The Portland daily press., 1875-02-27

Imay note that ] had never, at any perioG
of my life, wished to be giant, ana tnat L
was fully convinced of the futility OF wishes
of that kind. Further, may state that am
of but limited height think, feet inches
only. according to my latest measurement
and that. if not absolutely satisfied with my
dimensions. l am at any rate resigned 10
them, But, necessarily. had never, even IN
NV widest dreams, contemplated exhibition
of myself in the character of giant.
The giant was a pleasant spoken young
man; but he was much oppressed with
sense of his superior proportions, but no
means inclined to vaunt himself on that
score. Indeed, it was obvious that his size
was a matter of keen distress to him.
had not been prepared for giant OF this
meek kind. To tell the truth, had not con-
sidered giants much as subject OF study.
Such information as l possessed concerning
them-if it can be called information-Was
derived, think, from early perusal OF nurse
nv literature. l must have said as nucn 10
r1y new friend, for presently, remember, ne
was discoursing with some energy on the IN
iussice that. time out of mind, had been done
to persons of his size. had by chance, and
haIEiocosely. mentioned the well known
work called Jack the Giant Killer. My new
friend denounced it seriously as most per-
nicious volume. He affirmed that it had
| done a great deal of mischief. He then
asked me if | believed it to be a faithful rec
ord of actual events?
was scarcely prepared with an answer.
said, after some delay, that it seemed to me
that many of the circumstances mentioned in
| the book were of an incredible kind; that,
supposing some truth to be contained in the
story, it was yet much intermixed with tic
| ton, and the eXaggeration and extravaganza
were certain apparent throughout it,
SIT has been the misfortune OF us giants
| that we have always been written about by
dwarfs," he said. at has suited them to
deal with us with a view to their own greater
Qualification. They have msrepresented us,
we have usually been inclined to silence.
We have rarely been authors; we are seldom
great takers. l never yet knew or heard of
giant who had ever printed or published any
| thing. Suppose some of us had said our say
| or written our opinion on the subject OF
| dwarfs, don't you think they would have
| looked very small? A set of upstairs! They
| think of nothing but their own aggrandize-
mert, while their disregard of truth is really
scandalous. This Jack the Clan. Killer must
| have been dwarf. Only a dwarf could have
| been so boastful, so selfsatisfed, and, must
| say it, so false and treacherous."
The giant was now speaking in very ex-
| cited manner. 1t seemed as though much
pent-up thought, regarding the injuries borne
| by his kind, was at length finding expression.
| "Why should he have troubled himself
| about the giants ?'' he resumed. "Did they
| ever do him any harm? He calls them canni-
balls! l warrant they never wanted to eat
such little whipper- snapper as he was !!
| And, mark his treachery and cunning, and
| his base ingratitude! How did he get the
/ better, for instance, OF Cormoran, said to be
| Is feet high and 3 yards round-a gross ex-
| aggeration of course. There never was a
| giant of that size or anything like it; search
| all the caravans in Europe, and you wouldn't
| find such one. How did he get the better
| of Cormeran, was asking? Why, he dug
| a pi. and Cormoran fell into it, and then
| Jack took what should call mean advan-
tage of him; hit him-when he was down
1 on the head with pickaX, and killed him.
| Then there was that Welsh giant, how was
he treated? A kind, hospitable, trustful
soul, who brought out, for the breakfast of
| himself and his shameless guests, two great
bowls of hasty pudding clearly the Welsh
| giant at any rate was no cannibal. Then
another giant, one with three heads, if re-
member rightly,-a piece of wild extrava-
| gance, of course, for whoever saw giant or
| anybody else with three heads ?-but this
| other giant Jack overcomes by basely pre-
| tending to be his cousin, f0rsooth Cheating
| the poor creature out of his coat of darkness,
| Jack, being invisible himself, cuts off the legs
| of his benefactor! Was there ever conduct
more infamous, or c0Wardly, or inhuman?
| Was there ever a more wretched little mon
| ster than this Jack? And yet the story of
the miserable imp's exploits, as they are
| called,-frauds and crimes l should rather
SAYS put into the hands of children; is a
| work highly esteemed, as / am informed, IN
most respectable nurseries. Can parents
wonder that their offspring should oftentimes
| grow up decetful and presunptuous, cruel
| and ungrateful? What we want, sir, is the
story of Jack rewritten by giant. Take my
| word, sir. that would be book of genuine
worth. don't say that it would be brilliant.
| We giants DO not pretend TO be brilliant.
| The FREELY glistens-not the elephant. We
are plain, simple, straightforward, truthful
folk; there's nothing low or mean about us.
| We are strongly opposed to smallnesse of
| every kind. But we'v been peaceful, patient
| long-suff5ring; too much so and too long,
fear. We've let things take their course and
said nothing, when we ought to have said
something's good deal, indeed; and so
| we've somehow come to be a prosecuted
race-despised and underrated. The dwarfs
| have had it all their own way, and now they
| crow over us and treat us contemptuously.
| The fact is, we've not thought enough of our
| selves, and have allowed people to overlook
us. It's all wrong, sir, take my word for
it-though 1 don't pretend to be the man
| who can put it right"
His face was flushed as he concluded, and
his forehead was moist. He paused for
| breath as it seemed, and then he was moved
to surprise at his own animation, at the
length of his speech. He looked at me apol-
ogetically. ~ p
ct did not intend to speak so warmly" he
| said; "but your air of sympathy tempted me
| to express myself more fully than is usual
with me. And I own lose patience when
| [ think of the errors that have so long pre-
vailed on the subject of giants-the injustice
we have suffered at all hands. Perhaps" he
| added with smile, as, with his forefnger,-
| it was about the size of one of those candies
| of which four make a pound,-he tapped
| lightly his tumbler, which was now empty,
''perhaps this extra glass of grog has made
me too loquacious. l beg you will pardon
| me if such has been the case, or if my vio-
| lenceyof speech has given you any offence"
| His glass was again empty. insisted upon
| its being filled. He made many objections
| to that course being adopted; but when the
brandy and water had been duly placed be-
fore him he did not hesitate to consume it.
Then he gave me certain particulars of his
own career He was of humble origin, he
frankly admit ted, and had even in early life
worn the quaint dress of charity boy. His
father was by trade a shoemaker and his
mother had gained a livelihood by charing.
They were persons of average stature only,
and it was not until he had attained the age
of IA that his own height had become at all
remarkable, Then he had with much sud-
denness grown taller and taller. He even
pretended to say that his increase in height
had been distinctly perceptible to close OBJ
servers of him. At any rate many had ven
tured to aver that they could absolutely see
him grow. He had been put to one or two
trades, but without avail. Fault had been
found with his size. People all declared
that he was too young to be so tall. He was
like large piece OF furniture in small
house. Room could not be found for him.
1t was necessary to take down doors to let
him in or out. At last the father, who was
impatient by nature, and often infamed by
drink, said angrily, "Hang the boy! He can
do nothing but grow tall;'' and without
further speech, turned the youth into the
street. He then lived as he could, which, at
times, was very badly indeed. He was often,
as he said, very empty-and always very tall.
He suffered more from emptiness, he needed
more filing than most people, owing to his
exceptional size. At last situation as pot
boy was offered him in a public house ''out
Whitechapel way" 1t was held that ''gi-
ant pots''-as he was styled in the neighbour
hood-would attract visitors to the bar of the
establishment, and that great consumption of
liouor would result theretrOm. The EXPERT