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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1893-4-7, Page 22 (� (� O. B K—NOTE: T�1 j_� il1O00aO00 10 '91111, ie Twttitu. 1 net.: tc,' you lni ht Intpis a I" 1,. , ,u•i vnIW respects is to the American minister, !b• r0•au, dual, sadden rhallge1' of t, ngn•rrl tire, s w1'nt ••sev,'i veicr:, old, I'.,ai,l L, 10!:,1 11 1.l ,-n 1 afraimi t,• Itnol ,c, `:,,0110,1. 1)11 •he 0111131y, we 01+1('01 1111' 01111 the enlluh1"111 1,,111111• in I in short all 11104'01,1(110110 01!11! prn4ispoy.• When 1 was t t ,' '1 ;•broker'.;• pled; it, ^::I,u Fran- rich ., •.0,1 ,un.w.,.. I was, 1,11,,1}- Li, 4111.,0 1 1 1,111'•11 the ante fn him. ;11111 said ; my ease, upbraided 1111• for being s0 tartly ! persons In thw lnvt , 4' ,11.11 111011 Lu br 11101111.• ,was 1.4 '.t IIIL i,., ' v1. d : n. expert ill all the 11,•1011.+ of was 01 a n, rly' ,h 1 -:diem, ,mud rhos,• to •t 01,, %try well : 1 0(1010 ri:•:,'• in my duty, 111111 said (lett there 1.114 only ; 1'd 14Y prouu,ung its n0utuul,w •e, teiuu%ul bto'k 1 4 ] get Ills fur 11 Ina.% a11(1 111.41 I from mud; awe 1.m 1.4 !lain wham t Coclt ttLHir. I wee to the v%-„r;,r, nui play lark; rm 1.n' ('aGbr in Ile' 011110, a) 1.I,' re thve,l it with 1.h suulc, 1101 n1. Lhosl' , 111111 tray 10 t,' g' 'e 1 s; t y. m•. to depend upon but m wits 1111,4:•, By this t1n+r ,.11111 her ,•nsconu•r leas 10,,10 smiles w•ltivli gees nil 011.110011 over, I was to 11111.0 the veal 1.l hit 11101101 tort • ,air is dry, purl', rqunbin, 7100 1,,011 and ]1011 1111'.! l 1 ;l ` but these were entering, sal the landlord hiute.1 to 1./a. In :01111 11',1- IVId.+ ]Il i[, ,411,1 wrinkles, ,111,1 11101 night. 1111!10 1'a,'lllll l,)' the illness of dust --tills snlll„llmei 14„14 like 111,41„10. The and a clean(1','1'ep 1.111 t the rend 1.0 0('001001 pet the monster 11111 ;( 411410.: there !1.e 6011' ' a]lirals, ,uul lanky like the place where you 0110 of his guests. 1 said 1 lvutthl, 01111 we 1 progress of the malady isstapr,l, Ween if ilo„ setting my f I t in l content with the pros. 1'd 0111 all the way 111 tie• door, and 10:1,10!1 ,hove thrown a brio! in 14 110111 ;and. the❑ get t; talking. It turned not that. 1111 and I patient iv 11111 r,wdlrnlly cured. lor4nne, and 1 was t ll straight for that lanae and those Lt•nthrt's, in the 0,•1. of his 10111114 a Outlaw of 1 h bill m%• father had been srhoolmalaN in hey'• 1310 esrepc at mm°,10011 seasons of 1.u'. year ,pert. Il 1 after' the afternoon to enrrect 1.l L• Mistake whiell had been llnide j this smile f'o:ca. solid, 11/111 tt1011011 yr']l(11Y, 110011, Yale sapientN together later. and I places wllere shill nn11111t10nN preVali are not board, tune w'na S, wt !afore n. ,olio al mild hunt me up, and and nuked like those wavy, werul • spreads 'll �atlll'lla 'a ;41111 1 V':4y aCl'llKGm 1111,'11 l0 Li I n 11 1 ) ) 1 al -ways 1V111'l 11 animas lip to Int' father s 1 easy (.41 !1111, Gild furthermore 01'11 NCI,111111 boat y 1, on a 3111. le snibbnt4t on the bay, help uta do t. I was pretty 11(',,1111.+, in �. m1.' lura which yen find hardened on little I <l•nth, tin t!+cu he rogtured urn to put ru pnt it in Oen ay • d 1 veuhtrcd tun far and Wats car.met platy hada. frightened, though, uF f 111('014 011 1110 41110 OI elVllYllls. 1 110('01• I n1. his !alae 1411 the mid tote l (111(1111. have mu to sea, ,1041 at nightfall. whoa hope course, I was no way m Fault ; but 1 knew j before saw a smile clhttghf like that and Ln spore, and I Was very willing, of course. ]'fed ! O gone, was 1leite,1 (1 1 I, &s111011 num well ('11010;1 to know that when they psepetnated. The elan stood there holding in fart 1 was more teat w'!lling 1 I w'as tyre ' .Wilt ,� ae, I ( ] brig which wags hound for London. � It was find they've 1410'0 a tramp u milliol•pouad ;the Lill, cul leaking lilts that, 101111 the R a long and stormy- 1.111.0140, and they 0111110 bill 'when they thought it was a one•pound-' proprietor hustled up to 0110 what was the ' passage without pay as a et•, they are in a frantic rage against lune, matter, and said briskly : cowork i 1.y r ! P . ' • o near. the trouble' common sailor, R'hen I stepped. ;44!0,11 in instead of quarrelinh wall thou tutu r ' N'ell, What's up ? what's h what's wanting?„ 1 said ” There isn't any trouble. l'n waiting for my 010(11ge." " Cine, 001110 ; got him his change, Tod gel hitt his change." Tod retorted: "/let flint his change! It's easy to say, aft' ; but look at 1011 bill yourself." The proprietor took a look, gave a low, eloquent whistle, then made a dive for the pile of rejected clothing, and began to snatch it this way and that, talking all the time excitedly, sad as if to himself ; " Sell an eccentric millionaire such an tut• speakable suit as that ! Tod's t fool—a born fool. Always doing something like this. THE BB,USSEL3 POS .%. Ai'itil. i, 1041:.F s1a11 1%,111 cuna,ilnug 111 an 1 al 11111,0 ro,•u;4111,r,1.u„( f,ulow'wt b1. 11.1,1'11&,1, IIEi. T.11 ' ' f 01111:ii life c 4 tbe weight 10 111111 It 1 A111'111111 0,1 n pm•,•1c150 tine man y lh 1110110 red, Lt (1., 111011,0 of I ii,111.1 ,11,-"1 aur p u tioular 11,111,, be, (('11111.1 otter 1111• his Ithole sltnp 7)11 er dit 1 ."'—' t.. of ala,11 Leel L111.1,101,11111 010nd;:p1.- 1 1 d n 1 1 jai (, 1 IV ,lo 1l e .N1)0111 11 tenth 1 t t % t: , o to I treianat 1'11111141 s, l importaul mr 1 11,•in the 1.1 Iht.irn, 'I'he,.l, 111 u. p.11(01 trr.rtrd ,, l,,n_ s r, Lula, :u, 11011,_, 1 11111 t Nal' huhu,. 1 0111111 311111 I.q IL 11, ma !011 it 1),I,11.1 ,1111 , your Olimate For Consatnption• 'd 10 tit, 3 ai 1+111%4 , ''11111011, a ,.111.1' 111.11, be 0 all a) „ 11 •11'1• , d ll, nl h,,.• iL..0110 h, ell Il1„f1L 1, emit%u,I„11 111,1 n1.- 1.01111111'1 11 ;nee any 111 fulfil my' ,1111% 111 ION 111. 1,3. 3)131r7G 111%' 1 It it 110010l.•ally 111031 ion, .1.l 111,0, ill•itatIl1 . 1 1`.0 L 1.L 1t.1_bl 1 t, er11 1eetu:ed, 111,111', o. 1-1.t 11.''1,'11-, ,1,I, 1.',r' lhIn illtl 1l 11_1..71,1 London til3• clothes were ragged 1101 shabby, and I had only a dollar in nay me lock- et. S m This fed and sheltered n twenty-four Lours. 1)111•iug the next twenty- four I went without food 111,11 shelter. About ten o'clock on tho followiug morn- ing, seedy and hungry, I was dragaing nay - self along Portland Mime, when a child that was passing, towed by a nursemaid, tossed a luscious big peer—minus—one bite—into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fast. 011011 my desiring eye on that muddy treas- ure. 31y month watered for it. But every time I made a stove to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up, then, and looked indiffer- ent, and pretended that I hadn't been thinking about the pear at all, This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn't get the pear. I was just getting desperate enough to breve all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying "Step in here, please.” family." I was admitted by a gorgeous flunky, " Family's array too ; been abroad months sightedness, as they ought. As I approach- ed the !muse toy excitement began to ablate, for all was quiet thew, which outdo Inc feel pretty sure the blunder was not discovered yet. I rang. The same serv:ult appeared. I asked for those gentlemen. "They etre gone." Thi, in the lofty, cold way of that fellow's tribe. "(tone? Clone whet e.7" " On a ,journey." "lout whereabouts':- " To vhereaboutsi'"To the Continent, I think." " The Continent 7- ." Yes, sir." " Which way—by- what route':" " I oon't say, sir." When will they be back'" "In a month, they said." "A month 1 011, this is awful ! Give me .00) 1' sort of idea of hot' to get a word to them. It's of the last importance." " I can't, indeed. I've no idea where they've gone, sir." "Then I utast see some member of the and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant and made me sit down. They had ,just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, hut as I Wee not asked to sam• ple 1"., I had to bear my trouble as best I could. Now, something had been happening there a little before, which 1 did not know anything about until a good many days afterward, but I will tell you about it now. Those two o1d brothers had been haviug a pretty hot argument it couple at Boys be- fore, and had ended by agreeing to decide letter ; I got 11 out and read 11, This Is it by a bet, which is the English way ofwhat it said : settling everything. I You are an intelligent and honest man, You will remember that the bank of as one may sea by y old' face, We conceive you to be poor and a stranger. Inclosed you will find a sum of money. It is lent to you for thirty days, without interest. Re- port at this house at the end of that time. 1 have a bet on you. It I Will it you shall have any situation that is in my gift—any, that is, that yon shall be able to prove yourself familiar tvith and competent to fill. No signature, no address, no date. Well, here was a coil to be in ! You are posted on what has preceded all this, but I bank -note, and no way to account for Ins was not, It 04110 just a deep, dark puzzle being in possession of it. Brother A said to rue. I hadn't the least idea what the he would starve to death ; Brother B said game, was, nor whether harm was meant me he wouldn't. :Brother .A said he couldn't or a kindness. 1 went into a park, and sat atlas it ata bank or anywhere else, because down to try to think it out, and to ammeter he would be arrested 011 the spot. So they what I had best to do. At the end of an /tour, my reaso0ing8 had crystallized into tans verdict. Maybe those men mean me well, maybe they mean me ill ; no way to decide that —in Egypt and India, l think." " Mao, there's been an immense mistake Mamie. They'll be beck before night. \$'ill you tell them Pee been here, and that 1 will keop cooling till it's all mad,: right and they needn't be afraid'" Pll tell then/, if they come back, but I am not oxpeeting them. They seal you would be hero in an hour to make inquiries, but I must tell you it's all right, they'll be here on time and expect you. ' So I had to give it up and go 01170%. What a riddle it all was ! I was like to lose my mind. They would be here "on tine." What could that meal:' Oh, the letter would explain maybe. I had forgotten the England once issued two notes of a mullion pounds each, to be used for a special pur- pose connected with some pttblia transuo. tion with a foreign country. For some rea- son or other only one of these had been used and canceled ; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wonder- ing what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent atrenger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that miliion•pound went on disputing tall Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, 00,3 ("01/, on that million, and keep out of jail, toe. Brother A took hon up. Brother B wont —let it go. They're got a game, or a down to the Bank and bought that note. schema, or an experiment, of some kind on Just like an Englishman, you see ; plunk to hand ; no Wato determine what it is—let the backbone. