8 'Cbe Conservative *
FACE THE SUNSHINE.
Though yesterday was dark with gloom ,
When sorrow shadowed nil thy way ,
Till suffering and anguish rose
Cloudlike to hide and blot out day ,
And through thy heart swept loud refrain ,
A tempcHt's song of grief and pain ,
Seek not today to close thino eyes ,
Nor backward look when earth's bright glows
Seem cruel mockery that comes
To follow smilingly thy woe ,
While darkness lends thy soul relief
And gives sad welcome to thy grief.
Lift up thy tired , bowed head , dear one , .
To face once more the shining light
That slowly , but so surely will
Dispel thy Fpirit's lengthened night.
Look up witli dim , tear-blinded eyes
To see today's fair , dazzling skies.
Grief's darkness waits to hide all else
But self's strong , urgent claims ,
Toward others will the chastened hopes
Of brightened hearts send out their aims.
Not now , but sometimes will the years
Show thco the joys sunlit through tears.
Erelong the bruised and storm-tossed buds
Of struggling hope will show their hue ,
With pure , sweet fragrance will unfold
Their blossoms and will find anew
The life and strength of all that lies
Beneath the glow of heaven's fair skies.
Turn toward the warmth of God's great love
To find now impulse for thy will
Till thou canst bid the jangled tones
Of sorrow's discord to be still ,
While clouds of yesterday will roll
Beyond the dawn that greets thy soul.
MAUY FIIKNCH MOHTON.
THE CHAMPION WHO WAS DE-
LAYED.
Apropos of the "knock out" blow re
cently administered Bryanisin , THE
CONSERVATIVE reproduces from George
Ade's Fables in Slang , the following ,
entitled , "The Fable of the Coming
Champion Who Was Delayed. "
In a certain Athletic Club which
rented two rooms over a Tin-Shop there
was one Boy who could put it All Over
the other Members.
He knew how to Jab and Counter and
Upper-Out and Bore in with the Left
and Play for the Wind. He had Lumps
on his Arms and a good Pair of Shoul
ders , and every one in the Club told
him he had the makings of a World-
Beater. He used to coax Grocery Clerks
and Grammar-School Children to put on
the Gloves with him , and then he would
go around them , like a Cooper around a
Barrel and Trim them right and proper
His friends would stand and watch
him make Monkeys of these anaemic
Amateurs , and gradually the Convic
tion grew within them that he could
Lick anybody of his Weight. The Boy
believed them when they told him he
ought to go after the Top-Notchers.
He gave up his Job in th'e Planing
Mill and became a Pugilist. The Pro
prietor of a Cigar Store acted as his
Manager , and began to pay his Board.
This manager was Foxy. He told the
Boy that before tackling the Champion
ship Class it would be better to go out
and beat a lot of Fourth-Haters , there
by building up a Reputation and at the
same time getting here and there & Mess
of the Long Green.
In the same Town there was an Un
dertaker who had Sporting Blood in his
Veins , and he sought out the Manager
and made a Match in behalf of an Un
known.
The Boy went into Training in a Sta
ble. He had a yellow Punching Bag , a
Sponge , a Bath-Kobe and several
Towels. Two Paper-Hangers who were
out of Work acted as his Trainers.
They rubbed him with Witch Hazel all
day , and in the Evening the Boy stood
around in a Sweater and Talked out of
the corner of his Mouth. He said he
was Trained to the Minute , as Hard as
Nails and Fit as a Fiddle , and he would
make Mr. Unknown jump out of the
Ring.
As the Day of the Battle approached
it came out that the Unknown was a
Scrapper who had been fairly Successful
at one Time , but had ceased to be a Live
One several Years before. He was im
ported especially for this Contest with
the Coming Champion.
When he arrived in Town it was evi
dent that he lacked Condition. He had
been dieting himself on Pie and Beer ,
and any Expert , such as the Cigar Store
Man , could tell by looking at him that
his Abdomen was not hard enough to
withstand those crushing Body Blows
such as the Boy was in the Habit of
Landing on the Punching Bag. Ac
cordingly the Word went around that
the imported Pug was too Fat and had
bad Wind.
It began to resemble a Cinch.
The Manager went out and bet more
Money , and the Coming Champion was
Nervous for fear that he would kill the
Has-Been if he connected too strong on
the Point of the Jaw. He thought it
would be better to wear him down with
Short-Arm blows and make him Quit.
He had read that it was Dangerous to
punish a Physical Wreck , who might
have Heart Trouble or something like
that. The Boy was a Professional Pugi
list , but he had Humane Instincts.
When the Boy came to the Train
which was to carry the Participants and
the Spectators to the Battle Field he
was attended by four Comrades , who
had Ice , Beef Tea , Brandy , Alcohol ,
Blankets and other Paraphernalia.
They made a Couch for him in the Bag
gage Car , and had him lie down , so
that he might conserve all his Strength
and step into the Ring as fresh as possi
ble. The so-called Unknown had no
one to Handle him. He sat Alone in
the Men's Car , with a queer Telescope
Yalise on his Knees , and he smoked a
Cigarette , which was in direct Viola
tion of all the Rules of Training.
At last the Company arrived at the
Secluded Spot , and a Ring was staked
out.
out.The
The Coming Champion was received
with Loud Cheers. He wore a new
Pair of Gymnasium Shoes , spotless
Trunks , and around his Waist was an
American Flag , presented by his Admir
ers in the Athletic Club.
In a few Moments the Imported
Scrapper came into the Ring , attended
by the Sporty Undertaker. He wore an
old Pair of Bike Shoes and faded Work
Trousers , chopped off at the Knees ,
while his Belt was a Shawl-Strap. He
was chewing Gum.
After he put on the Gloves he looked
over at the Coming Champion and re
marked to the Undertaker that he ( the
Coming Champion ) seemed to be a Nice
Young Fellow. After which he Yawn
ed slightly , and wanted to know what
Time they would get a Train back to
Town.
The Bell rang , and there in the Cen
ter of the Ring stood the Tottering
Has-Been and the Coming Champion.
The Has-Been was crouched , with his
Head drawn in , turtle-fashion , his Legs
spraddled , and oh , the hard , vicious
Expression on that Face , as he Fiddled
Short and looked intently at the Com
ing Champion's Feet. This was a very
confusing and unprofessional Thing to
do , as the Boy had not been accustomed
to boxing with People who looked at his
Feet. He wondered if there was any
thing the matter with his Gymnasium
Shoes.
In a Moment or two he saw that the
Physical Wreck was afraid to Lead , so
he did some nimble Foot Work , and his
Gloves began to describe Parabolas-
then all at once somebody turned off the
Sunshine.
They threw Cold Water on him , held
a Bottle of Ammonia to his Nose and
stuck Pins in under his Finger-Nails.
* At last his Eye-Lids fluttered , and he
turned a dim and filmy Gaze on his
faithful Seconds gathered about him.
"Oh , how the Birds sing ! " he mur
mured. "And see ! The Aurora Borealis -
lis is trying to climb over Pain's Fire-
Works. "
"Cheer up 1" said the Manager. "He
took a Mean Advantage of you and Hit
you when you wasn't Looking. "
"Ah , yes , it all comes back to me.
Did I win ? "
' Not quite , " replied the Manager ,
who feared to tell him the whole Truth.
"You say he hit me ? " asked the
Coming Champion.
"Yes. "
"With a Casting ? "
"We could'ut tell. He was in such a
Hurry. "
All this Time the Victor was sitting
on the Station Platform with the Un
dertaker. He was Remarking that it
seemed to be a very Party Country
thereabouts , and he'd often wished he
could close in on enough of the Gilt to
buy him a nice piece of Land some
where , inasmuch as he regarded a Far-
