The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-06-13
::::: BY 3. Z. FARJEoN.

little boy or girl would tell me what il
all means, l give em brand new far.
den. 1t won't last long, that's one
| comfort
For it was all over once more, and
every article in the room was as sober
as judge.
He felt so thirsty that he determined
to have another cup Of tea, cold as il
was; but when he put out his hand he
could not find the tea things.
He managed to crane his head over
the bedside, and there upon the floor
lay the teapot, cup and saucer, broken
in dozen pieces
Now, how did that happen?' be
wondered; mot moment ago they
were as sound as am. and didn't
hear anything fall. It's that con-
founded Waiting, suppose. Enough
to upset everything in the place. New
er mind, I'll have some water"
But to say he would have some wa
ter was one thing, and to have some
water was another. The water in the
| jug was mass of ice.
To crawl out of bed and get a sharp
pointed knife and to crawl back again
shivering and dig into the ice with the
knife till he obtained sufficient to as
suage his thirst, occupied him much
longer than he supposed, for he had
lost count Of time, and intervals which
he reckoned as so many minutes were
in reality so many hours.
"I'm as weak as Kitten" he
thought; "but come what will, I'll
have some sleep, or I'll know the rea-
son why"
So he winked at his fathers night
cap, and saying, IF you're going to
have another waltz, have the goodness
to let me know beforehand" turned on
his side and fell into a sleep less dis
turbed than he had previously enjoyed
His dreams were not so extravaganf,
but were sufficiently fantastic.
His predominant fancy was that he
was walking through scores and
scores of alleys and courts and narrow
streets for the purpose of asking the
little boys and girls what it all meant.
Every one he asked returned the
same answer, and to every one who
answered him he gave brand new
farthing. The answer was:
"Old Dexter's had a fever" Not
you've had fever" but "Old Dex-
ter's had a fever" as if he himself
was somebody else.
''But look here" he said to a young
imp with weak eyes and red hair;
I'm old Dexter!"
Cannon retorted the young imp,
with scornful snap of his fingers
did you ever see old Dexter going
about as you're a-going on, with a sack
of brand new fardens on his back, Civ
ing 'em away as if they was stones?
You old Dexter. Tell that to the ma
rines."
BY which speech the dreamer knew
that he carried on his back sack
filed with the new farthings he was
giving away so literally.
He did not find it at all an unpleas-
ant sort of hump, and notwithstand-
ing that there were thousands of farth-
ings in it, it was as light as bag of
feathers.
He went about to other boys and
girls, and tried to bride them with adj
hitting that he was old Dexter, and
no other fellow; but bride them as he
might, he could not get them to admit
that he was himself.
Said one, "Arsk old Sally If you don't
| I,aIfox,a cnH srfxn hon forf~ 70 nth
ings."
Old Sally was a blind woman who
stood begging on the curbstone every
Saturday night in Clare Market, within
twenty yards of Thomas Dexters shop.
The dreamer gave her four farthings,
saying:
'Tm Thomas Dexter"
"No, no, kind sir" said Sally.
You're hiding your charity under an
other name than your own. Thomas
Dexter never gives anything to the
poor"
Here you. sir" cried the dreamer to
figure in gray cloak that happened,
oddly, to come his way. "Tell me why
old Sally and the little chaps wont
recognize me. / should like to know,
really, and I'll pay yer for the informa-
ton"
"Pay me, then" said the figure. hold
ing out his two hands, which the
dreamer filled with farthings. and
look and learn"
He flung the farthings into the air,
ana they changed instantly into little
birds. their feathers the colors of the
rainbow.
The odd part Of the affair was that
every bird wore white apron, like a
waiter. and every one Of them carried
something rice to eat or drink.
Loaves of bread, basins of soup.
sleeps trotters, mutton chops, plum
duff, pork sausages. mince pies, and
goodness only knows what, which they
Immediately commenced to distribute
among the thousands and thousands OF
poor children who started up like mag
ic on all sides.
The faces of many of these poor chill
dren were familiar to the dreamer. for
he had seen them in his walks about
the streets.
The most familiar figure in the
throng was Little Make Believe. VINO
seemed to be ubiquitous, she was so
continually repeating herself.
How eagerly they took the food
| from fha hir1s and how On gprlv they