The times., 1899-04-10
UNCLE TOMS SACRIFICE.
A Sad story of Small Boys an,
Grease Paint

ufcaSe l'Ilnt.
prom the Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Uncle Tom had gone over to see his lit
tie nephews.three small boys Of whom he
is distinctly fond-and he was having some
trouble in entertaining them.
But suddenly one appeared upon the
scene with an inch or two of sticky black
stuff which he had found in his uncle's
pockets during a search he had instituted
for chewing gum.
Look" he cried, excitedly. Just look
a-here. boys, it comes off, Look a my
fingers, What is it, Uncle Tom?''
Uncle Tom, immersed in the contempla-
tion OF large COB of taffy on the right
knee of his new gray trousers. looked up
absent mindedly and forgot to tell lie.
That" he queried. ''Oh, that's grease
paint and he hauled out his knife to
scrape the taffy off.
Is it good to eat? What do you use 1t for?
Why doesn't it come out of little tin
tube all squishy, like sister's?"
Uncle Tom sighed, and then began to
answer. No, Arty, it is not good to cat,
and don't you put 1t SO near that tongue
of yours. IL is what people use when they
have amateur theatricals, like those / was
in last week you know. used that to
make my eyebrows black, but sometimes
people use it to put all over their faces.
when they want to make believe that they
are darlies, you know" and Uncle Tom
scraped serenely away, quite unconscious
of the awful things that would come from
that innocent remark
'All over their faces-to be darkie5-oh,
Uncle Tom. how awful nice, Say, Uncle
Tom won't you just show us how it works
Just a little? Oh please.
With the reflection that the stuff rubbed
off easily, Uncle Tom took hold of the
stick and dabbed it gingerly across his
cheek, leaving a long and sooty mark
which elected shrieks OF delight from his
admiring nephews.
"oh. Uncle Tom, do it again-just once
please, 1t does look just gorgeous. Oh
Uncle Tom, il you only would make all
that cheek quite black, just to show us
-o-h-h-h," and their voices trailed
away into speechless delight as their un-
Gle carried away as too many OF us are
by such open and honest admiration, pro-
ceeded to daub away till that side of his
face was as black and shiny as the newest
of stovepipes. while the children gazed
upon him with delighted awe.
Might as well be killed for a sheep as
a lamb" he muttered, 'and then the
blamed stuff does wash off easy. you
know" and in ten seconds more the i'm
maculate young gentleman in spotless lin
en- was changed to grinning creature
with a sooty skin, against which his blonde
hair and eyes stood out in startling con-
trast, hands that showed a beautiful col
lection of spots and dashes, and a collar
that would have brought woe to the soul
of any laundryman.
For exactly fifteen minutes it was fun.
The wild capers of his nephews were en-
tertaining, and then there was the self
satisfied feeling of having done a deed of
kindness, and sacrificed himself to please
his fellow beings
But at the end of that time the paint
began to be uncomfortable. and he wished
that it was of, and from that moment his
troubles commenced.
The first came when he caught sight OF
himself in glass. How he had thought
he could smear himself in that fashion,
and get none on his collar, cannot be told,
but certain it is that he was remarkably
astonished when he saw the condition of
that article Then the door bell rang. and
after a precipitate retreat. in which he
scraped his shins over a too obtrusive
chair and upset dish of candies on the
floor he had the pleasure of listening. be-
tween scrubs, to the voices of two CT his
sisters friends. girls to whom he had
longed for weeks to be introduced
|. His sister called him, out he could re-
turn only a muttered refusal, and give
another scrub.
AT the first endeavOr the stun came OF
with charming ease. but he soon discover
ed that 1t seemed to be a case OF This
far shall II go, but no further, for when
It had left him in beautiful spotted con-
dition. there it stayed. and though he rub
bed himself raw in places. notably on the
tip of his nose. and the top of his right