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beau- tiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day it go, There s a bet on mo ; no way to find out what it is—let it go. That disposes of the determinable quantities ; the remain- der of the matter is tangible, solid, and may watching tor the right, man to give It to. be classed and labeled with oettainty. If They saw many honest faces go by that 1 ask the Bank of England to place 08181311 were not intelligent enough: many that to the credit of the man it belongs to, they'll do it, for they know him, although I don't ; but they will ask ole hon- I came 10 pos. session of it, and if 1 toll the truth, they'll put mo in the asylum, naturally, and a lie willland me in jail, The same result would follow if I tried to bank the hill anywhere or to borrow money on it. I have got to carry this immense burden around until those men come book, whether I avant to or not. It is useless to me, as useless as a handful of ashes, and yet 1 must take care of it, and watolh over it, while I beg my living. I couldn't f(%"'1 it away, if I should were intelligent, but not honest enough; many that were both, but the possessors were not poor enough, or, if poor enough, were not strangers. Thee was always a defect, until I came along ; but they agreed that I tilled the bill all around ; so they elected me unanimously, and them 1 was, now, waiting to know why I was called in. They began to ask ole questions about nty- 3e1f, and pretty soon they had my story, Finally they told me I would answer their purpose. I said I was sincerely glad, and asked what it was. Then one of them hand- ed me an envelope, and said I would find the try, for neither honest 01tiren nor highway - explanation inside. I was going to epee 11., mau world accept it or meddle with it for but he said no ; take it to my lodgings, and look it over carefully, and not be hasty or rash. 1 was puzzled, and wanted to dismiss the matter a little furtl•er but they didn't ; anything. Those brothers are safe. Even if I 1080 their 1111, or burn it, they are still safe, because they eon stop payment, and the Bank will make thein whole ; but mean. so I took 1137 leave, feeling hurt and 110011• time, I've got to do a month's sull'ering eel to be made the butt of what was appar- without wages 07 profit—unless I help win eptly some kind of a practical joke, and yet obliged to put up with it, not being in cir- misstances to resent affronts from rich and strong folk. I would have picked up the pear, now, and eaten it before all the world, but itvas gone : so I had lost that by this unlucky business, and the thought of it did notsoft• en my feeling toward those mon. As soon as I was out of sight of that house I opened my envelope, and saw that it contained that bot, whatever it may be, and get that situation that I am promised. 1.0110701 like to get that; men of their sort have situations' in their gift that are worth hay. ing. I got to thinking a good deal about that situation, My hopes began to rise high. Without detain, the salary would be large. It would begin an a month ; after that I ehould be all right. Pretty soon I was feeling first rate. By thio time I was easy of teems.. flee 11111411140 may involve the invalid's removal to a long distance, with inevitable exposures 10 harm by the way, 111111 nn that 11ruotlnt alone a change of 141,0. When the clash slculd 00111e, he 1 climate may 1111 nlhpetlOtiOallle. might somehow be able to save ole from tots destruction ; I didn't know how, but he alight think of way, maybe. .1 couldn't Bettye sending 1,,101 home n Person In delicate health, no natter what the disease, friends should take careful recount of the ✓ enture 10 unbosom myself to hint at this,question how many of the comforts of home tato date, a thing which I world have been the patient is likely to Innis in his new quick to do in the beginning of this awful 1 quarters. If he is liable to be poorly lnokel e l 1 1 nl s` k or in an wet' O 11.00, of mina in London. I\ n, I nal in t 1 after, to become l o o .c , y y venture it now ; 1 was in too deep ; that is, I trade unhappy he will probably be better too deep for me to be risking revelations t0 oll'to remain where he is. There lie will be so new 0, Emend, though not yet clear bo• at, least sure of goo:1 nursing, proper food yond my depth, las / 1001ced at it. Bemuse, ' and cheerful surroundings, you see, with all my borrowing, 1 was ]hit if lin is to stay 117 home, let every carefully (keeping within my moans ---I mean care be ttt1On to matte the house, or that within my salary. Of course I couldn't part of it which he occupies, conform as 1,',rnm what my salary was going to be, but nearly as possible, in cleanliness, airiness, I hada good enough basis for en