Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-05
POmEROY AND NAsBY.
From The Mobile Register.1

From the Mobile Register.l
In letter to us some years ago. Mark
NJ. POmeroy ("Brickn Pomeroy1 re-
counted the following little affair as
having come off between himself and
D. K. Locke, better known as "Petro-
leum V. Nasby.n To have published it
at the time when we received it, would
hardly have been fair, as the two We're
then political enemies, to all outward
appearances; but now, since they have
dropped into the same box, we may
send it forth with perfect propriety-no
harm will be likely to result to either
from digging up of old scores. True,
it does not say much for the youthful
morals of Brick, but Brick don't care
for that, and therefore won'tfeeI Offend
ed; so, holding strictly to the text as it
appears in bis letter, we proceed to tell
the story In our own way:
Brick POmerOy, at the age of seven
| teen, entered upon the duties of "print-
er's devil' to the Corning Journal, a
paper upon which Petroleum V. Nasby
Mr.. Locke, then young man, was
working in the capacity of foreman,
eompOsitor, job printer and pressman.
Petroleum was paying his addresses to
young lady in Corning, and with
estimation, he, some time after Bricks
arrival, presented her with a very fine
mutf. It was gratefully accepted, with
great many thanks, of course. Brick
heard of it, and on the day following
he went to the lady and told her that
Mr.. Locke had sent him for the muffl
in order that he might change it, as it
was not the Onehe had intended to give;
not so good one as he thought he was
buying. Brick was known as the
"devil' in the office, and therefore sup
posed to be the very boy most likely to
come on such an errand, so the muf was
handed over without word. He took
1t to fur store, gave it in exchange for
other goods, and that night the "devil''
stepped into the office fully rugged out
IN fine fur cap, with fine kid gloves to
match, etc.
Matters went on between Petroleum
and his adored as formerly, though, as
he afterward acknowledged, there SEEM
ed 10 be an unusual degree of coldness
about her manner He made several
visits, never dreaming of the trick that
had been played, and the lady made no
alluslon to the matter, of course. Colder
and more distant she continued to grow,
however, until Petroleum found himself
feeling not unlike fish out of water. It
became evident that there was some
thing wrong, and time and again he
begged her to tell him what it was.
" There's nothing the matter" was the
answer that invariably had mixed up
with it kind of contemptuous smile
which entirely killed its force.
But murder will out. Church day
rolled around. Petroleum went to
church, and his lady-love came. ItWas
IN the midst of winter, and the temper
ature ranged below zero, and she had |
not brought her muffl Poor Petroleum |
Little did the exercises of that meeting |
interest him. His fate was clearly writ !
ten in the absence of that muff.
Petroleum was brave. He resolved to |
ind out why she had thus cast him Off
or die in the attempt, so that eveninghe |
put in appearance at the house. 1t was |
the same old routine. What was the |
matter? Nothing! Why had she mis-
treated him? She had not that she |
knew of! Why she certainly had. Was |
she not even endeavoring to show her
contempt for the simple little present he |
had given her? What present? Why. |
the muff, of course-why did she not
take it to church? The reader can i'm
age the rest.
That night Petroleum turned up at the
office very much "out of Sorts" Brick
was called to account and fatty denied
having any knowledge whatever of the
affair. No one believed him, but it was
useless to fret; so to set matters right
with the lady, Petroleum forwarded her,
''by the hands of a more Trustworthy
boy'' Bricks own words, asecond and
much finer set of fsIrs.