And as I sez this, bein' very polite, I kinder bowed my head, and he
kinder bowed his head too. We appeared real well, both on us.
And sez I, "We feel it dretful, the passin' away and expirin' of one of
your folks."
And sez he, "You allude to Senator Stanford?"
And I sez, "Yes; when I think of that noble school of hisen that he has
sot up there in your great State--the finest school in the world for
poor boys and poor girls, as well as rich ones--when I think what that
great educational power is a-goin' to do for the children of this great
country, rich and poor, I think on him almost by the side of Christopher
Columbus. For if Christopher discovered a new world, Senator Stanford
wuz a-takin' the youth of this country into a new realm--a-sailin' 'em
out into a new world, and a grander one than they'd any idee
on--a-sailin' 'em out on the great ship of his magnificent Charity; and
that Ship," sez I, in a kind of a tremblin' voice, "wuz wafted out at
first on the sombre wings of a heart-breakin' sorrow; but they grew
white," sez I--"they grew silver white as that great Ship sailed on and
on.
"And up through the cloudless blue overhead I believe an angel looks
down smilin'ly and lovin'ly on what has been done, and what is a-doin'
now--that youth whose tender heart, while he walked with man, wuz so
tender and compassionate to the poor, and so wise to help 'em."
The Governor showed plain in his good-lookin' face how deeply he felt
what I said, and I hastened to add--
"I wanted to thank him who is gone for this great and noble work; and as
he has passed on beyend this world's praise, or blame, I want to tell
you about it, seein' that you're at the head of the family.
"I speak," sez I, "in the name of Jonesville!"
"Whose name?" sez he.
And I sez, "My own native land, Jonesville, nigh to Loontown, seven
milds from Zoar."
"Oh!" sez he.
"Yes," sez I, "Jonesville wuz proud of his doin's, and she thinks a
sight of California.
"But in one thing she feels bad: she don't want California to make so
much wine; she wishes you'd stop it.
"She's proud of your fruit, your flowers, your big trees, and other
products, but she wishes you'd stop makin' so much wine. Jonesville
wouldn't care if you made a couple of quarts for sickness or jell, but
she feels as if she couldn't bear to see you swing out and make so
much." Sez I, "Jonesville and I want you to stop makin' it--we want you
to like dogs."
And then sez I, in still firmer axents, "It hain't a-settin' a good
example to the schoolchildren in Palo Alto and the United States."
He looked real downcasted and sad, some as if he'd never thought on't in
that light before.
He didn't really promise me, but I presoom to say that he won't never
make another drop.
But his face looked dretful deprested. I see that he felt it deeply to
think I had found fault with him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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