River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-01-24
MY DOUBLE.
Happy Results Of an Amusing April
Fool Joke.


Fool Joke.
Al FOOLS Day is a happy anniversary
- me; aud. together with my family,
celebrate II regularly; not in the custom
AIRY off-haHd manner q the wOrlda large,
but In a way and for a reason ~ my own.
Tie way that this particular observance
u the Higginson family first originated
may be learned from the perusal Of the
following liues-
On the moruiugof the first day ~ April.
I.S3. ate my breakfast al little village
hote' in one of the northern counties OF
Arkansas; and, after paying the modest
sum Of "a dollar aud two bits" assessed
for the feed and lodging IF myself aud
horse ] mounted and resumed my journey
along the highway leading To- Little Rock;
d II ever a poor, homeless. wayworn
.ravcler carried a heavier. less conteuted
heart in his bosom than mine upon this
particular morning. I must say that /
oommiserate him with nv whole soul.
To state the case plainly. I was COM
pletely di-gu~ted with the rambling. aim
less life that had led sin drifting away
from my old home in the ! arth ern States;
and, though my business = cattle-buyiug
was quite profitable. I b. 4 found that I
AlA' itA-AAAAlA 10 hE NllH AAtAEA
gained, aud. a. o rule, had to do the bulk
o. my trading On borrowed capital; pay
ing the mouey-Iender principal and inter-
est after each transaction was COM
Pleted. and then living extravagantly on
the surplus as long a. il lasted. when, re-
dUced to my bottom-dollar, would solicit
another loan and pin myself down IL busi-
ness again Tor few months.
On the trip from which / was Just re-
turning I had been particularly lucky
considering the earliuess OF the season
and was returning Ia headquarters with
enough ia my purse Il liquidate all claims
aud have a couple of hundred LETT. But
still ! was heartily SECS Of IL ALL and was
debating seriously with myself the adj
visibility ot selling my horse and saddle
=, the first opportunity and leaving the
Southwest forever.
was in Just such a frame If mind that
believe that ] should hardly have hesi-
tated il an opportunity had offered to
change places with any person happy
enough to POSSESS q home; and. as I rode
along the highway past the comfortable
houses OF the hardy farmers, I
made myself miserable by noting the
careless, couteuted faces OF the people I
encountered and comparing their lot ia
life tD my own, and always 10 my own dis
advantage.
vt nv feet, a gentle slope IF perhaps
quarter Of a mile led down to a small
stream that gurglcd along past cultivated
lelds on either side. hidden, however. at
he crossing lay the growth of small trees.
Beyond was Il second ridge, similar to the
one upon which I had paused. though
somewhat lower; and near its summit, en-
gircned with q growth of peach-trees
III g. Zee
cottage. looking 50 h"me-likc aud at
5ractive with it, glory ~ white paint and
blue coruieeS that I could have straugled
It's happy own FOR being so much more
rrtunate than Iy~elf.
At the ta~t little picLet-fence that
skIrted the r0au horse was tied-a biz
sOrUel. with white stockings that reached
sell up the leg-sud, as / looked. 7 saw a
man come running toward 1t from the
house, pursued, rs far a. the gate, by
three female forms, and there came,
waited on the morning air. loud shouts o.
,eminiue mirth-clear, ringing pealS OF
laughter that rang in my ears Slke the
sweetest of music. II the man Joined in
he merIiment IL was silently. for, lifting
mis- hat with an extravaganza 81 courtesy,
Le rode down the hill "a meet me; and. as
his horse was impatient and fun OF fire,
the shade Of the low eIm-, Totally con-
cealed by their branches from those hs
had Just left
Somewhere I have read the statement
that, If there are more people in the
world than there are hairs ON the human
head, there must, consequently. be two
people in existence possessing exactly
the same number ~ hairs. The truth Of
the proposition Is self-evident BY the
same logical reasoning the world con-
tains more individuals than individu-
llitieS-some man must needs have "a
double" aud. unexpectedly, found my
self confronted with mine.
The recognition of this fact was iustan-
tuncous and mutual. When I first saw
him pass from the house "a the gate had
detected something familiar I'M his APP
pearauce; and now. when he drew rein
within ten feet Of me, / coald see that in
form and face and general bearing, even
a. the cut u the mu>tache and the lump
on the too-prumiueut nose, he was exactly
INV image in every respect
was thuuderSiruc6 II INV own aston
fshmeut had not been ~o complete, might
Rave enjoyed laugh sc the amazed. open
huorthed wonder with which he regarded
siue. A. il was. however. he recovered his
srlf-pos~es~ion fir,t, ami extended his
hand.
u am awful glad e. meet sou, Dick Mil
lcr,'' he said. with a grin. ''Same Ia Won.
Charley HigEiu~ou - said !. 8nd We shook
hands heartily. ..Stranga. Is think that
have comheJ you~ hair AMI washed your
face every day .5r tug last twenty-six
years. and YET newer shook hands with you
til to-day"
queer. aiu't 1t. AMI now 3. You will
turn around ! -au see tire back nf ms
meek. said H.
"Aiu't We nice lair y April fools" I
inquired. after we ia laughed AZ our own
folly. III the manner + 'ruli1r % our kind
DON'T" he exclaimed. d-prcciatiucly.
81 have heard of Apr fools, To-day, until
am tired all over uu see / am mar
ricd man. and my -ifr'S mother. and two
Of my sisters live nth 81. Last year [
was smart enough get ahead ~ the
whole crowd ~ wou.s-l, ou this fool busi-
ness, and To-day they are paving me
baCS."
''Too many for y1u are ta-ys"
. Rather. To begin with. my wife stopped
the clock last night. and sot me I1 at midi
night To build "a Ere and draw bucket of
water. Then she told me I was aa April
fool and advised me 90 - to bed
YES 80
..Thsn Sister Kate painted the baby's
ace with some KIND of red stuff. and gave
him the butcher knife a. play with. then
hOIIcrcd for help. I don't know when I
have had such fright before. Then Sis
ter Molly boiled eggs for breakfast and
when broke 1ue, there Vas uuthin' there
but the sheI nj finally the old lady got
me 10 try q pi laudsDum and cotton IN
her hollow tooth. when the Lord knows
she hasn't had a tooth III her head for ten
years"
.WeU. / suppose you are going 10 get
ever with thers"
I'D give up all hopes. but II you viii
help me I'll 'em for luck. See here,
Mr. what di YOU call yoUrselft"
H5Gginsou-Charley HigginSoH."
1'Weu, Mr.. HlZginsou- You are travel
tnS. I see " ii your business admit Of
. your laying q days"
''My dear 81 began. Il never allow
personal aftsi 20 ohstrucJ the pathwavO OF
dutS; and VIII meet fellow creature
u such svideT distress"