The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-11-23

70 Ate test poet uhtii ne became NCtt
lshmseliie smo-s wbeelmtn srd ".
black bslled at The cYchus clnba
'e Bot The possession Of the repair sho
= wss boon 10 Rtssmus
= lIseemed 10 him that eve,y iime he'
start Il 90 strip With hi, old eshaeL' ID
ssil shack soald loom up With puncla
i ed tire, stll neck, twisted spoke d
some other q The myriad ills I, which
. bicycle Is beir
;, Then Erasmus weuli IAN Der doan /,
= bis repair shop, tinker asblle and CON,
b forth redclept Of sssolene aad covered
With glory sad graphite
Eyentuslly, however. the irequebuy Of
ih proceeding began to make E,Asmus
tired.
He san 10 reshE, dimly that mnca
valuable time was beins spent 10 the chop
time wlieh might be better utilized 10
aimiting nature aud pink shirt Waste 10
the pfrk.
80 E-asmus concluded to bull him self
swbeei he wouId do II sll himself, and
no igl oble mechanic should have a iinger
in lhe pie
E'ssmus discovered tibet The requisite
parts Of 80 wheel would cosl sal 10,
tires q IA
Bat E'hsmuss was elthusiaslic over his
ttAa ai.o RnpN fast ~ -
sailed In
la abou, two weeks Erasmus. battered,
hsT gard aud untliy, held 10 his hand
new frame Of late model, each sepetate
JOINT OF which was ornameuted With
lump Of spelter the eiza OF d eautsloupe.
Erasmus tiied the spelttr udt he was
weary. then got out his Old shack TO glory
10 the difference which wonld soon be
his.
Every day thereafter Erasmus would
squst in his basement aud hle IL dnitesi
nal atoms OF spelter ta the frame with
rasp.
All through the coyl autumn evenings
while Others we're wasting time in the
parks aud on the lake front, Ersem Us
could be heard scrsping away 10 bis base
ment.
He pull no heed to time. lie rarely
appeared to meals. Daring business
hours be would imagine that he was filing
spelter, and bis writing began to resemble
Irish thistles on centerpece.
During The cold winter evenings Etas
mus, 10 a cbincbils osercoat, would
squat 10 his repair shop, plugging away
at tho spel,er, with ohattering teeth and
chapped hands.
AT la it woe over The frame was
dream OF beauty, II had been parered
and polished until it shone.
The bluebfds were singing 10 the parks
and the park llborers were rsking the
leaves to beat the band. The earth was
green and brown in spots,
Erasmus proudly shouldered bis frame
aud took il TO the ensmeler TO nave it
painted sSy blue with yellow polka dots. /,
What do you think OF it? he inquired oil
The ensueler
The enameler looked it over and squint J
ID down the tubes.
It's pretty near straight, be said, but
believe il were you I'd have IL cut
lown. :,
Cut down. exclaimed Erasmus angfily. !.
What for, you blooming idiotl
To make 1t up to date, answered the !.
blooming idiot This here's last years o o
model.
Erasmus sat suddenly upon ires hly ;.
pameled wheel. and began to apply bis ;.
tsgnsnt memory to dates.
Then he arose, sbouldered bis frame
nd wended his way toward his base
neEt
The tenants complained Ct the noise a,
ext morning, aud the old iron man paid a,
Irssm u.s. little brother 20 cents for the >,
,reck. =,
Now, when the subject OF bicycles is =,
lentioned Ia the presence OF Erafm1s, a,
be c3ld, s.eely glitr-the elitter OF
opeless insanity in bis eyes causes one 7,
D drop the subject and begin to talk Of %
oil or Bu,omobilee, =,