Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, October 15, 1903, Image 6
f * * - A Match EAR BROTHER JIM : This a verry nice place , and I am e : joyin' it accordingly. We a : bout n mile from the village and tl road Is good and Miss Laura and drive over twice a day. Miss Laui lets me drive sunitimes , but she afrade He get the horse his name The Dook out of the stile of driVin that women prefur. And when I tite tip on the lines and The Dook strike a lively clipp , she says 'Stcddy , Ton my , ' and then 1 have to pull him ii But she is a nice girl notwithstandin Bhe has the prittiest brown hair , an luch dope darke eyes , and such eweet way of speekin' . And the have a butiful home. Its on a hill an you can see miles around it. Froi my window I can catch site of tli lake thru a gap in the hills. It's verry nice lake the not depe enuff t drown me and Laura's father own tt They say he is pritty rich. M Rummldge he sells books in the vi lage and lets you borrow them for to * euts a day says Laura's father is vilage Creeses. It tells about Creese somewhere in a book and he was th richest man in the State , but I thin he is dead now. I gess you must hav heard about him. He was a hystorj kal carackter. I wish you was hen Brother Jim. We'd have grate times Laura's most as good as a boy fo haviu' fun. Thare I heer her callin The Peek is a-charnpin on his bi and waitin' irnpashent at the casse gait That's the way Laura talkj She's most as good as a play actoi Aunt Emmyline says Lauras romar tick. So I must close. Write just a soon as you hear from papa and mam ma. From your loving brother , "TOM. " James Thornton , rising young attoi ney , smiled over this epistle and lai < It away carefully in a pigeonhole o his desk , whence it would be take ] and inclosed with his next letter t < the absent parents across the sea. There was a long gap between broth er Jim , aged 27 , and brother Tom aged 12 , and this gap had seemingly drawn them closer together. To broth er Jim , brother Tom had never seem ed the aggravated nuisance that littl < brothers usually appear in the eyes 01 older brothers. Jim had looked witl amused tolerance on Tom's wildes ; pranks , and as for Tom well , there were few heroes of childish romance that did not suggest his clever big brother. And Tom had been left IE Jim's care while the father and nol overstrong mother went abroad foi the latter's health. It was a hot sum mer , and Tom was convalescing from a severe case of measles , and so Jim thought It wise to pack him off to a little village that nestled In the woods of the upper Hudson , where he was sure to receive the best of care at the home of a superannuated bookkeeper of the firm of which James Thornton was the newly admitted junior mem ber. And it was from Bookkeeper Barclay's home that Miss Laura Gar- man had fairly kidnapped him. True , she wrote a model letter to Jim. in which she requested the loan of his young kinsman , but before his answer could be received she had him install ed at Greycrag , and in a position to add his petition to hers. He was such a delightful boy , she wrote , and he would make the hours at Greycrag seem so much less lone some. Saving for the presence of a maiden aunt she was quite alone there , her father and mother having gone toCalifornia to take an invalid sister of the latter. Besides she was sure the altitude of Greycrag was quite cer tain to hasten the return of Tommy's strength. She hoped this wa ; not taking a liberty , but she had V ver Been a boy who charmed her quite as much perhaps because he reminded her of a little brother who had passed away in his seventh year. What could Brother Jim do ? He wrote a qualified acceptance of this letter of invitation. She must prompt ly return Tom when she tired of him. She mustn't tolerate him if he proved to be rude or unmanageable. And he would ask it as a particular favor if she would at once communicate to him any infraction of conduct of which Tom might be guilty. "Being BO very much the youngest of the family , " he wrote , in conclusion , "I fear that we fail to realize how thor oughly he is spoiled. No doubt you will find this out very soon. The mo ment you do , kindly return him to Mr. Barclay , to be left until called for. " Miss Laura Carman briefly acknowl edged Brother Jim's letters , promising to faithfully abide by all its condi tions , and thanking Jim for acceding to her request. So Brother Tom wras ensconc d in the Garman household , and , as his m-iny letters set forth , was having Hie * ! ni of his life. At least half of eao'i ep-j-tle was given up to this theme. vhile tin- other half was devoted to the charms of Miss Laura. "She's just the one girl for you. Jim , " he wrote in one of his d y screeds , for Tom had become quite n letter writer. It may have been brought about by his weakened health and possibly took the place of some more boyish occupation , but It was true that he had Brother Jim hustling in the endeavor to keep up with his busy correspondent. "You'd make a gtunntn