Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-11-25
Miscellaneous.
Jack Haviland.

Jack IIaviland was a fair specimen
Of public-school training. III had
spent six wears at Eton. and had been
sncccs>Ively 'pluckcd' in three examin.
ation~- for the University. the ARMY
and the Civil Service of India. To the
examiners of Oxford. he had derlared
that Moses was the son of Adam: 10
those Of Chelsea that Helgoland was
an island in Africa to those at Bur.
lington House. that the leader Of the
first crusade was William of Orange.
These brilliant Il swcrs failing to con.
( vince the authorities. lac had made NJ
his mind that the public service had
entered into s league against him.
which Il was vain to resist
This resolution was the easier T.
keep a. Jack liaviland hal no one to
goad him IA active cXcrtion. His on
Is living relative was a maiden aunt
But this lady having viewed with ex.
trcme disfayor the result Of his schol-
astic trials. and Jack having heard
from her own lips, that the provision
intended 10 be set down for him in her
will wonld probably amount 10 one
shilling sterling. he had wisely reflect
c,l that the possession OF an aunt OF
this kind was as gooi as having none
al all and he hal made arrangements
in consequence.
Happily for him he was not altogeth-
er destitute OF means. He enjoved
two hundred pounds a year OF his own
and a cottage hy the sea. But this
WAS all he had in the world and his
prospects of ever obtaining more were
excessively slender However. he was
of CAV. light-hearted temper: always
ready to take the brigh; view Of things
AMI looking upon life rs n sort OF game
of football. in which il was absurd Ia
mind few kicks in the shns. Disap-
poiniments which would have hope
lessly soured less happy minds than
his. had ieft his soul as calm as a sum
ner lake. lie really did not know
what il was 10 be put out: and the
heaviest epithet he ever applied 10 the
numerous ills which checker life was
that this or that was rather awkward.
an ejaculation he used indiscriminate-
". on the breaking Of a meerschaum
pipe the being siumped ont in coun-
try match. or the losi Ig Of fifty pounds.
With such disposition it was but
natural that Jack should haye many
friends. He was a universal favorite
with all who had ever known him and
in the snug seaport where his dwelling
was there was no man SO thoroughly
popular. He was always doing good
turn for somebody. His mission on
earth seemed 10 be 10 oblige people.
II any service was 10 he rendered 10
man. woman or child. any commission
executed. any important errand run.
he was the person TO do IT. lie be
longed TO every soup and clothing club
in the place. Beggars knew him by
name, and touched their hats to him
in the street. Stray dogs followed
him home at night with certainty of
being housed and fed. He was an out
and-out good fellow. that was the truth
Of it: and he had As pleasant and
CHEEKY a face as it was possible 10 meet
with in anv town Of England, from
Lands Earl Point To Berwick upon
Tweed. OF course he was Young and
this fact, added 10 his vigor Of limb
and handsome features. made him the
abiect slave Of woman-kind.
In the morning he was to be seen
rushing breathless and hot, along the
Marine Parade with six or eight par
GELS under his arm; these were worst
eds he had been sorting for Mrs. Cur
ry-combe, the rector's wife. Two hours
later. he might be detected on his way
to Mr.. Naydew's villa with heavy
cargo of sensation novels in tow. In
the afternoon, it was Miss Bohea want
to consult about her parrot. In the
evening, Mrs. Colonel Bowlemdown
expected him to tea. Jack Haviland
was anywhere and everywhere when
wanted. All the ladies' of the town
had a joint-stock interest in him; and
il was a sort of rivalry among them as
10 which should lay the most frequent
taxes upon his ever cheerful remidies'
Under these circumstances, it was
not without certain emotion that the
female population Of Shir gle-super-
mare began t. reflect. that for SIX
weeks past and more, Mr. Jack had
been much less frequently seen than
formerly. His appearance upon the
parade had become unaccountably lew
and far between.-Two projected pic
mics had been given up from his ira
bility to attend at them and three din
ner parties had actually taken place
without his being present among .h'
guests. The ladies of Shingle began
to mnrmur. This desertion was quit
novel and strange. 1t could not b
put up with at any price; and some
thing must he done to find out the why
and the wherefore of such highly cen
surable conduct. An ambassador
the person Of Thomas, Mrs. Maydcw'
.buttons'-was dispatched TO the shirk
er's abode, to inquire if any mishaI
had befailen him. But Thomas re
turned no wiser than he had gone. Nj
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