Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-10-31
ONLY JONES.
The officers of her Majesg's Twen-

The officers of her Majesty TWen-
ty-fourth and Eighty-fourth infantry
were sitting around their mess table,
in Castletown, the capital Of the Isle
of ttan, one evening more than thirty
years ago-that is, all Of them ex-
cept one; hut then, that one was
only Jones. Nobody minded Jones
even his peculiarities had begun to
be an old subject for ''thafiing, +"
and, indeed, he had paid such small
attention to their "chaffng" that
they had come to find it little pleas
ure, and, after some weeks of dis
comfort, Lieut.. Jones had been al
lowed TO choose his own pleasures
without much interference.
These were not extravagant. A
favorite book, long walk in all kinds
of weather, and a sail when the
weather was favorable. He would not
drink--he said it hurt bis health; he
would not shoot--lle said it hurt
his feelings; he would not
gamble--he said it hurt his con-
science; and he did not care to fiirt
or visit the bellies Of the capitalize
said it hurt his affections. Once,
Capt. De Reuzy, lispingiy, wondered
whether it was possible to ''hurt his
honor" and Jones calmly answered
that lit was not possible for Capt.
De Reuzy to do So
Indeed, Jones constantly violated
all these gentlemen's ideas of proper
behavior, but, for some reason or
other, no one brought him to acco ant
for it. 1t was easier to shrug their
shoulders and call hlm queer" or
say, lit was only JONES'" or even to
quietly assert his cowardice.
One evening Col. Underwood was
dlsscussing a hunting party for the
next day. Jones walked into the
room anG was Immediately accoSted:
"o"a".ni"G nrw, L,eutcnaut; |
II III, = a, j.. .I,J o h.tts on this
i-t.. II, .a': ~ Inc.ln ~ give pusS a
run tv-mJ.ro". have heard you
are good rider; VIII you JOIN us:
You must excuse me, Colonel !;
such a thing is neither in the way of
duty, nor my pleasure.
"iou forget the honor the Colonel
does you, JONES' sail young Ensign
Powell.
Il thank the Colonel for his cour-
tesy, but l can see no good reason
for accepting it. | am sure my horse
will rot approve of it; and L am sure
the hare will not like it; am not
good rider; therefore l should not
enjoy it.
lyon need not be afraid" said the
Colonel, rather snecringly; "the
country is quite op en-, and these low
Manx walls are easily taken"
Excuse me, Colonel. l am afraid.
If / should be hurt it would cause
my mother and sisters very great
alarm and anxiety. | an very much
afraid of doing this
What was to be done with 4 man
so obtuse regarding conventionalities
and who boldly asserted bis cowar-
dice? The Colonel turned away,
half contemptuously, and Ensign
Powell took Jones place.
The morning proved to be very
bad one, with the prospect Of ris-
ing storm and, as the party gather
ed in the barrack-yard, Jones said
earnestly to his Colonel:
II am afraid, sir, you will meet
with n severe storm"
81 think so, Lieutenant, but we
promised to dine at Gwynne Hall,
and we shall get that far, at any
rate"
So they rode rather gloomily away
in the rain. Jones attended to the
duties assigned him, and
then, about noon, walked seaward.
1t was hard work to keep his footing
on the narrow quay; but amid the
binding spray and mist he saw quite
a crowd Of men going rapidly to-
ward the great shelving Scarlet rocks,
a mile beyond the town. He stop.
ped an old sailor and asked:
''Is anything wrong?"
"a little steamer, sir, off the Calf
of Man; she is driving this way; an
indeed fear she will be Ia rocks
afore ia night"
Jones stood still a moment, and
then followed the crowd as fast as
the storm would let him. When he
joined them they were gathered OH
the summit of a huge cliff, watching
the doomed craft She was now within
sight, and it was evident that her
seamen had almost lost all control of
her. She must, ere long, be flung
by the waves upon the Jagged and
frightful rocks toward which she was
In the lulls of the wind,
not only the booming of the minute
gun, but also the shouts of the imper-
lied crew could be heard.
"What can be doae?" said Jones
to an old man, whose face betrayed
the strongest emotion.
s'Nothing, sir, I am afrait. II
she'd managed to rount ia rocks. she
would have gone to pieces on ia sand,
and there are plenty of men who