The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-27
MY STRANGE coMRApE.
Labors Of a Refhgee for the Regeneration n
Poland. A#

room some years ago, q comrade would
occasionally take his place. The clerks
in the office-a wretched, slovenly and
low-bred set of men-nsed to call TINS
person Quasi, and he was the target for
linnumerable coarse jests. used to
puzzle over Quasi, losing the man some
times in pondering over his name,
Quasi was sadly misshapen, with an
ugly stoop and banded legs; but II the
torso was ungainly, his head was SUI
perb. The business was occupied IN
then was slavish one. simply wrote
from morning until night business circu-
liars. and was paid at rate which bare
1Iy Kept soul and body together. Quasrs
| Work was occasional In character.
Now and then a batch Of letters had to
be written and addressed TO all the Ger
man brewers throughout the country,
extolling the merits OF a new patent beer
faucet. or a circular was to be thrown
out to all Italians, urging protective
measures in regard to proposed in-
crease of duty on maearoni, Here
Ouasps polyglot requirements came into
play, for he could speak and write all
modern languages like q Mezzofanti.
While waiting for such periods OF foreign
work Quasi starved. The mans face
was at the thermometer of his bodily
condition. Not that the spiritual es-
sence of the poor drudge was affected by
misery, for the face mostly bore pleas
ant smile; but at his age-he WAS ipl1y
5O--his physical traits would show AMI
NAL suffering. II 4 could then indulge
in TWO meals q day, was sure quasi
rarely had more than one:
| One evening prevailed on the man TO
share with me scanty meal At an OBJ
"Why are you called Quasi?" asked.
ssOh, Quasi! Is 1t that which puzzles
| YOU? That name was given me rather
curiousiy by former clerk some years
ago. long before you came into the ONCE.
| Ii happened this way: One Sunday, i,
vas In early spring, was walking ne al
| Central Park. Everything looked SO
bright and gay, that had entirely for
gotten my stupid stomach. On one ol
these open lots, those rocky ones neal
the Park, Q goat with her kid passed
near me. There was breakfast, dinner
and supper. Poor Nanny came to me az
the ravens did to Elijah. 1t might have
been sin to deprive the kid OF hel
rights, but coaXed the mother 10 my
side, and her swelling udder gave me {
Iglorious banquet. fstoie my dinner. Il
was a fete champetre.
Ii the old Irish crone who beat me
with her broomstick could have forgiven
ime, or taken out her pay with blows,
ishould have been better satisfied. Al
luck would have it, this former clerk IL
our establishment was passing by ant
rescued me. He must have read Victor
Hugo's ssNotre Dame." He dubbed mi
Quasimodo. Associated me probably
with Esmeralda or her goat. l ana Quasi
Why not? How the owner of that goa
laid it onl have often loaged 10 break
4 tlAt
afraid. Quasii Why a certain unshape
illness about me-" he continued, simply
s.has made an abDreYiauOn OF Quasi
imodo appropriate. ] have adopted it
My back Is bowed, my legs ar
crooked. was born so. That does no
prevent my enjoying excellent health
/ nave rude power of existence which
defes priyation. without boasting OF il
few men are stronger than l am. wai
a trifle out OF sorts an hour ago, but
thanks to you, have had good sup
per and feel myself quite restored
| There, can you do thatp Here, like tn,
monk Amiaor, he took a bone from 4
plate, and, holding it between his fin
gers, without any visible effort saw
muscular contraction of the hand, b.
splintered it. opened my eyes In as
jtonishment, thinking OF the many coars,
diokes the men in the office had playe,
upon Quasi, and how, with single blow
; he might have annihilated them. +M.
father and MOTHER" he continued, "wer
straight, shapely people, of race fame
for tneir personal beauty. Old friend
have told me that my face alone bear
the family type"
aAre you q PoleT' asked.
ssYes. MY poor mother-it happene
, before I was born-saw my father BEN
1 his back, his legs and arms were iet
tered, and when life had been lashed ou
OF him, his mangled body WAS cast betor
her. That was before the Empero
Nicholas time. That shock was lasting
came into the world shortly after thai
and my body perpetuates that harrow
ing impression. My mother never fol
, got is, and may / be aeoursed ii 1 eve
do" Here the whole appearance OF tn
man was terribly metamofphose0
From that iist1ess expression OF indiffei
Z ence, OF CAIN resignation, there cam
enc OF intense, painful c0nce ntratiot
l The eyes shot fire, the lips qui,
1 cred, the hair bristled, and tn
nostrils were dilated. 1t was, though
: but momentary flash, Ior an instan
aIterward Quasi became the poor hacl
I, the writing drudge, the butt OF the Office
Evidently he did not like recurring Iul
| LUer 10 pdtulut butyoct, uVE uiu l. ASt
, lust then that had the right to be II
l duisitiye. We talked about our calling
OF writing letters paid for with the fra'
tion OF a penny, aud we ended by iaugt
ling over our miseries. From the con
. versation had with the man i found
! had to do with a person whose inform;
! ton was not only vast, but solid. vel
tured to say to MIN that with his TALENT
even at his age, he was sure In time
better his position.
"Why, 1 asked, "do you stay in the 0
ticep Had your gift of language
would soon find good position"
.'Have you ever read Of Hoffman
asked Quasi. "If you have, you may r,
member how he tells story about
painter. Now, this artist was PARTIAL
insane. That longing alter the ideal s
many natures seek for and never fin,
had got the better OF his reason. Form
Of grace and beauty had oyertaxed hi
strength. The only relief the stupid fe
low found was in working out with ru
! and compass the most rudimeutar
: figures. At certain hours OF the da,
very brief ones, lovely faces would CON
before him, and he would outlinesthel
: on his canvas, but garish riot OF COLI
would make his pure drawing but I'll
yilest daub. Then he would go to b
. church--he mad hired himself TO paint
, and would methodically lay the colt