couple. Don't think Ime foolin. Laura likes me so well that txne pretty sure she would like you too. On my account , of course. Can you come down for a day or two ? " And Brother Jim , greatly amusei would thank Brother Tom for his kin wishes for his matrimonial welfar and assure him that it would be quit impossible for him to get away just i present And then one day the letter wit the familiar handwriting was a litti bulkier than usual. When he opene the envelope a photograph droppe out It was the portrait of an unusua ly pretty girl. Of course , this muj be Laura Garman. Brother Jim looke at the portrait long and earnesitl : Brother Tom wasn't so far wren when he praised this gentle-faced gir Brother Jim placed the photograph o the desk , where he could use it as cor firmation of Brother Tom's praise ! and then picked up the letter. "I've bin fishing for bullheads in th pool , " Brother Tom began , "and co two and one cot me. It didn't hui mutch and Laura tied It up with he handkerchief. Ide know about bul ! heads horns next time. I am sendln , you Laura's picture. She don't kno\ it. I begged it from her yesterday , want you to get It framed up nice am charge it to pa. Then when she says 'What did you do with my pictchooi Tommy ? ' He say Ime getln' It frumefl Can't you come up and see a fellow Brother Jim ? N. b it don't flater her.1 But Brother Jim seemed in no hurr ; to have the framing contract carrie < out The picture lingered on his desl just where he could catch sight of i whenever he chose to look up. "Dear Brother Tom , " he wrote In re ply , "I am sorry the bullhead hornet you. No doubt If you were a bullheat you would have done the same. I re member having some experience witl bullheads myself , but there was n < charming young woman's handker chiefs to bind my wounds. By th < way , that portrait you sent to hav < framed reflects credit on your taste Miss Laura deserves all your praise She is a beautiful girl and I am sure she is as good as she is beautiful. " Two. dajs later Brother Tom's replj was received. It was unusually brief but to the point "Brother Jim , " he wrote. "T showed your letter to Miss Laura. My. how she blushed. Say , can't you come v r next week ? There's going to be a big church picnic. Come sure. " Brother Jim scowled darkly. Thou he chuckled. What a boy ! The Idea of. his showing the letter. What must the girl think of the liberty he took ? Still , there wasn't anything really rude about it But he must be more care ful when he wrote hereafter. Then he sent Tom a short note , in which he said it would be impossible for him to attend the church picnic. A , few days later Brother Tom wrote in a somewhat melancholy tone. He wasn't feeling quite so weJl , he guessed he missed his mother and his father , too , and maybe he wa ? home sick. He wanted to see Brother Jiir so much. But if Brother Jiin couldn't conic , would he send his photograph. Tt would be some comfort , anyway. Brother Jim was considerably ala.nn- 2d over this epistle. This precious roung brother mustn't have a re- ' .apse. That would never do. So he instily wrote an encouraging note to brother Tom , in which Brother Tom ivas advised to cheer up and be a man and with the note he forwarded his photograph. The answer came back promptly , ana t was again to the point. "I shode your picthoor to Miss Laura ind she liked it She made me mad ho when she said you was better ooking than me. N. b. I told her it latered you. Can't you come up Sat- irday ? " Brother Jim scowled again and aughed again. Really , this scalawag if a youngster wasn't to be trusted vith anything. Still , if Miss Garman lad any sense of humor she must find lim amusing. Then he looked up sud- ienly at Miss Garrnan's portrait , and t seemed as if a smile was hovering bout the pretty mouth. And then came another disquieting stter from Brother Tom. "There's a fellow hanging round heie hat I don't like , " Tom wrote. "It eems Miss Laura met him somewhere nd he came to see her cos he found ut her father was away. That's the ray It seems to me. He's got snaky yes and a little black mustash and he iffs a grate deal. I don't reely think bat Miss Laura likes him much. But e's got such a way of smilin' and ayin' soft things. Im going to look fter her the best I kuo how , but I , Tisht I was a little older. " T/wo days later another disquieting jtter reached Brother Jim. "That fellow is coniin more than ver Tom informed him. "I think liere must be something fassinating bout him , cause Miss Laura elon't sem able to tell him he ain't wanted ere. He is in a awful hurry , too. I ness he is afrade her father will come orae unexpcckted. He bet my life he ; no good. . I wish I could talk to iimboddy. But there's no use speek- ig to Miss Laura's aunt All she links about is housekeepin .and hired iris. X. b. he called me a cub twice ganp. " The very next day brought the third isquieting letter. "We wcr > out riding to-day , " Brother oni explained , "and I was gettin' in le little seat behind and I guess he