The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-11
THE NATTER Of NERVES.
Vet 1ssasas, Ose's Ssspsss1sass-
The Phesesssohes WE BsSA sns
fssSsss Win HIS rels 81 Cvsns.


The PhssoGsoDhes WE BeDA sne
fesSsss Win mis Tsss 81 Cvsns.
This matter Of ssfvss." said enc msn 90
another. - . queer thing"
u don't think have any nerves" was
the reply.
"rou lose . great deal For instance.
our surroundings st this table. the pres
ence OF the crowd severaliy and collective
ly eating. just - you and are. sevsrai'y
and collectively liv1ng-the Lord knows
how. You ses. but you cont feel these peo-
pie. That's vssvs. you say. We'll. our
waiter has . sors throat. DO you msndr'
why shosld II"
'nsrss no why Of courss. Only DO"
You're an a., ] gueao."
'yust what ] Was going TO cay. And
having no nerves has probably saved you
on Q thousand occasions from making .
~ Or nttIe fool o. yourself. There n no
cure either for the man whose hour or day
Or Me n affected BY thlnes which are
merely IN the air about him. and with
which he 10 not In ne least BIT practically
related"
The nerveIea man attacked and compia-
Gently swallowed slab Of pumpkin pie two
inches thick. The other lighted cigar
cite. To him a table IN cafe was q
place for talk. not swallowing food He
began the inevitable "reminiscences with .
little laugh.
II was on a walking tour down east In
the provincrs. was alone. I always go
alone on such excursions Never have
some one nj hand 10 shout when I've an
ear n nature. For three weeks my trip
had taken me over miles Of pea cliffs with
spouting breakers. flying birds chaIky
clouds and some black.looming mountains
Var ont. far out ~ the Gaelic people said,
meaning inland. Highland hospitality they
gave. but 10 far 40 warmth went those
Highiahders were ~ cold ~ the country.
Curiosity was their forte. and the whole
family. the hags leading, would FOLLOW
me TO bed. carrying candles and muttering
In the Gaelic.
after that I struck some cobblestone
country In Nova Scotia, pass g plains and
hills OF powders and barrens. with the
wind groan!ng somewhere on the horison
! sighed. pined for a genial landscape.
Finally. taking 70 the cars. made a long
reach round TO Digby. and started afoot
again one sunday up Annapolis basin.
THE road beIiied on through a curving
valley by the river and North mountain:
and there waa a white farm house behind
. white picket fence every few feet: and
aiieya Of RED and yellow biossoming fruit
trees all the why. The place smell. Of
them. and the air was balmy IKE the
Georgia islands IN April. With the blue
sky and its puffy clouds. the yellow fields
IN the sun. the berry vines. the sharp
vibrating sounds u the graAhoppers and
the people J saw with their Sunday faces
standing In the church doors, felt like a
child on q holiday picnic. II was good
"A dinner At farmhouse IN . HILL
remember biueberry pudding. fat ana
creamy and all puddied over In little hills
and holes ~ sauce--a wash IN a brook. a
long walk In the shadow Of trees. where
passed more churches ana the afternoon
sermons came shouting out on the air.
brought me toward the end Of the DAYS
journey. The sun suddenly went. hidden
IN bshk Of thunder clouds. and a strong
wind came from the east I was closs
down on the bamn nov, near the begin
nings of \ settlement
FROM bank to bank the water lay. an
oily yellow streNked with black A couple
OF boys In n bIunt-nosed boat swept up
on the wind ana tide. steering with an
oar. Then the rain moved obiiaueIy over
North Mountain and swallowed up the
country. didn't care: pictured the
comforts OF my Inn AZ BridGetown
THE shower passed by the time I
reached the covered bridge. and walked
right Into the most siatternIy. siab-sided,
equaiid hopcIcssIy unIivabie collection
Of misshApen houses In the mud that II
was ever my misfortune 20 read about IN
books or look NJ safely on the map that's
how felt then: n's not really % bad Of
course. A woman led me into a hotel
with n signboard sticking out over hair
the street. and she gave me cold beans.
Later got doubls-bedded room under
the caves.
Now. ] was bitterly disappointed and
weakening already. ought 90 have gone
right 10 bed and I knew n. but hadn't the
strength 81 character. Instead. I walked
on, In the twilight on the iike and cat
down 10 smoke An old man was potter
Ing away a. I approached and fooIishly
called out 10 him. He sat down And would
not be gone ITS chin WAS tied IN a raw
Where's your bicycle" he asked
II said had one but had left :, NJ home
In the city. This puzzled him. but pres
emily he frightened up.
whats the price,
There was no prize, said. dld n
because liked 60 do ~. and there was an
end tn the whole business: and wasn't he
going to church, The bell was toiling.
There was man drowned this morn
Ing right here where you're looking be-
gan the old man. whistling between
words 4 saw him picked up myseIf Fell
of schooner's bowsprit IN n At
II said was going to church. left my
pipe on the grass. and ran"
III WIS a great mistake 20 forget that
pipe" observed the nerveiess man.
The other went on: sitting on the
steps % the 'hn'er was u LONG. no@sd
man In conversation with my iandlady
HE nodded ~ Sat down. This is n
0od-forraken place. thought. wish
were out ~ II. Opposite was n tumbly
gray building. inside which an engine
rammed and pounded stsafily. For the
electric light they said. nut there were
no lights The long-nos~i man knew
all about the roads lie was a travelling
photographer. We wen, across 10 his
shop a big Newfoundland dog boltei
out at VS.. bu, made on wargirg his tail
nv friend said h" was awful afraid o.
dogs. bat always kept one for company
on lonely drtves ON the south coast
where was going. his dog had saved
hfs life. too.
Twas n cosch-dog masti~.' he said
srcArt for sresd and unasefH s~y hnfTs~ -