Evening star., 1886-11-06
Written tor THE EVENING STAR
THE MAN WHO WAS NOT.
By ALICE WELLINGTON ROLLINS,
Author OF ''All Sorts of Children "a City o
Old Homesteads," etc, etc,
Downright. 1861

Copyright. 1861
"Dobbs," said Van Austen, glancing at the
little doorplate of an apartment on the seventh
floor ayes, this is my floor"
but why yours, when the name Is DobSs?' 1
asked
why you see, l am the man who is not
Dobbs There are two of US on each story.
When came, was pondering sadly on the
necessity OF a dOorplate in SO large an apart
ment house. when it suddenly occurred to me
that a DObbs had one, there was no need of
my having one The elevator would leave my
friends at the right story, and then seeing that
the name on this door was Dobbs they would
know, OF course, that the only other door was
mine. Simply not being Dobbs saved me the
expense of dOorplate. See?"
Van Austen had been the first friend had
stumbled upon after landing from the E,ruria.
He had asked me to come down home with
him, not to dine. for he made no secret of the
fact that he never dined. but to have a glass of
beer in a Van Austen cut-glass beer-mug We
had wended our way up town 10 a shabby
apartment-house in shabby street, and we
entered the elevator, Van Austen had said
mysteriously to the boy, "Up," which found
meant that we were to be taken to the roof. As
We stepped out, Van Austen explained:
al have no view from my rooms, you see; so
when have visitors that I wish to impress l
always bring them up here first. Not that
there Is much of a view here, so far scenery
goes; it is all rooI-tops and chimneys. But
there is so much of 1T that il has a certain dig
nifty of It's own. Queer, isn't ii, that great
deal OF anything Is picturesque in its way? L
hate a sunflower; could not endure even en-
broidered one, unless il were cOnyentiOnaliZed
out OF ali resemblance to its proper self; but
have never in ali my life seen anything in
the Iioral way so magnificent as the great acres
at the west, with millions upon millions of the
II Is something like my life, you know; there
is so much OF nothing that the whole effect OF
II Is not uEdignlfed. Shall we walk down: 1t
isn't lar. find 1t true that there is always
room at the top for people who can I afford the
grander apartments on the lower floors. So
am living on the seventh"
And talking busiiy we walked down the
stairs we had both forgotten to notice how
many flights of stairs we had descended, Till
Van Austen glanced at the little doOrplate on
the story where IL suddenly occurred TO us to
take our bearings, with the result mentioned.
We crossed the little hall 10 the opposite
door which Van Austen opened with latch
key. Familiar as L was with the mans ways,
was not surprised at the sudden tranSforma-
tiOn OF the scene. The street had been shabby,
the apartment house was shabby, and the
apartment evidently consisted of dull, little
ugly rooms, In themselves extremely shabby;
but they were crowded with the beautiful Van
Austen things, till they cleaned like vision
OF loyeliness. A tiny dining room opened al
most at the door, and into this We naturally
stepped, alter leaving our hats in the hail.
"Of course, don't dine here" said Van
of his peculiaritieS. / can't afford to keep a
nle7lage. My diniEg-roOm is ike Europe; you
Il
only wnat he brings there, and / find in my
dining-room only what bring to it Tonight
II is peaches, and he deposited small brown
paper bag on the beautiful mahogany table,
peaches and beer That is really a horrible
combination. suppose we postpone the peaches
Till later, and content ourselves with beer for
the moment. Beer in one OF Grandmother Van
Austens cut-glasS mugs; 1T is something like
my life, ThOrndlke; very small beer in very
choice cut-glaSs. The cut glass has never been
able To i'm prove the quality OF the beer, but then
on the other hand, the beer has never been able
TO spoil the quality OF the cut-glaSs 1t is some
Thing, Thorndike. don't you think, to live
i,ss tns LIE have to without being emOi''ered by
The very words would have been bitter in the
mouth OF almost any other man; but Van Aus
ten spoke with the perfect serenity, the patient,
calm acceptance OF unavoidable tact, which was
his distinguishing trait.
