The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-19
BIG MAN AND LITTLE MAN.
They Exchange Opinions of Each other
Over n Bottle of Red Evil.

They Exchange Opinions OF Each Other
Over n Bottle of Red Evil.
The big man and the little man loung-
ed comfortably over the table with bot
tie OF the rcd evil between them and ex-
changed opinions on topical things after
the manner of men.
"COnfound it!'' exclaimed the little
man, rapping the table with an energy
that made the brimming glasses jingle,
while the carmine imp within the bottle
rocked and leaped. ''Truth is a thing of
the past
"Yes2" said the big man questioning
He had nothing to say.
Yes, - reiterated the little man, glazing
ut bis bottle mite mo one says what he
really means nowadays, nor means what
be says"
ITO what do you attribute such u de-
Ulorable condition OF things?'' asked the
big man.
To present state OF society the con
ventions OF which are founded on coward
ice, laziness and deceit" returned the lit
tie man, bristling afresh. " Cowardice and
laziness compel US to accept all sorts of OBJ
jectionable persons, while deceit forces us
to sink our honesty and candor and re
frain from communicating our real Opin-
ions of them"
''Yes?'' said the big man again, for his
vocabulary was limited
"Now, you know in your own expert
ence" continued the little man, you
never really let your neighbor know your
real candid opinion of him.
That's right assented the big man
refectiyely. Suppose you and be frank
with each other. Give your candid opin-
ion of me.'h
"HumphP' shifted the little man scorn-
fully You'd be like everybody else if I
did-get mad in minute"
g 'Pon my word 1 will not" assured
the big man. Fire away and out with
it,
''Well, candidly then, if you will have
it so''-the little man emptied his glass
and placed the lip of the bottle atilt
against its brim to renew the draft and
listen to the song of the little carmine imp
as the fluid fiowed-''ca ndidly, l think
you are a mixture Of all sorts of qualities,
and while some of them are bad, still 9th
ers are worse
The big mans eyes widened, but he said
nothing, only forced the little carmine imp
to sing as he had sung for the little man.
81 wouldn't call you liar, but 1 know
that You hold in profound contempt that
single and disastrous effort of Ananias.
You're honest in your way-that is, you
would not take dollar of any mans mon
ey if you couldn't get it. Your predomi-
upon subjects of which you know nothing
whatsoever. Yet you jaw away with ludi-
crous perSistency, for you are as pig head
ed, obstinate and self assertive as you are
slab footed, cellar mouth, bottle nosed,
raw boned''-
Something passed with electrical celebrity
from the big man to the little man-some-
thing that looked like a fist with fingers
| close reefed for a storm-and the little man
| how
he did not linger, for the big man hastily
reclaimed him, put him through a course
| of gymnastics, chiefly remarkable for cir
cular movements, and wound him around
| the chandelier. Warming to the exercise,
| the big man next inaugurated a reform
movement and cleared things up generally
! with the little man, tossing him at last in
| to a corner, bruised and fragmentary
! heap.
! BY and by the little man came to and
sat up, ruefully surveying the big man,
who returned his gaze with glance OF
beatific tranquility.
"There, now" said the little man, pain
| fully pulling himself together, Il told you
| you would get mad. 8"
''Mad?" asked the big man in surprised
tones. "Mad? Who? r.
eyes, youp' retorted the little man.
''Never was further from it in my life, -
returned the big man, emptying the last
of the little carmine imp, heels and all, in
| to his glass.
''Then what in the everlasting did you
| mean BY
We'll, you see, I'm not as colloquial as
you are and had TO express my opinion OF
you with practical demonstration.
And the big man smiled again and re
marked that for some persons the existing
conventions of society are good enough. =
| Lawrence Bradley in Truth.