THE PART PLAYED BY ANECDOTES OF
BIG MEN IN HISTORY.
Many Times an Incident Interesting In
i [phsrmonious Beeause It May
Naot Be Characteristic of the Man About.
Whom the Stary Is Told.
There is a story going the rounds of
the newspapers to the effect that during
the siege of Peterburg General Lee
turned aside from the grave Antics and
‘danger of bis pont tion to pick mp and
fp om tha Werh a trea £8 nest nll i
of vou birds that | iad been knocked
down ‘Ly a Federal Mel; A similar
story has been toll of Lincoln to ilins
trate his tenderness of heart, and the
probability is that the fable originated
away back in the carly Asxwn of civihza
tion, tis mostly 8 with the anecdotes
which figure in the hislory { great men
and events. When they are not bor
rowed from the ancients and handed
down throngh successive genérations
they ara mw annfactnred by siilifol writ
ers to suit particular characters and oc-
casions. We may be quite gure that
General Les pever paused in the conres
of 3 battle to look after distressed birds
He was a man of fine feeling undonbt-
edly, but 1t does ned follow that he was
in the hatit of making ‘himself wenn.
mentaily absurd
The story, in short, 15 not characteris
tie, and so it bas no historical value. A
digtineniched man's fame is harmed
yather 140 helped when he | is thus rep
Jesontied nx mehifesting | Hinan ii
lomical and mprobable manner It
weonld be eisy to believe of Lee that he
Frooped to case th sein of a wounded
soidier or that be gave his rations to a
hungry prisoner, imt it is not reasons ble
to suppose Lihat Lis instinct of sympathy
betrayed hima into the girlish act which
this story attributes to him. And thus
it 1s with hundreds of other anecdotes
that are nsed to impart an énlivenin
flavir to the dréariness of history.
The anecdote is a desirable thing in
works which ‘are intended to convey a ©
vivid impression of historical occur
rences or celebrated personalities, but it
needs to be employed judiciously and
with a rational sense of fitness. There
is no advantage gained when such mat-
ter is introduced for the mere purpose of
giving variety where there wonld ather-
wise be monotony. The anecdote’s pros
“perity lies in its adaptability to the char
acter that is being portrayed and its
service as a striking illustration of an in-
dividual! trait or tendency. We often
get a better idea of a ‘man frien som
gimple story of his denoting tastes o7
caprices than from the labored accom
of his more important proceedings. i
the story must be carefully adjasted to
the logic of the man’s life and the salient
facts of his career, or its intention will
be defeated. -
The best historians and biographers
undarstand this and are accordingly as
painstaking and solicitous in the case of
an anecdote as in that of & pif jens of
serious inwrest. They donot storied
of that sort for superficial effect or to
quicken the reader's flagging attention,
bat to emphasize a given char racteristic
and to an a practical want in the way
of description or analysis The anecdote
supplements and illuminates the beavier
features of the parrative, It is nsed
ith discrimination and nitin a ight
and promiscuous Manner. The § ACtTTY
wonid not i aplets without it. The
characior ald ‘be dim and distant in
mn en of such aid to the apprecia-
© tiem of roverning motives and pecnliari-
ties.
It is not really essential that anecdotes
thus employed shall be literally true.
Some of the best of them are pure inven:
tions, which have the rare merit of being
well imagined. A story that has a rea-
sonable degree of probability and that
¢éan be credited consistently with what
iar of the general qualities of a
ter is nseful even when it is not
positively accurate. There are some fic-
tions of that kind which are worth more
in their way than many ponderons and
tiresoms facts. All of the great figures
fn history owe something to these con-
_ yenient fables. They are identified with
certain anecdotes that keep them in easy
remembrance and that enabie us to make
close acquaintance with them. Jut the
anecdotes must have the virtue of plaa-
sibility, or they will not answer the pur-
Unless they represent things which
might have. happened without contra
Wiction of the character to which they
relate there is no justification for them,
and they are’ a reproach to the writer
who uses them ae well as a damage 10
ths man whom they are designed to
benefit. Ti he philosophy of the matiey is
all eontained in the statement that greal
men, like small ones, are expected to be
to the laws of their lives. Anec
hich come within
- valuable, whether stric
true or only products of fancy, yd those
I fall outside of it are silly and mis-
5 regardless of the reputation of
Abe aati hor or the purpose of ‘the decep-
tion. St. Louis Globe- -Democrat
Nature's I'roiec lon 1 For ( nripe Fruit. -
For pritection from the animal world
jmmature fruits hive d¢ veloped a num-
ber. of interesting devices. Almost nni-
versaily ‘‘green” | {ruits so harmonize
with sarrounding color as to escape de
tection. In fact, the hazel nat is envel-
oped in a leal ht + p
1 3 » -
Vv eNRt WwW hich renders in
conspicaons. The nutritions albumen
of the goed is oftep fortified by such im-
pene triable she Is as {aes She coc
nat and others, Perhaps theresa for
raidable armament of prickles, as in the
chegtuul, tincing hairs, as is the ease
with some poas.
