The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-06-06
HAPPY ACClDENTS.

WHEN little Miss Hewett fell into the
Thames from the window of her fathers
house on London Bridge, the accident was
happy one for the plucky apprentice
who took header and saved the baby
heiress from drowning; for, in grateful
guerdon OF the lads ready courage, when,
in due time, baby developed into a pretty
maiden, Sir William would listen to no
weather suitor, vowing that he who had
saved the lass from death should possess
her for life, and, the damsel being of the
same mind, Edward Osborne married the
daughter of the merchant prince and lived
happy ever afterward.
That we'll rewarded dive was common
place act of devotion beside that by which
page once proved his love for his mas.
ter, thanks to the peculiar method of cure
adopted by the physician of William of
Orange when the small. pox threatened to
bring the Princes life to an end Moth
ing, the doctor said, could save the pa
tient unless some healthy young man be-
came his bedfellow, and, by Unfolding him
closely in his arms, should impart sufi
clent heat to his body to force the obsti-
nate disease to break out Williams page,
Bentinok, volunteered for the dangerous
office. The experiment succeeded, and
the faithful youth escaped unharmed to
share his masters rising fortunes, became
Prime Minister of England, and founded
| ducal house in the land of his adoption.
Strolling across the fields near Sayes
Court, Evelyn came upon a dismal looking
| house and, peeping in at window, saw
a. young man busy wood-carving. Slip.
ping inside, he beheld "such work as,
! fnr onr1no1tu 0f hor11;ru i
studious exactness," surpassed anything
of the kind he had yet seen. EVELYN told
the King OF his find; and, obtaining en-
ployment for the genius he had SO unex-
pectedly unearthed, started Grinling Glib
bons on the road to fame and fortune.
Sherwin, the engrayer, might have end.
ed his days as chopper of wood if he
had not been called into Mr.. Mitford's
| drawing-room to receive some orders
while the young ladies were amusing
themselves drawing. Seeing his wood
| cutter taking earnest note of what the
fair artists were about, Mr.. Milford asked
if he could do anything that way Sher-
win said he did not know that he could,
but he should like to try. Paper and pen.
Gil were placed in his hands; and, spite
of his stiff and callous fingers, he pro-
duced drawing that astonished all pres
ent, and which, being presented to the
Society of Arts, gained the untaught
draughtsman the society's silver medal.
Thus encouraged, Sherwin betook him.
self to town, exchanged the ak for the
burin, and won for himself name in the
world of art.
Sharp, the painter, owed the favor he en-
joyed ut court to an odd misadventure. It
was the custom for the royal attendants,
when the King passed along the lobbics
OF the palace, to clear the way bv CRYING
out: Sharp, sharp, look sharp!' This
cry reaching Sharp's ears as he was pre-
pairing colors in room in the palace, he,
| thinking he was called, rushed out to
meet the impatient caller, and, coming
into collision with His Majesty, the
painter measured his length upon the
floor. From that time George III. lost
| no opportunity of pushing the fortunes of
the artist so strangely introduced to h,s
notice. Sharp rose through his own fall
Hail Pasha was indebted for his rise
in the world to such all everyday occur
renee as the upsetting Of lamp. He
happened to be doing some tinman's work
in the apartment OF the Sultana Valide,
when that lady knocked down a much
priced French lamp, to the utter derange-
ment Of its internal economy. Despair
ing OF finding any mechanic in CONSTANT
nople capable of repairing the damage,
the Su.tana proposed sending it to Paris,
whereupon the young tinman offered to
try his skill, and succeeded in putting the
lamp in good order again. The pleased
owner recommended him to her son, the
Sultan; and he, after testing the capacity
OF the Sultana's protege in various WAYS,
ultimately appointed him to the Office OF
Grand Master OF Artillery; an appoint
ment HALL Pasha Justified by inventlng a
new cartridge, improving the armament
OF the forces, and completing the defenses
of the Dardanelles. Greater things still
were expected of him; but as an accident
brought him to the 'front.' so an accident
brought his career to an abrupt close, and
deprived the Port of an able servant
Wallenstein the magnificent, the self.
absorbed captain, who never lost but one
battle, might have remained fool all his
life had not his brain been started into
activity by his head trying conclusions
with the pavement.
Mabillion was little better than an idiot
until he fractured his skull, in descend.
ing a stone staircase without using his
feet.
F0ote, II his powers were not dcvel-
oped by an accident, was enabled to turn
his wit and mimic talent to more profta-
bic purpose through losing a leg by fall
| ing from his horse when riding in the
Duke Of York's company; that obtained
him his Haymarket patent, bringing him
years Of prosperity, prosperity that
might have been lifelong could he have
steered clear of offending revengeful
woman.
By a much slighter n1ishap than the
breaking Of limb the stage lost good
actor, but the theater's loss was the
worlds gain. We have reason to be
thankful that cold in the head prevented
Charles Dickens keeping his appointment
with the Covent Garden manager, and
compelled him to postpone giving them a
taste of his histrionic quality till another
season. Then, says he, 81 made great
splash in the gallery; the Chronscle opened
to me; l had distinction in the little
world of the newspaper which made me
like it; began to write; didn't want
money; had never thought of the stage
but as q means Of getting it; gradually
left off turning my thoughts that way;
and never resumed the idea. See how
near l may have been to another sort of
life!" See how near we all may have
been, but for that cold, to never knowing
Pickwick, Old Weller, and the irrepressi-
bic Sam, Captain Cutie, Dick Swiveller,
Micawber and the host Of friends whose
names are familiar in our mouths as
household words! To such a trivial ac-
cldent 40 they owe their being; just as
the red-skinned heroes of Fennimore
Cooper would never have been heard of
but for their creators being wearied out