Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1897 — Fasted a Week for a Drum. [ARTICLE]

Fasted a Week for a Drum.

One of Chicago’s prominent lawyer* has a boy of about 8 years of age who yearned mightily for a drum, lie asked his father one Sunday evening to buy him one of these instruments of torture, and the father, who plays the fiddle trippingly to such tunes as “Money Musk,” “Leather Breeches,” “The Devil’s Dream” and “The Irish Washerwoman,” shuddered at the thought of a rival. So he told the boy that he could not nfford to buy a drun for him; that drums cost money, and that he needed money to buy the boy things to cat. The boy said: “If I don’t eat, can I have the drum?” T)e fond parent, seeing a cinch for himself, ag**ed cheerfully to this proposition, making it a week’s fast for the coveted drum. When he came home Monday night his wife and her mother came to him In alarm. The boy hud positively refused to eat a bite o food all day. Something must be d<fae or he would fall sick. The fatherjgrlnned a little at the story, but said: ‘Oh, he will eat to-morrow.” To-morrow came, th lawyer went to his oflace, returned ho le, and still the boy fasted. His mo ier had gotten him to the table, but he had utterly refused to eat. The m ther and grandmother besought the husband and father to buy the dren and stop the fast. The lawyer sale “Wait another day; he won’t go wliout his meals another day.” The third day passei, and on his return home the mothertnd grandmother were up In arms. 1 ley had offered the hoy a drum themse ves, but ho had icfused their offer, rellng only on bis papa’s promise. He hi l not eaten anything, but was pale nd determined. The lawyer took him nd said: “Now, for the rest of the wei i you can have a saucer of oatmeal In the morning or a piece of bread and litter and nothing else for the rest ofthe day. Which will you have?” The boy decided on otmeal and lasted out according to th revised proposition. He now drums vigorously and artistically. He can ccompany auy tnne on the piano or jolin, and gets new frills from each larade he witnesses. It was drum jr “bust” with him, and he is drunjning.—Chicago Chronicle.