Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-17

amin alton; passing the chicken 20
Mr.. Butler. the baker, s.exactly; right
you are; slick and brilliant thy name
is, womani Have some of this currant
jell with your tongue, Mrs. Whitney.
Slick and brilliant thy name is, woman!
yes, indeed! not thing could express the
fact more clearly, sir, than the state
ment that woman's weight is measure
less. In point of fact, sir, nothing in
my opinion contributes more to the
continuity of purity among mankind
than the fact that he draws his first
sustenance from his mother, sir.
The Reverend Cuttleton looked inn
pressed, Joel looked bored, and Absa-
lom was saying to Ether, ''that he
wished he could go out and run awhile"
when Julius broke out afresh: 'And,
further" said he, ''when a man gets so
evil-disposed that his wife can no
longer endure him, usually no one else
can either. An axiom, sir, not to be
ignored when considering woman's
sickness, purity and brilliancy. Also
man, regardless of age, size, sex or
previous condition of servitude, sir,
stands ready and willing to die in de-
Tending every woman goes unre-
servedly and preponderatingl to
demonstrate mans nervousness and
woman's most emphatic idiosyn-
Grassy to be" but Absalom, no
longer able to bear the strain upon his
nerves, sprang up and shot out of the
door with yell, and the supper came
to a confused and untimely close.
Joel was still shaking with laughter
when he and Mrs. Whitney arrived at
their gate that night, and an occasional
wave of humor shook his spacious per-
son, when, on the morrow, he went
with many others to the early train to
see Absalom Heater take his unexpec-
ted departure. Exactly what influ-
ence or influences actuated Absalom
in this departure it were quite impos-
siblc to determine. That it was patriot
ism, pure and simple. though that be-
came ruling passion with him further
| on, could hardly be admitted, since the
| right or wrong or peril to the Nations
life, had scarcely won his notice till
the gathering tempest broke. 1t might
have been the understandable energy of
| his legs, led by some occult principle
| of attraction toward that great whirl-
pool of action which beat and battered
| a million men to pieces ere it spent its
course, that carried him so swiftly to a
decision. At any rate, when remon-
strated with upon his seemingly pre-
"Ill see the boss. The boss knows
| what he's dom. He'll set me to work
| quick enough" and other like ex-
pressions of confidence in the great
| heart and head of him who had on his
shoulders the chief cares of the Nation.
This was doubtless attributable in most
part to the remembrance Absalom had
| of standing few years before with
| multitude of people about a platform
! in the square of Openstone, and listen
| ing with open mouth and thrilling
| nerves as an exceedingly tall and
| swarthy individual from the platform
| eloquently poured out his heart before
| them. That Absalom had thus listened
| to MIR. Lincoln may have been the hid
| den but active agent, working in con-
| junction with the natural vigor of his
| legs, that impclled him to so sudden
| an espousal of the Nations course; for
! though he had not carried from the
| memorable event much that was clear
| to his untutorcd faculties, vet certain
| indcfinablc charm had been worked
upon him which remained. Little,
| however. could be said to AbsalOm for
| the reason that he could not be con-
| strained to stand still long enough to
! be intclligcntly talked to, though in
deed many others were well nigh as
rudcly rocked about with excitement
as he. Julius Popp was one of these;
and the quantity of language that es-
capped him, together with the number
of angles assumed by his hat during
the half hour spent in waiting for the
train, would well nigh defy computa-
ton. Joel was of cook and jocund
mood. however, cracking not override
! licious jokes with those about him,
and now and then setting atloat bit
| of chaT at Absalom's expense. But
his face fell into straightcr lines when
the train sped away with Absalom
standing upon the rear platform. and
there was something like mist be-
fore him when the train receded and
Absalom waved his hand and turned
with last look and entered the coach,
and Ether broke away with wailing
cry and went blindly along the walk
with her hands pressed against her
eyes. Many another eye, too, was dim,
and some tender-hcartcd women who
were present wept, and not a few
strong careless fellows scuffed the
ground with foot and looked away,
for Opcnstonc had sent her first son to
the war.