The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-01-12
TRE BLACK AND DIR. Ell
DEk.

The Critic recently heard an excel
lent story about Judge Jere Black, the
distinguished lawyer aud politician.
and DR.. William Elder, also u promi
nent Pennsylvania and now an OH
cial in the Treasury Department.
Both gentlemen We're horn in SoMer
set. Pa, and wer. friends from early
boynO"d. Both We're excellent story
~tellers, aud both had ii wealth Of s,o-
ries OF their early life.
Black was particularly proud Of a
description Ut the way in whirh h.
first read Don QnixO,e. and was fond
OF relating 1t whenever al arnrecia,ive
audience con:d be secured. Tine story
was that in his fathers garnet at Snmcr
set there stood an old hair trunk in
the earliest days of the embryo Judges
career, when his young mind had just
begun to feel the want Ut more varied
literary resources than the standard.
d0g-eared volumes his fathers limit
ed library afforded. Jere was ,nyes-
tigatiDg the garnet one rainy day for
some diversion, when he CHANGED to
open the old trunk and observed that it
- Uo'" 100 was tAC p!O CUStOuU, Will
leaves of Il book. Little Jsre was sur
prlsed and somewhat Interested. An
examination proved that the book was
''Don Q~aixote,' and that almost all
the pages had been used in lining the
trunk. Jere. soon BECAME interested
IN "Don..Qnixotc" and his faithful squire.
and as he traced the pages further. he
grew more and more pleased, delight
ed. excited and absorbed. The open
ing chapter was found under the lid If
the trunk, ami Jer. began to read the
wondroas story, and page by page he
followed the winding plot, rivaii''g the
exploits of the redUabtabl- Don as he
sat one with his head in the
tronk, then climbed I'M" the truuk TO
read what was posted on the sides, lay
on his back. with the trunk lid Oh the
top Ofhim. while be perused the bottom.
stood Oh his head tn get u nearer view
OF the obscure Corners, and in this aero, |
batic manner mastered the story, gath
ed Impressions that cIuns to him
throughput his life, aud made everlast
ing friendships with luckle.s Sancho
Panza aud cratic Don Quixotp.
Judge Black told the story we'll. and
It was we'll known among his friends. |
One evening a large gathering of liter
ary and political people. including
Judge Black aud DR.. Elder, were talk
ing Of the books of their boyhood, and
az there were a few persons present
who never heard the story referred to.
the Judge was about to tell it, when
Or. Elder began unexpectedly:
II will never forget the circumstance
under which | first read DON Quixote,
when l was a boy. The pages Of the
book were pasted as a lining in an old
hair trunk in my fathers garrett. and I
went through more gymnastics in fol-
on behisd the Don's faithful
steed through all the sides, angles ami
trays ut that old trunk than l have at.
tempted since.
Judge Black listened sp~eechlessly to
tho recital and those who had heard
him tell the story glanced suspiciously
from Doctor to Judge.
1t was evident that somebody had
stolen the story 0r that the Doctor had
it to quiz the Judge, and
The latter was not only surprised, but
, good deal clagrined. For u long
time Black felt hurt over the theft Of
his story, or the iidicule of his friend /:
Dot, after many months. meeting Dr..
Elder ON the street one day he said:
doctor, 90 you remember our stO-
les Ut Don Quixote ia a hair trunk I
Well, that mystery has been cleared
Up. | have found that when W. both
lved at Somerset my father bought
hat old trunk from your father, and
both read Don Quixote the same
way out Of the same trunk.-Washing
Critic.