The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-08-24
Men Sevenspot Has Met
ZIP at Isabella the other day Pri-
u vate Sevenspot, of the 'Steenth in
ASoldier in the Philippines Talks
~ Cfa toS~on
~~~>~

TIP at Isabella the other day Pri-
u vate Sevenspot, of the 'Steenth in
fantry, and I were loafing on the
shady side of the schoolhouse trying
to keep cool. This is the hottest
month in the year over there, but
there is usually ghost of breeze on
the shady side of things, says Phil
ippine correspondent of the New York
Sun. was pumping one of my native
schoolboys about the reverse curves
of the Visayan lingo. That was be-
fore was deposed as schoolmaster at
Isabella to become company clerk at
Binalbagan. Sevenspot was reading a
newspaper from the states. After
awhile he threw aside the paper,
shook himself to get rid of ants that
were exploring his anatomy and said:
Jack, me bye, tn 'ta-wo' that wrote
Lorna Doone' do be dead and gone.
Did We happen to read it? Ye did.
Shure, an it were foine fightin' book.
Me bye, av We could write tn loikes
av thot We could stop chewin' govern
mint rations tn morrow. I niver read
it mesilf until were 30. I'd not have
read it thin, but for a daft ould ia
wo' 1 met up with in Philadelphy.
took me lasht eo-day furlough in thot
mans town. For pwhy? Shure, I'd
gone up tn pole, which names thot
I'D quit drinkin', an wanted to 20 to
q restful place, pwhere I'd not run in
to temptation.
Swan day I were ridin' downtown
from Dootchtown upon a bobtail
strate car. It were so cold thot. there
were icycles upon tn coal wagons,
and tn natives were goin' surf bathin'
in tn snowdrifts. TIL car were crowd
ed an livery safe occupied, whin tn
ould gintleman I'm tellin' av boarded
tn car. He were tn queerest ould
'ta-wo' liver ift-dressed with. He
wore long white beard that raiched
to tn waist av him. An he'd tied it
benaith his chin with wee bit av
blue ribbon an tucked it insoide av his
frilled shirt bosom. TIL hair av him
were washed white in tn laundry av
Guild Father Tonne, an he Tucked loike
an advertoisin' picture av Santa Claus
with tn overcoat an fur-topped boots
lift out. It were thot coold thot tn
passengers kept batin' tonne with
their toes, loike tn push at beer
hall whin tn lady with hemp hair
plays tn pianDy; but tn ould gin
tilmin wore low-cut shoes an a vest
with but two buttons to>it. I mistook
him for a major giniral in his civilians
at tn Taste. An I stood up an sa-
luted an gave him me safe. A couple
av blocks beyant a man besoide him
got out an tuck his safe. Thin tn
ould gintilmin opined foire at close
range. Said he:
"This will be remoindin' you av tn
could winter described in "Lorna
Doonc."' Y. 60
'An' said L: 'Th' deuce it will!' ID
:. "'Yis,' said he, 'supposin', az course,
thot we've read tn book
with thot I tould him he could
fade tn lasht two buttons forninst
his vest thot I hadn't. An thot it
took all me idle momints to rade armv
orders an rigilashuns.
"'Shure,' said he, Il were bethinkin'
Z tAu0 S44OO yOu "cIS d SO1el10r. AN C0Ot 9
the raison spoke of Lorna Doone. :"
IT'S foine, wild tale with some rood.
. healthy foightin' in it. 5 ~ ]
Thin he tuck to. relatin' bits av the
! story an tellin' me about London an
the country lanes av Devonshire with
its banks av primroses, till l. almost
visit thot were an Englishman me.
,silf. An thin he whit on oSsay that he
were tn ownly American vthot iyer
danced with DUANE Victoria. With
thot, Az coorse, I rayulized thot til ould
gintilmin had friction-primers in his
head. Butshe were tn most intertain-
Ing loo-natic1 thot I liver stacked guns
with. An thot do be sayin' a hape
.rlwhin = mans been in til, army for twin
ty-odd years. At lasht tn ould gintil-
man came partly OUT nv hissdrame an.
said he must get OF at tn mkt strate
crossing. So with7thot, jist to- say
! whether he would ray George Wash-
ington ,or Benedict Arnold, ] asked him
3 his name. IS 60 60
'Frind. soldier said he, I'm IN