River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-11-09
THE LATEST MAN on THE ISLAND
BY JOHN NJ. EAGER.

Ben futile, net-rnaker, fisherman
and fishmopger, strolled down the nar-
row strip of beach, and, giving his
clothes a vigorous tug to adjust them
into a comfortable position, seated
himself on the head f q keg, that lay
half buried in the white sand, washed
up By the surge, and gszed COM
piacently out toward the dimly dis
cernible horizon that is supposed to
separate Lake Michigan from the
ETHEREAL expanse above. This was his
custom on bright mornings.
dunno myself" was the reply OF
Ben on a certain occasion, when ques-
toned by an inquisitive sailor who
had observed his matuninal habit.
Dunno myself. I think its because
there's something kinder wakeful-like
in staring at yonder blue line-puts
me TO thinking. faint so with nothin'
else. Durn it when l plant my eyes
on the main land, it makes me teydus?
But the lake off yonder seems as
changeable as the waves that mount the
beach o. this ERE island"
The island referred to was triangu-
lar strip of sandy reef off the shore of
Lake Michigan, which, possessing
every natural advantage for the estab-
lishment of fish cries, had become the
home of a community of families,
chiefly the wives and children of lake
sailors and fishermen. Fishermen, as
class, are reputed to be of a particu-
larIy somnolent temperament, the out
growth of habits which characterize
the peculiarly HOMOGENEOUS avoca-
ton they follow. The fact that
Ben futile was possessed OF
this dissemination to action or
exertion was fragrant, and had won for
him the reputation of being the LATEST
man on the island and suggested the
fit sobriduet Of "Tired Ben," title by
which he was Familiarity known. sam
Skidgate, otherwise known as "The
Sickly," an opposite nickname given
him by some nautical wit, on account
of losing control of his gastronomic
organ during a certain terrific storm,
remarked on one occasion that "tother
day watched that Ben all the after
noon, an he didn't do nothin' but spy
toward the water as if he had a bet on
which craft 'on'd reach port first, and
the fish was Just playing tag through
his nets for the lnending they needed.
With q view to Justice in considering
"Tired Ben's" foibles, we feel warranted
in attributing the neglect of his pisca-
torial duties to abstraction rather than
physical laziness. Absent mindedness
as regards things commonplace, Is
often failing Of persons of 8 poetical
or philosophical turn of mind, and,
perhaps, Ben had a slight tincture of
the poetic or philosophical element IN
his mental composition although MS
mein did not disclose 1t; yet, when his
dull blue eyes dwelt earnestly on some
distant object, and his thoughts seemed
fixed ON something still more distant,
one could not help imagining that he
heard the sweet cadence of q lullaby,
felt soft hand gently smoothing the
flaxen curls and saw sad, sympathetic
ewes gazing into his, as the sunshine OF
memory lit his mind with the soothing
influence of the only affection that had
ever gone out toward him-hls
mothers love. On the occasion pre-
scented. he eazed with more than usual
intentness, in the direction of the in
somnis. creating horizon, appeared oo-
cupied with some perplexing problem,
and presently allowed his attention to
wander from it's accustomed cynosure
and seek inspiration from the whirling
eddies of beach sand, that chased up
and down the shore, playing around
the white bits of spars and beams that
the water had tossed from It's restless
booms.
Tired Ben" had task of some
what novel nature to perform that day.
and, unlike most duties that ordinarily
fell to his lot to execute, he could not
neglect it. He had call to make. He
felt. in a realizing sense, the tremerd-
ous weight of social obligation AMI the
necessity of its fSlfillment In proper
manner. Had he been aware that
there were to be Obtained at the near
est village manuals setting forth the
preverbial laws of society and rules Of
etiquette, he would undoubtedly have
procured and consulted one of these
volumes. although, possibly, it might
have proved too reconcile for compre-
hension, for it must be confessed that
certain portions of liberal education
had been denied him, and great pro-
portion of the opportunities for acquir-
ing a knowledge of the remaining por-
tons. to which he had access, were neg
lected. Hence he had recourse to the
omen book of nature. The natural mode
of proceeding in afdireS ddm0t~ usu-
ally verses a man in the social formula;
but Ben futile was a bachelor, and
utterly ignorant OF the mysteries OF
courtship; nevertheless he had once
experienced feeling resembling love,
and, when the blue horizon whispered
To him of the tender affection that
had filed his great lazy breast, the deep
lines on his bronzsd features softened
preceptibly and his eyes lowered to
contemplate the line of surf, whose
white capped waves washed up the
beach to the spot where he was seated,
and he mechanically scratched his sun
drowned nose with the stem of his pipe,
to counteract the tickling sensation
caused by big tear that coursed down
his face. In this love, as IN everything
else, he had demonstrated his Unborn
supineness. Kate Saveland, the sweet
heart of his boyhood, had never learn
ed in any avowal from his lips of the
tender sentiments he entertained. She
had married prosperous lake-captainr
brought into the world pretty blue
eyed girl baby, and now laid slumber-
ing with them that rest, IN the quiet
church yard, back on the mainland.
That Tired Ben" had never consid-
cred entering the matrimonial state is
doubtful. How could he, who was
unanimously condemned as "No good
on land or water" and whose usual ex.
ertions furnished him only scanty
subsistence during the most prosper.
Gus season, provide for a wife and pros
pective family? And the prospect of
large family would not be inconsider.
able on the island, with its invigorating
climate and exhilarating breezes, il
which children always thrive.
Molly, tine little daughter of Kate
Saveland was at the island paying s
visit to her Granny, plain old lady
occupying jointly with several similarly
plain old ladies a small hut in the in
sular community. Granny had beer
much interested in the childi;h friend
snip that had existed between hel
daughter Kate and the hero of thi:
simple story, and remarking that it'll,
Molly was "a regular picture of he
mother" earnestly requested Ben t.
"stop in the cottage and see her. fol
she added as altwinkle of pride span kleC