Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-21

John. Tommy was an incubus TO me
In NV youth, and / never got on in
NV life till had broken my idol and
cast him to the bats and owls, and till
realized how much greater man
was Harry, and how false was the NOR
al of that miserable tale. Ii children
are taught that honor, truth, conscien-
tiousness lead to success in this world,
thew are taught lies" He beat his desk
with his fist. "No! what succeeds Is
the semblance of Tommy and the
spirit of Harry. Rectitude and SINGER
itv have no place in our nineteenth
century civilization. They are inn
practicable virtues. Business, trade,
cannot be carried on till the consci-
ence is rid of them. By spirit OF
IRONY we call our civilization by the
name of one who, when offered wealth
and success and honor by the spirit OF
the Age, refused them; and he ended
his days on the gallows. 1t Is the
same now. We must stoop to ana 90
homage to the spirit of the age, II we
are to attain to prosperity, wealth, and
the approyal OF our fellow-men. He
who resists that and follows his con-
science. comes to utter and irremedla-
hle grief jim this world. And the
sooner children are taught that the
better, that they may not start IN lie
with erroneous notions, and may make
their choice with the several ends
clear before them" He paused, and
looked at me steadily. Then ne re-
sumed. 81 see that you are quite unht
to be witt, me. l make my tive hum
dred a wear because am not a Tommy.
Won are a Tommy, and how much has
that brought in to your"
/ put my hand ia my pocket ana
drew forth-NorHING.
aYou may 60" he continued. "Un-
learn as quick as you can the maxims
instilled into you by your father, unless
YOU desire to end like him. Now you
have nothing. Go on a little longer,
as Won are now, and you will come,
like him, to minus Nothing. l wish
YOU good day, and more wisdom"
7 turned to leave the room. AS
NV hand was on the door, he called to
aBy the way, Floyjohn, have you
seen anywhere my anti-stylograph pen
filler have mislaid or lost it. You
know what I mean-the apparatus for
injecting into it its supply of ink z /.
aNo. sir" answered; Il have not
Then / went out. | walked away, my
head down, both hands in my empty
pockets. had lost my salary, my two
guineas week-the fourteen gulneas
through Tommy.
Then the gall in my heart mounted;
1 ground my teeth; my eyes sparkled
with rage; clenched my fists in my
nockets: / cast myself into the hedge
and glowering before me into the glar'
, ing, dusty road, cursed Tommy.
At that moment my eye rested on
something glittering before me on the
road it flashed in the sun like glass
! paid no attention to it at first, but lts
/ light attracted my curiosity, and pres
emily stopped to see what 1t was:
, picked up little glass vessel, with
, nozzle at one end of the tube, and an
: india-rubber receiver at the other.
knew at once what it was-the los
filler of the stylographic pen.
Then the thought rushed scaldlnt
! through my brain, Under the eir
3 cumstances, what would Tommy DO
| Would he not at once return TO tn'
, governor, and say to HIM, sir, yo'
/. discharged me because did my DUTY
now heap Goals of fire on your neao
s for YOUR evil l return good; here l
| the ink-injecter of your anti-styic
E graphic pen, which you had lost, bu
\ [ have had the felicity to find :,
: Then sprang up and said, Il VII
5 not do it. | renounce you, Tommy.
r will be led by you no more.
d Pacifed by having formed this res
olution, sat down in the hedge agar
= had no purpose where to go or VIVA
: to do. l had no money in my poke
J. NV mothers property, my one poun
II four shlllings and threepence thre
farthings, had all been swindled out {
Il me by Tommy. Tommy had cleane
e me out completely. l drew forth m
= rockets and let them hang on eIthe
e side of my thighs, limp evidence
d against Tommy.
Then hardly knowing what did,
E. filled my left palm with dust OUT
4. charging the little ink-syrlnge with
,e and driving. it forth again In cion
by COMPRISING the lndia-ruoDer We
Is sell at the end. thought OF nothin
all the time. and observed nothing p'
g, this toy. till was reused by VOC
!" addressing me, and then looked NJ
:. Onposite me stood farmer, as col
re iectured bv his dress and general al
nearance. He was watching my pr
n ceedings with great curiosity.
,e "Well, master" said he, IL recko
b. you'ye queer sort of a instrumel
ly there What be that now? You
v a doctor, / suppose 7"
n. aWhat else could l be ?" l aske
lr ironically. r
L "And what be that queer sort OF
e. thing i'll your hand 7"
"a surgical instrument, OF course.
ne "And what be that there powder
80, the t'other hand ?" =,
va "ThatI Oh, that is the best possib
ii of medicines. the very elixir OF lie,
n compound of the rarest and most VI
he uable of all condiments. Its sclentll
rt- name is acknowledgements
W. phe-podas -okus-Achilles."
D. The farmer was immensely lmpre'
We ed with the words-a line OF the 1lla
yo which rose uncalled for TO my lips.
"And now," said he, "might ma
en- so bold as to ask what that medicine
ng good for?" u
e.: aEyery malady man is heir to. '
he all come 10 it at last, and the soon
mt the better"
to am bad in my liver" said
he "Now, If / may take the liberty to a
en- does it touch the liver p
90, aTouch the liver!" laughed l, w
wo bitterness in my tone; @it touches
IN more strongly than calomel or poo
I'd phyllin." ,,.y
tie ais 1T to be swallowed
I "Well, / can't say but that I've eat
W. a lot of it; but that is not the wa,
no would administer it"
re May Lyou'll excuse the freedc
INT I do suffer shocking of the live
ed NAV | further inquire how you wo'
/ administer it?"
se- II would throw it in peoples ey'
for said /, savagely.
in aDear heart alive! and what &c
old would that dor
be- snow, look you here" said.
vas in a bitter and scornful mood.
red misfortunes had made me 80.
tie in no merciful mOod,-I had had
the mercy shown to me. l was in a re
for less mood-my idols were brokel
fhsd no more faith. "Now, attend
md me. What is the centre and sea
:. a ali sensation and life? Is 1T not