Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-25

But persisted. Now the subject had
been preached l felt it beheoved me, IN
Standardization, to make the strength OF
my position as clear as possible. p" Where
is the nurse who took charge OF me as an
infant /? You do not know. Dead or dis
appeared. Could she be found her evil
dence might support your testimony, or 1t
| might not. In default of such evidence
must hold my Judgment open to accept
any theory that may offer.
81 can't believe my ears, she faltered
aghast, as / proceeded.
"Consider, resemble neither you nor
nv father in any notable particular. |
have gifts of mind and person of which l
search in vain for the slightest trace in you.
The proofs, SO far as they go, are against
you. Briefly, [ have accepted the theory
of my birth on the same ground as, at six
years old, l accepted the history of Jack
the Giant. killer-oral evidence"
She started up thought she was 60
ing to fly into passion, and expostulated,
You have no cause Tor dlsple2sure, dear
mother. will always call yon so, if you
like. Indeed you may be my mother-you
probably are-I assert nothing. The case
is one Of conflicting possibilities. On what
grounds am / TO choose between them?"
YOU'RE talking nonsense. Nonsuch,
che said angrily.
81 readily grant," soothingly re-
sponded, g that all hypothesis except one
that I am your son-seem extravagant
and improbable This, however, is merely
the way in which they strike on our i'm
aginati0n."
was going to elucidate, when at this
juncture my father entered the room, and
asked in some alarm what was the matter,
for my mother-such is the inveterately
unphilosophic habit of the female mind
seemed nearly beside herself with indigna-
ton. The salient contrast of SO vehement
a temperament with my own could not but
strike me forcibly, confirming my doubt
respecting my origin.
''Hear what he says !" she exclaimed to
her husband distractedly, throwing up her
hands " that he is not our son p
may, nay" demonstrated, and hast
ened to resume my chain of reasoning /;
promising it by solemn assurance that,
indebted to them as was for nurture and
education, my regard was established on
solid basis. Only in the question before
US l refused to be biased by gratitude or
affection, or anything, indeed, but reasona.
BILE argument.
1 knew my fathers irritabilitY, and
dreaded an outbreak. l strove to avert it,
but in vain. A storm of irrelevant re-
proaches burst from his lips. Fresh argu-
mentation on my part provoked only
fresh yolley OF injurious epithets-I caught
at the one unnatural.
My sentiments, you state, are such as
in child of yours would be abnormal.
This, if true, tells in favor of my hypothe-
sis"
My father came striding up to me, his
features convulsed with rage. "Sir," he
said, 81 don't know if l can credit my
senses. Answer me this Do you mean
to tell me you want further proof of your
parentage before you subscribe to it,"
GAS matters stand | have no warrant
for subscribing to it," Ireplied, with heroic
frankness. mo proof is Forthcoming but
your statement. Evidence, to be satlsfac-
tory, must be as good as can well be i'm
agined. And ifany theory be barely posi-.
bic, such as that of my supposititious birth,
l am bound not TO reject tat least not
without calm, thorough investigation.
l draw veil, out Of regard for my re-
puted father, over the sequel. Suffice it
to say l was forbidden his house, his pres
ence-prospectiyely cut off with shill-
ing-treatei. in short, precisely as though
| were an alien, the mere suggestion of
which possibility had occasioned this up
roar | pointed out this inconsistency to
the elders, but it merely aggravated them
afresh.
l returned to my rooms in college-which
/ still held-to consider my next step
Deeply though lamented the breach, my
dominant feeling was regret at the deplor-
able spectacle just revealed to me OF human
intolerance and unreason, that can exact
from you blind belief without argument,
openly requiring you to do without it. My
solace was high self appreciation at my
readiness to imperil my most material in
terests sooner than swerve from my dire
determination to follow truth wherever it
leads, even through apparent paradoxes.
At my rooms l found a note awaiting
me. The contents. which staggered me
not little, ran as follows:
Sir am in search of tutor to undertake the
entire charge of my youngest son during the ap-
preaching absence from England Of myself and the
rest of my family. Professor Y. has spoken of you
to me in terms that incline to desire your ac
duaintance. The best way will be for you to join
the professor and myself at luncheon Tomorrow at
O'Clock.
The letter bore the signature of the Duke
OF Midlothian.
If I was elated it was for an instant
only. / saw through it at glance. 1t
was not the first of such tricks my cousin
Frank had played me. Paper and envelope
bore the arms of St Radigund's- col
lege. An invitation to lunch with Duke,
indeed a good joke An offer of tutor
ship to his son, and on the recommendation
OF Professor X, of whom | had made
life enemy by disputing with him success
fully the meaning of a passage in Homer !
A likely story Yet so easily are we be-
trayed by an inward inclination into giving
credence to appearances flying in the face
of all probability, and contradicting all
previous experience, that another than my
self would have blIndly fallen into the
snare, complacently reflected, as by and
| by pretense was made of calling for an
answer to the note.
/ replied that there was none !; and
when, later, Frank himself dropped in, the
| hoax had nearly passed out of my mind,
which was indeed more seriously occupied
| l intimated to Frank that | had had a
quarrel with my governor ian appella-
ton to which no exception on the score of
accuracy could be taken), and expected to
be thrown awhile on my own resources.
He was sympathetic, so far as his over
sanguine disposition allowed, concluding
with the cheerful prophecy, Never fear
but you will get into some good berth or
other. With your class distinctions you
/ % L
Such unauthorized presumption felt bound
to qualify in some measure.
Though my name be on the first-class,
it would be rash to infer that l came up to
the standard. The examiners may have
been prejudiced in my favor-my success
due to some happy hazard. There are
ways of accounting for it equally conceiv-
| able with that of superior excellence"
Argument always bored Frank. He
yawned and looked about. Talking of
| tin ton men - he remark ed 90 do Won knov