The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-06
MY STEADY PUPIL,

MY STEADY PUPIL.
''Row, Mr. Baker, let us understand
each other st once" Lord Hunsdon had
said, leaning back in his official arm,
chair, ard tapping the massive signet-
ring on his fat finger with the official
paper-cutter. Il have great pleasure, as
& have said, in intrusting to you the task
oi my nephews education. All have
heard of you, and what little I have
seen you induces me to regard you as
an excellent travelling tutor. It only
remains for me to state my views, as
briefly Is / can," here a glance st the
official clock, Nfor 1 have to receive a
dePutation Immediately, Cecil Msnvers
has fortune of bis own-his mother
money and viii in al probability sue
ceed me in the title and property. l
don't want the boy to turn out a book
worm, or scamp. Make him well-in-
formed, honorable English gentleman,
with enough knowledge of the world to
steer clear of its worst perils, and shsll
be more than satisfied. And nothing
could conducs better 10 this than two
years on the Continent in such good
hands ss yours, Mr. Baker. shall see
you again, OF course, before you leave
England, but, just now" another glance
at the clock, "my time is positively not
my own"
And | took the uuder-secretary' hint
and retired, almost tumbiiug over the
excited deputation as ] made my way
down stairz. Next week, Cscil Manyers
and / went abroad.
Our first year OF continental travel
passed off pleasantly enough. The Rhine,
Switzerland, Tyrol each and all of these
We had visited il the pleasant summer
time; we had wintered in Italy, and the
next spring found rs in Paris.
1t was the time when the grand Paris
Exhibition-exhiDitions had not as yet
grown common enough TO be classed as
bores-attracted myriads to the then i'm
perial capital Of France Emperor,
court and empire were m their freshness,
decked, too, with the prestige which sue
cess confers; for the great struggle with
Russia was going on victorously for the
allies, and the cordial feeling between
France and England was st its warrnest.
In 1855 people. had not yet become
ashsmed of enjoying themselves, ard
whatever the merits of the show might
be. it certainly secured the suffrsges of
the Wellsdrsssed, we'll pleased crowds of
= holiday makers My pupil and made
the new Palace of Industry our daily
lounge, and 30 did French friend Of
ours, destined to play no unimportant
part in this story.
1t was by accident that we had made
acquaintancs with Colonel the Baron
Duplessis. Cecil had walking-cane,
with handsome gold head, which had
belonged TO his father, and this cane he
chanced to leave on one of the marble
tables of the Exhibition monster restau-
rant. Hslf-an-hour later, when my
pupil discovered his loss, and went back
in hot haste to seek for his missing pro-,
perty, it was courteously restored to him,
with bow and smile, by a tall, elderly
FFenchman, with the ineyitable red rib
bon adjoining his tightly buttoned frock
coat, and of what his compatriots
designste as distinguished appearance.
This old officer had observed ourselves
as the occupants of table near his own,
and had been prompt enough to prevent
the costly walking~stick from being pur-
loined by light>fngered underwater.
This little kindness led IN time To q
friendship which might be called inti-
mate.
The Colonel, as became a man of an
cient lineage and reduced fortunes, lived
in gloomy old street on the left bank
of the Seine, far away from the glare and
glitter OF the modern Paris The Rue
de Loaches was the name of the street,
and the Coionels house. number sixteen,
was on the shady side of it-a big dingy
mansion, with grass grown courtyard, a
walled garden, and windows into which
the sun never seemed TO shine The
ghostly pictures on the wall, and the
this dismal dwelling The ColonePs
family consisted merely of his wife and
daughter: the former haggard and ner
vous, the latter plain and stupid, with a
frightened look, / thought in her dull
eyes. Madame Ia barrone spoke little,
and mademoiselle, like most we'll
brought~up French girls, was a mute as
a fab.
The only attraction in number sixteen
Rue de Loches, was the gay good
humour, tempered by the digniked
shrewdness of an experienced man of the
world, Of its MASTER, NJ. Duplessis, even
20 me, scanned singulsrly agreeable, and
gained still larger. share OF Cecips re
gard. It 30 happened that my pupil had
a turn for military subjects-less, per.
hape, for dress and drill than for the
scientific side of soldiers life-and bis
boyish curiosity appeared to please the
Colonel, who himself was, as he said Jest.
inely, merely worn-out war-horss
turned out to grass, but ready to respond
to the first ewang of the trumpet. So il
came about that Cecil and the baror
m&sie frequent excursions, now to b
present at the trial of a riied cannon
now to go over Notifications. see re
view or ramble through the arsenal
without my being one of the party.
Il often happened, too, after the ex
hibftions have described. that Ceci
Manyers went 70 drink tea pAnglaise