estimate evenness of temperature, to the Meal out•of- in the fact that, if I won the bet, I was to door climate to which itis found impt'a0ti. have ,Tole' of any situation In that rich old Cable to sent/ Klin. Itis one of the priuoi- pal duties of a physician to instruot families how to do this. Itis encouraging em be assured, as we are, that with sufficient coronet only may a con• stumpt.ive be matte comfortable at home, but the conditions for his recovery met% be kept as favorable there as he could lhori) to find them at many health resort. Patients in the advanced stages of the disease are always best at home. gentleman's gift provided I was competent Delves every- millionaire away (1'0111 tins —and I should certainly prove competent ; pleee, because he can't toll a millionaire I hadn't any doubt about that. And as to from a tramp, and never could. Alt, here's the bet, I wasn't worrying about that ; the thing I'm after. Please get those things had always been lucky. 1\ow, my estimate o%1', sir, and throw then/ in the fire. 7)o No the favor to put 011 this 53(111 and this snit ; it's ,just the tiring, the very thing—plain, rich, modest, and 3001 ducally nobby ; made to order for a foreign prince --you may know him, sir, his Serene Highness the Hosporlar of Halifax ; had to leave it with es and take a mourning -suit beeanse his mother was going to die—which she didn't, But lust's all right ; we can't always have things the way we—that is, the way they -- there ! trousers all right, they fit you 1.0 a charm, sir; may the waustcoat; aha, right again ! now the coat—lord 1 look at that, now ! Perfect—the whole thing! I never saw 811011 a triumph in all my experience." I expressed my satisfaction, stoney ! My npiuion of those people ehang• . tran :meg the streets again. The sight of a tailor -shop gave me a sharp longing to shad my rags, and to clothe myself decent• ly 01100 11101'0. Could I afford it? No I had nothing in the world but a million pounds. So I forced myself tc go on by, But soon I woe drifting back again. The temptation persecuted me erueily. I nest have passed that shop back and forth ale times during that manful struggle. At last I gave in ; I had to, I asked if they hod a misfit suit that had been thrown on their hands. The fellow I spoke to nodded his head toward another fellow and gave the no answer. I went to the indicated fellow, and he indi- oated another fellow with ha head, and no words. I went to him, and Ile said ; " Tend to you presently." I waited till he was done with what he was at, then he took the into a back room, and overhauled a pile of rejected suits, and selected the rattiest one for ane. I put it on. .31 didn't fit, and wasn't in any way attractive, but it teee new, curl .I was ant• ions to have it t so I didn't find any fault, but said with some diffidence : " It would be an accommodation to me if you could watt some days for the money. I haven't any small change about tee." Tho fellow worked t1 a most earcastie expression of countenance, and said Oh, you haven't? Well, of course, I didn't expect it. I'd only expect gentlemen litre you to carry largo change." I was nettled and said: " 11y friend, you shouldn't judge a Avenger by the clothes he wears. I an qutte able to pay for this ,lit ; I simply didn't wish to put you to ills trouble of •wgin ; :t I • re note," ed, I can tell you 1 1 lost nota tnomeni,but alloyed note awl money into 171y vest-pocket, and broke for the nearest cheap eating - house. \\'ell, how I raid eat ! When at last 1 couldn't hold any more, I took out my money and unfolded it, took one glimpse and nearly fainted. Five millions of dol. lays ! Why, It made my head swim. I must have eat there stunned and blink- ing at the note as ranch es a minute before I came rightly to myself again. The first thing I noticed, then, was the landlord, His eye was on the note, and ho was petri. fled. He was worshipping, with all his body and soul, but ho looked as if he eooldu't etir hand or foot. I took my cue in a moment, and dirt the only rational thing there was to do. I reached the note toward him, and said carelessly " (live nee the change, please," Then he was restored to his normal con. ,lition, and made a t110000nd apologies for not being able to break the bill, and I couldn't get hien to touch it. Ifo wanted to look at it, and keep on looking at it; he couldn't seem to get enough of it to quench the thirst of his aye, but ho shrank from touohing it as 11 11 had been something too c sacred for poor common clay to handle, I said ; " I an sorry if it is an ieconvenicnr,0, but I must insist. ]'lease 0!110140 it 1 I haven't anything else.'' But he eaid that. wasn't any matter ; he who quite willing to let the than stand over till another time, T said I might not he au his neighborhood again for a good while ; but he said it was of no eousrrgeenee, he • 0,nici wait. and, moreover, I could have anythaog wonted, amt' tin"' 1 chose, and Ile mlidlfied his style a little at that, and let theaoc.unt 111(11" longaa 1 pleased. IIt "Quite right, sir, quite right ; it'll do for a makeshift, I'm bound to say. Iltit wait till you see whet we'll get up for you on you' OW11 measure. Come, Toil, book and pen ; get at it. Length of leg, 30 "—and so on, Before 1 could get fu a word he had measured me, and was giving orders for dressing -shits, morning -suits, shuts, and all sorts of things, When I got a chance I said : But, my dear sir, I 517)1(11 give these orders, unless you can wait indefinitely, or change the bill." "Indefinitely ! It's a weak word, sir, a weak word. Eternally—(had'.