Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-03-29
MisCellauenMs.
BOOM LOG BILL.

DUUM LUG BILL.
No more morose man than Boom Log
Bill could be found in the lumber camp
No one knew whether his cynicism was
natural or acquired, but certainly it was
of a high, misanthropic quality Many
years ago when Bill was dashing col
lege sophomore aud stood at the head of
his class in football, his fancy fell a-turn-
ing toward young lady who occupied
a conspicuous place in the senior med
ical department They were betrothed.
and so great was Ellis infatuation that
he became even more oblivious than ever
to his studies and devoted himself more
assiduously to football. Both gradu-
ated, Bill having somehow been pushed
through, while his iiance attained high
honors. An engagement of long stand :
ing followed. The reason Of its duration
was because Bill could not find anything
to do, and, although he would have been
willing to marry anyhow and chance it,
the young woman with prudential fore
sight declined and alliance without any
visible or apparent means for sustenance.
The pride of the football team was in
despair, but finally concluded to go west.
Here his fortunes did not seem to i'm
prove perceptibly and another long in
terval onsued One day as Bill was fol-
lowing the lowly occupation of digging
a canal through land that was to be ir-
rigated message was brought to him
announcing the marriage Of his sweet
heart and asking him to forgive her, as
the years were lleeting and fortune was
laggard-so she had concluded to
take Time by the forelock and become
the bride Of another with the assurance
of daily sustenance. This was great
shock to Bill he lost interest in his
work and became simply n machine as
he piled his shovel in the dry soil of
Arizona. His heart was 10 the East
and his labor became veritable task
the canal was interminable. He did
not have the means to go East and hunt
up his rival
Bill, being misanthrope, held him
self aloof from his companions mis-
anthropes usually do, He was heartily
and generally dislikod and detested;
misanthropes usually are When the
lumber men came in at dinner time, Bill
took his place at the end of the table in
the cook shanty and the greater his iso-
lation the more he liked it. lie never
had word to say /; not so much as Pass
the pickles, please" or "Throw the
crackers this way" but when anything
wasn't handy be went without rather
than address himself to the others. lie
worked as silently as he ate ; even when
a long escaped from the skit he did not
use profanity; when n tree fell the
wrong way he had no comment to make
when the sugar gave out ln the cook
tent he had no explosives to hurl at un
fortunate Alphonse when the meat was
too tough to masticate or Oleo not quite
up to the standard he accepted the con
ditions in au unalterably cynical man
ner, making no complaint or praislng
nothing While the other men seated
themselves around the range and told ID
few stories in the evening, when AL
phonse was making biscuits, he turned
in and slept until early morning when
he silently dressed and went into the
woods. The cheerful toot Of the nam
moth horn at meal time brought no
cheerful light to his eyes
With this effective presentation Of a
misanthrope, dead to the better feelings
Of humanity, Indifferent to the entice-
ments of good fellowship, it may be well
to proceed 10 the denouement. 10
lumber camp, as every one knows, space
is utilized and the men sleep two in a
bunk. Bills companion was the anti
thesis to himself cheerful, lively az
cricket, joval and maDly-a very Her
culcs in figure and an open hearted,
affable fellow who had few of the vices
Of his panions--he neither drank to
excess on periodical visits TO town nor
expended all his wages in spring, when
the logs were in the streams and the
camp was over He chafed the mis-
anthrope a great deal. Their CONVEX
sations usually were conducted on one
side.
"Bill," said this hero Of thrilling
tale, "what makes you such cross
grained fellow ?"
Bill only snorted.
why don't you mingle with the
boys I'm sure you're not such sour,
disagreeable, detestable, undesirable.
ugly, mean, unsociable chap as you
seem. They say beneath a rough ex te-