The Osceola times., 1878-09-14
SHOOTING THE RAPIDS.

"Curious, isn't it, how the old Gus
toms still hold their own? Here is the
fashion of penance by pilgrimage still
in vogue, with the additional .aggrava.
ton of calling it travelling for pleas
urc.'"
"Well, Edward" said sweet voice,
that's very pretty compliment to us
your companions. think ought to
make you do penarce for that
That's right, Miss Wentworth; keep
him in order" chimed nathird speaker.
However, going abroad has this one
advantage for us English, that there we
can sometimes venture 10 seem amused
without thereby committing 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
Schaiihausen, one sunny afternoon in
the latter part of May. The first speaker
was a 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
intlmates Young, rich. good-looking,
popular with high and low, in the plen-
itude of health and vigor, lately be-
trothed to the charming girl whose soft
lustrous eyes were watching him half
tenderly, half archly, from the other
side of the board-Viscount Montague
might fairly account himself an ex-
tremely lucky young fellow. But upon
that bright young face, firm and manly
as it was, broodcd the doomed look
which haunts one in the portraits of
Montrose, of Claverhouse, of Charles |
--omnously bearing out the gloomy
tradition current among the elders OF
his native country, that " the last of the
Montagues was 80 in a 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 topass away forever.
Beside him sat his inseparable associ-
ate, 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
butlaloes on American prairies, stalked
moose through Canadian forests,
"bowled overn royal tigers in Bengal,
and hobnobbed with negro kings on the
coast of Africa, and they were now,
foutc dc mieur, escorting the " Flower of
Kent" and her mother on the inevitable
tour through Switzerland, not without
secret hope that some unscaled noun
tain might afford them a chance Of
breaking their necks in the good old
British way.
"Did you see how old Johann eyed
me as he brought in the lunch p said
Montague. "He's evidently devout
believer in the Continental creed, that
an Englishman'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
Mein Herr, those countrymen of yours !
When | was practicing in Saxony, |
had no peace for them! First thing in
the morning, king! king at my door.
What is it% 'An Englander, whs
has broken his leg in trying to scale the
Teufels-horn, which no one ever
ascended yet ! set the Herr Eng
lander's ley. and am making him CON-
Portable, when king! king! again.
What nowT 'An Englander, nearly
drowned in swimming across the Elbe
for a wager wrap the Herr Eng
lander in hot blankets, and bring him
to. Before half an hour is over, King
king! once more. 'Mein Herr! what's
the matterT An Englander, who
has broken a blood-vessel in trying To
run twelve miles an hour, because some
body said he couldn't Mein Herr, |
am sorry to have to say il, but your
countrymen are equally devoid of fear
and OF reason"
:" But you won't do any more of these
horrible things now, Edward" said
Marion Wentworth entreatingly; "you
promised TO be more careful, you know,
while you were with u.s."
Don't he frightened. my child"
answered the viscoun., with his gay
laugh" believe me, have no intention
of being killed any sooner than is peces-
ssry. Would you believe 1t, Sed this
unreasonable young woman is making
hcrseif miserable, and daily expecting
notification to attend my funeral, Oh