The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-26
MET PERRIN
Betsy Ann, in Denver Times.1

SCC HI thG to~oA press Ot yEstCtOd that Eli Perkins" " still lives. One c the papers r.produces letter by hi hand from Saratoga Springs. He seem as lasting as brass. know little o him personally. met him first tel years ago on gulf steamer, bound tt Galveston, Texas. from Morgan City Louisiana. My chaperone de voyage wa an elderly lady of freezing dignity at al times and, as rule, absolutely deaf, anc sightless to any approach from stranger away from home. She had observed tn, easy familiarity of one of the gentlemen among the ships passengers and warned me against him. "l shah be really much displeased with you," she said, eff yor permit this forward, impertinent fellow it engage you in any conversation" Hav' ing previously looked him over and mol found him outwardly to my taste, promised, in good faith, to be as polar and repellent to any advance from him as she could wish.
 The same evening, few hours later, on the promenade deck, under the moon. light, found her on the arm of the same gentleman, and so interested in his con- versation that she passed and repassed me several times without seeing me. As soon as she did see me she called me to her, and introduced "Mr, Melville Lan- don, of New York, the distinguished jour- nalist and author" l bowed very snffly and said nothing. MT. Landon said nothing, either, but before could defend myself he coolly took my hand and, drawing 1t under his disengaged elbow, resumed, thus additionally burthened, his walks and his talks. l do not re- member any of his talk, but shall nevt r forget the general impression of his sub lime, overwhelming impudence. The effect of it on me was to rapidly displace my anger and fill me with helpless sort of wonder-a kind of fascination.
 A little impudence. like a little learn ing, Is dangerous thing-very-but the illimitable quantity, combined with the pure quality, am convinced, Is genius of the highest order.
 The removal of mountains by faith is a theory, but the resistless force of such impudence is to my mind demonstrated and living fact in MT. Melville Landon, better known to fame as Eli Perkins" That the proposition cannot be logically proved is an objection that would vanish from anybody's mind under the briefest experiment of his presence.
 Alter this meeting on ship-board saw no more of him until, five years ago, chanced to see him again in Chicago. He was seated then, at one end of a long table, with green baize cover, in small writing-room for gentlemen, on the second floor of the Palmer house. l was stand ing near the door of tke room, in the hall outside, waiting for companion, while she returned to our chamber for some forgotten article. l avoided looking into the room until impelled to it by famil- iar-sounding voice therein and a rather peculiar question "Can anybody tell me how to spell dissect?' At the first glance recognized the speaker as my old moonlight acquaintance ot an even- ing on the Gulfof Mexico, Mir. Perkins" Before him, on the table described, was an open portfolio, also pair of scissors and pot of paste in easy reach. Around him, on the table and floor, were tumbled and mangled remains of many newspa- pers. Dispread on the back of his chair and under him was what appeared to be . costly overcoat of fur.
 On his nose was a conspicuous ink-spot, and on his knitted brow were several larger smudges of the same innocent fluid, though not SO intensely black as the spot below. He was smoking cigar withal. His sudden question seemed to have startled the several other gentlemen around the table to whom it was ad. dressed. When looked into the room they were all looking at each other-so to speak having suspended their writing to mutually enquire some solution or other disposition ot Mr. Perkins diff culty. Nobody speaking for some mo- ments, he asked again, "Is there one s or two in the word ~ After some debate the conclusion seemed to be reached that there was certainly no more than enc if that many. "All right" said MT. P-. Much obliged" But he had scarcely said 90 when new difficulty made him scratch his head instead of his paper.
 How about the second letter-is it an se' 'or an si'W After another council the se" prevailed, and could distinctly hear, in the otherwise profound stiffness that followed, Mir. P.'s pen as 1t traced foz posterity ty-unless some printer or proof reader Afterwards meddled-the verbal result, desect. You may we'll imagine that felt awful to stand there, unseen and overhear such deed all plotted and done without lifting hand or voice to pre-. vent it. But what could do2 Any in- terference from mo would have been au impropristy and most likely, useless as we'll. Besides, | didn't know how long Nr. Pezkins' memory might be, or how much leisure he might have to devote ts n old acquaintance.
 The mosk suxprising part of the whol< thing to ma, was that he should havs cared . 6x about how tho dictionarie. a1d tho common people might choose ts spell tho wosd. I think 10 must havs cAanged someuhat from his old self oE tAe gnlf He looked too much the same hewevss, fos mo b stay leog in that hoeel AAd my bagIage transferred to anothe, wtkAlA n hoax. I.lorgot b say In con
 ee1lea wilA ny mtRoduc&ioa b him