Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-11-12
A Man orL.t,srs.

ber Of Harpers Magazine Little Charlie bat
been amusing himself with box of Letters
getting his grandfather, an old retired sea cap
tain, to give him long words to spell out Weary
after a while of this, the old captain remarks 10
Charles mother
81 was just thinking, Lucy, nv dear
what wonderful thing these letters are =
Only slx-and-twenty Of them, Lucy little
more than two dozen, my dear and vet
how much we can do with them Look
at that little box, now, only few inche,
square and yet it contains the elements
of all the written history, all the printed
history, all the recorded elouuence of the
world The laws of Moses, the wisdom
of Solomon, the Declaration of Indepen.
dence, Wasbington's Inaugural Daniel
Websters arguments, all in that little Lox,
Lucy !"
"Wel, declare true enough-so il
is never thought of that before though. ,,
said the mild-eyed widow, dropping her
sewing work upon her knee, and looking
with the most unbounded admiration and
affection upon her father.in-law, whom she
considered u perfect miracle of wisdom. 4
While our worthy old friend, Captain
Osborn, was still gazing in abstract renec.
tion upon the memorial ashes of his cigar.
the gate opened, and stranger came up
the little pathway. There was something
peculiar in the mans look and walk. and
manner, what it was, Captain Osborn could
not have told if he had tried, but he felt
that it was peculiar The intruder walked
up to the window, and resting his folded
arms upon the window sill. looked full in
the old Captains face without speaking.
"Sarvant, Sir" said the Captain, with
distant civlity.
The stranger bowed silently.
"Fine weather, sir" said the genial old
man.
And the stranger nodded in assent.
"Ray-ther hot for travelling, though,
should say" next observed the captain. -
To this the stranger replied by unbutton.
ing his vest, and pushing back his Panama.
Then the captain waited while but
the stranger di dn't speak and the pauses
grew irksome to the old man, who always
abhorred silence, as Nature does vacuum
Stranger in these parts, | guess, amt
you !" asked the Captain. The man nod
ded. The worthy captain was fairly puz-
zIed. AT last an idea struck him-he won
dered he had not thOught of it sooner
deaf dumb, conclude aren't you ?"
But shake of the head denied this impi-
cation
"Tben why on arth 7" broke ont the i'm
patient captain, "why on arth don't you
speak ? what do you stand there making
signs for l don't talk with my fingers,
never could. Why under the canopy don't
you speak, if You aren't deaf and dumb
What aiIs your mouth ?"
The stranger heSitated. then his eyes fell
on Charities assorted letters, and extend
ing his arm, he took up two letters, and laid
them on the window ledge before the old
mans eyes. The letters were an NJ a II.
"M-T, empty ?" said the skipper regard.
ing the letters. "Well, what if it IS empty.
| should think you could talk all the bet
ter for That. I've heard of people who
couldn't talk because their months were
too f'H T; but l never saw one yet who
couldn't talk because it was emptg r'
Again the stranger had recourse to Char.
lies letters, an1 this time he selected the
letters U-C, and as he laid them down upon
the window, be opened his mouth and dis
played cavity tongueless as that of all
elephant.
"See P' I guess | do !" said Captain Os-
born, recoilng in dSmay Good Lord
why, you poor critter, you how did you
lose yonr tongne / never-how did it |
happen an accident 2"
Again the letters were borrowed and /
this time it was d and two rs which !
were displayed
Disease P said the pitying captain
''Well, that was awful | never heard of
such case before. Where do you come
from ?'
The next letters produced were I, OkR.
Iowa, goodness sake and travelled all
this way with that impedient 10 your mouth
i mean loithOut that impedient in your
mouth. Well, then, never mind, you know
what mean. | don't see how you got
along It's nard work enough to make
ones way in the world with tongue in
ones head, but a0ithoWt one, | don't see
how you did it,"
The man smiled and held up the two let
ters, E and z.
"E'Z, easy was it? Well l don't
know about that 1t would be dreadful
hard to me. And what's your name Do
tell 2"
Another dip at the letters produced
ON.
"Owen, is that your name Well, /
never did that's your given name con-
rlude, Sir Z"
The man shook his head, and laid down
IN A and G.
"A-C. Oh, yes, see, Asa Owen. And
where were you born ~
Down came the letters, U-T-K. r
utica ! you don't say so. l used to2
Inow man from Utica named Owen.
night be your farher what was his name?"
j and two BIS answered this inquiry.
"Jabez-Jabez Owen guess twan't him.
What 00S your father, sir ?"
The man held up two DIS.
'D-D, Doctor of Divinity ?' said the
I'D Captain. "0h no | 'twaut him the
nan | knew was not minister, by no !
means. don't know much of minister's +
nd don't hiak much of them, only Fa- 9
her TaVlOr the sailor nraachar ha bos