Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-01-23
Ely DOUBLE.
Happy Results of an Amusing April
Fool joke.

celebrate it regularly; not in the custom
airy off-hand manner of the world at large,
but Ia way and for a reason of my own.
The way that this particular observance
of the Hiyginson family first originated
may be learned from the psrusal Of the
following lines:
On the morning Of the first day Of April,
1882, ase my breakfast at a little villa e
hotel IA 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, l mounted and resumed my journey
along the highway leading to Little Rock;
and II ever a poor, homeless, wayworn
traveller carried a heavier, less contented
heart IN his bosom than mine upon this
particular morning, 1 must say that
commiserate him with my whole soul.
70 state the case plainly, was COM
p1etely Casgusted with the rambling, aim
less life that had led since drifting away
from nay OLD home in the Northern States {;
and, though my business of cattle buying
was quite profitable, I had found that /
lacked the disposition to save the money
gained, and, as a rule, had to do the bulk
of my trading on borrowed capital; pay
ing the lnoney-lender principal and inter-
est after each transaction was COM
pleted, and then living ext:avagantly on
the surplus as long as it lasted. when, re-
ducad to my bottom dollar, would solicit
another loan and pin myself down to BUSH
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
y0Vh inv
and have a couple Of hundred left. But
still was heartily sick Of it all, and was
debating seriously with myself the ad-
visibility Of selling my horse and saddle
at the first opportunity and leaving the
Southwest forever.
Twas in just such frame Of mind that
I believe shat I should hardly have hest
tated It All opportunity had offered to
change places with any person happy
enough to possess home; and, as rode
along the highway past the comfortable
houses OF the hardy mountain-farmers, I
made myself miserable by noting the
careless, contented faces of the people l
encountered, and comparing their lot in
life to my own, and always to my own dis
advantage.
At my feet, a gentle slope, Of perhaps q
quarter of a. mile, led down to q small
stream that gurgled along past cultivated
fields on either side, hidden, however, at
the crossing by the growth Of small trees.
Beyond was o second ridge, similar to the
one upon which l had paused, though
somewhat lower; and near it's summit, en-
v1roned 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 co1nices that could have strangled
It's happy owner for being so much more
fortunate than myself.
At the tasty little picket-fence that
6kirted the road horse was tied-a big
sorrel, with white stockings that reached
we'll up the leg-and, as I looked, saw q
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
swcetest Of music. If the man joined in
the merriment it was silently, for, lifting
his hat with on 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-
CCtlCN Wy CAclI duCuc6 lTOm tAOS0 uo
had just left.
Somewhere 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 Ill existence possessing exactly
the sanac n"inber of hairs. The truth of
the proposition is self -evident. BY the
same logical reasoning-i the world con-
tains more individuals than individu-
allces-some man must needs have 0
'dou5le," and, unexpectedly, found my.
self confronted with mine.
The recognition of this fact was instan.
tancous and mutual. When I first saw
him pass from the house to the gate had
detected something familiar in his ap.
peara1lce; and now, when he drew rei1
within ten feet OF me, could see that il
form, and face and general bearing, ever
to The cut Of the 1nustache and the lun1
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, Imigh
lave enjoyed a laugh at the amazed, open.
mounted wonder with which he regarded
me. AZ It was, however. he recovered hi
self possession first, and extended hi
haaad. >> '~>