+ the word, sir. Tod, rush these things through, and send them to the gentleman's address with. out any waste of time. Let the minor cus- tomers wait. Het down the gentleman's address and—" "I'm changing my- quarter's. I will drop in and leave the (10W address." "Quite right, sir, quite right. One mo- ment—let me show you out, sir. There— good day, sir, good day." W1 ell, don't you see what was bound to happen? I drifted naturally into buying whatever I wanted, and asking for change, Within a week I was sumptuously equipped with all needful comforts and luxuries, and was housed in an expensive private hotel in Hanover Square. I took my dinners there, hat for breakfast I stuck by Harris's humble tooding-house, where I had got my first meal on my ulillion•pound hill. I was the making of Harris. The fact had gond all abroad that the foreign crank who carried !Millen -pound bills in his vest-pocket was the patron saint of the place. That was enough. From being a poor, struggling, little (hand-to-mouth enterprise, it had ho - 001118 celebrated, and overcrowded with cus- tomers, Harris was so grateful that he forced loans upon ole, and would not be denied ; and so, pauper as I was, I had money to spend, and was living like the rich and the great. I judged thee there was go. ing to be a crash by and by, but I was in, now, and must swim across or drown. You see there was just that element of impend. ing disaster to give a sertoas side, a sober side, yes, a tragic side, to a state of things which would otherwise have been purely ridiculous, In the night, iu the dark, the tragedy part was always to the front, and always warning, always threatening ; and so I moaned and tossed, and sleep %vas ham to find. But in the cheerful daylight the tragedy element faded out and disappeared, and I walked on air, and was happy to giddiness, to intoxication, ,you may say. And it was natural ; for I had become one of the ootorieties of the metropolis of the world, and it turned my head, not just a little, but a good deal. You could not take up a newspaper, English, Scotch, or Irish, without finding in it one or more references to the "vest•pooket millio+•pounder" and hie latest doings and sayings. At first, in these mentions, I was at the bottom of the pereoialgoesip column ; next, I was listed above the knights, next above the baronets, next above the barons, and so on, and so on, climbing steadily, as illy notoriety aug- mented, until I reached the highest altitude possible, and there I remained, taking pre. oedonce of all dukes mot royal, and of all ecclesiastics except the primate of ail Eng. land. But mind, this was not fame ; ea yet I had achieved only notoriety. Then Came the climaxing stroke—the accolade, so to speak—which in a single instant tranamut ed the perishable dress of notoriety into the enduring gold of fame: "Punch" carica' trred me 1 Yes, I was a made man 110W ; my place was established. I might be joked about still, but reverently, not hilari. o,sly, not rudely ; I could be smiled at, but not laughed at. The time for that had gone by. "Punch" pictured me all a-rlut. ter with rage, die ering with a beef -eater for the Tower of London, Well, you can imagine bow it was with a young fellow who heal never been taken notice of before, and now all of a sudden couldn't say a thing that wasn't taken up and repeated every. %where; couldn't star abroad without non• saintly overhearing the remark flying from lip top, "" There he goes ; that's him!" couldn't take his breakfast without a crowd to look on; couldn't appear an an opera. box without concentrating there the fire of a tho ,eatd lorgnettes. Why, 131151 079001 in glory all clay long—that is the amount of it. You know, I even kept, my old suit of rags, and every new and then appeared in them, 811 as to lave the old pleasure of buy- ing trifles, end being insulted, and then shooting the Yeoffer clear. with the million• of the Salary was six hundred to a thousand a year 1 say, six hundred for the first year; anti so on up %0111' by year, till I struck the upper figure by preyed merit. At present 1 was only in debt for my first year's salary, Everybody had been trying to lend me money, but 1 hal fought oft' the most of them on one pretext or another ; so this in- debtedness represented only :11:100 borl'uwed money, the ether (7300 represented my keep and my purchases. I believed my second year's salary would carry me through the rest of the month if .1 went on being oattious and economical, and I intended to look sharply out for that, 111% month ended, my employer back from his Journey, I should be all right once more, for I should ,4t ones divide the two yea's' salary among my creditors by assignment, and get right down to my work. It was 0. lovely dinner -party of fourteen. The Duke and Duchess of Shoreditch, and their daughter the Lady Anne -Grace• Eleanor- Celeste -an (Lace forth- de•Bohnn, the Earl end Countess of Newgate, Viseouit