The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-02-28
A FAIRY GODFATHER.
A Pleasant Story of the Duke of Montagu.
From the London Queen.l

A Pleasant Story of the Duke of Montagu.
From the London Queen.l
On certain occasion, whilst walking
near the Mall in st. James Park, as
was the fashion of the mobiles and tops of
his time, his grace observed a middle
aged gentleman in half-military garb,
decidedly the worse for wear, but ex-
ceedingly neat and precise withal in the
cut and and arrangement of his dress.
And it so happened that two or three
days running he noticed the poor gen.
tleman walking at the same hour of the
day, in the same place, with a grave
and solemn step, and a face evidently
full of care. Becoming interested in
the gentleman's appearance, the Duke
caused inquiries to be made about him,
and with difficulty, through one of his
gentlemen, found out some little portion
of his private history. He was gentle
man from one of the northern counties,
who in early life had sold his estate in
order to purchase a commission, and
had served with distinction, or at all
events with credit, in more than one
foreign country, but was now placed of
necessity on half pay, by reason of the
conclusion of peace. He learned fur
Their that the poor officer had wife and
family down in Yorkshire-then near
ly week distant from the metropolis
to whom he sent regularly half of his
pay, whilst he supported himself in poor
lodgings near Clearinghouse upon the
rest, living on from day to day in the
hope that he might somehow or other
obtain an Office under Government, or
from the Horse Guards, which would
add little to his income.
The Duke having assured himself that
the veteran was worthy of relief, de-
termined to make him happy quite in
way of his own; so he sent his servant
with polite invitation for him to come
and dine with his grace at Montagu
House, in Whitehall. The unfortunate
officer stared in amazement, as well he
might, at first thinking it a joke,
until he saw the ducal crest on the top
of the seal of the note. He soon, how
ever, sufficiently recovered his self
possession to reply that he thanked the
Duke for his kindness, and would obey
his summons at the day and hour named
by him. Not the less, however, was he
lost in wonder how the Duke had found
him out, and still more why he had
chosen thus to honor him.
When the day fixed for the dinner had
arrived the officer appeared at Montagu
House, where the Duke received him
with every sign of courtesy and even
respect. And when he expressed his
surprise at being so honored, the Duke
took him quietly aside and told him,
with an air OF great gravity and secrecy,
that he had a particular reason for his
conduct. To tell you the plain TRUTH"
said his grace, "there is in my house a
lady who has often seen you, and who
has become so much interested in you
and your fortunes that she very much
wishes for personal interview
with you, and am anxious,
Tor reasons of my own. to fall
in with her wishes. Upon my soul, she
is most worthy and excellent lady,
and | think between you and me, that
she looks upon you with no slight re-
gard" The poor officer on this began
to feel little alarmed; for he did not
like the idea of being handed over to
the tender mercies of a strange lady-a
married man, too, as he was, with chill
dren to boot. In his perplexity and dis
tress, therefore, he began to mutter his
fears that "really there must be some
mistake" and added: "Some one or
other has been trying to impose on your
grace, or else on me. The fact is that /
have a wife down in Yorkshire, and she
Is the only person for whom care, or
ever did care, and know of no lady
beside her who has right to feel any
keen interest In me-"
"Never mind" replied the good
natured Duke, "no harm shall happen
to you; only just follow me into the
next apartment, my good friend" And
with these words he led his guest into |
a sumptuous dining-room, into which he |
had no sooner entered than he saw his |
own wife and his three rosy, countrified !
children, for whom the Duke had sent |
down into Yorkshire, and whom he had |
brought up to the great metropolis to
meet him. At first he felt not only per-
picked, but alarmed; for were they his
wife and children, or only their ghosts
and wraiths? A closer inspection, how
ever, soon treasured him that the objects
Of his love and affection were present
before him in the flesh; and before the
bird course of the dinner was over the
party were as happy and merry as could
be. ET
The officer was invited and pressed to
stay the night at Montagu House. in
stead Of returning to his dingy and nm
comfortable lodgings, and to spend a
lay or two with his wife and children
here before going back home. He did
%, and expressed his deep sense of graf
tude for the hospitality so kindly and 80
Unexpectedly shown to him.
A few mornings afterward, when he
vas packing up his traps preparatory to
lis departure, the Duke called the poor
'fficer into his study and presented him
nth a LEGAL dacunienf w hich coa,axad 4 |