Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-21
A X Il ) c U E.

CHAPTER 1.-THE MEETING AT THE THEATER.
When first came to London, and arrived
at the dignity of possessing chambers of my
own, led the sort of life which perhaps
scarcely bears telling on paper-butl am
very much afraid the sort of life that most
young men of two or three and twenty,
who are not utterly milksops, dolead when
| similarly crcumstanced. hope | was not
| more vicious than the rest-l certainly was
not much better. | was supposed to be
reading for the bar; but fear it was only a
suppositiOn.
Being essentially of a gregarious nature,
| fond of my species, and generally convlvial
and light-hearted, | could never get over
my constitutional, but most un-English,
tendency to talk to the people who hap
pened to be near me, whether in places Of
amusement, an omnibus, on board steam
boat-in fact, any place where | got a fair
opportunity for holding converse with my
| species.
led careless, rambling life for three
years before began TO SETTLE down steadi-
| ly to work. The time, however, was fast
approaching when | should be called to the
| bar, aud have to show what had been the
results of my residence within the precincts
of tile learned in the law. As | was resolv-
ed not to disgrace myself, seriously made
up my mind TO go in for some hard reading.
| took this resolution the more readily, rs
| began to find that theaters, casinoes, club
dinners, &C., did not quite satisfy the high
| est aims of life.
NY rooms were pleasantly situated in
| Paper Buildings, the windows opening into
| the Temple Gardens; but not breath of
air disturbed one sultry evening, and the
| glowing heat became all but inCOeraOle.
| In spite OF my energetic and enthusiastic
application to master some knotty point of
law, and see my way through any number
of comments on the same, felt frightlul
craving for fresh air, which Sc .meu just
then tie most precious, as well as the most
unattainable, of natures gifts in my lOcali-
| ty. NV mind began to drift away to long
| ings tor breezy downs, sheltering woods,
sea side cottages, aud pebbly beaches,
quiet evenings by the Thames at Mendam,
or pipe on some shady lawn, until the
thoughts OF London and my work became
| QdiOuS to me.
Tne noise and rattle of Fleet Street had
sunk from roar t0a murmur; few other
sounds disturbed the leaden, overpowering
stiffness. felt could no longer resist the
frantic desire that possessed me o 90 out
and gain a breath of air. l closed my
b loks, took my hat, aud, lighting pipe,
| determined on cruise. 1t was nearly ten
o'clock as | PASSED through the Temple
Gate. Fleet street was almost deserted; a
late omnibus or stray cab were pretty
| well all the cOnvevanceS astir. AS | pass
ed St. Clements Church, gusts of hot air
whired in eddes the dirt dust, and re-
fuse of the street, and big drops OF rain be-
gan to fall, the precursors OF the storm
had seen drifting up the river. A little
| further, and the rain assumed the propor-
tions of shower, the distant rumbllngs of
| thunder sounded ominous, aud it was quite
obvious that shelter must be Thought OF
seriously. By this time | had neared the
bottom of Wellington street. and, remem-
bering me of the covered way to the pit
entrance of the Lyceum Theater, made a
dash under its friendly roof just as the
shower had increased to a regular down
| pour, and the thunder burst in tremend-
Gus cracking roar overhead
Some dozen or more persons had sought
refuge in the haven l mad achieved.
don't know how 1t was this evening that
was certainly less disposed TO be cOlloquial
or amused by my fellow-mortals than usu-
al the collective wisdom of the sheltering
crowd did not compensate me for the loss
OF my stroll. From this state of discomfort
was reused by the importantly OF half
clad, wholly starVed-looking woman to
|
and began to think, as the atterpiece an
nounced was good, and two or three of my
old favorites were acting, | might as well
90 in. The rain still fell in continuous
torrent, and to all appearance would do so
for some time to come.
There was still good hour and half OF
the performance to be played out; so paid
my money like man, and entered the pit
| was just blaze enough to be willing to OBJ
tain a new sensation, even at the risk OF
little personal inconvenience so edged
and pushed my way, no very easy task (al-
though crinOlines as yet were noD, until L
reached pillar that supported the boxes
about half way down the house; against
this leant, and turned my attention TO the
business OF the stage. At the falling OF the
act-drop began to think OF the absurdity
of nv situation. Here was |, who had left
home in search of pure air and little in
vigorating freshness, voluntarily immuring
myself in an atmosphere redOenG OF abon-
inations, from which the musty precincts
of nv chambers were at least free. Al!
these very trifng incidents, leading to the
adventure am about to relate, happened,
as have said during the year 1901, the
year of the first Great Exhibition-the
wondrous labyrinth of wonders, that in
duced such swarms OF our country cousins
| to brave London in July. l flattered my
self my eye was experienced enough to de-
tect the difference, we're it but shade, be-
tween London assurance and country as
sumption-and read country in most ofthe
faces turned toward the stage from the pit.
| scanned boxes, dress circle, and the mea-
gre two or three rows of stalls Gan innova-
ton then recent on the plt-privileges), with
lacklustre eye, rather than with any curios-
ity really in my gaze, in search OF some
thing to dispel the sense of being bored,
which was beginning to assail me, with no
good result; when suddenly, In the center
of the pit, in the very midst of the close
packed crowd, just in the spot most difficult
to obtain or get out of, / caught sight of
couple of faces by which my attention was
arrested, whose appearance at once dispell-
ed my apathy, aud about whose beauty
| there could be no mistake-aces aud APP
pearance SO dissimilar, that half forgot
admiration in speculation as to the possible
bond OF union or conjunction OF circum-
stances that had brought about the even
| ing's companionship between two persons
| so utterly unlike In type.
b am but poor word painter OF beauty,