Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-02-08
At last we began to hear pistol-shots

what that meant. Inc Otncr party
were out practicing, too. Then I was
in the last degree distressed; for, OF
course, those people would hear our
shots, and they would send spies over
the ridge, and the spies would find my
barn door without o wound or scratch,
and that would simply be the end Of me
for of course that other man would
Immediately become rs bloodthirsty as
I was. just at this moment, little
bird, no larger than a sparrow, flew by
and lit upon sage bush about thirty
PAGES away; and my little second, Steve
Gillis, who was matchless marksman
with q pistol-much better than I was
--snatched out his revolver, and shot
the birds head off. We all ran to pick
up the game, and sure enough, just at
this moment, some of the other duel
lists came accommodating over the little
ridge. They ran to our group to see
what the matter was; and when they
saw the bird, Lords second said:
THAT was splendid shot; how far
off was it?" Steve said with some in
difference.
"Oh, no great distance; about thirty
PAGES"
Thirty PAGES! Heavens alive, who
did it?'
Ny man-Twain.
"The mischief he did. Can he do
that often"
We'll, yes; he can do it about t--wcll
about four times out of fve"
knew the little rascal was lying,
but 1 never said anything. 1 never
told him SO. He was not of DISPOSE
ton to invite condolences of that kind,
so l let the matter rest; but it was a
comfort to see those people look sick,
and see their under jaws drop when
Steve made these statements. They
went off and got Lord and took him
home, and when we got home half an
hour later there was note saying that
Mr.. Lord peremptorily declined to
fight.
1t was narrow escape. We found
out afterwards that Lord hit has mark
thirteen times in eighteen shots If he
had put those thirteen shots through
me 1t would have narrowed my sphere
of usefulness good deal--would have
we'll nigh closed it, in fact. True, they
could have put pegs in the holes and
used me for hat rack; but what is a
hat rack to man who feels he has in
tellectual powers I would scorn such
a position.
I have written this true incident of
my personal history for one purpose,
and one purpose only--to warn the
youth of the day against the pernicious
practice of duelling, and to plead with
them to warn against it. If the re-
marks and suggestions am making
can be of any service to Sunday school
teachers, and newspapers interested in
the moral progress of society, they are
at liberty to use them, and I shall even
be grateful to have them widely dis
seminated, so that they may do as much
good as possible. I was young and
foolish when I challenged that gentle
man, and I thought it was very fine
and very grand to be duellist, and
stand upon the field of honor" But
I am older and more experienced now,
and am inhexibly opposed to the dread
full custom, I am glad, indeed, to be
enabled to lift up my voice against it.
I think it is bad, immoral thing.
think it is every mans duty to do every
thing he can to discourage duelling. I
always do now; I discourage it upon
every occasion.
If man were to challenge mo noe,
now that can fully appreciate the in
iquity of that practice-I would so to
that man, and take him by the hand,
and lead him to some quiet retired room
and kill him.
ANOTHER NAPOLEON Recent move
ments in France point to the restoration
of the Empire in the person of the young
Prince Imperial, with the Empress Eu-
genie as Regent during his minority.
The Empress has always been popular
in France, and now that the Emperor
is dead, the restoration is at least pos
sihle. ..I...f f....,.. -.
| sE A larger proportion of white
flowers are fragrant than those of any
other color; yellow comes next, then
red, and lastly blue; after which violet,
green and orange. ......
E6s- The cultivation O; the soil is fast