Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-10
MY DOUBLE.
Happy Results of an Amusing April
Fool Joke.

Fool Joke.
ALI FOOLS Day is happy anniversary
to me; and, together with my family, 1
celebrate it regularly; not in the custom
airy off-hand manner of the world at large,
but in a way and for a reason of my own.
The way that this particular observance
of the HigginsOn family first originated
may be learned from the perusal of the
following lines:
On the morning of the first day of April,
1882, l ate my breakfast at a little village
hotel in one of the northern counties of
Arkansas; and, after paying the modest
sum of ga dollar and two bits" assessed
for the feed and lodging of myself and
horse, mounted and resumed my journey
along the highway leading to Little Rock;
and if ever poor, homeless, waywOrn
traveller carried heavier, less cOntented
heart in his bosom than mine upon this
particular morning, l must say that l
cOmmiserate him with my whole soul.
To state the case plainly, l was COM
pletely disgusted with the rambling, aim
less life that l lad led since drifting away
from my old home in the Northern States;
and, though my business of cattle-buying
was quite profitable, had found that
lacked the disposition to save the money
gained, and. as rule, had to do the bulk
: of my trading on borrowed capital; pay
ing the mOney-lender principal and inter-
est after each transaction was COM
pleted, and then living extravagantly on
the surplus as long as it lasted, when, re-
duced to my bottom dollar, would solicit
another loan and pin myself down to bust
ness again for few months.
On the trip from which was just re-
turning | had been particularly lucky
considering the earliness of the season
and was returning to headquarters with
enough in my purse to iquidate all claims
and have a couple of hundred left. But
still was heartily sick of it all, and was
debating seriously with myself the adj
visibility of selling my horse and saddle
at the first opportunity and leaving the
Southwest forever.
| was in just such a frame of mind that
believe that | should hardly have hest
tated if an opportunity had offered to
change places with any person happy
enough to possess n home; and, as | rode
along the highway past the comfortable
houses of the hardy mountain farmers, 1
made myself miserable by noting the
careless, contented faces of the people
encountered, and comparing their lot in
life to my own, and always to my own dis
advantage.
AT my feet, gentle slope. of perhaps a
quarter of a mile, led down to small
stream that gurgled along past cultivated
fields on either side, hidden, however, at
the crossing by the growth of small trees.
Beyond was a second ridge, similar to the
one upon which l had paused, though
somewhat lower; and near its summit, en-
vironed with a growth of peach-trees
radiant with bloom, stood snug little
cottage, looking so hOme-like and at
tractive with its glory of white paint and
blue cornices that L could have strangled
its happy owner for being SO much more
fortunate than myself.
At the tasty little picket-fence that
skirted the road horse was tied-a big
sorrel, with white stockings that reached
well up the leg-and, as L looked, l saw a
man come running toward it from the
house, pursued, as far as the gate, by
three female forms, and there came,
waited on the morning air, loud shouts of
feminine mirth-clear, ringing peals of
laughter that rang in my ears like the
sweetest of music. If the man Joined in
the merriment it was silently, for, lifting
his hat with an extravaganza of courtesy,
he rode down the hill to meet me; and, as
his horse was impatient and full of fire,
he passed the stream first, and we met in
the shade of the low elms, totally con-
cealed by their branches from those he
had just left.
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 of hairs. The truth of
the proposition is self-evident. BY the
same logical reasoning-if the world con-
tains more individuals than individu-
alities-some man must needs have q
''double," and. Unexpectedly, found my
self confronted with mine.
The recognition of this fact was instan-
taneous and mutual. When l first saw
him pass from the house to the gate had
detected something familiar in his APP
pearance: and now, when he drew rein
within ten feet of me, could see that in
form and face and general bearing, even
to the cut of the mustache and the lump
on the too-prominent nose, he was exactly
my image in every respect
| was thunderstruck. If my own aston
ishment had not been so complete, might
have enjoyed a laugh at the amazed. open
mouthed wonder with which he regarded
me. As it was, however, he recovered his
self-possession first, and extended his
hand.
II am awful glad TO meet you, Dick Mil
lerr' he said, with a grin. ''Same to you,
Charley Higginson!" said 1, and we shook
hands heartily. Strange, to think that L
have combed your hair and washed your
face every day for the last twenty-six
years, and yet never shook hands with you
till to-day?"
'Queer, amt it? And now if you will
turn around 1 can see the back of my
neck" said he.
''Ain't we nice pair of April fools:"
inquired, after we had laughed at our own
folly, in the manner peculiar to our kind.
''Don't" he exclaimed, depreciatingly.
''I have heard of April fools, to-day, until
am tired all over. You see am mar
ried man, and my wife's mother, and two