The Bell-Ringer of Angel's, and Other StoriesHarte, Bret
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The Bell-Ringer of Angel's, and Other Stories
Harte, Bret
American fiction -- 19th century; Short stories; Western stories
After this, closely as it had knitted us together, Johnnyboy's morning
presence was mysteriously withdrawn. It was later pointed out to us by
Mr. Belcher, upon the veranda, that, although Wealth had its privileges,
it was held in trust for the welfare of Mankind, and that the children
of the Rich could not too early learn the advantages of Self-restraint
and the vanity of a mere gratification of the Senses. Early and frequent
morning ablutions, brisk morning toweling, half of a Graham biscuit in
a teacup of milk, exercise with the dumb-bells, and a little
rough-and-tumble play in a straw hat, check apron, and overalls would
eventually improve that stamina necessary for his future Position, and
repress a dangerous cerebral activity and tendency to give way to--He
suddenly stopped, coughed, and absolutely looked embarrassed. Johnnyboy,
a moving cloud of white pique, silk, and embroidery, had just turned
the corner of the veranda. He did not speak, but as he passed raised
his blue-veined lids to the orator. The look of ineffable scorn and
superiority in those beautiful eyes surpassed anything I had ever seen.
At the next veranda column he paused, and, with his baby thumbs inserted
in his silk sash, again regarded him under his half-dropped lashes as
if he were some curious animal, and then passed on. But Belcher was
silenced for the second time.
I think I have said enough to show that Johnnyboy was hopelessly
worshiped by an impressible and illogical sex. I say HOPELESSLY, for
he slipped equally from the proudest silken lap and the humblest one
of calico, and carried his eyelashes and small aches elsewhere. I think
that a secret fear of his alarming frankness, and his steady rejection
of the various tempting cates they offered him, had much to do with
their passion. “It won't hurt you, dear,” said Miss Circe, “and it's so
awfully nice. See!” she continued, putting one of the delicacies in
her own pretty mouth with every assumption of delight. “It's SO good!”
Johnnyboy rested his elbows on her knees, and watched her with a grieved
and commiserating superiority. “Bimeby, you'll have pains in youse
tommick, and you'll be tookt to bed,” he said sadly, “and then
you'll--have to dit up and”--But as it was found necessary here to
repress further details, he escaped other temptation.
Two hours later, as Miss Circe was seated in the drawing-room with her
usual circle of enthusiastic admirers around her, Johnnyboy--who was
issued from his room for circulation, two or three times a day, as a
genteel advertisement of his parents--floated into the apartment in a
new dress and a serious demeanor. Sidling up to Miss Circe he laid a
phial--evidently his own pet medicine--on her lap, said, “For youse
tommikake to-night,” and vanished. Yet I have reason to believe that
this slight evidence of unusual remembrance on Johnnyboy's part more
than compensated for its publicity, and for a few days Miss Circe was
quite “set up” by it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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