"WHAT NEXT?"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2055, 31 July 1885, Page 2

"WHAT NEXT?"

'A sailor returning from a long cruise ■brought .with him a young parrot, which he bestowed upon his half-witted son, and then undertook the task of their joint education. Having his own ideas of education and "teaching made easy," and Boa voyages having been chief factors in broadening his views of life, he proceeded to institute a course of travel which should combine pleasure with knowledge, From place to place they went, seeing sights and shows,, among which none were more in favor than the common , playhouses, or places of cheap theatrical entertainment, found everywhere. ,The old tar, in imagination, here revisited the' haunts of his sailor life, the boy -'Tommy" gazed with open-mouthed wonder, and 'Poll'chuckled with delight. L'appM vientkn manqcant. But instead of growing ajso critical and discriminating, Tpmmy only because insatiate, and one scene was scarcely off the boards before lie .cried "What's next?" And Polly came in with an invariable echo of "What's nex' ?" The old man tried in an ineffectual but probably conscientious way to influence and train their judgment by applause or condemnation, or by exclamations such as "Good play in' 'that! or "Mighty poor! Mixed plot-mixed plot!",' Wager 'twon't run a week !" etc etc. But the boy only turned his head to demand 'iWhat's next?" and the parrot cried " Wat's nox' ?" In course of time they reached San Francisco, and found themselves one day in the Chinese quarter, and "at the front" in one of its celebrated play-houses, Hours of delightful instruction and rapid acquisition followed, and the father's fondest ambition seemed in a fair way of being realised, when his school ipas suddenly broken up by the Unforeseen event of f) premature explosion of a gigantic firework, After flames and smoke were subdued, and the police in possession, it was discovered that the unfortunate sailor and his. son were victims of the disaster, a flying missile having knocked them off their seats, and in some way caused their death. "Broke their necks," remarked a bystander, As the veteran charger answers to the well-known bugld note, so forth from the debris came a feeble but distinctly piped "What's nex'?" Excavations brought to light the battered, singed, and bruised body of poor Poll. With one weak, ineffectual effort at reconstruction, chocking and spluttering, she exclaimet]; "Mighty poor playin' that! Bet 'twon't run a week I" Then, with an ineffable chuckle, as'she took her poor limping ' ftay' alouf j'" But it brought down the house; tommy! What's next' Harper's Migazine.