Evening star., 1927-12-15

Edward Everett Hale. American writer
ls22-1009, is chiefly famous for. his well
Sn1Mtr S!orS m ny Gatrotir sa
him enduring fame.1
My wife insists that I tell the world
why | had to have a double. and how
he undid me. She wants people to
understand the great pressure the pub
! lie exerts upon it's servants. forcing
| them to all sorts of eXpedients to es
cape their more hated duties.
| am. or rather was, a minister of
the Sandemanian connection. | was
settled in an active. wide-awake town
IN Maine. Everything seemed splen-
did; but | was young and had to learn
what 1t meant to try to be the conf
dental friend of a hundred families i'm
the town, to keep abreast of the
| thought of the age in ones study and
to preach a sermon every Sunday.
And this was not all
Polly and ] soon found out that we
were expected to attend certain public
functions and act like dummies They
were the duties, not of me personally
but of my Office. | loved the people
of my parish. but | did not care a
straw for the vague public which de.
manded these extra duties of me.
began to think how fine it would be to
| have double.
i was singularly fortunate. for while
vacationing that Summer I saw my
man. He was not shaVen. He had on
no spectacles. He was dressed in over.
alls. But he was of my height, had
black hair worn off by his hat-like
me. He stopped in walking. SO do i
His hands were large, and so are mine
He even had a cut from a childhood
escapade over his right eye. slightly
affecting the movement of that eye
brow Reader, so have /. My fate
was sealed.
This man was Dennis Shea. a harm
less. amiable fellow of the class known
as shiftless. who had sealed his fate
by marrying dumb wife, then iron
ing in the laundry. / hired both OF
them for FIVE years We applied to
the probate Judge to change the name
of Dennis Shea to the same as my
own. Frederic Ingham. We explained
what was the truth, that an eccentric
gentleman wished to adopt Dennis into
his family The age of Dennis never
occurred to the judge.
The fun we had shaving his beard
to my pattern, cutting his hair to
match mine and teaching him how to
wear and take off gold bowed spec
tacles! Really. they were plated and
lte grass was pam, IOF tne leilOW
eyes were excellent.
Then in four afternoons 7 taught
him four speeches. | thought these
would do for all occasions at which
he was To take my place. 1t was hard
to teach him. but did, and these were
the speeches:
~ Very well, thank you. And
you?" He was always to say this in
answer to greetings on the street. etc.
t2) II am very glad YOU liked it,
For comments on my sermons. etc.
(3) There has been so much said,
and. on the whole. so well said. that
l will not occupy the time" For use
when asked for impromptu speeches al
dinners, meetings. etc.
l4 Il agree. in general. with my
friend on the other side of the. room. .
Whenever his opinion was asked, etc.
at any function.
At first 1 thought clothing would
be an expense. But then, whenever
he was out | would be at home And
he went to all of the functions where
only my office was desired and | stayed
home and read and studied to my
hearts content. Dennis lived in his
wifes room over the kitchen. He had
orders never to show himself at that
window. He did his chores before
daylight, and then went to sleep again