Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-01-10
SELECT STORY.
THE VILLAGE IDIOT.

Everybody in Tamarack knows
Crazy George. He is an institution
of the village. The boys poke fun at
him, the girls are afraid of him, the
men pay little attention to him, and
the old women sigh over his wretched
| lot.
Crazy George is no older, as far as
looks 60, than he was 20 years ago.
That is the way of the world. Let a
man 90 crazy and become useless to
himself and a burden to others and
he will live till the COWS come home,
but cure him and give him ambition,
and start HIM in seemingly useful
cancer, and the first you know he will
fall sick and die. This would be a
good place to say something mean
about nature and its ways, but am
not in a quarrelsome mood, and then
nature is pretty good friend to have,
after all.
But to get back to George, poor
fellow. The boys delight to chase
him and see him flee in fright and cry
like little child. Sometimes they
threaten to strike him just to hear
his plaintive appeal ooh! don't hit
little Georgie." for his delusion seems
to be that he is helpless little boy.
Another ofhis expressions that evoke
laughter from the village boys is:
"Please tum an tiss little George! y
That sounds funny, does it not, COM
ing from a hale and hearty old man
Wait. 1t will seem sad when you
know what it means.
Some 80 odd years ago George Dan
vers came back from college, re-
fined, studious young man, with a
wider knowledge Of men and books,
and of the world, than anybody else
in Tamarack could boast. With his
father and mother he spent a season
Of rest on the old farm. George
helped about the farm work by day
and studied by night, until he was
determined that he would go to the
city and put his learning of the law
to practice.
1t was a hard drag at first, for peo-
pie preferred to trust their law cases
to better-known hands and older
heads, and George had often to in
innate to his indulgent father that if
he mad money to spare, little-a
very ittle-would keep him alive,
perhaps, until he got another case.
In these pinches George was some
times almost persuaded to resort to
the dishonorable course pursued by
some Of his professional brethren OF
working up" cases that might be
amicably settled and pocketing out
rageous fees for having coaxed his
clients into needless trouble and ex-
pence. But always before he got
around to this sort of thing he re-
Tented, and, his manhood asserting
itself over his avarice, he counselsd
peaceful and inexpensive settlements
His motto and his advice to those
who consulted him was "Forgive-
ness is the most glorious revense,"-
beautiful motto that kept George
Danvers as poor as a church-mouse.
One day George was called home
His father was sick-very sick-and
George was needed about the place
The fathers illness did not last long
In week after Georges arrival al
Tamarack, the old black hearse was
brought out, and the elder Mr.. Dan.
vers' grave was wet with the tears O.
disconsolate widow and an affection
ate son.
Young persons with no great re-
srets for their past behavior toward
their parents are seldom long weight
ed down by the burden of grief lai(
upon them when those parents die
The young heart is yielding, bu
/! tough. So George wept his grie
away, and only the tearmarks remain
ed in his memory. But poor Mrs
Danvers could not thus wash out O
her mild blue eyes the image of thai
departed sharer of her sorrows ant
her JOYS, so she soon followed her hus
band, leaving George alone, the own
er of the little farm. Again th'
fountains of his heart broke forth ant
again hot tears scalded his sorrow
until it shriveled to a mere sad recpl
lection. Then came Helen Becke
from the city to be his wife. And il
due time upon the link of love tina