The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-28

Nl1H farmer y satin ana Nye put * on.
Day by day It's bright blue grew light
er and lighter, until. when we arrived
In Chicago six weeks later, Il was q
KIND OF dingy dun color. Nye remarked
as the train pulled in that his nrst
duty IN that city would be 20 go around
and Interview that m~erchant-liar: and
we went. He shambled back TO the rear
end OF the shop, where he found the
man who sold him the garments. He
shook hands with him cordially, said
he was glnd 10 renew the pleasant &C.
quaintance and asked az he knew what
had caused the suit to change Its beau.
thu color, at the same time turning up
thu lapel OF the coat and showing the
striking contrast between the original
and the present color OF the cloth.
why, mani cried the tailor, brlst-
ling with defensive indignation, what
In the world have you been doing to
that suit?'
swell replied Nye. in a tone of the
meekest apology. You did not warn me
and I suppose II was my fault and /
ought TO have known better. But since
YOU insist. I'll tell you frankly what l
dld:-I put 1t on and wore It right out
In the sum- The tailor saw the point
and insisted upon making another suit
out OF cloth that was really good and
would not accept pay for Il.
s%quelching n Disturber.
"Mr. Nye's sudden comments made
In the midst Of a lecture were often the
means OF bringing the house to It's feet.
He knew better than anybody his lack
OF physical ability to fill n large hall
with his voice and he strained every
nerve to meet Il. Any extraordinary
commotion In the hall dlscomposed him
and he would wait until u subsidized. 1t
was not n pleasant thing for him to
hear. n voice from the back OF the hall
calling louder Upon such occasions
he had o habit OF turning the laugh
upon the tormentor by e~levating his
voice, looking puzzled and asking what
that remark vas he had Just heard. !
remember one occasion In particular
which we had q remarkably large hall,
crowded to the walls. The entrance was
at the further end Of the hall, opposite
the platform. Mr.. Nye, as usual, open
ed the evening, very fearful OF his
ability to reach the whole throng, He
had barely get started when the doors
opened and q great fellow about six
feet and two inches tall entered with
two ladies and Immediately fell into
an alteration with an usher about his
seats. Nye paused and the alteration
could be heard all over the house, with
this fellow arralgning the usher In a
Very loud voice. Finally 1t died down
n bit and Nye resumed, but he was
Interrupted by the man, who held up
his hand and cried, Hold on, there, !
have paid for seats for this lecture and
propose TO hear all Of it Nye replied
with great composure: In view OF the
great size OF the hall, SAID he. I was
about to congratulate the audience up
on the foresight OF the managers in
securing a speaker for each end The
house howled with delight and the ap-
plausc beat back upon the o~bstreperous
~interrupter with such force that It
drove him from the hall. After this cpl
so5e Nye was always a great favorite
in that city and was recalled there
many times.
Perversity OF Fate.
mfr. Nye was a fatalist-not 4 COM
planning one. but q fatalise no less,
and with considerable occasion. He was
pursued by a spirit Of the perverse.
Unexpected, trying things were always
happening that seemed especially IN
line to test his patience. Indeed, ! was
sometimes Jealous OF him, for these
things seemed to occur with greater
force and persistence to him than 10
me. I had frequently remarked upon
the persistent recurrence Of the num-
Der thirteen with me during one OF our
trips in the south, but this was one SUI
perstition at which Nye scoffed. He
told me that at the next hotel we
struck II 1 objected to being 'sncarcer-
ated' In No. Is he would risk 1t once. |
I'D not. 1np- 7 found rycats rnpi.tArp1
for that fatal number; whereupon l
promptly informed Mr.. Nye that l
should hold him to his promise. l re-
member I had q handful OF mail l was
very anxious to see, but l would not
open 1t until l had got another room.
Nye declared he wanted 10 first size
up the room he had been assigned to.
and went on down the hall with the
landlord. He soon returned with h
remark that he could not lose much
and walked into the thirteen room and
set his grip down, returning 10 where I
waited in the hall outside. He had not
more than got out OF the door when
the heavy transom fell with Il crash. |
He was convinced that that transom
had been waiting for him for years.
"Mr. Nye was an invalld. but again.
as 1t would seem, It a the ~perverslty |
VI litt HtlIlii Iiih IN PuSiAS ahhAtthSI
to believe that 4 humorlst couldr ever
be Ill or have any reasonable excuse
for breaking an engagement. He never
got the benefit of the excuses made for
others when they failed TO appear or to
write according to expectation. One
awful winter he was compelled TO quit
work In the middle of the season here
and so south for his health and to es-
cape the rigors of this climate. That
was the winter that quit right In the
middle of It's business here and struck
for the south, where they had the cold
est weather ttay had ever known prior
20 Mr.. Nye's advent. And here, though
he was nearly dead, his syndicate let
tiers had to go on just the same; and In
fancy l can see that heroic, almost dy-
ing man on the fiat OF his back, writing |
laboriously upon n scratcf-p pad, with
the wind blowing the rag carpet on the
floor up In pillows. He suffered all the
hardship OF rigorous winter in summer
quarters. And while thus Ill word
reached him OF the sudden death OF his
father In Wisconsin, so far away that
even " he had been able to make the
journey 1t would have been q physical
impossibllIty for him to have reached
his fathers house before the burial. 1t
was n peculiarly hard blow to him. for
they had been friends and chums. as
well as father and son. Yet by the time
tis. news reached him his father had
been buried.
Their Wedding Jouney.
ITO the last this pervcrse fate denied
to him and his wife that one pleasure
that married couples usually enjoy II
they have nothing else-a. wedding
Journey. He was very poor to begin