The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-04-09

self shake and fell into a dozen
pieces. He had no sooner ceased
speaking than cigar stump thus ad.
dressed me:
"'My unfortunate friend. cease CON-
planning. ! once held more elevated
position in the estimation OF man than
you. was fondled and caressed with
the hands and the lips OF one OF the
most prominent men-in fact / be-
lleve he was congressman. He en-
joyed me for few minutes. and while
/ was congratulating myself over the
importance OF my position and the
conspicuous figure was making In
the world. ] suddenly found myself in
this slum and filth. the most dirty and
disgusting Of objects But let that
pass. Do you know, my dear stump
OF a match, that such is life with man
kindP You have not yet seen all OF
our associates OF the gutter. Wait
but little while and perhaps you will
see men. and maybe women our COM
panions in this filthy abode
The cigar stump ceased speaking.
and was wondering at his strange re-
marks. when. with an oath and q
splash. man fell into our midst and
threw me with great violence on his
back. l soon became composed. how
ever and began ut once to view my
change OF scene. l noticed that the
mans clothing was coarse, threadbare
and dirty; that his hair was long.
matted and unclean; that his trousers
were ragged and greasy, and that his
shoes were rusty and full OF holes.
The cigar stump nestled under one of
his arms; the cork shoppers wabbled
about his face; the struggling guilds OF
tobacco found lodging in his hair and
a cheese pairing chung behind one OF
his ears.
.'This is strange said to myself.
is this man, too, l soliloquized a
castaway? Has he answered the pur-
pose OF some ones qualification. and
when he became of no further use
has he been cast Off Whose work
was thisp Did the man. of his own
free choice. select this unusual bedp
Did others help him to itp Or did
some other power far beyond my
humble ken, precipitate him to the
level OF brutep-for hogs and men
were OF all the animal creation. the
only creatures had ever beheld. wal
lowing in the gutter
Perhaps he. too was as much
changed from his original state as an
Insignificant half burnt match or cigar
stump. So snugly lay the huge
bloated hulk in our midst that the
passers-by at night could not well
have distinguished him from the gen.
eral offensive. Shiny mass
although my own state was de-
graded and wretched. now took a
more cheerful view OF my fallen con-
dition. had been made simply for
mans use. and held a very insignif-
cant position. but here was one of the
lords OF creation who had fallen far
beneath my humble degradation. He,
too. like myself, had no doubt been al
some time or other. the instrument OF
another's pleasure. profit ambition or
revenge.
The more looked at the man. and
the moro reflected upon his condi-
ton. the less lamented my own.
This man, thought to myself, was
once the Joy of a mother's-the
pride of fathers heart And is this
the harvest OF that JOY and pride. to
find their erstwhile chubby-fa babe
besotted. bedraggled ragged and
dirty. lying in tho slum and filth of
the street"
after the man had lain in deer
stupor for several hours. he began tc
move restlessly, and soon his reeling
form moved on, and l was once more
thrown into the gutter. Since then,
have seen many other men tumbling
in upon us. Some would often stag.
ger through our midst, but would OBJ
tain sufficient equilibrium to prevent
them from falling. They were Of all
ages, young. middle-aged and old mer
men OF all stations in life; men oil
all grades OF intellect and virtue"
Thus ended the tale OF the match.
l leave IL to the reader to extract the
moral il it contains one. -Arkansaw
Traveller.