The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-07-06
Fl Lost Irat11p.
THE TALE OF A
WEARY WILLIE
IN A STRANGE CITY.

was on the corner of Capernsum St.
and Antioch alley"
He stopped long enough to get a
light for his old clay pipe, and contin-
ued: 81 thought it would be good
time to shoot few snipes, So"
"Snipes!' they cried. "In a town?
Surely you don't mean to tell us that
you intended to hunt snipes in city's
streets?"
He coughed spasmodically, an
amused light shone in his eyes. "These
snipes weren't exactly Birds" he said.
"By snipes mean cigar stumps. They
make fine smoking if they are treated
right. Well, I started to hunt for
them, but not a snipe did I find. 1 hunt
ed up Nazareth street and down
Jericho Avenue. All in vain. Not the
ghost of a leaf. Then I met an old
codger coming up Bethlehem Boule-
ward, and ] braced him for a chew.
He threw his hands skywards.
"'Tobaccop he cried, aghast. 'Verily,
brother, thee makest strange request.
Seek not to satisfy the cravings of the
flesh, but of the spirit, saith the good
book
81 didn't want to hear any more, so 1
started off. I was wanting a smoke
very bad, so went into store where
I intended to spend my last nickel for
some weed.
"Gimme a package of Dukes said
I to the man behind the counter.
"'Hsve thee lost thy senses, brother p
said the man.
"'No,' said I, L have not. But 1
want to get smoke
"'Thee will not get thy sinful wish
satisfied here he cried, with decision.
swell, tried every store in the town,
but not smell of tobacco did get.
AS was going down Bethany street
intending to leave the town, ran into
a party of queer old buffers. One of
them had long sheet of many colors
thrown over his shoulders, and he was
bow-legged and had long, gray beard.
He seemed to be the leader. When
they saw me they stopped.
"When didst thou arrive p said bow
leggs. 1 told him. what is the name
by which thou vert known in the
world p he asked. gave him handle
that was neither mine nor anybody
else's, for all knew. He looked over
long sheet of paper that he carried
under his arm. oh, here it is, in sooth.
Thou art from the state of NJ,
brother?'
II nodded me head. AS we'll from
that state as any other. Then they
hustled me off to big temple where
there was big crowd of people.
When we arrived they all started
shouting and singing. l thought l
was dreaming. Then bowleggs made a
speech telling the people that L had
come to find solace away from the dis.
appointments of the sinful world. 'We
will now proceed to purify the new
brother, my children he cried. Then
the people began to waltz around me
carrying branches of trees in theil
hands, and singing. They walked me
through all the performances you car
possibly think of. I tainted hall
; dozen times. They sprinkled sever
kinds of water on me. When I came
to the next time I was sitting limp anG
wet in chair in one of the anti-cham
bers. Bowleggs and couple of othel
old fellows were bending over me.
"Now,' said he, thou art one of us
brother. There now only remains fol
thee to turn over thy worldly posses
sions to me-
"'Worldly possessionsp cried
why, all the worldly wealth I posses
] are these clothes have on, and {
] nickel that could not blow
"sWhatp they all cried, forgetting
t their Puritan talk, do thou mean t.
Q tell us that you have no property?'
|. II told them that I was certainly Of
r the rocks. never saw madde
: crowd. The way they used me was
: crying shame. They kicked me an,
cuffed me. and at last run me out Q
I their town.