Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-02-24
Almost an Adventure.

The first time 1 visited England,
under the influence of a few days i'm
pressions l wrote to q friend: ENG
land is a picture of happiness and a
dream of beauty. All her meadows are
white, all her mutton-chops are tender,
all her chambermaids are beautiful. The
idea of war with such a country is
simply absurd
As I continued my walk along the
crowded Strand, a low pleasant voice,
almost in my ear, said 'Don't look be-
hind, SIR"
If anything was likely to make me
look behind, it was just that. But l
didn't. / kept my course without turn
ing my head.
Presently again : eff you want some
very fine cigars, very cheap, follow me. "
did want some very fine cigars. and
though 1 was bearer of dispatches their
being very cheap was no objection. 1
also wanted another thing, as the reader
no doubt has begun to suspect. My
excuse is, was great deal younger
then than L am now.
In a few moments sasquare-shouldere
decently-dressed man passed before me
and crossed the street; so did L.
Presently he turned corner so did l..
He crossed again so did l. He walked
onward considerable distance so did
/. He entered a narrow dark alley so
did L. After a variety OF turnings and
windings toward the very worst part of
the town, through a region of squalid
misery and pestilential air, he turned
into a gin palace SO did L. There
were a number of rowdy looking ladies
and gentlemen with red noses standing
at the counter, but no notice was taken
of us. My silent pilot, always without
turning his head, crossed the gin palace
and passed out of it in the rear, made
his way rapidly along a gloomy, solitary
court, entered a dirty, dismal-looking,
unfinished room, and ont of that into
another so did l. We were now in a
small dark chamber, with only one win
dow, about two feet square and ten or
twelve from the floor, so that nobody
could look in or out.
Strange as it may seem, not till this
thing was doing.
"Now, sir !" said my new friend, who,
as l found when he turned his head,
was anything but handsome fellow.
He unlocked a large closet crammed
with an ample provision of cigar boxes.
'Just look at them cigars They're
the best in the whole world and at the
lowest prices. Seven and half pounds.
Seven pounds. Six pounds. Ye can't
get them cigars anywhere in the whole
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland without paying twice as much.
Mr.. So and-so" (naming a son of one of
the leading members of the British
House of Commons) 'has Just bought
for fifty pounds"
FIFTY pounds y exclaimed 1. 'My
good fellow, 1 don't want fifty pounds
worth of cigars. 1 am going in few
days where can get cigars as cheap as
these. I'll take hundred. or, if you
like, two hundred, but 1 sha'n't take
any more"
The man looked at me with a very
curious expression on his bad, ugly
face, and pressed his lips hard together
like one who has difficulty to control a
fierce gust of passion. Then he an
swered: eye don't think brought We
here, and exposed myself and my den
to We 0or, ye must know, we're
smngglers), only to sell We shillin's
worth of cigars, do ye? If ye're a
gentleman, as supposed ye was, yell
take enough to pay for trouble and
risk"
There was pause.
"If ye don't like cigars" said he,
perhaps yell take some other goods.
As he spoke, with a sudden energetic
| movement he threw open the trapdoOr
| at nv feet. l looked into it. Black as
midnight. A most cheerful object
under the circumstances. He stepped
down and instantly rose again with an
armful of articles. "Camel-hair shawls.