The Portland daily press., 1875-02-27

"Well, and why not? Surely man of you:
magnificent proportions need not despair OF
success. Surely any woman"
ssIt is plain that you do not know Miss lid
dler," he interrupted.
/ confessed that, to my sincere regret, did
not enjoy that privilege,
'And of course, you don't know Jeckers
Van"
said thought not.
'sIt you ever co ne across Jeckers Jan, ask
to see Miss fiddler. In point of fact, you'll
see her without asking, if you pay your ad-
mission at the door. And you'll see me. But
that's nothing. Pm nobody. Be.ides you
haze seen me. But Miss fiddler will sur
prise YOU. You'll find her real treat. You
see in her, sir, perfect woman. They call
her the Peruvian Pearl, or the Princess OF
Lilliput. But that only Jecker's way. She's
English and speaks no language but her own;
but she speaks that very freely, especially
when she's reused. It's nonsense about Pc
ruvian; as matter of fact, she was born IN
Pimlico; and she's never grown an inch since
she was Al years old. Amazing isn't 1t? And
delightful l call it,"
ga dwarfP'
s'Well, what people call dwarf Perfection
in small compass, that's my view OF her.
There's nothing of the dwarf really about her,
when you've once overlooked her small slze'
Anu lu6ll UOW ohO 49, Doe ~
must see her TO appreciate her. For my part
I love her to distraction. / can't call it by,
any other name"
1t was plain that he loved, as giant might
| be expected to love, in a large way. AS ne
| spoke he trembled, swayed 10 and fro, indeed,
| and turned up his eyes in a languishing fash
| ion that had something almost OF greatness
about it. This giant in love was rather gro
| tesqne sort of creature, it must be confessed
nd Miss Piddlar iS oh6urate p'' | in
| quired ..-
'"Miss fiddler is adamant. Miss fiddler
| will not listen to me, or listens to me only to
| mock me. In plain words she chaffs me-"
''What is her objection to you as sutton ?.
swell, her objections are OF very general
kind. But chiefly she finds fault with my
| size. The fun she makes of me on that &C
count! It's wonderful to hear her. laugh
| in spite of myself. laugh at myself, in fact.
| She's so clever and says such sharp things.
| Still it's hard, you know. I've difficulty in
believing that it's really SO ridiculous to be so
tall as she makes it out to be- But she thinks
| it's very ridiculous, indeed, Perhaps it APP
pears so to her you know, she being so little.
| And then she calls re stupid,
| But that may not be such bad sign. I've
heard of many lovers who like to be called
'stupid'' by their mistresses. Very likely
| it is mere playfulness on her part, that con-
| ceals some measure of true affection for
YOU"
cpd think so if could, but 1 can't. No,
| she thinks me tall and stupid, and feel that
| she's right. l am tall and stupid, and that's
the fact. I'd alter if could, but l can't.
Pm sure I'd be very glad to change places
with brighter and shorter man. But
can't grow brighter, try hard as may; and
can't grow shorter, though I've tried that
too" - il
| triad fo chOffprp'
''Yes, over and over again. Pm forever
trying to grow shorter. carry heavy
weights on my head; lit that box for in
stance" As he spoke he drew from beneath
his chair a misunderstanding black box with
iron handles. tried to raise it but failed
completely. 1t seemed to be OF enormous
weight. sTve walked miles and miles with
that box on my head. II contains pig iron.
thought that it might compress me. But
it hasn't as vet, so far as can see. I've
tried all manner of ways indeed OF packing
myself into a,smaller space, but all IN VAIN.
Miss fiddler only laughs at me. Come to
| me when you're shorter. Doddy, (she always
calls me Doddy-it's not my real name,
which is something very different, but some
how it seems to please her to call me that,
and don't object; how can I?) Come to
! me when yoH're shorter, Doddy,' she says to
me, sand then, perhaps, we'll see about it,
|
never means it to be; it never will be-" He
sighed heavily and noisy. "The plain truth
is, that I'm too long, and she's too short"
eyes, suppose that's the long and the
short of it," I said abruptly. So.
i For moment he seemed hurt at what he
| might reasonably have Thought to be levlty
on my part. Still his look was meek and dill
fdent.
miles to walk tonight, with my box on my
head. Thank you for listening to me, for
| your sympathy, and-good bye"
"But you won't resign all hope of winning
| Miss Tiddler?7
He looked ct me despondently, shook his
head, but said nothing. A
ssDon't despair. Miss fiddler may yet be
yours. Remember, after all, extremes meet"
/ 9"Slie's not short enough for that, even it
| Pm tall enough. Although Pm giant l
1 can't think of her as dwarf. She's really a
/ very pretty size. And love her! How l
4 Glove; herP' VA SaEga
So saying, he grasped my hand tightly and
painfully. My fingers seemed quite cruuched
in his They cracked like dry twigs as he
compressed them. / had never shaken
hands with giant before; never will again.
My last glimpse of him revealed surprls-
ingly tall, gaunt figure striding across the OPP
| en- country. The rising moon elongated his
| shadow with an effect that was suggestive of
caricature. He carried his box on his head.
He proceeded rapidly, yet not, think, very
regularly. Once il seemed to me that he was
staggering, like one intoxicated; and once,
| thought, he called out to me. But it occurred
| to me, afterwards, that the sound had heard
was. in truth, rather hiccup than an articu-
| late cry.
never saw him again. can add no fur
| ther particulars touching his career. l can
supply no proper termination to his love sto-
ry. Jecker's Van did chance to meet at
later period; but that exhibition did not then
number among his attractions either Miss
fiddler, the dwarf, or her lover, the giant.
| For my part, on taking leave of him, had
but to think of returning to the railway sta
ton, there to await the arrival of the train
that was to take me back to London. l had
first, however, to pay a rather heavy bill for