The Portland daily press., 1879-04-12
Yorick's Drawer.

VI tuc ROiueU uean, OF Lno middle way,
who is unjust. Yorick's sympathies are
with tie non-partisans, and be Is inclined to
take them at the huge value they set upon
themselves: but were he ambitious they are
certainly the last men he would site to-" Nor
does ne magnify their hesitancy OF decis-
ion." "Ariston Metron" doubtless remem-
bers the old story of the man who sat up all
night hesitating whether to take off his boots
or bis coat first The teller of that tale mag
nifes the fault of the people he ridicules.
Yorick doesn't believe the story; but he has
no doubt the man lost some hours sleep de-
batting the question.
"a prophet is not without honor, bat in
his own country" The converse of this
proposition is that prophet, whether true
or false, is received with faith or credulity in
other countries than his own. Going back
to the older Testament we are warned not to
hcarken TO the dreamer of dreams or to the
prophet that does not show the Divine
authority for his mission. We accept,
however, in their narrowest sense the words
recorded by Saint Mark. and neglect the
warning OF the law giver and the seer. We
assume that every man should be prophet
out of his own country. and that he knows all
about its history, its present condition, the
needs and wishes of its people, and can tell
us what is to be the outcome of its latest po-
litical movement. We eagerly ask the first
Frenchman we meet, if the Republic can
long maintain itself, and if Grevy is popular
with the people. He may not have been in
France for forty years, but we think he
knows much more about politics there than
do correspondents who have long been fa-
milar with its affairs and have made study
of its political and social condition. Nay,
we 60 farther than that. We assume that the
Frenchman must not only know all about
his own country but also all about the rest
OF Europe, and we question him concerning
the debate in the German parliament, or the
significance of Garibaldrs visit to Rome, or
the meaning of the wrangles of the Bulgar-
ian notables. Thus we do with other foreign
ers. We button.hole the first Cuban cigar
maker we meet and ask him if he doesn't
think King Alfonzo is little hasty about
marrying again. Yorick remembers an
Armenian who ran show of some sort and
got into suit at law in Maine. The case was
tried in York County, and during its pro-
gress the Asiatic, a long faced man who
looked very much like other men, was gazed
upon with great curiosity by the people of
Alfred. They saw horrid things in his sleepy
eyes and read vast possibilities of evil in his
face. He smoked cigarettes incessantly, and
an angel from heaven could not persuade the
shrewd villagers that he didn't roll
opium up in the little j. squares of
paper he twisted with his fingers.
He had but to lift his eyes when pretty
women passed-and they always were pass
ing in that town-and it was whispered
about that he was making purchases for his
harem. 1t was, of course, assumed that he
knew all about Armenia; and so the people
asked him, after he had been in the village a,
few days, to give lecture on Mount Ararat
and the Ark. BE was at first disposed to
comply with the request, but when given to
understand that the lecture was to be free,
declined the invitation.
Naturally enough these foreigners do not
fhe 60 "rree- ;s-~r~-.s, ~.4a-w1,on they Ind
information is expected of them they give it.
They may know nothing of the subjects con-
corning which they are questioned, but they
don't like to say so. They hate to disappoint
people. 1t is pleasant to be looked up to as
teachers. If they don't know they invent.
Like the circus-manager their aim is TO
please. They but avail themselves of the
time-honored license of travellers. They de-
light if they do not instruct, and it is always
a pleasure to listen to them-especially pleas
ant il they have the courteous manners and
prolific imagination of Southern ations.
There are certainly some European emil
grants in this country who were men of con-
sequence at home; there are some who have
been engaged in revolutionary movements
here. Very likely we shall find in the beer
cellars OF our great cities Italian conspir ators,
English radicals, French communists, Ger
man socialists, perhaps Russian nihilists-
men who take an active interest in European
affairs, and describe as Eueas did to Dido,
movements all of which they saw, and part
of which they were. But those who talk,
over tankard, so glibly Of revolutions and
conspiracies and describe fights behind barri-
cades or attempts at assassination, are very
likely impostors. They are trading upon the
credulity of the Yankee. Very likely they
write articles for our magazines aud newspa-
pers upon European politics that give great
comfort TO the American reader and huge
amusement to the intelligent European.
Let the curious one drop into one OF the
many Boston lunch cellars and he may meet a
man wearing ragged beard aud mysteri-
| GUS air, who will tell him ali about the
Nihilists. The man always takes brandy,
and between his frequent sips peers about
| cautiously to see that no Russian spies are
lurking in the room. Very likely he assumes
as part of his disguise an English name-per-
haps calls himself John Baker. twenty-five
years ago he would have given himself out as
| one of the Italian Carbonari and told of his
plans to exterminate the Austrian. Twelve
years ago he would have declared himself a
follower Of the mysterious "Marianne," and
hinted that Louis Napoleon was doomed to
death as traitor to the order. But Nihilists
are in fashion to-day, and so he confides to
you the latest plot for the murder of the
Gar. The sign by which he recognizes you
as brother is your nod to the waiter.
you delight in blood you can strike off the
head of king by ordering pony of brandy
In two houIs, If you keep your eve
on the waiter, every royal family in
Europe will be extermiaated. His con
versation is as entertaining as goot
melodrama and far more expensive. The
couspirator vanishes at times-usualy a
times when there are few visitors. What b,
does then is not known. Some think ht
sleeps. But it is more probable that h,
writes articles for the papers on Nihism.
The meaning of the following from
"Eboracus" lies in its application:
We are accustomed to consider our emi
grant ancestors as a hardy lot of pioneer
who lived in an age ofintellectual duskiness
We give them readily the credit of all th,
r