The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-02-19
Queer Estimate.
SHOW much did it weigh =
ggTe - ,oos.b1a pr


ais it possible ?"
"I neveri You don't say p
Thousands of times has this question
been asked, and thousands of times
has it been wondered at and 81 new
er'd." t
And what commodity is it that is
great at ten pounds, and a marvel at
thirteen? Don't MUD the price cur
rent, for it isn't there. twas a some
thing bundled IN a flannel blanket-the
blanket securely pinned and knotted
at the corners-the something IN an
active state OF unrest. The steelyards
had been called into requisition, and
its Blended iron was indeed hooks TO
hang a hope on. The little bundle
was swung; the weight clicked along
the bar. .That's the notch! Eight
and a half" Eight and half of
what? Why of-humanity. By the
memory OF Nautilus, there's baby in
the blanket! So there is, little voter
or, if not that, as Shakespeare says, ga
child" Something that may cut a fig
ure in the world, break heads or hearts
have great name, and be man or
a woman. Eight pounds and half of
a hero or heroine, monster or min
lister. Piety and patriotism by the
pound. Beauty and baseness by the
blanketfnl. Queer measurement, isn't
it? But there are queerer still.
Time wears on apace with us all,
and the something in the blanket too.
He is a boy of five. He stands erect
as God made him, ";hat he may look," "
as a writer finely says. upon the stars
But they are talking again, but the
sieelyards hang undislurbed in the
~cellaf way. No use for. them now.
But they are talking, and We are listen.
ing.
"Tall of his age, isn't he |? He looks
, over the table like man; the high
chair was put away months ago."
Tall is he? Three feet and an inch
high, and this is the altitude ofhuman-
ity. Weight is out of the question
estimates all ran TO nights. Ambition
is but another name for altitude, and
synonym for getting higher. The boy
is a man; the man climbs rostrum to
get higher. Monuments 60 mp ; shouts
go up; favorites go mp to court; con-
.qnerers go up to glory. Height,
height, every where height. Six feet
of glory six feet two of honor and
dignity Queer again-don't you
think so?
By and by = melancholy trio the
form is bent little, and there goes an
inch or two from stature. He or she is
docking at something in the dust.
What can il be? Surely it is not a
grave they look at. Eyes grow dim,
and they bend lower to see. To see ?
What can there be to see, we wonder ?
By-and by, they weary, and throw
themselves along the bosom of the
dusky mother of us all. They sleep
sleep, but do they dream? Where
are your attitudes now, your noun
tains, monuments and thrones? Men
take up the sleeper, carefully, slowly,
as it were treasure. And so it is-a
treasure of dust. The old estimate is
resumed, weight has come again; tits
the ''dead weight nothing more.
And this wond he queer, too, if only
il were not sad 80
But they are talking again. "She
had three names, hadn't she ?" '1n-
deed, but l can remember but two"
Remember but two, can they
Names of What? Why, of all that
weight ard height, of fame and love,
hope aud fear, and Thought and pas
sion.
And two words-tw0 breaths Of air
two. murmurs, are all that is left of
what-was once man, a woman. i
Years elapse,s and age is talking
again: There was-was-I caunot
remember the name uow--well, well,
it's what we are all coming to- and
the old man sighed sadly. -.
The last syllable of all has died on
the lip, is erased from the memory,
ripples not on the still and listening air
lis lost; not a murmur of it fingers in
''the fearful hollow" Of human ear (!
"Pah how the dust flies 70 Dust, did
you say? Listen, and we will whisper
just word that dust was warm once,
loved once, had beauty once.