The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-07-18

louHVtu anu eDJOycu Oh INC Udnhh VI Ine
Danube. Vienna is one Of the finest and
most delightful capitals in the Old
world, and owes much of what it is and
what it yields in pleasure and prosper
ity to its large Hebrew element.
PRACTICAL LOGIC,
Fighting "a Duel TO Prove ihN IL Duel
Reed Not he Fought.
A writer in the London truth relates |
this; was once ordered to proceed to
Stockholm, and at this town | found !
favor with my superiors for the curious
reason that | challenged an Austrian
Charge dAfIaires. Never was there Il
more absurd affair. There was an Eng
lishman who had been challenged by
Swede, whom he declined to fight. A
very few days later tn Engli1hmau went
with my minister TO box in the theater.
The next day, at a club, the Austrian
Charge dAtaires said before me and
others that Euglishmen had odd ideas of
honor, and more particularly English
ministers. replied that Englshmen
were not so silly as to fight duels, and
that the English minister was not dis
honorable man for appearing in a theater
with his countrymen, Az it was gen.
orally felt that | ought to challenge this
Austrian, "put myself in the hands "
OF the French and Prussian ministers.
A few hours later my seconds came to
me. | expected that they were going to
tell me that the Austrian had apologized.
Not at all. With Il cheerful smile they
observed, "lt is arranged for tomorrow
morning pistols" At seven o'clock a.
nj. they reappeared, Their countenances
were downcast have lost the m0lds
for the bullets for my dueIling pistol, '"
observed the Prussian, "and we had to
borrow pair of pistols for whose
accuracy of aim can not vouCh." This
inwardly rejoiced me, but of course !
pretended to share in the regret of my
seconds. We sat down to an early break
fast. You are young; am old" said
the Frenchman, "would that | could
take your place" | wished it AS sin
cerely AS he did, but tried to assume
an air of rather liking my position, and
| grinned a ghastly grin. Then we
started for the park. The opposition
had not arrived but there was a sur
geon who had been kindly requested to
attend by my sympathzing friends,
"Au accident may happen" observed
the Prussian edo you wish to cOnfide
to me any dispositions that you may
desire to be carried out after ?"--and he
sighed in horribly suggestive manner
No, said; had nothing particular to
! confide and as | looked at the surgeon
| thought what an idiot | was to make
myself the taIget tor an Austrian to
make aim at, in order TO establish the
principle that Englshmen have a per
feet right to decline to fight dues.
There was n want OF logic about the
entire proceeding that went to my heart.
To be killed is bad enough, but to be
killed paradoxically is still worse. Soon
the Austrian and his second appeared
| never felt IN IRE dismal in my lite. The
Austrian stood apart. stood apart.
The surgeon already eyed me as a cub
jecl." The seconds consulted then the
Frenchman stepped out twelve PAGES
He had very short legs, and they seemed
to me shorter than ever. After this
came the loading of the pistols Some
times, thought, seconds do not put IN
the bullets. This ComtOrted me, but
only lor a moment, for the bullets were
rsmmed down with n cheerful energy.
BY this time we had been placed facing
each other. A pistol was given to each
OF ,la. al an to give the signal said
the Piussian. Il shall connt one, two,
three, and then at the word fire you viii
both fire. Gentlemen, are you ready ,"
We both nodded Gone, two, three
fre!" and both our pistols went off.
No harm had been done. felt con
siderable relieved, when to my horror,
the Frenchman stepped up to me and
said: 81 think that ought to demand
a second shot for you, but mind, II
nothing occurs again, shall not allow {
third shot," "Ye-9s," | said so we hac
second shot, with the same result
Knowing that my Frenchman WAS {
man of his word, | felt now that nigh
at no risk - myself display my valor, 81
d manaed third shot. The second
consulted together tor moment
feared that they were going to grant IN.
request and I was greatly relieved wheI
, they informed me that they considere,
that two shots were amply sufficient.
, was delighted, but | pretended to b
; most unhappy, and religiously kept Y
the farce OF being an aggrisved person.
Now, there is this curious thing abou
b. duels, which | suppose accounts !,
I principals taking things 20 quietly. b
D lore the duel one feels most uncomio
o table, to Judge by my experience, bt
g whom one has to fire one is 20 engaged
h listening for the signal that it does NJ
occur to one that one may be hit.
# good shot would, | take it, be able
b take a deliberate aim undistufbed b
II any nervous trepidation from his large
e ais, aiming at him, because The nervot
'. trepidstion, however strong 1t may Q
r, beforehand, by some curious disposi'io
e of nature disappears when you al
ts actually firing, Much the same thin
10 occurs in battle. The unpleasant m'
d ment is, according to the experience
d soldiers, that just before going undt
" fire. or when the fire IS not returned. :
l. .oen AS soldiers are themselves firip
one idea excludes another, and the
minds are 30 occupied with what tn,
,hem.elves are doing, that they forg
the danger.
|. The late Ben Wade said "that IN
|. who always had only three shining qu
o tiles about him, and they the three d
v mond studs in his shirt front, was sure
d he found possessing only one idea III
n head. and that vanity" A correspoI