Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-17
CREATED HIS AFFINITY.
Story of Only Man That Ever Bought
the Sphinx Drink.

That recent escapade of the Eng
lish official who poured libation
down the back of sacred idol or
Hindustan" said veteran clerk in
the department of State at Washing
ton. recalls a somewhat similar in
cident that involved one of our diplo-
mats back in the restless days of the
seventies. 1t was young Ben Butler.
as he was called. favorite nephew OF
that General Butler of war fame so
associated in Boston with Greenback-
ism and in New Orleans with spoons
This young Ibn.' was a fellow of
most yagrant mind and versatile bibu-
iosities. His uncle, pardoniEg all his
bohemian vagaries, launched him
forth on many a promising venture
in this line and that. but even Ben
came floating ashore upon q high tide
of alcohol. At length the General,
seeking to sober him by the burden of
responsibility, gave him a long lect-
ure and the consulship to Cairo Ben
took the pledge, took a drink and
took the first boat for the land of the
Pharaohs.
Now. all might have gone well had
not ~sltte Dt.eii frequent dfIlN vi
vessels from the wine ports of France
and Ben, knowing the French lam
guage, turned for companionship to
the rollicking officers of the liners.
Under their tutelage he soon forgot
the harsh distillates of Kentucky for
the rudly vintages of Bordeaux or
the sparkling life water of the cham
pagne country.
Ben was of a most romantic nature
smothered heretofore under the harsh
practicalities of American life, but
moistened by these subtle liquors and
nourished by the stars glinting their
images in the waters of the hoary
Nile, it now throve amain. 1t was his
wont when loaded to the Plimsoll
mark with what the genial Horace. of
Rome. might have termed old Faler-
MAN or the gentle Mrse Henry, of
Louisville, might designate as that
old. soft and mellow, but which Ben
Consul to Cairo. was content to con-
fine as s. mo- the same to wander
beyond the sacred river and crossing
the sand. sit for hours in silent COM
munion with the Sphinx. He had. he
felt. met his affinity at last.
"One Afternoon. while deeply wrapped
in ore of these desert Quaker meet
lngs. it suddenly occurred to Ben that.
after sitting out there for countless
ages in the dry and hot and dusty
desert, the old girl must have a most
appalling thirst
Forthwith he hied him back to
Cairo, purchased half a dozezn cases
OF Shepard's best champagne, loaded
them upon camel, and. hiring a fell
lah as assistant barkcep. betook him.
self and his wine back through the
soft Egyptian night to the sand
swept paws of his lady love. Arrived.
he and the dcckhand broke open the
boxes, loaded themselves down with
their contents, and clamboring upon
Ire back of the aged female poured
li4 bottles of wine down her spine,
Having accomplished this act of char
ty for the idol of his heart he return
I'd to Cairo and slept the peaceful
'luH,5er of the peaceful hearted.
Now it might have blown out up
On the desert winds and none been the
wiser had not inquisitve busybodies
At Cairo learned the romantic tale
md brought it to America. where il
reached the ears of the officials in the
department. of State. They were at
mat time an uncouth lot, with an
itrophied sense of poesy. and they
recalled him with CELEBRITY that in
hese degenerate days would be term
I'd getting fired" The sudden blow
and separation from the scenes amid
which his poetic soul had blossomed
out into that last wild act of love
broke his Heart. and within the year
he WIS in his grave
But" concluded the clerk as he
grabbed his hat on the stroke of 40.
He was the only fellow that ever
bought the Sphinx "a drink That
beats all this north pole business You
hear me"'-New York Times