The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-04-15


date that monarch had assembled the |
throne. He refused to let little Carrot |
son 90 into the Chamber of Horrors.
saving it would excite him. He babe |
him admire the noble brow of Richard |
Golden and took mean advantage
of the occasion to bore him about free
trade Finally, he drew down on him
self the contempt Of Carrotson by mis-
quoting Shakespeare as they were sur
veving Charles Kemble in the part of
Hamlet: That's Hamlet saying: My
kingdom for a horse, - remarked the
mendacious lawyer.
At DIury Lane in the evening it was
worse. Little Carrotson derived some
amusement from the pantomime, and
almost relented in his revengeful pur.
poses; but the miserable lawyer re-
| fused to stay for the harlequinade. He
said that little boys ought not to be kept
out of their beds after half-past ten.
Little Carrotson silently ground his
teeth, and from that moment MIR. Cut
BILL punishment was decreed beyond
hope of pardon. The three letters were
posted in the pillar-box of Deans Yard
on the following day, when the boy re-
turned to school.
They were destined to have very re-
markable effects on the lawyers future.
In the first place there came to him on
the Friday morning a short but sweet
note from Mrs. Higgins:
| MY DEAR Mr.. CUTBILL-Your original and
amusing way of proposing for dear Rosa's
hand has made us both laugh, but my beloved
child is quite alive to the honor which you are
comforting on her, and can promise you that
all the affection which you lavish upon her
shall be amply repaid in kind. Please come at
once; she is waiting for you; Very faithfully
yours, FLORA HIGGINS.
"What the deuce does this mean?"
asked Mr.. Cutbill, with blank look.
He wrote at once for explanations, and
then received curt note, begging him
to call at Mrs. Higgins. That lady
and her daughter Imagined that the
lawyer cherished the unchivalrous de-
sign of retracing his proposal and this
G. was confronted with his own hand
writing. He vowed it was not his, but
was driven at last to own that possibly
he had written the letter in his sleep.
He had heard of such things happen
ing, and though he did not believe he
was somnambulist, he could not, Of
course, swear that such was not the
case.
"But if you wrote the letter in your
, sleep, did it betray your unspoken
, thoughtsP" was the clever Mrs. Hig-
, gins next searching question. She
smiled kindly as she said this, and Mr..
Cutbill gave in. After all, why
, shouldn't he marry RosaP He returned
to Cover street an engaged man; but
, by that time he had come to guess who
, was the culprit who had played him
this trick, and he thought with indigna-
ton of the precocous depravity evinced
by little Carrotson.
' This was on the Saturday, and Mr..
Cutbill had scarcely reached home when
, Brown, his quondam friend, marched in
? with beaming face. 1t should be said
? that this Brown had behaved very badly
to Cutbill, but now there was emotion
> in his eyes as he advanced upon the
/ lawyer and forcibly grasped his hand.
{ "You have acted nobly in forgiving me,
> Cutbill. | shall never forget
| it. No more generous letter
: than yours was ever penned; but
$ enough, I've brought good appetite
with me-"
2 Il don't in the least understand you, "
Mr. Cutbill was about to say, coldly, but
I he checked himself. Since Brown
praised him for his generosity, it was a:
e well to take credit for such rare virtue
!. Brown had evidently come to dinner
\ and as the lawyer always dined we'll
i his sudden arrival did not matter much
I But over their wine, by-and-by, wher
' the two gentlemen had quite cement &c
+ their reconciliation, Mr.. Cutbill thought
it best to tell the truth, and avow that i
b H.,
r named Carrotson, that he was indebted
n for the pleasure of having Brown tt
t dine at his table. AS if to corroborat,
= that assertion, that very evenings pos
4 brought letter from the lawyers thirC
y correspondent, the Peer, which rar
!. thus: IL|F .-I |..
= my DEAR Mr.. CUTBILI.-What on earth 4
s the meaning of the inclosed note, which, pre-
sumo, is forgery! Yours, truly, O.
! A visit which Mr.. Cutbill paid to West
q minister School on the Monday nigh
p might have had distressing consequence
for little Carrotson, but for Mrs. Hg
"a gins interference. AS it was, the law
y yer only went for the purpose of asking
n how many letters Carrotson had though
It proper to write in his name, and h,
1t smiled-rather o grim smile, though
e e In cautioning the boy against practica
If Jokes for the future. Little Carrotsol
e laid the lesson well to heart. He go
y many welcome reminder to this ent
IL from dear Rosa, who, after her mar
. rage become his ally, and often invite,
him to dine in Cover street, where sh
\ gave him no washing bills to balance
y. but treated him like man, and tippe'
q him sovereigns. earning in response hi
f,V., - L L