The Portland daily press., 1867-05-04
Selected Story.
Man who Lived by his Wits.

10,
ty we'll in that way; nor drab shorts, except as
far as mullins and IA cold shoulder are concern
ed. The man who sweeps a crossing mas NO.
ing to do with ii. nor our bishops, coioii ia az
otherwise. A policeman or IA parish oo' 80 a
equally removed from it, and all VIM ,o,t
certain but limited income from COVE l,n,'nI
or consols. The c3nsure, ii any 1I oiaans nt
includes all who have 40 oStens t - ali
livelihood at all, and many men ~, onJs meet
n dozen methods of making po'h o 49,. y,
II on,;nantlv embraces the walls anu s1ia9s VI
the Turf the only book analosous w SUI VIZ
beipm n netting book. HaiiSeisoh vi Sfea'
houses are indebted for the ia A"ieo VI me 70
their brains; aud il is mutual compliment Ia
baIiava that they are appreciated. Some men
mass through life very comfortably upon the
only inheritance OF which their parents have
been unable to deprive them; and not unire-
oueptly finish by landing themselves in IA hav-
en- which, at tie outset of their career, must
have been but remote chance.
My old acquaintance, Dick W histler was one
of these. OF all the slippery dogs it was my
luck to meet upon the ice this winter, Dick
was the most so. There was nothing downright
bad about him; but he was one OF those mys-
terious beings that nobody knows anything
about, but whom everybody knows. He had been
SO ever since my first acquaintance with MN,
ana as that was III our schoolboy days, its heeu-
less TO say that 1t was sometime ago Inc way
L renewed my acquaintance with MN, alte'
some little absence, was curious III ltseil. wa
skating along, in plain. strag r"a wa. Wy
thinking OF something, or nothlns,et eO.a1 "'0'
when / came suddenly in cohticI WIN sch
tleman doinr the spread eagle to an admiring
crowd OF ladies. Down he Went, anu 40 I e'oPpeo
to apologize and assist the man III fisinS, saw
it was my old friend, MIR. Whistler. Inc place
i'm which If happened was seml-private, and
verify believe Dick knew not soul ON the
snot sxcepting myself; notwithstanding which,
he had evidently skated himself into the good
graces OF the women and as matter Of popn-
1arity, was already well ahead of the oldest in
Iob H. unite his
What in the world brought you here, my
dear iellow?' said L, raising him from the
ground, and assisting him to brush off the snow,
you are not staying IN tee house, are you?'
Staying in the house!-O dear no-is there
house? ! came down for half an hours skat-
ing, because Herbert Beauchamp told me what
good ice it was. And SO it is, capital" And
here the speaker commenced some more evolli-
tons, with certain air of self-pOssession, and
the possession of everything else within his
survey.
And what are you doing Dck?" said L, re-
turning to the charge.
I'm trying to do The outside edge backw-"
No, no, don't mean that; L mean how are
you getting on?'
90, capitaliy; Tn all right. Living by my
wits, since L saw you in the spring" Jumped
at once to a conclusion, though it proved TO BE-
the wrong one, east of Temple Bar.
Now what should you say was good in
vestment? Mexican Bonds or Canada Trunks?
ANY chance of a rise in these last?" and here
1 pulled up and spoke rather seriously. q
want TO invest five or six hundred pounds, and
dare say you know all about it"
No. indeed don't. What in the world are
Canada Trunks? not hair trunks,-or breeches
made of buffalo hides - BY this time, OF
course, L saw that his wits had not led him t.
the Stock Exchange There was but one other
course he could have gone, and l thought l
might profit by it to the extent Of sovereign or
two.
What would you recommend for long shot
at the Derby now? L only put en- a sovereign
or two; SO must have your twenty or five and
twenty to one, you see It's no use backing a
favorite at seven or eight to one; and looked
mysterious.
You're quite right replied he; and made
sure had hit upon his new occupation "
should say Marksman, if I were you You'll gel
about Twenty-Five to one, and be sure to have
run for your money, if the horse is all right
Besides, it's better to stand bit OF temper than
rank bad 'un.'' Right this time, thought 1,
at all events.
"And SO you find it answers pretty WELL do
you?" inquired /, after a pause; 1.-THE assO-
Citations are not pleasant, that's the worst OF
Glow do you mean?" said he, evidently all
abroad.
