The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-21
Isaacs | estirno 1liial.
By OWEN OLIVER

HE road was very hot, and /
was very dry. / stood my
dusty bicycle against the
palings OF the S"Adam and
Eve" and invited the landlord
to Join mo In ta1kard under the
alder tree. While we were sitting
there, an old man. bent into an acute
4 rheumatic angle, shambled by, carry
ling his coat over his arm.
Good afternoon. Testimonial" said
the landloard
Afternoon grumbled the old man.
TITS queer NAME" remarked.
The landlord finished the tankard.
wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and
told mo this story:
There was four OF them in 1t.
Testimonial Williams, as he's been
called ever since; and Philips, tho
sexton as was; and Brown. the bar
| Der; and Abraham Isaacs. what was
! a jew, as you might always suspect
4 from his name. and kept the old
clothes-shop. Tho way 1t came about
was this:
There was o young doctor at Field
ham, five miles from here. what got
/ married and left the place. And hhv-
ing been popular, and people FEELING
i for him, they made UP their minds to
give him somethink, what was q gold
/ watch. really, but they put up little
i bills all over the place calling 1t
| testimonial. That was how we came
i by the word. which is French for q
present. I have heard say. Anyhow.
4 when Williams heard OF 1t he got ex-
cited in his mind. being an old SOL
der and always wanting to get his
rights.
4 said, that people should go wasting
their substance on him?" Them was
/ his words, in my bar parlor, where
him and the others met regular every
night: and he stuck to It, through.
4 thick and thin, as wo hadn't got our
4 rights.
/ So they all got 1t into their heads
as testimonials was due to them, and
i folks ought to be made to give
them.
The mssus called me out to a tinker
i chap what had ordered a pint. and
4 hadn't got no money to pay. When
4 81 came back I found as they'd made
i up their minds to get up testimonials
to one another. and was Just drawing
a lots who was to have the first, seeing
as they couldn't do 1t all at once.
Isaacs made out the papers, the rest
not writing we'll, and shared them
round. and naturally he got the first
z choice. He turns to me. very prompt.
and says Now. landlord. what are
. you putting down for start on the
q subscription list for my testimonial?'
"Ah!" / says. Might you be going
! to hold your meetings here?"
yes" they oil says. figured out
in my mind as they'd get thirsty talk
, for half a sovereign" l told them,
ITO be set. off against anythink you
might ordet at the meetings"
They said 1t was handsome OF me:
and the meetings would begin the
next night.
Il They drunk my half sovereign UP in
| two nights, and the missus asked me
/ very scornful where the testimonial
would be when the expenses OF coli
: lecting was deducted. as they all
agreed they should he.
). Well, first they went to the squire
J and told him as they were getting up
: a testimonial to their esteemed fell
low twonsman. Mr.. Abraham Isaacs
! and he hoped he'd lend his coun-
tenance to it. And the squire says
as his countenance wasn't to lend!
THAT would have settled most people;
y but Williams had sense. SO he Just
laughs as II there, was Joke. Then
the squire says: Whats he done!
I never heard of him." And WI
Is can't have done no harm. squire
4 Squire says that's more'n you car
; say Of most people that gets testi.
= nonials. and he'll give n pound
t Similarly they coaxed little sums
i out of other people, I'll they got quite
: a nice amount together. There wasn'1
s no doubt but they had a SLIT In the
' collecting line.
: They tackled Springs. the clock.
Then you'll III Be- aayx neioeR or
: watch maybe" They says as how
they didn't know but they wouldn't
Then" he promises, "I'll give ten pei
cent. discount for cash down. wha
Will go towards the fund" They tolc
him they'd think It over.
.l1ight as well be n watch as any
thing else" Phillips remarked. IT.
= noren he deserves. anyhow, for HI
must have cheated us when WI
= crawed lots"
i They went on to Mrs. Pinch, at thu
y funcy ltop. "Test!naon! g! ~ ah
case would be the thing I've go
: one wrapped up in silver paper. fiv
% pounds. and dirt cheap; and III ALLOW
y five shililngs off for the testi
" NAL"
y. they locks at one another doubtful
a like. and says they'll think of tha,
y too. You see, Isaacs never dressed S
to sr,cal;.
isaacs which he would have. j
ID says lie didn't want nothing OF tn
kind, only purse.
Is That" said Phillips. we'll d
i'd easy: and the hest Morocco" Blu
a. Isaacs explained as no meant wha
wasn't spent on4the purse to go In
"a side 1t. There wasn't no need. h
"a said. in these days of cheap foreig
=. articles, to give more'n sixpense TO
" the purse.
They had another meeting to reck
- on up what would be left for the In
~ ~ side OF the purse. 1t worked out 9
~ ono and fourpense. after payinf 70
:. the expenses and the use of the CO
~ operative hall to make the presenta
~ ton.
- .That,n says 1saacs, sarcastic Xxx
sis more'n care to stand UP In fror
ne of the village and take" In cours
~ they say as what he said was RICH
We and they'd be bringing ridicule on II
so whole affair. They got SO puzzle
;le they called me In, and asked wht
ed was to be DONE
Ye "The first thing" says, very firr
OF us TO pay for the drinks OF these la!
b. 81 Z 1r {