The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-30
SIMPSON OF BUSSORA.


l have a profound distrust of all
travellers. Not because they are prone
to tell me INtruths about their eXpe.
riences, for that has, in a great measure
become a dangerous experiment; when.
ever they may have been, other people
have now also been, and it is easy if
may use professional expression, tC
"correct their proofs" my distrust
arises from the ideas in my own mind
of the experiences that they do not tell
me. When they get away from the
regions of civilization, and out of the
influence OF public opinion, think | tC
myself, what is it these people do not
do? For the very fact of mans be.
ing a traveller is, between ourselves, by
no means a good sign. Why does he
not stop at home in the bosom of his
family, or, if he has no family, acquire
one? 1t is his duty as citizen. When
boy runs away from school, it is. OF
course, the correct thing to call him
intrepid, gallant, ''high-spirited, u
and g independent" but that sort Of
boy is in reality not-generally speak,
ing-a good boy. 1t may be very true
that nation owes its nautical suprem-
acy to this description of youth; but he
doSen't run away to sea from that dis.
tant and patriotic motive; he goes tc
sea because he dosen't like what is
good for him on land; and almost i'm
mediately, though that is beside the
question, finds he has made a great
mistake, Similarly, man does moi
90 to Tartary or Kamtschatka to i'm.
prove his mind. If he ventured to tel
me that, (supposing he was not very
tall man, and had no reason to sup.
pose he had a yataghan or some other
outlandish weapon concealed about his
person. | should laugh in his face
No; he flies to such obscure regions be.
cause the restraints of civilization are
abhorrent to his urdisciplined mind
and he has some morbid taste; say, fol
human tlesh-uncooked. The mildest
spoken man | ever met in my life, and
the greatest traveller, once confided tC
me, after a most excellent dinner at oul
club. that, " after all, - there was moth.
ing like uncooked food. He did moi
sag human flesh but knew well enough
what he meant. He has repented since
of having let out so much, and en-.
deavors to reassure me by his conven
tionai behavior and conversation.
1.-The world is SMALL he saws, Che
has been round it two or three times. J
land give him England; for, when ali
is said, that is the best place to live
I'M" but this does not deceive me for 6
moment. That man lis cannibal al
heart. | have seen him look at plum
and tender people in a very peculiar
way, and | would not trust him alone
with my baby for small fortune. Thai
sweet child would take rank among
the mysterious disappearance" He
would say: Chow should know?''
like the frog who swallowed the duck
egg; but l should know better than the
duck. If you think these apprehen
slons extreme, you are, of course, vel
come to your own opinions; some PEG.
pie are more sanguine than others anc
also more simple.
My mind, think, is tolerably fan
one, and l have never entertained sus
picions against those who are compelled
to visit distant latitudes against theii
wills. Queens messengers, convicts
sailors, etc, may be very respectable
persons in their way, Notwithstanding
where they may have been to. Such
was my charitable belief until within
the last few days; since which | have
seen some reason to change it. One OF
the quietest and best fellows | evei
knew-and L have known him all my
life-was Simpson of Bussora. wa:
at school with him five-and-forty wears
ago, and though his house of bushes:
is at the distant spot just mentioned,
had met him from time to time during
his periodical visits to this country
and always found him unchanged
gentle, unassuming, modest, and or
thodox in his opinions. Our house
does little business with him in shawls
and carpets, but our acquaintance il
mainly social. My wife and daughters
are very partial to him, and delight ir
his Persian tales, which are picturesque
and full of local color. He brings
them little bottles of scent which per
fume the whole neighborhood, and now
and then scarf that is the envy O.
their friends. never, however, enter
CNiiAON dh1 liCd VI do " SOH-lH
law until my wife put it into my head
He lived too far away for me to picture
him in such a relation, and though
knew he had made money, l did no
think he had made enough to re
turn home and settle. His incom,
was very handsome one, but living
at Bussora, he had given me to under
stand, was dear, and did not admit O
much saving. Above all, Simpson
struck me as by no means marrying
man. Whenever the subject of matri
mony was mooted he always smiled il
that dry, cynical way which proclaim
the confirmed bachelor. Household
matters did not interest. him; he die
not take much to children; he would
smoke until the small hours of tn,
morning, and raise his eyebrows wheI