Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1910 — THAT CAME HOME TO HIM. [ARTICLE]

THAT CAME HOME TO HIM.

"Folks gets all excited up over reading the newspapers, when half the time there isn’t any need of It,” remarked Capt. Abner Scott to William Hawkins, as he unfolded the paper to which he and Mr. Hawkins subscribed together. It was his turn for the “first reading.” The two men were seated comfortably on the bench on the sunny side of Captain Scott’s house. “Now, let’s see what there is going on in the world,” he continued, “and, William, you try and keep cool, no matter what I read out to ye. Recollect that whatever happens, we, sitting down here in Bayview can’t do anything about It.” / Mr. Hawkins, who realized that he had been much “worked up” over the account of a railroad disaster the day previous, accepted this advice meekly, only saying, “You know I’m not quite as ca’m as you are by nature, Abner.” “Now let’s see,” resumed Captain Scott, once more adjusting his spectacles carefully on his nose, “there’s been a destroying fire, out In a town In Arkansas, with consid’able loss o’ prop’ty, but no lives lost «s far as known. Now keep ca’m, William, if you can compass It.” “My land, what fearful things fires are!” ejaculated the excitable Mr. Hawkins. “There’s been a disturbance in Russia, and several have been arrested,” said -Captain Scott, holding the paper so that Mr. Hawkins, whose eyes were sharper than his, could not catch a glimpse of even Ahe headlines, and reading each Item through before he divulged its purport to his companion. “There have been tremendous storms In the south,” he announced, tranquilly, “and a heavy fall o’ snow In the west, and there’s been a great failure of a banking house In New York City.” “Congress seems to be pretty well mixed up, If I’m any Judgp,” went on, after perusing nearly* a column In silence, “and things look dark for the country If something- Isn’t done before long. Stocks seem to.be going down mostly, and times are getting harder every day. Terrible, Isn’t IJT’ "Why, William Hawkins,” gasped Captain Scott, a moment later, turning quickly on his friend, and grasping him by the shoulder, “what are we coifiing to, that’s what I’d like to know? What are we coming to?” "What’s happened?" asked Mr. Hawkins, trembling with excitement “Why," said Captain Scott, feebly, as he pointed to a short paragraph with his forefinger, “the bottom baa dropped out o’ lobsters!” Mr. Hawkins, who was a shoemaker, exercised great forbearance and made no reference to his friend’s vanished “ca’m.”—Youth’s Companion.