Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-02-03
letter from IInrpcr's Ferry.

YOUR paper is more than usually inter
esting. Some of your old correspon-
dents and many new ones are out for
an airing, making the sheet peculiarly
relishing. "Alex" in particular claims
INV attention. There, can be no rea-
sonable doubt of his friendly feelings
towards me and as he does not like TO
lose sight of me send you this moro as
4 greeting to HIN than 70 the ignoblle
Vulgus who do not care for my ''qalrks
or qualities.
In reply to his inquiries | will say
that | have become reconciled to the
Iilden banner, bad grammar and all. L
have been convinced of my errors by
the same argument that has often be-
fore worked miraculous conversions
here and elsewhere-a sinecure office. L
have been elected Recorder OF Harpers
Ferry and as / am convinced that owe
my elevation, in great measure, TO the
Democracy, feel that can do no less
than to surrender any little leanlngs |
NAV have in favor OF human rights and
liberty, as a tribute to the prcjudices OF
nv friends. alex" it appears, once
knew an IriShman who wanted a house
TO be whitewashed green aud this Hi
bernicism suggests the question how
CHANGED TO be whitewashed black. 1t
,sa little strange, sure enough, and II
1t were blackberry season, l might go
among my kindred and try to tind out
1he family tradition on the subject but,
AS it is not, crossed over TO the Mary
land Heights TO consult the crows. l
laid the matter before 4 select committee
of fifteen millions of them and asked
why they among birds and l among
freshmen should be fated to wear sable
outwardly and inwardly, literally and
Tentatively Caws Caws! Caws
from fifteen millions Of Threats was the
unsatisfactory reply and as l know that
This is sometimes a tavorite answer with
poutinr women and stubborn men when
they do not want to give THE cause or
have no good one to give, l retired from
the Rookery. On the way back en-
countered a benevolent and phiIosoph!-
cal looking old crow and to him I pro-
pounded my difficulty. My son, SAID
the century living sage, 'do not tron-
bic yourself with the subject. Men call
us crows black but one of their own
proverbs says that every crow thinks
lis own immediately white and you
may be sure that "1Alex" thinks you
white enough if he is your friend and II
Il. is not YOU need not care In what
color he secs YOU" The old crow put
it shrewdly enough, although his reply
scarcely accounted for the fact that all
crows and one Irishman are black and,
no doubt, the mystery is as untathoma-
bile as that of all potatoe vines and
good many people being green. The
only probable solution OF the phenome-
non. as far as | am concerned is, that
the Fairies carried me off when was
baby and substituted another and that
am not myself at all but a changeling.
Snch occurrences are very frequent IN
Ireland as is evidenced 10y the many IN
stances of Irishmen being temporarily
NOT Themselves aud being a little con-
trary even when they are.
The character of an Irish Fairy Is
thus portrayed by one of my inspired
countrymen
Don't be conthrairy
With an Irish Fairy
Or declare he
Wont regard you much.
But if you're complaisant
When he's adjacent
He'll Mrafe you dacent
AS you merit SIGH.
With this light on the character OF
The Fairy and with the probability that
some of my people, like myself were
not always ''Complaisant it is easy to
imagine how the difficulty may have
ORIGINATED and how the sprite may have
AVENGED himself on a good old Irish
family by foisting on them hepuoii-
can baby.
Friend Alex, with the best intentions
in the word has done me serious dam
age in public estimation. Yesterday
listened to an honest old farmer spell
ing out my friends communication 10
''the Register" when he came 10 the
sentence where reference Is made 10
the "idiocrasy" of mind where charac-
terizes me the plain old Dutchman was
sorely puzzled by this word ''of learned
length and laundering sound" and as
bad luck will have it he accented the
fourth syllable thereby getting the idea
himself and giving it to others that l
am an idiot or Grassy. Many people, it
is true, suspect that am little crack
ed but do not desire my friends TO fix
the i.nputation iudelibly on me by
printing it in the papers, and it is ad-
ding insult to injury to clothe the pro-
ceedipg in the garb OF compliment
Aud now that friend Alex knows
where am and what | feel, | ought
perhaps, to close. Neither OF us has
.'set down aught in malice" and as he
processes friendship for me although l
an black l have been light on him,
although he may be for any thing l
know Of the hue that is especially hate
tul to me in politics-the ginger bread
neutral tint SO common now-a-days-
neither fish, flesh nor good red hearing
Is my countryman says. AS 10 the