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

You must have been brought up in the
basket. Joe WINGED, and growled:
what makes you think sop
'Oh, there was some Scripture in your
last remark. City folks don't use it. You're
from the central part of the state aren't
your
Joe was obliged to admit that he was,
though he wondered why a pain-looking
old fellow like the owner of the basket
should have known it.
shouldn't wonder if you were a Shu-
right" the middle-aged man continued.
right?'
You certainly are" said Joe, abashed,
for the first time in his life by wisdom
which was beyond his ken.
Thought So" the middle-aged man went
on. You're the drawn image of Kip Shu-
right of Middle Creek Township"
Hes my father" Joe admitted, though
in his secret heart he was ashamed to be
identified by his resemblance to common
place looking a man as his father. Then
ii was the middle-aged mans turn to be
astonished; again he dropped the handle of
the basket as he said:
Well l want to know, What are you
doing here in New York;"
The question seemed repeated by the eyes
OF the young woman, and as they were
glorious eyes, beside being quite searching
Joe pulled himself together with all his
dignity, and replied:
Il am here in search of my proper place
in life"
'Umph!" exclaimed the middle-aged man.
resuming his grip on the basket. Just
what l came for, thirty years ago Your
father would have come too-he and 1 We're
friends-but some death in the family pre-
vented. Twas luck for him-everybody
who knows him respects him. but in this
big city I'm the nobodiest of nobodies.''
Father! exclaimed the handsome young
woman reproachfully. Joe had heard his
elder sister say the same word, in the same
tone, TO his own father, under provoca ton
somewhat similar, when he. Joe. thought
the old man was about right and thought
his sister very silly; now, however he look
ed admirinsly at the handsome young
woman and said
Give it to him. Miss-Agnes l think your
father called you. No one is nobody when
he really thinks So"
Listen to that, father" said the young
woman, who at the same time threw a
grateful look to Joe. The young man took
IT, and felt much the better for getting il;
nevertheless, he could not forget the idea
which had that evening taken possession of
his brain, so he said:
Regarding Thanksgiving day, think it's
confounded humbug. Business stopped
entirely; church services in the middle of
the week; everybody pretending that they've
a lot to be thanK:Il for although they've
peen grumohng like sin because things
haven't gone better with them during the
year. There wouldn't be any such foolery If
this idiotic nation weren't possessed to keep
a tight grip upon every old association
"Idiotic. eh?" interrupted the owner of the
baskets. Il wish such idiocy were catch
ing. and lasted as long is leprosy. The more
we can have of it, the better off this nation
will be-"
It's plain enough to see that you're of
Yankee blood" said Joe; but the old man
replied:
Not unless a man is short-sighted. it
| isn't. My folks straycd NJ from The south
| three generations ago; been in York state
ever since. but the old stuff is in us all the
same. Perhaps the marks have been rubbed
off of me. / being old and shabby. but look
at that girl; If you knew national traits and
signs, you could see some Huguenot French
in her features. and some English Catholic
| that's Maryland addition to the various
strains of blood in the family. But of
course, you can't be expected to be inter
ested in such things"
Perhaps Joe wasn't but he couldn't resist
the invitation to look for the racial traits
alluded to. and as Just then the trio had
come under a powerful street light Joe
looked so intently that the girl laughed and
blushed and averted her face Her father
by that time seemed to be thinking of some
thing else, for he asked:
Found your place in life vet?-vou said
| you'd come to New York to look for it
No said Joe, but believe that sooner
or later | will. All things come to him
who waits" Then he looked sideways ar
. the girl. hoping to get look of approval
! for his courage. He was not entirely dis
! appointed. but just then the older man re-
| piled:
! Right you are. I waited-waited a long
! time. but got there at last"
indeed? Joe looked inquirinCly at the
man. he had heard that some of the solid
citizens of New York still did their own
| marketing and carried the goods home with
| them for fear of dishonest substitutions
Could this man. so ordinary of appearance
be millionaire? Joe was prepared to be-
| lieve II, If so told, for he had seen several
! city magnates of business and heen dis
| gusted by their commonplace appearance
! So he asked:
May inquire what it is?''
Certainly. I'm a typesetter on the
Watcher, and the happiest husband father
and grandfather in the United States.
! couldn't he better off if l were to be elect
| ed President"
Here's our car, father" said the cir, at
tempting to take the packages from Joe's
arm. ''e
I'm on the Watcher myself" remarked
Joe Joe ,ggttns on the car with the couple
so don't believe you need be afraid of
! my company few moments longer II
don't meet old friends of my fathers every
day 1iS
The owner of the basket looked sea rcb-
ingly at Joe as the two men sat down sid
| by side; Joe returned the glance almost do
| llantly, for he suspected that his face uas
peing searched for the traces of vices COM
mon to young men who come to great
| cities. The older man seemed finally salts
fed, for he laid his hand confiaentially on
Joe's knee and said: VII
DBSohiiS dpOul nan hSSlNlng daV
we were a while ago, and about srInersti9
tions-that was what you said-Pm awfu1ly
| sorry to find your fathers son with anI
such nonsense in his head. If you're tbinl
| ing that way, you're going back on Io,Ir
| brthright and squandering your inbaril
! lance"
"Nonsense" exclaimed Joe with tho b,,,
| lying manner which he had brought fror,
| home Thanksgiving is only n yaplIan
| custom; there's no reason for infictinp -
| upon the whole country-north, south. "a CT
and west" east
My boy" replied the older man. ..tbera,s
| no way of keeping ourselves a whole conn
try unless all of us-north, south east and
west-hold hard and fast to all the old asso-
| Citations OF all the sections Until you get that
into your head so tight that it can't get ont
| again you won't be a full-1edged Amer
| lean. About finding your place though
| how have you got along?'
| Joe'S answer was an arraignment of tho
| Watcher OF business, society, the human
| intellect and pretty much everything else
| in the world, and the older man nodded 60
| inteligently at each statement that .Joe
| began to think that he was first-class fell
| low, with head full of brains When the
| story was finished Joe looked slyly at the
| young woman for similar encourarement
| but to his surprise and somewhat to his dis
| gust he found himself being contemplated
| as If he were a new species of wild animal
| But the old man exclaimed
| by Jove, you make me feel twenty yea IS
| VOnnPpr Seems & if SOmphOdy ha2