The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-26
NicxmAnxs
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NfcKNAl9go.
 lPeSks Sua-l
 lt is wonderful Aow collere boys rrasp al the least thing tc make if unconfors- able tos enc ot their number. A son ol President Arthur, vAo is as Psincseoa college. has his hfe made . burden to him 6y beng called by thsnickmame of " Precious Thing.' He is never called by any name except fsecious Thing. and il gals him. The way As got the aame vas peculiar. The psesidsns took tho young man to Princeton, when he entered that college, and the boys gave the great man and his sou serenade. The presi- dent aeknowiedged the compliment, and made little speech. in which he said, You can see how much think of Princeson, by my leaviag my son, the most precious thing have ia life. here with you." The young galoess and edn- caiioned hoodlams gave three cheers ios the president, and then some one pro- posed three cheers mcreoor his precs- ous thing and that scssled is. Young Arthur. alluded 10 by his father ax the most precious thing in life, beame . pre- cious thing in ridicule. lf boy could be called precious thing" by girlA with al! that the name implies, il would not se so bad. but to have six hundred boys constantly calling hun Precious Thing is too much, and the young man is broke up. 1t is !" Here. you irecious Thing, lend me your lsckkniSe.r or Precious Thing. pull dovn ysur vest" i" until he wishes he were dead. His father meant the expression as one of endear- ment, showing the love he bore his son. and he supposed he was addressing . 10, of human beings with hearts concealed about their persons, but they were only college hasers, with no respect for the decencies of lsfe. and they would make fun of anything. The president can't take his son away from there and send him to another college, as tho name would follow him, % he has to bear 1t as bes, he can. But he would give . good deal to have his name changed. It beats all hc. . nickname caee given to boy will follow him through life. We once knew a freckied, red-headed boy who was homeiy enough to stop . clock. His mother did not believe he vas homeiy, because he was her pet, and t vas her habit to call him Bmdie." Al home he did not mind i, 90 much, but aa he grew older he was afraid the good mother would some day call him " Birdie " in the presence ot the other boys, and he knew what effect it would have. Dne day dozen boys were playing in the mud, and the mother of the ireckied boy needed him in her business, co she went out with her apron over her head, in yell ing distance ot the boys, and sang out, Birdie, come here night away.h As Birdie ;" dropped the mud pie he was building and started home across lots be heard the boys snicker, and one ot them said, 70, come Birdie come, and live with me-" The freckled faced boy knew hear the last of BirSie," and he va. right The next tune he showed up among the boys one of them said, "O here comes Birdie Look at him. He mus, be a red-headed wood becker T Th.. settled II He ~ax called nothing bu, Birdie from that out. He tried whipping the boys for calling him the pet name, but he go, whipped ofteneI than he whipped his antagonist, and for fifteen years, or until he had arrived al mans estate, he vas familiasly called Birdie" He got accustomed to il after few years, SO that he could live through ii, bu, it was long struggle, and a hard one. Finally he went away from the place, out into the world, and fof thirty years struggled along. until finally he had accumulated some money and built up good business Last year hs we,.. back to the old home for q Gew days He was gray, and oorpulent, tat and jolly. He wanted to find some of the old boys, and inquired for them. All =e-e gone. srastered 10 the four winds by death. going west, ese., all excep. one, who vas on farm. The visitor hired . team and went out to the farm. A gray. haired man was out in a field, on top ol wagon load Of fertilizer, pitching it of' with pitchiosk. The vis,tor went up fc the wagon, spoke to the farmer. vho stopped pitching the unsavory mass long enough to spit on his hands and look q the visitos. He looked z moment at the man on the ground, smile broke owe, his face, and he shouted, swcv te gosh, # it ain't Birdie" and he got dowr of the load and hugged us until ve coult hardly breathe, and made us go into ths house and stay to dinner. Though thirt, yeass had paced, and each had almos forgotten the other, in moment the ok school days came up, and ii was Birdie | again. But it vas not bad to take I'm Precious Thing" at Princsaon may b annoyed, but some day. thirty years from nov, he will be glad to have one of ih, boys cali him by his nickname.
 The Life of . Mosiem Woman.
 1" Fl MAhdi and the Soadan, ' by Gen. Lorins
 Universally the Modem women knos