Idn't kuo how sharp my ears Is. Its ke that with measels sumtimea I pose. Annyway I heard a lot that e said and what doon think ? He wants Miss Laura to run away ai marry him. You ought to have hea him beg her. Ain't it a shaim ? Sut a nice girl and nobody to she her wh a mlsstake she is making. Annyw ) I know the fellow is afrade of h father , cos he said as mutch ai someboddy ought to find out about hi rite away cos its Friday nite ho wan her to go. " Brother Jim looked at the letter lei and earnestly , and the frown on h handsome face deepened. Then. 1 pulled a pad of blank telegraph me sages from a drawer. * * * * * * * They are waiting for him at the v lage station , Mips Laura in the poi phaeton and Brother Tom on the pla form. And Brother Tom grabbed him ar drew him to the phaeton. "This Is my big brother , Miss La ra , " he cried , with a tremor of prid and Brother Jim found himself bu : died in beside the pretty girl , whi Brother Tom sat up on the little se : behind. "We have been expecting you $ long and so anxiously at least one < us has , " said the pretty girl , with quick blush , "that It seems quite in possible that ypu are really here- doesn't It , Tommy ? " "He looks real to me , " replied tli smiling Brother Tom , as he landed heavy thump on Brother Jim's broa shoulder. And how delightfully pleased th : pretty girl seemed ! Was it an assume delight ? He looked around at Toniui and caught him grinning. And what a charming little feas they had , and what a delightful littl mistress of the household the fair gli made. And after dinner Brother Tom dre-\ \ Brother Jim away from the lovely pre : ence and took him for a stroll to th little lake. "Well ? " said Brother Tom , as the , trudged down the shadowy pathwa ; between the trees. "Well ? " echoed Brother Jim. "Nice , isn't she ? " "Very nice. " "Did I make it too strong abou her ? " "Is this a confidential conversation ? ' inquired Brother Jim , with a shor laugh. "It is , " Brother Tom replied. "And not'a word to be repeated t < my third party ? ' " "Not a word. " "Well , then , " said Brother Jim , "yoi lidn't make it strong enough. " Whereat Brother Tom landed i leavy blow from a puny fist in th < nidst of Brother Jim's waistcoat "Good old Jimmy ! " he cried. And then it was that Brother Jlrr ? ut a heavy hand on Brother Torn' * shoulder. "See here , " he gruffly said , "when s that black-uiustached fellow witl he snaky eyes ? " "Oh , I just made him up , " said Brother Tom. And Brother Jim suddenly laughed. -W. R. Rose , in Cleveland Plain Dealer. TIM'S JEWEL DAZZLED REED. Sx-ConRressnian Campbell Tells o > Triumphs \ VOuvith His Diamond. Ex-Congressman Tim Campbell ig till bemoaning the loss of his $ GXJ ( liamondstud , or "headlight , " as he ailed it-which was feloniously "liffo d" from his shirt front by pickpocki ts on a Grand street car recently , ays the New York World. "That spark , " said Tim sadly , "wa corker and no mistake. It mad < riends for me wherever I went and , rhat's more , pushed me to the fronl n every great and festive occasion. "The spark had a history to be proud f. I wore it on state occasions and whenever I went to a high and influ- ntlal dignitiry of the United State/ overninent to obtain a 'soft snap' fol ue of my political constituents. ] ras a member of Washington society hen I was a representative in Con ress and I would also wear the sparl a those most auspicious occasions. "The late Speaker Reed , " continued le ex-Congressman , "had great re pect andadmiration for the gem. " 'Tim , ' aid Mr. Reed to me on ay , 'I "want you to do me a great fa- or. I want you to wear that diamond rery time you get up in the house t lake one of your famous speeches. ' " 'Certainly , Mr. Speaker , ' said I ; ' tn only too glad to serve you. umk you for this compliment' "I kept my word to the speaker anc heuever I would get up and speal 2 would thank me for it " 'Tim , ' he said to me , after I com eted my last speech in the House oj' ougress , 'I shall never forget tin ' ippy moments which I spent listen ig to you , which at the same tim { lorded me an opportunity to look ai nir most magnificent diamond. ' I "President Cleveland , " continued tht eat Tim , "was also a most enthusi- > tic admirer .of iny lost gem. Everj me I would go to the AVhite HousJ i ask a favor of the President hj ould grab me by the hand and leeS , the diamond. Knowing that he waj md of the diamond I had made 1 y business to wear it every time 1 eut to the White House. I called ii y lucky , star because whenever , ore it I was always sure of landini soft political job for one of mj lends in the district" A Programme of Inquiry. lere was a man who once disbursed Much coin. He had great fun with i | ley asked , "Where did he get it ? " firs | Then sighed , "What has he done wit' ' it ? " Washington Star. None of the younger children can us rstand why a man takes such pridj telling how long he has lived tn thj me house. vr : DESIRING AND OBTAINING. By Rev. F. B. Chctwooi Ask , and it shall be