Smyrna times., 1870-08-24
An Old Hotel Bill,


one blllS-recelpted or nOt-for the last qual
ter OF a century were placed before me. could
make very good guess as to his life; lust i'm
the same way as Professor Huxley, on merely
seeing one bone, is said to be able to construct
the entire animal, antediluvian or otherwise.
Certainly, nobody could make more of me than
that was an average Englishman-perhaps | |
might say very average Englishman-if thev |
were to take the trouble to analyze this pile of |
old bills pleasant trecOrds-being all paid-ot |
happy sojOurns in sunny climes peaceful |
memories these bring back Of careless holidays |
and well earned recreation, and | would not
put them in the fire or cOnSign them to the |
waSte-paper basket on any account.
Look at this bill, for instance. Champagne
and diners a part figure largely in it. The |
operation of changing more than one circular
note had to be performed before that reckoning
could be discharged. | remember it we'll |
Here again. IS another-a perfect contrast
The Sybarite appears, by the items, to have
was incurred at an hotel in my first long vaca-
ton, after L had successfully passed the intel
lectual snares and pitfalls of my little-go Oh !
how fcarfully | should be plucked If were to
try to pass such an examination now The
latter represents my mode Of living with a real
reading party in Normandy. We all worked
hard-there can be no mistake about that
The pension, | see, was five frances day and
the wine account must have been considered
contemplate by mine host. Here is another
batch of a subsequent date. All this was
when | was on my honeymoon. The Paris bill
is unquestionaby heavy; but after that they
grow lightcr-much lighter. Paying for two
it appears, is a very different thing from pay
ing tor one. Here is one, merely slight reck-
onlng at an inn upon a mountain pass in Swift
erland. All but as | look at it more atten-
lively, | remember that thereby hangs a tale
somewhat romantic tale and it is briefly
this:
Five and twenty years ago, my wife and |
were crossing over into Italy After we had
been slowly ascending for some time, we got
cut of the carriage, thinking We should get on
| quite as last, and, perhaps, more pleasantly,
on foot; and by taking short cuts across the
zigZags we soon got far ahead of our convey
ance | had been over the same pass twice or
thrice before, when a happy-l mean an un-
happy-bachelOr, and | remembered the by
paths pretty we'll and we soon were in sight
of the inn where we intended to pass the night,
not very tar from the summit of the pass AS
we toiled on, we overlook gentleman, appar-
emily an Englishman, and a little boy. / be-
lleve that-teellng pretty sure, from the gener-
| al appearance Of the man, that we were COM
patriots said something or OthertO him. re-
marked that it was fine evening, or that the
scenery was very grand forgot what He,
however, made some monosyllabic reply, and
did not appear inclined to fratcrniZe and so we
passed on. lie was a man, apparently, OF
some eight and twenty or thirty years of age
OF delicate frame, and almost feminine coun-
tenance. One thing particularly noticed-h,
had slight but peculiar red mark under tn,
left eye, what Box or Cox might have called
strawberry mark. The boy was with him.
child OF not more than six years DID, was evi
IDENTIFY his son, for both and my wife traced
very strong resemblance between the pair; an
= the little fellow looked very pale and tired a
y his father dragged him slowly up the steep as
Z cent. We soon left them far behind, and M
n vile remarked that it was IA curious circun
/ stance that these two should be thus gon
d over the pass for we had seen no other cal
> riage on the road which could belong to them
e and she naturally thought it very hard tina
ID such young child should be forced to max
n such tedious journey upon foot. However
,; when we arrived at our destination, we though
no more Of them; and, after a pleasant an
y appetlzng supper, in which red trout rea
s; them now in the bill-fcrmcd no unimportal
to Item, we stroled out again, and watched Il
=, white glOres OF the rising RlOOn spreading ov,
the highland valley in which we were Wht
[" we entered the hotel again, and went into IL
Sdue ndRger for some coffee, we discoverC
the younger of our fellow toilers sitting meek
," by himself in a corner Of the room. a tab
Of was spread for supper before him, and he W;
Ia evidently patiently awaiting the arrival OF b
to father.
nt- HIS large blue eyes looked tired and sad h
hs golden curls hung tangled over his shoulder
Or; no tender hand had cared for him after h
ip lIr weary walk; and | saw the tears standing
9G on my wife S eyes as she whispered to me. 6 j
la has no tender mother to take care of him
i&e This, L thought, was a hasty conclusion to
act rive at ; and | said so. My wife-wiser tn
ed, [, l suppoSe-shook hel head and entirely
ed. agreed with me.
red We fingered over our coffee for some til
$50, eSs longer than necessary. The patient child
:, silent in the dark corner; now and then Il
N blue eyes wandered inquiringly toward t
door, but found no answer there. An no
=. passed away but his father-if the man
"' had seen was his father, aud of this we had
ss,of dOubt-never came.
rict -" cannot stand this, john" said Laura
tie .is me, Indignantly. 6 If somebody doesn't 81
'n that poor child his snpper, LII give it him IL
,aid self. "
,Gi ,5f. l demonstrated MILDLY don't think
for have any right to interfere, my dear. No dot
lied his father is taking nap up stairs, and he
:. wake up and be down directly"
and " Nap, indeed u retOrted Laura, rather S
iTsl iTed agely. Indeed, | had no idea till then Il
-, my sweet bride could be so savage if she CHI
sfe is6e =" nap, indeedl with that darling starv
hor1 ne15 in uncomplainng silence I've half mi
to ask which is his room, and give him ro
ing he won't easily forget"
This, thought; would be highly impr
cs Of er proceeding upon Laura part and v
3 t,roI IN COW Gba oontontaI boraoIc y,
tn Of OuiSN W 9"J oc' piiO OOn'NHIOu hClSSii
not repeating, with greater vehemence than beft
"Nap, indeed ~
At that moment we heard the heavy sol
inns. of the diligence, and the gay juggling Of
f T6St 9t horses BELLS as it stopped at the door of
the hotel. Cold and mufied passengers-~for
sSn Ia%. were some seven or eight thousand feet alb
the level of the sea-came into the room,
,ry OF "a ~ o,,o;, 'Tbo horsos Lo1 -. IT..
GU OuO dSdlii' AhO DCeH CHdug
e: Of and, with great smacking of whips and
fsaG pealing of bells, the huge diligence pursued
ko!a: Sii road to Italy.
The pale faced, golden haired child still