The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-06-17
BY Alfred =. HQrsley.
@iseellauy.
THE INCUMBENT OF BAGSHOf.

THE INCUMBENT OF BAGSHOf.
Il had Just arrived from Oxford, and
was standing at the book stall of the
Paddington terminus, inquiring for o
cheap edition of one of Levers early
novels, when a 'middle-aged man, a
clergyman, came up to the same stall,
and asked the bustling newspaper man,
who was busy folding bundle of news
papers still wet from the press, for a
secondhand copy of Waburton's Cres-
cent and the Cross. 1 hardly know
why, but the face of my fellow-pur-
chaser struck me as q remarkable one /;
and being a little of an artist, and
about as much of a physiognomist,
gave him long and studious look. He
was a tall, strongly made clergymal
in high church costume cOllarleG
coat, cassock waistcoat and ROM
collar; and there was a deep band q
Grape round his hat. A high, wide
brow, rather deeply fIrrowed by con-
temptation; keen, cold, grey eyes; a
close-pressed mouth, and a full bold
chin, indicating an infiexible will
were the chief points / observed, COM
bining to produce the face of q man of
strong sense and determination. For
a missionary Bishop, or q HavelocS-
allying the soldier and the man of reli.
gion-such a face seemed to promise
every qualification. His manner, self
possessed, imperturable, was just what
might have been expected from such q
countenance. AS head of my college,
as my Colonel, as the head of my firm,
as my doctor in the hour of danger, as
my priest, or my Bishop, could have
believed and cOnfided in such a man.
A magnetic sense of power, physical
and mental, seemed to pass from him
and instantly overcome my weaker
will. : u tE - -
"How much ?" said; "two shil-
lings@' =,
l took out my purse, but found to
my modification, had no more silver,
and only the two e20 notes my father
had sent me for my trip in Cornwall.
I" 1 am sorry" l said to the bookstall
keeper; ~ have no silver, and only
e20 notes, suppose 1 could not take
from Cornwall ?''
"Not exactly" said the man inso-
lently, as he slapped the damp papers
together "Pve done that once too Of
ten. No, not for Joseph ?"
"You need not be insolent," I said,
rather ruff1ed. ~st
awe don't give credit, sir, at this
establishment"
"Pray allow me to have the pleasure
Of paying for the book in question:"
said my fellow-purchaser, stepping
toward me. ~ think heard you say
you were going west-to Cornwall. So
am 1. We are perhaps going to the
same hotel"
1 thanked him, accepted his offer,
and explained that / had some notes in
my purse, but not silver. was going
to the Great Western Hotel.
So was he. My luggage and his, he
believed, had just gone on by the same
truck. We walked together to the ho-
tel. He proved most agreeable; a
thorough travelled man of the world,
full of anecdote and humorous illusions.
Reverend Henry Atkins, Vicarage,
Bagshot, that was the name and ad-
dress he gave, as we stood in the hotel
office taking our bed rooms. We were
both, we found, going to Exeter by the
ISL p. M. train the next day. / chang
ed one of my notes, paid back the small
sum borrowed, thanked him, and we
parted.
az hope We shall meet again." he
said on parting.
He followed the porter who carried
his trunk and bag up stairs. watched
him as he went up out of sight, and
said to myself, "That man was born
for statesman or a General; what a
pity such mind should be restricted
to the petty cares of a small parish
WE'LL" thought I, "ifevery one was in
his right place the world would be very
different"
/ went to the theatre that night to
see the last burlesque, as eager for Lon
don amusements as an Oxford man
who had been reading hard for his de-
gree might be pardoned for being. /
did not stay for the last piece, and got
back to the hotel about half past eleven.
To while away half an hour strolled
There was ruffish sort of pseudo-mili-
tary man there playing with friend, q
little Jew. They played reasonably
well, and once or twice the Captain las
he was called) made winning hazard
that rather astOnished me, had it not
been obviously the effect of luck more
than of skill. At the end of the game
the Jew left, and the Captain, after one
or two experimental strokes, in which
he failed, asked me if / had any objec-
ton to q game. Iaccepted the invita-
ton, being rather proud of my play.
Just as l had selected my cue and
the end, the little Jew returned
and perched himself on a high seat
close to the marker. Five shillings a
game, the Captain proposed, just to
prevent it being insipid.
"One gets SO doosed careless" he
said, "if one doesn't play for some
thing. Mosey, be kind enough to touch
the bell. 1 must have some brandy
hot; that internal cham we had at
has, 1 declare, made me feel
quite queer"
The waiter came; and after gulph of
the brandy, the Captain said he felt
more himself, and made one or two
very fair strokes; then he fell off again
and missed twice. . .ts--a.-.#
"Fred, you're no good tonight; not
u Ull VI SOOu, Sdfu thC SCW. Il
shall put my money on this gentleman,
for he plays good steady game"
/ made three very good strokes In
encouraged by this praise
lass that / was); and every time /
scored the Jew rolled back in his seat
and exclaimed, with JUNCTION:
"Stroke, indeed % -E
AsI turned to chalk my cue and take
the red ball out of the left-hand top
pocket, into which I had struck it,
saw to my surprise, the stern calm face
my friend of the morning fixed stead
lily on me. He had come in unnoticed
by me, and was sitting near the marker
and speaking to him in low voice.
nodded to him, and went on with the
game, which won with a canter.
Like my confounded luckw said
the Captain, tossing down the five shil-
Iings and spitefully digging his cue into
the chalk till it actually squeaked with
pain; but Pm always happy go
lucky; come, Pll have another CO."
"That's right" Fred" said the Jew;
never say die; but, lord, you're no
match for this gentleman. You never
could do the long stroke; you never put
side enough on, does he marker?"
The drowsy marker, who had been
doing out the score.
shrugged his shoulders and said:
1.-THE Captain plays very good
game when he tries; but he does not
always leave 'em rs he should do"
"Suppose we have little more liquid
Il, l. y Il