Cheapside, Lord and Lally Blatherskite some untitled people of both sexes, the minister and his wife and daughter, and this daughter's visiting friend, au English girl of twenty-two, named Portia Litegham, whom 1 fell in lova with in two minutes, and she with mo—I could see it without glasses, ']'here was still another guest, an American—but I am a little ahead of my story. While the people were still in the drawing -room, whetting up for dinner, and coldly inspecting the late comers, the ser- vant announced : " Mr. Lloyd Hastings." ('r0 BE RONTI 0('). Road Ilnprovetnent• It is very gratifying to observe the great. ly increased Interest and attention that is being aroused.on general roatl•making. Al. a large meeting of farmers the other day, held at Tilsonburg, 700 men passeda resolu- tion embodying a strong recommendation for betterments In our highways. The di- versity of opinion, however, on the way in which the proposed improvements are to bo eatried out is likely to retard the work. The farmers do not appear to want to give up the old statute labor system and the most of the difficulty arises from the sup. posed heavy commencement. Partnere throughout the country do not wish to be taxed at the rate of thousands of dollars a, mile. If the thousands of Whiles of public roads '11 the province are to bo improved at this rale, it would incur a debt of several millions. If only a very small portion should be constructed at a time, the benefit would hardly b° perceptible, for the vehicles would still have to be coestrtletod to adapt them to bad roads. What is the trouble with exist- ing sonde that make them so objectiotl- able? They are many and formidable and consist of ruts and mud during the wet sea• son, loose and fixed stones in a dry time, beside innumerable other imperieotio0s, Yet these defeats are of a character which may be greatly reduced, if not entirely over coma Intelligent ditching aid need- ful grading would reduce many of the ruts; a moderate share of hard labor remold move the loose and fixed stones, and the enact- ment of a law requiring broad tires to all !!mbar wagons, would soon effect a great improvement. The expense of roiling the surface by means of stem -driven oast -iron rollers, would be obviated at little 01.• no cost by the use of the broad tiros, which would constantly roll the surface through- out the entire season. The reduction of taxation (on toll rotate, anyway), could be employed as a strong incentive for their general introduction. A great diliiculty with many of the laws which are enacted for effecting public Ina provarnouts is that they are allowed to be- come a dead letter, or at leash that the ex- isting latus are not understood. For in. 8tanoe, township commits at the present time have the power in Ontario of oommut' ing the statue labor and raising the re. quisito amount to keep up good roads by a direct tat. It is to be hoped that the present strong feeling in favor of good , roads may bring about an effectual change, and it would be wise on the part of those who labor far im- provement to l'egin with moderate claims. Berne was not built in aday, and we should not atm to reach the top of the ladder at a single bound. It would be well instead of trying to mako roads that would cost Saver• al thousands of dollars a mile, to make the best of what we have. The landowner (''hose team now laboriously drags the load. ed wagon through the mut or into deeply cut rots, or over projooting steles, or up steep grades, should very willingly enter into a combination to eared those evils ea far as they can be accomplished practicably, All the rondo could thus be benefited, while of the heavily subsidized roads only a small portion could he conetrueted, leaving tho great multtitudeas bad tie before, Any- way Int the statute labor system bo abolish. ed, and this probably ns the keynote ,to betterments in our 0000lry roads, (;%test --"What pro0antions have yeti here in rase of lire?" Boots—c.” Wo have lite. pound oil/. But 1 e 111)011 hoop that a p, e;. upas from every door. All you have to The ilhtsu.ltra j,apars tnumlP 11111, outfit so do is t0 ,0011,0 your way to our of them and familiar that when 'I went out in it I was fall 01L" Medical Fads. There have been many medical lads, some of which have been almost funny 10 any one who looks at thein scientifically, tvh ile others have had vitality enough to retain a place, shorn,lowever, of the vogue 111ey once bad, The latter aro in the majority, for the greater number of these farts have really had some good in them, and have been most exeelleat for some cinsaases. About the first medical fad 101111 remember was tho water mire. I have never personally gone through nor seen this treatment, but 1 know it from my reading. The ]patients who went to the water -cure establishments were obliged to live the most absolutely regular and simple lives. They took plenty of sleep, lots of exercise ; they lived on the simplest but very nutritious food ; they were forced to so exist MS to give the reonperativo powers of nate'° the fullest opportunity. Naturally, those who were worn out by work 01' the demands of society, whose digestions were ruined by rich food who had, in short, liver/ in doliance of every law of hygiene, derived great