Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-03-27
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Nobody,, story.


He lived on the bank of a mighty river, broad
and deep, which was always silently rolling on TO
a vast undiscovered ocean. Ii had rolled on,
ever since the world began. 1t had changed its
course sometimes, and turned into new channels,
leaving its old ways dry and barren; but it had
ever been upon the flow, and ever was to flow
until time shall be no more Against its strong un-
fath0mable stream, nothing made head. No liy-
ing creature no flower no leaf, no particle of an
innate or inanimate existence ever strayed back
from the undiscovered ocean. The tide OF the
river set resistlessly toward it. and the tide
stopped any more than the earth stops in its cir
cling round the sun.
He lived in busy place, and he worked very
hard to live. He had no hope of ever being rich
enough to live a month without hard work; but
he was quite content, God knows, to labor with
a cheerful will He was one of an immense fam
ily, all of whose sons and daughters gained their
daily bread by daily work, prolonged from their
rising up betimes until their lying down at night.
Beyond this destiny he had no prospect, and he
sought nome
There was over much drumming, trumpeting,
and speech making in the neighborhood where he
dwelt; but he had nothing to do with that. Such
clash and uproar came from the Bigwig family.
at the unaccountable proceedings of which race
he marveled much They set up the strongest
statues in iron, marble. bronze and brass, before
his door, and darkened his house with the legs and
tails OF uncouth images of horses He wondered
whatit all meant, smiled in arough, good humor-
ed way he had, and kept at his hard work.
The Bgwig family composed of all the Jis-
iest) had undertaken to him the trouble of
thinking for himself, and to manage him and his
affairs "Why truly" said he, 81 have little time
upon my hands; and if you will be so good as to
take care of me in return for the money pay
over"-for the Bigwig family were not above his
money! shall be relieved and much obliged,
considering that you know best" Hence the
drumming. trumpeting and speech making, and
the ugly images OF horses which he expected
to fall down and worship.
"I don't understand all this" said he, rubbing
his fnrrowed brow confusedly. 'But it has a
meaning, may be, if / could find it out"
at means" returned the Bigwig family, sus-
pecting something of what he said, "honor and
glory in the highest to the highest merit
'Oh!" said he. And he was glad to hear
that.
But when he looked among the images in iron
marble, bronze and brass, he failed to find a
rather nerit0riOus cOuntryman of his, once the
son of a Warwickshire wool dealer or any single
countryman whomsOever, of that kind. He could
find none of the men whose knowledge had res
cued him and his children from terrific and dis
figuring disease. whose boldness had raised hi
forefathers from the condition of serfs, whose
wise fancy had opened a new and high existene,
to the hnmblest. whose skill had filed the work
ing mans world with accumulated wonders
Whereas he did find others whom he knew N
good of, and even others whom he knew muc
i'll Of
"Humphl' said he, Il don't quite understan
it."
So he went home, and sat down by his fresid
to get il out OF his mind.
Now, his freside was bare One all hemme
in by blackened streets; but it was precious plac
to him. His children, stunted in their growth
bore traces of unwholesOme nature; but they ha
beauty in his sight. Above all other things,
was an earnest desire of this mans soul that hi
children should be taught. eff am sometime
misled," said be, ''for want of knowledge, at eas
let them know better and avoid my mistakes.
it is hard to me to reap the harvest of plelsur
and instruction that is stored in books, let il
easier to them"
But the Bigwig family broke into violent FAM
ly quarrels concerning what il was lawful to teac
to this mans children. Some of the family in
sisted on such thing being primary and indi:
pensable above all other things; and others of th
family insisted on another thing being being pr
mary and indispensable above all other things
and the Bigwig family, rent into factions, wroi
pamphlets, held convOcations, delivered charge
orations and all varieties of DISCOURSE impounde
one another in courts lay and courts ecelesias1
cal; threw dirt, exchanged pummelIDgs AMI fe
= together by the ears in uninteIligible animOsit,
Meanwhile, this man, in his short evening snatch'
at his fresde, saw the demon ignorance ari:
there and take his children 70 itself. He saw h
daughter perverted into a heavy, slattern
drudge; he saw his son 90 moping down the wa,
of low sensuality, to brutality and crime; he sa
the dawning light of intellig nee in the eyes
his babies so changed into cunning and suspicio
that he could have rather wished them idiots.
81 don't understand any the better" said h
"but think il can not be right. Nay by Il
clouded Heaven above me, | protest against Oh
as my wrongP
Becoming peaceable again, (for his passio
was usally short lived and his nature kind,) /
looked about him on his Sundays and holiday
and he saw how much monotony and Welrine
there was, and thence how drunkenness aros
with all its train of ruin. Then he appealed
the Bigwig family, and said I'VE are a labo
ing people and have glimmering suspiciC
in me that laboring people, of whatever cond
ton, were made-by a higher intelligence ths
yours, as poorly understand ito be in me-
of mental refreshment and recreation. =
what we fall into when We rest without it. Com
Amuse me harmlessly, show me something. gi
me an escapei"
But here the Bigwig family fell into a state
uproar absolutely deafening. When some ft
voices were family heard, proposing to show hi
the wonders Of the world, the greatness of CT
alton. the m ghty changes Of time, the workin
of mature, and the beauties of art-to show hi
these things, that is to say, at any period of /
life when he could look upon them-there arc
among the Bigwigs such a. roaring and ravin