Litchfield enquirer., 1871-02-02


 business in the, basement. Though bound ed on all sides by turbulent streams of traf- fic,s this room was as secluded and remote as if it had rstood in the middle of the Des- ert of Sahara. It would have made an ad- mirable scenic background for a noiseless, midday murder GTinhP melo.drama. But it was an excellent place in which to wite, in spite 1of the oobwehbed rafters overhead and the confirmed symp- toms of scrofula in the clustering. aasro did not settle down to work easily that afternoon; my fancy busted itself with ey. erything except the matter in hand: l fell to thinking of old times and River mouth, and what comical things boys are with their hero worship and their monkey shines, and how ! used to regard Governor Dorr as cross between Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Walter Raleigh, and what pitia- bic. fimsy hero he was in reality, a king of shreds and patches. ''Why were such men born" l said to myself; 'Nature in her severe economy creates nothing use- less, unless 1t be the ruminative moth or the New Jersey naosquito;, the human spe- cies alone is full of failures monstrous and inexplicable. 1" sls aS57 ~f1
 In the midst of this the door opened ,and Governor Dorr stood before mo. I have had pleasanter surprises. s.a- There was certain deprecating ail about him as he raised his hat in 8 feeble attempt at his old-ume manner, Q tacii confession that he could n't do it. He was unshaven and pathetically shabby. With his closely cropped hair he looked like prize.fghter retired from business. His features were out of drawing, ano wore that peculiar retributiFe pallor whicI gin and water in fair proportions are sait to produce. The dye had faded from hi heavy mustache, leaving it of 8 dark green ish tint not becoming to his style of beau l ty. His threadbare coat was buttoned un evenly across his chest close up to tho throat, and was, shiny at the cuffs ant along the seams. His hat had weed or it, which struck me as being strange, as did not remember that anybody had been hanged recently. I afterwards formed { theory touching that weed, based on tht supposition that the hat was somebody else's property. Altogether the Governol looh6 as if he had fallen on evil days since our 1ast mestihg. There was a hard, colo look, in his eyes which, in spite of his halt-apOlogetio attitude, was far from reas surfing. ,.1,e7, -y.,. : .s ..t eI.4.t e -1e'
 GlEen a choice in the matter, I should not have elected to have Q private confer fence with him that dull November after noon in that lonely room in the old bar racks on Spruce Street. .a.. -st The spacB occupied by the editorial ta bles was shut of from the rest of the room by slight wooden rail extending across the apartment. In the centre of this raj was gate, which my visitor. after mo ment's hesitatiop, proceeded to open.
 AS noted down all the circumstances ol the interview .whilejt was fresh in my mind am able to. reproduce the Governor words and manner pretty faithfully. deliberation, advanced few steps, rested one hand upon the back of a chair, and fix ed a pair of very fshy eyes upon me. II he intended to facinste me. he failed; if he intended to make me feel extremely per vous, his success was complete. Ir t ''Telemachus, he said, at length, in ( voice that had lost it's old music and might be described as ropy,-'syoa know useG to call you Telemachus in those happy days when l was your guide, philosopher, ani friend, you see before you reformed man : suppose was not entirely successful in concealing my inward conviction. .
 ''So help me Bob r exclaimed the Gov ernor, "I am going to reform, and gel some decent clothes" casting look of un' utterable scorn on his coat-sleeve. L
 The idea of connecting a reformatory measure with an increase of wardrobe struck me as neat, and smiled.
 I am going to be honest" continued Governor Dorr. not needing my unseemly leyity; Honest Iago, am going to turn over new leaf. don't like the way things have been going. I was n't intended for q low fellow. l aint adapted to being an outcast from society. We know what we are, but we don't know what we may be, as the sublime Shakespeare remarks. Now, know what am, and l know what I'm going to be. a I'm going to be another man. But must get out of New York first. The boys would n't let me reform l know too many people here and too many people know me. l am going to New Or leans. My old friend Kendall of the Plea. yune knows my literary qualifications, and would give me an engagement on his paper at sight; but I'm not proud, and if worst came to worst I could get advertisements or solicit subscribers, and work my way up. In the bright lexicon of 8 man who means what he says, there's no such word as fail. He does n't know how to spell it."
 The Governor paused and looked at me for reply bpt as l had nothing to say, said it. -..>.>,-.. .as'a -I atF
 "I've been down to Rivermouth," he resumed, a trife less spiritedly, "to see what my old chums would do towards pay ing my way to New Orleans. They gave me good deal of good advice, especially Colonel B.; but I am out just twenty dollars, travelling expenses. Advice. how ever excellent, does n't pay fellows pas- sage to New Orleans in the present disor- dered state of society. have collected some money, but not enough by few dol lars and presuming on the memory of those days-those Arcadian dsys-when we wandered hand in hand through the green pastures of American poesy, I have come to you for temporary loan, however small" he added hastily, ''to help me in becoming an honest citizen and useful member of society,"" .4.1 sj5 :
 l listened attentiyely to the Governors statement, and believed not syllable of it. not so much as hyphen. It had ia tally familiar jingle | had helped to re- form people before. Nevertheless, the mans misery was genuine, and deter mined not to throw him over altogether. But I did not wish him to think me the victim of his cleverness so I frankly told him that did not believe word about his reforming. and that if gave him lit- pecuniary assistance, it was solely because 4-A s~1 ~R 1~s~ ~vl1