The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-03-19
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POSITIVE.

Habit OF "knOWinK" TOO much.
"When / was young fellow" said
Mr.. Thomas Bullion, of the well-known
firm of Bullion, Silverley & 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, Tdhave
been sure to contradict them and make
out 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 lag doaDn the law, for he
certainly hadn't gained much by taking
it up. But / was every bit as bad as
he was, and worse too"
Mr.. Bullion brought out this last
emphasis wherewith 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 watchman 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'clockp' Well, sir, that's just the
sort of fellow that was when firsl
started; but I've had lesson about
contradicting and being positive tina
| will last me all my life.
"This was how it happened. One
cold morning in the early spring &
don't 'tHexactly remember what year i
was, but anyway more years ago thar
I'd particularly care to count saoD)
was going to the city as usual by ON
nibus. There were four or five othe
men in the same line of business as my
self, who generally went in about tn
same time as did; and when go
into the bus that morning, / found tn
whole lot of 'em together. The onl
man there that / didn't know was
queer-looking chap who sat in the ia
corner, with his hat so pulled dow
over his eyes and the collar of his gra
cloak so turned up around his neck
that his face could hardly be seen g
all; and he kept so still that l mad
sure he must be asleep, and thought n
more about him.
''Well, we all began talking, an
somehow or other we came around
the battle of Waterloo, and there e
up dispute about whether the ga
Of Hougoumont had really been sh,
against the French by one man or no
Sam Lockitt, of Lockitt & Redwoc
(he's dead now, poor fellowD, stut
out that he had, and l, of course, col
, tradicted him fiat. and said that it w
all bosh, and that no one man could
strong enough to do it.
"'Ah, we all know your ways, Ton
, says Sam; you'd say black was whit
! if anybody else said it wasn't. ID
you happen to be engaged at Waterl'
yourself without knowing itp'
: "'Never you mind, said /, if
wasn't I've known them that were,
;, that have met others who were, whi
is the same thing
: ".Of course it is,' says Sam, win
!, ing at the rest. Why, Tom, you
: as good as that countryman in
SuOTy, WHO, WHtIl bney dSheu uiiu II
! had ever seen the King, replied: '.Nt
q l niver saw the King, but I've got
! cousin as once COON very nigh see
q the Dock o. Wellington. -
. q "Well, then got quite savage,
4 in those days could never abide bel
" !. laughed at; but before l could bre
out, one of the other fellows struck
suddenly:
"Look here; we're just three
three-Sam and we two against T
ie and you two. This gentleman he
I'd (pointing to the man in the gray clio;
Of has the casting vote. Beg pard
N sir, which way do you say it wasp
n "The gray-cloaked man turned
Az head slowly round, just like that m
= ing wax figure in Madame Tussau,
10 and said, in a sharp, chopping kline
~ voice, as if he were giving orders
~ cut somebody's head off: Z
va man shut the gate. 1t was Cole
~ Mcdonnell
Az "Oh, indeed says ]. You d.
Al happen to be friend of Colonel
= Donnell, do youp or perhaps yov
Colonel Med Donnell himself, and "