Evening star., 1914-09-27

up at our house, and celebrated by fallin
head over heels in love with her."
Good work. said l.
@You bet it was good work." he blurted
out, with an admiring glance at his son. at
was the best work ever done, and the best
part of it was she liked me, and the first
thing we knew we got married. Well, Sir,
do you know what happened then? You're
smart man, and you won't need many
guesses. 1t was the very thing we might a
foreseen. The idee O. me, the husband O
the schoolmarm, not KNOWN how to read
why, twas -simply-pree posterous!"
don't believe Colonel Roosevelt ever put
more syrupy electricity into the first syllable
of his famous 3deelighted" than that old
gentleman got into the pre- of his 4pree-
posterous."
@Yes, Sir" he ran on, @and there was nc
way out of it but that she should teach me
to read. And she didi 1t was tough propo-
sition for that wonderful teacher of mine;
but her patience finally pulled us through,
and at the end of about year was ready
to tackle most any kind of stunt in the way
question arose. Now that 1 know how,
what in Dothan shall I read2 That's a big
problem, my friend, to a young feller that
has earned his right to literature by the
sweat of his brow. I wasn't goin' to waste
any of my new gift on fashy stuff. What
wanted was the real thing, and one mornin'
the problem was solved. A copy of a weekly
paper come to the house, with an advertise
ment in it of a book called The Origin of the
Species by feller named Darwin, costin'
two dollars and half. That was some
money in those days; but somehow or other
that title sounded good and hefty, and sent
my little two-6fty by mail to the publisher,
and within week or two The Origin of the
Species was duly received, and went at it.
AND what did you make out of it?" ]
asked, my interest truly aroused.
@Nothin'-not the first damn thing at
first" said the old gentleman; Except ii
made me wonder if hadn't lost my mind
or something. sat down to read the thing
and by thunder, Sir, couldn't make head
nor tail out of it! I'd always thought
knew something about the English language;
but this time was stumped, and it made me
mad.
There's something happened to me-
said to my wife. I've read this darned first
page here over five times, and I'm b1est if
can get glimmer of anythin' out of it. She
smiled and advised me to try something
easier; but, 'Not-on-your-lifel' says
I've been through fire and famine and vino
and blizzard in my day I've seen the rooi
over my head burnt to a cinder by savages
and I've fit Injuns, and come nigh bein
scalped by 'em, and in all my life, my dear,
says l, I hain't never been stumped yit
and don't preepose to begin now, specially
by page O printed words, said to be writ
in the English language -on-yon,-
Htei'
$50 I went at it again. 1 read it, and I re
read it. l wrastled with every page, para
graph, and sentence in that book. Some
times had to put as much as five days or
one page-but by CORY, Son, avhen got il
got it good, and when it come it come with
a rush-and now-"
The old man paused, drew himself up very
straight, and squaring his shoulders he
leaned forward and put hishandson my knees
3And noav, my friend" he said. his eye
flashing with the joy of victory, @if there.
anything you aUdnt to knoao about Daracin'
Origin Of the Species-yon -jmst-ask-anel
[Another of Mr.. Bangs "reminiscences wiz
appear in an early issue.