United States or Ghana ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Our errand to Johnny's was nominally to purchase flowers, and, of course, we did invest therein, and came out bearing some of his choicest blossoms; but cousin Serena made use of the opportunity to take a close observation of Matty as she sat at her little peanut-stand in the corner, sullen and lowering, the picture of discontent and misery, as usual.
A peanut-stand, sheltered by an umbrella, stood in the middle of the square, and toward this we made our way. An aged Italian sat behind it, reading a newspaper. He sold us peanuts, and exchanged facetious remarks with Mr. Daddles. As we left the peanut man, we heard a far-off shouting. Down the street came a tall, thin man, ringing a great dinner-bell. He was very lame and made slow progress.
It was she, and not the miserable, intemperate mother, who plaited Matty's glossy locks in the heavy braid which she then wound round her head. Cousin Serena went up to the peanut-stand, invested in Matty's wares, the child serving her in the dull, mechanical way usual with her, and smiled kindly down at her, eliciting, however, no response.
"It isn't so much reading," murmured Allie, rather hurt, for she was an over-sensitive child, prone to imagine slights, and, as we know, given to ready tears. "I'll tell you, people;" and she proceeded to give the amount made by Jim since he had established the peanut-stand, with its various divisions for the separate objects of his benevolence and ambition.
The latter figured under the head of "For to be President;" and if her accounts, or, rather, Jim's as set down by her, were to be trusted, he had really done very well in the stand business. "We know two deforms," quoth Daisy, solemnly, as Allie closed; "one deform is very nice and good, and the ofer is horrid and scratching. One is Captain Yorke's, and the ofer is Jim's peanut-stand girl.
"What kind of business?" "Well," said Tom reflectively, "you might buy out an apple or a peanut-stand, and have lots of money left." "Is there much money to be made that way?" inquired Ben. "Well, I never knowed anybody get rich in that line. I guess you'd make a livin'." "That wouldn't satisfy me, Tom. What I want most of all is to go to California." The bootblack whistled.
.007 could have carried the switching-loco round the yard in his tender, but he felt grateful for even this little word of consolation. "We don't use hand-cars on the Pennsylvania," said the Consolidation. "That er peanut-stand is old enough and ugly enough to speak for himself." "He hasn't bin spoken to yet. He's bin spoke at. Hain't ye any manners on the Pennsylvania?" said the switching-loco.
"But we cannot go to a peanut-stand, even though it belongs to Jim," I expostulated. "But it's not in the street; it's you know Johnny, the flower-man, sister?" said Allie.
When, in the broad glare of the noonday sun, a speckled jackass boldly and maliciously kicks over a peanut-stand, do we "reason" with him? I guess not. And why "reason" with those other Southern people who are trying to kick over the Republic! Betsy, my wife, says so too. The meeting broke up with enthusiasm. We shan't draft in Baldinsville if we can help it.
'Look here, he said, 'I guess I'll hire you to speculate for me. And that's how I came to get twenty-five dollars a month and my living from a great American actor. When I got back to America with him I had two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and good clothes. I started a peanut-stand, and sold papers and books, and became a speculator.
Word Of The Day