Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-03-05
AN OLD
iCURMUDGEONI
He Was Alone In a Strange J
Land.
By F. A. mitchell

l met In Lucerne an old fellow
named MARYLAND, and he proved,to inc
the Old Man of the Sea, who, having
once got himself seated ON the, shout
der of Sindbad the Sailor, couldtnot DO
shaken Off. Arriving at hotel, en-
tered my name and residence in the
register, and the landlord. noticing the
U. 5. A., said to me:
81 see that you are from America.
There is fellow coumtryman Of yours
here who is i'll. He has just asked me
If any American is In the hotel, and IL
so he begged me to ask him to come
to his ROOM"
Realizing what 1t Is to be sick and
alone In foreign country, went at
once to the mans room. I found an
old man in bed. His name was Mark
land-so found out later-and he hail
ed from Chicago. He appeared to be
Ill. but fancied that his speech was
not really gruff.
ooh, you're here, are your he growl-
ed. Zine lot of countrymen have to
leave me to die in foreign land. l
suppose you're not quite 80 hard heart
cd us the rest or you wouldn't have
come"
Some persons at this reception from
stranger would have turned and
walked away. am Of different kind.
To fiatter me is repulsfve to me. Grum.
bling frankness affects me favorably.
replied with equal brusqueness:
well, II you want anything out Of
me say SO right away"
He looked at me for q moment, then
said
"Do you speak French or German p
II can talk in French"
"Well, get me doctor and act as in.
terpreter."
brought the doctor and stood by the
old mans bedside TRANSMITTING his symp
toms and, when the doctor went away
procured the medicine prescribed. Mr.
MARYLAND ordered me about as IL
were his paid servant 1t didn't trou
BILE me. ] was rather amused But
occasionally would turn upon him
and tell him that If he didn't shut VI
would have him carried away to q
hospital This was the only thing that
impressed him.
For week | permitted myself to bt
victlmized in this fashion; then one
day told him that I was about t.
leave him.
"Oh, suppose you must be paid t.
stay" he said "How much do yor
wantT
laughed.
"Nonsensep replied. do you thinl
/ could be hired to wait on such d
curmudgeon as your But 1 won
leave you-at least, not just now.
haven't seen all the sights of this place
yet. III drop in on you occasionally
during the coming week."
did some sightseeing. but the prin
clpal part of my time was taken uI
with Mr.. MARYLAND. When he felt bet
ter than usual he would talk to me
and so intelligently that WIS delight
ed | was young man with young
ideas, and his experience, his evident
ability to pick the meat out Of ques
tons, his knowledge Of human nature
fascinated me. After getting this in
sight into his makeup was better sat
isned to devote myself to him. Be
coming curious as to who and what he
was, one day asked him about him.
self.
Have you a familyT
Family? Yes-a devil of family
too"
You mean you are the devil and
they are the family"
IF you know more about my affairs
than ! do why do you ask me about
'emT"
"True. Well, tell me about your fam
fly. Why aren't they here taking care
Of your"
Because In the first place they
wouldn't come, and In the second place
] wouldn't have 'em II they would"
That's the case in nutshell"
"Tve got n daughter that ! would
and could have with me If were mean
enough to impose such burden upon
her"
I'm pleased to find one redeeming
trait In you" I replied. Judging from
what | have learned, you would make
II hot for her"
I'D make 1t hot for any one, Just as
any one would make It hot for me.
Young man, do you know that this
is world full of pure selfshness7
We are Of the brute creation-brutal.
All the soft things we say to one an
other are pure palaver. The French
are the only people in. the world that
respect They are 30 COMPOUNDED po-
lite that they know they're stufiing
one another and don't attempt TO con-
ceal 1t. We Americans don't give 80
much taffy. because we know a surfeit
won't go down"
This spending my time over an old
grumbler, who was evidently at enmi-
ty with the whole human race, was
ridiculous. One day told him would
not trouble myself any longer; was
about to go on down into Italy.
well. why don't you goT he
grOwled.
looked into his eye as he lay there
on his bed. suffering and alone, and
saw that his henri belied his words.
] hadn't the viii 10 desert him.
He grew worse after this. and ono
day he said TO me: