The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-06-30
SIMPSON OF BUSS0RA.


& SIMPSON OF BUsS0RA.
I have profound distrust Of all travellers.
Not because they are prone to tell me un-
truths about their experiences, for that has
IN great measure, become a dangerous
experiment; wherever they may have been,
and it is easy, it may use q professional
expression, to correct their proofs" nv
distrust arises from the idea In my own
mind OF the experiences they do not tell
me- When they get away from the regions
OF civilization and out of the influence of
public opinion, think to myself what is it
these people do not do? For the very fact
of mans being traveller is. between our
selves, 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, &C.
quire one? It is his duty as citizen. When
a boy runs away from school, it il, of course,
the correct thing to call him intrepid"
gallant, "high- spirited" and "independ-
emit" but that sort Of boy is in reality not
-:generally speaking good boy. 1t may
be true that nation owes its natural SUI
premacy to this description of youth; but he
doesn't run away to sea from that distant
and patriotic motive; he goes to sea be-
cause he doesn't like what is good for him
on land; and almost Immediately, though
that is beside the question, finds that he
has made great mistake. Similarly, a
man does not go to Tartary or Kamtschatka
to improve his mind. If he ventured to
tell me that (supposing he was not very
tall man, and had no reason to suppose
that he had yataghan or any other out
landish weapon concealed about his per-
son. / should laugh in his face. No; he
Ties to such obscure regions because the
restraints OF civilization are abhorrent to his
undlsciplined mind, and he has some NOR
bid taste; say, for human flesh-uncooked.
The mlldest spoken man ever met in nv
life, and the greatest traveller, once confided
to me, after most excellent dinner at our
club, that, after all, there was nothing like
uncooked food" He did not say human
flesh. but I knew we'll enough what he
meant. He has repented since of having
let out 50 much, and endeavors to reassure
me by his conventional behavior and con-
versation.
The world is too small, " he says, Che has
been around it two or three times, and
give him England, for, when all is said, that
is the best place to live in;" but this does
not deceive me for moment. That man
is q cannibal at heart. 1 have seen him
look at plump and tender people in very
peculiar way, and I would not trust him
The sweet child would take rank among the
mysterious disappearance" He would
say, How should 1 know" like the frog
which swallowed the ducks egg; but I
should know better than the duck. If YOU
think these apprehensions extreme, you are,
OF course, welcome to your own opinions;
some people are mole sanguino than others,
and also more simple.
NY mind is, think, a tolerably fair ono,
and have never entertained suspicious
against those who are compelled to visit
distant latitudes against their wills. Queens
messengers, convicts, sailors, etc. NAV be
very respectable IN their way, notwithstand-
ing where they may have been to. Such
was my charitable belief until within the
last few days; since which I have seen
reason to change it. One of the quietest
and best fellows ever knew-and / have
known him all my life-was Simpson. of
Bussore. was at school with him five and
forty years ago, and though his house of
business is at the distant spot just men
toned, I had met him from time to time
during his periodical visits to this country.
and always found him unchanged
unassnm'ng, modest, and orthodox in his
opinions. Our house does little with him
IN shawls and carpets, but our acquaintance
Is mainly social. My wife and daughters
are very partial to him, and delight in his
Persian tales, which are picturesque and
full of local color. He brings them little
bottles of scent which perfume the whole
neighborhood, and now and then q scarf
that is the envy Of their friends. I never
entertained any idea Of Simpson as a SON.
in-law until my wife put it into my head.
ne lived too far away for me to picture
him IN such relation, and though xnew
he had made money did not think he had
made enough to return home and settle.
his income was a handsome one:
but living at Bussora, he had given
me- to understand, was very dear,
and did not admit Of much
saving. Above all, Simpson struck me as
by no means a marrying man. Whenever
the subject OF matrimony was mooted he
always smiled in that dry, cynical way
which proclaims the confirmed bachelor.
Household matters did not interest him: he
did not take much to children; he smoked
until the small hours of morning, and rais-
ed bis eyebrows when one said It was late.
and perhaps ones wife was sitting up. He
would say, "Really!"a as though such an idea
as ones wife sitting up for one was pre-
postsrous, but could never concern him.
need not % into the causes which led to
my converting with Simpson on the SUBJ
ject Of matrimony. Suffice to saw that
did not do it Of my own free will, had
received instructions from my wife to
sound" Simpson on the matter with re]a-
ton to some ideas" that she had GOT in her
head with respect to our second daughter.
Jane, and to hear was to obey" as they
say at Bussora.
NV dear Simpson" said I, as We were
cracking our walnuts together, after little
dinner under our own roof. II often wond-
er how man like you, with a large income
ana hne house, as you described your
home to be at Bassora, has not married. It
must be rather wtetched living out there all
alone"
We'll, it would be, no doubt. said simp-
son in his quiet way. But, Lord bless
yon!" I've been married these twenty
years."
You might have knocked me down with
q feather Married these twenty wears!
You astound me. Why, how was It YOU
never spoke about it?"
"Oh, don't know; thought it wouldn't
interest you. She was Persian, you know.
II she had been European, then should
"A Persian wife! Dear me-" said I.
how funny it seems!' said funny"
put ct the same time all the suspicious that
entertained land now entertain more than
ever respecting travellers and persons who
abJure civilization, crowded into nv mind
NOW what color, my dear Simpson. If I