Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-05
A Man Without Enthusiasms.

think that neither of us could have
analysed or satisfactorily explained our
mutual attraction. but it is certain that
my old class mate Manson and | were
hlst friends. He was Il most loyablc
fellow, but had begun, long before our
college course came to an end, to show
that apparent lack of interest in life that
distinguishes what we call a bldsc man /;
and this ut times to degree ut once
amusing and eXaspcrating.
Not long ago party of us, in the
pleasant smoking-room of Pacific
steamer, were talking about one of our
fellow w-passengers-rathcr "a poor speci-
men of this class-then of the class it
self; and the oldest member of the little
group, who had been lighting his cigar
very deliberately with the little wire
which one dips in spirits of wine. re-
sumed his seat with the remark, delivered
with great emphasis:
well. gentlemen, it's dreadful thing
for young man to have no enthusiasm. "
The expression brought Manson tony
mind. do not know why had not
thought ofhiu before. but "reminiscences
now crowded in rapidly upon me and |
sat for some moments looking out at the
blue waves of the Pacific. and obliyious
Of the nice points of the discussion.
FINALLY it seemed opportune to me to
narratc to the party some of the circum-
stances under which my friend and had
been thrown together.
He was, as our old schoomastcr once
said. fortunate in his choice ofa father" "
and | feared that the tendency which I
have mentioned would he developed by
life of virtual idleness: and when we
had parted, and only knew Of his do
Ings through his letters. and those Of
mutual acquaintance, there was every
reason TO believe that my forebodings
were correct. He made short trip TO
Europe, a region which he described as
SLOW. and then nominally entered on
q business life. His abilities were ex-
cellent. and his perceptions quick. but
after he had been for some time partner
in a firm, friend wrote me that when
he met him in the street. and asked him
where his Office was, he received the
reply:
Il don't know. They've moved since
I've been there"
/ was travelling some years later from
India 10 Europe. We had fine steamer
from Calcutta, and some most agreeable
people on board. tt was Just bout the
time that some of the officers who had
served in the mutiny were getting their
furlough. and fine fellows they were.
My roommate. stout, jolly-looking
man with red side whiskers. was in the
Residcncy ut Lucknow. and was suffer
ing from wasting disease. but he was n
good shot and they could not spare him !:
and he used to tell me how, when they
had loaded his rifle, they would prop
him up on his mattress until he could
sight sepoy and then sink back again.
All these men had been through terrible
experiences. but they were delighted Mt
going home. and were generally in the
highest spirits. | remember that they
would not turn in" Mt all the night
that we ran up the Gulf Of Suez. and
rhcy were eager to get ashore in the
morning. We went up to the hotel
built around courtyard. and found n
French woman singing I'll Bacio" in
the shrillest of voices tO the accompani-
ment of sundry instruments PLAYED by
compatriOts in fez caps. Even the
squalid bazaar seemed preferable to this.
and we were turning to go thithcr. when
i saw, leaning against pillar my old
friend Manson; and but that he had n
"puggcry" on his hat, he looked for all
che world Just ~ Inc had looked many
times at "A performance Of "Trovatore"
or "Favorita" In the old days nj Boston
when the supernumeraTies were all from
our class. ! was delighted to meet him,
presented him at once to my party, and
insisted on his going to Cairo with us.
He asscnted with the remark that he
could not be more bored there than he
had been Mt Suez. My companions ap-
preciated his fine qualities, and, as they
grew better acquainted, were disposed
30 " "chaff' him n little about his eccen.
tricities. Some time before we reached
sur destination he had been telling us
bis experiences on arrival in Egypt. He
had intended to go to Bombay, but had
changed his mind Mt Suez the day before
re arrived.
Fellows talked to me about grand
Cairo" said he, "called IL nm epitome of
the Arabian Nights" Portal of the
Orient" and all that sort OF thing. |
hegan to think that / might amuse my
seif for day there. Our steamer was
ste; we were sent through by express.