The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-29

mand and supply once met on a very
dry and hot and thirsty Sunday in
Prof. Nenable's hCme during the sum-
mer commencement season of the Uni
vers5ty of Virginia. Prof Venable was
Il tce-totaler and all his house, and Mr..
Cleveland had just rolled in much
tagged, but too much of a statesman to
suggest the cause. Now it happened
that the man Fit. Lee passed that
way, and his eye lit on the President. If
there is any suffering to Il mint-julep
drinker more intense than not having q
julep for ones self, it is the suffering
of seeing the suffering of another suf-
fcrer who is suffering for one. Many a
man. not naturally charitable, has
given up coin to Il tramp just for the
back-action pleasure of seeing q sincere
thirst appeaSed. To one of the royal
bonho1mic of Fitz. Lee. Grover Clcve-
aud looked that morning like Il Sahara
looking for an oasis. 1t made the
plump and CHEEKY heart of the present
Consul General in Cuba peel and crack.
as if from q Mohaye white-hot wind, to
look upon the inner despair of the
Presidential visitor, treeless Of hope and
gIimmerin% with a shimmering of hot
and horizonless sands. If there was no
"sperrits' in the house Of the Professor
there was Il spontaneous growth of
mint modestIy and shrinkingly green
and fragrant, away down III 4 cool
corner of the 'gyarden' fence. With
only this base of supplies, the General
50 disposed his forces as to put the
Professor to rout. When Grover went
TO his room to brush the dust off the
bald spot on his head. he saw Il full
rrhUp n1r-lpprnl uniutinlp1A jInan tho
table. with a view Of Monticello in the
mountainous distance. His arms flew
to his sides akiml}o, to protect them
from the spontaneous combustion of
laughter, and he exclaimed as he Wrung
out his collar: Il name thee my Long
Lost Charley Ross. If Fitz. Lee but
knew it this is the great find" Of his
life"
1t is the way with Nirginia's Fitz,
Lee: there are probably few people of
his acquaintance ,,4o cannot recall some
sunny act of his. Pennsylvania avenue
shouts when he comes along sashed at
the Inauguration. lie is better than a
brass band for stirring up folks and
making them feel good. Whether or not
this mint-julep played any part in the
future of the sparkling cavalier, it does
not bchoovc me to say any more than
to say that it is rumored that Rum.
ltomanism and nebcllion,' small as it
was presumably cooked Mr.. Blaine's
goose, and Burchard's with it. Why
not then believe for the romance Of the
thing that in this mint
juIep doomed affection. which
bl0ssomed i'll the elevation of tn,
present COnsul-GeneraI of Cuba. For
] SHAKESPEARE remarks. sometimes
the greatest things are done by the
weakest minister's" even though it be
4 strong mint-iulep. 1t was apparent
that MIR. Cleveland was determined to
take care of Fitz. Lee. | mean no ia
miliarity or disrespect in thus speaking
of the Confederate general. for it is
the name by which he a~ffectionately
goes i'll the word of men, women and
children in Virginia 1t was not long
before Mr.. Cleveland offered Lee the
choice of what he wanted. He coulG
have one to Spain. / think it was.
But he declined. preferring to remain
near his home with a return that could
not be more than depleted by the over
whelming demands Of a snowy diploma
Tie station. SO it came about that he
told the President that he preferred to
ie collector at Lynchburg, and so it
was Collector Lee.
II IS not impossible tina Fitz. Lee will
come out of this thing a bigger man
tlan the President. He had much in
\irglIlia to deprcss Il man of spirit less
valiant. He had been defeated for
the United States Senate by the present
incumbent Martin. and an Investigation
foIlowed III the charges that the cleo
tjon had been bought by a certain rail
road III Virginia. 1t was the consensus
that Lee would have gone through
handsomely had it not been for his con-
ncction as president of the Land Com-
pany at Glasgow. As in many Other
hooul-tOWns during the wildcat days il.
the Shenandoah Valley. people had lost
money in Glasgow. Lee came out of it
no doubt financially diSmantled. No
one ever dared. or could dare, to ques-
1on bis sincerity of hope i'll his land
scheme or his integrity in the handling
eft 1t. But loss in speculation carries the
'F"GS of retaliation upon some one at the
bottom Of the bitter cup Of vanished
funds. Upon Fitz. Lee was visited in
directly. ut least, Il check i'll The clippin.
"' .I- wings outstretched for the Senate.
~" had been Governor before his lana
scheme. and never was one more loved.
with the dignity Of a jolly. daring
soldier. mingled with the lack of dignity
ST "a boy at play. he never appeared Oh
the West End drive Of Richmond with
out leaving Il gay word Of hearty adj
mIration upon the lips Of those who
saw him. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. his
heart was in his hand whether he ac-
"oStcd a stranger of the people or 4
belle OF the city's fashion. His quip
1n converse was toned bluntly without
- smile. but turned pointedly, ana
while as 4 public speaker. he lacked
logic, and one might say weighty learn
mg. he never lacked in joyous, good
spirit. good Digestion. and in mgushin@
sentiment whose sophomore tendency in,
expression WAS overlooked because OF
brave deeds that stood clear. and bare
and uucmbellisled in the battIe-history
Of the man. And yet even III his fight
1nE there was Il color or ROMANCE. He
loved battle as youths love
F,,t I,uI! ILL. I'll