Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1877 — To Blame for It Himself. [ARTICLE]

To Blame for It Himself.

When Commodore id——, of the C. S. navy, wus ordered to the ChiugsixJtriUeni for” the first time, uoweigttf.sfctt'br twenty years sineeJjyJUsfr wlth li im one of his sons, then •dryout li sixteen or seventeen years old. To keep the scion’s tendencies as perpendicular ns possible during the idleness of a long sea voyage, hs well as to familiarize him with tiio details of an officer's responsibilities on ship-board, the Commodore set hiru to copying the log, or some similar work. Looking over the lad's work after awbiic he discovered an annoying omission of a line or two, and commence J berating him for a fool. The youngster turned on the Commodore nnd very coolly observed: “Well, sir, if I am a fool you are to blame for it.” “W hat do you mean, sir?” retorted the Commodore; “How am 1 responsible for your want of sense?” “Just simply in this,” responded young li*>pctul with most provoking impcrturbition, “thut you married your cousin in the face of indisputable teslinn uy that a vast majority of the childreu of such are idiotic.” The young anthropologist, being active, dodged the volume aimed at his head, Hnd ran ou deck. After a while he overheard the old Commodore gleefully rehearsing the incident to his brother ofireers, who greeted its recital with a roar of laughter, when he ventured hack to quarters. The Commodore never afterwards taunted him with idiocy.