The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03
0NHIS MAJESTYS SERVICE

| pie OF some reputs in the village. tn
reputo was not due to social position. 10
social position was not factor in the lie
of the community; nor yet was it due tc
the fact that John Morgan's croft and
dwelling house we're somewhat more PIE
tertiGus than. those of his reighbors; II
was due to the striking originality Of John
Mcrgan's personality and character. and
to that only. 1t is true that John Mosgen's
wife shared her husbands distinction. bat
that was because Shit was John Morgan S
wife-a quiet. motherly little woman. she
reflected John MorgaI's greatness as :se
moon reflects the rays OF the sun, by doing
nothing but passiveiy allowing King Sol
to shine upon her.
Mrs. Morgan's passivity. however. did
not have the effect of causing her TO be
a nonentty in the Morgan entity--no: at
all; she was the means Of completing 1t.
and John Morgan without his wife would
have been like Punch without bis hump,
only half personality.
John Morgan was energy personifed.
His work was performed with all the Wig
or Of a strappling in his twenties. and in
all matters affecting the public veal, con-
corning which men debate with the free
dom of responsibility his voice was con-
tinually heard. 1t was his unfailing pow
er of silencing an opponent that made
him SO formidable an antagonist In the
village Of Witenagemot, and the ferocious.
impatient expression OF his smooth. rudy
countenance. fenced In as it was by a
short, curly. white beard. brought more
than one well-informed debater to a
stammering conclusion in much more
effectual manner than a calmly reasoned
exposition from a more authoritative
source could possibly have done. 1t some
times happened that scrupulously fair
minded opponent, with labored utterance
and demonstrating manner. sought to hold
him tightly to the point at issue, but the
futility Of the effort was only eQualed by
the thankless reception it received at the
hands of jeering audience rendered par
tial by long usage. and the invariable re-
suit was that the bewildered opponent had
to retire in aggrieved disgust from the
unequal conflict, to reappear on some fu-
ture occasion an interested spectator of
the very drama in which he had played SO
sorry part.
There was somewhat of malicious
genius in the man who had caused il at
one time to be whispered abroad that John
Morgan was unable to read, that to him
the writing Of an epistle was an unknown
art. and that the weekly newspaper which
was. so far as his ability to peruse 1t was
concerned. simply a mass of inky mean
insless marks, and. furthermore. that 1t
was due to the scholarly attachments OF
his little grandchild CT twelve that he was
able to CLEAN from the print the miscel-
lany OF broken facts upon which he founded
his arguments. Only a genius could have
conceived so preposterous notion. and
one so mush at variance with the opinion
universally entertained concerning John
Morgan and his attachments. Read plain
English! Now had it been Latia-and
with reference to the malicious rumor he
suggest or to hint vaguely. that. as he
himself expressed 1t. The might be able
to take bits out Of the Latin. too"
There was no denying the fact. however,
that great as was the curiosity to hear
him read. actually observe him spell out
and repeat the news, no one had ever,
SO far as was known been able to
observe him accomplish the feat. There
was a tale told of him - and his
detractors made of it what could be made
that one day as he sat with the
newspaper SYSTEMATICALLY spread out In
front of him near neighbor of an inquis-
tive turn of mind desired to be told the
news Of the day. 1t was known to the in
terrogator that the alleged assistant of
tender years was absent. and there was
that in his eye which seemed to indicate
a malicious expectancy. For the moment
John Morgan was nonplussed, but quickly
recovering himself he lay back in his shair,
and, In tone in which sympathy for the
events was blended with re-
strained satisfaction at being able to recite
the tale of them. replied, ''Oh, wrecks,
George. shipwrecks on all hands, it's peeti-
full. it's peetiful." The print which his
eyes were devouring with so much avitity.
and from which he professedly was CLEAN
ing the distressing intelligence, was held
by him upside down, and consequently the
pictorial representations OF steamers and
sailing ships. by means OF which enterpris-
ing shipping companies are wont to attract
he public attention. were naturally upside
,own as well, and the worthy mans conclu-
sion was obvious. ship represented up
side down assuredly meant a ship wrecked,
whatever the printed matter might say to
he contrary. Such was the tale; but John
Morgan went on his way unroticing. and |
eft to his many believers what task of |
actual verbal refutation might be reces- |
;ary. |
It was a matter for regretfuI reflection |
% John Morgan and his wife that they had |
1een but meagrely blessed in the matter |
II family. There had been born to tn I'm |
son and daughter. but the daughter had |
passed from them even at the sge whsn |
ger presence had become a necessity to tie |
I'D people. and although years had sped /
since then. 1t was known that the moth n /
had never ceased bitterly to mourn her |
oss; in secret, it Is true. fer with all the |
Energy OF his energetic nature John Nor |
lx.,I T~,rw I,t III
hive 1t away fiom him and from others, |
go. To sorrow was useless, he roarei in |
srathful grief, reasoning with the uncol-
fincing logic Of blurred common sense; 1t /
was worse than useless. it was vain, 1t |
God! and then he, too. b.oke |
DOWN.
The boy had gone into the Army Some
people said that the step was necessity OF |
lis failure in the more conventional walks
If life. but that could scarcely be, seeing
hat John Morgan himself was at the time
laily impressing people with the fact that
lad he been allowed to choose his career
IS a boy the trade of arms would have
,een his choice: that was career for
nan OF mettle. and what other? But Mrs.
Iorgan over her knitting needles must
leeds again weep. more and more silently
nd more and more secretly it is true: for
long with the energy and hustle and move
lent winch characterized her lord and
master. in what from her point OF view
lmost seemed a second bereavement. there
;as noticeable a faint irritabiity as OF d
lred man striving TO show that he is far
rom being tired. II was family noticea-
lie. but 1t was there. and 1t did more to
lake Mrs. Morgan cease to mourn than
II the b,owings and biusterings of rea-
oned wrathfu sermons which her hus-
and could infiict upon her in a month
or the little woman had a great. silent
ave and respect for this fresh. clustering
pouse of hers. and as for John Morgan.
was known through the village how his