The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-13


s. himself up, his eyes rested on Jessie
l. face. Her lips were apart with breat
e less terror; he fancied they were apa
n with smile of contempt. And now |
J became formidable. He fought as figh
l. the bull in presence of the heifer. VIII
V as he knows too well, will go with ii
g conqueror.
e If Tom had never yet fought with
S man taught by prize fighter, so nevt
!, yet had Kenelm encountered strengt
b which, but for the lack of that teacI
i ing would have conquered his own H
= could act no longer on the defensive
t he could no longer play, like a dexter
GUS fancer, with the sledge-hammers Z
those mighty arms. They broke throug
+ his guard-they sounded on his ches
l as on an anvil. He felt that did the
alight on his head he was a lost mar
7 He felt also that the blows spent on tn
chest of his adversary were idle as tn
stroke of cane on the hide of rhino
ceros. But now his nostrils dilated
his eyes flashed fire-Kenelm Chilling
ly had ceased to be a philosopher
Crash come his blow-how unlike tn
} swinging roundabout hits of Ton
Bowles!-straight to it's aim rs the rifle
ball of Tyrolese, or 4 British marks
man at Aldershot-al1 the strength o
nerve, sinew, purpose, and mind con
centrated in its vigor-crash just at tina
part of the front where the eye meet
and followed up with the rapadity OF
lightning, flash upon flash, by more
restrained but more disabling blow with
the left hand just where the left eal
meets throat and jaw-bone.
At the first blow Tom Bowles had
reeled and staggered, at the second he
threw up his hands, made Jump in the
air as if shot through the heart, and
then heavily fell forward, an inert
mass.
The spectators pressed round him in
terror. They thought he was dead.
Kenelm knelt, passed quickly his hands
over Toms lips, pulse and heart, and
then rising, said, humbly and with an
air of apology:
elf he had been a less magnificent
caeature, / assure you on my honor
that should never have ventured that
second blow. The first would have
done for any man less splendidly en-
! dowed by nature Lift him gently
take him home. Tell his mother. with
my kind regards, that I'll call and see
her and him tomorrow. And stop,
! does he ever drink too much beer ?"
':Well," said one of the villagers,
"Tom can drink"
=" I thought so. Too much flesh for
that muscle. Go for the nearest doctor.
You. my lad ?-good-off with you
quick No danger, bat perhaps it may
be a case for the lancet.
Tom BowIes was lifted tenderly by
four of the stoutest men present and
of consciousness but his face, where
not clotted with blood, very pale, very
calm, with slight froth at the lips.
Kenelm pulled down his shirt-sleeves,
put on his coat and turned to Jessie
Now, my young friend, show me
Wills cottage"
The girl came to him white and trem-
bling. She did not dare to speak. The
stranger had become new man in her
eyes. Perhaps he frightened her as
much as Tom Bowles had done. But
she quickened her pace, leaving the
public house behind, till she came to
the farther end of the village.
The village clergymen mistakes Ke-
nelm for an American prize-fghter, and
in conversation with him the hero drops
one of those compliments to our coun-
trymen, which English conservatives
often pay.
AMERICA.
Again the parson stared but being
of compassionate nature, and inclined
to take mild views of everything that
belongs to humanity, he said with a
81, 1poI1noEiOJ, Of 1,1o bao1
CT have always heard that the Amer
leans in general enjoy the advantage of
a better education than we do in Eng
lard, and their reading public is infn
itey larger than ours still, when hear
one of calling not highly considered
in this country for intellectual cultiva-
tion or ethical philosophy, cite Lord
Byron, and utter a sentiment at vari-
ance with the impetuosity of inexperi-
enced youth, but which has much to
commend it in the eyes of reflective
Christian impressed with the nothing
ness of the objects mostly coveted by
the human heart, / am surprised, and
oh, my dear young friend, surely
your education might fit you ior some
thing better I"
It was among the maxims of Kenelm
Chillingly's creed that sensible man
should never allow himself to be sur
prised but here, he was, to use apop-
ular idiom, " taken aback, and lowered
himself to the rank of ordinary minds
by saying sharply, 81 don't under
stand"
81 see," resumed the clergyman,
shaking his head gently, "as [ always
suspected, that in the vaunted educa-
ton bestowed upon Americans, the ele-
mentary principles of Christian right
and wrong are more neglected than
they are among our own humble class
es. Yes, my young friend, you may
quote poets, you may startle me by the
nothingness of human fame and human
love, derived from the precepts of
heather poets, and yet not understand
with what compassion, and, in the
Judgment of most sober minded persons,
with what contempt, human being
who practices your vocationis regarded. "
'HaveI vocation ?" said Kenelm.
GO I am very glad to hear it. What is
my vocation ? and why must l be an
American %
Why-surely am not misinformed.
You are the Ameriean-I forget his
name-who has come over to contest
the belt of prize-fghting with the cham
pion of England. You are silent; you
hang your head. By your appearance,
your length of limb, your gravity of
countenance, your evident education,
you confirm the impression of your
birth. Your prowess has proved your
profession.
Reverend sir" said Kenelm, with
his unutterable seriousness of aspect,
'' I am on my travels in search of truth,
and in fight from shams, but SO great
take-in as myself I have not yet en-
countered. Remember me in your
prayers. am not an American / am
not prize-fghter I honor the first
as the citizen of grand republic try
ing his best to accomplish an expert
ment in government in which he will
find the very prosperity he tends to
create will sooner or later' destroy his
experiment. I honor the last because
strength, courage and sobriety are es-
sential to the prize-fghter, and are
among the chiefest ornaments of kings
and heroes. But am neither one nor
the other. And all can say for myself