Central High School - Almanac Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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of the surrounding country and cover it with goodness as I shall my own pocket with-. Gentlemen, he continued hurriedly, it is upon these grounds that I demand the support of all good and true citizensfl Yes, yes, we are yours to command, replied the pro- fessor. - We are, indeed, echoed Mr. Troth. ff I thank you both, good day, and the politician left. The professor and Mr. Troth both settled back in their chairs completely exhausted. At last Troth mustered up courage to say, He's going to cover the lamp of the country with goodness. Say, Prof., old man, is goodness transparent or opaque? Heaven only knows. I'm sure I don't, replied the antiquarian, wearily. They sat in silence for a few minutes and were begin- ning to recover from their recent harrowing experience when the bell rang, and the professor went to the door himself. Outside was a man with a large bundle. This proved to be the flannel which was taken up stairs. Mr. Goodwilly opened the parcel and commenced to unroll the cloth. Soon there was but little of the professor left in sight except his head and shoulders and, what with cloth and paper and professor the corner was well hlled. And then before he was completely enveloped the bell rang again and Mrs. Mothring brought up a ridiculously small cradle. She was quite indignant at the professor's ordering a doll's cradle for a baby. But he meekly asserted that it could be used for Baby's dolls. We must get some toys for her, too, he continued. I suppose there will have to be dolls and houses, and horses and rattles and everything imaginable, he con- cluded with a sigh.

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Mrs. Mothring, being busily engaged talking with Mr. Troth, said Yes, of course. Yes, said the professor, I'd like a doll's cradle.- All right, good bye. H Now, he said to Mr. Troth, we can have a nice quiet talk. But the fates decided otherwise, for a servant bringing in a card was closely followed by a pompous, bustling little man, who began breathlessly- Good afternoon, Mr. Goodwilly, its a very pleasant day out. Gentlemen, continued Mr. Small, for this was his name, according to the card, have you thought of the issue at stake in the present election? Have you thought how like a huge wave we are, either triumphant, bearing the ship of state on our back, like a boy on a camel, and laughing in our sleeves at the other party, who snarl at our heels like an angry dogg or else letting the ship of state fall out of our arms into-into-. Gentlemen, you must see the force of my remarks? But, said Mr. Goodwilly, endeavoring to interposeg but he was to be disappointed, for Hercules A. Small's pause was but to gain breath, and now he was off again. We must, I say, purify the politics of the country. It is only by the utmost efforts of all that this can be doneff Bboth of you know this, said Small, paying no attention to repeated interruptions, so I shall say no more of how we must push the ship of state along just as if we were ahorse, bearing in the wagon behind, a precious burden. Gentlemen, he continued, drawing himself up to his full height of five feet eight inches, I am he of whom you must have heard much recently. I am the Moses who will cleanse the Augean stables and scrub and clean the government till it shines like a tea set. Gentlemen, I am Hercules Atlas Small. I am a candidate for alderman in this Ward. If I am elected, I will make our city the lamp

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Oh, professor, Mrs. J onthrey who lives next door Will be glad to bring in lots of toys. llll ask her to come in after a While, and Mrs. Ertsberger, too, the housekeeper said, and Without Waiting for a reply Qfor she Was ruler of the housej she left the room. Dear me, it is nearly time for that child to come,', ejaculated the professor, pacing nervously up and down the room. The two talked now about old times and about their professions, but Baby permeated the Whole conversation. She was discussed together With the time they had played hookey. She was there, When they had built their club house in a tree. She Was mentioned in the same breath With Egyptian mummies. She held the lever When Troth ran his first engine. She studied the plans of the latest triple expansion engine. In short she Was first, last and throughout. By Jove, said Troth, your niece is due in ten minutes. Mrs. Mothring ushered in the two neighbors. Mrs. Jonthrey was a bustling little Woman and came in with her arms full of toys of all imaginable shapes and sizes, Whose nature and use the professor of antiquities could only surmise. The other, Mrs. Ertsberger, Was of the very opposite nature. She was thin and sour, and of the pessimistic order. She had brought as an offering to the professor's Ward what Was typical of her nature, a bottle of pepper- mint. After hurried greetings ffor it Was already time for Baby's arrivalj each stationed himself according to his lik- ing. It seemed that all had been imbued with the profes- sor's agitation and all unconsciously did the most absurd things imaginable. The housekeeper chose the flannel as her especial care. She stood completely enveloped therein. There Were even