, 1886-11-02
MRS. DARLINGTON Anp Ike.
A Visit to II. II. shilaber-Chat with tho
BIuo-Eyod Old Gentleman.

n W De =. ohiiitbtr-Shht WIN -,
BIuo-Eycd Old Gcntieman.
l made a pilgrimage to the lonely Bos-
ton suburb of Newton Center not long
ngo with an old and intimate friend of
the humorist. OF course I ! have known
all of my life of the existence of Mr.. b.
i. Shillabcr, but | confess hat l looked
in spite of myself to see a little wizened
old lady, with bright, black, beady eyes,
very thin hands, and gray corkscrew
ringlets. 1t seemed as though she ought
TO come hopping into the room in an
elusive, bird-like way and begin saying
funny things at once. The door was
opened for us by a hearty, happy look
ing young girl of the high school age
who said, Grandpa expected you out
on an earlier train; he has been waiting
for you for an hour, and will come right
DOWN" She took us into the parlor, and
went out TO speak to her grandfather
and presently we heard his slow step on
the stair marked with pauses and &c
cented by his staff, for he is lame from
rheumatism, then Mr.. Shillaber came
in. He shook his old friend, Profess
sor -, warmly by the hand, and
greeted me very cordially. He is a big,
jovial-looking man with sunshiny blue
eyes, a ready smile and strong features.
One feels at once in the presence of a
hopeful, happy nature. 1t is more than
n whimsical and amusing nature; it is
one of the kind which endures trouble
graciously and is well enough poised 10
be always certain of the silver lining
to every lark cloud. 1t is easy to see
in his graveness that ne has sorrowed,
and indeed | am told that the loss of the
companion of his life was no common
one to him; but he is n serene soul
still, and, for the time at least, it seems
as though there is no philosophy like
that of laughter and the laughter maker.
His daughter came in and with her
daughter found our quintette of people
in the parlor for n half hour. Directly
| had shaken hands with Mr.. Shillabcr,
| asked:
Mrs. Darlington, where is Ikc?"
"Ho is here" he returned, tapping his
coat-front, and speak ing in n conf
dental way. ike is always with me;
he never leaves me. Or you might say,
If you like, there is Ike" nodding to his
granddaughter.
90, grandpa, she cried, II hope l am
not so bad as Ike"
Ike isn't bad, not at all bad" said
Mrs. Darlington, shaking her head IKE
is very good We went driving yester-
! day" Then he told of a visit to the
home of the owner of The Boston Her
aid with whom he once worked in a
printing office. ut was about $50 years
ago." he said, al don't remember ex-
actly how long it was. Maybe it was a
little longer than that, but we will call
it 100 years"
Mr.. Shillaber, by the way, is ~ years
old, and except for the rheumatism,
which keeps him lame, is not at all an
unhealthy man, and perhaps good for n
large share of the number of years of
his reminisccnce lie talked with his
old friend of their own early service in n
Boston printing house soon after they
came from Maine. and l heard how the
young Shillaber took the name of Mrs.
Darlington from the old play where that
cstimable person tried to sweep back the
waters of the ocean, how he wrote his
witticisms for a Boston paper till he
found that the editor was making
money and name out of his property,
tlen now, WIFI TWO OF tlree lrlenuS, lit
started the Journal known as The Car
pet Bag, on the strength of the Parting
Ion name. This paper established Mrs
P~artington's reputation, though it wa
not n financial success. Since that time
her sayings have always found n quick
market, and Mr.. Shillaber has written
much besides all of the time. OF late,
however, he has written very little. He
says he is growing passy," and his pro
nunciation, uttered with a twinkle in his
blue eye, is worth recommending to
French-attempting people who run to
the other extreme, and call passe
"passay."
The home of Mr.. Shillaber is across
Boston from Newton, in the suburb of
Chelsea. Like another sage of Chelsea,
he has chung to his home there long after
it was an questionable quarter, but his
need of attention has now compelled
him to go to the pleasant home of his
children at Newton.-Cor. Chicago Inter
Ocean.