The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-04-21
Bancroft Er 1isu77
PERKY'S CROSS.


They did not institute judicial
proceedings in scrutiny of the char
acter and antecedepts of every
man who came to Kansas in those
equivocal days. AS general rule,
they cared only to know how the
newcomer stood on. the slavery
question, Nevertheless, it fretted
them to feel that they had a man
among them whose oddity Of con-
duct piqued curiosity, while for
bidding every reasonable coDjec-
ture concerning that other exis-
tence of his, "back in the states,
And Perky gave the people of Sew
ard Center just that feeling. Per-
ky was q perplexity. He was also
q printer; and his employer, the
editor o: the''Clarion of Freedom"
had carelessly disclosed the secret
that he was the author of certain
Procrustean rhymes in the last
number of that excellent family
journal, bearing the caption "Sad-
ly We Roam" and having the cut
OF q, hearse at the top, of them.
These verses had pleased the min
lister very much, and he thought
he detected in their sober mono
tone "the yearning of a jaded soul
for the rest and JOY Of the New
Jerusalem" which was a pretty
thing to say, Perky remarked,
when the editor told him of it..
Public opinion was somewhat
Gained, &but not harmonized or
satisfied by the minister's pathog-
nomy. There could be no doubt,
they were all agreed, that Perky
was not easy in his mind; but the
cause was still as deep a mystery
as ever. Various were the surmiss
es and suggestions-some kind
ly and some misunderstanding
the matter, as poverty, grief, dis
| grace; but perhaps the average
sentiment of the community was
best expressed, after all, by Aunt
Naomi Seybold, when in answer
to some new hint upon the subject,
she said with a solemn earnestness
that was intended to be conclusive
and convincing: "He's jest a-totin'
ola cross. a-totin' of a cross"
OF course these things came to
Perky's ears now and then; but il
they disturbed him in the least
there was no betrayal Of it in his
looks, his speech, or his actions
Indeed. he might have passed fol
a thoroughly contented if not a re
ally happy, man, as he sat upor
the little bench under the cotton
wood in front of the Clarion office
that rare June morning, watching
the blue and white clouds fold anC
unfold, and fold again, like tn.
flags of splendid parade. BEHIND
him rose the hill of rocks and ce
dars, and. dense Involvement o
vines and shadows, which hid thu
dreary waste of raw prairie tina
lay beyond IN front of him, those
two foremost symbols of advanc
ing civilization the little tin sign
of the "American Bible Society,"
and "Wells, Fargo d Co.'S Elk
press" flashed back the sum
brightness from the dull gray o
the store door at the upper end o
: "the avenue" as they called tn,
generous exaggeration of Wagon
road which led through the viilag
and on to the river, out there il
: the'low belt of elms and sycamores
f a mile away. And the sky abov,
|, it all was very beautiful he thought
as he turned reluctantly from it a
last, and glanced curiously abou
him, like one in doubt as to tn
identity of his surroundings. The
8 he said to himself: ''Perky, old fe
low, we won't finger any Ion
r primer to day; we'll rest and hav
a ramble." A moment later he wa
3 gone. -.<ssF
e Perky was resting and ramblin
| considerably now. The week.
publication of the Clarion wa
several times delayed by his mes
. lect of his type-setting; and ono
the editor had to humiliate hin
self and expose his gaunt sui
scription list to a great peril b
sending out half sheet, sowing,
: he said, ''to circumstances owe
= which we have no control" Til
= mishap had the effect of keepin
q Perky at work for three consec
a tive days. It also afforded him o
casion to speak to the editor, in
= delicate and confidential way, {
d certain grave facts connected wit
n the newspaper business. "For il
Is stance" he remarked, 'a pap,
It should be as prompt in its appea
ance as the sunrise, for if it lag
't people soon loose faith in its st
- bility, and cease to pay for it
y advance; and the half sheet CONT
=. vance should never be resorted to
% he continued "for the size of
re newspaper is a good deal like pl
Y nary inspiration, and won't be
trifiiAg with" This bit of philo
y ophy being kindly received,
a dropped his confidential tone al
&c manner, and went on, after t.
habit of your true printer, I'll
country over, to give the result
his varied observations in 9th
affairs, including politics, educ
- ton, religion, and, finally, matt
q mony. at is every mans duty
8. he declared with some warmth, g
IS get married-and every woman
too" he quickly added. Then
% stopped, blushed little, and lii
of ing the slug that concealed t
Ia next word of the manuscript
i'll the case before him, resumed
s. work. They smiled one to anot
lg er in q knowing way, the edit
ne and the Office boy,and urged him
y proceed with his discourse; but
I, only shook his head, and answe
n ed = trifie sadly: 'ENot now, n
or now" The next day, and t
D. next, he was unusually reticel
ls. and they noticed that he frequer
be ly threw back as much as hal
IN line of types from his compost