The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-23
A DETECTIVE STORY.

ton Courier.
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DETECTIVE STORY.
We were passing through the great
doors on the Kneeland street side Of the
Boston and Albany depot-Joe and l.
Just ahead of Joe was lady, and pass
! ing through just ahead of her was
large, sour.featured man, well dressed
and evidently we'll to do. These doors
close to with force enough TO knock a
fellow off his feet. This gentleman Tor
boor, we will call HIM after having had
the door held al by the one who had
gone through before HIM that he might
pass with some degree of comfort, let it
slam in the lady's face behind him. Joe
sprang forward and assisted her to open
it, and then remarked to me:
If there's one thing that's contempti
BILE, it's to see, occasionally, a confound
ed ignoramus walk through these doors
and pay no attention whatever to those
that follow him. I've noticed it dozen
times. And the fellow behind him gets
knocked clear off his feet, Confound
them, those are the kind of fellows I'd
like to serve warrant on.
Calm yourself, my dear joe don't you
recognize human natur' when you see
it?
Yes; know it's human nature; but
there are some things that l think are
too mean even for human nature to do.
You are quite right.
And further, said Joe, I've often
thought that just such things as that are
what make human nature just what it
is. 1t is just such things that make hu.
man nature selfish.
You are getting little hard on us, old
fellow.
No amt either It's true, every
word of it. Did it ever occur to you
that children--very young ones.I mean,
laughing, are naturally truthful. gener-
Gus, honest? don't believe, naturally,
we are so closely akin to the 'hrlstly
herd as some people try to make OUT
l believe it's largely due 10 education. l
believe the natur Unnatural ,mind-ten-
dency of human nature IS much like
that of children, to be truthful, honest
1t is these.ittle contemplate tricks oc-
curing around us every hour in the day
which mould human nature.
l more'n half believe 1t.
It's true; why shouldn't yer! You see
now, take a country fellow-he is trust
worthy, honest-green.
1 had to laugh at the latter-it was too
true. I'll admit he's green; but at the
game time understand farmer and a
deacon are two of the hardest men in
world to trade horses with.
Joe was in no humor to laugh. That
may be: but because they are smart
enough to know horse when they see
one, though.
Praps 80.
know it,
By this time we had got up opposite
Freeman's Bank and had to cross Sum
mer street, which is usually crowded
with drays, hacks and 80 forth. We
were separated for few minutes, when
we came together again Joe continued :
There's another thing that shows what
the association with others does-take a
boy just out of school and let him knock
around awhile with people trifle older
than he is, and he is as different in a
year or two as a butterfly IS from a
grub.
OF course; anybody will tell you that.
Exactly; but what's the cause? Now,
you take my boy. (the reader may like
to know that the boy in question weighs
something over two hundred pounds,
and is as good natured as he is smart),
he amt anything more like what he
was couple years ago than nothing. 1t
didn't take but precious little while to
get the foolishness knocked out of him.
Here got thought myself-some.
what on a tangent I'll admit. Yes; we
see these things every day, and we soon
begin to mistrust people. There are
very few people we meet to whom we
can say what we think. We all of us
say foolish things. I've often had the
experience of saying what thought to
be good things to people at different
times, and by'n by those same things
came up to me in crowd, but they did
not seem so good then, and they all
Taught at me.
Sure enough, and Joe laughed to.
J Now have an example in mind of the
result Of this. Take the same case of a
boy Just from school. He things he
knows il all (of course he does-he's
through school and why not0. Perhaps
, he says 60, not in 80 many words, OF
course, but impliedly; that is to say, he
, thinks he has thought out something
, new(we all have to think out everything
for ourselves, you know, he lays the
law down about it; ii turns out to be as
oil az the hills to his hearers (they
! thought out the same thing in the Tame
wav long ago); they laugh at him Same
' as they got laughed at some years since),
and for the fret time he feels little
2 doubtful of his talents. A few more ex.
t ppriences like this and he begins ia
4 doubt his own sanity. We see such boys
. land sometimes men when they are blesI
4 with a larger syringe of YOUTH every day.
+ They speak with blush. laugh at them