relief and permanent benefit. True, the health conditions of the life were ac- companied for the patients by an everlast- ing rotund of washing themselves in various ways, and means %veto taken to stimulate the excretory glands of the skin to the ut- most through the use of the wet packs. Cleanliness is oertainly good, and the latter helped nature to rid the body of the waste. As for the rest of the water treatment, the • douches, the bathe, the massage that ac- companied them—no harm was done by them as a general rule. The real value of the hydropathic treatnlentisnow thorough- ly recognized ; it is capitally well designed to give a person a chance to rest and to build himself up ; then, too, it is a stimulant and tonic to the nervous system, bet itis not the cure-all of disease it was once believed Lo h°, It /vas, of cmu:ae, run into the To Parallel the Oanadian PROM°. ground ; patients went to the establishments A 'Winnipeg telegram to the New York Sunsays: —The chief topic here is a pro- posed new road between Winnipeg 011 Lake Superior, paralleling tin° Canadian Pacific, len interested say they have S8,1)00,000 of Nett• York capital ready to buill the line, and that all they want is ;t guarantee of the local Government to goon with the work, A strong deputation of citizens waited of the (iovernmeut to urgo that body to calla special meeting of the Legislature and pass the aid asked. The scheme was fully outlined by which the promoters propose giving to this province another competing lino to l'ort Arthur and Duluth, The intention as stated, is to rut theproposed lino from Winnipeg smith 01 the Canadian Pacific, tapping the Rainy laver country, and through to Port Arthur, a distance of between 401) and 500 miles. It is proposed to Maize either the Manitoba Southeastern 01' \\'ineipeg Southwestern charters through the province to the Lake of the Woods, and also to utilize the charter of a company which has power to rut through the Rainy Rivet: country till the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western is reaclh- ed. The new company has made arrange. ;tents for running over the latter line to Port Arthur. The connection with the Port Arthur and Dulnti Railway will shortly be completed to the Zenith City, and running power will be secured over this line for the entire length of the system Tho oompany assts the Government for a cash bonus of $450,000 'on 110 miles—a rate of (14,000 per mile, It does not ask for the payment of this amount until after the com- pletion of the line in 119.3, The company will outer• into bond with the Government of Manitoba, to reduce present pram rates 311 cents per bushel between Winnipeg and Lake Superior. After hearing Mr. Ewarb and other members of the deputation, the Premier assured 1111 gentlemen that their request would ba taken into eonsidc.atioa at the first Cabinet meeting. What is Malaria '1'1,01.• i, 1aaaale u, 1l a!i:„l question n eetial 1111p1n 1.111.' 1' w'lllr'II has l„'„li more pa- tiently ,lr+eus'l 1 and studied, in relation to which t /,ere.• 1111 remains s0 great a diversity of ;pollen. 'the 14111;1111; 11111001 recently 1(101ttltrd ,L ('0111111!ssa;n Of inquiry for the purpose of drte rminiug the nature of the s,,. ea11e•,1 malarial fever in tropical Africa, Tho 111111,111-1111 arrived u1. was that malarial fev- er is 11:0 result of an animal parasite iava,l. 1ng the body, trod devel,pieg in the blood. Eminent physician: u1. nutlet., Italy, India, and Amortoa, have 11171i701 uta similar cola elusion respettilig the m011111al disease', which prevail in the eouutrios meutinned. Nevertheless, there are medical authorities of equal eminence who still maintain that In any intet•oiitteut fever, as in various forma of malarial disease, there is no parasitic 1n - Notion of any sort, but that the disease is *limply the result of errors In personal ht'• gime or 1110 effeet.0 of chill. The investig,- floe of the subject is still being carried .10 by eminent men tin various parts of the world, and it is hoped that before nota% years the question will be definitely and sat- isfactorily settled. A Man -Ser'vant's Revon,o. A Naples correspondent writes :--•A ter- rible double murder has been committed at a villa in the neighbourhood of Naplea. It was inhabited by the Countess (llntstrelli, who 1s the widow ofa senator, and has been ill for some tittle. She had 1010 111011 801 • ('auto, named Luigi and Giuseppe, to the former of whom she had lately lent 0. 0011- siderable sem of money, thus arousing the jealousy of Ills companion. ']'heir frequent quarrels et last determined tho Countess to dismiss Luigi frau, lar sert•iee with it gift of another hundred francs. From that n o- nlent Luigi and his wife entertained a bitter hatred of Giuseppe, whom they con- sidered to be the reason of their dismissal. Meanwhile, the Countess engaged a younger brother of Giuseppe, named Augt'Io, mrd the two tools It in turns to sit up at night, lost the sick Countess should bo in aced of anything. The dismissect Luigi knew of this habit, and hid himself in the garden at the door of the villa until Itis enemy Giu- soppe should come out. Al midnight 11iu- seppo opened the door and [salted forth. At 01100 Luigi was upon Mtn, and stabbed him mortally in the