Dodge City times., 1890-10-24

Happiness Is the great aim of al
mankind and for which all are forever
btriving; and yet how few there are
who know when they have obtained It
The healthy. care-free boy longs for
the time when he viii be grown . man,
and pictures in his youthful mind the
happiness he will enjoy when he is for
ever free from parental control. When
the years have rolled past, and he
finds himself what he has so ardontly
wished for, he psuses, and, upon tax
fng retrospective view, he IS srdently
longs for the joys, the happiness and.
elas! too often for the innocence Of
childhood. Oh! how many Of us old,
fare-worn, sin-scarred. and tough
hearted specimens of the genus homo
would give all We have toiled, schemed
md sinned for, since We arrived ct
mans estate, to be again innocent
children, and allowed the inestimsbls
pleasure Of q good, all-night glorious
bleep, such as we used to enjoy when
we were boys. Oh, for the days long
gone, in recollection 30 vivid, in which
we watched the gap all day long, sit
ting in the corner Of the old wooden
fence under the shade Of the old elder
bush, while we manufactured wonders
bf whistles from green paw paw bark,
Ind cut our fingers with the new Bar
| low knife which papa bought for US on
the Saturday before.
We can shut our eyes now and see
the old barn, the pump at the road
ride, with the horse trough near by;
the wagon shed, granary and corn-crib
combined; the half-fnished wheat rick
and, beyond all these, the dwelling
with its log walls neatly painted and
whitewashed-the very personifcation
pf that cleanliness which is next to
godliness. And last, but not least, the
old ash hopper, under which we used
70 play "house" with our little sister,
before We got big enough to go to
school and "mind the gap" And the
closing Of our eyes seems to have
opened our ears, for we can hear the
packing Of the hens, who seem to be
holding . convention over some newly
laid eggs in the barn, and the steady
sthud-thud" of the loom at the house
gives early promise of some new cop
peras-colored pants. Now we hear the
Nchuck, "chuck" Of the wagon coming,
for the fourth time, well laden from
the wheat field, and, as it nears the
gap, there breaks forth from the house
that which to boys is the sweetest Of
all music-"the dinner horn"
Could we have but realized how
happy we were then, We surely would
have been contented; but such realizs-
ton could not be, and the only differ
ence which time has wrought in our
thoughts on the subject is, that then
We looked forward to find happiness,
whereas now We look backward, and
our happiest moments now are spent
in retrospective contemplation of the
happiness which we enjoyed at time
when We did not realize it.
How it softens the heart to recall
those old days, and while know that,
in this world, happiness always seems
to be either ahead or behind us, I do
hope that in the world to come We may
be allowed the happiness of again iv-
ing over our boyhood days, and fully
realizing their pleasures at the time
Cdspdr Criagle, in Detroit Free Press.
"Old lronsides."
The frigate Constitution (O1d Iron
sides, that stands at the head in the
list of honor of the ships of Americas
early naval history, is now q receiving
chip at the navy yard at Portsmouth,
n. h. There are not many men who
have not recited in their school days
Oliver Wendell Holmes tribute to the
gallant old vessel, beginning:
| Aye. tear her tattered ensign downi
Long has it waved on high;
And many eye has danced to sec
| That banner In the sky.
@Old Ironsides" was built in Boston
jim the years 17947, under q law ap-
proved by Washington March 27, 1894,
and was launched ON the Doth of Sep
tember, 1897. The list of her cap
tains contains the names of Nicholson,
Talbot, Preble, Decatur, Rogers,
Hull, Bainbridge and others-men re-
howned for nautical skill, bravery and
devotion to their country, and no one
of whom ever brought defeat or dis
honor upon the gallant craft intrusted
to his command.
Her first gun at an enemy was dis
charged August 8, 1904, when an at
tack was made on the American squad
ron then in the Mediterranean Sea by
the Tripolitan forts. In 1912, shortly
hitter the declaration of war with En-
gland, the Constitution met and cap
kured the British ship Guerriere, an
action that will ever be memorable in
H. ~oo4~1o 1f Tlo
Constitution was under command of
Capt. Isaac Hull, with . crew Of 800
men, while the Guerriere was COM
manded by Capt. J. R. Dscres, with
400 men. Both Captains had met So
cially before the war, and had then
discussed the merits of the two ves-
sells. When they spoke of what would
happen If, in the event of war, they
should come into collision, Hull said:
~Take care of that ship of yours, if I
ever catch her in the Constitution.
Dacres laughed, and offered hand
some bet that if they ever did meet as
antagonists his friend would find out
his mistake. Hull refused q money
wager, but offered to stake on the
issue . hat. Years after, when the
conjectured encounter did occur, and
when, after Q desperate fight, the En-
glish frigate became . total wreck,
Capt. Dacres came on board the Con-
etitution and offered his sword to his
captor, @No, no" said Hull, Il will
mot take q sword from one who knows
so well how to use it. but I'll trouble
you for that hat tl"-Boston Herald
A man wearing q number of badges
went into Chicago saloon, kept by .
German, and, calling the proprietor,
aaid:
Il had come in here to take drink
at your bar, but have discovered that
] should not pstronize you.'
well, how vas dot?'
Because, upon looking round after
coming in, I see that you have an avn
e.. Il &, Svnsk ksrn ~ thu 40 ~ INV