Sharp County record., 1877-10-19
CAPTAIN GREGORY.


Capt. Gregory was what the world
called "a character "-probably to dis
tinguish such marked and unique indi-
yidualities from the tiresome uniformity
and low level of average humanity.
He was Scotchman by birth, cos
mopolitanized as much as one of that
race so tenacious of its characteristics
can be, by ten years service in her
Majesty's army, five years of literary
life in London, period of artistic study
and work in Paris, and dozen years Of
experience in the United States as a
public lecturer, q contributor to the
press, private tutor, an artist and a
song-writer. He did many and different
things surprisingly well, so well that had
he turned the stream of his talents into
one channel he would have found him
self in possession of an enviable power.
But that wasn't his way. He bore true
allegiance to the spirit within him, and
went though life with an independence
so unique and an individuality so well
preserved that he was regarded by the
mass of those who met common fate
in conformity to the world antits-ways,
as little better than ga shiftless fellow
"Gregg," as the young fellows used
to call him despite his gray hairs and
military bearing, was one of the happi-
est men that ever lived He made no
search or chase after happiness, nor
did he think to buy it or have it bestowed
upon him; for he was wise enough to
understand and apply the unerring
teachers sublime axiom: "The king
dom of heaven is within you" And in
the Captains dictionary this state meant
happiness-both here and hereafter.
He lived in a roomy attic, with paint
ing-windows in the end and side, and a
skylight through which he could look
at the stars as he swung in his ham,
mock under the high rafters. "No
place has such frescoing!" he would ex-
claim as he turned out to 90 to work,
after emptying his second pipe, gazing
in silence at "the brave O'erhanglng
firmament-the maiestical roof fretted
with golden fire." With few pennies
to buy his lunch of bread and milk, and
enough left to pay for a warm bit OF
some sort for supper, he was a-bubble
with cheeriness. And if by a fortunate
stroke he got money enough at one
time to keep him for a fortnight, he
was as happy as a king-if kings are as
happy as the saying implies. Not in
any hilarious way, but actually, the
Captain was in such case "o'er all the
ills of life victorious"
Dressed in his parade suit of army
blue, minus the gilt and trappings-his
wide-brimmed soft hat set jauntily on
one side, and his fine gray mutton-chop
whiskers brushed gracefully back-he
would walk down the street with his
steady, swinging, upright military gait,
twirling his cane and humming an air
from the opera-with the easy dignity,
and fine air af superiority and Slight
hauteur, than fifty distinguish the man
worth million.
"Now | can paint-Or not paint, as
Iplease, by Joye! | can stretch my
self under the elmS and watch for burnt
lumber shades on the hills, or | can 90
a-fshing and bring home Il new song.
No more penny-dreadfuls" (alluding to
his machine stories for the popular
weeklies) "nor sentimental PONIES for
fortnight ahead. have just made a
deposit in my bank-that is, in my
wash-stand drawer-that places me
above want. Heb! my boy!-there'S
nothing like independence. How l
pity the poor devils that have to work
ior their daily grub"
And the wealthy owner of q ten-dol-
lar bill yyould move on, happy at heart
in his child-lke acceptance of the favors
of Providence, with no more worry as
to the future than blue-bird feels when
he sings to his mate among the apple
blooms.
Captain Gregory had been married,
when young, to a Highland Mary"
whom he loved with all the fervor and
more than the whole-heartednesS that
inspired the great bard of their native
land, when he wrote the immortal song
whose beauty and pathos the Captain