Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-07-01

redden with shame, as the fancy occurs to
US, that had one of us to act as dentists to
this gigantic thing, he would have had to
bear the tooth away upon his shoulder :"
Dick was silent for moment, then re-
sumed more calmly:
"All this Harry, confirms me in the
belief that we all spring from one giant
stock. If comparison with the remains
of our massive sires be painful to our van
ity, let US at least exult in the knowledge,
thus confirmed, of what we once were. |
myself" continued Dick, drawing himself
up with dignity, ''as my name, Long
child, would seem to imply, am scion OF
a race remarkable for length of limb. If
a baby could be described as a colossal, l
deserved that appellation.'
"The painful reflection, after all, is
what we have already dwindled from three
hundred feet, to six, can you blame me
for dwelling on the glorious records of the
past, rather than on a coming period when
the average height Of man will be-pah !!
eighteen inches-with tendency to fur
ther diminution? And [ confess [ derive
but little comfort from the reflection that
our (by that time) gigantic remains will,
when exhumed centuries hence, extort the
admiration of the tribe Of hop-o-my-
thumbs calling themselves men, who will
come swarming around to gaze upon our
massive frames ~
Longchild pufed out his chest, and
stretched himself generally, as if in full
enjoyment Of the posthumous renown on
which he loved to DWELL
The excitement, however, was but h az: !:
sient. Dicks spirits were evidently de-
pressed and, aware that at such times he
preferred to take refuge in his own reAec-
tions, babe him farewell, reminded, as
1 did so, of my promise to visit him at
Observation-Disclosures "a place that had
descended to him in Cornwall, } the fol-
lowing week. Is
Then, my der Hail. he.ccnelgaefa,
as, with q sigh. he pressed my hand /:
you, who are already possessed of one
sad grief of my life. shall learn second
fearful secret, one which, I am persuad-
ed, will, independent of our friendship,
have certain romantic interest for you,
and on which earnestly desire your coun-
SELL"
I have recorded the foregoing CONVEX
sation, in order to exhibit my friend astride
of his favorite hobby, the gradual deteri-
Grafton of our species from the hale and
healthy giant, considered as cut off pre-
maturely at seven hundred and fifty years,
to the puny little contrivance now, by the
combined operation of luck, and care, and
skill, kept going for three-score and ten.
Nor was Dick colossal only in his the.
cries. Everything about him had gi-
gantic flavor and twang. He spoke, wher
he thought of it, hoarsely and hugely
He used the most tremendous words ano
phrases. He surrounded himself with
weighty and expansive accessories. His
bed might have been the consort of thai
of Ware. In the calm waters of his batt
the university match might almost Cat +;
pinch, } have been rowed. He wrote tht
smallest note with quill furnished by th'
eagle or the swan His walking-sticl
might have been welded by the drum
major of the guards. His favorite riding
: hack was over seventeen hands in height
Gaunthope-the-Towers hung, like /
gloomy frown upon the face of dens
and lofty wood. It might easily hav'
been the residence of one of those tremen
dous persons who, before the days of thei
destroyer, Jack. regarded Cornwall wit
: peculiar favor.
) There was smaller mansion, Gaunthop
t Lodge, lurking in the skirts Of the wood
which, when found, proved to be some
what like its gloomy neighbor, minus tn
towers, and reminded you of an ill-favor
t ed dwarf, in attendance on giant. Mr.
: Longchild affected to regard this appanag
: as of about the dimensions of hencoop
, and magnifcently left to the occupation Q
l sub-forester.
: A carriage drive, about the width g
: Regent street, London, gave convenien
t access to Gaunthope-the Towers, the gres
I portals of which were some fifteen feet higt
: The hall displayed complete museum {
truculent weapons: clubs, maces, two
S handed swords, and the like, such a
J might have been welded by Titans.
I was met at the station by Mr.. Long
. chili's mail-phaeton machine or rathe
G moving edi6ce of alarming size to whic