The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-03
DISAPPOINTED AMBITION.
why Josiah Allen Did MOI Become {
GondOlier.

GondOlier.
Wall, on our way home l had an awful
trial with Josiah Allen. Mebby what he had
seen that day made him feel kind O. riz up,
and want to act.
He and I wuz a-wendin' our way along the
lagoon, when all of a sudden he sez:-
Samantha, I want to go out sailin' in a
gondola-I want to swing out n be roman
tic" seq he.
SEE he, II always wanted to be romantic,
and I always wanted to be a gondolier, but
it never come handy before, and nov | will!
| will be romantic and sail round with you
in a gondola. I'd love to go by moonlight,
but sunlight is better than nuthin'."
I looked down pitying1y on him as he
stood a few steps below me on the flight o.
stairs a-leadin' down to the waters edge.
I leaned hard on my faithful old umbrell,
for l had a touch of rumatiz that day.
And SEE |, Romance, Josiah, should be
looked at with the bright eyes Of youth, not
through spectacles No. r." SEE ], THE
glowin' mist that wrops her round fades
away under the magnifyin' lights of them
specs, Josiah Allen"
He had took his hat off to cool his forward,
and | sez further
"Romance and bald heads don't 20 together
worth a cent, and rumatiz and Amy are per-
feet strangers to her. Romance locks arms
Will young SOulS, uOSldA AlIOL, dlId wan
off with 'em.''
"Oh, shawn says Josiah, eve hain't SO
very old, Old Uncle Smedly would call US
young, and we be, compared to him"
"Wall," SEE /, Through the purhlind gaze
of ninety winters we may look younger, but
bald heads and spectacles, Josiah Allen, tell
their own silent story. We are not young,
Josiah Allen, and all our lynn and pretendin'
won't make us So"
"Wall, dunn it ALI Inever shall be any
younger. You can't dispute that
mo" SEE ], II don't spoze you will, in this
spear
"Wal, | am bound to go out in a gondola;
So you may as well make up your min first
as last, and the sooner | go, the younger L
shall go. Hain't that soy
With a deep sithe | answered, 81 spoze So"
And he continued on, 'There is such wild,
free pleasure on the deep Samantha
But, seq |, layin' down the sword of COM
mon sense, and takin' up the weapons of af-
lection.
"Think of the dangers, Josiah The
water is damp and cold, aud your rumatizi is
fearful"
Dunn it ala Ihain't agoin' in the water,
am II"
Il don't know,P seq I sadly, II don't know,
Josiah, and anyway the winds sweep down
the Iagoons, and army fingers on its wings.
Pause, Josiah Allen, for my sake, for lini-
ments and ponltices as well as clouds. have
their dark linin's. and they turn 'em out to
me as l ponder IN our course" See L,
"Your danger appauls me, and also the idee
| of bein' up nights with you"
"But, y seq he firmly, 81 will be a gondolier,
I'm bound ont. And" seq he, 81 want one
of them gorgeous silk dresses that they wear.
I'd love to appear in a red and yeller suit,
| Samantha, or a green and purple, or a blue
and maroon, with a pink sash made of thin
glitterin' silk, but / spoze hat you will break
that up in a minute. So, l spoze that l shall
nave to dwindle Down onto a silk scarf, or
some plumes in my hat, mebby-you never
| are willin' for me to soar out and spread
myself but you probable wouldn't break up
a few feathers"
| groaned aloud, and mentally CROPPED
round for aid, and i~nstinctively ketched holt
of religion.
SEE !, Glider Minkley is here, Josiah
Allen, and Deacon Henzy-Jonesville church
is ~languishin' in debt. Is this a time for
feathers? What will they think ont? If
you can spend money for silk scarfs and
| plumes, they'll expect you and with good
reason, too, to raise the debt on the meetln'-
house."
He paused. Economy prevailed; what
love couldn't effect or common sense, close
ness did.
His brow cleared from its anxious, am
| bilious creases, and sez he, "Wall, do come
on and less be goin'."-SdmanthG at the
| Worlds Fair.