Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-31

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MR&Au long skirts; and the short frocks wore
~ n W seemed to dferentiate me from hi
yh4dHp mother and sister and the sex generally
s ii s3Sk4,l and to create bond Of despset
# RfM youthfulness between us.
SSS slender little chap he was, with large
eyes, In color the intense blue of a Jun,
sky He had been christened John Brandish but o.
course he was Johnnie to the members Of his inmedi
ate family just as he was "Jack" to the "gang'tht
moderately disreputabe collection Of street boys whom
he called his friends-and to me.
He was solemn little creature in the house, and
among the members of the company but on the street
freed from the weight of his professional dignity be
was vertable little imp Of mischief In every lads
being there are two boys-the whoopng yelling, goa
swimming, hang-on behind, hthim again, small scala
wag is one and the other is an ambitious when-Im.
a-man dreamer Of Observation-Disclosures sensitive
dumb
Jack did not get well with his tall sister, Who ten
years older than himself of that large body
OF people who would gladly welcome a second Herod
and new edict that would sweep all small boys from
the face Of the earth. For me, Jack had sort Of
frisking, laundering puppy-dog affection. Secretly
sewed up many small jacket shirt before his
mother saw them, and in return he would pat my
shoulder and sympathize with my great trouble
Say I'm awful sorry your mother won't-but I'd
think you'd like short skirts beter'n draggy-taed
dresses When you got em you wouldn't be any good
any more, but just like Blanche, full Of airs
Jack in his character Of street ganlin mortified his
u mother cruelty. On these occasions did not know
which Of the two to be sorriest for.
Once, when we were all our way to rehearsal,
turned to find ourselves in the heart of
crowd Of ragamufns yelling "Clear the way!' "Cear
the way" In the middle of the excited throng jack
Dareheaded, in shirt sleeves, with perspration pouring
down his pale little face straning to the harness
>cF reeking garbage cart-the Of which by
his side holding Jacks coat and hat and the penny
j demanded for the sweetscented privilege.
s8 Mrs. Brandish to full STOP quivering as a
mighty jelly quakng to its fall, and in voice choked
with passion she commanded him to leave the gutter
aud his unspeakable occupation and wait her coming
y at home.
Yes'um,' was the only answer Jack vouchsafed
But his eyes big and troubled, and he turned
homeward without backward look.
But behind u.s. resumed our walk, we had
left sudden tornado. of discord. AS we had pro-
ceeded Mrs. Brandishs great size and peculiar
men aggravated by the dignity Of her state of Mind
provoked the sarcasm Of Of the "gang," who
pointed after her yelling:
"Say! Get onto the haystack! Amt she the big
gest thing ce?'
The words scarcely uttered when little Jack
with the fury Of young beast had dashed his puny
fists into the offenders face and in return he was
beaten and battered almost of shape But before
he seriously injured the other boys interviewed.
b ..Hey BILL hold on there! She's his old woman->
that's Jacks mudder. Let up. say! He's all right
she's going to lick him herself for hauling Paddy's
cart"
Jack had two peculiartes Of speech. He invariably
y added syllable to the word mother, making it
motherer and instead Of saying 81 shall for
get" he and always exclaimed "Oh I shall never
remember the time" Now as his mother stopped
looking down him with the curled lip Of contempt,
expressive Of her loahing for fighting put out
unsteady hand to touch her skirt and stammered in
deprecating way: "Motherer-now you see mother
EFT" But she pulled her skirt away. "No, sir"
ehe said, shere two settlements to make! Go on
upstairs!"
Her meaning was unmistakable and I throttled
impulse to intercede-but the excitable Irish girl
broke out with, "Sure, num- you'd be SO cruel
rs to strike the poor bruised body Of him that's only
i been fighting boys big enough to ate him. becaze
they insuted you, mum, on account Of your size"
8 could not see that the mp1acabe bulk of
Mrs. Brandish affected, but Jack pointed to the
girl with face red with anger, "Aw-what do you
want to tell her that for:" he snapped. eff mother
wants to lick me-et her belong to her, don't II"
And he limped painfully after her up the stairs
AS paused at their door minute, Mrs
Brandish remove her gloves bonnet and wrap, while
he watched her with big anxious eyes, his little thin
legs trembling from their upward climb She did not
speak for minute, and when she did, it only
IS say "Come here Johnnie!" Then she took his hand
and led him. still In silence to the wash basin where
she bathed his cut head and bruised face. In my
room heard several "ouches" but nothing Indicating
fhrashing-for Jack was apt to be fairly noisy
these heartto.heart interviews with his mother.