New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
on HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE

From BlackWOod's Magazine.
Old John Morgan and his wife were people OF
some repute in the village. The repute was
not due 10 social position, for social position was
not a factor in the life of the community; nor
yet was ii due to the fact that John Morgan
croft and dwelling house were somewhat more
p-e7enlious than those of his neighbors; 1t was
due to the striking originality of John Morgans s
personality and character, and to that only 1t
js tue that John MorganS wife shared her
husbands distinction, but that was because she
vas John Morgan's wife-a quiet, motherly ut
he woman she reflected John Morgans great
ness as the moon reflects the rays of the sun,
By doing nothing but passiVely allowing hlnS
Sol 10 shine upon her.
Mrs Morgans passivity, however, did not
have the effect OF causing her to be a nonentity
in the Morgan entity-not at all; she was the
Means Of completing II, and John Morgan with
out his wife would have been like Punch with
his hump only half a personality
John Morgan VAS energy personified- His
work was performed with all the vigor Of a
stripping IL his IWenUes, and in ali matters al
fecti0g ihe public veal. concerning which men
debate with The freedom of responsibility, his
voice was continually heard II was his unfall-
ing power uf sjleucing an opponent that made
him So formidable antagonist in the village
A4llen4zs mot, and The ferociOuS impatient eX
preston Of his smooth, Iuddy cOuntenance,
fenced IN as il was by a short. curly, white
beard brought more than one well informed
oebater u d stammering conclusion in much
more tnectual manner than calmly reasoned
exposition from a more authoritative source
could possibly have done. 1t sometimes hap
Isened that scrupulously fair minded opponent,
with lahored utterance and demonstrating man
ner. sought 10 hold him tightly to the point at
issue, but the futility Of the effort was only
equaled 10y the thankless reception il received
al the hands of d jeering audience rendered
partial by loug usage and the invariabe result
vas that the bewildered opponent had to retire
IN agsrieled disgust from the unequal conflict,
70 reappear on some future occasion an in
tfTested spectator Of the very drama in which
ne had played So sorry a part
There was somewhat Of a malicious genius IN
The man who had caused it at one time to be
Whispered abroad that John Morgan was unable
TO read. that TO him the writing Of an episte
vas an unknown art, and that the weekly news
paper which came addressed John Nor
gan Esquire was so far his ability to
pefuSe II was concerned, simply mass OF lnky
meaningless marks, and, furthermore, that it
vas Que 10 The scholarly attainments Of his lit
ue grandchiid Of twelve that he able to
giean from the print the miscellany of broken
iacts upon which he founded his arguments.
only genius could have conceived prepos-
lerous notion and one so much at variance
Win lh- opinion universally entertained con-
e-fnlng John Morgan and his attainments.
kead plain English, Now had il been Latin
ana Sha with reference to the malicious rumor he
haq been heard TO suggest, merely to suggest or
"a 70 hint vaguely, that, as he himself expressed
Latin too
There was no denying the fact, however, that
sIeat as was the curiosity to hear him read,
S1laLy 10 observe him spell out and repeat the
Hr"hr Norc Tor word. a set down in the paper,
n,
aoe 10 observe him accomplish the feat. There
nae d tale told Of hm-and his detractors made
= d what could be- made-that day as he
at Win the newspaper oStentatiOusly spread
~ an Honl ot him a near neiGhbOr Of an in
soisluFe turn Of mind desired to be told the
.e@s o. the day. II was known to the interrO-
sAor mat the alleged assistant Of tender years
heH atsent. anu there that in his eye which
leiho 70 Indicate a malicious expectancy. For
- se moment John Morgan nonplussed. but
s-fSAy recovering himself he lay back in his
,s, -tn, ana IN a tone in which sympathy for the
ondrp events was blended with a restrained
f,idcuon al being able to recite the tale of
On ~ rFpled Oh wrecks, George. shipwrecks
nv. g hehds; its peetiful, it's peetiful' The
~ Nh!ch ms eyes deVOuring with so
tger ,aNIalty, and from which he profeSsedy
ia sieehlhg The distressing int telligence, was
niso3y py MIN Upside down and consequently the
shin O. presentations Of steamers and sailing
eoTp,..3 - means Of which enterprising shipping
ton iIS ~ are wont 10 attract tine public atten-
the ~, 80 naturally upside down as we'll and
gfin orlny man conclusion obvious. A
a sbt pi esenied upside down assuredy meant
n.g5r| wrecked whatever the printed matter
but Lot@s 70 the contrary Such was the tale;
ana 80. morgan went on his way unnoticng
sftusr - - MS many believers what task Of
EeiDal refutatiOn might be necessary.
Mo- d matter for regTetful reflection to John
,1 s@n and his wife that they had been but