The courier., 1899-11-25
MY BUTCHER.

there wac IroenIy 6prlnkIeu eAWuuet OF
the floor, and all the roasts and joints
were put away in the cold storage room.
Only few fresh fish lay on ice in one
window, and green lettuces and young
onions in the other. It was cool aud
pleasantly dark after the glare Of the
street. Summer is dull time for bust.
ness in New York. and the big shop was
empty. My butcher looked up with q
welcoming smile ss ] entered.
My methods Of marketing are unique.
laid a quarter. a dime, and q nickle on
the counter Of freshly scrubbed wood.
What can get for that" asked.
My butcher regarded the outlay
thoughtfully.
"Say!' he eaid; "You take two butter
fish and five chops. How'll that doS"
"Beautifullyw l said, and followed
him to the back of the shop to ses bin
clean the fish. He 10 Q nice looking
butcher, with good figure and pleasant
brown eyes; bis hair is curly, and slightly
gray at the temples, and his complexion
is beautiful as girl's. I wonder Why
butcher have such lovely color-though
some, to be sure have too much. My
butcher must be conscious Of bis good
complexion, for he always looks 90
though he were fresh from the barbe,'s
hands, newly shaved and powdered, and
lis even white teeth add to the attrac.
ton Of his pleasant face. I leaned
against the big box that holds the vege-
tables, and looked at him, intent upon
his work, with considerable admiration.
His white sleeve covers and his long
white apron gave him cool, clean look
that was refreshing on hot day.
"They call these Lsfs, cite dsh." he
said, as he turned the water on and
skillfully scraped of the scales.
"Whys" l asked. I knew by the de.
liberate way he was doing bis work that
he meant to take bis time about it, and
was glad to have someone to talk to.
"They were never heard OF in Amer
ica," he went on. until Lafa, cite landed
here, and the country people and the
fisher-folk noticed that, and 90 they
called 'em his fish. The other name is
just butter.tish; that's all know"
That's strange" I said. "for, you
know. in the Sandwich Islands there 10
superstition about Hsh. Just before
member of the royal family dies lot OF
red.dsh are seen in the harbor. lived
there many years, and several Of tho
princesses died, and every time tho red
fish came into the harbor hrst."
did you ever hear" hs said. ''of the
great plague in London. years and years
agoP Well, there were some prisoners In
the Tower, and some doctors wsnted to
make experiments. 20 they got the jailor
to help them. They told prisoner who
was condemned to death that II he'd
sleep in the bed Of man who had died
OF the plague and did not gei tho disease
he'd be let OF free. Well. the prisoner
took the chances; he slept in the bed,
and he got the plague. and he died."
Here he threw the two little Dish 10
square of Lrown paper an6 began rolling
them up, looking at me very impress.
lively as he said: "Only. the point is
that nobody had slept in that bed be.
fore! 1t was all imagination!"
"Goodness!' l said.
"All imagination" he repeated; and
here we crossed the shop to the wide,
smooth. wooden counter. He brought q
shoulder Of mutton from the ice-room
and began to slice of the chops. "And
that's what think ahoNt vs,,r Honol,,lu