The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-07-31
A LEFT-HANDED JOB,

81 never saw but one literal gaucherit
in my life," said Frank Delamere, as
we leaned over tho bulwarks and watched
the quaint old houses of Panama melt.
ing into the receding background OF
forest; "and this was how it happened.
On my first visit to New Orleans, 1 fell
in with an Englishman by the name OF
Montfort. had got lost-no very diff
cult matter in a town like that-and was
asking my way of niggro, who seemed
to know rather less about it than 1 did
myself, when, luckily for me, this fell
low Montfort happened to pass by. The
moment he saw that L was at loss, he
stepped forward, and very politely of
fered to pilot me which he did, going
consi erably out of his way to do it.
When we got to my hotel. of course ]
couldn't well do less than ask him in
we got talking, and his talk amused me
somehow, so that, when he got up to go,
L begged him to look me up again when
he had nothing better to do. He did
so, and in little while we became pret-
ty intimate-as intimate, ut least, as any
one could get to be with him. Not that
he was what you would call reserved
he would talk freely enough about the
things he had seen and done, and the
strange places he had visited, and the
strange people he had met; but when
you came to think it all over afterwards.
you would begin to notice that he had
not said word about who he was, OF
where he came from, or what he did
and although We were so constantly to-
gether, knew no more of him the last
day than on the first, except that we
were fellow-countrymen.
"Another of his queer ways was do
ing things that nobody else did, and not
things that everybody else did and
that, too, not at all like an affectation,
but as if it came quite natural to him.
He used to walk the most unheard-o
distances in the heat of the day. when
all the rest of the town was having a
siestn and to go to bed early in the
evening, just when every one else was
going out I; and then to get mp early in
the morning, just when every one else
was going to bed. Then, ON the other
hand, he neither smoked nor drank
never played cards, and (Which was even
more astonishing to the New Orleanser)
never made love At New Orleans, you
know, you make love to every woman
you meet, as matter of course but
this fellow (though, to do him justice
he Was always perfectly polite to them
seemed hardly to know whether they
were women or men
You mustn't suppose from all this,
though, that he was unpopular. Let a
fellow once get character for that sort
of thing, and it's ten to one the women
like him all the better for it. Then, too
his feats in the athletic line, and the re-
ports that were ahoat of his Won
derful adventures, and above all,
the kind of mystery that enveloped him,
namental, certainly square, heavy
built fellow, with big lumpy forehead,
and long, hooked nose, and q hard
mouth half-covered with thick nous
tache and beard but he had strange
out-of-the way, picturesque style OF
talking that was rather attractive and
with all he had seen, and all he had
read, he was worth listening to. But
it will save you great infiction, if, in
stead of describing him any further,
Just quote you part of conversation
we had one day.
"' suppose you'll be here some time
yet?' ill.
"Not likely he answered ; I've
been here six weeks already, and that's
too long for any man to stay in one
place, without special object. New
scenery renews individuals, just as new
blood renews races I; and besides, I've
been far too comfortable here as it is.
What the deuce do you mean ?
asked /, fairly puzzled.
SO l mean, said he, that too much
ease relaxes the muscles of the mind as
we'll as those of the body; you need
hard work, and danger, and adversity,
to come and fling cold water on you,
and rub you down with rough towels,
and stir your blood into action once
more. When anything goes wrong
with me, it's just like a shower bath /;
and after the first shock, l feel ten times
fresher and stronger than ever ; but
prolonged enjoyment, with nothing to
ruffle it, is not good for any one. just
think what burden life would be, if
there were nothing to fight against! .
Well,' said /, Il really couldn't
help it) there's no fear but you'll have
enough to fight against, if you always
go slap in the teeth of established
usages as you've done here!
"'V Very true, he answered, as coolly
as if I had paid him compliment
can't expect every one to think as l do,
and very likely it would be bad thing