given you ; seel and ye shall find ; knock , and it sha be opened unto you. For he that asl eth receiveth , and he that seeketh fine eth , and to him that knocketh it sha be opened. St. Matthew vli. , 7 , S. These words proclaim an unchang < able , universal , eternal law of th kingdom of God. They are not a three fold repetition of a single though They are rather an announcement o the three successive stages in the uj ward progress of the one law of d ( siring and obtaining. These steps ar not interchangeable. Seeking is no asking. Knocking is neither askin nor seeking. Asking Is desire ; seekin is desire in action ; knocking is activ desire concentrated upon a definit purpose and plan. The words of the text are , we be lieve , not the language of a "charac ter" in fiction , but an utterance of Je BUS Christ. Two of their most 5m pressive qualities are their unques tioning confidence and their unlimit ed scope. There is no suggestion ii them of doubt of the reality of tin law ; no hint of a limit to the law ii time , or in space , or in the nature o things. Ask , seek , knock , at any time anywhere , and for anything , and yoi shall receive , you shall find , it shall b < opened to you. Painful or pleasant good or what Is thought to be 'evil what you wish for , what you look for what you work for you shall have. The lesson of the reality and the uni versality of the law of desiring and ob taiuing is hard to be learned. Lik ( other hard lessons of human life , this is to be learned only tiy experience Man gets opinion and belief from ob servation. Experience alone brings knowledge. When one has seen the fulfillment of a law of God's kingdom in his own life he knows that the law is real. This is the foundation of his faith In the law and in the God ex pressed in the law. His faith , too , Is the real faith , which results from real understanding , which grows out of real knowledge acquired by man in his own individual experience. No argu ment can shake such faith. No denial can destroy It. Once attained , it is im mortal. It would seem that this kind of knowledge was the foundation of the faith of Jesus Christ in the reality and the universality of the divine law of Jesiring and receiving. He believed that the law was real and unlimited because he saw and felt Its operation ! n the concerns of his own holy life Se knew that what he asked "was be ng given to him ; that hewas finding fvhat he sought ; that the doors ai , vhich he knocked were opened to him Ele lived to do good to others ; he de sired , he attempted , he planned , to do jood to them , and the sick were made yell , the lame walked , the blind saw , : he deaf heard , the dumb talked , lep- ; rs were healed , the dead were raised , ind broken hearts were mended. How : ould he question the universality of he law when he found that whatso- iver good he determined to do , and whensoever and wheresoever he deter- nined to do It , the good was done ? Phis was actually receiving what he sked , finding what he sought , the pening of the doors through which he nirposed to pass ! From the point of view of human ex- leri'oice there was nothing peculiar in he earthly existence of Jesus Christ , 'ested at all points as all humanity is ested , Jesus found what all humanity nds the knowledge that results from xperience , the understanding that ac- ompanies knowledge , the power , the tilth , the love that come from under- tanding. He came into this world a aby groping after power , with almost imless hands. At the end of his expe- ience on earth he went out from his ross the God-man , imbued with all ewer in earth and In heaven. Because re believe that the faith of Jesus in IB reality and the universality of the LW of desiring and obtaining was an utgrowth from his experience and lat his experience was in no essential articular peculiar to himself , we be- eve the law to be as real for all as was for him , as real for ourselves 3 it is for all others. More than this , e ourselves grow into actual faith in ic reality of the law , because we find fulfilled 'in our own experience , hcther in the good which we have 3sired to do or in the mistakes which 9 have undoubtedljmade. . Whatever we may be doing , there- re , wherever we may be doing it , we ill have faith that God givas to those ho ask and seek and knock , and that we desire them and seek them and nock for them we shall receive in due me that Is , in God's good time , all ) od things all the knowledge , all the iiclerstanding , all the wisdom , all the > wer , all the faith , and all the love ! which humanity is capable ! BED FOB CL.EAU . THINKING. By Prof. Edward A. Ott. There is no conviction that leads to tarity so. quickly , nor one , perhaps , at is nearer the truth in explanation the lives that pejple are living than at they simply do not understand the possibilities of the human soul or tl enormity of the degradation In which they a'.Iow themselves to drop. So surely as the destinies of the h man race are high and exalted , so sur ly is the degradation to which ( the h man being can fall horrible to contei plate. To one and all It is time to ci out for clear thinking , for a definl definition of life terms , for a measurii of plans and purposes , for learning tl art of Christian thinking , for findii one's place In the crowd and knowli what badge one wears. The Christis needs to learn how to think of other how to think of himself , and what think of his work. STRANGERS AND SOJOURNERS. By Rey. T. W. Woo We are strangers before thee , ar sojourners , as were all our fathers.