Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-10-03

| kOb UP oN hdlllkhb bub tOlu Mlnb0i
mornings and broil our bacon, cook our
hominy and make our coffee. Then in
the evening, when we met again, he
would often offer suggestion of sup
per. occasionally had dim suspic-
ion, which sometimes amounted to a
certainty, that the poor fellow needed
his supper, having had neither luncheon
nor dinner, so never begrudged it. In
fact, begrudged him nothing. He was
most delightful companion, and over
our oysters andlager beer would pour out
confessions suggestive, romantic, heart
stirring. could not admire him enough.
felt myself q tame, shabby fellow be.
side him, mere foil to his brightness.
His wardrobe was scanty, poor DEVIL
and he had knack of wearing clothes
so much better than l that liked to
see him in my things. He shared my
coats and trousers as he shared my
room, and that he should make unstint-
ed use of my neckties and handker-
chiefs was a matter of course.
But one day, when came in after my
umbrella and overshoes, and found that
he had gone out and carried them off,
/ began to sulk little over Paul's free
and-easy ways. remembered with
some aoerbity that his part of our con-
tract had not been carried out. had
paid the rent, furnished breakfast and
supper, and had thatvery morning paid
his bill TO the laundress, who had be-
come importunate and threatened to
keep back his small stock of linen. On
no occasion had | ever seen any money
OF Paul except at Christmas, when he
invited me with lordly good-nature to
dine with him at Martigny's, remarking
that Christmas comes but once a year,
and that we would dine well. Even
then his hospitality lost its force and
was little marred by the circumstance
that had to pay for the second bottle
of wine.
But on this particular afternoon was
led to softenedfeeling for PauPs faults
by the fact that had received an invi-
tation to dinner for the next day. Tom
Thatcher had just come back from Eu-
rope with his father and sister Lulu.
They were the oldest and best friends |
had in the world, and Lulu had adored
almost from my infancy. Tom had
hunted me up almost as soon as he
landed, and urged me to dine with them
the very next evening at the old house
on Twenty-fifth street. Accordingly,
as said before, was well inclined to
forgive Paul for carrying away my over
shoes and umbrella, for otherwise /
should have missed Tom and thus lost
my invitation. When Paul came in and
began to explain how he came to wear
my overshoes, etc., / interrupted him
with an "All right! I'm glad you did
So"
Brix," he returned with fervor,
you're a capital fellow! You have
treated me like brother and"
THAT was the compact" said l; " we
were to share and share alike"
"If l ever get rich" exclaimed
Paul, with some ardor.
looked at him and laughed. Itwas
evident that Paul had some personal
schemes in view, and diverted myself
a little all the next day, imagining what
wonderful financial successes he was
hoping for. Twas in capital spirits, al
though the day was afatiguing one and
l did not leave the office until long
after FIVE, and / was engaged to dine
with the Thatchers at half-past six. /
sped up town by the Elevated road,
whisked along Fourteenth street, down
University Place to Twelfth, and found
when reached my room had forty
minutes to shave and dress in. Paul
was out-had apparently been out all
day, for there was no litter of books or
manuscripts around. 1 felt sorry for
the poor fellow, lonely, unlucky, cut
off from domestic ties and the pleasant
| intimacy of friendly homes, forced to
console himself with bitter and barren
philosophy and look to doubtful and
distant future for the scant rewards of
his fidelity to principles which the rest
of the world hated and disowned.
While shaved felt myself, in con-
trast with him, a pampered child of
entire box of cigars, that he might en-
joy at least such meagre comfort when
he came in.
In this tender mood l went to my
wardrobe to get my dress-clothes. They
were not there. Hooked in the clothes
press, looked everywhere. 1 did not
readily admit the possibility that they
were actually gone. There are circum.
stances which embitter friendship.
swore at Paul with most cordial pro-
family. He had gone out attired in my
dress-suit. Irrefragable proof: his own
habiliment Che had but the one set OF
garments) hung in the closet.
Every man has his vulnerable point.
l had liked Paups views of universal
brotherhood; there was something en-
nobling in the renunciation of selfish
individual claims; but man has never.
theless rev fnallenablo riShts, and
one of them is certainly the undisputed
tenure of his solitary dress-suit.
This was Communism, was itP This
was the upshot of those fine theories
Here was l, plodding, Woodworking
fellow, who had economical in all sorts
of ways to keep himself in the condition
of a gentleman, the prey of lazy vag
abond who spent his time in quarrel
ing with the universe instead of making
his living like other men!
Where could he have worn my
clothesP What need existed of hi
making an appearance in faultles:
evening attire among his shabby Bohe
mian coterieP
Time passed while / was in the
clutches of this painful dilemma
Should send an excuse to the Thatch
er's, or commit the glaring improprie
ty of going to the dinner in my rough
morning -clothesP Even if Tom and hi
father overlooked the fault, the fail
Lulu would observe it with feminine
fastidiousness, and make up her minC
that was altogether sunk below hel
ideal. But had no messenger to send
and determined to go and avenge my
wrongs by telling everybody the reason
of my being in this plight. There wa
no end to the clever, satirical observa
tions concerning Paul and his fantastic
theories l made to myself on the way t.
Mr.. Thatcher's.
Ifound that the family had already sa
down to table, and was at once usheret
into the dining-room. MIR. Thatche
nodded to me and held out couple o