Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-06
Gales and Sketfkes.
eUR CeLosRL's sroRY.

ultimately. Perfectly" las we'll
as nv own brother sir - most OF US re-
piled. though. if the truth be told. there
was not man at the mess-table who had
ever heard of Mr.. Mcpherson before. You
see it was the commanding officer who
spoke, and 1t was always risky saying him
nay when he expected yea.
They used to call him, you recollect.
The Great Unwashed :" vulgar but APP
propriate sobriquet nevertheless, contiii-
ued the chief. Great on account of his
burly and previously ugly person; un-
washed, by reason OF his accredited scant
acquaintance with brown windsor, spring
water and the functions OF the dhirzees
and dhobies, i. e. tailors and washmen of
the land.
On his coffee estate in the mountains.
and among his undraped and unscrubbed
coolies. this regard for the comforts and
convenience Of life went for nothing, per-
haps it was even in keeping with the sur
roundings; 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
to outrageous. and his brother X. Z. BIS
meaning Knights Of the Coffee Berry. ard
not, as you might suppose. of the Ordcr
of the Bath, dressy men hereabouts, what
ever they are on their plantations, cast
them completely into the shade by their
get-up and gorgeousness.
As for the syinsters and young widows
of the station, by MARS. Bacchus, Apollo,
yivornm," as Colonel Damas in the play
puts it, there was scarce one but who
fought shy of admitting him into her pres
ence as a morning visitor, much less as
| 4f fha- hlnnnrInO
ladies were on the sharp lookout tor the
silken chains of matrimony, and Barkis-
that is to say, McPherson-was as they
knew, willing.
But disadvantages of person and attire
notwithstanding he was right good fel-
low, this same gentleman. He was hon
est, Woodworking, thrifty, simple minded:
and from being a mere adventurer with
out interest, friends or money. he had,
selfhelped only, saved up the bawbees
little by little; and bought patch alter
patch. acre after acre. of virgin land; cut
down its timber. cleared it, planted it.
and now he had squatted down free from
encumbrances on Ailsa Craig, as he called
his property, as pretty and as fruitful "A
small coffee estate as could be found in
one of the most picturesque districts Of
this lovely island.
wish that | could give you 4 faint idea
of the exquisite beauty of its scenery. AS it
stood on range of lofty hills looking out
on still higher mountains, clothed to their
very SUBMITS with hoary 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 incessant roar into
flaming river below. | would | were
able to picture the slopes green with
scented grass, the fields white at one sea
son with snowp blossoms, and at anoth'
red with the ripening fruit of the coffee
bushes, the towering crags glowing with
bright tropical flowers. and the steep de-
clivities verdant to their very bases with
ferns and lichens. | can't do it boys, and
won't try. All that | want to let you
know is that it was deuced nice sort of
place, this habitant of the Mcpherson; and
that to be settled there with ones house
hold gods and coffee selling at seventy or
eighty shillings per hundred weight in the
market would paw precious deal better
than does her most gracious Majesty
God bless her and the command of this
dear old corps with its unruly subs.
30, no doubt. too, thought its owner as
he lolled and smoked at his cottage-front
and gazed at the silver bloom or the rudd,
cherries of his trees growing almost up to
the very door. But it was poor, ungar
nished comfortless, higgledy- piggledy
sort of homestead. that same dwelling
house tor whatever else friend Sandy
had done toward the identifying and fer
tilizing of his land his rooftree, like his.
wardrobe, had been utterly neglected.
Both wanted Just exactly what he thought
they did-the wife element to set them
ship-shape and presentable; and as You
have heard before. for that desideratum
he was on the qui vive.
Now, you young gentlemen who are
in the habit of lawn-tennising. afternoon
teaing. talking, spooning, walking. driv
ing, with all the feminines, plain and
colored, of this place. and who think that
they have only to ask and be received
which beg and entreat you will not be put
to the test, cutting up the mess and so on
can't perhaps realize to yourselves the
difficulties the worthy am speaking of
had met with in even this overstocked
matrimonial emporium, The Anglefralls.
the Hunters, the IIookers, lots of girls
whom will not name, had snubbed or
turned up their pretty noses at him when
he came a-wooing and so, nolens volens.
he remained bachelor. anathemizing
his i'll luck, and venting his disappointment
upon the backs of Sinking and recusant
Tamil coolies, the recognized natural
enemies of coffee and the scapegoat of its
cultivators.
Then as a last resort he sought among
his brethren of the berry round, counsel
as to the most advisable method of getting
the so-needed helpmate and the first man
he consulted was Herr Thaler, successful
and rich German, whose estate bordered
on Ailsa Craig.
$50, so - said that parsonage. "Lere
ia noting more easy. Zave off Eat ragget
beard. burn in re fire zose old clothes not
fit for 'Oundsditch or any Juden Strasse,
buy Won big fob, mein friend, get some
Europe-muster coats, and zen return TO &c
frauleins and vidder fraus vid re monish-
bags in re 'ands. If gay will not ave zou,
zey will take re rupee; frost 'em for Eat.
nv zon."
| But the recommendation was unpalata-
BILE, and to a great extent impracticable,
so another fidus Achates was appealed to-
one Jack lie Geste. a man much addicted
to chaff and practical joking.
| fCcrt,craJ o., ,,orrnv