The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-06-30
SETH HATHRON'S FOURTH.

i ALWAYS was Il DGack-DTOWeu,
broad-shoudered brute of fellow, al
ways from boy. AT school mot that |
had much of that SORT of thing, but at
school if oH Miss Peggy found out any
mischief she laid it to my score because
of my looks, when often and often,
while was holding out my hand to be
rulered, the prcttiest boy in the school
was grinning over his good-luck in get
ting off so safely. She had her precon-
ceived notions of a villain, 1 presume,
md 1 answered the description.
For the matter of that, of all the
books and stories I've read since, espe-
cially those written by ladies, I've MOTTO
ed there isn't one where the burglar, or
forgcr, or pirate, or what not, who docs
all the wickedncss of the book as though
he's taken it on contract, wouldn't do
for me on passport, while their pets,
who do the grand and noble things, are
generally slender, and fair, and pretty.
Now the worst wretch ever saw-onc
who was afterward hung, and who de-
served hanging richly, even on his own
showing-had blue eyes, and white
lashes, and n pink mouth like II girls.
It's SO over and over again; but it's my
opinion that if women were put ON
the police, before the year was over
every hullling, awkward, bilious fellow
whose eyebrows met would be locked
up In the State Prison on suspicion.
/ never was favorite with any wo-
man but my mother, and she died when
i was eight years old. So instead of
growing up with the idea that most
men have, that every girl they meet is
ready to fall in love with them, / never
had the slightest hope that any one
would ever like me well enough to let
me fall in love with her even. And |
liked girls so. 1t was odd for a fellow
like me, but hOW / did like girls!
never could bear to see one cry, or to
hear of their being imposed upon or
hurt. l couldn't pass one with Il heavy
Basket or bundle without ut least iUaI't-
ing to offer to carry it for her. l could
never bring myself to sit in stages or
cars when one was standing. / don't
think | could if l had been weak or
lame instead of the giant | was. Yet
I've seen gentlemen lounge with their
. hands in their pockets while poor old
ladies, who might have been their grand
mothers, stood up before them! And
their manners were good and mine those
of bear, and | myself only working
man, who learned all he over knew ut
,old Miss Peggy's school.
Something as man might have felt
just in sight of the angels, who were too
much above him TO be spoken to or
touched, l felt about all girls. That
is, good, pure girls. When Il woman
was intoxicated or in any way de-
based she never seemed woman to
me, but dreadful sort of creature, all
the worse for having something of the
pretty womanly look about her.
/ was a maker of fireworks, as my
father had been before me. / don't
know that L liked the business particu
larly, but there l was, and there staid
/ made good wages, and saved them
for / didn't think enough about my
Aooks to dress much, and | never drank
"Sulky," the other men called me
What of that? 1t was better to be
ssulky than raving mad, as some of then
were so surely as Saturday night came
round, Men with nice, good-lOokinl
wives too, whose children wanted fo
brsld and shoes what they spent il
drink. ! never expected to have II wifi
and children, but | knew how they
ought to be used better than they did.
j suppose / had come to be twenty
eight or so, and no girl had ever looked
at me, except rs she might at tamisl
polar bear, when, one day, old Mr.
Williams, the proprietor of the place
came to me as l was going home to din
ner, and said, in his own quick way:
Hathron, can you drive"
Yes, sir" said 1.
4" | want you to take the wagon anC
go over to the railroad depot at Baldwin
and bring down new hand and he
traps" he said. "Sho'll be there at hall
past twelve, so you'll have barely tim
to osnatcha bite and go and you can hay
the rest Of the day to yourself if yo
like, rs it's Saturday. Her name
Annie May"
Before you can understand what Ii