Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-21
The irregularsl"


''The irregularsl'
"Verily."
"The patent medicines"
GAN of them"
1.-THE retired physicians whose sands of
life have nearly run out!"
YES"
''Then go home in peace. If you have tried
all these and stil live, know of nothing
that can kill you"
But, mighty Abou, am dying neverthe-
less"
swell, why not die then, without bother
ing met am no balm in Gilead, nor am
a healing balsam. 1 have power, it is
truen
mighty Abou, know you have, and that
power exert for me. care not to live for
myself, but for my fellows. l am the lead
ing man in my native village. l edit the
weekly paper-I am mayorI run the
church, and am president of the school
board If l should die, New Athens would
go as straight to ruin as a pigeon could fly.
1t would not survive me-
Abou had him now. He had an oppor-
tunity to moralize, and in good square
moralizing Abou was equaled by few and
excelled by none. 1t was his best hold,
and he never missed an opportunity. So
he lighted fresh pipe and went for the
young man.
MY young friend, you fancy that should
you die New Athens would go to ruin.
Listen.
Long ago, in the dim years before the
flood, L was sailing on the Persian gulf in
the staunch A l clipper ship, the Mary
Ann. Suddenly there arose a terrible
storm. The winds howled like an Irish
hn Itrf,% 40 boI
which was appalling, and the thunders
rolled as though the demons of the air
were playing continuous games of ten-pns.
1twas a fearsome night The darkness
was so intense that the lights on the head
lands showed not, and we were pulling
through it, helpless in the power of the
tempest on pitiless coast The captain
Perkins was his name-had lost his reckon
ing, and the Mary Ann, uncontrolled and
uncomfortable, was speeding on to her
doom.
Captain Perkins stood at his post calm
and self-possessed. so long ez we hev sea
ROOM said he in his marked Afghanistan
dialect, so long ez we hev sea-room and
kin keep shet Nv the pesl1y rocks we're ali
right. The Mary Ann can't be swamped,
nohow. But this is an ugly coast
And Captain Perkins took a fresh chew
of tobbaco, and peered anxiously into the
darkness.
"Just then the passengers began to learn
of the danger they were in and came rush
ing up the aft-binnacle quarterback IN wild
confusion.
Captain shrieked one, save the vessel,
save her. I am the editor of the Ispahan
Morning Herald, which has the largest cir
culatioD of any paper IN Persia If l perish
the Herald perishes with me. Save me for
the sake of Ispahan.'
" 60 to- out spoke the bold captain; you
bet I'll save the vessel for my own sake.
Bechesm on my head be it. Rest easy
"'Save the sbipr shrielzed another. 4 am
the Governor of a province If perish who
shall rule it, Anarchy and confusion ensue
and widespread woe follows. For the sake
of the province, save the Ship
"'Save the shipr shrieked third 4 am
the president Of the First National Bank Of
Ispahar; if perish down goes the bank
"'Save the ship!' yelled a fourth. lam
the president of the Cashmere and Bulbul
Railroad Company. If 1 go down who can
manage that great corporauonr
Save the shipr cried a fifth. L am
president of the Everlasting Equal Benefit,
Remunerauve, Life and Trust Insurance
Company. Who can run that machine if
am takenr
And these excited Orientals howled 70
the captain as to the terrible consequences
II their untimely taking-of to that degree
that they actually impressed me. 1 felt |
hat never vessel carried so much great |
ness, and that if it should be lost with its |
passengers, Persia would be ruined.
THE vessel was lost The Mary Ann was |
on dangerous coast. Captain Perkins /
went 70 his state-room to sleep. she struck |
ana was the only one saved. Thanks to my |
magic art and hen-coop, 1 swan ashore |
safe but somewhat damp. made my way |
70 lspahan, but 1 could not stay there. A. /
these men had all persisted, l supposed. O. /
course, that ruin, widespread, would ensue |
1supposed the Herald would-to use a Wi |
gar1sm which detest-peg out, that tn,
bank would Ito use another) bust. that thu
railroad and insurance company would ston
ana that rebellion would break out in IL
provinces, and so before the news got abou
sold my property and came to New Jersey.