The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10

Everything possible has been done by those
that have the mans welfare al heart to
discourage his association with the from
bone, but the man does not seem to realize
his position. Efforts have been made by
taking a summer vacation: other we'll
meaning persons have tried time and again
without success to borrow the trombone
for an indefinite period, under some pretext
or other.
The climax came one evening during the
last week. The man and the trombone had
been making night hideous, as usual, in
their upst ars open window. The man had
paused long enough in his operations to
turn the instrument upside down. while
leaning out of the window, and shake out
the liquid air in the manner peculiar to all
players of wind Instruments Suddenly the
trombone slipped from his hands and fell
with a crash upon the sidewalk below.
There were EXPLANATIONS of delight from
various neighboring porches, where the men
Of the locality were smoking their evening
cigars. Everybody thought The end has
come al last" and heaved tremendous
signs of relief. The neighbors watched the
man disappear hastily from the window,
and they smiled. They observed him
gather no the trombone from the sidewalk
a moment later. and they chuckled. They
saw him carefully examine the thing and
then seat himself on the front step of his
porch. and they laughed gleefully. And
then-but the end is too sad for details
It's quite enough to say that the trombone
and the man spent the rest of the evening
down here on the porch-and that ASLEEP
in the Deep had never before been played
so continuously and so frightfully as upon
that memorable occasion.
He was celebrating his birthday in the
time-honored manner peculiar to one Of his
kind. He had started out his triumphant
travels somewhere in the vicinity of Ohio
and Illinois streets and had journeyed down
through the heart of the "levee" In glor
iously happy frame OF mind. He had
stopped in so many "emporiums" while on
his way down the crowded thoroughfare Qt
was early in the evening and the street was
thronged) that, by the time he had reached
little photograph and kaleidoscope par
lor'' on the south side of Washington street,
he was fast becoming terribly confused on
the subjects of birthdays and beer. In front
of the ''parlor' he paused. braced himself
against the brick wall of the building and
informed the passers-by that "he was thir-
ty-three beers old tonight and was havin'
a splendsh time''-whatever that meant
A few moments later he ambled into the
parlor and had a dollar changed into pen
MES by the cashier. Then, ignoring the
monographs, he started in to go the rounds
OF the various microscopes. But he didn t
get very far. The first series of views
made hit with him, and, evidently decid-
ing to let well enough alone. he stationed
himself firmly as possible in front of the
machine, his eyes glued to the view
glass;" and there he stayed. Penny after
penny he dropped into the slot and time and
again he surveyed the same pictures as
they appeared and reappeared. The pro-
prietor of the establishment finally sug-
gested TO him that there were other pic
ture machines just as good, but the pleased
patron expressed himself as more than sat
isfied. And he stuck by his chosen machine
until every one of his pennies had disap-
peared into the slot. Then he Strengthened
up, beamed upon the proprietor with
radiant good humor and said, as he waved
his hand and took his departure: That
the time got a run for monish, OF man..