The Life and Adventures of Maj. Roger Sherman PotterAdams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
General
The Life and Adventures of Maj. Roger Sherman Potter
Adams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
Political fiction
No one seems to know who or what manner of man he was, and many
curious questions have been put to me concerning his origin, the
things he did while living, the manner of his death, and what was
said of him afterwards. Several inquisitive old ladies, who called
to see me to-day, put many questions concerning his morals and
religion. Not entertaining a doubt of his loving all religion that
was founded in truth and reason, I sent them away fully satisfied
that Mr. Crabbe was a man of good standing in the church. You will
remember sir, it was Crabbe who said, 'There sits he upright in his
seat secure, As one whose conscience is correct and pure.'"
Here he continued to repeat several of the most beautiful lines
written by that poet, and which are familiar to his readers.
"An unhappy sort of man, clothed in the garb of a mechanic, and
calling himself a nonresistant, has several times called to inquire
if Mr. Crabbe, of whom I proposed to speak, was an advocate of
physical resistance. Not being able to satisfy him upon this point,
he has sought in divers ways to pick a quarrel with me." Just at
this moment the door opened, and there entered to the evident
annoyance of the little deformed man, one Ephraim Flagg, a clicker
of shoes, and an ex-stagedriver. He was lean and low of figure, had
a long bony face, and a gloomy expression of countenance, and a
straight, narrow forehead, and coarse, silvery hair, that stood
erect upon his head. "I have come again, you see; but don't let your
choler get up, my little stranger. Peace and little men ought to
keep each other company," spoke the man, with a strong, nasal twang,
after having adjusted his thumbs in the arm holes of his waistcoat,
and passed twice or thrice up and down the, room, with a tantalizing
air. Ephraim Flagg had given up driving the stage between New London
and Norwich, and had recently taken to books, and so studied certain
exact and inexact sciences, as they were called, and neglected all
business, that it was feared he would become a town tax. In addition
to this he had made himself famous for quarreling with all those who
differed with him on the peculiarities of his social problem.
"Sir!" replied the lecturer, "as you chose neither to be convinced,
nor to accept reason for argument, perhaps we had as well end this
bantering!"
"Oh! there you are," interrupted the nonresistant, "you must not
allow your ill temper to rise. You can't get (no you can't) the
better of your adversary that way. If a man kicks you, and if you
want to show yourself his superior, turn right round and thank him.
Depend upon it, there is nothing equal to it! It so unhinges the
man. Now, as to this Mr. Crabbe, (you forgot, in our controversy
yesterday, to say where he was born,) being a gentleman, and in
favor of using physical force-"
"Seeing that I am engaged, Mr. Flagg," interrupted Giles Sheridan,
"perhaps you will excuse me any further controversy on the peculiar
merits of Crabbe's combativeness."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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