New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-18

| veins. as ne neld 1t up to the sun, that
| luminary seemed to be shooting golden ar
rows through it, and hecks of light danced
| over the surface like vinOus will-O'-th the
| wisps. Pats tumbler was a large one; but
he replenished it thrice, and each time the
| wine seemed to tinkle in his ear, as it rip
pied out gayly from one receptacle into
another, elixir of larng lOife to We, Patrick
O'FeatheThead elixir Of larng loife!' The
joke seemed SO good to Patrick O'Eeather-
head, who was not devoid OF Irish humOr
that he was in fair spirits as he marched
down the staircase on his way to the roper'5.
1t happens that rOpers are scarcer than
other tradesmen, so that Patrick O'Feather-
| head did not find one in the street where he
! lived. He walked out Of it, going straight
| before him. and threading his way through
! the midday throngs of Battersea like a
| man who is quite free from cares of any
| kind. There were cOstermOngers, duty pO-
| licemen, sun-sCOrChed wOrkmen building
| semi-detached villas, small children carry
| ing home large quaTt-pOt5 to fiddle their
| parents, draggle-tail women on the trudge
| to the pawnbrokers and Patrick eyed
| these poor wretches as if he pitisd them
| from the bottom of his heart, at being
! doomed to continue life Of struggling from
| which he himself would 80 soon be relieved
| What, indeed, were heat, dust, trouble and
pawnbrOkers to him now! In an hour he
WOuld be so far remote from these things
| that, if all the poverty and grief OF Batter
| sea we're to come and wall ia his ear they
| would be pOwerless to wake him. Sc he
| walked on with a certain buOyancy, proud
at being so much superior to all grOvelling
bodies, until, looking up, he perceived OPP
posite him an oil and color shop, with coils
OF rope set out very neatly IN the window.
Now, Patrick was unshakable in his re-
solve; but it would be a blinking Of facts to
deny that at sight of these ropes a creeping
sort of sensation stole unexpectedly up his
back The fact is the ropes appeared to
him'sO much sitter than any which he had
figured in his minds eye. Stark ropes they
were, of the cleanest hemp, uncOmprOmis-
ingly new, and bleached as if with pipe
clay. There was no chance unused Patrick
of any such ropes breaking; and this pro-
PEELED him to a train of thought which he
had hitherto avoided, but which now i'm
posed itself upon him with some insidious-
ness, namely: what sort of hubbub would
there be in the house upon the discovery
that he was hanged? 1t was probable that
the thing would not be discovered for
twenty hours, perhaps longer. Then he
would be missed; and then somebody, per
Milly Wood herself would run up stairs
and knock briskly at the door to ask if
there was anything the matter with him. No |
answer. A pause. Then the door
handle would be turned, and Milly would
behold him suspended by the neck, his |
head sunk on his chest. his fingers stretched |
out splay- wise, and his boot tips making in |
etteCtual attempts to kiss the floor. Upon |
this, horrible alarm! Milly would shrek, |
rush down the staircase, and faint Mrs. |
Wood and the h0usemaid would bolt out |
into the street to scream for policemen; the |
next door neIghbOrs would open their win |
dOws and look out. A crowd would collect |
round the area ratings; a doctor would |
elbow his way through it, be led up stairs, |
cut him down and feel his pulse. and in the |
evening papers would appear ten line |
paragraph headed distressing Suicide at |
Battersea.' Then, on the morrow, dozen
local grOcers and bakers would find that he
had committed self-destructiOn while in
state of temporary insanity; and in years
to come, when Milly had mark Quill and
his ninety pounds q year, he, Patrick,
would be tue staple phantom Of fire side
stories, growing each year more descriptive
and sensational.
Milly would tell, in impressive language,
how she had seen him dangle, pale as a
ghost, with the tongue out of his head; and
Mark Quill would point a moral to the tale
by repeating each time, Il always thought
that chap was crazy one"
Patrick stood still, removed his hat, and
wiped his brow. All this was not pleasant
To hang was well enough; but to hang and
be perpetUated IN the memory of Mark
quill as an imbecile was not Quite what Pat
lad contemplated There should, after all
be some glory in a sudden death. Millv |
should be made to retain such a remem-
Jrance Of the tragic occurrence that in mo-
nents of cOnjugal dispute she should al
ways be tempted to exclaim, "Ah, Mark,
your not the brave man that Patrick |
vas = Yes; but how manage that A |
3attersea breeze was blowing soft
LIQUIDS OF pepper dust into Patricks !
ace and hair, and this seemed to {
timu'a te his thoughts a. incense or
nuh is supposed TO 10. Why was there
lot some war where he could 90 and Join a
OrlOTn hope, and fall covered with powder 5
md fame Why did not some Battersea !
,ull go suddenly mad, plunge through the !
treets, and furnish him with the triumph
mt opportunity Of being gOred while saving 5
ONE BatteTsca COsteT-WOmau Why did '
lot something explode somewhere, and {
boot linn sliy-ward holding a street child I
n his arms, which should escape I'M
Cathed Why-but here he stopped The t
stant strains Of a military band had fallen {
pom his ear, and, turning round, he saw, t
s yet no clearer than specks, a line Of gold |
nd scarlet coats advancing amidst a crowd |
f TagamufiGs. a
A man'who is going to hang himself may a
e paTdOned tor wishing to hear little J
God music before he dies Patrick was i
ill standing opposite the oil mans, having U
My the road to cross before reaching the | I
hop. He resolved that he would cross v
hen the last soldier had passed. and he 5
epped back yard, the better to see and
ear what was coming. The bands music Il
rev nearer, the red coats flashed brighter c
sight and it was a genuine band, that of n
battalion Of the Queens guards, return a
g to Chelsea barracks. Closer they came, e
/ aglOw with color, the sappers to tue b
ont; the drum major next, with gold
,rded stick, then the bandsmen, the flies II
Id drums the colonel on his charger, and II
70 battalion behind, with rifle barrels n
canning in the sun. Crowds seemed to
art up from everywhere on the path of v
ese snowy heroes. and the two sides of +
70 road were soon packed, while the many | a
aped instruments of brass, the cymbals ! h
I'd drums, continued to clash and sound al
It'll the brilliant vision lesseued again into | n
line Of specks and vanished
But it had not vanished without working =
change in Patrick OFeatherhead His d.
ain was now boiling over, after this mu- il
,, with dreams OF glory; and for the second y
ne he removed his hat, as one may do a ia
ucepan's lid when there is too much bub- W
ing underneath Hanging had disap- sc
AIRED from his plans; he felt born for high II
destinies He would sacrifice his life TO &C
Q promotion of some great discovery in &C
enCe. He would mount balloon, ex- d'
with Illuminating silver, dive IN
wn a mine to breast the choke-damp, vol tu
teer to 90 to the North POle-dO any IL
inc that could take him rapidly from this "
)be with an abstract crown of laurels m
lnd his head. So, full OF such noble pUr- g
SEES, and with his brain in a whirl, he set 70
running at full speed in the direction the VI
diprg had taken. He wished to hear | OF