OUR OFFICE BOY, JIM.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7416, 13 July 1895, Page 6 (Supplement)

OUR OFFICE BOY, JIM.

BY ETHEL MAUDE COLSON,

Jim was a boy with a freckled face, Which yet was full of a reckless grace ; The merriest mouth, *and two bright blue eyes. Which sparkled and g_zed with a wide surprise: For all the world was a show to him, And life was a joy to our office boy, Jim. The noisest lad in the building tall, He vexed us each day with his piercing call ; His whistle so shrill made the hallways ring, And wo stopped our ears when ho tried to sing ; With glad life filled to the very brim, And a perfect torment, that bad boy, Jim. But when the ' boss' was at home in bed, When the head clerk's dear little child lay dead, When sorrow had shadowed the girl cashier, That Jim was a darling, a very dear ; His hands were black, and his neck was grim, But his heart was a treasure, that odd boy, Jim. And there came a time when he stayed away From the office, and all of that long, sad day We thought of his face and his rough red head With the reverent pain—for the boy was dead. And we missed him so much that our eyes were dim. For he'd stolen our hearts, had that queer boy, Jim. And we wept when his story was told around, For he'd given his life away, we found, To save a woman, forlorn and old, From the wheels of a street car. With courage bold He'd leaped to his death, and o'er death's dark rim Was changed to a hero, our office boy, Jim. Some women of fashion arc rather neatly described by an observer as mere hat-bearers. Temperance Lecturer : Friend, how can we stop the sale of liquor? Inebriate (in the rear of the hall) : Give it away. Jagson says that some of his friends are such wretched correspondents that they wouldn't drop him a line if ho were drowning. Editor : You're sure you haven't submitted this poem on spring anywhere else ? Poet : Yes, sir. Editor : Then how is it you have a black eye and walk on crutches. Tailor: Mr Overdue, I hear that you are about to marry Miss Bullion. Allow me to congratulate you. Overdue (extending his hand) : Allow me to congratulate you. Wife : That last set of china is the best we ever had. Husband : Urn, it's all gone, isn't it 7 Wife : Yes ; but just think, dear. It lasted four years and a half. A philosopher says, ' No thoroughly occupied man was ever yet very miserable.' Evidently he never saw an ocean passenger trying to keep his breakfast down on the first day at sea. He: They are not on speaking terms, you know. She: Why, they are deeply in love with each other. He : For that reason they don't speak ; they just sit and gaze at one another. Amy : Count Icecream proposed to mo yesterday." Grace: Did you accept him ? Amy : No ; papa said his money was all tied up these hard times, and he can't invest in foreign securities. MissTownsend : You live at Lonelywood. Do you know tho Misses Brownkin ? They live there, too. Miss Subbubs (confidently) : No ; you know they don't 'go in our train.