The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-10-26

Brought back q yanished youth 70 ma
3 lived again those joyful days,
The old, familiar songs sung, :.
And walked again, with sweet delays,
Tho paths loved when was young.
Zen as the hues upon the leaf,
Each scene appeared SO freshly bright
That all remelnbrances Of grief
Were lost and faded out of sight
n SEVERE TEST.
A Story of the Melbourne Police.
Some years ago-a good many more,
in fact, than + care to recall now-I was
wandering very disconsolately through
one of the main thoroughfares Of Mel
bourne, debating with myself the advisa-
bility Of walking down to the quay and
offering my services as steward to the
Captain of the first homeward-b bound ves-
sci on which I might see the "blue-
peter" hoisted. Things had gone very
badly with me; every enterprise to
which I had turned my attention had
either fallen through or resulted dis
astrously to myself; and, after vainly
trying my luck in the colony for over
three years, I came to the conclusion
that the sooner reconciled myself to
the utter failure of my attempts the bet
ter it would be both for my peace Of
mind and my constitution.
In this dismal mood I was listlessly
reading over the shipping announce
ments posted on anadjacent wall, when
came across a notice from the Police De-
partment, intimating, in tersely official
language, that few new hands were
needed-hands who were strong, vigor-
GUS, healthy, shrewd, good horsemen,
and rejoicing in the possession Of such
other natural advantages as would inev-
itably insure their success in any line
they chose to adopt I was q good
horseman, healthy, and tolerably
strong; my shrewdness I had begun to
doubt lately ; and, as for the rest Of the
desiderata-well, suppose I was %
well off as most people.
Here, possibly, was chance for me;
at any rate, it was only few days delay
if nothing came Of it; I would make my
application and chance it. Ireturned to
my diggings, wrote ON official applica-
ton as per directions, and, to make a
long story short, received, two days lat
er, note desiring my attendance at the
station on the following day. Here,
after rather stiff examination, physical
and mental, and such tests of horseman-
ship as taking fve-barred gate with my
arms folded-which I accomplished sue
cessfully-I was told that everything
was tolerably satisfactory, ana I might
expect an official notification Of appoint.
ment at an early date. Meanwhile, il
would be desirable, I was informed, that
I kept the matter, as far as it had gone,
quito private; stipulation I had no diff
ficulty in conforming to, since I had not
q single friend in the city.
On the evening Of the following day
found at my quarters second note from
Mr.. Superintendent, conspicuously
marked Private" and conveying the
very agreeable intelligence that I was
temporarily engaged from that day. The
letter closed with request that would
call at once on tho Superintendent.
Somewhat to my dismay, I found. on
presenting myself, that my permanent
appointment was conditioned upon my
satisfactorily carrying through special
job then on hand. It was an affair Of
some nicety; and an old hand, from an
other station; would have been given the
work, but for being absent on other
business. Tie matter would admit o.
no delay and it was imperativcly neces-
sary that it was undertaken by somo one
not, or seemingly not, belonging to the
Melbourne force. In short, was to do
it The matter was briefly this: A
packet Of Government papers, OF high
Importance, had been stolen from the
messenger to whose care they were in
trusted and, from information received,
it seemed pretty certain that their pres
ent possessor--a man fast becoming
notorious in the colony would be walk
ing toward the city next afternoon and
to prevent his intimate acquaintance
with the town enabling him to escape,
or any confederates attempting his re-
lease, was to wait by bridge ofthe
line Of read, about ten miles out Of Mel
bourne, and get the papers from him.
The man IVES by no means to be shot,
or if possible even hurt; but tho papers
must be secured. Minute instructions
as to his appearance were followed by q
pretty plain implication that my career
IN the force would very largely depend
upon my success.
felt, as may be easily imagined. in
anything but high spirits. Tho pros
pect Of 4 single-handed encounter with q
man OF whose resources knew nothing,
and who might blow my brains ont be.
fore I had chance Of attack. was NOT
cheering. However, there was nothing
for il; it was my last chAnce. and ]
must embrace Il without Sinking.