New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-20
WING & SON, 423 Broome St., N Y.

ence, ruled him nevertheless with sway alb
solute, despotic, and admitting OF neither APP
peal nor modification. 1t was the most lu-
dicrous thing on earth to observe this man
mountain wave ofwhose hand would have
annihilated his tiny consort, shrinking with
the dread of school boy from the mere sound
of her shrewish voice, or deprecating her dis
pleasure by elaborate genuhections and anX-
ious concessions, none of which ever soothed
or satisfied her exacting ladyship.
"The Wilson's had no children Of their own,
but niece Of Arthur's resided with them,
who, in her nineteenth year, was the hand
soonest girl ever remember to have known,
which is saying an immense deal, can as
sure you.
"Handsome is as handsome docs,' re-
marks the proverb, and it must be acknowl-
edged that Kitty Wilson's conduct added
nothing to the general appreciation OF her
beauty. She was wild, eccentric, reckless
young thing, whose deprayed taste was ex-
hibited in a manner which almost ran her
good-natured uncle mad. For mirabiie dictn,
Kitty fell in love, of all persons in the world
with John ellis.
"Though wdOwer and mllle.agel, he
was good-looking, and had certainly acquired
not a few of the eXternals of a gentleman !;
but still the young lady's guardian could not
entertain, for a moment, the idea of such
match. 1t was opposed to every rule OF les
cOnrenances, circumstance which only
strengthened Kitty's perversc determination
to carry out her own will in the matter.
"IIOw she had made the acquaintance OF
Mr.. ellis, where and when they had first en-
countered each other and been smitten with
mutual fame remained profound mys-
terry; but there is little doubt that Kitty
would have married her cavalier if she had
had only her kind and somewhat yielding
uncle to contend with.
"But Mrs. Wilson, host in herself, now
rushed to the rescue. She had been absent
from her home during the initial stages of the
courtship, or it would never have been al
lowed to go so far.
mo, indeedv as she violently exclaimed,
| 'Iwould have nipped it in the budn Whether
her authority could be rightly stretched to
that extent, whether in truth she had any le-
gal authority in this case, the fiery little wO-
man did not pause to consider.
"She only yearned TO show her hand, TO
begin hostile operations with vengeance.
The chance she looked for speedily arrived.
"Gillis called at her house, requesting to
see Miss Kitty. He was admitted to the
presence of the indignant matron instead.
What she said to him precisely, did not trans
pire but her language and bearing must
have been bitterly insulting for ellis left the
house in q white rage, and in less than an
hours time had revenged himself upon the
wife by subjecting her husband to the grossest
Of indignities.
"But one course remained open to our
good-natured friend. He must meet ellis
Immediately, and in fight y omrance.
=" In this dilemma he applied to me.
"' certainly, l will serve you, Arthur
said 1, replying to his somewhat woe-begone
appeal; but how about your shootngs Are
you in fair practice -
80 Practice? he echoed, doleiully; Pve
never shot pistol but once. Then the thing
burst, and carried away the tip Of my left
ear-lookv And throwing back his gray,
but still luXulrant locks, he showed me where
the organ in question had been slightly
marred Of its just proportions.
"'There's not a moment to be lost, then,
exclaimed. Come, III let you have my
own weapons; they are Perfect beauties,
and baby almost could manage Them
''If that were so, it speedily became evil
dent that Arthur Wilson was less sEillful
than the suggestions baby.
"When i had arranged all preliminaries
for meeting with ellis on the following
morning, l took my man into the yard and
drilled him. Good Heavens! what a raw,
awkward recruit for the noble army of du- |
elsts he turned out to be!
Instead Of reducing his huge person to its |
least practicable size, he insisted upon squar- |
ing his body toward the mark and taking |
his shots in that most heterodox position.
And such shots as they were. Out of |
dozen trials, he lodged only two bullets with !
in space of ten feet in height and six in |
breadth. The others were plumpod into the |
ground, with the exception of one widely
erring piece of lead, which flew over the out
building that sustained the target, and, |
smashing kitchen window opposite, elected |
shrieks long and loud from the cook.
Luckily that responsible domestic wa.
not hurt, but her fright was extreme.
mo use, no use! It's only waste OF am
cried Wilson, after the twelfth /
shot. which grazed his own foot but cheer
up, r, 1 may do better on the ground.
you know
"Really it was extraordinary. The wilder
his shooting, the more confident my fat prin-
cipal became. All my former dcspondency
had vanished. lie was now as cool as usual,
and even in higher spirits; l tried to en-
courage this mood in him, but, to confess the
truth, / looked upon the poor fellow as
doomed. Why, ellis could cut tape-lne,
hit a quarter-piece, OF snuff a candle, at
twenty PAGES, and was hard and steady as
the rock Of Gibraltar. We could only trust
TO the chapter OF accidents.
CONTRARY to my advice and entreaties,
Wilson insisted upon having a small party of
friends to sup with him that night.
"'If I'm TO be killed Tomorrow he said,
as know you think will be, for Heavens
sake let me enjoy the society Of my comrades