The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-03-16
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BOOM LOG BILL.

No one knew whether his cynicism was
natural or acquired. but certainly it was
OF high, misanthropic quality. Many
years ago when Bill was dashing college
sophomore and stood at the head of his
class in football, his fancy fell a-turning
toward young lady who occupied con-
spicous place in the senior medical depart
ment They were betrothed, and so great
was Bill infatuaton that he became even
more oblivious than ever to his studies
and devoted himself more assduously to
foot ball. Both graduated Bill having
somehow been pushed through while his
iiance attained high honors. An engage
ment of long standing followed The
reason of its duration was because Bill
could not find anything to do and, al
though he would have been willing to
marry anyhow and chance it, the young
woman with prudential foresight declined
an alliance without any visible or apparent
means for sustenance. The pride of the
football team was in despair but finally
concluded to 90 West Here his fortunes
did not seem to improve preceptibly and
another long interval ensued. One day as
Bill was following the lowlv occupation of
digging canal through land that was to
be irrigated message was brought to him
announcing the marriage of his sweetheart
and asking him to forgive her. as the years
were tleeting and fortune was laggard-
so she had concluded to take Time by the
!orelock 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 a
machine as he piled his shovel in the dry
soil of Arizona. His heart was in the East
and his labor became a veritable task the
canal was intermnable. lie did not have
the means to 20 East and hunt up his
rival
Bill, being msanthrope held himself
aloof from his companions; misanthropes
usually do. He was heartily and generally
disliked and detested; misanthropes 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
MS isolation the more he liked it. lie
never had word to say: not so much rs
Pass the pickles. please, " or "Throw the
crackers this way" but when anything
WASH t handy he went without rather than
address himself to the others He worked
as silently as he ate; even when a log es-
capped fl ON the skit he did not use profanity ;
when tree fell the wrong wav he had no
comment to make; when the sugar gave
out in the cook tent he had no explosives
TO hurl at unfortunate Alphonse; when the
meat was too tough to masticate or the
oleo not quite up to the standard he accept
ed the conditions in an unalterably cynical
manner, making no complaint or prais.g
nothing. While the other men seated
themselves around the big range and told
few stories in the evening, when Alphonse
was making biscuits, he turned in and
slept until early morning when he silently
dressed and went into the woods. The
cheerful foot of the mammoth 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 entirements
OF good fellowship, it may be well to pro-
coed to the denouement In lumber
camp, as everyone knows, space is utilized
and the men sleep two in a bunk Bills
companion was the antithesis to himself
cheerful, lively as cricket, jovial and
manly-a very Hercules in figure and an
open hearted, aifable fellow who had few
OF the vices of his companions-he neither
drank to excess on periodical visits to town
nor expended all his wages in the spring,
when the logs were in the streams and the
camp was over. He chaffed the misanth-
rope great deal Their conversations
usually were conducted on one side
Bill, said this hero of thrilling tale.
what makes you such n crossgrained
telIow?'
Bill only snorted
"Why don't you mingle with the boys?
m sure you're not such a sour, disagree
"'iNI N'''s'ubl', HIltltSlldDlt. ugly. mean
unsociable chap as you seem. They say
beneath rough exterior there is often a
hne interior. 1t does seem hard to imagine
that there is anything pleasant or nice
about you, Bill, but why don't you sur
prise somebody some day by showing that
you are just trine less selfish, mulsh and
obstinate: See if you cant make your
nature belle your face
Bill snarled and turned his face toward
the wall
"All right, old chap" remarked the
other pleasant dreams" Then he took
picture from his bosom. "You ought to
have some women to think Of Bill" he
added almost tenderly. "Then you
wouldn't be such a sour contemplate,
disagreeable chap" So saying he pressed
his lips to the picture. Bill started and
stole look at him. The face of the nissan
thrope became cOnvulsed.
'Who is she?," he asked in hoarse