Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-24
THAT SMILE,
Sam Houston Says 1t Is the Only Thing
That Saved Him.

i
4! Sam Houston Says 1t Is the Only Thing
| That Saved Him.
A good story was told in one of the
committee rooms at the capitol the other
| day touching the senatorial career in
! Washington of the Hon. Sam Houston of
| Texas. It was some time in the forties,
not long after Houston had come to the
senate. The great Texan was attended
| by faithful black from Virginia bear
ing the distinguished name of Richard
Henry Lee. Richard proved himself
| good body servant in all things save one.
! He attended faithfully on every want of
| his eccentric master, who was keeping
bachelors quarters, but no argument
was sufficiently persuasive to induce
| Richard Henry Lee to keep the rooms in
order.
Ageneral air ofslothful neglect marked
the surroundings of their domestic estab-
hshment, and time and again Houston
! threatened to have Richard fayed and
his black hide hung over the backyard
fence as a frightful example to all evil
doors. Things ran on in this way until
| one day Houston returned to his rooms
| from the senate and found the condition
of affairs at home so bad that he deter
mined then and there to teach his funky
a good lesson. He deliberately locked
| the door, and without saying a word
crossed over to table where he kept his
| pistol case, removed two pistols, loaded
them, handed one to Richard and took
the other himself.
''Now, Richard Henry Lee,'' he began
in low voice that foreboded i'll, "you
stand in that corner while take my po-
sition in this opposite you, face to face,
man to man, pistols in hand. You have
| betrayed my confidence and trampled
upon my feelings until patience has
| ceased to be virtue. 1 have reasoned
| and pleaded with you to maintain my
rooms in that state of cleanliness to
| which, as a free born Texan, am &C
I>customed and you have basely ignored
| my wishes in the premises, and have
| gone on i'll your slOthful, shiftless ways
without regard either to my feelings or
| my comfort. Now, you internal scamp,
I have made up my mind to kill you. l
| could do so without giving you show
| for your life, but absolute fairness shall
distinguish the method of your taking
off. Get into your place, and when l
OIOp lulS ISlt DstHutHil't iAdIltlAtICIlel,
shoot! If you kill me, SO be it. for
give you now. If l kill you, it won't
make any difference anyhow. You are
| good for nothing, and your removal will
be blessing to society. Remember,
however, that no man ever faced me
with pistol in his hand and lived to
| tell it,
With ashen face Richard Henry, who,
despite his negligence, loved his master
most devotedly, took his stand in the
&C ar assigned him and mechanically
fonowed Houston's motions. The Texan
took a handkerchief out of his pocket,
which he held aloft as signal, and then
| raised his pistol with the other hand to a
level with his lackey's heart.
| AS he did so an involuntary smile fit
! ted across his face, and instantly Richard
dropped his pistol, while his face spread
I out into huge smile.
Il say, Mars SAM" he shouted in
transport of rejoicing, II thought yo'
rally meant it, but yo' just pollin fun at
me. Goramity," he added, with sigh
of relief, sit makes me shiver to think
how near yo' was to death! Dat smile
was all dat saved yo' life"
Houston told the story as good joke
on himself, assuring his hearers that he
was positive Richard would have killed
him if he had carried the joke hair
breadth further.-W ashington Post