Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-08-23
COMMONPLACE MAN
How Ne Was Awakened TO
knowledge Of His Own True
Worth.
BY ASA PRATT.

Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Col
Homer Dent was very plain sor'
of a person. He had been a very
plain sort of boy and an exceedingly
plain sort of a youth and now he was
most conspicuously plain youne
man.
He had always worked hard and
received the minimum compensation
therefor. AS a boy he did the heavy
end of the chores and his brother got
the holidays and the praise AS a
youth he did the hard studying and
always remained at the foot of the
classes while other fellows walked
away with the prizes. As a young
man he was always given the hard
and disagreable tasks at the store
and when there was a promotion In
sight somebody else got 1t.
Homer did not complain, however,
but plodded on, living out the law Of
his being. He never was jealous Of
those who we're advanced over him
In fact he rejoiced in their good for
tune. To he sure he grieved at times
that none of the gifts of the gods we're
his, but he laid II all to some defect
in his character To be sure he was
trife slow and not at all brilliant,
but he was as steady and reliable as
plow-horse and his employers knew,
even as his parents and teachers had
known, that when he was given a
task 1t was sure to be done no matter
how long 1t took But the high places
we're for those with more spectacular
qualities and nobody ever really
thought of Homer when they were to
be filled. Truth be told Homer never
thought of going after them himself.
In fact Homer never pushed himself.
Folks said he was not ambitious.
But the years with all their toll and
hardships and disappointment brought
one great Joy and light to Homer's
life. 1t was woman, of course, and
her dainty, feminine ways gave the
love-starved lad a glimpse into new
and marvellous world. He never
ceased to wonder that she crowned
him with her favors-he who ever had
been a bystander in all the joys and
softer side Of life.
The result is easy to guess. He
became her abject and devoted slave
Her lightest wish was law and there
was no sacrifice too great, no endeavor
too strenuous for him to make at her
most simple suggestion. Because she
loved society he plunged into the
gayeties of the town, where he cut
most sorry figure, as he was only too
painfully conscious and where he be-
came the butt of the clever ones, as
he was in all the walks of life he
assayed. Because she approved of re-
liigon he smothered his convictions
and haunted the church of her denomi-
nation, studying its creed with des-
perate earnestness and blindly accept
ing its code. He even attempted golf
and as last sacrifice joined a home
study circle where after hard days
work he sternly kept himself awake.
And the woman. Well, she was a
daughter of Eve. and having failed |
to attract any very big fish and having |
arrived at the period of a maiden's |
life when she begins to realize that |
it is time to cast an anchor to the
windward, she turned to Homer Not
that she was old or devoid of charms,
but she had set her standard rather
high and the knight of her dreams
had not appeared. Besides she was a
young woman of discrimination and
she saw below the commonplace ex-
terror of this simple hearted man, the
true gold of his unselfsh character.
She appreciated this and she shrewdly
realized that with him she would be
absolutely queen.
But, ah, We daughters of Eve, when
ever did reason govern your hearts
and your desires? Whenever did not
and when does not and will not
the gay cavalier SIRE your hearts and
imaginations and make the plain
sturdy plowboy seem commonplace
and impossible? And who shall say
that the fair Agnes did not accept
Homer with a mental reservation?
And who shall say that the vision Of
the gay cavalier did not still abide
in her imagination?
Be all that as 1t may the fact re-
mains that one glorious evening she
plighted her troth to Homer with a
dainty gasp Of surrender which so
filed him with Joy and reverence
that IL must abide with him forever
Il was many weeks before he could J
thoroughly believe that this splendid
creature, this wonderful being had
selected him of all the world for a
nate and he bowed in reverence and
every time he thought