The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-24
A,nyrighted. 1903, by Robert Howard

It's turrDle. tn way me frind An
shrew Carnaygie has been jumpin' on
Homer" said Mr.. Dooley.
What Homer?' asked Mr.. Hen
messy.
Homer. tn pote," said Mr.. Dooley-
HAS Andrew been roastin' him."
asked Mr. Hennessy.
He has" said Mr.. Dooley. Hes
been givin' it TO him good. It's all up
nth Homer. No wan will print his
tuh amy more. He'll be goin' round
With a pome undher his ar-rum frm
Newspaper to newspaper thryin 10 sell
M. 'They'se a man wants 10 see ye,"
SAYS tn office boy. What's he !:kr?'
says tn iditor. Hes IN old Eald-hetded
man with long whiskers an Ghressed N
u table cloth. l think he's uiind n be
was led be a dog on d stirring aye he.
oh, it's on'y oil Homer says tn editor.
Tell him I'm busy he says. Carnay-
gle has busted him. People will talk
about him firm now on as tn fellow
that Carnaygie threw into tn fire.
Twill be a hard blow to Hogan.
] niver r-read anything that Homer
wrote but Hogan an tn oil fellow was
great frinds. l got an idee that
Homer amt amy too welll off. He
v nix ann GAAAfo N~ON~ 10000
facthrin' pig i'm an bein' blind he
Goulan tell good money firm bad. He
niver sold canned air to tn governmint
fr arTnOr plate an he didn't know tn
prince iV Wales at all. If ye Wint to
oil Homer an thried to tell him that
be handin' d little coin to tn freight
gen iy tn Pennsylvania he cud ship
his pothry firm Pittsburg to Phil!y-
delyphy cheaper than Roodyard
KipIin'. tn chances ARE he'd tell ye
to go to tn divvle an raysume his
Fome. He had no business head an
he niver founded a libry buildin'
though I've heerd tell he founded a few
libries. Poor oil la-ad, [ feel Lad
about him. But it's hard on Hogan.
He's always BLOWN about Homer. Ye'd
think this oil fellow was all tn pOtes
there liver was. 1t was Homer this an
Homer that. Homer says
Dye raymimber what Homer said
about that? He's as blind as a bat
but he can see more thin mortal man.
He is poor but his head is full iV Kings
an princes. an not fat little kings that
are tn same height ye take
thin. but long, lean kings that ARE
always chargin' round so0rd in hand
an slayin' each other. Siven cities
claim Homer's birth pi1ce which is
eight more thin claim ndhrew Car
naygie's-Ithaca. Utica an five other
places in inthral Me-" York that [
dOH I TdJTllIlD6T- l. IL l., says fGSdI,
rwhin / first met HoT CT like tn pote1
that said he felt like somebody or oth-
er whn first he lOoEed out upon tn
Passyfic firm tn City iv Mexico, he
says. Why tn man ; been crazy abOu
that OF blind fell ". Now, it's M
turn Whin he cones round, YEN hear
me say: How's ye'er frindA Homer
now? or Have ye heerd fr'n Homer
lstelys' or 'Wha: $ Homer d6in' in tn
pothry line? Ii make lie a burden
to Hogan.
I'VE didn't see what &rnaygie said,
did ye? I'll tel We. Nh other night
he says, L WIT home tired out with
IN compliments l had r~ayceived firm
mesilf an settled ipfme coy libry, full
Nv tn choicest backgammon boOrds.'
he says. L picked up wan book afther
another fra IN -libry table. Sthrange
to say, they Were all be tn wan author
me faV'riA author. tn kindliest sowl
that is a constant inspiration to me-
mesilf.' jfe saws. I craved lighter
readin/an' STINT Il to me butler. who's
a gEajate iv a Scotch ~college-which
1 have made into a first-class intilli-
gehce oftice-fr amy readin' matter he
had on hand. He STINT me d copy iv q
.pote be tn name iv Homer don
recIlect his full NAME. but 1 hin
twas James J. Homer. P'raps some iv
We will know. He's a Greek pote an
this book was in tn original Greek
thranslated into English he says. I
read it very huently.' he says. Well,
d! don't know that tn matther is worth
talkin' about EXCEPT TO tell We how I
felt about it. but if this is tn way
mOdhren lithrachOOr is tindin', I'm go
IN to put a blast chimbly into all me
Hbries. OF all tn bum books, Here's
q fellow settin' down to write an get
tin tn good money " tn public that
hasn't amy style. amy polish an
don't know tn first ilimints iv tn
Greek language. An his cnarackf@rs.
I tell We. boys. ! know a few things
about kings. 1 don't go be hearsay
about thin- I've had thin right in me
own house They've slept undher me
roof an even firm tn barn where coort
etiket prescribes l mus lay me bed
whin rieltv is in tn house. I've heerd
tn kngly snOre iv that charmin' mon
arch Edward iv illusthrees memory
who raymimbers me name. l can tell
We all about kings an I will if some
wan will lock tn dUre. An I say to We
that this man Homer don't know a
king firm a doOse. He's got wan char
ackter in tn book. a king be tn name
iv Achills. What kind iv a king does
he make iv him? Is he a small r-round.
naughty king with a pinted beard who
says: Andy. fr a foolish little man.
We have q very good house" Not at
ali; this Achills is no more an no less
thin n drunken vagabone. Hes rows
term an cuttin' up firm mornin' to
Hight he's chopin people open: he's
inSultia' his frindS an bethrayin' his
country an fin'Ily he dies he bein' hit
on tn heel. Did ye liver hear tn like?
l know kings. l tell ye. an that's not
tn kind iv men they ARE at all. They
don't carry SOOrds but canes. / wear
q chip firm tn cane ~ wan iv thin who
shall be nameIesS TO all bur se. me
frinds, but 1t was King Edward. I
wear a silver firm his walking stick
over me heart az this minyit. They
don't get dhrunk. at all. As a rule they
ARE very timp'rate in their habits
though not teetotal. mind we. A little
booze at lunch an 4 little more at din
ner an a short hot wan befure gnin'
to bed. If Il kin~ gets a little picked
be amy chanSt. l don't mind tellin' We,
he don't go an fight like 4 Cabman. He
slaps me on tn back. offers TO race me
ar-round Skibo Castle FIR a dollar.
Neeps a little because he amt we'll
thrested at home, an goaS tn clreD