The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1878-03-05

feet, but the Dig teanSJef was 700 Qulck
for him, end so he quietly settled back
into his chair AT last one OF the men
excited with liquor, struck the youth up
on the shoulder. and said roughly:
"Come. pale face, song, story, OF
treat
The Young man rose TO his feet, and
said, quietly:
81 cannot sing. cannot tell stories,
and do not drink
1.-THE deuce you can't and won't" said
the miner. " What kind Of a white-Iiv
cred monkey are you anyway" and turn
ing to the crowd, he continued +" say
boys, what do you think Of this rooster
He cant sing, can't spin ayarn, and dom
drink
A general howl followed this outburst
and the crowd gathered menacingly
around the youth.
Curly, the stage driver, GER .ateriefed
and said: B." Young man, letter reeonsid
err, the boys don't like Il Try a story
or try a song, or order tt poison"
!" But don't drink" said the youth
II cannot sing, and cannot tell stories y
and, as he spoke, he turned full, fear
less face upon the excited crowd
A murmur of disappointment began,
and one rusty miner was calling atten
ton to lefty chap, as was too proud
to 90 chats with common miners and
teamsters," when the big teamster Posey
with wave of the hand, stopped him
and marching up to the youth, said: ="
think there's misunderstanding here
| u you don't sing, nor tell stories, MOI
drink, your education has been sadly
neg lected for some kind OF business, sure
but think over it a minute; you might do
something else perhaps.
The young man looked down for mo-
ment, and then looking up, said 81
might read you something which, per
haps, would answer in lieu of song oil
story
q knowed it," said l'osey.
knowed there was game in him when he
jumped out of his chair, little while
ago, W hen the loafer commenced to insult
the Lilly Room here, and light tor
the boy to read by!'
The crowd fell back, half morose and
halt-respectful A candle was brought,
which Possey claimed tie responsibility
of holding. The boy lrew volume
from his pocket, looked over inc crowd
for moment, then opening the book
examined it for moment, as If to find
the place, and then commenced:
When the great and wise King Solo
mon dispatched his deeis to Ophir to
gather gold and gems AMI rare wood fol
the temple which he was building, he sem
with them Seer to mars the conduct OF
his men, that each might be rewarded
according to his merits. When the lane
aen a4 al once to e"fe e Of IT, she
some were employed with trans of cam
els to freight merchandise and took to thu
mines; some, with swift dromedaries
carried the express and gold dust be
tween the mines and the sea- shore Some
kept inns, and gathered many shekels by
disposing of bad food, and furnishing
poor beds to the Miners
" That means you, landlord" said Pc.
scy, interrupting The boy continued
"And the Seer watched all these me.
in their daily and nightly emp!oymenta
and took notes of their lives. Almos,
every one had left father or mother, o!
sister, or sweetheart in Jerusalem, end
maid the tears and anguish of parting
had promised to be faithful unto the end
but some had forgotten their promises
when far away Some would spent
whole evenings in discussing the merit:
of their dromedaries, and would do :hi:
night after night, until they did not have
an idea above the brute over which the,
had control"
THAT means you, Jake Farrcn, anc
you, Grimes, you miserable mule beating
infidels, said Posey.
The young man had delightful voice
was beautiful reader. aad as he proeee
ded, the interest in his narrative iacreas
ed. He read on:
"Some who were miners would worl
all day, and at night spend their las
shekel in game which, in Judea, wa
known as cinch
That's you, Mike Graley and Dan
McNaughton,' said Posey," you disrcp
utable poker playing frauds y
Again the reader proceeded: " Som
desired to be considered dangerous mel
and fighters, and would seek diliicultie
with men their Interiors, physically, tina
it might be told in the different mimi,
camps in Ophir that they were despegat
men with whom none might trihe.
THAT'S you. Sam. Brown, you COW
ardly buffer interrupted Posey.
And some" continued the boy
grew vain Of foolish exploits, an'
learned to expect praise for only dom!
their duty"
81 guess that's me-" said Pssey; "yo'
are given to such thoughts, sometimes
you know you are, you big, unthnkin|
rutiian
Almost all learned to drink the juic
of the upas tree, and when under its in
huence they were guilty of unmanly an'
dsgraceiu acts, which would hav
grieved their friends in Jerusalem sorely
had they deemed such thing possible.
"That's u.s. said Possy, " and sham
it is too"
The boy continued to read: AM
there hocked to Ophir strange womel
from Arabia aud Egypt and INDIAN, am
other lands, and beguiled the lsraelitcs
and made them forgetful of their dutie
and their VOWS
That hits the most of us, too,
guess" said Posey.
Still the boy read: AS the year