The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-20
NIontaYu as u Fairy God Father.

|
Gu a certain occasion, whilst walking
near the Mall in ST. James, Park, London, as
was.thc fashion Of the mobiles and fops Of his
time, his Grace observed a middle aged
gentleman in hAlf-mllitary garb, de-
cidedly the worse for wear, but exceedingly
neat and precise withal in the cut and ar
rangcment Of his dress And it SO hap
pened that two or three days running, he
noticed the poor gentleman walking at the
same hour of the day, in the same place,
with gra"e and solemn step, and a face
evidently full of care. Becoming inter
cstcd IN the gentlcman's appearance, the
Duke caused inquiries to be made about
him, and with difficulty, through one of
his gentlemen, found out some little Dor
| ton of his private history. lie was gen
tlcman from one Of the northern counties,
who in carly 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 f-pay. by reason of the c Inclusion of
the war. lie learned further that the poor
officer had n wife and Il family down in
4orkshirc-thcn nearly a week distant
from the MetrOpolis-to whom he sent
regularly half of his pay, whilst he sup
! ported himself in poor lodgings near Char
ing.cross 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, determined to make
hlm 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, III Whitehall. The un-
fortunate officer stared in amaZcmcnt, as
well he might, Mt first thinking i. a joke,
| until he saw the ducal crest on the top of
tho seal of the note. He soon, however,
sufficiently recovered his sclf-p0ssession to
reply that he thanked the Duke for his
kindness, and would obey his summons
Mt 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 lie had chosen thus to
honor him.
| When the day fixed for the dinner had
arrived the officer appeared at Montugu
| House, where the Duke received HIM with
every sign of courtesy and even respect.
And when he expressed his surprise at
being so honorcd, 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 in the
matter. "To tell you the plain TRUTH"
said his Grace, 'thcre is III my house a
lady who has often seen yoI, and who has
| become so much interested in you and
your fortunes that she very much wishes
for personal interview with you, and I
am anxious for reasons of my own, to fall
| n n IyNnn n,,,Sv al, -,
most worthy and excellent lady; and I
think, between you and me, that she looks
upon you with no slight regard" Tho
poor officer Oh this began to feel little
alarmed; for he did not like the idea of
being handed over 10 the tender mcrcics of
a strange lady-a married man, too, as he
was, and with children to boot In his
| perpleXity and distress, therefore, he began
to mutter his fears that t'reaIly there must
be some mistake" and added "Some one
or other has been trying to impose OH your
| Grace, or else on ME. The fact is that I
have wife down in Yorkshire, and she is
| the only person for whom | care, or ever
did care, and I know of no lady beside her
who has right to feel any keen interest
in me-"
''Never mind" replied the good-natured
Duke, 'tno harm shall happen to you only
just follow me into the next apartment,
my good TREND" And with these words
he led his guest into sumptuous dining
room, into which he had no sooner entered
than he saw his own wife and his three
rosy, countritied children, for whom the
Duke had sent down into Yorkshire, and
whom he had brought up to the great Nc
! tropolis to meet him. At first he felt not
only perplexed but alarmed; for were
they his wife and children, or only their
ghosts and wraiths2 A closer inspection,
| however, soon reassurcd him that the
| objects of his love and affection were
present before him in flesh ; and before the
third course of the dinner was over the
party were as happy and merry rs could
be. The officer was invited and pressed to
stay the night at> Montagu House, instead
of returning to his dmgy and uncomfort-
able lodgings, and to spend a day or two
with his wife and children there before
going back home lie did so, and ex-
pressed his deep sense of gratitude for the
hospitality so kindly and SO unexpectedly
shown to him. A few mornings aftcrward,
when he was packing up his traps prcpara-
tory to his departure, the Duke called the
poor officer into his study, and presented
him with legal document which secured
| to hlm comfortable annuity for life, re-
marking at the same time that he need
really feel no hesitation in accepting it.
"You must know" added his Grace with
a smile, 81 am trying, though rather late
in life perhaps, to do the best that I can
with my money, of which ] have more
than know what to do with and assure
you that should not have done what l
have in respect of yourself if ! had known
how else, or where else, could have found
moro pleasure and satisfaction from my
outlay"
Ladies' Habits