The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-10-25

7 Iu-
1--WE heard that people abroad wer
hospitable, he said, shut upon N
word, this kind of thing l didn't el
pect"
Ny friend glanced over the heap O
cards.
"Ahi' he said, ''the most influen,ia
names. They don't often call on new
comers- l suppose you impressed then
favorably yesterday. Sharp set of Eel
lows too! You had better lose N,
time inreturning their civilit y"
81 will make my return calls thii
afternoon" he said warmly. "Car
you give me an idea of the addresses?'
'No need. Every body knows every
body here. You have only to ask.
wish / could accompany you, but
shall be busy this afternoon"
$50 shall l., said 1, "but we viii
icok in upon you later"
"Oh! and stay to dinner, do" re
piled our your friend. and we readily
agreed.
To one of US, as it happened, the
offer of dinner was not to be lightly
treated
We were not surprised when, at tbs
proper hour, we made our appearance,
to see the young newcomer look weary
and depressed. He frightened up
when he saw US.
$50 kind of you to comel" he said.
And presently-''Either l must be
stupid at understanding directions, or
everybody does not know every body
in your settlement. Such wild goose
chase as 1 have had this afternoonq'
"What9" cried my friend with well
assumed surprise. "You didn't find
them9" And his voice so clearly COM
mented, "You must be a foolish fel
low!" that the young mans color rose.
II must have another trial, he said.
"But was not this strange? I showed
one of the names to member of your
police force. He directed me to the
road leading out of the settlement,and
l walked on for about an hour, expect
ing of course to reach some house. All
at cnce l found myself at the cemetery.
Ny friend laughed. "That man was
a wag; no doubt of it. However, wait
a few days till you know the place
better"
As you may have guessed, more than
half the cards, dropped by our orders
at the young mans door. bore the
name of men either dead or departed.
But long time passed before he found
this out, he might never have found
it out at all, but for-however, must
not anticipate.
To give in detail the practical Jokes
we play ed on our newcomer would be
impossible. One must tell you, for
it very nearly had tragic hnding.
Two or three of us had started with
him on shooting trip up the river. 1t
had pleased one of us, his first friend,
to feign a deep melancholy, from
which our newcomer sought in vain to
rouse him. The young fellow spoke
to me in private on the subject. sour
friend, he said, fought to be watched.
Men in his state of mind have been
known to do strange things" 1, of
course, encouraged bis fear We were
neither of US then much surprised
when, one evening, the melancholy
man, after hastily ringing our hands
and murmuring that sit could be
borne no longer. "ieaped into the river.
What followed helped me to under
stand the sequel of this story. With
out a moments hesitation that brave
young fellow threw off his coat and
boots, and dived after his friend. He
was not strong swimmer, however
and that little trick was near being cur
last. When we fished him up he was
half drowned.
He rose in our estimation from that
moment, though it was not in the ma
ture of things that we could give up
our diversion, and we were still plott-
ing against his peace, when hazard
called me away from our settlement to
a little place at some distance. Iwent
willingly for the house at which I was
to be entertained was presided over by
a young lady whom it always gave me
pleasure 70 meet. She was the daugh-
ter of the merchant / went to see; a
bright, clever and intelligent girl, and,
to my taste, peculiarly handsome. 1t
had struck me, moreover--no harm in
CO onfessing it now. There is an age,
you know, when we read volumes, in
a smile--it had struck me then that
the beautiful Eleanor Hartley had
special kindness for me.
But on this occasion it seemed to me
that something was wrong with Miss
Eleanor. She sustained her part In
the conversation only with effort. She
was languid and depressed.
''This detestable climate is telling on
her," Was my conclusion, and 1 outdid
myself in my efforts to be amusing.
At such times, as we know-if, that
IS to say, we are not born takers, like
our friends of the Emerald Isle-there
comes the moment when everything is
used up. Neither joke, nor pun, nor
lively anecdote will visit the distressed
brain. Nothing remains but to choose
between naked commonplace and dole.
full silence. Tome ,one evening at dinner
such moment came. Up to that
time Qor our host wes SILENT 1 had
done all the talking, and Miss Eleanor's
eyes had often mutely thanked me. I
could help her now no longer. In