Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-10-18
Iiarper's for sept
THE CHANCES OF WAR
AND HOW ONE WAS MISSED.

There were certain conditions In tht
life of my hero. whom | shall call Rex
which made it easy for him to live out
certain romance that came to him when
he was just twenty-five.
These conditions were an adored and
adoring mother, and widowed sister
with two small people who felt as free to
borrow his knife and suggest their favor
ite sweetmeats to him as if they had been
his own. So his family was quite COM
plete. 1t filled his days with cheerful
work. and his evenings were not at all
like those of the typical bachelor. His
home was as merry and noisy and turbu-
lent, and his nights just las devoid OF
ease" as if he had been Benedict. For
his sister had come home before his neph-
ew and namesake, little Rex, had wealth
cred through his first three months Of
collie; and many night had he risen
from his comfortable bed in response to
the walls that came from his sister $
room. and he and little Rex had made a
procession OF themselves. the good uncle
sturdily singing. "Where, oh, where, is
good old Daniel." his dangling suspen-
ders tapping soberly above his slippercd
feet, as he trudged contentcdly up and
down the hall. The conquered Rex
junior would finally sink heavily and
more heavily against his shoulder. until.
when just abou, to learn the fate Of the He
brew children, he would succumb to the
combined effect of warm fannels. the
charms Of music, and the solace OF cam
omile, and with W cary final wall pass
into that oblivion where collie is un-
known.
Sometimes on these night marches his
old soldering days would come back 10
him with great vividness, and with them
his romance. At such times Rex junior
would be treated to long walk, so long,
indeed, that bis mother would sink into
such profound slumber that when she
was awakened TO have him returned TO
her, she always reused up to the firm
conviction that Rex senior was a burglar
intent upon stealing her precious boy.
As If any burglar in his nigh, mind
would steal three-mon,hs-old baby.
when there were spoons or anything else
in the house to be taken. His romance
he had never told in words. but somehow
his mother and sister knew that there had
been one. and they arranged it to suit
themselves. He was treated with addi-
tional tenderness because it had failed,
and so. doubtless, were they. Often one
or the other said. Poor Rex. wonder
who she was:-what a pity" But IN
her deceiiful heart she did not think so,
for this dream of his did not disturb their
hold on him, and realization Of II might
have done so. Altogether i, was much
nicer for things 10 be just as they were.
The tender mystery which shIouded a
certain time Of his life offered an excuse
for the tide Of motherly and sisterly love
10 ebb and flow in constant waves, the
raisoH 4 ,tTr for the ebb being only 10
gather fresh strength for the flow.
I've no doubt that they invested the
romance with more magnitude than il
deserved. They even at times detected a
sad shade lingering around their hero ;
admirable mouth, or giving a far-oti look
to his eyes, as he sank into the easy chair
which his adoring small relatives ,ugged
forward for him. Later, when these
small relatives. who had fa,tened upon
CORY giant stories from their uncles lips
until they were appeased, and afraid OF
their own shadows, were being put TO
bed, the daughter would say, suggestive
ly, to her mother, Poor dear Rex looks
tired tonight then, severely, to her
children: You children have no mercy
upon your uncle. You are always riding
him " hen he is in the house. do wish
you would not forever worry him for
stories. | could tell you just as nice
ones.
This would raise derisive laugh and
backed up by the fact that there was not
only lamp burning brightly, but mo
'her and grandmother in the room, the
audacious small ones would suggest TO
each other topics for mothers stories,
which, after the substantial fare in that
line which their uncle had accustomed
them to, they regarded as very weak diet
indeed.
Yes, the dear boy is not in his best
spirits tonight. | dare say he has been
thinking. l must hurry back to him,
so he will not be too lonely, poor fel-
low -
II had come TO have perfectly clear
meaning to those good ladies when either
Of them accused this interesting man OF
having "been thinking" and was in nc
wise an iptimation that, save periodically
he existed without thought. They sim
ply meant that natural regrets were fill
ing his mind and expressing his heart.
1t is true that, as be walked home from
his office the very night in question, he
had "been thinking" but his thoughts
ran something in this fashion: "If could
see through the game Sharp and Swindle
are playing, Id feel better. That stupid
old Fresh. to let himself be trapped SO
If clients only knew how much gold there
is in silence, their lawyers wouldn't find
ou, so often how much money there i:
in their pockets" And his mind had
flown back to these legal worries wher
the neice and nephew, ceasing to act a.
counter-initsnts, had flown to bed. But
when his mother re-entered the room
and he caught her look of sympathy, ht