Characteristic of immature fru
disagreeable taste and consistenc
Compare an waripe peach, sour
stringy, with the same {rut i
cious maturity. But all these ¢
an cos foil to repel certain m
growing frnits. The appi~'s
nousness, toughness anc 1 scurness are of
little avail against the young progeny of
LNERY WD FEED STABLE,
FIFTH A VEX "FE. near Bock Hotel
FIRST CLASS R IGS.
OOD HORSES.
PRICES REASONABLE.
: ;
t with ali turnouts
if desired.
IVE U S ATR JAL.
POWDER FOR MINERS
We are general
PATTON and vicinit
celebrated
Dupont -
THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
Every keg g guaranteed te oon-
|
tain twenty-five pounds. Also.
all kinds ; explosives, stich
saved to
Fuse, &c. Mone)
JOHX YAHNER,
HARDWARE. COOK and
IEATING STOVES.
Miners’ Outfits,
Miners. Oil, Kerosene,
ware. Tabocco and Cigars. .
Corner Fifth and Magee Avernties
A'TTON. PA
P.P. Young & Bro,
"FRESH M EAT
OF ALL i
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| FIFTH AVENUE
Pa.
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OF PATTON.
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TTR tee
: '
+ $ 1
Interest ped
A. E. PATTON,
President
8 Estray Notice.
THe PTH LAUNDRY
NEAR THE PATTON HOTEL
“tunity.
FASHIONABLE
MAKING
the genus homo.-—J. W. Folsom in Pop |
nar Science Monthly.
3
i
and Restaurant.
H. E. KELLER. Proprietor.
Fifth Avenue, Patton. Pa.
Fresh Br sad.
and Hrerytts
line :
1
atl ail: times
Powder. |
k
Dynamite, Judson Caps.
Tobacco, Cigars and Contec- - 1
tionery
Fresh Shell Oysters,
=> Price s Are R Right
PFAFF& NOLF,
LIVERY,
SALE and FEED STABL E
MAG FE AVENTFE.
Opposite. the Station, P: ATTY IN,
Pr irposes
GOOD HO RS
{roti Grive
Horses
| DON'T FORGET T¢
|
!
|
Bi | I Y
{ : : ar
§
i
1
Opposite Beck's
Hotel Beck.
H. C. Beck, Prop'r.
T TT NNT ~~ s eT -
PATTON. Cambrun Co. Pa
FIRSTCLASS
: F 7 pe g YSVINIT
iN A 3 TS APrL iY
re wr TC
—uGIVE US A CALL. ~~]
CREAT SACRIFICE SALE
OO F-
= CLOTHING! =
Hav ng decided to
yrnieh of ®our business entirely, We are pre.
I yared
> 1
(} ofter the peoj
3
I out the Cle thing
de of Patton the
BIGGEST BARGAIX
They CVer hes
at and below®
disposed of.
on't MISS Wiis oppor-
Our
must go.
ECONOMY ONE
Avenue, Opposite . Hote
All cools Vi ll he =
1
entire Stock
CAPITAL PAID UP, £560.000.048 NI oh A j t |
Clothing
.
EPRICE STORE.
1 Beck, PATT N PA
dimensions of the New Store
00DS.
(yroceries, Xe.
|
|
! - - : LE
rn spcond foor which is
} 2 : 3
|
+ line of CARPETS. and
foor will net accom-
' .
Pu rgilase $2 lor { ASH
- .
1 “en
ier we
Thal Wiad
-
f=
1a 3a:
PATTON. PENNA.