A Fatal Disorder

　　SEEING a ship sailing by upon the sea of politics, an Ambitious

　　Person started in hot pursuit along the strand1; but the people's

　　eyes being fixed2 upon the Presidency3 no one observed the pursuer.

　　This greatly annoyed him, and recollecting4 that he was not aquatic5,

　　he stopped and shouted across the waves' tumultous roar:

　　"Take my name off the passenger list."

　　Back to him over the waters, hollow and heartless, like laughter in

　　a tomb, rang the voice of the Skipper:

　　"'T ain't on!"

　　And there, in the focus of a million pairs of convergent6 eyes, the

　　Ambitious Person sat him down between the sun and moon and murmured

　　sadly to his own soul:

　　"Marooned7, by thunder!"