Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1881 — Henry Clay’s Courtesy. [ARTICLE]

Henry Clay’s Courtesy.

I think I never saw a more perfect gentleman than Henry Clay. Ho was always considerate of ilie feelings of his brother man, and even when sorely tried never said or did anything which could possibly offend the lowliest of them. I recall an instance of this. There lived here in former years a man named Garbard, who, though a rough fellow, was an ardent admirer of Mr. Clay and a personal acquaintance. During one of Mr. Clay’s visits Garbard came up to the springs, arriving at night in a sad condition of intoxication. He wanted to know where Mr. Clay was, and insisted upon seeing him. With some difficulty we persuaded him that he must wait until morning, and h<j finally said : “ Well, just let me see his foot tracks ; that will do me to-night. The next morning I started with a friend to Mr. Clay’s house, and found him surrounded with distinguished gentlemen, both of this country and abroad, There were Senators and Judges and foreign Ambassadors present, all engaged in discussing, I believe, some intricate question of foreign policy. The gentlemen present would throw out some problem or other, like a tub to a whale, for Mr. Clay to play with, as it were. Mr. Clay was seated at the end of the room furthest from the door when who should come marching into the room but Mr. Garbard. He had with him, too, an Italian dwarf, in fantastic dress, with bells on his hat, who was a ventriloquist and a mountebank generally. Of course tho appearance of such a couple in such an assemblage created no little commotion. Garbard pulled his hat off, and, marching up to the man of Ashland, said: “ Good-morning, Mr. Olay.” “Good-morning, Mr. Garbard,” said Mr. Clay. “ Well, Mr. Clay, continued the other, “I know you are a good judge of men and are fond of music, so I brought this man up to amuse you. He can imitate any kind of an animal in the world, and I’ll have him go through his programme for you.” Everybody else in the room was abashed at the man’s forward manner, but Mr. Clay arose and stepped forward as though he was interested in the extreme.

Then the fellow began his imitations. I could not stand it, and went out of the room, as did many others. Finally, Mr. Clay went up to the fellow, and, taking a $5 bill from his pocket, said : “I appreciate your efforts, but I know you must be extremely fatigued from your exercises, and trust you will not attempt anything further,” aind the man went off. The discussion was never resumed, and the party all came down on to the grounds after that, but it was the finest exemplification of “ a step from the sublime to the ridiculous ” that I ever witnessed.—Dr. Moorman, in the Cincinnati Commercial. They were discussing the question whether one should say “ I shall,” or “I may.” Said Mrs. Fogg, finally, “Sometimes one form is correct and sometimes the other. For example, l say, ‘ I shall go to the city to-morrow and I shall buy a new dress pattern,’ and you say, ‘Yes, dear, you may.' ” Fogg had to admit that she was quite correct. — Transcript. Seeing a very rod-faced gentleman, a little girl said : “ Would Mr. S. blush if I put on my shoes and stockings Indore him ?” Receiving an affirmative answer, she said, “ How can you tell ? he’s red now.”