The Osceola times., 1878-07-13

founded and enjoyed on the banks Of the
Danube. Vienna is one of the finest and
most delightful capitals in the Old
world, and owes much of what it Is snd
what it yields in pleasure and prosper
ity to its large Hebrew element.
PRACTICAL LOGIC.
Need Not he Fs.rss. e'
A writer in the London truth relates
this: / was once ordered TO proceed 10
Stockholm, and at this town | found
favor with my superiors for the curious
reason that challenged an Austrian
Charge d'A6aires. Never was there a
more absurd affair. There was an Eng.
lishman who had been challenged by a
Swede, whom he declined to fight. A
very few days later tn, Engli,hman went
with my minister to box in the theater.
The next day, at a club, the Austrian
Charge d'Afaires said before me and
Others that Englishmen had odd ideas of
honor, and more particularly English
ministers. ! replied that Englishmen
were not no silly as to fight duels, and
that the English minister was not dis
honorable man for appearing in theater
with his countrymen. As 1t was gen.
orally felt that ought 10 challenge this
Austrian, l "put myself in the hands "
of the French and Prussian ministers.
A few hours later my seconds came to
me. | Iexpected that they were going 10
tell me that the Austrian had apologized.
Not at all. With cheerful smile they
observed, at is arranged for to morrow
morning. pistols" At seven O'Clock q.
m. they reappeared. Their countenances
were downcast. "I have lost tho molds
for the bullets for my duelling pistol," }"
observed the Prussian, "and We had to
borrow pair of pistols for whose
accuracy OF aim ] can not vouch." This
inwardly rjoiced 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 DID," said
the Frenchman, would that ! could
take your place" l wished 1t as sin
cerely as he did, hut / tried to assume
an air Of rather liking my position, and
grinned CHASTITY grin. Then We
started for the park. The opposition
hna NV oiAiNcu uub tuoic Wno rut-
geon who had been kindly requested to
attend by my sympathizing friends.
can accident may happen" observed
the Prussian; ado you wish to confids
to me any dispositions that you may
desire to be carried out after ?"-and be
sighed In horribly suggestive manner
No, said; had nothing particular ia
confde and a. looked ut the surgeon
thought what an idiot was to make
myself the taiget for an Austrian tO
make aim at, In order to establish the
principle that Euglishmen have a per.
feet right to decline to fight duels.
There was 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 Lille. The
Austrian stood apart. l stood apart.
The surgeon already eyed me as sub
ject." 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 comforted me, but
only ter moment, for the bullets we're
rammed down with cheerful energy.
BY this time VIC had been placed facing
each other. A pistol was given to each
OF us. al am " give the sigma" said
the P,ussian. shall connt one, two,
three, and then at the word fire you will
L.. 1. dtyS
We both nodded. "One, two, three
fire |" and both our pistols went of.
No harm had been done. | felt con.
siderable relieved, when to my horror,
the Frenchman stepped up to me aud
said: 81 think that | ought to demand
second shot for you, but mind, II
nothing occurs aIain, ! shall not allow a
third shot" "Ye.es," said 40 we had
a second shot, with the same result
Knowing that my Frenchman was q
man OF his word, felt now that i might
at no risk :, myself display my valor, SC
| d msnded third shot. The second
consulted together; for moment
feared that they were going 10 grant my
request, and was greatly relieved wher
they informed me that they considered
that two shots we're amply sufficient.
was delighted, but | pretended to b
Mos. unhappy, and religionsly kept n!
the farce OF Icing an aggrisved person.
Now, there Is this curious thing abou
duels, which I suppose accounts TO
principals taking things SO quietly. Be
fore the duel one feels most uncomfor
table, TO judge by my experience, bu
whom one has 10 fire one is 70 engaged II
listening for the signal that IL does no
occur to one that one may be hit.
good shot would, I take 1t, be able +
take a deliberate aim undistufbed b.
any nervous trepidstion from his tsrge
also aiming at him, because the nervou
trepidatioD, however strong 1t may b
beforehand, by some curious disposition
of nature disappears when you ar
actually firing. Much the same thin
occurs ia battls. The unpleasant me
ment is, according to the experience {
soldiers, that just before going unde
fire, or when the fire is not returned. $
soon as soldiers are themselves firinl
one idea excludes another, and thei
minds are 40 occupied with what the
themselves are doing, that they forge
the danger.