Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-09-20
SHOOTING THE RAPIDS.

"Curious, isn't it, how the old Gus
toms still hold their ownP Here is the
fashion of penance by pilgrimage still
in vogue, with the additional aggrava-
ton of calling it travelling for pleas
ure.'"
"Well, Edward" said sweet voice,
"that's very pretty compliment to us
your companions. think | ought to
make you do penance for that"
That's right, Miss Wentworth;
keep him in ORDER" cbimed in third
speaker "However, going abroad has
this one advantage for us English, that
there we can sometimes venture to
seem amused without thereby commit
ting the seven deadly sins in one"
Such was the chat which passed
among the group of four-two ladies
and two gentlemen-seated at lunch on
the balcony of the Hotel du Rhin, at
Schaffhausen, one sunny afternoon in
the latter part of May. The first
speaker was fine-looking young man
of three-and-twenty, whose cOmely
features, dark, curling hair, and tall,
well-shaped figure, amply bore out the
name of " Handsome Ned" given him
by his intimates. Young, rich, good
looking, popular with high and low, IN
the plentitude of health and vigor,
lately betrothed to the charming girl
whose soft lustrous eyes were watching
him half tenderly, half archly, from the
other side of the board-Viscount Mon
tague might fairly account himself an
extremely lucky fellow. But upon that
bright young face, firm and manly as it
was, brooded the doomed look which
haunts one in the portraits of Montrose,
of Claverhouse, of Charles I-omi-
nously bearing out the gloomy tradition
among the elders of his native county,
that " the last of the Montagues' was
so in double sense, and that with him
the grand old line which had left its
mark upon every age of English history
since the days of the Tudors was
doomed to pass away forever.
Beside him sat his inseparable asso-
ciate. Sedley Burdett, whose square
muscular figure and frank, sunburnt
face looked the very embodiment of
young England at its best. Side by
side, the two young men had shot buff
faloes on American prairies, stalked
moose through Canadian forests,
"bowled over" royal tigers in Bengal,
and hob-nobbed with negro kings on
the coast of Africa, and they were now,
taute de naieaG, escorting their Flower
of Kent and her mother on the inevi-
table tour through Switzerland, not with
out a secret hope that some unscaled
mountain might afford them chance
of breaking their necks in the good old
British way.
"Did you see how old Johann eyed
me as he brought in the lunchP'' said
Montague. "He's evidently a devout
believer in the Continental creed, that
an Englishmau's natural pastime is to
knock somebody down, or set house
on fire, or make heavy bet that he'll
jump headforemost out of the window
and then do it forthwith"
"Aye," laughed Burdett, "just what
DIR. Buchanan said to me yesterday
Mien Herr, those countrymen of yours
When | was practicing in SaXony,
had no peace for them First thing ir
the morning king! kling at my door
What is it?' An Englander, who
has broken his leg in trying to scale
the Teufels-horn, which no one evel
ascended yet / set the Herr En-
glander's leg, and am making hin
comfortable, when king! king! again
What nowp An Englander, near
ly drowned in. swimming across thu
Elbe for wager | wrap thu
Herr Highlander in hot blankets
and bring him to. Before half an hou
is over, king! king! once more
'Mien Herr! what's the matterP' 'Al
Englander, who has broken a blood
vessel in trying to run twelve miles al
hour, because somebody said h
couldn't Mien Herr, l am sorry t.
have to say it, but your cOuntrymel
are equally devoid of fear and of rea
son."
"But you won't do any more of thes
horrible things now, Edward" sal
Marion Wentworth, entreatingly; "yo
promised to be more careful, you know
while you were with us"
Don't be frightened, my child,
answered the viscount, with his ga
laugh; "believe me, have no inter
tion of being killed any sooner than
necessary. Would you believe it, Sec
this unreasonable young woman is NAL
ing herself miserable, and daily expec
ing a notification to attend my funera
on no better grounds than an old monk
prophecyP
"An old monks prophecy?' echoe
Burdett, inquiringly.
"What, haven't you heard of itP
cried Montague. "Well, this is fret
to find one man to whom that story
new. You must know, then Gas tho
fellows in Sanford and Merton keC
saying), that the estate which Harl
the Eighth bestowed ON my respecte
ancestor, Sir Anthony Browne, include
Battle Abbey, and the lands belongir
to it; and mighty short work he mat
of the poor old monks, if all tales
true. But after they were expelled
began to be whispered that one MOI
remained in the old walls, and that
was not to be driven out by either XII
or lord"
my wordr' cried Burdett; "thsi
just the Black Friar of Norman Sto
over again. Do you remember wi
what dramatic energy our old tut
used to repeat that verse
Beware, beware of the Black Friar
He still retains his sway,
For he is still the Church's heir
Who ere may be the lay.
Amundeville Is lord by day,
But the monk Is lord by night
Nor wine nor wassail can raise yassal
To question that friar's right"
"Well," pursued Montague, "wl