The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-03-17
POSITIVE.


"When l was young fellow" said
Mr.. Thomas Bullion, of the well-known
firm Of Bullion, Silverley e. Co., 81
was the most positive man alive-never
let anybody else say word when once
I'd made up my mind about any thing.
If I'd heard Nelson talk about sea-
fights or Soyer about cooking, I'd have
been sure to contradict them and make
out l knew more about it than they did.
Somebody said once to my poor brother
Jack. the lawyer-whO was rather a
dictatorial sort of chap himself-that
he did well to lay doUn the law, for he
certainly. hadn't gained much by taking
Hup. But l was every bit as bad as
he was, and worse too"
Mr.. Bullion brought out this last
confession with that self-complacent
emphasis whcrewith an Englishman
will sometimes own himself guilty of
things which, if laid to his charge by
any other man, would probably impel
him to punch that other mans head ON
the spot.
you remember that story" he pro-
ceeded, "abOut the argumentative man
who, hearing a Waterman calling out
under his window one bitter January
night: Past one o'clock, and a fine
starlight morning!' jumped out of bed,
rushed to the window, threw it up and
bawled out to him: Yes, but is it past
one o'clock?' Well, sir, that's just the
sort of fellow that 1 was when first
started but I've had lesson about
contradicting and being positive that
will last me all my life.
This was how it happened. One
cold morning in the early spring q
don't exactly remember what year it
was, but anyway more years ago than
Id particularly care to count noaO),
was going to the city as usual by ON
nibus. There were four or five other
men in the same line of business as my
self, who generally went in about the
same time as l did; and when 1 got
into the bus that morning, found the
whole lot of 'em together. The only
man there that l didn't know was a
queer-looking chap who sat in the far
corner, with his hat SO pulled down
over his eyes and the collar of his gray
cloak so turned up around his neck,
that his face could hardly be seen at
all; and he kept so still that l made
sure he must be asleep, and thought no
more about him.
"Well, We all began talking, and
somehow or other We came around to
the battle of Waterloo, and there got
up dispute about whether the gate
of HOugoumont had really been shut
against the French by one man or not
Sam LOckitt, of LOckitt & Redwood
(he's dead now, poor fellowD, stuck
out that he had, and l, of course, con-
tradicted him flat. and said that it was
all bOsh, and that no one man could be
strong enough to do it.
All, we all know your ways, Tom,
says Sam; you'd say black was white,
if anybody else said it wasn't. Did
you happen to be engaged at Waterloo
yourself without knowing itP'
"'Never you mind said l, If
wasn't I've known them that were, or
that have met others who were, which
is the same thing
"Of course it is, says Sam, wink
ing at the rest. why, Tom, YOUR
as good as that countryman in the
story, who, when they asked him if he
had ever seen the King, replied: "Noa,
niver saw the King, but I've got a
cousin as once COON very nigh seem
the Dock O. Wellington.
"Well, then l got quite savage, fol
in those days could never abide being
laughed at; but before l could break
out, one of the other fellows struck in
suddenly:
"LOOk here; we're just three tc
three-Sam and we two against Tom
and you two. This gentleman here
(pointing to the man in the gray cloak
has the casting vote. Beg pardon,
sir, which way do you say it wasp
1.-The gray-cloaked man turned his
head slowly round, just like that NOV.
ing wax figure in Madame Tussaud's $,
and said, in a sharp, chopping kind Of
voice, as if he were giving orders tc
cut somebody's head off: One
man shut the gate. 1t was Colonel
Mcdonnell
"'Oh, indeed says l. You DOM
happen to be friend of Colonel Nc.
Donnell, do you? or perhaps you're
Colonel Mcdonnell himself, and we re
to take your own word that you did it,
suppose! What do you know abOu,
Waterloo. ] should like to know