The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-24
THE PAINTLD MONKEY.
~ Made Him a Fugitive and n VnEa-
bond UpOn the Face Of the Earth.


From the New York Mercury.
It was a monkey on a stick which made
me a fugitive and vagabond on the face Of
the earth.
one Of those ordinary red monkeys on
yellow sticks. price penny-yOu have seen
such a one yourself. perhaps several.
This Is the way it happened:
Ny wife found one Of these Objectionable
toys in an cut-of-the-way toy-shop. and in
a M of temporary alteration OF mind pur-
chased it for the edihcation Of our baby.
This monkey on a stick instantly took
the place in babys heart previously held
by q vast assortment Of dolls. locomotives,
building blocks and such infantile treas
ures. IL was her constant companion.
She took 10 to bed with her. She took 70
to the table, and tried 10 feed II with
milk. She nearly cried her head off one
peaceful Sabbath morn because objections
were urged against the iSfant's cherished
plan of taking the monkey on a stick to
church.
One afternoon baby had a visitor
neighbor's child came in to see her. and
the neighbours child fell desperately in
love with my babys monkey. When the
time came for II 10 leave, IL announced its
intention Of taking the monkey home
plan by the owner Of the monkey. but as
il was perfectly clear that the visiting
infant would not depart without the mon
Key or without storm Of tears, per
suaded my baby to let her little visitor
have the wretched toy by promising 10
bring her another next day.
This is really the beginning Of my tale Of
woe.
Reader. have you ever tried to buy a
monkey on stick? / don't mean years
ago. when such monkeys were plentiful,
but lately, when the range Of children's
toys has become so wide. II you have
never sought to purchase such a play
thing you are hardly in a condition to
sympathize with me.
1t was very easy to find the place where
these monkeys were to be obtained, my
wife said. II was on the Bowery. l
couldn't miss it. 1 thought / knew the
locality, and after I left the Office next
day bent my steps n that direction with
light heart and penny, which / pur-
posed exchanging for a monkey on
stick.
was unable TO find the place however.
So / went home intending to ask for bet
ter directions. The reception that await
ed me nearly upset my nerves. As soon
as ! entered the hall the baby yelled from
the top of the stairs:
Where is my monkey, papa? Where is
my monkey, papa?"
When / tried TO explain my failure she
burst into tears. Babies are never amen
able to reason. and 1 think this non
amenableness is greatly accentuated
when a monkey on stick is in question.
Her torrent of grief could not be
checked.
Her anguish was unassuageable In my
despair l told her l would not return home
another evening without the monkey
This reduced matters to state of semi
tranquility, and the rest of the evening
passed with only half a dozen outbursts
of enthusiasm on the subject OF monkeys
on sticks.
/ secured minute instructions from my
wife as to the locality of the shop whose
misguided proprietor sold these wooden
monkeys and the next day / explored the
place indicated and the contiguous country
for radius Of half a mile
At last. how long after my search began
l do not pretend to say, found that which
would permit me 10 return to the bosom
| Of my family at length saw something
| which gladdened my eyes and caused my
heart to throb with exuberant joy.
There in one corner stood two or three
/ monkeys on sticks.
| / think the way in which rushed in and
| demanded OF the shopkeeper one Of those
| toys must have frightened him. He looked
/ alarmed.
| The toy was soon in babys hands, and
my wife was in my arms
| The child surveyed her monkey criti-
| cally, and at last burst forth into a loud
/ wall.
| What on earth is the matter now?" my
| wife and I asked in a breath.
| Dis monkey hasn't any tail"
| l fed once more from the house. Realiz-
| ing the impossibihty Of supplying the de-
mand for the queer kind OF monkey, ]
have not tried.
| I hope my baby is happy
If she is, she is in a different condition
| from her papa.