The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-02
HIS PAPER WAS LATE.
The Anxiety of Subscriber When His Old
Friend Did Not Come.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Monday
evening, 6 o'clock, is my time of getting THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE out of the Postofice. l
was very anxious for the hour to come in this
instance. All week long was annoyed and
panied at seeing SO many live asses kicking at
the dead lion, brave old good hearted Ben
Butler, and was very anxious to see what you
had to say about him. / knew there was no
live ass on THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE force who
would kick at the dead hero now that he was
gone forever; so when the time arrived l
walked very swiftly to the postofice. pleasantly
anticipating what / should find in the paper,
which, of course, was sure to find. 1t didn't
come. To say was disappointed is putting it
very mildly. said - it very viciously. l
don't care if it never comes, thought /. He may
keep it in Washington. 1t amt any good,
anyhow. With this remarkable change stiff
fened up the back very straight and walked Oft
mighty independent. When got back home
another thought took possession Of me. Per-
haps THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE building had
burnt down. Such things have happened be-
fore. Even then the force of The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE might be making desperate efforts to
save valuable records. And, again, the papers
were full Of accounts of our greatest men dying
off very fast. Has the dread visitor called on
our Editor? Perhaps even then his icy embrace
encircled the hero of the veterans. began to
sympathize with The NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
Then another thought took possession OF me.
Perhaps to save themselves from annoyance
they had struck my name off the list. AS this
was the most reasonable thought of all, it made
me feel worse and worse. l tried to shake it
off, but it was no 60. 1t went in deeper and
deeper, and / tried to substitute a book. 1t
was no use. Then another paper; ell of no use.
There was nothing to take the place of The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
Finally went to bed to cut loose from all
thought in sleep, but that only gave a tinge Of
reality to the worst. / found that the Editor
had discovered / was the most pusillanmous
and worthless fellow in this part of the country,
aud he had ordered my name stricken from the
subscription list, and / actually saw the man
putting big black mark across my name.
As opened my eyes in the silent darkuess of
night / wildly clutched at the bedclothes to see
if they were hedcothes. Sure enough they
were. ! was in bed. dreaming I turned over
with satisfactory grunt at this discovery.
Morning came at last, and got up, dressed,
and got ready to go to the postotice. / was
anxious about THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE but
pretended not to be. asked the Postmaster if
there was anything there for me. Ignoring
my general remark, he said: THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE has come. 1t wasn't mislad, nor was
il given in mistake to another"
Sure enough, there was the familiar wrapper
with my name printed in capital letters. 1t
never lOoheu Sd UeautIiui DciOIc. AZ ldsb L udu
the satisfaction of reading something about
Gen. Butler that could cordially indorse.
The Louisville Courier Journal speaks of the
isolated page on which is written Ben Buffers
autograph in book kept for that purpose in
the Governors quarters in Massachusetts, Well
may it be so. Ben Butler was the greatest man
of his day. Had the people made him their
President there would have been a New Or
leans cleaning on a national scale that would
haxa ,oIa pnft co5, CT IN, ctrn
in the history of our country. But it was not
to be. The people were welded to their preju-
dices and they lost more by it than Butler did.
-" MAC" Blanco, Tex.