Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-13
WITH 4 COUPON.

The sting of the gibe was in its truth And IL
certainly was notifying that every soul in the
81 GTundy hierarchy, from the bishop down u
the cathedral beadle, had travelled. or, at least
had made what they called an eNcursiOn. Nsi-
Their papa-the well known Canon Pctkes, whose
faint tenor voice On e reminded l. adv Backwa-
ter 'Of the angels singing in the choir''-nOr
mamma. nor my sister Charlotte, had ever
gone, suppose, twenty miles from st. Grun
dy's. The fact is that I, who relate this narra-
tive. am the only one with ANYTHING like energy
in the family. This is really signted in my
name Augusta, which might seem at the first
blush 10 belong to person of languid TEN pera
ment. but which my quick, sharp WAYS long ago
shortened into the more servicesble Gus. Char
iotte, always too dreamy, remained Charlotte;
10 one would have dreamed OF cutting her
down into Lofty or Char. Papa and mamma
were, indeed, sadly helpless, he being too gem
tie, always looking at everybody thro ugh his
glasses with wistful benevOience that is quite
provoking. Those glasses | really believe to
be at the bottom of his timOrOus, retiring way
for the frame is delicate that the glasses seem
20 float before his eyes without papable sup
port-their balance and structure frail,
that half his life goes in nervOusly-preserying
them in position. Canon ElOwmaI (who takes
the bass at ST. GrundyS, and gives out 'sThe
people that walk in darkness s6mewhere down
in the bowels Of the earth) says that this crIti-
cism of mine shows "a nice knowledge of HUI
man character" 1t may be so, but the fact re-
mains that the three are altogether too nervous
ami shrinking TO get through life, and that
am the only one with a spark Of energy.
Above all, wanted to travel. Above all, I
was dying to see Curebath. At s.. Grandy's
one might as well be buried in its old crypt for
any chance there was OF meeting suitable peo-
ple-Or, / have 70 false mOdesty in saying it,
the suitable person that every young girl OF
spirit and proper ambition desires to meet. |
not one of those persons whose helpIessness
Il but another name Tor selfishness aud who DO
not scruple being burden and a charge
their families. Still | worked on that one idea,
trying. as IL were, 20 educate nv party" "a
they say in politics, but il was homeless a sort
of terror OF travelling weighed on my family
like a nightmare-Mr. Perkes, I am sure, fan
cylng that some box, or projection, would GER
tainly dash against his perilOus,y adjusted
glasses which he would never be able to bring
successfully across the water.
At last had begun to despair, when an event
occurred which removed a chief difficulty. A
maiden aunt Shuffed of the mortal coil, though
che had been 80 leisuTely in her attempts at ex-
trication that il seemed likely that she would
remain IN Estate OF permanent ENHANCEMENT.
This worthy relative left me and Charlotte fifty
pounds piece. / resolved, before the will was
proved, that It should be spent in foreign travel
every stlYeT OF II, a. Mr.B!Ow man was fond OF
saying. My plans were received with a sort OF
alarm, yet could see that curiosity and inter-
est had been awakened 4 persevered, and had
the pleasure of seeing that way was IN lde. But
there were appalling difficulties remaining.
They shTank from the conflicts OF travel, the
bargaining, ticket taking, paving OF bills, ana
discussion in foreign tongues, in VII! h we were
all. including myself, utterly deficient. How
ever. by some Interference, this obstacle was
also 10 lie removed in the hapPiest aud most
satisfactory WAY.
Mr. Bowman had been in town to see a spins
ter cousin, who admired his under ground voice
vastly, and 20 whom he paid visit regularly
every halfyear. He always came to us on his
return 70 relate his adventures which were
the most entertaining kind. On this evening he
was more than usually excited. He was going
away for bis health. The doctor had ordered
Curehath. and "the spinster. >" a. always called
her, had behaved in the most liberal style. ssShe
says" continued Mr.. BlOWman, that must
take care OF my voice, ami that she wall take
care Of me- How wish that We we're all going
to Curebath,'
The feebly organized members OF the family
looked at each other wi>tfuily. In their hearts
they wished tiI they were going 70 Carebath But
his glasses, and shook his head. 1.-The WORRY"
he murmured, 'and the hurry, the paving the
never could get through It."
