The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-22
A CHRISTMAS DRIVE.


berry. Now when say that Mr. Fosbery was
a "coach," do not wish to convey the idea
that he was one of those gentlemen who are
in the habit of advertising for backward or
delicate boys. Furze House was none OF those
establishments that combine the lunatic asy-
lum with the iniirmary.
1t was the Christmas vacation thirty years
ago. and Mr.. Fosbery had gone away to join
] n the festivities of the season at a country
house. He had, however, permitted two of
his pupils to keep their rooms in his absence
Lowley and myself.
In writing n narrative in which [ am about
10 take a most prominent part, 1t Is but right
that at the outset should give some account
OF my personal appearance, etc. at the period
to which my tale refers; and therefore take
my pen and paper to the mirror, to see II
there be any traces of the Harry Cuthbert Of
thirty years ago remaining.
Hardly any. An old gentleman with
thin white hair Is before me. His face is
gildefb exposure 10 an Indian sun, and per
haps by touch or the liver complaint. He
wears a respectable stand-up collar and an
equally respectable black satin stock. His
eye Is, | think, keen and judlcially stern.
though hope not without some indications
of q kindly nature. Instead of this old fogy,
picture 30 yourselves, my readers, youth
with abundance of light brown hair, instead
of scanty supply OF white; clear COM
plexion, pale, but not saffron. AS all my good
looks have deserted me some years, l may
confess that thirty years ago | considered
myself by no means Unlocking, and was in
the habit of adjoining my figure in manner
suitable to my estimate of its merits.
My friend Lawley was a head taller than
myself and three years older. He had, and
has now, an open, frank expression, and eyes
which twinkled with merriment. We had
been fast friends at Eton; but he left before l
did the was now twenty-two) and had gone
to Cambridge, where, in two years time, he
had managed to scrape through his little
&c" aud to render himself thoroughly famous
amongst the undergraduates, and thoroughly
obnoxious to the "dons."
He was more than suspected Of being the
man who, having captured one Of the swahs,
put 1t secretly into the Deans bedroom when
he was out at supper very nearly frightening
that dignitary into tit. He had pleaded
cock In the Fellows garden with bread
crumbs soaked In champagne, and cooly de-
Tended himself before the college authorities
by declaring that he had been the means OF
heightening the morality of his college rather
than depressing it.
Like Sir Guy dc Mongomerl In the Ingolds-
by Legends, Lawley, though "a brave
knight and true, was o poor scholar" He
degree, and had joined me at Mr. Fosbery's
to read for the army. The examination was
coming on apace, and he had taken the adj
vice OF his tutor to fOrego the festivities at
Lawley Park, and read hard during the va |
cation. Who was not rich like Lawey-
whose whole life depended on my passing the |
civil service examination whose friends |
moreover were in India, gratefully accepted |
the permission to stop. |
1t was frosty afternoon, with occasional |
falls OF snow-regular Christmas weather On |
the beach was a host of agulls. making up |
no doubt their Christmas dinner parties, and |
uttering little shrieks as they quarreled about |
their guests. The sea looked weird and |
comfortless as we watched it beating on the |
rocks; and we thanked our stars when we
our lot In tho warm room, glowing
with a wood fire, with that of the poor sea
man tossed about in a pilot-boat off the
coast.
We had been ondeavoring to keep up our
spirits by means Of cigarettes and "a brew"
OF mulled claret. Perhaps the generous
warmth Of that consoling beverage had rem
At any rate, had been making Lawley my
confident touching certain amour. had
met my first love In the summer at a coun-
try-house where j had been paying visit,
grande passion, had made 1t twice as power
full Nay, 1t had nearly been my ruin; for
when | should have been studying Sanscrit, /
had spent the time in INTERVIEWING my mi
tals with those OF my love in thousand
different monograms; when | should have
been making Latin verses. | was busy In the
of English ones in praise of her
PROJECTIONS; Greek play could only be got
through by peeping, every hundred lines, at
4 small locket which contained a faint and
resemblance of her face; and as to
the names and dates in history.
Amy Liniield, June 1Si1, SO ran in my head, |
hat the burden drove everything else out
If It,
"And you have heard nothing of her since
asst summer said Lawley-"not even re-
,eived letter."
"How could I?' replied rather angrily;
or this question seemed an insinuation that
ny addresses were little cared for. How
,ould l receive letter. Have | not told {
'ou that she went on the Continent with her
guardian. who had been ordered by his ply {
ician to spend the rest OF the year in Italy?
Ny plans We're not settled at the time, and | |
ould not give a positive address. but | sup
lose people can be constant to each other |
Without writing letters every day-can't {
heyp' and got UP and gave one Of the logs
desperate poke.
Don't excite yourself, my dear fellow"
aid Lawley, with aggravating GOODNESS and
,uH OF smoke: listen to reason Miss Lin [
ied Is rich Is she not?' !
Her guardian is, and he is going to leave t
hat to do with it,
"A good deal. Listen. pretty girl with {
OTIS of money, travelling in Italy, is sure to /
Ne picked up by st me Internally poor Count t
With a waxed moustache and a tenor voice t
against such man as rival you would not ]
ave the smallest chance They are numer- c
us, moreover, as gnats and the only pity is {
hat you cannot keep them off with a mos '
uito curtain. Miss Linfield marries the v
'ount-"
l rose in anger. t
81 say Miss Linfield marries the Count, the |
uardian dies and all things jog along pretty |
moothly. until the Count has lost all her |
honey at cards. In the meantime If you go t
q in this spoo1y way. instead of reading, '
on will have got plucked for your examina- t
on, and probably gone to the dogs"
But she has pledged me her word
"Ya-as. very likely" replied Lawey in c
rawling tone, eevating lis eyebrows and
hrugging his shoulders; Il dare say she has. Y
on know |, for my part, do not believe in &
arriage," he continued, putting his feet up /
0 the mantlepece. 1T is all very well for" '
But l stopped him. l forgot what | said 9
only remember that told him that the two /
ears he had spent at Cambridge had entire | c