old, she started tt
the Kindergarten and when, little later
she came home with bits Of weaving o.
fancy colored papers, done by her tiny
. fingers, and funny little songs about birds
and bees and flowers, which she sang in 8
sweet, quaverlng treble, with accompany
Ing motions of the small body, not even
the parents delight exceeded old .Josiahs
And the sheepish maneuvers he resorted
to, TO get her to speak piece" or .sine
song" were so ridiculous as to be almost
pathetic.
o He never goes away on his yearly vaca.
tions. for the summer resorts are ALWAYS
so full of women. aud if he should 90 off
into Death Valley to avoid them he
couldn't get bis newspaper regularly, and
then life wouldn't be worth living, sure
enough. So he stays at home and reads the
? newspaper comfortably and makes shor
trils TO the suburbs, and gets back in sea
son to get good dinner at his favorltt
restaurant and go to the theater afterwart
II Le feels like it, or Home to bed; and he
says he is ever so much more comfortable
and his vacation does him just as nucf
good as if he had gone to Castle Crag and
sizzled under the girl-waiters' questions
or stood far Off on the outskirts OF The
tennis court TO watch the game.
He goes out to the park frequently dur
ing his vacations and he longs to take the
little one. every time he goes. But thai
email person has spells Of perfectly impist
perversity and has been known on more
than one occasion to stamp he,
small foot and screw her snail face ur
and emit the most bloodcardiing shrIeks
and yells, because she couldn't have her
own way. Suppose she should take il
it into her head to do something like thai
at the park. What Oh earth should he dc
with her? The very thought of it makes
him grow hot all over. No he couldu',
possibly take her.
SO he slips out quietly and goes off bv
himself and tramps around on the out
skirts Of the chldren's playground, and
watches the little ones On the merry-go-
round and in the goat carriages. and
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