The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-01

din dDOuL OOuAI jays NS
city" said the man in the corner.
GIVE seen them and laughed at them
and pitied them; the very last tine
was N that vas1 overgrown. over rich
over praised, un-American settlement
they cal New York. | ran across n
of them.
He looked like the prosperous SELF
respecting American citizen that he
was, and when he attracted my al
Hention was standing on the side
walk where Liberty street joins West
street. He spoke to me apologetica!ly;
said he was ashamed Of himself and had
lost his way to the Liberty street
ferry house.
Il was going that way and said I'd
take him along. Two minutes later
it took two full minutes to ros The
street-we were in the ferryhouse.
When ne realized that he had been lost
not $50 feet away from the very place
ne was seeking he was more ashamed
than ever, and apologized ONE more.
Il quoted him by saying that was
no New Yorker and that | had Deen
pretty badly mixed myself that mora
ing, farther uptown, which was true.
| assured him that it was no worse to
get lost in the commercial jungle OF
lower New York than in the woods.
After we had boarded the ferrybOat
he told how a New York friend of mis-
had lost himself a OF two before l n a
f~fteen-acre wood lot on the farm
back home" which was surely amaz-
ing an ineXcusable at il was for a
man unused to New York losing him.
self looking for a certain ~ferryhOuSe
along the North river front.
Then | told him what happened to
a friend of mine, born and brought up
in a city, not New York. who married
rather late in life-he was about
thirty-fve-and accepted the invita-
ton Of a neighbOr to spend the honey
moon on his farm.
This neighbor of mine kept a few
COWS and MIXED them himself. The
first morning of the city brldegrOOms
STAY on the farm he was up bright ard
early, anxious to see milking and help
about it If he could. My friend told
him to put on Overalls and a jumper
and come with him.
Now said the farmer, you're no
greenhOrn in New York, but you are
pretty green about cows, and | would
Mt think of letting you try to milk
one. But you may hold the tails or
the different COWS while | milk them
and that will save the time OF me
hired man, who will feed the horses
while we are doing the milking, II
we'll gain half an hour on the days
work that way
"'The city bridegroom bit all rlgnt
and after the farmer had settled NM
self comfortably on a stool by the
side of one of the COWS carefully grasp
ed the animals tail. What happened
is really indescribable, and the farmer
was as much surprised as the Othef
man. In his nervousness, the latter
either pulled or twisted the cows tall
in a way that she didn't like, n there
was something doing with delay.
''First thing sukey did was to shoot
one of her hind feet backward with
great force. 1t landed in the city man 5
abdomen, and ought to have made NH.
let go. But the man hung on, anu
the COW began to kick IN all dltot-
tions, ending up by starting on a ntdu
career around the yard. The FARMER
inst missed being knocked over ;and
tramDled upon. as he deserved to be;
the CITY man didn't let go till he had
been dragged half way round the place
and there was a general hullaboo when
called the hired man to the spot Ii
time TO see the fun. He just leaneo
back and hee-hawed, while n tarnle
and the CITY man stood and looked az
each other and the COW II used
Language. 1t was the city man VINO
first recovered his presence OF mlho,
He appreciated the joke and WASH |
a bit angry about 1t.
eft all worked out to the good OF
the itv man, though, for the farmer,
who had planned to play a whole lot
of practical Jokes on him cOncluood
he'd had enough and didn't try any
more. Somehow-maybe the hlreo
man told-the story leaked out
and NV neighbor hasn't heard me
last of it vet. He likes to tell COCA
vaarns on his friends at the store
evenings, and everybody likes to- near
him. but whenever he gets TOO per
sonal somebody is pretty sure to snut
him ND be reminding him OF the JOKE
on tho CITY friend which worked Dotn
ways.
EVENING DRESS. AT A MITE
SOCIETY.
There was a city chap who came ou'
there to spend a part OF the WlhtFt
n year VINO made a great sur Dy us
greenness about the way he snoui.
dress when going out in society
among the country people.
He was staying at the tavern anu
everybody in the nelghporhoou Mas
anxious TO see the widow Cornby S
hear. his presence there being known
10 he her attraction for him. Conse-
ouentlv the mite society was better
attended tina ever known f Dea-
con Browns house where it was nelo'
was crowded to the doors. Every
ho1v was there.