Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25

---N So thought Joe
Shuright frequently
ana the thought returned to him powerful
~ one wednesday evening in late Novem-
'ei as ne sduhtered through some streets
near Newspaper Row." in New York. and
not far from the city's great market. .Joe
was of rural BIRTH and so studious and
qulch-wltted that he really did know much
mat could be learned from books: indeed,
nc me" so much before he came of age
iu was 50 persistent in airing his wisdom
that he made himself cordially hated nv
every sensible person within range of his
voice. AS to that. he knew so much more
'iiah MS own rather and mother that he
shortened the days of those really estimable
persons by his contemptuous manner
among other things, Joe knew just how a
newspaper should be edited. but there was
nothing wonderful in that, for the man
who doesn't think he can give points to
the ablest editor alive is hard to find In
search OF his proper place Joe had come
TO the city, where minds as great as his
ana most congregate. and by rare luck he
had found an editor who would allow him
u Try MS hand on small Jobs when all the
rusty reporters were otherwise occupied.
IL was a rare experience for the novice
though rare fun for an expert. to listen to
the press, particularly when his own bril-
liantly written report of a fire or a fight
hau Deen blue peEciled out of any resem-
blance TO the original CODY.
GUN, Joe knew it all. and he also knew
that MS proper place was waiting for him
somewhere; TO be conscious of all this was
10 pe al least partially armored against
the stihgs of outrageous fortune He did
not easily make acquaintances for through
some mysterious influence the metropolis
was as quick the country in fighting shv
OF the man who knew everything. When
time hung heavily on Joe's hands in the
ONCE ana Joe endeavored to improve il by
unloading concentrated wisdom upon his
associates, these unappreciative fellows be-
gan with one accord to make excuses and
TO disappear, to the great annoyance of the
city editor. 1t was after several such hints
that Joe had himself gone out of the office
on the evening alluded to. The other re-
porters had been discussing some results
Of recent election. and they had declined
to accept Joes conclusions. Joe had borne
patiently with them. and even revealed to
the whole crowd his great mathematician
tellectual scheme for beating the bookmak-
ers at the races. but the fellows brutally
declared that they had heard of such
schemes before. Joe loftily shook the
dust of the office from his feet and went
into the outer air to cool his seething brain.
lie found men, women and children, all
loaded with baskets, bags or packages,
crowding from the market to the various
car lines, so Joe began at once to argue
with himself against the custom. born of
tradition, of making a special feast day of
the last Thursday of November What
fools men would make of themselves for
the sake of tradition Why, one of the
fellows In the othce-a man with six chill
dren and therefore old enough to know
betteT-had offered to give $l5 pay day
TO any one who would lend him SO that
Wednesday afternoon. Joe could have lent
the amount, for, thanks to his father, he
was few dollars ahead of his expenses,
and he was not above pocketing s. when
some fool had seen fit to lose it, but he
could not bring himself to encourage the
foolery of conforming to a custom which
had no significance nowadays-not If he
knew himself.
1t must be admitted that Joe, being
h"n~n. '"eai-enn1 little when right be-
side st. PauPs Church; he was wishing he
lau been Jnere, little more than a nun
drcd years earlier to give some points to
the preacher who addressed President
Washington on the first Inauguration day.
when suddenly he saw r1iddle-aged man
and handsome young woman struggling
with two baskets and several refractory
bundles. He could not help. though he
| tried, remembering that he had seen his
father and his elder sister in similar plight
on the road from the village to the an
cestral farm. for as the "old mans acres
produced neither turkeys nor fancy gro
ceres and tropical fruits. and as his ia ther
had the silly habit of making a great af-
| fair of buying the Thanksgiving "fxin's 9"
ard at the same time regarded his work
| horses comfort more than his own. he
would persist in carrying all the things
from the village to the farm and the elder
| daughter would persist in going down the
road to meet and help him. although Joe
had frequently demonstrated to the whole
family, by figures. that the old man fire.
quently carried heavier loads on the farm
as a matter of course: If the family would
not understand II, Joe was not to blame for
their in tellectual incapacity.
Somehow the middle-aged man and I'll q
handsome young woman and the baskets
and bundles went to Joe's heart and his
conscience kicked his manners to the sur
face. so he approached the couple and said
to the man:
II beg yo;ir pardon, but you seem to be
overloaded I've q few minutes to spare:
won't YOU let me help you?'
Won't I? Well, rather! If you'll just
take hold of the other side of this biggest
basket and help me along two or three
minutes I'll be eternally obliged to YOU.
don't know how it's come about but the
Thanksgiving things weigh good deal
| more than they did twenty years ago. when
| there were more appetites to provide for
Angie. let this young man put his grip en-
| the basket"
Joe raised his hat. and was glad TO dis
| play what manners he had, for really he
didn't like to see good looking women work
| The girl made a mild protest, but Joe made
| light of it, and took the handle with the
| masterful air he had acquired at home
| through much bullying of his sisters. His
| hand brushed that of the girl which caused
| him to insist upon relieving her IF the
| packages she carried. Then he felt ashamed
| of himself for having conformed even a lit
| tie to the spirit of the day, so he proceeded
| to make an ass Of himself by remarking:
| Thanksgiving. l think you said? Isn't
| it about time for Americans to give up
| that Anticipated nonsense? l can prove to
you in two minutes that the Puritan
| THANKSGIVING custom has no significance
| whatever at the present time. I have
! Just then the whole weight of the basket
| fell upon Joe's hand and a plump young
| turkey slid toward the gutter. while the
| young woman, who was walking a pace
| or two in front, turned an inquiring and re-
| proachful face and the middle-aged man
| after recovering the turkey, remarked:
| Young man, you started to do me a
| service and I'm much obliged to YOU for
it, but when you come to abusing Thanks
giving day it's time for us to part COM
pany. Daughter. take the other side of
| that basket, please.
The girl attempted to obey her father
| but ice objected; he tried not to be rude,
| and succeeded fairly; besides, he had the
girls bundles on his left arm. and she could
not we'll recover them also without a
struggle to which she seemed disinclined.
Joe made haste to say. as he frightened his
grasp on the handle of the basket
| You'll be rid of me in a moment; / guess