The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-02-13
NOBODY'S STORY.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.


He lived ON the bank of a mighty
river, broad and deep, which was always
silently rolling on to vast, undiscov-
cred ocean. It had rolled on ever since
the world began. 1t had changed its
course sometimes, and turned into new
channels, leaving its old always dry and
barren; but it had ever been upon the
flow, and was ever to flow, until Time
shall be no more. Against its strong,
unfathomable stream nothing made
head. No living creature, no leaf, no
particle of animate or inanimate exist
ence, ever strayed back from the undis-
covered ocean. The tide of the river
set resistlessly. toward it, and the tide
never stopped, any more than the earth
stops its circling around the sun.
He lived in busy place, and he
worked very hard to live. He had no
hope of ever being rich enough to live a
month without hard work, but he was
quite content, God knows, to labor with
a cheerful will. He was one of an i'm
mense family, all of whose sons and
daughters gained their daily bread by
daily work, prolonged from their rising
up betimes until their laying down at
night. Beyond this destiny he had no
prospect, and he sought none.
There was oyer-much drumming,
trumpeting and speech-making in the
neighborhood where he dwelt, but he
had nothing to do with that. Such clash
and uproar came from the Bigwig fam
lily, at the unaccountable proceedings of
which race he marveled much. They
set up the strangest statues, in marble,
iron, bronze and brass, before his door,
and darkened his house with the legs
and tails of unceuth images of horses.
He wondered what it all meant, smiled
in rough, good -humored way he had,
and kept at his work.
The Bigwig family composed of all
thenoisiest) had undertaken to save him
the trouble of thinking for himself, and
to manage him and his affairs. "Why,
truly" said he, 81 have little time upon
my hands, and if you will be SO good as
to take care of me in return for the
money 1 pay over"-for the Bigwig
family were not above his money!
shall be relieved and much obliged, con-
sidering that you know best" Hence
thedrumming, trumpeting and speech
making, and the ugly images of horses
which he was expected to fall down and
worship.
81 don't understand all this" said he,
rubbing his furrowed brow confusedly
but it has meaning, maybe, if 1 could
find it out"
1T MEANS" returned the Bigwig fam
lily, suspecting something of what he
said, honor and glory in the highest to
the highest merit"
"Ohp' said he. And he was glad to
hear that.
But when he looked among the images
in iron, marble, bronze and brass, he
failed to find rather meritorious coun
tryman of his, once the son Of War
wickshire wood dealer, or any single
countryman whatsoever OF that kind
He could find none of the men whose
knowledge had rescued him and his fam
lily from terrific and disfguring diseases
whose boldness had raised his forefa
theirs from the condition of serfs, whose
wise fancy had opened a new and higl
existence to the humblest. whose skill
had filled the working mans world will
accumulated wonders, whereas he die
find others whom he knew no good of
and even others whom he knew mucl
i'll of.
"Humphl" said he, "I don't quit
understand it."
So he went home and sat down by hi
6reside to get it on. of his mind.
Now, his freside was bare one, al
hemmed in by blackened streets, but i
was a precious place to him. His chill
dren, stunted in their growth, bor
traces of unwholesome nurture, but the
had beauty in his sight. Above al
other things, it was an earnest desire Q
this mans soul that his children shoul
be taught. If am sometimes misled,
said he, " for want of knowledge, q
least let them know better, and avoi
my mistakes. 1t is hard for me to rea
the eharvest of pleasure and instructio
-. that is stored in books, let it be easier
them.n
But the Bigwig family broke into vi,
lent family quarrels concerning what
was lawful to teach to this mans chile
rem. Some of the family insisted O
such thing being primary and indi
pensible above all other things; an
others of the family insisted on sue
another thing being primary and indi
pensible above all other things; and Il
Bigwig family, rent into factions, wro
pamphlets, held convocations, delivert
charges, orations, and all varieties
discourses; impounded one another
courts Lay and courts Ecclesiastica
threw dirt, exchanged pummelings, al
fell together by the ears in unintelligih
animosity. Meanwhile, this man, in b
short evening snatches at his fresiG
saw the demon Ignorance arise the
and take his children to itself. He s.
his daughter perverted into hea1
slatternly drudge; he saw his son
moping down the ways of low sensualit
to brutality and crime; he saw
dawning light of intelligence in the ey
of his babies SO changed into cunni
and suspicion, that he could rather ha
wished them idiots.
"I don't understand this any better
said he; "but 1 think it cannot
right. Nay, by the clouded heay
above me, I protest against this as !
wrongp
Becoming peaceable again (for
passion was usually short-lived, and
nature kind), he looked about him
SUNDAYS and HOLIDAYS. and he saw n