Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-04-29
JOLLY TAM.
TContinued from last week.

"If that's all, we'll begin on the dry
goods" said imp number one. And
they began pulling off the clothes of a
woman and four children whom Tam
had not seen until now; hats and
cloaks and shoes and frocks.
stop i'll stop it,, tell you'll" cried
Tam, trying in vain to go to the rescue,
"that's my wife, these are my children,
they will freeze to death; l won't have
it,"
But the imps did not pause In their
work, and for every garment they tore
off, q poorer one was left in its place,
until at last there was nothing left but
rags and bare red feet.
"WeTl have refreshments now, was
the next order, and Tam with horror
saw the imps swarming about the poor
shivering woman and children, and
plucking away the food they attempted
to put into their mouths. The more
the woman and the children tried to
eat the food, the faster the imps seized
it and put it into their mouths. The
children cried and held out their
hands, and the woman went down on
her knees to the imps, but they only
laughed, and capered and were as jolly
as could be.
Tam was shedding tears, and the
tears froze on his cheeks. ''They will
go away now" he said.
"The best of the fun is yet to come"
said the leader, we'll begin with the
youngest"
Again Tam's hair tried to rise, but
it could't. He began to curse and to
groan, and at last shrieked In agony for
the imps slowed away all the children
and his wife in their greedy bottles.
Then they brought the bottle to Tam.
'Be jolly now" they said, "be jolly,
Tam"
Tam was in such agony, and strug-
gled so desperately, that he got his
arms free, and struck out right and
left, and the imps tumbled all ways,
~shrieking and laughing.
Tam won't be jolly" they shouted
one to another, Tam won't drink.
Well, if Tam won't drink the bottle,
the bottle shall drink Tam"
They swarmed over him, legions OF
of them, they wound themselves about
him, there was a fearful cracking and
crashing, it seemed to Tam that every
bone in his body vas broken, then they
carried him head first to the bottle
and that was the last Tam knew.
"How you take on, Tam. This il
the worst spell you have had yet.
fear the bottle will be the daeth of you
IL you do not give it up"
Tam opened his eyes. Luella wa
bending over him, her face was full o.
pity and grief. Luella might not b,
so smart as some women, but she wa
a more loving woman than most VIC
men, and lever scolded Tam, no mat
ter how jolly he might be.
Tam looked beyond Luella, and say
four children huddled up in the corne
of the room, looking toward him will
scared faces. and tears rolling dowl
their cheeks.
"A man brought you home" sal,
Luella, 'he did not tell me his name
but he said he knew you in your-you
younger days. You were in the quite
and almost frozen. He put cold wate
on you, to take out the frost, he said
and rubbed you, and when you begal
to come to, he put his coat on 20,
and went off. 1t must have been SOM
one who thought a good deal of you il
your younger days"
Tam listened in a dazed and doub,
.ful state Of mind. He was really her
in his own poor home, and his wifi
and children were all with him. II
tried if he could move his fingers; the
moved; he opened and closed his HAND
Then he struck out with his arm, the
ne sat up, and then he stood up on hi
feet. He was clean and he had a goo
coat on.
"Luells, p" he cried out, 1.-THE house
gone, isn't itY the wedding gown
gone, the ring is gone, all the goo
furniture is gone, all the good cloth,
gone, pretty much all the food gone,
it 90 Luellar"
And Luella put her arms around h
neck and sobbed, "All gone, Tam"
Look here, Luella," said Tan
stepping away from her so as to stril
an attitude, there is one other thir
gone. The bottle is gone"
Luella began to look distressed; 81
opened her mouth to say that she az
the children would 20 and hunt Il
bottle, but she saw Tam beginning
look jolly. Such q thing had not ha
pened before, that Tam IA jolly wit
out his bottle, not since his young
days.
Tam seized bis wife and ran wi
Tho ri & GOU'f Re00rf