81 Exactly my views" said Mr.. Bowman,
eagerly. II have never travelled either, and
should De IKE chi,d among the foreigners SO
ny sIinster SAID And
And was she 50 very liberal ?" said my
mother, family. WAS II handsome present,
II 1 nj hit ask? -
''She did not give me halfpenny, nothing
that could jingle on a tombstone, or even-for
have too much respect for my cloth to be seen
table" '"''"s
Some Bank of England notes would save
you from employing your time in such pas
time" said /, a little smartly. cher benefac-
ton; suppose, took that shape"
Not got il yet," said he humorously GI
mean es the ne solution. No, I'm not to have any
said, pulling out two little books.
- Not tracts!'' | said, scOrnfully.
away piecemeal. They are the talismans, or
ta!ismen. In short, they are coupons"
COUPONS, what are they?" We all looked at
them with nv steTiOUs curiosity, a. though ex-
pectiDg ithey would SlaDge suddenly into pre-
cIOus metal notes.
'.You know, he continued, al am methodi-
cal IN my ways, and the moment hear of the
famous coupon system hail it as being made
for me. In fact the whole OF the human life
ought TO be transacted in coupons. 1t would
save a world OF trouble and anxiety"
But, said my father, mildly, .'you have not
explained. What is coupon? What do these
things in your hand meant"
a. See here. London TO Dover; no money or
ticket, but merely tear out and present coupon.
Packet ditto, I. o. and p, that is, tear out aud
present coupon. q abbrevate.) To Paris, L.
o. and 2. coupon. At hotel, breakfast; gar
song, bill. Here you are, coupon. So with din
ner. So with bed. Coupon here, coupon there.
Coupons TO tie right of them, coupons to the
left of them. Fire 'em of in all directions. And
80 you see you can travel board and lodge for a
month. be taken away, kept and brought back,
without putting your finger into your purse once
the whole time"
We were enormously interested. Was there
not something ptquant and engaging in this in-
genious supervision of all ordinary forms OF hui
man arrangement? There was, as he said a
beautiful simplicity in the system; and it was
certainly the first successful attempt at doing
without the root of all evil. The vulgar eIe
ment was eliminated, and one could at last
travel without losing all sense of romance How
We wondered, as he explained how the director
OF the system lived and directed in town
whence he dispatched, every day and every
furnishing each with nothing but his little book
OF tracts. He then unfolded a sort of broad
sheet or programme of arrangements. in which,
besides giving information, the founder chats
agreeably with his patrons-rsther was he not
their patron?-tells them his prospects, what he
IL going to do, and what he has done.
SO there is the way IL stands said Mr..
Bowman, rising, land I am TO be transported
to Curebsth by boat and rail, maintained there
at the Golden Stork fortnight, and returned
70 my friends, without any expense or trouble
Deyond Offering Q little slip Of paper As l come
nls revelation m sde a deep impression. The
se was sown, the difficulties vanished OF
snH.ets. Ihessystem commended itself Q
etnlng almost fascinating. Before the next
ns.n,aK az NV was arranged, and though my father
bsui,any Ielt some trepidatiOn as TO the fate of
hlr glasses, still the dangs he fsI, 90 10000
Rin1, 80 % mn MI mum We were to 90 with Mr..
mo-, r.r,.. 10 carry out the principle In its
inost perfect style, Mr. Blowmsn declared thar
more than few shillings in cash. were to
cear proas ~ 6y the party, Just to defrsy the
h OF CABS, Porterage, aud so forth. we
sho1ld trust ourselves implicitly 70 onr commons