The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-12-11

OF humor. I thought of a travelling
/ had once visited and tried TO
picture myself, in a green suit, with bat
like wings, playing the part of hobgob-
lin in the comedy of life. But l have
often since had occasion to observe, es-
pecially in my professional career, that
comedy and tragedy walk hand in
hand. just as / was watching the red
forttr, having been blown together by
a gust of sleety wind, dancing and
flirting in the most indecorous manner
behind their wearers' backs, there rose
a shout behind us.
1.-THE bull! Look out! The BULL" 1
knew the meaning of that cry too well.
l knew what a ~ferocious animal it was
that Farmer Ingram kept stalled up in a
corner of the lot through which we
were passing. In summer we school
children always summed this pasture,
but through the winter the bull was kept
in confinement and I had entertained
no thought of peril. How well I re-
member that instant! There was no
time for dreaming then. The spark OF
manhood in my blood burst into flame.
I looked upon life and death, and honor
outshone them both. Ifelt a strange
exultation and complete self-possession.
The furious beast, its tail erect and head
bent low, maddened by the sight of the
red cloak, was rushing full upon Miss
Lincoln, who had but just caught sight
of it and stood pale as a ghost, helpless
from utter terror. Throwing down my
books, l hurried toward her as fast as
my hobbling limbs would carry me. /
could not play yer the hero gracefully,
you see My grandfather turned his
head at the same time and without the
pause of an instant. old as he was,
whirled his mighty cane above his head
and dashed across the snow to meet the
bull. But his foot slipped on the CLASSY
crust and he fell heavily, the cane be-
ing thrown Intellectually from his hand,
right before the feet of the red-eyed
brute, who trampled him as he plunged
onward, without pausing, toward the
helpless girl. l remember thinking even
then, in the supreme moment of perils
what shameful bigotry it was in the
prejudiced creature to fly into such a
passion with any one for offending his
fastidious taste in dress. / saw but one
course of action open before me, not
dignified nor glorious, but perhaps capa-
BILE of saving a woman's life. A boy
could not fight; a cripple could not run;
but / was a light little fellow and might
possibly slide safely down the bank and
out upon the ice, where Mr.. Bull woul
find it embarrassing to follow.
Quicker than the thought, I had torn
the obnoxious scarlet cloak from the
teachers shoulders, and, holding it by
the tassel, fiourished it SO Extensively in
the animals eyes as he drew near that
he swerved from his path, with a low
snort of fury, and directed his charge at
once against myself, who had leapt as
far away from Miss Lincoln as 1 could.
l scrambled back to the very edge OF
the embankment and even as I felt the
hot breath of. the beast upon my face,
threw my heels owe my head with a
shrill, derisiye boot, and, curled into a
ball, still clinging to the cloak, rolled
down the steep incline and out upon the
river. The exasperated bull pitched
headlong after me, 1oundered a mo-
ment in the drifts, through whose crust
he broke forthwith, and, rendered
frantic by his obstinate and ugly wrath,
blind to everything except that fiutter-
ing red rag, rushed heavily out upon
the thin sheet of ice, which crashed and
gave way beneath him. In one instant
more he was caught as in a trap, the
greater part of his body immersed in
the bitter cold water and jagged edges
of ice cutting his tough hide at every
struggle.
Welt That was all. There was
nothing more for me to do but rub my
poor lame legs and hobble up the bank
again. 1 felt that 1 did not cut exactly
a heroic figure, as / crept YEARLY across
the snow, leaving Farmer Ingram and
his men to extricate the believing bull,
which was in danger of drowning itsell
by its impatient plunges. My only re
greet was that the red tassel had been
wrenched from the cloak. Hound Miss
Lincoln, her eyes flooded with grateful
tears, supporting my grandfather, who
was much shaken by the excitement and
the fall, aud more severely hurt than
any of us as yet surmised by the tramp.
ling he had undergone
As 1 limped up to them, hat crushed
and jacket awry, brushing off the
patches of snow from clothes with one
hand, while in the other 1 still graspec
the cloak and tassel, Miss Lincoln, t.
my CONSERVATION, threw her arms aboul
my neck and kissed me.
.sYou are the dearest little boy in the
world, Ralph" she cried, with no trace
of the spelling-book left in her eagel
speech, show can I ever thank youp"
But / think a finer thrill passed
through my frame, when the white
haired sea Captain, for the first time il
our two lives, gave me his honored han(
and said in those deep tones, never be
fore so gracious to my ears:
IL "Well done, my grandson. 1t wa
the deed of a Rainford."
My log has burned to ashes. I mus
light my chamber candle and go to bed
There is nothing more to tell, unles
you care to hear that when l was actu
ally confronted with the question,
found it easier to ask Miss Lincoln fol
the red tassel than for her hand, ant
my grandfather for a medical education
than permission to set up housekeeping
.sWhy do you choose to be a doctor
RalphPn he queried, not unkindly.
s.Wha better use can 1 make of m,
brains, since they are all of the Rainfore
in me, than by setting them to the hell
of other poor fellows, who may be in al
hard a case as minep" 1 answered il
the shrill tone that penetrated his dul
ears most readily.
LAY, ay, that is true," he responded
musingly, .'your eyes have a flash Xix,
your fathers, Ralph. 1t is the spirit
after all, that makes the man."
And my poor grandfather, who neve,
knew another well day from the hou,
when the bulls hoofs passed over him
expended his money upon me LIBERAL,
and lived to feel his sufferings frightened
by my skill. After working hard at m,
books this side of the water, I studied
in the foreign hospitals for severa
years. and published a little pamphlet
upon my return, which gained me SOM
convenient reputation among my neigh
bors. 1 did not marry Miss Lincoln
largely for the reason that she preferre'
to marry some one elsa missionar-