The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-28
/. ag COULD NOT CO. c.'o
Tho Sad Fate Of nIeipomenus Jones,
Curato Devoid OF Courage.

l.
titled to go away. he rises and says abrupt
~, "Well, ! think r., Then the people
say: "Oh. must you go nows Surely It's
early yeti" and pitiful struggle ensues.
think the saddest case of this kind of
thing that ever knew was that Of my
poor friend Melpomenus Jones, q curata-
such dear young man, and only 2Si He
simply couldn't get away from people,
He was too modest to tell lie and too
religious to wish to appear rude. Now it
happened that he went to call on some
friends OF his on the very frat afternoon
OF his summer vacation. The next six
weeks were entirely his ENTHUSIASTICALLY
nothing to do. He ohatted awhile, drank
two cups Of tea, then braced himself for
the effort and said suddenly: =
well, think r.
But the lady Of the house said: "Oh,
no, Mr.. Jonesl Can't you really stay a
little longerp" scT
Jones was always truthful. "oh, yes"
he said, cot course I-er-oan stay"
"Then please don't go!" $50
He staid. He drank IL cups of tea.
Night was falling. He rose again.
well, now" he said shyly, 81 think
really
"You must go9" said the lady politely.
I thought perhaps you could have staid
"Oh. we'll, So could, you know" Jones
said, eff
"Then, please, stay. I'm sure my hus-
band will be delighted"
''All right" he said feebly, 'I'll stay"
And he sank back into his chair, just full
of ten and miserable.
Papa came home. They had dinner. All
through the meal Jones sat planning to
leave at $3.50. All the family wondered
whether Mr.. Jones was stupid and sulky
or only stupid.
After dinner mamma undertook to
"draw him OUT and showed him photo
graphs. She showed him all the family
museum, several gross of thom-photos of
papa's uncle and his wife, and mammals
brother and his little boy an awfully in
teresting photo of papa's uncles friend in
his Bengal uniform, an awfully well TAX
en- photo of pnpa's grandfather's partners
dog, and an awfully wicked one Of papa
as the devil for fancy dress ball,
At $3.50 Jones had examined II photo
graphs. There were about 90 moro that
he hadn't. Jones rose.
81 must say good night now" no plead
ed.
"Say good night" they said. "Why, it's
only half-past 8! Have you anything to
do?'
Nothing" no admitted, and muttored
something about staying six weeks and
then laughed miserably.
Just then it turned out that the fayorito
child of the family-such dear little
romp-had hidden Mr.. Jones' hat. So
papa said that he must stay, and invited
him to pipe and chat. Papa had tho
pipe and gave Jones the chat, and still he
staid. Every moment he meant to take
tho plunge, but couldn't. Then papa be-
gan to get very tired of Jones, and fldgeted
and finally snid, with jocular irony, that
Jones had better stay oil night; they could
give him shake down. Jones mistook
his meaning and thanked him, with tears
In his eyes, and papa put Jones to bed in
the spare room and cursed him heartily.
After breakfast noxt day papa went of
to his work in tho city and loft Jones
playing with tho baby, broken hearted.
His nerve was utterly gone. Ho was
meaning to leave oil day, but the thing
had got on his mind, and he simply
couldn't When pnpa came home in tho
evening ho was surprised and chagrincd
to find Jones still there. He thought to
Jockey him out with n jest and said he
thought he'd have to charge him for his
board-he, he! The unhappy young man
stared wildly for q moment, then wrung
papa's hand, paid him months board in
advance and broke down and sobbed like
q child.
In the days that followed he was moody
and unapproachable. He lived of course
entirely In tho drawing room, and the lack
of air and exercise began to tell sadly on
his health He passed his time in drink
Ing tea and looking at the photographs.
He would stand for hours together gazing
at the photograph of papa's unole's friend
in his Bengal uniform-talking to 1t,
sometimes swearing bitterly at it. His
mind was visibly failing.
AT length tho crash came. They carried
him up stairs in raging delirium of fever
The illness that followed was terrible. Ho
recognized no one, not oven papa's uncle's
friend in his Bengal uniform. At times
no would start up from his bod and Shrek
"Woll, think ~ and then fall back upon
the pillow with q horrible laugh. Then,
again, ne, would leap up and cry: "Anoth-
or cup OF tea and moro photographs! More
photographs! Har, har!''
AT length, after % month of agony, on
the last day Of his vacation, he passed
away. They suy that when the last mo-
ment came no sat up in bed, with u beau
tiful smilo of confidence playing upon his
face, and said: well, tho angels are call
ing mo. I'm afraid really must go now.
GoUd aftcrnoon''
And tho rushing Of his spirit from its
prison house was as rapid as hunted cat
passing over n picket fcnco.-Trnth.
Friend to Freedom.
"Horo," said tho foreman to tho editor,
els poem on Cuba
"Kill it," replied tho editor. "Oul
sympathics arc with tho insurgents, and
wo will not put n straw in tho way OF
their success! ''-Atlantn Constitution