The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-06-03
THE VILLAGE BRAVO.

BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR. :


Nearly every country village has its
"6raoo.' We do not ME an" "A q Assassin"
nor "a man who murders for hire, as
Worces explains the word; but we mean
the one man before whom all others must
give way-the man who can "wbip any
body in the town-the great big amin al
wholthinks his position enviable, and who
is envied by men with little bodies and
little brains. 20 10 "7tiea o7wo3s sssa1
Our village had its bravo, at all events;
and a perfect type of his class be was, too.
His name was Jonatban Burke, though |
never heard him called Jonathan, but
once, and that was before Justices court.
Jack Burke was his name "the world o.
ver," as he often said 20 He was big
burly fellow; six feet and two inches tall;
with broad, massive shoulders; great long
arms; and a head like small pumpkin.
His face was characteristic A low, re-
ceding forehead; small pug nose; thick,
heavy lips; and a broad, deep chin His
eyes were of a light gray, verging upon
a cat-like green, while his hair, which
was coarse and crisp, was of a burnt, sun
dried color, neither red nor faxen, nor
yet of a dark hue The only feature in
the whole man which tended to detract
from his herculean proporportions of his
breast. To one skilled in anatomy, or
physiology, it would have been at once
apparent that be had but little of what is
generally denominated BOTTOM" and
that long continued physical effort would
have reduced his wind to a weak point.
Jack Burke was born and reared in our
village, and ever since be had begun to
go to school he had been the terror of all
unlucky wights who Glanced to cross his
path. He beat his companions without
mercy, and took delight in being feared.
As he grew older, be became more inso-
lent and over-bearing, and at the time
we write be was disliked By all the decent
people of the place. His voice was loud
and coarse, and it broke in upon all cir
cles which might be gathered near him.
Aud then his bravo did not possess
that spirit of generosity usually betrayed
by those who happen to be giants in size
and strength. He was, on the contrary,
low and mean, taking delight in tormen-
ting the weak, and even laying out his
full strength upon those not half his size
ln short he was coward as we'll as a
bravo. He forced himself upon all our
little gatherings, and seemed to take de-
light in stalking about an d realizing th at
none Of US could "put him out" He was
now twenty-five, and was fast forgetting
all useful knowledge he lad ever gained
at school. @.s.-- z. #aTat 8. 4wal. ?
Among the recent accessions to the pop
ulation of our village was young doctor,
named William CRANKY. He was a
small, pale looking man, not over five
feet and ten inches in height, and quite
slim in frame; but the man who studied
him closely would have seen that his
paleness was the long confinement of his
studies, and was more, after all, delicate
fairness of the skin than want of health.
And it would also have been seen that
his slight frame was very muscular one,
and most admirably moulded and put to-
gether. #-E sazaa5 a.a aala s.
q William CRANKY was what the girls of
our village called handsome man, and
none of the youth envied him the fatter-
ing encomiums be received from the fe.
male portion of our community, for as We
became acquainted we loved him for the
manly and generous qualities we found
in him. He was warm friend, and a
noble opponent. haaeaHi ha7s
And CRANKY had proved himself an
excellent physician, too; and though he
had been in our village but year and
month, yet the confidence reposed in
his skill was far greater than bad been
reposed in the ancient blisterer and phle-
botomist who preceded him. 1r75
One day some of us went into his stu
dy-he was unmarried, but being only
three and twenty, of course not bacbe-
Ior-we were invited in as We walked
down by his boarding place, and were
pleased to accept the invitation. His
study was gem Of place for comfort,
and among the articles not absolutely ne
cessary for the study Of his profession We
deteeted rifle; a set of boxing gloves /; a
pair of foils; pair of heavy wooden
broadswords; while upon the floor were
pair of dumb bells. | wondered what
these latter were for-surely not for the
doctors use, for could do nothing with
them, save to hold them in my hands, and
swing them at an angle Of some forty five
degrees, and was much hcavier than he
was. ta . hFa
asked him what he did with them
"Oh," be said smiling, 81 exercise my
muscles with them;' and as be spoke,
he took them up and raised them at arms
length, and then held them there for some
moments, his fine breast rounded out like
a Roman cuirass Then he threw them
in and out, and about, handling them as
though they had teen mere toys. 1t
seemed impossible that SO small body
could attain so much strength, bat he as
sured us that he bad gained 1t all by
practice. He had labored for years to
develop muscular system, IN, which he
had been lacking when child, He also