Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-08-27
The Tables Turned,

l have right amusing little Incl.
dent to tell you relative to one Of the
literary young ladies. How she
mistook me for greenhorn, how l
was certain that she was one, how
she attempted TO draw me on. and
quiz me, how l drew her out TO the
extent of her rope (Which was not
very far) and utterly discounted her,
Don't think now that am speaking
boasttully, for even a Wake Forest
student could have done that. mere
ly mention this to show how true the
old adage is; "Give fool rope
enough and he will hang himself"
A young lady came here several
weeks ago from Virginia, and the
reputation that preceded her for
brains and literary attainments was
something wonderful 10 hear. She
was visiting young lady friend of
mine, and called an evening or two
after her arrival, though not with
out considerable misgiving. | made
up MY mind, however, to say as lit
tie as possible, but merely to sit at
her feet (ss someone did at Gamaliel's)
and beneath the sound Of her voice
be carried TO the realm of History,
Science, Art and Poetry To supply
defects in high flown expression
read Augusta Jane Evans "Macaria'
"Saint Elmo" glanced through Walt
Whitman's BLADES of Grass read
up in the Encyclopaedia Britannica as
far as ASS. and was introduced, She
proved to be tolerably good-looking, |
somewhat pQSsee and Of medium size
and figure. After an interchange of
the usual platitudes that are banded
between strangers, my asking her i'll
she knew Miss Smith, of King Henry
County, Va, and she asked me if /
knew Mr.. Ferdinand Allegretto, of
Queen CarOlina--l asking her if she
had ever visited Raleigh before or
had tried orr native chewing gum,
and she asked me if had ever been
in the valley or had ever seen Poca-
houtas-my remarking in lively
manner, as though | thought it ex-
tremely original, that we have had a
beautiful day but rather windy aud
she asserting and observing that she
thought we would have rain in a
week or two. Well after all this
small talk we both became distracted
for few moments and then the big
guns of conversation were unlimber-
ed and brought 10 the front.
Suddenly arOusing herself and
leaning hor cheek on her
hand she began to speak
thusly in a soliIoquizing sort of way:
"Did it never occurtO you, Mr. Smar-
talex, that the nineteenth century is
franght with materialistic tendencies,
that as our civilization advances our
poetry declines, thst the very bull
warks of the drama are threatened
by this impure tide of realism in
high hats and low stages,
that bids fair to tngulf into
its maelstrom all the pure and more
liberal ideas of that advancement in
in religion, art and science that we
would naturally expect?' (here she
quotes a passage from Miss Cleve-
lands "Altruistic Faith" that has 10
moro bearing on her remarks than
The milky way" has on bologna
sausagcs.) In answer to this | re-
piled feelingly and with tears in
my eyes: "Will you allow me the
honor Of grasping your hand and con
fes.ing that yours is tho ouly congo
NAL and kindred spirit and although
am but an ututored pumpkin COM
pared with Yourself yet ! have al
WAYS entertained these ideas and am
moreover of the opinion that il we
will take a cursUry view of the vari-
GUS combinations in supply and de-
maud, that have tended TO initiate
against the transit Of the Corliss en-
CINE and properly consider the argu-
ment of Dcmosthenes and Susan Is.
Anthony in their alabama Claims"
speeches, to say nothing Of u casual
glance at the polygamic tendencies of
the Fiji Islanders, We will be led TO
the conviction that the silk worm
traffic vii be materially impaired,
a to om n'%, - "M "
Mo Wer,; ,I' y Ta M~en and 5rtovor TI
will mr. nrorc tS "Pfv ,ncons Of ,hrow; inc
so,ma III, or ,ha s;ni,i,g oC no 0ros
,ror ,'0 o,5 ,I "' hi az n tho Nv
XIX Elk ~ 49, C '' ps,.i, ponI wilI o,s,,
uaIiy ovnInio a 81 ,ha pastemr ghcory ~
to ,hops o"1 'N fragmonto !" Ucra 7
namscd n mon o # to annlv nv harJ
teroLioF 10 U W.. a,.oS ,nd nnta ,he ra
nv INV w NY g 20 "''H NV wv ~