Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-03-10
THE EVENING STAR
"BLUE BOY"
ORrRB LETTER IN'THE GOBLET.
From London Society !

small rain, b., sihed hard and puc. r.ainiy,
ana Wa eeneraliy chill and d,seompo. ed.
About noon a respectable but ugly dog, OF no
breed " hatever, was seen irotting through the
nsnow, slushy streets IN the neighbOrhood or
Biachwali. His jour- ely was clearly the result
OF design. Whatever his end, IL was plain that
hs did not lose sight OF that end for momehI"
He found it uncomfortable, NO doubt 10 o. en-
crusted with mud, and to bs subjected 70 an
the dilculties Of an animated pie atlehlp,ins
locomotiop Hut neither discomfort nor oln-
Guilty could check his steady, persistent trot
towards the East India DOCKS
'Pcssum felt himself WronSeu. why had
they mot LET him comet with tne carriage 10 see
blue Row off! Why should he have been
driven to the expsa'end ot a. MS c1as
a dIfiicuIt feat 10 accomplish Did not Pos
sum take as lively an interest in Blue Boy
anv one Die he not know las well as anv OF
the perpendicular animals eouldl that Blue
Boy was going t'Other side OF the round world.
where his legs would be sticking up this way:
and that before he could get back, dog days
and sulphurous water must come and go once
at least ! Why, then, should he be excluded
from the privilege of bidding Biue Boy good
bye.
AS ,Possum trotted across the open space
which lies between the Biaekwall railway
station and the river, he raised his nose in
Quiriugly.
"Ocean Ripple' twelve hundred tons) was
being warped out OF dock. She was necessarily
clio, e aionRside the quay. The seamen grouped
upon the forecasile could talk to their weeping
friends ashore. 'Possum stood close to thu
edge OF the quay, regardless of hawsers from
which he was in some peril. Suddenly his
tail began TO wag furiOusiy.
gold bound cap appeared above the bull
wsrks. A sudden strong whistle was heard,an
pair OF eyes, staring widely, came in view. Nor
Inclined for music. But had he not started and
whstled, his throat might nave burst, and
certainly some thing shining and unsailorlike
would have trickIeu down bic checks.
An honest Saxon head that WAS, with its fair
hair, wide-sweeping eyebrows, bold prominent
chin, and clear day break eye. A handsome,
impudent, funny old head. It belonged to
Blue Boy, midshipman (Rerchant service,
aged seventeen.
like tone, as be realized Postum. land what
the dickens brings you. old chap!''
'Possum Gers TODD the question: aud replied
TO II, as II appeared to him, with clearness. 1t
took Blue Boy long. however, to understand
the answer. At last he said, ~ know. Come
TO see me on, eh Good dog Now, goodbye,
whole lot of il to Elite. Don't forget me, Pos
sum, when L come back" And here Blue Boy
abruptly disappeared.
'Possum Obeyed, willing, though sad.
"Heayen bless us ~ ne said 10 himself, as he
logged home. 1--WE dogs have our feelings,
although men ignore Them. That boy now! I'd
what lie he has led msi tying every con-
ceIvable thing 10 me that was calculated TO
alarm or irritate dog-tbro wing me most days
into the pond, though he knew hated water
like a cat-seiting me at harmless kittens which
It went against nv stomach (or conscience
the two are identicai) to interfere with, and at
lick But he has smelt true throu gh 1t all: and
I'm stick TO him Yes, we have our feelings,
we dogs. Forget him Let's ~
II was long way home, but 'Possum knew
the road well. having travelled it two days
ago when Blue Boy came down 10 look after
his chest.
Elite felt that day as II her hear. had been
torn out She scarcely noticed 'Possum's re-
turn, although her eyes were watching him as
he crept round to the stable-yard, looking up
At her mutely, to deliver his message. But she
s.aie cd lnu Ch out OF the window in q vague
general way, thinking Of her fathers ward,
Blue Boy, and OF "Ocean Ripple" twelve
hundred tons }; thinking, too, sometimes 1t was
but r1ght that Nature should be holding
damp pocket handkerchief OF fog to her great
olue eye TINS DAY OF sad partings-and then
pretty brown eyes.
Elite, though only sixteen, was her widower-
fathers housekeeper. But it was not easy to
housekeep now aWhat quantity OF Goals is 70
be ordered, please Missl" She nearly an
swered, "twelye hundred tons" In sending
certain comforts 10 an aged invalid in her dts.
trict she narrowly escaped telling her page TO
carry with him "an experienced surgeon
Amidst Elites buraensome household d
duties, Hannah, an old sery ant, was emn emit
~ annoying to her day. She continually
urged her young lady to ''reconcile herself"
Reconcile herself 30 what! Impotence, what
did Hannah know aboutit?
This calculated spiRster and Blue Boy had
been, from the infancy of the latter. on cat-and.
dog terms. She had done her duty by him with
spitsful patience while he was at home. Bat
she exulted inwardiy now that he was gene
And Etrie knew this, and was afraid that 81 he
hated Hannah, "a sne watched her pungent
little face, reminding one somehow, she
thought, of the smell Of gas.
Papa-lawyer papa, came home as usual to
dinner. The evening had no wheels 10 it's
chariot. Blue Boy was not there TO sing "Three
Fishers" with effects, nor play with Elite the
accustomed laundering game OF chess, in which
she would let him have back his queen SO often
as he 1ost-which was three times at least.
Brown November and hoary December both
saw Elite 10 disadvantage. But on the twenty
fourth OF the latter month her spirits revived
She busted herselfiD preparing for TO- MORO VS.
entertainment with relish. The party would
be small. An old-maden cousin, a bachelor
cousin, papa and Elite would constitute it.
But all should be perfect in comfort and deli
cacy, so Etiie determined.
1t was a custom In the house, after the
Christmas dinner, 10 fill silver cup with
spiced wine, and pass 1t (no matter how many
umes) round the table, that each might name,
and drink TO an absent one.
Elite must bring out the gold goblet. never
used for this purpose. She went 70 the plate
closet, thinking of the laughing boy VINO had
drunk out of that cup last year, and had refused
10 name any absent person. because, as he said,
ne didn't care rap for absentees lust then.
She unfoided the green baize, and took out the
goblet. Why, there was something inside it
note,
Yes, a note. And directed too in that pc Gu.
liar, satisfactory hand writing, aich, Elite
always thought, looked like so. hing good to
eaf-direeted, moreover, to Hiss Violet Il. C.,
Ettie) Arnold.
Ettie's pretty retrousse nose felt white, and
her heart beat syncopated time. She opened the
note and read
"DKAR MISS VIOLET: Did you think the Blue
Boy had nothing to say TO you before he went
away II happens that he had something to
cay. But he was in n awful funk of the gov
erncr, so he thought he ID write.
" Aud after all, Ettie knows what he's got to
say, so he needn't say IL even on paper.
wasn't it g good dodge 10 make a postoffice
of the Christmas cup! He knew we'll enough
who would be the first to get hold ofiti But
how did he manage 10 seize the keys eh, Miss
Ettie
mind whose health you drink, And wear
this locker round that soft, white little neck
which should like to
"But, Miss Violet, II you don't care about
the party whose hair is inside--don't wear the
loeket pray-on any account. Throw 1t away,
by ail msans-smash il TO atoms-it's all thu
same 10 me. And get Mr.. Arthur Popinjay
frior t'he bruA 10 give you another locket
instead with one OF his own beautiful h,ack
eurls in IL.
81 am, dear Miss Violet