The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-13
A MATTER OF TASTE.
Ri. Munkittriclk Comes Across Another
Peculiar Individual.

Especial Correspondence.
SUMMIT, n. J., Nov. Al was out
at Morristown two or three weeks ago
to stay over Sunday with friend who
spends his winter there under the i'm
preston that the air is quite equal to
that of Colorado or the Austrian Alps.
After we had reduced good sized tur-
key to a skeleton and had lighted our
cigars, in whose gently undulating rib
bons Of smoke we could discern pleas
ant oriental landscapes, my friend sug
gested that we take walk, in order to
digest the turkey and create a vacuum
for the terrapin that he assured me
would sweetly blossom forth in all its
epicurean splendor at about 6 80.
1t was clear, crisp day-the kind Of
day whose atmospheric stiffness is such
that you can distinctly note the plain
tive warbling of Berkshire pig at
distance of half a mile while he stalks
in martial pride about his pen and gazes
fondly upon the amorous eyeball of the
morn.
AS we walked along the main thor
oughfare he pointed ont many beautiful
establishments and spoke of the amount
of money spent on them annually.
ouG OfCI GuOAO III tA4dO O41fS 11OGoO
with the vandyke brown trimmings"
said my friend, pointing out the estab-
hshment with wave of his cane, sis
one of the most curious mortals ever
heard of. -
Sin what way?''
"Why, in a financial way" replied
my friend with smile. 'fIf that man s
head were only half as long as his feet
L
about as much head for management as
has a needle. Ho is always getting the
financial cart before the horse. Think of
a man being as great fool as to lay
out money for black swans when he has
no pond on the placer
''Does he do that?'' asked.
''Not exactly. only made that re-
mark to illustrate the eccentric charac-
ter of his pecuniary understanding.
Every one is laughing at him in Norris
town. In fact, he is furnishing SO much
fun free of charge in this place that he
is interfering with the prosperity Of
travelling minstrel shows. Now, you
wouldn't go without shoes to buy an
orchestrion, would you?''
''Not much,' replied. eff should
go without shoes to buy anything else,
it would be to buy boots. -
''Then you are very different from
Mr.. Whatshisname, for when he sets
out to have anything he will have it at
any price, even if he has to put his
pride in his pocket instead of his hand
and get it Oh credit. Perhaps the clever
est way of setting forth his peculiari-
ties in a few words is to say that he
operates in manner that is diamet-
rically opposite to the usual method.
Most men set aside a certain amount Of
money for food, clothing and other nee
essary things and purchase luxuries
| with what is left. Mr.. Whatshisname,
on the other hand, sets apart a certain
| amount for ornamental trees and pea
cocks and antique furniture and such
things and tells his wife that they will
have food and clothing out of what re-
mains in the treasury. So you see he
makes the Injuries of life necessaries,
and the necessaries of life Injuries. If
| that man were wearing summer cloth
| ing under an ulster, and the north wind
were whistling Home, Sweet Home,
| through the breaks in the sides of his
| Oxford ties, and he had 5000 in his
| pocket. he would purchase a cardigan
| jacket and pair Of cloth uppers that
| he might be able to buy harpsichord
for the hall and an articulated skeleton
| for the library"
"But his place looks pretty finely
| kept, doesn' It it?''
1T does, - replied my friend, with a
smile, land that is the way it always
| looks. In the summer he has the grass
1 cut twice a week and sprinkled with a
| hose every evening. He will have a man
| working on the place every day and
| make him wait three months for his
! pay that he may invest his ready money
| in a tall clock.
| cat the time that the butchers are
| driving him like a mad bull to collect
! little on account they find him hav-
4 ing fountain dug on the front lawn or
in the act of adding a conservatory to
1 the house. 1t is more difficult to sell
l him a barrel of flour than it would be
| to sell him a barrel of monkeys. heard
sarcastic man Cnce allude to him as
being one who would rather have sill
| yer soup tureen and no soup than plen-
| ty of soup and no silver soup tureen. y
And by this time we were back and
! ready for the stewed terrapin.
! r. Z. MUNKI1TRICK.
| oe <l,o