The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-01-31
A STRANGE BED-FELLOW.

do not know whether what am 60
ing to tell you is "grin" or not. I
only know that I have been laughed at
often by my friends, who years ago, be-
fore they died out, got married, or went
to Congress, considered it good joke. I
remember well what Shakespeare says
about wits prosperity lying in the ear,
and some ears are SO long that sup
pose the poor joke gets lost and con-
fusedbefore reaching the tickle nerve of
the brain-if, indeed, any brain exist for
it to rest upon.
I was young, quite young in years
and younger in existence, when some
business of our firm-Seizen & Holden,
eminent attorneys-sent me into prim-
itime part of Indiana. I never before
had been among people SO near the
starting point in the race of civilization.
believe Darwin would have made a
good thing of it had he accompanied me
on that eventful occasion. 1 believe he
could have found quite number of men
on Rocky Ridge who had just dropped
their tails, passing from the animal to
the human, and by killing and stuffing a
few he could have triumphed over his
unbclieving enemies.
could fill a volume with historical
illustrations of this barbarous life, but
hasten on to my little adventure.
had terror of the people who fought
Like animals. / believe / am not def
cient in that common thing called cour-
age, but / shrank from coming in con-
tact with these roughs as one would
from ferocious beasts I found could
do this very well by treating crowd
whenever occasion offered and abstain
ing from any tender approaches toward
the fair sex. By pursuing this course
during my stay of four months ] became,
although the wearer of "store clothes, y
and therefore an object of envy, very
popular. But I came to grief at last.
The girls of the ridge were not attrac-
tive. Their ill-fitting clothes did not
grace their beautiful figures, nor did
their internal bonnets frame in lovely
faces. Indeed it was quite the contrary.
We may say what we please of the rare
natural beauty Of country life, but when
it runs on rough breeding it is apt to be
coarse and unattractive. The cultiva-
ton Of the mind is reflected not only in
the countenances of the cultivated, but
AID more especially so-in their chill
dren. This is what we mean by the no
blllty Of nature. ] will reserve these
original and elevated thoughts for a
pook, if / am ever SO fortunate as to find
an infatuated publisher who will prefer
nsHng his money on my thoughts rather
snan republish that which had been a
success abroad.
l found an exception in the way Of
beauty, in the person of little Polly
rlscher, who, from contrast, 1 suppose,
appeared TO me a Cross between Ger
man angel and a Venus. She was
pump as partridge and as 1.-the as a
'aiy Her little nose, slightly elevated
- ale end, with adimple thereon, gave
: saucy, piquant look to her white and
'ed lace. Peaches and cream what a
0ompiexion the little Pitcher had + She
sas Jolly as guinea pig and graceful as
Aiawn. | met her at wedding. 1t
a' np-roaring frohc. We began
uanc'ng and fighting early in the after
n' and danced and fought through
ne night until breakfast next morning.
.Aen we had race for the bottle from
'ue iormer home Of the bride to the