The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-17

ETNHERE is boy on our block named Roger
Coverly, Of whom until last week was very
fond but since the circumstances occurred
which am to relate to you have come to regard
him very differently indeed. He was the cause OF
my losing a menagerie which, although small, was
choice and valuable, and, besides the menagerie,
couple of little friends, who had long been with me
constantly.
The menagerie consisted of lion and honess IN
plaster of pars,a pig in Gotta, bronze buffalo
group of monkeys in bronze hippopotarnus IN
porcelain which was full of smoking tobacco; an
imitation bronze elephant, very nicely made small
ivory elephant, tiger IN colored bisque, bronze
fish, tortoise of the same metal and silver dog
a dachshund whom I adored-au of which stood N
various places in my studio.
The two friends of whom spoke were Mr.. and
Mrs Bimlech Peggotty, made of china, and con-
structed for use as match boxes, flower holders or
something of that sort, but too proud of
their open, frank expression to hide it by placing
anything in their faces. You can see that they
both hid nothing of their innermost affairs, and,
although only about four inches in height, they
We're prominent people in my room They were
undoubtedly portraits of great and distinguished
singers somewhere or other, and was very proud
of them, and think they recipFocated this feeling,
for 1 rarely gazed upon them without receiving
tender, responsive glance. Mrs. Peggotty's eyes
were especially soft, and her smile very sweet OF
standing there with that perpetual a-hh-h'
on their lips it was hard to tell when they smiled,
but could detect it at once.
HIS TWO OLD FRIENDS
Often as I looked upon them I half expected to
hear the full volume of sound come from those
great cavities, for it seemed impossible for them to
restrain 1T much longer; but alas lost them be-
fore they ever uttered a note of the song that
IA them.
Mrs. Peggotty had lost front tooth, or rather
she had been formed without 1t; but always
claimed that the omission of this tooth was pur-
posely designed that there would be a larger
Orifce for sound. But her husband had teeth
at ALL yet sang no louder, have been in error.
As / worked they always stood the shelf of
japanese cabinet Just over my head, and fancied
that they watched me fellow-artists would, with
critical but kindly glance and followed with deep
interest all my endeavOrs to please my friends.
Even to-day look up and miss them from their
place with just sharp a pang when Roger
Coverly confessed to me what had caused my loss.
Perhaps, too, ] mourn for my silver dachshund
quite as sincerely for / had him long before the
Peggottys came, and had I not two live dogs I
would probably have missed him even more. As
to the other animals objects of art which l had
picked up IN my travels, felt less keenIy the loss,
as l still have many SUCH These we're the only ones
that were IN my studio, when one day happened to
display tiny vase of some strange metal to Roger
who IS a small but very inquisitive boy. He
promptly exclaimed:
"Hullo, what's in that~
cit is filed with very remarkable fluid" re-
Piled at is called the Elixir of Life"
BROUGHT CLOCK TO LIFE
'9What does it do to your" he asked
"a single drop of this elixir, if poured upon an
inanmate object viii give 1t life," replied at is
a wonderful compound which obtained many years
since from wizard in Bohemia"
did you try it z" he inquired, with his eyes
glowing.
"Onee," 7 said, along ago. I dropped mere tiny
particle upon clock by accident"
"And what happened" he asked eagerly.
'.The clock TO life. 1t moved around on It's
two funny little legs and spoke 1t called out the
hours and followed me around everywhere, telling
me the time constantly and asking al manner of
questions like boy"
"Geel What fun cried Roger
ct fun at first. but 1t soon became a nui-
sance The clock came to bed with me- called out the
hours, rang its alarm at daybreak and then il
would begin TO ask me when / intended to rise. It
would persist in annoying me by telling me that I
had an engagement and had promised to get up
early, and when / would turn to sleep a few
minutes longer it would go off like pack OF fire.
crackers in my ear and reprOaeh me for being a
sluggard.
HOW IT WORRIED HIM
81 put it in closet one night, but goodness gra-
cious 1t was worse than having it in the room
for it banged against the door, rang its bell like
fire alarm, squeaked Indignantly Ike dozen mice
and kept awake for an hour, until I got up at
last and let it out. When people came to see me
1t talked like a parrot and told things which it
should not have told at all contradicting often
times most unfortunately and making trouble be-
tween me and my best friends.
ct would follow me to the door and sometimes
escape into the street, and you may imagine what
a spectacle 1t was to see chasing a little nickel
clock along the sidewalk as if were runaway
6Weil, what happened to it,"
Il finally got angry one day when it had ssrcas-
ideally asked me- for the tenth time, If ever