Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-30

on one side of the table, he, as I said |
pitched in on the other His eyes shut,
his hands spread over his plate, his elbows
on the board, his head bowed, he took care
that grace should abound with Us for once!
His mill started, 1 knew there was no
stopping it, and l hoped Wortleby would
desist. But he didn't know his man. He
seemed to feel that he had the stroke-oar.
and he pulled away manfully. As Pop
worth lifted up his loud, nasal voice, the
old Doctor raised his voice, in the vain
hope, [ suppose, of making himself heard
by his lusty competitor. If you have
never had two blessings running opposi-
tion at your table, in the presence of invi-
ted guests, you can never imagine now
astounding, how killingly ludicrous it was,
| felt that both Linton and Gregg were
ready to tumble over, each in an apoplexy
OF suppressed emotions; while 1 had re-
course to my handkerchief to hide my tears.
At length poor Wortleby yielded to fate,
withdrew from the unequal contest, hauled
of-for repairs; and the old seventy-two
gun-ship thundered away in triumph.
At last las there must be an end to
everything under the SUM- my uncle came
to close and a moment of awful silence
ensued during which no man durst look at
another. But in my weak and jelly-like
con Iltion ventured a glance at him, and
noticed that he looked up and around with
an air of satisfaction at having performed
a solemn duty in becoming manner, bliss
fully unconscious Of having run a poor
brother off the track. Seeing us all with
moist eyes and much affected-two or three
handkerchiefs still going-he no doubt
hattered himself that the pathetic touches
in bis prayer had told.
This will give you some idea of the kind
of man we had on our hands and | won't
risk making myself as great bore as he
is, by attempting history of his stay with
Us for [ remember l set out to tell you
about my little Iron-CIad. I'm coming to
that.
Suffice it to say, he staid-he staid-
he sTAIO five mortal weeks refusing to
take hints that almost became kicks; driv-
ing our friends from US, and ourselves al
most to distraction; his misfortunes alone
protecting him from prompt and vigorous
elimination : when happy chance helped
me to solution Of this awful problem of
destiny.
More than once had recalled Harry s
vivacious suggestion of the scarecrow---ii
one could only have been invented that
would sit composedly in chair and nod
when spoken to! | was wishing for some
such automaton, to bear the brunt of the
boring with which we were afflicted, when
one day there came little man into the
garden where | had taken refuge.
He was short, swathy, foreign looking
diminutive, stiff, rather comical fellow
little figure mostly head, little head mostly
face, little face mostly nose, which was by
no means little-a sort of human vegeta
ble Ito my horticultural eye) running mar
velously to seed in that organ. The frs,
thing l saw, on looking up at the sound Of
footsteps, was the said nose coming toward
me, among the sweet-corn tasse!s. Nose
Of decidedly Hebraic cast-the bearer
respectfully dressed, though his linen had
an unwholesome sallowness, and his cloth a
shiny, much-brushed, secondhand appear
ance
Without word he walks up to me
bows solemnly, aud pulls from his pocket
(I thought he was laying his hand on hi:
heart) the familiar, much-worn weapon O
his class, the folded, torn yellow paper
ready to fall to pieces as you open it, il
short, the respectable beggar's certificate
of character. With another bow (Which
| gave his nose the aspect of the beak of I
bird of prey making a pick at me) h
handed the document. l found that i
e was dated in Milwaukee, and signed b,
the mayor of that city, two physicians
' three clergymen, and an editor, who bor'
e united testimony to the fact that Jacol
t Menzel-I think that was his name, tn
= bearer, any way-was deaf mute, ant
y considering that fact, prodigy of learn
It ing, being master Of no less than five diff
ferent languages IA pathetic circumstance
5 considering he was unable to speak one)
moreover, that he was a converted Jew
and, furthermore a native of Germany
who had come to this country in compan,
I with two brothers, both of whom had die
, | of cholera in St. Louis in one day i
y consequence Of which affiction, and hi
recent conversion, he was anxious to re
turn to Fa:herland, where he proposed t
% devote his life to the conversion of hi
D brethren the upshot of all of which wa
9 that good Christians and charitable soul
} everywhere were earnestly recommended
to aid the said Jacob Mcneil in his piou
/ undertaking.
|. 7 ,roo 4,phlipo in NV rooka for litfl
e change wherewith to dismiss him, for tina
:, is usually the easiest way of getting o.
;. your premises, and your conscience ih
;, applicant for " aid," who is probably al
d inposter, yet possibly not, when my ey'
e caught the words (for 1 still held the doc
d ument), ' would be glad of any employ
,, ment which may help to pay his way.
y The idea of finding employment for
e man of snch large nose and little body
e such extensive knowledge and diminutiv
Is legs, who had mastered five languages ye
1t could not understand word of any ont
e of them. struck me as rather pleasant t
d say the least; yet, after moments re
d hecton-. vas Mt he the very thing l wanted
r the manlkin, the target for my uncle
d Meanwhile he was scribbling rapidly o
a small slate he had taken from his poke
1t With another bow las if he had write
e something wrong and was going to wip
q it out with his nose), Re handed me th
IS slate, on which 1 found written in a nes
y hand half dozen lines in as many di
70 ferent languages-English. Latin, Hebrew
Is German, French, Greek,-each, as l coul
Iy make out, conveying the cheerful inform,
ID ton that he could communicate with n
j.; in that par ticular tongue. l tried him
It, English, French and Latin, and | mu
O. ack knowledge he stood the test ; he the
I'd tried me in Greek and Hebrew. and
8 as freely confess did not stand the tes