Omaha daily bee., 1874-09-24

suffered as all travellers do when they
get out of their natural orbit
found it hard to draw breath, and
became dizzy and decidedly exhaus-
ted. L began to long for a change;
1 yearned for an opportunity Of
leaving those dry and arid nights
for the Arcadian simplicity Of the
green and fertile valley. This OPP
portunity presented itself at the
hands of my worthy patron, Bigby.
He became terrified to find that I
was fast losing flesh, and looked
with vivid apprehension to the i'm
minent danger of a necessity for
padding.
"Once commence that, Mr.. FL
THAN, and the Lord knows where it
will stop. There's them that wears
bales of it, and it must be awful in
the hot weather. Then you see,
again, it plays the very deuce with
light materials. 1t won't do, MI.
tithian; you'll have to tone up"
"But how to do it, Bigby, that's
the question. 1 am afraid Pm book
ed Tor a decllVlty."
"Not a bit of it. Just you try
something. See here! would you
mind doing me a favor? It's a big
thing to ask of you, Mr.. Fithian. I
know it's a little out Of your line,
but you'll oblige me-"
"If&t's anything that lies in my
power" I replied, warmly, 'I'n be
glad to do it. Heaven knows
you've been generous enough with
me-"
"Well, it's just to run out some
evening to my place to dinner. Pve
got a light wine there that's the best
tonic in the world. You might see
how you liked it, and if you could
stand it I'd send you a dozen bottles
or so. Will you come, Mr.. Fifth
ian? I'll take it kindly if you
would"
"Why, of course I will, Bigby,
and right gladly, too, I assure you.
When shall it be ?"
"Any time; the sooner the better.
The train leaves at s."
heaved along sigh. was sore
ly tempted to close in with the offer
in spite of an engagement of an
elemosynary character with Ger
trude.. But I declined. "No, Big
by" 1 replied, family, "not to-
night, thank you; but tomorrow
I'll come out to your place, and
Well try that light wine of yours"
1 was glad afterward 1 resisted the
temptation, for there was a cold
glitter in Miss Vanderwater's stony
eyes and a compression about her
thin lips that forbade trifing of any
kind.
Gan exalted and unselfish charac-
ter, Augustus said Miss Vande-
water-and you can e by her call
ing me by my first name how init
mate we were-"has its first inter-
est In benefitting the human race.
To see these dear young faces BEAM
ing with delight, to behold these
youthful forms clothed with comfort
and warmth, and to be aware that
my hand piled the needle in their
behalf, Is happiness enough for me-"
IL was pi~uoo-l W hCai lAd oOliC-
body had enough of happiness, for 1
never saw a more miserable and de-
jected group than that composed of
the children attached to the st.
Johns Mission and their patrons.
I, myself, felt that I couldn't get
lower in the scale of felicity, al
though a cadaverous looking gentle
man had for forty minutes by the
watch held forth upon the awful
miseries that awaited us all in eter-
nifty. When he had concluded, and
Miss Vandewater's severe phaeton
drew up to the little iron door of the
school, when we were securely fas-
tened in this grim and heavy vehi-
Gle and impelled slowly in the d.
rection of a melancholy Lenten
meal at the house of the heiress, I
felt that my career was finished
that no light wine, however bril-
liant its qualities, could save me
from eternal padding and eternal
woe.
Go be Continued.)