A Character
I.
Swallowed up in gulfs of tho't—
Eye-glass fixed—on—who knows what?
We but know he sees us not.
Chance upon him, here and there—
Base-ball park—Industrial Fair—
Broadway—Long Branch—anywhere!
Even at the races,—yet
With his eye-glass tranced and set
On some dream-land minaret.
At the beach, the where, perchance—
Tenderest of eyes may glance
On the fitness of his pants.
Vain! all admiration—vain!
His mouth, o'er and o'er again
Absently absorbs his cane.
Vain, as well, all tribute paid
To his morning coat, inlaid
With crossbars of every shade.
He is oblivious, tho
We played checkers to and fro
On his back—he would not know.
II.
So removed—illustrious—
Peace! kiss hands, and leave him thus
He hath never need of us!
Come away! Enough! Let be!
Purest praise, to such as he,
Were as basest obloquy.
Vex no more that mind of his,
We, to him, are but as phizz
Unto pop that knows it is.
Haply, even as we prate
Of him HERE—in astral state—
Or jackastral—he, elate,
Brouses 'round, with sportive hops
In far fields of sphery crops,
Nibbling stars like clover-tops.
He, occult and psychic, may
Now be solving why to-day
Is not midnight.—But away!
Cease vain queries! Let us go!
Leave him all unfathomed.—Lo,
He can hear his whiskers grow.
The Diary of Darius T. Skinner
"Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, Dec. 31, 188-.—It hardly seems possible that I am here in New York, putting up at a hotel where it costs me $5 or $6 a day just simply to exist. I came here from my far away-home entirely alone. I have no business here, but I simply desired to rub up against greatness for awhile. I need polish, and I am smart enough to know it.
"I write this entry in my diary to explain who I am and to help identify myself in case I should come home to my room intoxicated some night and blow out the gas.
"The reason I am here is that last summer while whacking bulls, which is really my business, I grub-staked Alonzo McReddy and forgot about it till I got back and the boys told me that Lon had struck a First National bank in the shape of the Sarah Waters claim. He was then very low with mountain fever and so nobody felt like jumping the claim. Saturday afternoon Alonzo passed away and left me the Sarah Waters. That's the only sad thing about the whole business now. I am raised from bull-whacking to affluence, but Alonzo is not here. How we would take in the town together if he'd lived, for the Sarah Waters was enough to make us both well fixed.