Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-06-01
TILE SORROWS OF GREATNESS
The Tall Young Mans Story.
IRrom Chambers, Journal.


by nurses uncompro missing hair brush, We
were marshaled in the paternal dressing room.
Well do l remember that apartment 1t was
pervaded by a penetrating odor OF boot
leather. Rows of boots met the eye In every
direction In those days | used to wonder
why my father had only two legs-l tancied
be should have been centipede but l have
since learned that he never had corn III his
life, and that he attributed his immunity TO
the fact of never wearing a pair of new
boots for more than two hours at stretch.
Enough of boots. | did not take up my
pen TO write of them, but of my miserable
self Let me proceed with my allotted
task.
was FIVE years old on the first measuring
day of which | can recall d distinct memory.
Bidding me remove my shoes, my father
gently placed my head against the dressing
room door, which was scored over with pen
Gil notices of names, dates and heights. He
applied his infalible four-foot rule.
Bless me, Bella !" he exclaimed, address
sing my mother, " this boy Is growing pro-
digiously. Six inches in the twelve month
He is already taller than you, Lizzy, who are
three years older; and he Will soon be up TO
your pencil line, Master Bob. Yes, Bella, u
continued my father, smiling and rubbing his
hands-for being = small man himself, he was
proud of my increasing stature-''yes, Bella,
David viii out-tCp Us all"
Hitherto, Bob and had been a loving pair
of brothers, but the ordeal of measurement
aroused his jealousy. The privileges OF elder
birth were invaded by my growing propensi-
ties. He began to be irritable. lie was per-
petually placing his back against mine, for
the purpose of comparing heights, and would
on these occasions yiciously bump our heads
together As his skull was iucomparably the
thiekest, | Jared much the worse from these
collisions.
| soon became an object of public remark.
"What fools some parents are :" remarked
one gentleman to another in the street; "Iook
at that great lubberly boy in a tunic and bare
legs, still hanging on to his nurses apron
string. Why, he Is nearly old enough to be
leaving school"
The gentleman did not know the character
of my nurse, Mrs. Crossley; she Redeemed
with anger, and, turning sharp on her heel
addressed him Ghus:
SO you know when the child was christen-
ed do you, Mr. Poke-your nose-into- people
business >"
. suppose about fourteen years ago, re-
piled the gentleman somewhat abashed.
you're wrong Mr.. Impudence, and I'll
thank you not 70 make insulting speeches in
the public thoroughtares or the New Police -
the Police and the General Postolhce were
both styled new in those days" may have
sonnet thing to say TO you This blessed lamb
Is not seven years yet, as his pa and ma can
testify"
why, he is monster ~ exclaimed the
gentlemans companion, an insolent red-taced
fellow in blue satin scarf" perfect mon
ster Not seven yeti You should put him
in a show"
| was sensitive boy, and at these harsh
words l began to weep. Mrs. Crossley was
furious, and shook her umbrella in the faces
of the foe
You call yourselves men, and come here
10 mock anu jeer at a poor infant who is a.
heaven made him, and can't diminish cupid
of his own stature. Shame on YOU YOU de
serve TO be pelted through the town veu
mean, cruel creeturs, youi"
As the crowd who had assembled though
entirely ignorant of the cause of offense,
strongly sympathized with Mrs. Grossly, The
two gentlemen beat a hasty retreat
But mad not always Mrs. Grossly TO defend
me, aud the street boys OF the neighborhood
made my life miserable by dancing a sort OF
Caypagnois round TO the following words.
20 my. Q my! @ my! seven years old
and six foot high; . would be sich a regu-
lar Guy!"
Six foot high was a huge exagseration.-
Still matters were dismal enough. On my
eighth birthday was privately measured by
my father; he found that l was i've feet four,
or half an inch taller than himself His face
became grave.
when boy of eight, Bella, out-tops his
father" he said at the dinner table, "some-
thing must be done"
= But what demanded my mother. with
an anxious look.
"Procrustes !" sniggered Bob, As he sat
waiting for his pea soup to cool
!" Leave the room, sir !" thunder ed nv faith
er, . and take your dinner with YOU. I'll per
nit no unfeeling jests."
who was Procustes asked my mother,
wonderingly.
= A person Of lawless propeusities my dear,
with an extreme passion for uniformity Ha ~
exclaimed my father, suddenly striking his
forehead, Ike Handel, +" / have an idea Ii
shall be carried out at once"
| was sent TO a country school, where. on
nv arrival the head master addressed me in
these words:
Il Ny boy, il is your fathers wish that YOU
should call yourself fourteen years Old"
The effect of this piouS fraud was, that in
stead OF being regarded as rather intelIi-
gent child Of my age, | was looked upon as a
babyish hobbledlehoy. My muscles were
daccid and undeyeloped, so that / was use
less at cricket; my unwieldy size flor | was
thick Is we'll as tall prevented my achieving
success st prisoners base, and my svmpa-
thies naturally led me to seek companion
ship among my real equals in age, the small
est BOYS IN the SeHooi. lneN, however re-
jected my advances with fear and repulson.
just as chirping brood of sparrows would
shrink at the intrusion of a young rook. De
spisod by the eldea boys, and dreaded by the
younger, wandered solidarity about the play
ground, immersed in bitter reflection But
unfortunately grief did not stop my growth.
Year after year, as l came home for the mid
summer and Christmas holidays, nv father
regarded nv increasing stature with face OF
painful establishment lie hardly had the
heart 10 measure me, especially as he was
soon compelled to mount stool for the pur-
pose. Bob no longer dared TO bully me. He
was awed by my monstrous presence. Nurse
Crossley, who had retired on halfpay, and
took IN plain needle work al an adjoining cot
tage, was still pleased 20 see me, but even
she began to regard me with a face Of appre-
henslon She grieved me very bitterly one
pay by saying:
Master Dasy, your parents being small.
wnicn your pa IS but few inches off
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