- 1 Chron. xxix. , 15. When David's long and eventful lif time was drawing to a close , wit much to look back upon with than ] fulness , and with much also to coi template with regret , the aged kin declared that , after all , we on eart are but strangers and sojourners. I then , one so exalted as David wa who had passed through so man eventful periods of life who had dor so much for Gcd and for his own pei pie , in spite of his shortcomings : King David , who had left so much bi hind him to tell of his greatness , hi power , and his might , showing that h had really lived to accomplish might purposes if David could say trulj when all was nearly over , "We at strangers and pilgrims , " surely w should consider , now we are passln through the world , as he once die that Ave also are strangers here , enl going through the world as if we wer on a pilgrimage. And yet how fe\ seem to realize what they know we ! is a plain and straightforward facl one there is no denying , though muc ] attempt at evading , or at least an ai tempt to persuade ourselves that ou sojourning here is far from being neai y over , and that our pilgrimage ha not nearly reached its termination I'et strangers and sojourners we are and so we must remain to the end o ife in this world. We use the word "strangers" ii 2ommon talk in different ways ; or , per haps , I should say , with differen meanings. We talk of people a ; 'strangers" at one time ; but they d < aot remain strangers always e. g. Then a lad first leaves home and gee ; rat into the world he Is a strangei imong the people where his lot is cast rat in course of time and by degrees le finds out that he knows them and : hey know him. Then he is a stran jer no longer. Again , a man who is : raveling in a foreign country , know- ng imperfectly the language of the jeople , unaccustomed to their mode oi ife , and feeling strange at sights and iounds with which he is not familiar , s , indeed , a stranger in a strange and ; but supposing he remains there or some years , by degrees the strange- less wears off , and at length he feela , t home where once he seemed to ba ouch out of place. So he Us a stranger 10 more. Or , again , let us imaging nether case. Take an enterprisi-njj rareler who , burning to make dlscov- cies , ventures across the boundaries f civilization and encounters people nd objects which are new and alto- ether different from what he or any ne else has experienced before. Every lan he meets is a savage , and every avage perhaps thirsts for his blood , nth such surroundings and among uch people he is ever likely to remain stranger. And it is1in some such ray as this we are taught to look upon ur passage through the world as be. ig , I mean , a place where we have 0 continuing city , but are only stran- ers passing through it. At any mo- lent we may find out this is true , foi fc the time appointed , not by ourselves ut by God , we may have to strike oui ; nt , and the frail tabernacle in which e now dwell may be broken up , while e ourselves are conveyed to another : ene. And we may well ask ourselves , hat will that other scene be to us : 7e know that there remaineth a rest 1 the people of God who have passed 5 strangers and pilgrims through the | orld. And we know , moreover , we e admonished to labor to enter into tat rest. Let us strive , then , so to do id give all diligence , and take al ; ed to enter into that eternal res hen our sojourning here is over. Le 5 not , through negligence or slothj me short of the promised rest. A led soldiers of Jesus Christ let u jht manfully under his banner , lay g aside every weight and the si : , -hatever it may be ) which so easil. ; sets us. Let us run with diligence id patience the race wliich is set besj re us , looking unto Jesus , the an- or and finisher of our faith. Let ui ways remember that although out iling along -here may not be always easant nor agreeable , yet there will a glorious and ( iflsrlasting rest for1 cse Vtho have parsed through the orld , as strangers pass through .Q untry which is not their home. When 2 now look towards this home and pe one day to enter therein , we may aly say : Ah ! then my spirit faints To reach the land I love , The bright inheritance of saints , Jerusalem above. It is not what he has , or even what * does which expresses the worth of I man , but what be Is. Amlel. ' GRANT LOYAL TO LINCOLN. TTould Not Let Ills Name Be Used for President in 180-4. Colonel James Matelock Scotrel , of New Jersey , contributes