St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-10-24
~PARTINGToN AT HOME.
b. r. S~hillaber, tho Aged Humorist, - He
Il Seen ut Chelsea, Mas.

b. p. shnl.ber, tho Aged Humorist, as H.
IL Seen ut Chelsea, Mass.
Il never call a man old until he gets
to be an octagon or q centurion" saic
B. P. Shillaber (Mrs. Partington) to 8
friend who was congratulating him up.
on having that day reached the good
age of seventy.
Unless it should be foreordained be-
forehand in advance" playfully rejoined
his friend, that he should survive his
factories and become idiomatic before
that time"
The genial humorist was seated in his
favorite room, which in these later wears
has confined him for months at a time.
But few of his many callers would dream
of this fact. The ever hearty welcome
which they receive and the absence OF
any personal complaining certainly do
not hint of the severe pain which is a
frequent visitor. Only the crutch in the
corner suggests it. There looked out
from the painting on the wall the ro-
guish face Of Ike, 1.-THE prodigal of vir-
tue;" the very same Ike who caused
Mrs. Darlington to wonder why he
didn't get a medal, for certainly a
more meddlesome boy she never knew"
although, at the same time. she dared
to hope that with Judicial training he
might yet become q useful membrane
of society,"" On the shelf below the
painting was Sidney Morse's fine
statuette of the humorist. The writing
desk, which had done him faithful
service for fully twenty-five years, stood
opposite.
Over the writing-desk. on a book
shelf, were what he called his three
essentials-a large Polyglot Bible.
which had an interesting family history,
a Shakespeare and a Webster's Diction-
airy. There was a twinkle in his eye
when he remarked that through these
he showed his loyalty to the '.angular
Saxons." Upon being asked where his
W books were. he naively replied that
he kept them in another room out OF
sight" Speaking of these, it is pleas
ant to know that the first copy of each
one of them he inscribed to the one
who for forty-fve years was a true and
loving helpmeet, whom death claimed
some two years since, leaving him
alone but for the bright, helpful pres
ence of an unmarried daughter. who
has 10Y the sole charge of his house.
and is a daily elixir which any man
might envy.
Unfortunately, Mr.. Shillaber is not as
erich as Creosote" and never has been.
He has longed Ito have a villain in the
country and become an amatory farmer
under the canister of heaven" But he
has surely illustrated, in his life and in
his works. a quality of mind which not
even CrGsus' money could buy, that
lit is better to speak paregorically of .
person than to be all the time flingins
epitaphs at him."
In the confinement which is now
more or less his he is ever interested in |
the outside world. His interest in poll |
ties is as fresh as when he was a young |
man, before he inherited the govt
from his wife's ancestors" He is |
rooted and grounded in the principle OF
true Democracy. The Boston Post, |
which first introduced him as Mrs. Par
tington, is still a welcome daily visitor.
But in talking with him on political
matters no one can help thinking OF
poor Paul, the corporal Of the Bloody
eth, ''who was inclined to politics. |
wasn't a p~ropergander o an oily
nor an averitionist. nor a demi-
all he wanted was an exercise OF
Of his sufferings and the use of his elect
i've French eyes"
Mr.. Shillaber's interest in his friends
S frequently shown in the apt impromp
us which Unexpectedly greet them.
As an instance, with . copy of Brown.
ng's "Agamemnon and Dramatic
which. one Christmas time, he
sent as a present, he wrote on the fly.
eaf:
"A Merry Christmas, I send with this,
Though it seems absurdity browning
To wish for cachinatory bliss
Over the works of Browning.
The many rhymes of his, which have
Idded pleasure to festive occasions, are
fewer and fewer, and in his
lome in Chelsea his thoughts turn
than formerly to the unknown
As he says himself, he is now
on borrowed time. - Chelsea
'Mass.) Coz. Philadelphia Press.
-nn