The Columbus journal., 1885-10-07
PARIiNo1oN Ar HOME.
u. Z. Shillabor. the Aged Humorist, - HI
% Seen 1t Ch0lsea, Macs.

y. 7. Shillabors the Aged Humorist, - He
10 Seen st Chslsss. Mass.
Il never call man old until he gets
to be an octagon or a centurion" said
B. P. Shillaber (Mrs. Partington) to .
friend who was congratulating him up
on having that day reached the good
age of seventy.
..Unless it should b. foreordained BE-
forehand in advance. playfully rejoined
his friend. that he should survive his
factories and become idiomatic before
that time"
favorite room. which in these later years
has confined him for months at . 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 .
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-
sue;" the very same Ike who caused
Mrs. Partingr0n to wonder why he
didn't get q medal. for certainly a
more meddles0me boy she never knew"
although. at the same time. she dared
to hope that with judicial training he
might yet become 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 syenty-five years. stood
opposite.
Over the ~ ,'.,k. on . book
shelf, were W.. t .se called his three
essentials-a ia-g. Pol;glot Bible.
which had an int resting family history.
Q Shakespeare and Webster's Diction-
sry. There was q twinkle in his eye
when he remarked that through these
he showed his loyalty to the ''angular
Ssxons." Upon being asked where his
own books were. he naively repl 81 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
ono of them he inscribed to tho ono
who for forty five years was a true and
loving helpmeet. whom death chained
some two years since. leaving him
alone but for the bright. helpful pres
ence of an unmarried daughter. who
has now the sole charge of his house.
xnd is . daily elixir which any man
might envy.
Unfortunately. Mr.. Shillabsr is not a.
erich a CreOsote" and never has been.
He has longed ito have 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. q quality of mind which not
even Cresus' money could buy. that
1t is better to speak psreg0r;cslly of
person than to be all the time finging
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
tics is as fresh as when he was a young
man. before he "inherited the gout
from his wife's ancestorx He is
rooted and grounded in the principle OF
. true Democracy. The Boston Post.
which first introduced him As Mrs. Par.
tington. Is still welcome daily visitor.
But in talking with him on political
matters no one can help thinking oi
poor Paul. the corporal OF the Bloody
7th. ..who was inclined to politics.
but wasn't propergander nor an oily
archist. nor an averitionist. nor demi.
god; all he wanted was an exercise Of
Of his suiferings and the use of his elect
i've French eyes"
Mr.. Shillsber's interest in his friends
Is frequently shown in the apt impromp-
tus which unexpectedly greet them.
As An instance. with copy Of Brown
iny's "AgamemnOa and. Dramatic
Idyls." which. one Christmas time. he
sent as present, he wrote on the fly.
leaf:
"A Merry Christians, I send with this.
Though II seems ahSurdity GROWING
To wish for cachinatOry bliss
Over the works Of Browning.
The mary rhymes of his. which have
added pleasure to festive occasions. are
growing fewer and fewer. and in his
home in Chelsea his thoughts turn
oftener than formerly to the unknown
country. As he says himself. he is now
living on borrowed time. - Celsea
(Aass.) Cor. Philadelphia Press.