throat. Giuseppe turned once round, stepped into the passage of the house, breaking a pane in the glass door as he did so, anti fell dead. At the noise his brother Angelo, who had lighted hint to the door, and was still in the passage, ran forward to help him, but the assassin Luigi met hint, stabbed hint in the body, and fled' The porter at the lodge of the garden, by 11,13 time aroused by the cry uttered by Angulo as he was etrnok, rushed up to the door. Angelo cried mit—” I am killed. My brother is dead. It was Luigi that did it 1' anti staggered back into a neighboring 00011 where lie fell on his face and diad. The Countess's chambermaid now arrived on the scene, and wishing to spare the sick Coun- tess the knowledge of the atrocious fact, told the porter to run to the oarabineee barracks at Capodimonto and report the murder. The authorities soon arrived, and constables were sent to the house of Luigi, in a village not far o0'. They touud him on the point of undressing aol going to bed On being interrogated, he pretended the greatest ignorance and amazement, but was at once taken into custody. whose cases were far beyond the treatment of rest, execrate° and plain fowl, and so it fell into disrepute by failure. Yet in some cases it is as valuable today as ever.— [North Aulat•ioau Review. Cholera in the Spring. It is by no means the part of the public press to assist in the circulation of a scare. Responsible journals are ever unready to give utterance to alarmist rumors, especially when they refer to so serious a quotation as that of the health of the community, It is quite n dlfterent thing, however, to ec411 attentitn to a timely warning when it proceeds from high scientific quar- ters, and it would, in fact, bo a source of danger if steal admonitions were disregard- ed, The London. Lancet, of course from the English standpoint, takes a grave view of the prospects of a renewed cholera out- break in the spring, In the history of the disease it is a wolhkuown feet that it often slumbers during the winter months only to break out afresh at the approach of warmer weather, and though there is good reason to believe that the scourge has bean allayed, there is not the less uoeessity to make pro. vision against it8 possible reappearance. The medical paper relics upon sanitary precautions as 001' first line of delenoe against the incursion of the disease. Iiad auoh been observed at Hamburg before the enemy encored its gates there would have been a less terrible talo of mortality to record. The lesson has still to be learned, and our contemporary advises a house.to horse inspection by the sanitary authorities, so that in good time our dwellings may bo set au order at hotno. If, remarks Tho Leu. oet, all householders would try the experi- ment of mixing some oil of peppermint with a bucketful of warm water, and pouring it into rho topmost receptacle in their houses, and then noticing the odor elsewhere, "an appallingnumber of houses would bo found to have leaking drains. " The experiment 18 a simple one, and plight bo tried at the slightest. Now is the time to correct all defeats, and the tenant has a right to compel his landlord to execute all no0eSsary repairs. If the truth were ittnown, probably half the eicknoss from whiolt the populations of large towns suffer is attributable to im• perfect drainage. It is suggested that legialativo interference of a drastiooharaotor may before long become neoes0nry, brit in the meattitne it is the duty of every citizen to provide for his own security, and the advice 10 tendered ata timely moment. How to Cure Obesity, The most recent, and we believe the most practical and succoseful, method of treating obesity, consists in limiting the potion -It to a single article of diet, No great impor- tance is attached to the kind of food taken, the virtue of the method consisting in the fact that if obliged to subsist upon a single article of dint, die appetite soon diminishes to smelt tin extent that only tic allmnit of luod111050sery to prevent starvtitiro nae be tolerated by the patient, and thus the e1'• cinmaii0n of sa.rpl00 materiel is 1111wu Serious Floods rn Hungary. The rapid riso of the Danube is causing sorions floods at many point:: along its course At Gorgely, a village 01 80100 1000 inhabit. ants near Poke, and about sixty miles south of Bll lapest, the rush of water was so sud- den that the whole place Was flooded in a few minutoo. The inhabitants, W110 mostly livo 10 unsubstantial straw -thatched cot• togas, fled for refuge to the church and the sollool, the only two stens buildings in the village, but those also wore soon inun- dated. Before long every house in the place was deep under water. Many of the inhabitants were drowned, amongst those who lost their lives being a mother and her five ohildren. Another woman Was proms. terely confined, and died shortly afterwards, together with the child, A peasant watt also struck with apoplexy. All the surely- ors of Gorgely fled to Paks. The Danube is niy more than 0131 above its • usual /'vol. Six hundred people are still in imminent danger, aro- Clara--",Tack, earl you return my love?" Leek (who has c11 "understanding,' with Clara s slat 11 --"Clara I . cannot. But I will a callacY ile a bt)therdu•htw to you."' 1 (