Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-01-15
A SANS CULOTTE INCIDENT.
By st. John Dyer.


the personages, the most prominent
being the genial, much beloved Col.
Will Morgan, of happy memory.
When young, he was an angler who
fshed not for fun but for fish. He
was generally successful, but never
INDUCED in any Boosting about the
size or number of his catch, alike sthe
old Scotch Sandy, when asked why
their party could not catch such splen-
did large trout as the swell fishermen
lower down the stream, replied, that
the fish were the same size, but they
were not as big liars as the other
fellows. Singular that even with the
example Of the apostolic fishermen,
yet the occupation INDUCED in as a
pastime will corrupt the strongest
moral standard of veracity, and fish
tales require not only the proverbial
single grain, but a whole barrel to
properly salt them down.
One summer evening, about sunset,
VIII Morgan was returning from the
fshpot, which he had enfiladed with
raking net, making a fine scoop, and
with the appetite for a fine fish sup
per and breakfast. There on the pike,
at the lane beyond the cemetery, he
met an alumnus of the Pierce Acade-
my coming from the library studio Of
our Congressman, the Hon. Alex.
Boteler, by whose kind invitation the
student foraged therein for classic
literature, art and other mental furni-
ture. Please note that the word
"alumnus" so haughtily Haunted by
old collegians, comes from the Latin
root Ito SUCK" TO draw aliment, SO it
may be translated as a Sucker" a
name scarcely to be relished by those
who boast Of having imbbed so much
of the milk Of human kindness from
their alma mater, but exhibit so little
OF 1t in after life. The aforesaid
alumnus being filled with the specula-
tions of philosophy, was wearing
look OF profound wisdom, that must
have astonished Morgan's bay mare,
as they say an owl-eyed countenance
will stop clock; when she halted
abruptly, to level square glance at
the philosopher, perchance shocked by
the sudden check, the lynch-pin of
the tish-string concluded to let 90.
likely to take fishholt, as the Irish
man letting his mate down in the we'll
bucket let go TO expectorate in his
hands for better grip. The same re-
subtitle fish slipped down, not to the
well-bottom but on the dusty pike,
where they no doubt wished for rab.
bit legs to scamper of, but vainIy-
they Topped there awkwardly lust
alike fish out OF water.
Morgan eased his mind by the
numbering annunciation Of some
phrazes evidently not conned in his
Sunday prayer book, then resumine
his usual good humor, he concluded.
as says old Chaucer, rto amenden
the Yoke" by turning his pantaloons
into fsh-bags. Dismounting, he peel
ed them of, tied knots at the ends, |
leaving plenty Of room, for legs were
his long suit, an inheritance from his
welsh mountain climbing ancestry.
SO while held them he gathered ND
his fish, we'll sailed with dust, and
Hoped them in, dividing them so they
would ride as saddle-bags. He still
had the covering protection Of his
muslin drawers once white, but now
by the grace Of muddy matchmaking
an appeal for the washtub. Not
presentable in polite company, but
ne would in a moment be within his
own gate. Yet, as more i'll luck must
come, just as he was about to mount,
over the hill horizon appeared two
ladies' hats giving the alarming sus-
picion that two young females with
their prying eyes were Hereunder.
Quicker than thought Morgan neeo-
tiated disappearance over the fence,
leaving me to hold the bag, his mare,
and to face the danger approaching.
The young ladies duly came, one
OF them was Miss F. H. then
in the prime and pride of her youth
ful beauty, and it so happened that
she wished to see Will Morgan. Be-
ing well acquainted with his bay
mare, she naturally enquired for his
whereabouts. Morgan was in good
hearing distance, only few Yards
over and behind the fence, but he did
not sing out any response, unlike the
heather Chinee, who to escape OBJ
Servance, on the hasty return ~ tho