Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-11-29

not offend the proIrieties Of form and color.
At Bathurst, in British Senegmba. how
| ever the correct taste of the Franks would
ne literally thrown away. The Mandigo-
( speaking niger would not throw our best
! robes over his shoulders Mr. Potter men
tion- that one pattern Of an English print
mas been staple commodity ON the hanks
/ oi the Nalhbla for forty years. 1t will like
/ ly enough, therefore, be another century or
more before that race viii climb up 10 our
! platform. The reason Is that the rude de-
signs winch they formerly printed out in the
! open AR IN fast indigoeS upon their native
| woven cloths, and dried by the heat Of the
sun merely, Is still considered bv them as
| thS perfection Of -N0reboiSc1lc7 and
DraPcr'S Trodc Jouoaal
The Tern Curtain.
The date was that of the civil war be-
/ tween the Parliament and King Charles /.
| The two parties had taken up arms. and
were vigorously carrying ON the conflict.
/ The king army had been defeated several
/ times and those Of his adhercnts taken with
arms in their hands werr led before Judges
[ appointed by Cromwell in every town. 10 be
| condemned as rebels
/ Sir Nicholas Newcastle WAS one of those
| Judges He was "a man of austere manner,
/ bat without ianaticiSm his devotion To- the
new government was well known and Crom-
/ well had "a special esteem for him. His
weakly constitution did not allow him To
/ serve in arms for the cause which be thought
| the just one, but he was looked upon a., the
| most active and able As well as the most
/ vigorously Just magistrate in the country.
/ One evening Sir Nicholas wa, at supper with
his family and a few OF his friends. when q
/ band of soldiers arrived with rovali-t mis-
/ oner, whom they had lust succeeded IN cap
/ turing. II was an officer who. after the
route Of Charles army had been ylinly
/ trying to reach the coast and theV find
means of escape t., France Sir Nicholas
| ordered his hands To be unbound and anoth-
er table To be placed near the fireplace
IL is my birthday, -Iid he 'and |
/ wish % finish merrily the supper which ]
! have begun. tive refreshments 10 this
/ cheyaher and the guards. At present /
| would be his host. in an hour Will act us
| his Judge.
The soldiers thanked him, aud ~atdoWu at
1 the table Hear their prisoner who did not
| appear 10 be- much affected by his position
/ and iell 70 0u the provisions ~et before him
/ with aS good an appetite g- any OF them
Sir Nicholas returned % his place M the
/ head OF the large table and resumed the con-
I EersatlJn that had been interrupted hy the
arrival OF the soldiers.
" Well, ! was telling you,' be- continued.
90 that at the age Of - ! was still - weak
and punny, that every one ~corned my feeble
neS- and took advantage of 1t 10 il-use me.
First had 70 endure the bad treatment of %
step-mother, than that of my ~chool-lellow-
Courage m boys Is only the consciousness Of
strength. My weakness made me coward,
and far from hardening me. the toughneS,
and harshneS- to which was exposed made
me only more shrinking and more sensitive
10 pain lived in c1ntinua. state Of fear,
and above all, feared the masters cane
Twice ! had suffered this cruel punishment,
but had preserved such inaccurate remem-
hrance of pain that the very thought of
tAird infection made me trembie all over. |
was at Westminster school. a. have already
told you. The forms We're taught in large
room together, and We're separated one from
another, by % curtain. which We We're ex
pre~siv forbidden 10 touch One summer
day drowsneS- had overcome me for mo-
ment in the middle Of a Greek lesson then
slight noise starting me out of my nap, !
only saved myself from falling of m; seat.
by catching at the curtain, which was close
beside me. 1t gave way AT my grasp. and
10 my horror. ! saw that | had made 10 il
tear big enough To see the next class through.
The two masters turned around at the noise,
and at once perceived the damage that had
been done. The blame appeared to lie he-
tween me and the boy next the curtain ON
the other side but my confusion soon point
cd me ont as the culurit. and my master an
srily ordered me to come and have dozen
blows Of the cane. got up, staggering Ike
a drunken man ! tried to speak 10 ask
pardon but fear had glued my tongue tony
mouth my knees trembled under me a cold
perspiration broke out ON my face. The in
Strument Of punishment was already raised
over me, when heard some one say
e. Do not punish him. 1t was my fault. 80
1t WAS the boy on the other side of the
curtain He was at once called forward and
received the dozen blows. My first impulse
was To prevent this unjust punishment by
confessing the truth but | could not sum
mon up courage, and when the first blow had
been given | was ashamed to speak. When
the fogging was over the boy passed near me
with bleeding hands and whispered 70 me
with smile that ! shall never forget III my
life
' DO not meddle with the curtain again,
voungster. The cane hurts.
E. | sank down in fit of sobbing, and
they had 10 send me out of the room Since
that day have been disguSted with my cow
ardice, and have done all can to overcome
it. hope | have not been altogether un-
successful.
90 And DO You know thisgeserou7 fellow Wy
asked one of his guests " Have you ever
seen himagain?'
E. Never, unfortunately. lie was not IN
nv form and left the school soon aiterward
All God knows that ! have often wished to
meet with the gallant fellow who suffered SO
much for me. and that | would give years Of
NV life to be able to shake hands with him
at NV table"
Al that moment glass was held out to-
ward Sir Nicholas. who lifted his ewes in ~
constituent 1t was the royalist prisoner,
who laughingly proposed teast .-
- To the memory Of the torn curtain mt
! Nicholas. YOUR memory Is not so accurate
| os mine. II was not twelve blows that ! re
/ ceived. but twice twelve-for having exposed
another TO punishment, and not at once de-
/ claring myself to blame
You are right now | remember but
in what a situation in what service do l
find YOU exclaimed the {udge; g.; >-;h,,..
,vol ~ No, ~, ,,o;ng 10 he the first Of nv family
was ho' SoluS ~ -, Nv fatber has
who had played the traitor Ny iauiei n'9
already died in arms, and expect No pe''er
fate Never mind only ask one thing
God save the king :"
With these words the loynlist returned to
his place among the soldiers anu eoh'inueI