The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-26


 Micawber's Boarding Establishment for Young Ladies'" But no young lady ever had been to school there, nor had the least preparation ever been made to re- ceive any young lady. The only visitors were creditors, some quite ferocious At these times MT. Micawber would be transported with grief and mortiica- | tion, even to the length of making mo- tions a t himself with razor: but with in half an hour he would polish his shoes with extraordinary pains and go out humming a tune, with an air of greater gentility than ever.
 Something Unpleasant Turns Up Saturday nights were MT Mieawber's most difficult times. Then he would en- gage in heartrending condolences, ac- cusing himself so bitterly that he sobbed but, happily, though he might contemplate self annihilation at the beginning of one of these confessions, he was fairly certain to sing merry song toward the end of it. He might arrive home with tears flooding his fine face, and with the declaration that nothing was left but a jail, and he would go to bed making a calculation of the expense of putting bow win dows to the house in case anything turned up, the hope of something turn ing up being one that sustained MT and Mrs. Micawber through all afflic- tions.
 So little turned up, however that at last, after the family plate (six tea spoons, two salt spoons and a pair of sugar tongs) had been pawned. and even Mir. Micawber's library Ca few books on a little chiffonier) had gone to a second hand shop. MT. Micawber was arrested and carried to the Kings Bench Prison, announcing to the world that the God of Day had now gone down on him, but being able to recover his courage sufficiently to play a very lively game of skittles before noon and to give a very pleasant little dinner as sort of joint stock repast with some other prisoners.
 Mrs Micawber tainted when MT. Micawber was carried off and did not recover till she had made and enjoyed little jug of egg-nog. The furniture, with the exception of bed. few chairs and a kitchen table, having been sold, she encamped In the two parlors of the emptied house with the twins, the mouth ful Micawbers and the Orfling till she resolved to move to MT. Micawber in the prison, where they lived more comfort ably than they had lived out of prison. Mr. Micawber's affairs were extremely involved on account of a former com position with his creditors which was referred to majestically by MT. and Mrs. Micawber as "The Deed" At last this rock was removed, and MT. Micawber applied for his release under the in- solvent debtors act, which would set him free within about six weeks.
 And then" said Mr. Micawber. 'I have no doubt I shall, please heaven, begin to be beforehand with the world, and to live in a perfectly new manner, if-in short, if anything turns up.''
 MT. Micawber's creditors were not irn- placable. Even the most ferocious of them, a bootmaker, declared in open court that he bore him no malice, but when money was owin gto him he liked to be paid. He said he thought 1t was human nature. So MT. Micawber was | discharged, and left the prison after harmonic evening given by the prison | club in his honor.
 | Mir. Micawber Gives Some Advice | Free once more, MT. and Mrs. Mi- cawber embraced with mutual tears and spent most depressing evening. They had become so used to their old difficulties that they felt quite ship wrecked when they were released from them The events of the day, com bined with effects of hot flip that they brewed in recognition of the important tide in their affairs, led Mrs. Micaw- Der to mournfuI retrospection about her mamma, who had departed this life b. fore MT. Micawber's difficulties com | menced or, at least, before they became