81 mean the associations of the turf are not
pleasant, though dare say there's good bus
mess to be done there. / understand you to
say you had been living on it lately,
Living on the turf? No, not exactly, my
zines; and though do the racing articles ior
the Pail Mall Gazette, 1 can hardly be said to
have gone upon the turf.
"Well, certainly not" said l, considerably
relieved, though somewhat surprised; for i
should have called his occupation anything
but living on his wits, to judge of his produe-
tions.
said that Dick Whistler was an acquaint
ance of long standing,-so he is; and one 81
those men whose success in life is worth q
study. If OulV a cuplnSiiV If hardly he
recommended a.; a model for imitation As o
boy at school, he always lived by his wits, so to
speak; that is, without any of the externals OF
other boys he was always on a par with them
In the matter of clothes, parents, parcels, and
exercises, there seemed 10 be about Dick, q
great family insolvency. Nobody came to see
him, nobody gave him tips, nobody sent him
hampers; but he managed to have friends
money, and pudding. He was most essential
ly good humored, and endowed with tact
which never made him an enemy. ] think he
tried TO write verses, in order that he might do
other boys exercises but poetd ndscitur, non m
so he got his own done, and apOlogized. He
had even then talent for being among the
'big fellows and the habit had stuck to him
through life
heard of Dick Whistler at Cambridge l
don't know how he got there, or who sent him
there. l never saw anybody who did know
He had no scholarship. nor fellowship, nor any
thing else, excepting friendship, TO keep afloat
He worked that ship, copper-bottomed A 1,
pretty We'll He took care TO be seen always
with good men; and although those were the
days of rollicking, drinking, fOx-hunting, I'M
dergraduates who left copes and chasubles,
and fancy veStmentS to their betterS, Dick
Whistler left the university with creditable
teStdnaur, and not overburdened with debt.
This part OF his career did him great credit,
and paid in the long run remark ably well. His
wits were not wool gathering then.
When he came 10 London hard work ought
to have been his portion. 1t was all he had.
SO he took chambers in the Temple, as near
approach to learning, He was the next thing
to a clever fellow, to more clever fellows than
one An embryo chancellor was on his stair
case, and the future Master of the Rolls lived |
opposite TO him. AS to Dick, he was to be seen |
any day, on some good-looking hack, not his |
own, capering or soberly walking in the park
according to circumstances. He accommodate
ed himself, too, to the club gridiron and pint |
OF stout, or to a French nac,iU and Meets very |
fine dry, with the same good humor. He new |
ef was without the one ar the other, and he |
tried to look as if he didn't care which, and al |
most succeeded He had grown up into rath- |
er a SoOd-looking man, of easy, if not polished |
manners, and he knew his company, and how
to treat it collectively and individually. What
ever lie had, went for pocket money and per-
sonal expenses. In these he never affected
great luxury; and if he had two hundred
year, he made them do the duty of six, at the
very least He was well received by the swells, |
whom he knew; and he made an excellent ly-
ing at this time ont of his wits.
Il don't think you ever hunt, Whistler" said
my friend Tom Brampston, as he was strolling
up ST. James's Street one fine October AFTER
noon.
"No, 1 don't Tom," replied he, cant afford
it,"
Money well laid out in your case I'm sure
Woodcraft would ask you down if you did; on
ly he doesn't know what to do with men who |
don't ride i'll the winter
So Dick meditated on these things, and |
1uOUoHt he mic Inf = we'll visit Lord Wnol- |
craft twice in the year as once Dick did bot |
know much about hunting, but thought he |
could do as other people, in which he was not |
far wrong He left his dress to his tailor, and |
his horseflesh to the dealer, in whom he inn |
piicitly trusted. He tried a couple of good |
screws, and carried them into the borders Of |
Lord Wooderatt's hunt
What sort of quarters have you got, Whist
Ter, at Noman's Land; do they do you pretty
Well? inquired my lord.
Freres," said Dick
NO; should think not. It's pure British
public; nothing more. You've got your own
claret down, 1 suppose"
"Weil,-Ho L didn't intend TO indnlne in
Injuries; but must send up town
IN tell you what you better do,-cone TO
Inc for month"
That's very good of you but where shall I
find stabllng?"
Dick had heard Woodcraft say a hundred |
mes that he never took in dealers horses.
"Stabling,-O, we've plenty of horses. Send |
.hese devils back to town. We Shall hunt at
Woodmanscr0ft on Tuesday, and you can
come ON afterwards"
[ need not say that Dick Whistler. never
missed his month afterwards, and hired no
more horses.