Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07


NJ 1ntgomery. and host OF others. Again and
again told him, both verbally and By letter,
thai popularity is the reward OF those who are
the gus Of society; that there is no current coin
OF so little value; and that the only real proof Of
a mans success Is the Jealousy which heexcites
He now not only neglected my advice, but even
respectfully eoutradicted me; and it must be
confessed that his answers had q great look of
brilliancy, for he was an unusual clever lad, and
might not be anywhere II he chose. ought to
add that be never grew angry in argument. He
has bis mothers sweet temper, which is a very
good thing in a woman.
perhaps you think that have given undue
Importance TO trifies, and indeed / made light
OF them mytelf until my SOD, in a great crisis OF
his career, behaved in manner which / cOuld
not misint rIret, though am thankful to say,
that 4 coUlu pardon II. He was now eighteen
years old, when he and his greatest friend, a
boy of the name Of Dart, entered together tor
scholarships aC one OF the Oxford Colleges. 1
Will net iDgeT over the story; Indeed, II YOU
Will excuse he ;tT mCmtnt, VIII fetch my
sons letter, from which you Will learn the ca
t1stTOIhe At a glance, while i shall be spared
tie pain Of TtCitai'
Sepumus, wno had risen slowly while he was
speaking, crossed the passage 10 his study, and
came back " tn The following note, which he
paced IN 10y hands:
"rI7 Dear Father,-I heye thar You won't be
aafuiiy sick at what have done; but | am
AFRAID t.ag you won't like II. thought OF you
a great deal before l made up my mind but
don't know what else L could have done. There
il a fellow up here called Mill, who IL just gJ-
Ing 10 take bis CegTee, anC - very thtck with the
d rs. he was a. my tutors when tTst went 20
EtOu, and was very keen that should get one
OF tie scholarships here. Somehow or other he
fOand ont from one OF his don friends (Which of
course, he had no business to do, before tie
last day of the examination, that Clifton
fellow was petty safe for the first scholarship,
and that the other was a very near thing be
tween Dart and me. Now you know that old
Dart could not have come up to Oxford at all Ii
be had not got a scholarship, ana IL did not
make any difference to me, because you always
let me do as | want. SO the fact is, that 1 did
not DO quite my best in the last papers. am as
good az sure that it did not make the least diff
ference in the world; for the dear old man is q
perfect needler at a critical paper. Greek par
was bound to lick me any way. Only did not
ike to keep 1T dark from you, though he must
saw any fellow so happy as he is; and so you
must not be yexed, or at least must have got
over 1T before you see your atfectionate son,
"P. s.-Of course you will tell the mother,
and she will make you forgive me, know. am
swfully well and happy; and the fellows here
are tremendously kind and jolly"
When / had finished reading this scholarly
composition, and had bTeathed sigh for the
lost slang Of my early days, it occurred TO me
that had chance of praising my young friend
for virtue winch even parent co aid not deny
him. And calling to mind an old tale of our
university life, at which Sep anu we're wont to
smile when We were careless undergraduates j
laughed, and said-''You should be thankful for
so honest a son, who did not keep il dark as
he might have done. He seems as anxious &c
avoid all Misunderstanding a. was Toby O'COn-
nor, when he carefully engraved his name upon
the stone which he afterwards flung through
the Deans plate glass window"
This anecdOte had never before failed to raise
a smile; but my friend was evidently in no mood
for laughter. After a shipper of acknowledge
ment, be carefully folded up the letter, and,
smoothing it with his hand, continued his story.
Can you imagine my feelings when read
threw il across the breakfast table to Jessie,
and went away to my study. For full half
hour there was no sound. Then heard the door
of the dining-TOOm open, and my wife's step in
the passage. | called to her. When she came
IN, j saw that her eyes were full of tears. took
her in my arms, and begged her not to fret
about 1t, saying that it WAS terrible disap-
pOintmeDt, ana that We must bear it together.
was quite chOky, and she did not appear to hear
me. 80 Septmus,' she said, after a few min
utes, what have we done that God should have
given Us such noble son?' and she burst out
sObbing. / have long ceased TO feel surprise at
the behavior OF women. Every man marries
Sphinx. The power which that boy, with his
frank manner, CHEEKY laughter, ana honest
heart (fOr l admit his charm, AS who does nOt?(
had got over his mother, who is no fool, l can
tel yen, was lDeNFEcRble. If he had robbed the
bank to buy sweetmeats for the urChins of little
Britain, believe that his mother would have
cried for JOY and gone TO say her prayers. There
is peculiar beauty about woman's character;
but IS to expecting rational conduct or logical
argumeI L Won might as well make a salad of
rOses OF walk In high beeled boots"
his son. Leaning his head upon his hand, and
locking scrOss the table, he asked, What Is my
boy 10 be-"
"Wl az docs be wish TO be?y asked in turn.
That is just what 1 asked him, the other
day" said my friend with half smile: "and
the yoUr wretch suggested that he should fol-
lev nv rOfe sSiUn.'
s,Yolr profession!" cried I, in smazement. I
had known Sept.mUs all my lite, and was we'll
aware that he had never followed an occupation
fC- more than six days az time. The routine
70 hav AurrT .rrfFt
never could survive the intervention OF the fol-
lowing Sunday.
Ny friend looked at roe rather comicauy and
said. ~ am afraid he wRs laughing at me. You
know II at / went in for all sorts of things when
was young man. i was wild about art at one
time; and once seriously thought Of making
fortune on the Stock Exchange. You remember
my devotion to literature, and how L studied
architecture that year when we travelled to-
gether. 1 might have made something OF them,
II ! had not been so often anticipated by Mr..
Matthew Arnold, Mr.. Ruskin, and others. 1t
was not until was engaged TO Jessie that took
up political economy, and found that had been
an unpTOductiye consumer. 1t Is q wonderful
science, and makes humanity so simple, show
ing you that all men are very much alike, If you
look at them in the right way, and don't con-
fuse Yourself by the analysis OF peoples char
aCters."
"weII, Septimus," said "you can't be sur
pTised that your son should be as idle young
dog as you were in your youth. Perhaps he may
some DAY catch this science az you did, for il is
certainly in the air.
"But," said Septimus, "the curious thing is
that he Is not idle at all. ON the contrary, he
works very steadily, but hates to get anything
for il. have shown him bishops in their aprons,
aud judges IN their gowns, but without the
slightest effect. When | took him into the
House Of Commons he expressed an opinion that
all TIE members should wear wigs like the
Speakers, maintaining that TO man could be
revolutionary in a wig. He added that, but for
the head gear Of the lawyers, codidcation would
be inevitable. When l introduced him to the
peer Of my acquaintance, he cross questioned
the noble lord about his tenants cottages.
should suppose him TO be entirely without rever-
eECe, If he did not sometimes burst into enthu-
siasm over people OF whom for the most part,
have never heard, and who have certainly
achieved no position. But, though he is with
out ambition, he is so far from idleness that his
Industry is almost q vice. He not only pursues
every study, which cannot possibly lead to for
tune OF place, but he occupies his spare time
with other peoples business. Some days ago my
labOrer Il had but OLe) abruptly left the place,
and on inquiry found that Tommy, anxious to
diminish The surplus agricultural population,
had helped him to emigrate. He Is on the point
OF delivering series OF lectures TO our Leaceful
rustics, who have heretofore been perfectly sat
isfed with my penny readings, and by these
means he will probably depopulate the village.
he talks of visit of inspection to the valley Of
/ the Mississippi. In short begin to fear that 1
the fgrbeF nf N aOitafOr a ad pF