The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-04-10
"ONLY AN OLD BONE"

AGES and ages ago this world of ours
was not like what it is now. Where we
have land, hard, firm, and rocky, there
were seas and again, where we now have
seas there was land. In fact, it was all so
different that had you lived then, as did,
and survived till now, you could tell
strange stories of the changes YOU had
witnessed.
My first introduction to life was in the
huge jaws of a megatherium for l was
one of its teeth. had many brothers and
sisters we were Il very united, loving
family. Now we are all dispersed. [ do
not even know whether they are living or
dead. You wonder, perhaps, that | can
speak so calmly on the subject, but if you
had lived ages as have, you would know
that one cannot mourn forever.
A wild, merry life we led in those days.
| should not like to return to it now, but
L enjoyed it then. The world was at that
time amuddy, marshy place; even the firm
land was not very stable. What else could
you expect? Those iron rocks you see
now were very young then, and just
forming, and a fierce battle they had to
wage for their existence, what between the
fire and the water. There were no men at
that time, nothing but animals, huge
trees, and plants; and a fine time they had
of it.
My master was sociable creature. He
was the eldest of a large family of The
RUINS; his brothers were called Ano,
Anthraco, Paleo, and Dino. They all
roamed over the ground together, seeking
food, and lots Of acquaintances we made in
our wanderings. There was the family
of Dons-Masto, Smilo, and Glypto but
they were small creatures, and we rather
looked down on them, though they, were
agreeable enough in their way. Much
intprpgtinG thn Spllri whom
we came to know on the shores of huge
lake. They were called Ichthy, Plesio,
Megalo, and lido. The only objection to
them was that they were rather inclined
. to conceit, for they would insist that their
family was older than ours. AS if that
made them whit better!
All! if you had known all those fine
creatures, am sure you would only pity
their puny successors now living in the
world. With their nice names, too! 1t
seems to me such pity those good old
cognomens are gone out of fashion.
As l said, it was a curious living world
then-giant reptiles trailed their bodies
on the sand, hideous winged creatures
darkened the sky, and our colossal selves
and friends stalked through magnificent
forests of pines and ferns.
Well, | suppose, nothing can last for
ever: have found it so, at least, in my
experience Vi lllc. 90 our Tree, Joyous
existence came to an end too.
There was grand upset of the whole
world; the sea rushed over the land, the
ground heaved and tottercd; in fact, it was
c0nyulsion of the system, and all then
living on the globe perished. What be-
came ofmy master do not know, for was
dashed out of his mouth. | was tossed
hither and thither for a very long time,
during which | witnessed several more of
these revolutions, being now upheaved,
now buried. Wherever | was thrown
met with general contempt. | was named
"An Old BOne," and no one paid me the
slightest attention.
At first | was inclined to resist this
treatment and to despise all those per-
sons | came in contact with, for the days
when my master had stalked the forest
were still green in my memory, and for
got that | was no longer in the same po-
sition. A tooth under his mighty protec-
ton and a solitary tooth cast by itself
upon the world are quite different things.
SO am afraid made myself very disa-
greeable, and if any stone, plant, or in
Sect was kind enough to speak to me,
doubtless taking pity on my miserable ex-
istence, | would turn froM it with con-
tempt, saying that such small creatures
were quite beneath my notice. If they
had known the days | had, and seen my
master and his. friends, they would not
have dared to address even one of his re-
mains.
No wonder that they soon gave up
speaking to me, seeing how l despised
them. All! have grown humber since
then-much humber. | learned many a
severe lesson as the centuries rolled on !.
and if / had my life to live again, do not
say but what [ would live it very differ
emily. ! got my pride taken down, how,
ever, as | say but it was sharp, painful
work, and if had been wise, and recog--
nized my changed position at once, l
might have saved myself world of suf.
ferfng. Now l know that each state OF