Year: 1878

The architect who plans high front
steps to house is in league with cer-
boys who have q large and assorted
stock of meanness born in their natures.
Proof Of this can be found any day in
the week I'm Detroit, and the latest was
gathered in no later than Saturday
afternoon. A very nice young man,
dressed in the nobbiest style and sport
ing cane which never cost less than a
dollar, walked up the high front steps
OF a Jefferson avenue mansion and
pulled the bell. 1t was plain enough
even to the driver of street car that
:he young man had an affection for
some one in that house and that he
was about to meet his charmer. But it
wasn't so plain to a stubnosed boy who
was drawing picture of an Indian
warrior on the fiagstones with q piece
of indigo. BE looked up, quit his
work, and loafiug along to the gate he
called out:


Them air folks don't want any pat
ent toothpaste to-day


The nobby young man gave a sud
den start OF surprise, but he instantly
realized the vastness of the gulf be-
tween him and the street boy, and he
did not reply.


Our folks don't want any clothes
wringers to-day, and you want to hear
me. called the boy


The young man heard him. Several
pedestrians also hear2 him, and as they
looked up the young man wondered
why nc one answered the bell.


I'm telling you, fellow up there
said the boy, that we don't keep no
boarding house here If you want
cheap board you must go around the
corner three blocks straight on. Do
you propose to pay in advances'


As no one came to the door, the
young man pulled the bell again.


I'm telling you that you can't pass
yourself off on US as grasshopper suf-
ferer!' shouted the boy. If you want
some cold vittles go around TO the side
gate!


Fonr pedestrians had halted on the
other side Of the street, and the young
man locked down OH the boy and softly
said;


Boy. can you catch ten cents!'


We don't sign no petishuns here for
3 national monument to the inventor
Of the dishpan!' replied the boy.
'Wha: I'm talking 10 you is that you
want to go around TO the cooks door,


The young man wished a wish con-
tanning AIS grains fine that the builder
of those high steps had been dead for
forty years, but the door did not open.
and the boy hung right to him calling
out


'Hain't been telling you that you
can't get in there? You may be the
private watchman of this block. but
you can't go around pulling front door
bells and putting on airs If l have to
argy much longer I'll call the police


I've got half dollar here. boy'
said the young man as he turned
around


Let's see how it looks" softly replied
the lad


But the half dollar was at home
The young man searched for ii in vain,
and the disgusted boy turned to the
mon across the street and called ont;


Isn't it against the law for fellow
to be taking beeswax expression of q
front door lock in the day time?'


They started TO come over and the
Dneng man hurried down the steps and
d the street. He gave the boy just
n1e look. 1t was look in which rail
road collisions and steamboat blow-ups
we're equally mixed and then frosted
with Bogardus knocker.


'Ob. We kin wink at me and try to
buy me off growled the boy, but
these principles Of honesty were paint
ed all over me wheu / was baby, and
they can't be rubbed out nor bought
up for wealth.


Just then young lady opened the
door and smiled and bowed and got rs
far as: Why, Fwed!' when she discov =
cred he wasn't there. The footmsn
was out and she waited to fix up, and
Fwed' had gone. She backed in and
shut the door and the mean boy got
down TO finish his Indian, muttering:


If he couldn't raise fifty cents to re-
ward me. how'd he ever manage to git
that gal one of them corsets with 1873
bones In it,