Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-07-28
Gales ano Sketfbes.
OUR CoLoSEL's sfoRY:
Or, SLIP 'TwIxT THE CUP AND THE
LIP


as my own brother. sir,' most of Us re-
piled, though. if the truth be told, there
was not man at that mess-table who had
ever heard Of Mr.. Mcpherson before. You
see. it was the commanding officer who
spoke. and it was always risky saying him
nay when he expected yea.
They used to call him, you recollect.
the Great Unwashed' vulgar but ap-
propriate sobriquet nevertheless" con-
tinued the chief. ''Great, on account of
his burly and previously ugly person un-
washed, by reason of his accredited scanty
acquaintance with brown windsor, spring
water and the functions Of the dhirzees
and dhobteS, /. c., tailors and washermen
OF the land.
.'On his coffee estate in the mountains.
and among his undraped and unscrubbed
coolies, this disregard for the comforts
and convcniences Of life went for nothing,
perhaps it was even in keeping with the
surroundings ; but when he came down to
this city. walked in its public gardens and
esplanade, or showed with its swells at
the band, his appearance was something
too outrageous and his brother X G.. BIS.
meaning Knights Of the Coffee Berry, and
not, as you might suppose. Of the Order
Of the Bath, dressy men hereabouts, what
ever else they are on their plantations,
cast him completely into the shade by
their get-up and gorgeousness.
..As for the spinsters and young widows
of the station bv Mars. Bacchus, Apollo,
virorum,' "a Colonel Damas in the plav
puts it, there was scarce one but who
fought shy Of admitting him into her pres
ence as a morning visitor, much less as
suitor, though many Of these blooming
ladies were on the sharp lookout for the
silken chains Of matrmony. and Barkis-
that is to say, McPherson-was. as they
knew. willing.
"But. disadvantages Of person and at
tire notwithstanding. he was a right good
fellow, this same gentleman. He was
honest. hard-working, thrifty, simple
minded and from being a mere adven-
turcr without interest, friends or money.
he had, sell-helped only, saved up the
bawbees little by little had bought patch
after patch, acre after acre, of virgin land
cut down its timber, cleared it, planted it
and now he had squatted down free from
membranes on Aisa Craig, as he called
his property, as pretty and rs fruitful
small coffee estate as could be found in
one of the most picturesque districts Of
this lovely island.
'Iwish that Icould give you even afant
idea of the exqsite beauty Of its scenery.
as it stood on n range of lofty hills look
ing out on still higher mountains, clothed
to their very SUBMITS with hoarv forest
trees ! wish | could paint that mighty
waterfall. almost beside the house, as it
came rushing and tearing over beds and
boulders of rock, tumbling with an inces-
SAINT roar into the ioaming river below. |
I l., Ia. 81
green with scented grass, the fields white
mt one season with the snowy blossoms,
and ut another red with the ripening fruit
of the coflee-bushes. the towering crags
glowing with bright tropical flowers. and
the steep declivities verdant to their very
bases with ferns and lichcns. | can't do
it boys and won't try. All that want
to let you know is that it was n deuced
nice sort of place this habitat of the Nc
Pherson and that To be settled there with
ones household gods and coffee selling mt
seventy or eighty shillings per hundred
weight in the market would pay Il precious
deal better than does her most gracious
Majesty-t,od bless her and the COM
mand OF this dear old corps with its un-
ruly subs.
80. no doubt. too. thought its owner
rs he lollcd and smoked ut his cottage
front and gazcd Mt the silver bloom or the
ruddy cherries of his trees growing al
most up TO the very door But it was a
poor uugarnished comfortless higgledy-
piggledy sort of a homestead that same
dwelling house for whatever else friend
Sandy had done toward the beautitving
and fertilizing of his land his roof-tree.
like his wardrobe. had been utterly
neglected. Both wanted Just exactly
what he thought they did-the wife ele-
ment to set them ship-shape and present.
able; and rs YOU have heard before tor
that desideratum he was on the qui rirc.
Now, You young gentlemen who are
in the habit oi lawn-tennising. afternoon
teaing. talking. spooniug, walking, driv-
ing. with all the feminincs. plain and
colored. of this place. and who think that
you have only to ask and be received
which beg and entreat YOU will not put
To the test. cuttingup the mess and so on
can't perhaps realize to yourselves the diff
cultes the worthy am speaking of had met
with in even this overstocked matrimonial
emporium. The Anglefralls, the Hunters.
the Hookers. lots of girls whom will not
name. had snubbcd or turned up their
pretty noses at him when he came a-woo-
ing and so. noiens roIeHs. he remained a
bachelor, anathematlzing his ill-luck. and
venting his disappointments upon the
backs of shirking and recusant Tamil
coolies. the recognized natural enemies of
coffee and the scapegoats ofits cultivators
Then rs last resource he sought.
among his brethren of the berry around.
council us to the most advisable method of
getting the so-needed helpmste; and the
first man he consulted was Herr Thaler. II
successful and rich German. whose estate
bordered on Ailsa Craig.
- SO. so" said that parsonage. .Zere
is noting more easy. Zave off zat ragcet
beard. burn in re fire zose old clodes not
fit for 'Oundsditch or any Juden Strasse.
huy Won big tob. mein frend. get ZONE
Europe-muster coats, and zen return to ze
frauleins and vidder-frans vid re monish-
bags in re 'ands. If zey will not ave zou.
zcy will take re rupee; frost 'em for Eat.
my zon.'
.'But the recommendation was unpalat-
able. and to great extent impracticable,
so another fdaS Achdtcs was appealed to.
one Jack lie Geste. a man much addicted
to chaff and practical joking.
=. In this land of pearls and precious
stones. no go, my dear boy said Mr.. le