The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-06-09
The Sorrows of Greatness.

The Sorrows of Greatness.
From Chambers Journal,
T. There We're six of US, an agreeably varied
assortment ofboys and girls, of whom | wal
the youngest. My worthy father had GUS
tom of measuring the stature of his growing
| family once year. TWAS solemn cere
lnony. Dressed in our best clothes, and with
our heads rasped to preternatural smooth.
| ness by nurses uncompromising hair brush
we were marshalled in the paternaI dressing
room Well do | remember that apartment
1t was pervaded by penetrating odor O
! boot leather. Rows of boots met the eye il
every direction. Ia those days used to won
der why my father had only two legs
/ fancied he should have been a centipede; but
| | have since learned thathe never had corn
| in his life, and that he attributed his immu-
nifty to the fact of never wearing pair of new
boots for more than two hours at a stretch
| Enough of boots: / did not take up my pen tt
write of them, but of my miserable self Let
me proceed with my allotted task.
| | was five years old on the first measur-
! lug day of which can recall distinct mem
DRY. Bidding me remove my Shoes my faith.
er gently placed my head against the dress.
ing-room door, which was scored over with
pencil notices of names, dates and heights
| lie applied his infallible four foot rule.
-. Bless me, Bella {" he exclaimed, address
ing my mother, this boy is growing pro-
| dgiousIy. Six inches In the twelvemonth
lie is already taller than you, Lizzy, who
are three years older; and he will soon he
up to your pencil-line Master Bob. Yes Bella
continued my father, smiling and rubbing
his hands-tor, being a small man himself,
he was proud ofmy increasing stature-'yes
Bella, David will out top us all"
Hitherto Bob and had been loving
pair of brothers but the ordeal Of measure
ment aroused his jealousy. The privileges of
elder birth were invaded by my growing
propensities. He began to be irritable. He
/ was perpetually placing his back against
mine, for the purpose Of comparing heights,
and would on these occasions viciously
bump our heads together. As his skull was
/ inconparably the thickest | Jared much
4 the worst from these collisions.
| soon became an object OF public remark.
'What fools some parents are !' exclaimed
1 one gentleman to another in the street; look
at that great Iubberly boy in a tunic and
bare legs, still hanging on to his nurses a
prom string. Why, he is nearly old enough
to be leaving school,"
| The gentleman did not know the charac-
ter of my nurse, Mrs. Crossley she redden-
ed with anger, and, turning sharp on her
heel, addressed him thus:
80 you know when the child was christ
ened do you, Mr.. Poke-your- nose-into other
peoples business?
Il suppose about fourteen years ago. re-
Piled the gentleman, somewhat abashed.
You're wrong, Mr.. lnpudence, and I'll
thank you not to make Insulting speeches
in the public thoroughfares, or the New Po-
lice the Police and the General Post Office
were both styled new in those days-''may
have something to say to you. This blessed
lamb is not seven years yet, as his pa and
ma can testify.
tWhy, he is a monster ~ exclaimed the
gentleman's companion, an iusolent red-fac-
ed fellow in blue satin scarf-''a perfect
monster Not seven yet! You should put
him in a show"
[ was sensitive boy, and at these harsh
words / began to weep. Mrs Crossley was
furious, and shook her umbrella in the faces
of the foe.
''You call yourselves men, and come here
to mock and jeer at poor infant who is as
heaven has made him, and can't diminish 8
cupid of his own stature. Shame on you
you deserve to be pelted through the town.
you mean, cruel creeturs you !''
As the crowd who had assembled, though
entirely ignorant of the cause OF offence, SYN
pathized strongly with Mrs. Crossley, the
two gentlemen beat hasty retreat. u
But had not always Mrs. Crossley to de
fend me, and the street-boys of the neighbor-
| hood made my life miserable by dancing q
| sort OF C0ImGgl10te round to the follOwin g
words:
80 my! Omy! 0 my! seven years ole
and six foot high Owould | be SIGH reg
lar Guy!
Six foot high was huge exaggeration
Still matters were dismal enough. On my
eighth birthday | was privately measur &c
by my father: he found that was FIVE fee
four, or half an inch taller than himself Hi,
face became grave. ...v ......
'sWhen boy of eight, Bella, out-tops hi
| father" he said at the dinner table, ''some
thing must be done"
! But what? demanded my mother, witt
anxious look. II
sProcrustes! staggered Bob, as he sal
waiting for his pea-soup to cool. a.
Leave the room sir y thundered my faith
er. ''and take your dinner with you. I'll per
nit no unfeeling jests.''
s.Wbo was Proerustes F? asked my mothe
wonderingy.
"a person Of lawless propensities, my dea
with an extreme passion for uniformity. Ha!
exclaimed my father, suddenly striking hi
forehead, like Handel. i have an idea l
shall be carrie out at once"
1 l was sent to a country school, where, or
my arrival, the head-master addressed IN
in these words:
My boy, it is your fathers wish tina
you should call yourself fourteen years old.
The effect Of this pious fraud was, that in
stead of being regarded as a rather intelli
gent child Of my age, Twas looked upon a
babyish hobbledehoy. My muscles wer
faced and undeveloped, so that l was useles
at cricket; my unwieldly size Gor L was thic
as well as talD prevented my achieving sue
cess at prisoners base, and my sympathie
? naturally led me to seek companionship a
mong my real equals in age, the snalle:
: boys in the school. They however, rejecte
my advances with fear and repulsion, jul
las chirping brood ofsparrows would shrin