Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-01-21
From Belgravia.
EhE MAJORS LUNCHEON.
An Over True Tale.

LII WAS ID UIlSuU Suuuy gay Ill July,
and although people seemed to find it
hot, yet to me the atmosphere had only
just the chill of, for [ was lately home
from heightened sojourn in Bombay.
I had been to the India Office to see
one of the officials on little matter of
detail connected with my furlough, and
/ had two or three hours to spare be-
fore nv train-I live at Sevenoaks, and
had a return ticket by the London.
Chatham, and Dover-was due to start,
aud I didn't exactly know how to en-
ploy the time. I strolled across the
Parade, assembled the steps by the Duke
of York's Column, stood and stared at
the statue they have just put up Of
Outram horse standing on three legs,
and Outram looking back, and leaning
on the flank of his horse. Well. hadn't
much fault to find with the statue, ex-
cept, perhaps. as to the horse being a
little heavy, and that I'd have made
him splashing out with his near fore
leg, seeing that his riders leaning over
the off flank; but, Notwithstanding,
it's spirited thing, and that's a good
deal to say in these days. When I'd
had good look at Outram T turned
into Pail Mall and took long stare at
the print-shops, and then 7 sauntered
along the Opera colonnade, fragrant
Whit of some cooking going on at the
restaurant making me all of sudden
feel as if / was hungry.
Perhaps you will say that was in
the right quarter to be satisfied; but
didn't feel so. I am, like John Gill
pin, of frugal mind. [ haven't toiIed
all these years in a foreign land under
a blazing sun to dlssipate my modest
hoard on gcooks and restaurateurs !;
moreover, my appetite is a masculine
one, and is not to be appeased by cut
lets as big as half-crowns. Should [
take the "bus to Paddington anu
lunch with my sister Emily Padding
ton is long way, Emily as like as not
would be out, and If at home she
would probably be lunching off cream
cheese and Osborne biscuits and a
glass of Gladstonian claret. Should I
retreat to my station and refresh my
self calmly at the dining-room there,
and await my train There was some
thing ignomin1ous In the idea. Here
was / in one of the most wonderful
cities in the world, and all I could find
it in my heart to do was to get out of it
as quickly as possible. So -
Irresolute I stood at the corner of.
the Haymarket, not having made up
my mind which way to go. I hadn't
stood there a second before an old Irish
woman asked me the way to Bethnal
Green. [ was rather hurrled at this,
as although I have a good general idea
of the direction of Bethnal Green, [
found it difficult to methodize it with
sufficient rapidity for the old Irish wo-
man, who gave me glance Of con-
tempt and passed on. Before had re-
covered from this two very nice looking
girls, moved, Isuppose, by my fatherly
appearance, besought me, with charm
ing smiles, to direct them to the
Academy. Now in my young days
the Academy used to be at the
National Gallery, and although I
ought to have known very well that it
was now at the Burlington House, yet
[ had somehow never realized the fact,
and SO l sent off these two very nice
young creatures entirely III the wrong
direction. My heart smote me the
next moment, and was about to rush
across the street to stop them, and put
them in the right way. when was
seized by ford young Irishman with
all the superfuous energy and fuency
of his country, who insisted on my
directing him to the chief commits
sioner of the civil service, and was
very angry with me when [ assured
hin, there was no such functlonary.
He insisted on producing an Official
envelope addressed to Michael O'Dono-
van, ESQ, at some bowling wilderness
in Tipperary, which certainly bore in
the corner the words, "Civll Service
Commissions.
"And would there be commission
without a commissioner 2" cried Mi
chael trlumphantly, but scornfully;
and then [ saw what he wanted, OF
course. and sent him off to Deans
Yard but I didn't know, after all,
whether ne wouldn't have committed
an assault upon me, with the idea that
he'd got that was desaving" him.
I hope to goodness the civil service
commission hasn't moved too, or l
shall fear to find my tall Irish friend
waiting for me at the corner OF the
Haymarket, with big stick next time
pass.
But next minute I was paid for all,
when such a sweet voice fell upon my
ear, and lady with little boy IN her
hand asked me the way to Regent
street. She had one of those softly
moulded sympathetic faces that give a
heart ache when one finds that the
owners of them are married, not with
any idea OF selfish appropriation, but
with the thought that such sweet can
did creatures should be set apart for
e love and alteration of all mankind,