The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 5, May, 1862: Devoted To Literature And National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 5, May, 1862: Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Faith, Freedom, Conscience--these are words which give
The true metallic ring!
For these to _die_, were evermore to _live_--
Man's noblest offering.
Rise, then! Columbia's sacred rights restore!
Bid all her foes to flee,
Or perish! Then shall Washington once more
His country's Father be.
* * * * *
URSA MAJOR.
'Once, I went with a giant and a dwarf, to see a bear.'
'Fiddlestick! what a story to tell!' retorted Aunt Hepsibah, 'and these
children, just as like's not, will believe every word of it.'
'O cousin Dick!' chirped those innocents, [_strepitu avido, multum nido
minuriente_], 'tell us all about it; it sounds just like a fairy-tale!'
'Why, there isn't much to tell. Late one evening, not in a great wood,
but a great city, I fell in with an old couple, a huge, hulking fellow,
nearly eight feet high, with a heavy, loutish air, and the most pitiful
little woman you ever saw, hardly taller than his knee. Her arms were
not longer, than a baby's, and her poor little legs trotted along as
fast as they could, to keep up with his sluggish stride. In a clownish,
lubberly sort of way, he seemed to be taking good, kind care of her.
They were on exhibition, it appeared, and (their own show being over for
the night) were going, poor things, to see a certain famous performing
bear.
'Of course, I went with them. We found the showroom nearly deserted. The
bear, a monstrous fellow, bigger than Samson by half, lay on his back,
his huge, hairy chest heaved up like a bullock's, and a great paw,
holding lazily on to one of his bars. His owner, quite fatigued, and
apparently a trifle in liquor, brightened up when he saw his strange
audience, and at once volunteered to repeat the performance.
''This animal, gentlemen,' said he, 'is considerable tired, for I've
been a workin' on him mighty hard to-day. He knows that he's done his
work for the night, and I wouldn't go in with him again for a
fifty-dollar bill, but I shall do it, seeing I've got such distinguished
company,' and he made a sweeping obeisance, comprehending the giant, the
dwarf, and my humble person.
'The performance was really quite remarkable; but I was more interested
in observing my fellow visitors. The dwarf looked up with her bright
little eyes, and the giant looked down with his great leaden ones, while
the bear jumped over the man's head, and pretended to fight him and hug
him, and finally, walking on his hind-feet, stooped down, and took his
head into the horrid cavern of those great jaws. Out of breath, and red
in the face, the enthusiastic operator wound up by plucking a handful of
long hair from the flank of the much-enduring creature, and presented it
to us, as a souvenir of our visit.'
'I say, when he had him in his mouth, it was 'bear and forbear,' wasn't
it?' put in that scapegrace, Tom, who is always doing something of the
sort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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