The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-02
TAD'S PULPIT.

fragile and made of pine. Not at all. It
was noble box of ash, which had held a
consignment of little shell trinkets made
by a man up in che Superior country.
had an idea that it be a good place
to display his goods but before the mer-
chant had selected the goods he was to ar
range there Tad Hunt came along and sat
down.
mice box, . said Hunt
Eyes, = said Brown.
There was silence for a few moments
Hunt sat still and looked pensive. It
seemed as if he were thinking. He was a
peculiar man and had wandered about the
streets for several years in a lost sort Of
fashion as if he were seeking for some
thing. He had never been able to get a
job. His wife kept boarding house and
it was said that Tad was her man of affairs
that is to say, her steward But, as a
matter of fact, Mrs. Hunt could not trust
Tad She had commissioned him to pu-
chase the meat, but he had made such bad
selections and brought home such detected
looking cuts that she had been obliged to
attend to that herself in addition to her
other duties. Then she put him at cary
ing at table, but he couldn't remember
which way the grain of the meat ran. So
she had to take that of his hands too.
Then it occurred to her that he might split
the k1ndling wood, but after 3 week or
two of that he took to buying patent kin
ding wood, and then she gave it up.
The day he found this box in front OF
Browns he appeared to have attained sat
isfaction. After happy and pensive 81
1ence he began to talk to man who stood
near.
tits queer world, he said, drawing
a knife from his pocket and opening it.
linen and women everywhere and nothing
but men and women, and nearly all of
'eIn making one another miserable and
last The places that knew them once
know them 10 more forever and the sun
rises each morn and sets each night and
none of the questions of man is answered.
Talk of the sphinx Why, every blade of
grass is sphinx and holds secret. There
is not a star in heaven that we are not
obliged to question And what answer
have we? Silence Silence"
He was tracing a little border the
box, made of an INTERVENING of figure SIS,
and the man who stood near watched him
and was much interested; so much 50
that another man who wasn't doing much
either stopped, too, and watched the max
ing of the border. Tad looked up and
nodded to him
''It is astonishing" went on Tad, "to
see how men toll and toll This man has
one scheme and the next man has another.
Yet talk with any man over 40 and you
find him to be a graveyard Of blasted
hopes. The struggle has been in vain
Even success proves to be failure, for no
man makes success which satisfies him. -
Parrish Brown, having no customers at
that moment, came out and leaned against
the framework of the door and listened.
And yet, said Tad, sit is the destiny
of man to aspire. Some great power be-
yond himself drives him on to hope He
must rise. He is part of the scheme of
evolution and cannot help himself any
more than as if he were a mollusk in the
IL se IL
vent machines, to make laws adapted to
wider ideas of liberty. He congratulate
himself his Improvements, but be has
really no call to congratulate himself BE
is driven by the winds of destiny
He did quite strip of the border in 81
lence, wiped his forehead on his shirt
sleeve-for he wore no coat-and repeated
with pensive accent:
Driven by the winds of destiny
These remarks were repeated about town
by those who listened to them
Tad Hunt is quite philosopher in his
way, they said. Tad had staid on the
box the first day till noon and returned at
2, after which he left the spot till 5:45.
The next morning he was on hand at 8.
Brown thought it looked rather business
like to have a crowd about his doors and
didn't object much. Besides, he enjoyed
Hunts reflections, which came nearer be-
ing thought than anything Brown had
met with for some time. He almost thought
himself as he listened to them, and sum
moned from that unused chamber politely
denOminated his mind sentiments of APP
prevail or disapprovsl- As time went on
Hunt improved in appearance. To be sure
he was no more particular about button
ing his cuffs, nor was he more addicted to
the wearing Of coats, but a certain look
of fire and enthusiasm came to his eyes,
such as may be seen in the glance of a
popular actor or preacher. He walked
down the street to his box mornings with
an alert step. He became eager for his au-
dience. Sometimes he returned in the
evening and talked till time for shutting
up shop.
AS the years rolled by his audience
changed, but he seemed to always be able
to secure hearing from some one. Thus
it came about that he sat percbed on his
place Of preaching for 4 years and differed
from the Fast Indian mystics who do sim
liar things principally in the facts that he
went home to his meals and that he de-
sired to disseminate his views.
One morning Hunt came swinging down
from his house leisurely, but with a look
of self satisfaction, and made his way as
usual to the store. There he stopped as il
paralyzed. A cold perspiration crept out
on his forehead. He grew red and then
white. For the box was gonel The pulpit
was destroyed. The high place was over
thrown. There was a crowd about him
presently, chatting him and roaring, but
Hunt seemed to hear nothing. He looked
about in utter dismay. It was - if a man
with all his vineyard on a mountain side
had gone to till his vines and found the
mountain gone.
Then something remarkable happened
Tad brought suit for damages against
Brown. The court had to actually consider
the case, and Tad Hunt was his own coun
sci and put up an eloquent argument. So
the court granted him the suit and gavo
him 3 penny In a way Hunt felt himself
indicated but that didn I restore his box,
for he had been unable to secure a man
da1nus for its return. So he walked about
sadly for few days, looking detached