The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-11-25

EMA~l lZnNM him? How can
WMESS N fellow ap-
SSh y 4 W proach a man
Nl(lr&WS%A M! that meets him
Nt\EM%S<(5N at the first sally
with the sword
of ridicule, and then follows his thrust
with cannonading of vituperative cpl
thets-"
'If you hadn't allowed those fellows
to run poor old Sultan
''Oh, Sultan be hanged! They didn't
hurt him any"
'tHe might have overlooked past Of
fenses, and mightn't-"
"Look here, Kittie McCalligan, what's
the use of your nights and your
'mightn' 'ts'-Uncle Mac detests, abhors,
abominates, despises, hates and 1oathes
the college boys"
''For which I am painfully aware he
has, too often, just cause. Who ties
cats to his window shutters? Who puts
turtle eggs under the hen? Who SNUG
giles bowling dogs into the cellar at
dead of night, fills Sultan's name with
burs, and paints the front fence red,
white and blue? You may use all the
telling synonyms you care to"
'sIf he didn't hate 'em they wouldn't
do it"
"'1Heg = with Teddy McCalligan,
ring-leader, left out?"
"Oh, say, Kit"
"You fellows don't do much to make
him love you that have ever seen.
Great, grown boys like you, at that,
not a soul among you under seven
teen"
''Nor one of us over twenty. Twen-
tvs awful young for boy, Kit, and all
the fellows SO far from home, and that,
and halfway homesick, the most Of
'em, and not one allowed to go home at
Thanksgiving. with the Don kicking up
such dust about it all
"You can go home, at any rate, and
as for being homesick, I'll wager that
Jim"
"Ohi Jim Junior-'beautiful Jim
he's the rummiest cove of the lot, If you
Hke-and you needn't roll your eyes
around in such an indignant manner,
either-you're not the only girl living" I"
'Teddyl y
"Wen, you are, then; but happened
to see photograph in Jim's chest
pocket"
''Teddyr"
..'Stunning picture-eyes like stars.
mouth ike-we1, what you crying
about?'
Ibid you-did-did-did you ever hear
Jim say he wa-was homesick?"
''Think the fellows a blubbering
idiot? S'pose you imagine he's going
around dampening handkerchiefs with
the brineI Oh, say, Kit, that was your
| photograph caught on to-help a fell
low out, won't you?"
When a man in impecunious circum-
stances acts in a manner somewhat
unusual, he is straightway dubbed
crank; If, on the other hand,
| a man of means is guilty of the
selfsame actions, he is termed mere
" eccentric. Maj. McCalligan's bank
account was large enough to allow him
to be called by the longer and more
euphonious appe1lation, and persistent
enough in his oddity to keep the sib-
liant word continually upon the tongues
Of the people unluckily obliged, by
stress of circumstances, to dwell inside
the corporation of the populous college
town. The major had settled there
long before any great barracks OF a
school building had been erected, be-
fore the noise and confusion consequent
upon the arrival of hundreds of manner
less youths within the town-youths
who laughed law and order to scorn.
and had since filed the majors nights
with a hideous unrest. That he, the
hero of hundred battles, should be
routed by such an enemy to his peace.
that he should pull up stakes and fly be-
fore so pulling, SO inane foe was as faI
from his thoughts as that the majors
ire was that adversary's chief joy. In
every way possible, innocently o1
maliciously, these tormentors sought tc
arouse the majors wrath, desisting
only when they had won for themselves
the dear delight of seeing his quicl
Irish blood fly to his scowling brow
and hearing his quick Irish tongue
berating them with the choice invecttve
he had, with seeming forethought, gath
cred for such occasions as these in hh
Aative land.
In the college town, therefore, thu
major had remained, pestered and en-
joyed by youths who grew to manhood
graduated, and, as the years few by
began sending on second editions O.
themselves to their beloved Alma Mater
During this passage of time tbs
majors sister-the sole idol of his hear
had married and, after several years O.
married bliss, had found herself {
widow, with two little children to car
for. Although she realized their grea
need of her, and fought bravely to liy'
for their sakes, her efforts were of NJ
avail, and each day saw her more ant
more the shadow Of her former self. Il
vain her brother tried to comfort her
the fond heart was broken, and befor'
the winter frost had melted above th'
grave wherein lay all her hopes, ther'
was another mound to be covered b.
the soft white mantle Of the snow, ant
the major, filed with that mournfu
tenderness felt only by lamenting trisl
hearts, led the two little ones back t.
his own freside, accepting them as 1
sacred legacy. He gave them his mann
and his undivided care and attention
and joyed in the sense of his ownership
of two charming children, who wer'
now as much his own as though he hat
suffered sleepless nights during thei
infancy, and been fretted by wife o
his choice-for the major was not
marrying man, and the thought of al
outsider woman at that coming int
/ ].;A b ~