The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-02-13
Queer Estimate.
How much did II wcighp
'rcn pounds

How much did II weight
'Tcn pounds
is It possihlcp
i never! You don't sayl'
Thousands Of times has the question
been asked and thousands Of times has
it been wondered at and Il ncvercd.'
And what commodity Is II that is
great at ten pounds, aud maryol at
ihirtconl Don't mird the Price Current
for il isn't there. IL was something
bundled in a flannel blanket the blank
ct securely pinned and knot,Cd at the
cornors--the something in an OctsSo
state OF unrest. The stcclyerds had
been called into rcquisi,iou, mud its.bcnd.
ed iron was indeed hooks 10 hang a hope
on The little bundle was swung up; the
weight clicked along the bar That's
the uotchl Egh, and q halr' Eight ard
half of what Why, oc--humuui,y. By
the memory ul Malthus. Tiers baby IN
the blanket! So there is, little voter
or, 1t not that. Ns Shakespeare says, "a
child something that may cut figure
u the world, break heads " h,aris--
have great name, ard hc man or q
woman. Eight pounds and a half of n
hero or a heroine. n monster OF a minis.
ter. Pctynnd patriotism hy the pound,
Beauty aud bas,noss by the blankctlul-
Queer mvusurCmunt isn't it But there
are quceror stiil.
Time wears on apacc with US al, ant
the something in the blaukc, too. lie /,
boy OF five. lie stands erect ne Gee
made him that he may look as n wrtcl
says, upon the stars Bul they nrC
taikine again, hut the stcclyNrts stand
undis,urbcd in the cNllar way. No USE
for them now. But they are talking, VI
we are listening.
Tall OF his age, isn't hey lie looks
over the table like mani the high chair
was put away months ugo!
Tall is hcl Three feet aud mn incl
high, and this j. the altitude ofhumanity
Weight is out of the question: cstmOtiur
all runs to height. Ambition is but au.
other numo for altitude, aud success, .
synonym tor getting heiChcr. The bcy
is man; he climbs a rostrum TO re;
higher. Monuments 20 up; shouts 70 up
/ lUv,r,tcs 60 up TO count, conqucrors 70
up to glory. Height, height, cvcrywhcr,
height. six feet Of glory; six feet, toe
OF honor and dignity. Queer again
don't you think so!
/ Ry and by---melauCholy tr.o--thc form
/ is bcntu little, Onc there goes an inch oi
/ two from stature. He or shc is lookin.
nt something in the dust Whut can I
be! Surely, it is not a grave they lool
at. Eyes grow dim, aud they bend W
cr 60 SEQ. To soel What con there bu
10 be seen, we wonder!
BY and by, they weary, and throw
tlaRSRSflyss Slopg The bosom IF lh& lqsbI
but do they dream! Where arc your al
| titud,s nov yonr mountain, monument,
and throncs?- Men take up tho sleeper
carefully, slowly, as it were u treasure
/ Aud 50 IT is--a treasure OF dust. The ole
estimate is resumed, weight has come
/ again; Ills dead weight'-uuthinr.
And this would be queer, too, if cnly
it were not sad.
But they ore talking again. 'She hac
three names hadn't she!' Indeed, but
can remember but two.'
Remember but two, cHn thcyi Names
of whntl Why, of all that weight onC
height Of fame and love, and hope an(
fear and thought and passion.
And two words--two br, nths of air
two murmurs, are all that Is left Of whG
was once u man, n woman.
Years clapsc, urd oge is talking again
There wns--was--l cannot remember The
name now--wcll, well, It's what we are
all coming to- and the old man fighc,
sadly.
The last syllable of oil has died on lh,
lip, is erased from memory, ripplcs not OF
The still ard listening air lis lost not ,
murmur Of it fingers in 'the fearful hol
low Of human eUr Pah how the dus
ilics. Dust did you s'0} Listen, and We
will whisper just word I; that dust wa
warm once loved once beauty once.