My appointments are quite perfect, you see,'
as he noted my evident admiration of the soft
rug, the polished furniture, the rare Jugs,
plaques, pictures, Portieres, cabinets and china
that Hled every available spot in the little
room. And none OF them has cost me a cent.
All presents. Rent is the one thing which my
friends do not dare TO otter me. and which
really think even might not be willing TO ac-
cept- draw the line at rent. allow no one to
present ME with a $50, 900 house, and my own
funds will not permit me to live in finer street
than this. But as 10 everything else-well,
need not explain. You have known me long
enough 10 know that my besetting sin has al
ways been a lack of proper pride. Fate denied
The taste TO crave, and illhealth made it i'm pos
sible for me to struggle Tor What want with
want to sacrifice my life; prefer not to strug-
gle. accept the situation, and also accept its
allevlations. III any fellow wants to give me
anything, he is welcome 10 DO so. / make no
secret of the fact that can make no return, but
am not too proud TO accept what / can't get
Tor myself. I should never have been one of
those heroic foOls-heroic fools expresses what
j mean better than foolish heroes eyeu-who
starve themselves, like poor Brainard, to- go
through college. In the first place, / should
not have tried 10 go through college; and iii the
second place, II had, and found myself sud-
denly hard up, should have gone straight to
Lombard, and said, Lombard I'm hungry can
you give me a bitter and Lombard would have
given me bite, and 1 should have gone on
DETER with my studies, and graduated honOra-
bly,, and not have dampened the whole pleasure
OF the fellows class day by dying of starvation
under their very eyes without telling OF it, /
am not hero Thorndike: but am a beautiful
and much-needed illustration OF the graceful
recipient Accept nothing you can get Tor
yourself, return every thing you possibly can;
but II better fellow Is willing to give YOU what
you can manage to get Tor yourself, or what
how do YOU suppose. and ne threw his head
back with one OF the sunny laughs l remem-
beFed So well in college-"how do you sup
pose ever happened 10 get hold OF dear old
grandmother Van Austen's cut glass and
china? Every body thought she would leave IL
all 10 Dicks son: but behold she wiIfed IN an 70
me, just because was not Dick son! Dicks son
would have every thing he wanted, she ex-
palned and !, apparently, should not have by
rights any thing wanted; SO should have her
china Dear o.d lady! we'll, / shall will il ALI
TO Dick > sons son. But come into the psrlor -
I-lht4y Sl!t ItSt tnElStinaS. he explained.
as ne pushed aside a rich crimson portiere
You see the rooms on this north side were
meant Tor poor artists. They wanted liz ht
from the top, so The windows are lust below The
celilng. II suited me perfectly / could not
aHord 10 1--we Ia d prettier street. and it would
De torture 10 me 10 have to look out into this
one NOBODY can reach my windows YOU will
observe, without "A chair and am careful never
10 OTTER the CHAIR"
- an, No stronger. Thornd1ke- he added
with his ial:it smile, after drawing up a luxu-
IioUs armchair TO- me- he threw himself at full
Iengtn on u broad sofa with many cushions.
but sometimes L wonder whether you strong
fellows ever really know the luxury of fatigue
nate TO be tired and have TO get up; but love
down. nave thrown myself down mere many
Time when the pure sense OF exhaustion with
sucn a comfortable spot To give way To il in
seemed TO me kind OF exquisite pain You
don't know what mean? No, suppose not
translated into plain English, il simply means
that am awiuliy glad To get down here Just at
the present moment The peaches We're
heavy"
As looked at the poor pale refined face
Drought Into such relief against the deem col.
ored cushions, believed could see that Van
austen nad iaiied, was failing. The frank con-
lessioi Oh weakness carried me back TO our col
lege days, when Van Austen, even at the age
when such confession Is most trying, never
Jailed TO throw himself on any sof. that came
10 nand, Tor even five minutes OF the rest SO eS-
sentlal 10 his poor frail body. The victim OF
some accident In his childhood. he was hope
lessly, helplessly delicate; never i'll, but never
well; conscious that the utmost harborino nj
lotted time for man III am a Septimius FeI-
ton, he would say, with the rare smile SO free
rom any bitterness, seeking, not immortal
put mortal lie; aud, Ike him, am told Inusi