Caricature; wit and humor of a nation in picture, song and story . last fall, one Sun-day morning. And when old man Jones came out in hisnew suit to go to church and slid all the way down thesteps and ruined his clothes, Big Bills face came asnear wearing a smile as it ever did—until the night be-fore Christmas, when he played his best joke. Away down the alley, in a little ramshackle framehouse that defied every rule of the building and healthdepartments, lives the Spriggins family. Sprigginshimself is at home only when he is out of the workhouse—but he hasnt been in since Christmas. Mrs. Spr
Caricature; wit and humor of a nation in picture, song and story . last fall, one Sun-day morning. And when old man Jones came out in hisnew suit to go to church and slid all the way down thesteps and ruined his clothes, Big Bills face came asnear wearing a smile as it ever did—until the night be-fore Christmas, when he played his best joke. Away down the alley, in a little ramshackle framehouse that defied every rule of the building and healthdepartments, lives the Spriggins family. Sprigginshimself is at home only when he is out of the workhouse—but he hasnt been in since Christmas. Mrs. Sprig-gins is not only an invalid, but she takes in washing tokeep the family, and when Spriggins didnt take hermoney from her there were occasions when a goodsquare meal came on the table. There are three Sprig-gins children—all under nine years of age. Bennie isthe oldest, Freddie is seven, and Roselle is five. Christmas Eve Big Bill, and Shorty McTodd, andFreckles King, and Limpy Kelly, and Jiggs Long werein the rear room of Jenowskis saloon, with bowls of. Then the procession filed down the alley to the rickety steps leading up to the Spriggins domicile. suds before them. They wanted to do somethi \gfunny, but, as Jiggs said, they had done everythir^funny except kill some one, and the cops wouldnt stan for that. Big Bill had been sitting in silence for hal •an hour, and now he spoke. Say, he muttered, isnt dere a Sandy Claus aC^to be pulled off at dat choych up on de nex corner? Sure! gleefully exclaimed Shorty. Lets go updere an put it on de blink. Naw, declared Big Bill. Let dem have de lets go cop out de togs—an Ill play Sandy Claushere in de alley. It took a full minute for the complete significance ofthis plan to sink into the understandings of the others,then they agreed it was the best ever. I hear dem Spriggins kids talkin to-day to deirmudder, said Big Bill. Dey was handin it out datdis was de night Sandy was due to blow in wid de ! Say, wo
Size: 2079px × 1202px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectcaricaturesandcartoo
