The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-26
FELIX BLANKENSHIP.
CHAPTER I.

proprietor of the Stynx, literary weekly with tendency toward reform and full department of household receipts. Mir Blankepship is so appreciative of we'll turned piece of sentiment or a quiet ex- precision of humor, that such little bits often find their way, without credit, into the columns of his journal Miss Clarissa Porter, an old young" lady with whom Felix was much in love, demonstrated with him concerning this piracy.
 Why, Miss Clarissa," said he on one occasion, "you have no moral right to complain on this score, for your own scrap-book is filled with uncredited arr ticles. You do not pretend that you are ignorant of their origin"
 "Oh, yes, am, Mir. Felix, for clipped many of them from your paper"
 "Your stilletto," said Felix gravely, I" is ever directed against my breast"
 Then, my dear sir, do not press your self against its point"
 But sometimes run upon it un- awares."
 Knowing that its point is ever toward you should inspire caution"
 Excess ofcaution is sometimes worse than recklessness. Walking gently through the grass we may be bitten by a snake, but running through we may es- cape the reptile.n
 But knowing that the snake is in the grass, we should neither walk nor run through; we should go around the dangerous place."
 "Come. Clarissa, away with these thrusts. Defense requires as much en- ergy as attack"
 "Oh, have no desire to attack you, Felix, bu, do wish that you would credit selected matter. It would be SO much more convenient for me-"
 How so 7"
 "Why, you see, it would be a guide by which l could skip the original matter"
 Miss Clarissa's brother Jim was lazy fellow of unusual proportions. Size adds greatly to the appearance of laziness. A small man may be lazy, yet he sometimes has deceit of movement that is often mistaken for nervous energy. Jim had the disadvantage of size and actual lazi- ness. Jim and the editor were great friends, why, no one knew, unless it were that Blankenships love for the sister stopped over and formed puddle of friendship for the brother. This is natural: it often reconciles an intellectual disparity that would otherwise prove de- structive to friendship.
 One evening Jim and the editor were walking in the suburbs of the city. Do you smell those magnolias ?r asked Blankenship.
 No. 1 suppose could, but to go around through the country sniffing the air is too deucedly tiresome."
 You are peculiar man, Jim. .don't know that ever saw such fellow. What do you intend to do when"
 "I grow upY'
 ~Grow up. repeated the editor, de- risiveiy. "i don'. know that I ever saw a man more completely grown up. Why don't you do some kind of work5"
 Haven't got any to do."
 "Why don't you look for some2 Why don't you learn a trade?'
 "Well," stopping and lazily leaning against fence, the trades have about all been learned"
 But how are you going to live P
 @That's question. After awhile, pr ,b- ably, when get rested, I'll turn in and labor like an engine. am weary a, present"
 ~I dent know what has made you veay?"
 Having to think so much."
 "Think! What the deuce do you thinh about7"
 @How to keep from work"
 "Yes, l suppose 70. It is a pity that you haven't got some of your sisters en- erUr
 "She needs all she's got. A little iess ard probably she would not have caught yoa. Rsquirss an iadnstrious girl tc handas curl papen. Heisho. Let's hush awAile. Tn tired.s
 Baankenship looked at his friend, and had begun tophilosophize oa the strange nsss q his mental and physical condi. dsss when large dog jumped over the