The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-13
VAGRANT VAGARIES.


Opportunity is everything. Capt. MUIR
rel, who saved a number OF passengers
who were on sinking ship, is the lion OF
the hour. He is wined and dined, toasted,
eulogized and apostrophized. lie is decked
and bediZzened with stars, garters and
gewgaws of every kind, and the world is
making itself hoarse singing his praises.
But, after all, what has he done TO make
him great? He discovered disabled ship
in mid ocean and took her in tow, a very
common thing and part of the unwritten
law OF seafaring; the vessel was supposed
TO be sinking and he took the crew and
passengers on his ship, making room for
their accommodation by throwing over
board q part OF his cargo. That is all.
When the fuss and furry is over, when
mad, mercurial public ceases beating the
hewgag and the tom-tom and returns to
its sober senses, it will ask itself: "What
else could he have done2 Would not any
civilized man, under the circumstances,
have done the same thing9 Surprising lac
had refused succor, could he ever after
ward look humanity in the face? But he
sacrificed his CARGO Granted. lie had TO
do 20 in order not TO overload his ship and
jeOpardize the lives OF all. Are bales aud
boxes to be considered when human lives
are at stake? The truth is that people are
not celebrating the act Of saving life, but
the opportunity that gave him a chance to
save life.
The old black Nanny, so familiar q
figure quarter OF century ago, is pass
ing away. Iou can sec her occasionally
in country places where she fingers, old
and decrepit, and where the mothers aud
fathers OF families still call her "Mammy
Danny" She takes care OF her chickens,
picks around the garden a little and de-
clarcs young Aiissey is too particular with
her children. She still has the little bags
and lunches Of herbs and roots, and she
has cure for every III. She is still full
OF anecdotes aud superstition, and though
her voice is weak and .quaycring, she
sings snatches Of the old, old songs that
soolhed you TO sleep in the long ago. You
remember when you woke up with fright
or fever how she would pat you ON the
back, thump, thump, thump, Tor an hour
perhaps, and sing 10 you:
IAN i trouble and coniidIon.
Come, good shepherd. feed 20 sheep.
tnmc for Paul ana some in the pif.Dr
Come good shepherd. feed 80 sheep
Aud you would put your arms around
her neck with feeling OF confidence and
security and compose yourself 10 sleep. II
an over bountiul supper, suuepttously
given YOU by your Nanny Danny, drove
sleep from your eyelids, YOU lay awake
and wondered how many sheep Paul
would have and what would he 10 with
them. and how many sheep would be in
the parlor when tho good shepherd came
A.. along 10 feed them. You wondered IL
they would sit on the patlor chairs and
eat of OF the center table. You imagined
that you were there aud that the sheep
were there. You laughed at the old cross
ram for sitting on the piano stool aud he
became angry. lie chased you, YOU
thought, and you awoko from a half doze
with scream, when thump, thump,
thump, the faithful hand would begin pat
ting you on the back aud the voice, clear
and strong In those days, would again
sing
IAN Il trouble aud cnufndlcn,
Tome good shepherd mind 80 sheep.
Some Tor Paul aud some IA the pifior,
Come good shepherd, mind 20 Sheep.
This song always accompanied the pat.
ting, and sleep usually followed. You did
not see anything odd or cxtravagnnt about
II. II was Nanny Damy's song, aud you
were soothod by II. You often heard pco.
pie Who had been distracted by the mo-
notony Of It's repetition ask: "ln heavens
name, Nanny Danny, where did YOU
Learn that crazy song?" And the answer
invariably was: "Dunnc, Missy; We chil'-
uns used 10 sing Il wen Ole Missoy an
me wus little" and that was all the cxpla.
nation that was given. You have seen
many Of the treasures OF the world, aud
you have read OF Aladin's wonderful
lamp, but Nanny Damy's pocket wa.
once richer 20 YOU than either. or both.
She Is old and feeble now. Tho silver
coming into your own hair admonishcs
you that oil this happened q long time
AGO Nanny Danny holds on her knee d
baby belonging 10 later generation, but
she cannot follow the older children as
she used 10, for her eyes have grown
din and her step IS inirm. The baby
on her knees looks up into her black face
o. you did, but the hand that holds hi.
chubby fists Is shrunken, and tromblc,
continually, and the voice that cr00ns q
him Is weak. NANNY Danny takes q
long timo now TO gu her pipe, aud TO light
IL Is quite an undertaking. In winter she
complains much Of the cold aud sits Ions
before the fire at night warming her feet,
before retiring. Her mind wandcrs ant
small surprise that II does Il wandcrs
perhaps, 10 the three generations that she
has seen prepared for Christening, ant
whom she helped to dress; II wandors {,
the ihrco generations that she hai
seen prepared for the marriage feast an,
whom she helped to adorn aud deck; /
wandcs 30 two generations whom she n,
longer sccs-two generations whose wastet
anu withcrcd hands she has folded owe
their wasted and withcrcd breasts aud Tai,
them down TO sleep the sleep that know
no waking. Her mind wandom a it'll
Just now perhaps, but what natter lie
aged body will soon return 10 dust an,
her ssul will wander through realms un
marked ny mortal footsteps 10 find ia
good shepherd Of whom she sung 20 often
The world will be the worse for losing her
bu' he Is going, going and will soon b
gonel
Can mutual love exist In exact an
eqral proporiions2 Not on this earth
Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox sings againf
the proposition, and claims that one
loving, the other loved; that one thinks {
the world the other OF love, and that on
lies awake through the night and weep
while tho other rolls over and soundl
Blccpa-a rather swiniab, but a very nat
urnl proceeding, II must be confessed
Mrs. Wilcox Is correct, II not origina
There Is an old French saying that la
almost become An axiom. I'll y touiouf
Fun qui baise, pauiro qui tend Ia joue,
and, ~ Mrs. Wilcox sings, This IL iii
way OF Il the wide world over" Does
sister love brolhcri Tho brother loves /
,.t..., kut .oiIf. aul ,...l.ut..ff.. a.