The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-12-14

eiorIfp the poor ond "'Idmbast the rich" Fhe
Dickens NcGs IN one Of these HSoods q tods Hselss
TO CRY out to Aim 70 spare "the nooIV born, Aotc
erer Nigh descended'' 70 "dSspiss not roHk o
cealth, hoIoerCr spIeHdid." For hin at such TINE
rfrtEe dSoeIt only GnsoHo the loIoIy and the rIeh
lump 1ere bad. He iorofe The chtHe'" oTtd a.
booUties and the soft airs Of Genoo and Hods I
'Christnos Book Of q By Introducing Net
Years Day. For fAs pErpose Of tie story itssl
any day tooHId hare dons bat Dickens had 10 tTr'
out a Chrfstrds book, so he shaped "The ohmes'
TO his necessities. Ths story srds not a. popSl0
a. hs other Chrtsfnds stories. The public seemed
10 feel fhof q tpds being scolded oHd that III
amount Of bitter medicine IN the story IDdI out o.
proportion TO fAo OHoSnt Of jan.
TTIGH up in the church tower hung
- an old chime OF bells. Centuries
- ago these bells had been baptized
by bishops: so many centuries ago that
the record OF their baptism had been lost
and no one knew their names. They had
had their godmothers and their god
fathers these Sells-and doubtless their
silver mugs. too. But time had moved
down their godfathers and godmothers
and Henry VIII. had melted down their
silver mugs. And now they hung mug
less and nameless in the church tower.
and Trotty Week. the veazenest ticket
porter who stood below near the church
door all day waiting for customers. de-
clared that when they rang they talked
to him.
His real name was Toby-and nothing
except a special act OF Parliament could
make anything else Of It except Tobias
but people would call him Trotty because
OF his gait, which was a short trot.
Erotty might have walked Just as fast
but when he trotted il pleased him 10 think
he was making terrific speed Rob him
OF his trot and Toby would have taken
TO his bed and died. It despatched him
with mud in dirty weather: It cost HIM a
world OF trouble. But that was one
reason for his clinging to it so tenacious
~. A weak. small. spare old man. he was
very Hercules in his own good inten-
lions. He loved to earn his money He
delighted to belleve-and Toby was SO
poor he couldn't afford to part with q
oelight-that he was worth his salt
With a small parcel in his hand which
ne was to deliver for a shilling, or per
haps eighteen pence, his courage, ALWAYS
high, rose higher
As he trotted on he would call 10 the
last poetmen ahead Of him to get out Of
the way. devoutly believing that in the
natural course Of things he must inevi-
taoly overtake them and run them down
And he had perfect faith, not often tested
that he was able to carry anything mortal
man could lift When he did not have a
Job and seemed likely to have none that
DAY the chimes up in the steeple helped
keep his courage up by calling out 10 him:
Toby Week, Toby Week; lob coming
soon. Toby. Toby Week. Toby Week, job
coming soon, Toby"-just that way
AS Toby stood under the church tower
he heard the chimes ring noon There
is nothing" thought he, more regular
in its coming round than dinner time
and nothing less regular In it's coming
round than dinner. wonder now IL that
observation is worth anything But Lord.
the papers are full Of observations-so
Parliament. Here's last weeks paper
now" He took a very dirty one from ais
pocket and holding It az arms length said
aloud: Full OF observations. full OF OBJ
servations. I like to read the papers,
but bless you. It goes against my grain
these days-it almost frightens me. /
don't know what We Poor people are
coming to- don't. Lord send We may
be coming to something better in the New
Year just nigh. But I'm afraid we are
q bad lot I amt had much schooling
myself, and for the life Of me I can't
make out whether we have any business
on the face Of the earth or not Some
times I think We have and then again I
am afraid that we are Just intruders. I
can bear up as we'll as auother-better
than most men, for am as strong as a
lion and most men amt. But supposIuK-
just supposing-that We amt got any right
TO a New Year and really are intrud-
ing"
Father father" said a pleasant vo,e.
and old Toby turned TO see his dau1h..r
Margaret, with a basket on her arm
Comely was Meg. with bright, dark eyes
that would bear a world of looking into
before their depths were fathomed: eyes
that were beaning with hope-nope no
young and fresh. why" said Toby. kiss
ing her. WHATS to do7 didn't expect |
you to-day. Meg" Neither did expec+ |
10 come. father" the girl replied, 'rbut
here am. and guess whats in tn.
basket" why. you don't mean 10 eay
that you" Smell II. father. only smaf |
t." Toby was going to lift the cover ALI /
at once. but Meg gayly interposed with
mo. no-lengthen II out III lift the cor.
ner just a little. tiny way. Now smell
why. it's hotr cried Toby. It's burn
ing hotP' cried Meg. ''Ha. haT laughed I
the old man. 1T amt, I suppose, polo
nies7" (After a snin) TIE meIlower than |
poloniea" Then. taking more snifrs, he |
went on: It's too decided for trottera |
It improves every moment Liver7 No. /
There's q n1iidness about it that don't |
answer to liver. II amt faint enough for |
pettitoes. And / know II amt sausage. |
IT'S chitterlingsi'' No 1t amt no II |
amt" laughed Meg in . burst Of delight;
'ft's tripeI" And she uncovered the bas-
ket Maybe Toby did not go into ecstacies
over that basin Of tripe. There was a
potato with It too. and half q pint Of beer
70 a bottle. That was feast. Toby took /
his banquet to the steps Of q neighboring
house and sat down to eat IT In q CASTRO
nomic rapture while Meg watched him 4
with beaming eyes.
I've had my dinner. father" said Meg.
with Richard. His dinner time Is too
early and he brought his dinner with him
when he came to see me and we've had /
IL together, father. And Richard says,
she stopped and blushsd
and was silent After q pause ths old