The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-02-02
Prom Appleton's Journal.
A6OIJt D6JeJS.

In august, I6U5, Uhree young gentle
men were dinning at CrOcBfOrd's in
London. 1t was getting late. They
had sat long over their wine, and were
bOisterOus in their mirth as they dis
cussed the merits of a watermelon
just set before them. In the midst of
their talk a stranger-an elderly man.
wearing a gray sUrtOut closely button
ed up to the throat, and a shabby hat
entered the room, and, seating him.
self at the end of an occupied table,
ordered a muttOn-chOp and a glass of
ale. There was nothing sufficiently
peculiar about him to attract observa-
ton. He might nave been taken for
a country magistrate or country at
tOrney. The expression Of his cOun-
tenance was serious, bis manners were
quiet, and his bearing that of a gen.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, herhaps, but
still unmistakably of gentle breeding.
As he was eating his chop and sip
ping his ale, apparently unconscious
of the rather bOisterOus merTiment of
his neighbOrs, a melon seed struck his
right ear. Raising his eyes, and see
ing that the seed had been purposely
though spOrtively snapped, and that
no apology was made for the petty
impertinence, he stopped, picked up
the seed, and, wrapping it in paper,
put in his pocket. Resuming his re-
past, a second seed shortly struck him
on the right elbow. This was follow
ed by a shout of laughter. With
scarcely a change of the grave express
sion of his face, the stranger stopped,
picked up the seed, and carefully de-
posted il with the first. A third fol-
lowed, with some derisive word, as it
sped from the half-drunk young blood,
which, stricking the stranger on the
breast Of his coat, was also picked up
and put with the first two, when ris-
ing, walking calmly to the offender,
and, unbuttcning his coat, he laid his
card on the table. He had on an un-
dress military suit. His card showed
his rank. OF course, there was no
room fOI retreat. A lieutenant-colo-
mel in the British army requires no
certificate of gentle blood. No words
passed, the youngman offered his own
card in exchange, the officer returned
to his meal and the young men some
what sobered, shortly withdrew.
The next morning a note arrived at
the aggressOr's residence, conveying a
challenge in form, and one of the mel
On-seeds. The truth then flashed up
on the challenged party thBt his un-
waTrantable frOlic was likely to be
somewhat serious affair. The code,
however, admitted only duel or dis
grace. Accepting the challenge, NAM
ing pistols as weapons, and gaining
by toss the first shot, the young man
fired and missed his opponent. The
colonel leveled his pistol in return,
and sent his ball through the flap of
his offenders ear-the place the first
melOn-seed snapped the previous ev-
ening, had adroitly hit.
A month passed. Nothing more had
been heard from the colonel. He had
had satisfaction for an insult which,
however unprovOked, was thought
less, and which it was hoped he had
forgiven. Not so. Another note,
presented by the same friend, convey
ing in courteous phrase a second chal-
lenge, with another of those aecursed
melOn-seeds, arrived, with the colo
nel's apology on the score of ill-health
for not sending it before. They met
again. This time the fire was stimuli
taneOus. The aggressOr's shot failed.
The colonel, on the contrary, shatter-
ed with his ball the right elbow of his
antagonist.
This was terrible. The romance of
exquisite skill was turned into drama
of slaughter. The third melOn-seed
was to come, and it was that which,
aimed at the breast of the unOffending
stranger, had struck, amid cheers of
derisive laugter, directly above his
heart. What instructor ever taught
good behavior like this The note
arrived at last. 1t contained the mel
On-seed, but no challenge.
"And what sir" asked the young
man Of the messenger, lam to un-
derstsnd by this ?'
''YOu will understand, sir, that my
friend forgives you. He is dead ~
OF ferOciOus insult, with avowed
purpose to evoke a challenge to COM
bat, there is no more choice example
than that which became Tom MOore's
6ete HOir to the end of his life. jeff
Tey had savagely reviewed one of
MOOre's earlier pOetical works. This
was well enough. 1t was the fair
providence of the Edinburgh. But it
had gone beyond. The criticism was
| full of personality; motives were i'm
1 pugned (; based designs were charged.
''TheTe is a deliberate attempt" said
the reviewer, ''to corrupt the readers
of the book Moore was furious
Determining to cut off all chance of
reconciliation, he wrote to Jeffrey as
follows:
''In the last number of the Edip-
buryh ReUie1U 1 find myself charged
with deliberate intention to corrupt
the readers of my books. To this, 1
beg leave to answer: "YOu are a liar
yes, sir, a liar-and I choose to adopt
this harsh and vulgar mode of def
ance in order to prevent at once all
equivOcatiOn between US; and to COM
pei you to adopt for your own sake the
alternative.which you mightOtherwise
have hesitated in offering to mine"
The alternative was adopted. One
does not see how, according to the
etiquette of that day, it could have
been avoided. 4 challenge was sent,
accepted, preliminaries arranged, and
the two princes of literature met at
the agreed rendezvous. The morning
was early, and the day jOcund in its
prOmise, as the light struggled through
mountsin mists, Moore, with all the
enthusiasm of his poetic nature, re-
marked to Jeffrey:
'What a glorious morning it il! ~
'rYes," replied Jeffrey, "a morning
too glorious for the purpose that has
brought you and me here"
"YOU feel, I suppose" reJolned
Moore, "that, like the legendary Sax
on bishop, you are better of in this
world than in any elsewhere of the
[ great hereafter. The bishop, you re-
member, querulously remarked 70 his
servant that he was dying. well,