Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-03-20
MiseelIzneous. q
Cousin John.
AN ENGLISH STONY.

ace. the second sou. only required the i'm.
petus of an ordinary education. supple
mented by vigorous final shove by pri.
vate tutor, To launch him into the Indian
Civil Service. Blu; then. alas! the family
talent and energy was exhausted. could
gain no exhibltion-only make one OF my
self when tried.
Thomas" said my father one day.
come into the study; | wish TO speak TO
you seriously"
A. If be were in the habit of Joking.
"Ihoughtless Thomas" continued the
good aud upright though strict old man.
when We were Closetcd together. "can YOU
not aid us in our choice of a profession for
yous Have YOU any predIlecthn7'
Yes, Sir'-he was old-fashloued and
we did not papa" him fancy that |
E should like the army"
The army? Foolish boy. you do no,
. know what you are talking about. The lfe
/ 81 an officer In time OF peace is but too
often Que round of idleness. friyollty, and
vice. You might learn TO frequent the bill
iiard-room. the race-course and the ball
I room"
did not feel 50 much shocked a. ought
/ to have beeu. On the contrary. fear that
the pastimes which are popularity suppo sed
TO relieve the tedium OF a warriors career.
/ rather than any abstract desire for being
6 ''hftN W ~ IaE&ti hih ti .uttl. laUDEI
/ with hayonet Ia the chest. or operated
/ upon without chloroiorm, were at the root
OF my military aspirations.
And besides. continued my father. see
4 ing that WAS not much impressed by his
/ nr~t objections. II can neither afford To
J purchase you a commission, nor TO make
! you suitable allowance after you have
I obtained II"
That was an argument which admitted
/ of no reply. Asked TO choose my road OF
/ life. had done so. aud been stopped at
I once with n notice OF No Thoroughfare"
I so then cat dowu on the bank. a. II we're.
With folded arms aud lett my father to point
out Il practical route.
He presently procured the a clerk ship In
T an Insurance oitice, with a salary OF sixty
I pounds the tlr,i year. and the prospect OF
al annual rise OF ten pounds. till the prince
y sum OF one hundred and iiny were at
isiued Besides this, | was TO have com
mission on all business that could man
age 10 brin: 10 The oflcc
resided at Brcut Green with my par
ents, aud travelled dairy TO aud from the
city by omnibus. converting 9Gably with
my iclIow-pas>engers, aud endeayoring to
draw their attention 90 the uncertainty OF
lie. the probability OF fire. and the Wis
dom ~ holding policies Ia the "Auti.AdycI-
Sly"
Brent Green wa. not a lively place: the
pend which "aiered IL vas slagnani aud
dnckweedy; the geese that pluck,d up its
coarse grass by the roots complained
inouTuiuliy OF the scaut diet afforded them:
The Inhabitants OF The houses surrounding
Nni,i,,' aud his 6hseP.A,, TdisRs 81 US, a.
Who thought we were all getting gradually
pcricct-was Inconsistent enough to be the
most ow-spiIlted OF the lot. Why so many
iamIiie, OF drab temprTaInents should have
gathered together tn one spot, cannot
explain; perhap, the gloomy pond attract
"a them
The gravity OF my onn parents indeed
was Ineligible enough: my father held
original shares In an affair which had
habit OF issuing calls instead OF dividends;
my mothers name had been omitted in a
will which ought By promise to have been
la her fayor: and they both took great In
tercst In Eeiormatory institutions, and eN-
pected gratitude. Now the criminals they
experimental upon seldom thanked them,
or OF those who did. several swindled
them; and. though their desire to do good
WAS strong enough TO prevent their throw
In. the whole thing up Ia disgust, disap-
pOiutmeni certainly made them harsh. The
worst OF their hobby was that the child of
sach eminent philanthropists ought 10 have
been pattern, while | showed early tend
encses 10 become pickle They were In
constant state of fear lest | should do
somethin. which would cause people TO
say. " You reform the criminal classes,
Look at home.' So they put a sharp curb
on IN my youth, and Kept il as tight as they
could after | was earning my own living.
Ii was rather unjust. was never late al
my office. or disobedient and unduiiful at
home; neither had shown any vicious
propeusilies. But did feel inclined for a
! little relaxation in the evening; | wished
for companions Of my own age; preferred
reading amusing books TO improving my
mind, and thought II hard 10 be cross-ques-
tioued il came home after ten.
My only resource was in Cousin John,
who lived in lodgings in Berners street,
/ where | was allowed to visit freely; for his
4 little property was al his own disposal, aud
J | believe that my approving parents attri-
/ buted my regard for him to prudential mo-
| tiyes, while his age, which was the same
as my fathers. and his quiet habits Induced
I confidence. But never specalated upon
! Cousin Johns will 10 those days looked
upon living folks as alive for ever. | cul-
tivated his acquaintance because | could
say what | pleased to him without re-
strsiDt; because visit to his lodgings was
roof: because he pIayed cribbage and did
NOT object 10 NV nractisinp smoking AT his
| nIace and heca.ise on rare occasions he
I covered a strategic movement far me and
while INV parepts deemed thai was ingra-
tiating myself with him. INV mind had
SCARED into the seventh heaven. While nv
body was closely packed in the Dit of a
theatre.
Cousin John was a little man. who al
ways appeared to be suffering from tight
ness not of clothes, bus of skin. He would
hsSe been fat. only his outer cutjcle could
not expand, so that he gave You the i'm
preston of having been forced into il by
hydraulic pressure; and you hoped il was
strong, otherwise you feared that If he
laughed violently, or Jumped. or used the
dumb bells. something dreadful would
happen. Perhaps a ike mlsgiying was i'm
planted in his own mind, for he carefully
| eschewed all exertiou and emotion He
slept q good deal, ate often, talked little
but was a grand listener His mouosylla-
bic replies we're not indeed invariably hap
py, but the play OF his eyebrows was per
| feet He had no profeS sion wife mr. other