The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31


 never see you again" And she gave orders that Joseph was to be stripped of his livery paid off by MT. Peter Pounce, her steward, and turned out of the house. Joseph, who out of his pay of fs year had been sending four to his father and mother, had only few shillings coming to him, and when he had been stripped of his livery would not have been able to go forth decently clothed had not 0 fellow servant loaned him an old suit of livery which he had discarded.
 Thus supplied and with a stout stick in one hand and a small bundle of linen in the other, the poor fellow set out on his Journey to Somersetshire, cheered, how ever by the consciousness of virtue and the hope of soon seeing the adorable Fanny. Nothing particular happened to Joseph until one night when Ne was well down into the country and. it being a bright moonlight night was pursuing his way by 'Luna's ray" in order to expe- dite his journey, footpads set upon him, knocked him senseless took his money and, stripping him naked, left him lying for dead in ditch after struggle in which Joseph bore his part like man. A stage coach passing by after daylight Joseph was rescued just as he was re- gaining consciousness and, wrapped in a great coat which the postillion offered the driver and two gentlemen in the coach refusing to part with theirs) was taken to an inn further on where he was put to bed and surgeon sent for to dress his wounds. Mrs. Tow-wouse the landlords wife, raised immense comnotion when she learned that her money, and not only frustrated that worthy mans design of presenting Jo- seph with a shirt but threatened to turn the youth out of doors The surgeon pro- nounced Joseph to be in d critical state and a neighboring clergyman was sent for. The doctor administered nasty draught, the clergyman a nasty prayer and both worthies repaired with much good fellowship to enjoy a mug Of ale and gossip before the inn fire. Had it not been for Betty, the housemaid. who with him and ministered to his wants, the boy would nave Idreu nara.
 While Joseph was lying in this parlous state, who should come riding into the inn yard on his sober nag but Parson Adams, bound up to London to seek a publisher for nine volumes of sermons, from which he doubted not he was to realize a small fortune The good par son, who supported wife and six chill dren on a salary of 920 year and still found many a stray penny to bestow to charity, was of strong but ungainly build and wore an old great-coat below which appeared the end of venerable cassock, his only one. His wig, which looked as if 1t had had it's trials in life. was crowned with a battered three-cor nered hat and this attire, added to q something comical in his race, was cal culated to make the observer look twice at his singular figure. Having the softest heart in the world for those in misfor- tune he was yet exceedingly dogmatic when it came to questions of morals or doctrine and though his learning was much greater than pertained as rule to the ordinary country parson of the time, yet was he so simple regarding af- fairs of the world that he was easily de- ceived by the designing. Being honest and charitable himself, he took 1t for granted that everybody else was so until the facts proved him different
 And now, as Parson Adams sat smok- ing his pipe before the fire, there came s great hulIabaloo outside and one of the thieves who had robbed Joseph was brought in with a mob at his heels, hav- ing been captured while attempting an other robbery. Joseph. upon being in- formed by Betty of the occasion of the tumult, besought her to see if the thief had about him a certain. piece of gold which he described, and which he de- clared was dearer to him than all the wealth of the Indies-as, indeed, 1t was, for it was a piece which he had broken