The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-06-14
What's the matter with the flagT
said Hobbs, surprised.

= "'What's the matter with the flagP
said Hobbs, surprised.
"1t's all wrong, sir; the proportions
nro all wrong. Tho field is too long for
its width. and the rest of il is too wide for
its length Tho crosses are wrongly ar
ranged. sir, and it is vile caricature OF
an honored flag, sir. Remove it imme-
diatelyr
"Guess not said Hobbs again. That
flag was bought in a British port and
made by British subject. He was
Chinnman, but that is neither here nor
there | don't care II IL is the flag of
Patagonia, so long as il was sold to me
for that Of England. Good morningp
THE harbor master had nothing to say
TO this and started back, but he had no
sooner done so than the main halliards
were pulled, tho bundle Mt the peak
broke out, and in second the stars and
stripes were waving before the aston
ished eyes of the harbor master, the Yam
kee shippers and Captain Semmes of the
Alabama. Indeed, so large was Old
Glory in this particular case that It al
most brushed the Alabama's decks, the
vessels being so near together. Tho huge
flag had been presented to the ship at
her launching and to the excited spec
tators on this occasion seemed larger
than the ship herself.
"The harbor master put about, angrier
than before, anddemanded explanations.
"'What does that flag mean. sirT said
he.
"'That's my house flag said Hobbs;
tho trademark of my owners. do not
know whether that red rag up there is
| humpbacked and clubfooted or not, but
you can't give me any points on the con-
struction of that article up there with
the stripes on it. | propose TO fly that
flag how | please, when | please and
where please, whether it be in Hong
Kong or in h. For the second time,
good morning! aud Hobbs went below.
'Semines was so angry over the stars
and stripes Haunting in his face that he
swore 10 blow the Humming Bird out of
the water il he ever caught her outside,
no matter what flag she sailed under.
He never did it, however, rs this voyage
hang fire as SO many others did, and as
shortly after this tho Alabama exchanged
with The Kearsarge certain little civili-
tiea we all know about his blowing days
wore over."-New York Sun.
! A Bargain Driven by Emerson.
we were speaking Of Emerson, and
had shown my idolatry of that sweet
Athenian Yankee, when my friend said:
"There is no question that Ralph Waldo
Emerson was a grand old American
Socrates, or Plato if you will, but much
of the starch Of my veneration for him
was taken ont by the way he once con-
tended with the newsdealer at the Cause
way street end Of the Fitchburg depot
for the reduction of the price of Boston
evening daily paper because it was of the
issue of day or two previous. 1t re-
minded me of the huckstering | wit
messed in baliesbop some time before,
where n woman insisted on having q
5-cent loaf for 8 cents because it was two
days old, and finally, after II wordy con-
tention with the worthy white capped
baker, compromised by paying A cents
for the bread.
"Ralph, the venerable, had the cour-
age Of his mercenary convictions and in
sisted for time on having cent reduc-
ton on the price of the paper. The
newsdealer, too, had the courage of his
trade and did not seem to care baubee
for the author of the Over Soul al
though found afterward that he knew
the intellectually august gentleman with
whom he was dealing. Knowing the
person of the Concord philosopher, was
amused enough to wait over another
train, had not the purchaser and vender
compromised, and the dear good man
bought the wished for old paper with
another Of that evenings issue."-Bos-
ton Globe.