Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-29
The Stpru Teller.
THE TENACITY OF Love.
A HUMOROUS SKETCH.

A HUMOROUS SKETCH
Abou ben Adhem, the wise magician
does not leave his home in New Jer
sey to 60 off to watering places in th'
summer, for the reason that life is IN
certain. Should death overtake hin
where there was anything to make lifi
worth preserving, he thinks it would
annoy him to 60 into the dim hereafter
Hence he remains in his tent, philoso
phizing on life, and making life entire
ly undesirable by giving audience te
his neighbors who hunger for advice ;
which, as is the custom of mankind
they go to a great deal of trouble tc
get, but never regard. Bothered as he
is by these seekers, after wisdom, he i:
kept continually. in frame of mind
that causes him to regard death as 9
rather pleasant deliverer.
One morning in May, just before the
mosquitoes drove all New Jersey in,
doors, man dusty and travel stained
rode up to his hospitable door.
Abou was sitting outside his tent,
and had been solacing himself with
the elixir of life. With great pres
ence of mind he put the bottle behind
his chair, before it could have been
observed, that expectations which
were not to be realized should be ava
kened in the mind of the stranger, and
with great skill assumed the thought
full expression that is always seen in
photographs of young ministers and
lawyers.
"Great Abou," said the stranger, 81
want advice"
estate your case," replied Abou
blandly. "You have come to the right
shop. Advice is my best hold. AS an
adviser, I am equaled by few and ex'
celled by none."
~ have daughter" said the stran.
ger, "who is passing fair. Her hair is
like silk, her eyes are as blue as yor
arch that bends above us-the gazelle
is not more graceful in movements ; ir
shape"
"Cut it Short" said Abou, impa
tiently ~ know all about it. have
read novels. Your girl is pretty,
presume. 1 will concede it. To the
point, garrulous man, to the point"
ri am rich-I am bloated aristo
crat. I have blood, and Keturah Jane
my daughter, is entitled to mate with
the highest and proudest. But, greaI
Abou, dry goods clerk-a nameles:
counter,ju jumper, on salary of $500 g
year, has lifted his presumptuous eyes
to Keturah Jane"
"And she?
"She lowers herself to him. He has
black hair which he parts in the mid
dle-he has a broad white forehead
white teeth and he wears No. 5 boots
which are always of patent leather
He brushes his teeth regularly, has
always white shirt front, and"
"What tiresome fellow thou art,
interrupted Abou, impatiently. "By
the bones of the prophet, man, dosl
think I know not the fellow? Be
chesm, say at once he is village foI
say he is a clerk in a dry good
store, a photographer, dancing mas
ter or writing teacher, or that he runs
a singing school, and shall 1 not know
all about him ? If you say to me, my
cow is Durham must you 90 on
and tell me of her hair and horns Z
Mankind, oh, most stupid, runs in
kinds as do cows. Say to me of man
he is a New York ward politician,
and do not at once know that he has
a bottle nose, diamond pin, a promi.
nent abdomen, a revolver and a broken
nose on face which is a record OF
broken commandments? Say of an
other, 'Lo, he is member of congress
and is popular with the people, and dc
l not know he weareth a perpetual
smile, and that his hand hath two mo.
tions-one as if shaking the hand OF
another, the other as if patting a baby
on the head? Doth not nature and
education put their stamp on all men,
which he who runs may read II he has
eyes? By the dust of my ancestors,
you tire me. He is dry goods clerk
go on"
"Mighty Abou, I bow in the dust
before thee. Pardon the stupidity OF
your obtuse slave. Truly, wisdom
cometh not with money, nor acuteness
with lands and herds. But Keturah
Jane fancyeth this man, and will not
wed Jenkins, whom prefer. She will
hear of no one else but this dry goods
clerk, and because forbade him the
house, and hoisted him off my front
doorsteps with the toe of my boot,
and set my dogs at him, and shot al
him with double e-barrelled shot gun
loaded with birdshot, she mourneth
and refuseth to be comforted."
"And the man ?"