to the Na tional Magazine a paper entitled "Sidelights on Lincoln. " Colonel Sco- vel , who enjoyed close personal rela tions with President Lincoln during the Civil War period , says that Lin coln was seriously afraid Grant would allow his name to be used in the Re publican national convention of 1SG4 , Lincoln sent Scovel to learn Grant's intentions. Scovel saw General Will iam Hillyer , of Grant's staff. Hillyer said : "Colonel , you can go and tell the President that there is no power on this earth that could drag Ulysses S , Grunt's name into this Presidential canvass. McClellau's career was a lesson to him. The latter tried to cap ture Richmond with Washington as his base. Grant is as wise as he Is loyal to Lincoln. Talking of this very subject , aneut the expected action of - his Missouri friends in the coming convention , General Grant said : 'I could not entertain for an instant any competition with our great and good President for the succession. I owe him too much and it's not niy time. I regard Abraham Lincoln as one of the world's greatest men. He is un questionably the biggest man I ever met. I admire his courage as I respect ' spect his patience and his firmness. His gentleness of character does not conflict with that noble courage with which he changes his convictions when he is convinced that he is wrong. While stating a complicated case to him his grasp of the main question is wonderfully strong and he at oncd comprehends the whole subject better than the person w.ho states it. ' " Colonel Scovel took this message to Lincoln , whose comment was : "Ah , Colonel , you have lifted a heavy load from my shoulders. I was" a little afraid of General Grant , be cause I knew the men who want to get behind the great name we are all human ; I would rather be beaten by" him than any living man , and when the Presidential grub gets inside a ; man it hides well. That 'basilisk * sometimes kills. " Mr. Lincoln , still pacing the room , told how General McClcrnand of Illi-j nois tried to leap into Grant's placd before Yicksburg , when he laid his Presidential veto on the intriguants ind strengthened Grant's hands till Hcksburg was .captured. Lincola said : "I met Grant March 9 , 1SG4 , and as [ handed him his commission I said : As the country herein trusts you , so ; mder God , it will sustain you. ' " A liiberal Contribution. Two young merchants who occupied > djoining stores in a small town wer ntimate friends. When business wad lull they visited back and forth from ne store to the other. Each wad end of a joke. The Brooklyn Eaglg ives their names as John , Bruce and Clint" Pease. One cold , blustery day when cus omers were few , Clint sat behind the tove in John's store. A young worn- n a stranger came in , and John tepped forward to wait on her. "I am soliciting subscriptions foi iie Fresh Air Fund , " said she. Now , solicitors for one charity 01 nether were numerous , and the mer liants usually tried to evade then [ aims , since it was poor policy to } fuse to contribute. So John wai reatly pleased with himself when a appy way out of his present diffl- iilty suggested itself to his quick ilnd. ' 'You'd better speak to the proprle > r about it , " he said , politely. ' "You ill find him a very liberal man. H < back there by the store. " John grinned as the young womai ? proaehed Clint and related her case "How much are the merchants gen- ally giving ? " Clint asked , with ave interest in the cause. ' 'Some are giving as much as a del r , " she answered , "but we are grate il for any sum , however small. " "John , " said Clint , with an air of ithority , "give the young lady twi ) llars out of the drawer. " ArU ihu , of course , had te obey. ATI h 3Iar i : : 1 Notes. "I have only a speaking ao laintance with jokes , " said a learned an. in great humility. "I know thai the way I take them. If I don * ! k to have them explained to me , j i conscious of a c nsuming desire tc plain them to others. " This tender * to fit a witticism with a commen- ry is wide-spread. The New Yorl ibune says that John B. Gough , ij e of his lectures , told the story oi o poets , an old one and a youn | e , who spent an evening together Che younger man suggested thai sy collaborate on a book of verse t the other answered haughtily , 'ould you hitch a horse and an ass t < ther ? " 'My-dear sir , " retorted the youngei in , in all honesty , "why should yoi II yourself an ass ? > Vnen the lecture was over , Mi iugh walked home with the frlen ( th whom he was to spend the night 'Would you mind" said the latter ively , "explaining to me the porn that story about the two poets ? ' 'Well ' , " said Mr. Gough , slightly censed sed , "I suppose the point lies in thi - ftness with which the young mai ide the old one call himself an ass. ' But , " remonstrated the other , "th | . poet didn't mean that he was thj i. He meant that he was the horse. ' Jothing makes a busy maa quite 8 .d as for idle people to Intermpj a at his work , and ask him foj ney they are not entitled to.