Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-02-17
AN OLD
CURMUDGfON
He Vas Alone In q Strange
Land.
BY r. A. mitchell


once got himself seated On the shoul-
der Of Sindbad the Sailor, could not be
shaken OF. Arriving at hotel, / en-
tered my name aud residence in the
register. and the landlord. noticing the
e. 8. A., said TO me-
Il see that you are from America
There Is fellow counfrynan Of yours
here who is III. He has just asked me
II any American is In the hotel. and /:
so he begged me 10 ask him TO come
TO his ROOM
Realizing what IL Is 10 he sick and
alone In foreign country, went at
once to the mans room. l 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
I'll. but ] fancied that his speech was
not really grur.
"Oh, you're here, are your be growl-
ed Fine lot Of countrymen I have to
leave me TO die in a foreign land
suppose you're not quite so hard heart
ed as 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 fatter me is repuisive to me Grum-
bling frankness affects me favorably-
replied with equal brusqueness.
wen, If you want anything out Of
me say SO right away"
He looked at me for a moment, then
said.
DO you speak French or German
Il can talk In French"
well. get me doctor and act as in
terpreters
brought the doctor and stood by the
old mans bedside translating his syInp-
toms and when the doctor went away.
procured the medicine prescribed Mr..
MARYLAND ordered NE about as IL
were his paid servant Ii didn't trou-
bic me. l was rather amused But
occasionally / would turn upon him
and tell him that II be didn't shut UP
would have him carried away TO a
hospital This was the only thing that
impressed him.
For week | permitted myself to be
victimiZed In this fashion; then one
day | told him that 1 was about to
leave him.
.'Oh, / suppose you must be paid to
stay be said. How much do you
wantT
/ laughed
-Nonsensew replied. do you think
could be hired to wait on such
curmudgeon as you? But ! won't
leaye 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, bat the prin-
cipai part of my time was taken up
with Mr.. MARYLAND When he felt bet
ter than usual he would talk to me,
and SO intelligently that was delight
ed l was a young man with young
Ideas, and his experience, his evident
ability to pick the meat out Of ques-
lions. his knowledge Of human nature.
fascinated me. After getting this In
sight into his makeup was better sat
isfied 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 I do why do you ask me about
'em?"
True. Well, tell me about your fam
ny. 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 If they would"
That's the case In nutshell"
1--we got a 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 replied. Judging from
what ! have learned. you would make
1t hot for her.
I'D make 1t hot for any one. jus. as
any one would make it not for me.
Young man. do you know that this
II world fun of pure selfishness
We are of the brute creation--brutal.
All the soft things we say to enc an
other are pure palaver. The French
are the only people in the world that
! respect They are so COMPOUNDED po-
lite that they know they're stuffing
one another and don't attempt to con-
ceal it. We Americans don't give so
much taffy. because we know surfeit
wont 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 l told him would
D,t trouble myself any longer; l was
about to 60 on down into Italy.
We'll why don't YOU goY' be