Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-02-22
ntistcllaneous.
From Eliza Cooks Journal.
The Man who Couldn't say NO."

doing for every body wiat every body asked
him TO lo,even to the extent ofimpossibilities
but in which Of course he failed. Whether
~ Il was thnt his heart beat responsive to every
ffp other heart, or that he did not like to give
offence, or that he could be bothered to re-
af sirt importantly we could never precisely as
ig eertain; but certain it is, that he was rarely
1sF or never asked to sign requisition, TO prom
}. isc n vote, 10 lend money, or to endorse q
-g bill, that he did not ut once comply. He
couldn't say no. and there were many, who
knew him well, who said he had not the
y courage to do so.
knew him when mere boy. lie was
u then the scapegoat of the school. Every
mad-cap trick which came 10 the masters
enrs, was fsthered on Paul. One day gross
ou coricature ofthe master drawn with chalk on
ln.I tbe blackboard, met his eyes entering the
al schoolroom when least expected. Whose
nii trash Is this? Is il yours, sirrah ? beloved
at the algebraIc Triton, turning TO quakiug
Im youth with chalky fngers, suspicously stand
ir ing near the blackboard. 'No!' was the
900 bold answer, and he turned in the direction
/. Of little Paul. Then il was you, scoundrel ?
y, Paul could not sny 'no; of course he was
slli thrashed ss usual-ior there was little mercy
ZOO shown ia that school as in most other schools
ai.i IN our younger days.
~ "a Another time when some of the boys,
pat among them Paul, were out at their usual
if forenoon interval, the masters big dog came
. bounding into the school.room with great
ta, tin pan tied to his tail, and flew along the
p. passage between the forms, where the inns-
d ter was hourishing his cane over the heads
of his trembling infantry; the dog caught
., him under the legs, and cnniDg him over in
30 an instant, his heavy body falling between
sr the dog and the pan. You may conceive
ti the bowling Of the dog, the CONSERVATION of
the pupils, and the tremendous Indignation
clg of the fallen pedagogue. OF course the
fl mischief wns fathored on poor Paul, and as
q he couldn't sny no. or, at least, said it as if
ur il were unnatural TO him, or untrue, he suf-
h fered as usual.
ruo Any idle trinnt who wanted n companion,
d and asked Paul 10 accompany him, was sure
vc Of his acquiescence. lie was sent OH all
jmaginabo errands: 10 bookseller, to ash
B if he had a copy Of THE History of Adams
u Grundfather;' TO a grocer, for penny worth
of'dove's milk; or 10 saddler for some
'strap OIL which generally brought him a
warning. lie would be presented with an
egg, which on being deposited for safety in
his brecches-pocket, his tcmpter would
'squash' forthwith by n blow, and then Paul
had to dig out the remains from pen-kniyes,
iwbip-cords and marbles. Once doctors
boy tempted him to rub his checks with
cantharides plaster, TO make the hair grow !;
bur after nights smnrting, which Paul suf-
fered patiently in hope OF the result, what
was his surprise, on contemplating himself
in thn glas, next morning TO find n crop. not
,ofwbisker.. b,It Of bl,ter,t
s But he grew out of Jackets and buttons.
and left school 10 enter the world, where the
consequences arising from saying "ycsp md
@no" are more serious than at school. Pauls
infirmity accompunicd him. lie wns impor
mned---as who is not ?-to do this, that. and
the other thing, for the ndyan,ase or pleasure
Of others. % Ho had NOT the heart TO refuse.
A party of Ilea.ure yn, propo,cd-paul
couLi never soy anop 10 This. 9sbalI we
have N glass of something hot this cold even
inc ~ Paul WA, unani6,ou, with the pro-
poser and. ON these occasions Paul. habit
of aco,iieacence NOT unfreauenily led 10 his
be;ng selected n, pnyma,ter. Omen he
promised what he could not perform.-for
Instance. 10 he nj two ,,lnces nj the .nme time.
for be rould NOT .nv 1nop 10 either .olicitn
tion and he heran, 10 haye n had name: his
frien,ls soid thcy could mt RELY upon him
he wa, not n MN of hi. promise. lie pro-
missed too much. le proni.ed to lend mnnev
before no earned il he promised TO 20 TO
the theater with one pnrty. and 10 ioin nm
evening marty elsewhere on the snne night.
lie refused nothing-couldn,t saw "noD IN
snv solicitation.
Hi. father lefl him n snug lulc foriune md
M .yVas M once bc,et Inv 6er,on. wanting n
sbare IN. Now wn, he time 10 saw NO. .
ifhe could; he did not like TO he bored could
NOT bear to refuse; could not stand importll-
nitv: and nImoet invariably welded 10 the
demands made upon his nurse. Al one time
il was baby.inen providing society Mt an.
other time an association for a monument 10
some deceased railway man, or some great
sturnp-orator mo matter what his politics 4
and again joint stock company, for the sup
ply of sweet milk for the metropolis. or il
was new theatre, orr temperance hall, or
a chapel, or q charity ball for the Poles had
Il been a gin paluce, be sure YOU would
have seen Paul 'Trot,er', none in Tho list nj