Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-10-19
5flistellaneous.
queer Estimates.
by B. y. TAYLOR
GLOW much did it Weigh"
tsI. .tfyfi

Glow much did it wcigh?"
"ls it possibc?"
81 ncvcrl You don't say it?"
Thousands of Tins has the question been
asked; and thousands Of times has it been
wondered at and 81 neyer'd.
And what commodity is it great" at ten
pounds and marvel at thirteen? Don't
mind the Price Current for it isn't there.
1t was something bundled in flannel blan.
ket-thc blanket securely pinned and knot
ted at the corners--thc something in active
state Of ''unrest." The stccyurds had
been called into rcquisition, aud it, bendod
iron was indeed hook, TO hangc a hope
upon. - The little bundle was swung up:
the weight clicked along the bar. That 5
the notch Eight and half" Eight aud
half what? Why. of-humanity. By
the memory of Nautilus, there a baby in
the blanket So there is--a little voter or
if not that, as Shakespeare says, "a child 8"
Something that may cut figure in the
world, break heads or hearts-haye great
name, and be u man or woman Eight
pounds and half Of hero or heroine, u
monster or minister Piety and patriot.
ism by the pound. Beauty and basene,,
by the blanketful. Queer measurement,
ism lR But there are qucercr still.
Time wears on apace with Us all, and the
something in the blanket, too. Heis boy
OF five. lie stands erect as God made him,
that he may look, y as writer finely says,
upon the stars. " They are talking again.
but the steelyards hang undi,turbed in the
ccller way. No use for them now. But
they are talking and we are listening.
Tall Of his age, isn he? He looks over
the table like Il man; the high chair was
put away months agol"
Tall, is he? Three feet and an inch
high and this is the altitude of humanity.
Weight is out Of the questions; estimates
all run to height. Ambition is but snother
name for altitude, and success Synonym
for getting higher The boy is a man;
the man climbs Iostrwms to get higher;
thrones to get higher. Monuments go up;
shouts COUP; iayoritcs 90 up to court con
Quercrs 90 up to glory. Height, height,
everywhere height, Six feet Of glory; six
feet tive, OF honor and dignity. Queer
again-don't you think 50?
BY and by-mclancholy trio--the form i,
bent little, and there goe, an inch on two
from stature. lie or sheis looking at some
thing in the dust. What can it be? Sure
Ir it Is not a grave they look at Eyes grow
dim, and they bend lower to sec. To sec?
W hat can there be to he seem we wondcrl
by and by they weary, and throw them
selves upon the bosom Of the dusty mother
Of us all. They sieep-slecr, but do not
dream! Where is your altitude now-your
mountains, monuments and thrones? Men
take up the sleeper carefully and slowly, as
1t were treasure, and 30 it is-a treasure
of dust. The old estimate is resumed:
Weight has come again; lisa dead weight
nothing more.
And thiswould be queer, too, if only it
We're not sad.
But they are talking again: "She had
three names, hadn't she? Indeed, | can
remember but two"
And two word-two breaths of ar-two
murmurs, are all that is left of what was
once Il man OF woman.
Years elapse, and age is talking again:
There was-was-I cant remember the
name now-well, well, its what we are all
coming to, and the old man signs sadly.
The last syllable Of all has died on the
lip, is erased from memory, ripples not on
the still and silent airs lost: not a mur
mur OF it fingers in the fearful hollow of.
the human ear! "Pah, how the dust iies!'
Dust do you say? Listen, and we will whis-
per just "A word; thaJ dust was warm once,
loved once, beauty once.
"Imperious Cicsardead dead and turned to clay. !
Might stop II hole to keep the wind away.
th! that the earth, which kept the world in awe.
should pach wall to eNPcl the Winters ftaw!' /