The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-10-20

You might have knocked me down
with feather. made hundred APP
pologies, all of which he acknowledged
with great politeness.
'.It has my address on it. and will
turn up some day, no doubt"
Show could have been such an in
fernal foolr' / murmured penitently.
Pardon me-" he said, still sweetly
smiling; lit is not that you are-the
character you have so graphically de-
scribed, but because you have so much
presence of mind. For my part l
never do anything in hurry, and es-
pecially if it seems imperatively de-
manded of me; l always carefully avoid
being what is vulgarly called equal to
the situation At one time, indeed, it
was otherwise. ] used to suffer from
the same infirmity as yourself, but was
cured of it as / am sure you will be,
and, as it curiously happens. in pre-
cisely similar manner.
II was coming by mail one night
from the north of Scotland; in the car
rage with me was but one fellow pas
senger, a young fellow whom / judged
to be in love, since he seemed very
much occupied with his own affairs and
said little. He did not appear
inclined for sleep, and gave me the idea
of expectation. Perhaps he was to
meet his beloved object at his journeys
end. At a small station just beyond
Perth lie got hurriedly out, as l under
stood from his muttered exclamation,
for glass of whisky; it was bitterly
cold winters night, which seemed an
excuse for it; but / warned him that
there was no time to get it. and there
was not. The carriage door had hardly
closed behind him when the train went
on.
FL was very sorry for the poor lad,
and knowing that to be left at SO
wretched place without ones luggage
would be an additional annoyance,
with great presence of mind Threw out
of the window everything he possessed
his portmanteau, hat box and railway
rug, even to his umbrella. / can see
them now, black OF the snow-covered
line, where he could not fail to see
them from the platform. Then we
Numbered on for about twenty miles,
when the train stopped again, and
who should present himself at the
window of the carriage but the young
man himself
~ beg your pardon he said, for
letting the cold air in, but l see it is the
wrong compartment. thought l had
left my baggage here.'
$50 you did, said; but chucked
it out. I'm very sorry, but l thought
we had left you behind. Ibid it all for
the best
".And you've done it pretty CON-
pletely,' was his dry reply.
"When we had telegraghed to the
last station he got it again and ex-
planned matters. He was studying
civil engineering, it seemed, and had
bribed the engine man to let him drive
us for a mile or two. AS this was con-
trary to regulations, the man was
afraid to let him join him at Perth. but
told him to jump on at the first small
station we came to, which he accord
ingly did. 1t was lesson to him not
to break the company's bylaws, and to
exercising my presence of mind"
After this homily, and my own pre-
yious experience of what comes of
promptness and presence of mind, the
reader will think that myself
qui Uous parle-would atieast never fall
into a mistake OF that kind again. Yet
this happened to me only last week.
/ had taken hurried lunch at my
club, before going to Brighton, and,
finding it to be rather late, had flung
myself into the first hanson at the door,
with an impatient "To Victoria The
man drove off, but slowly; his horse
seemed tired, and after a few yards
came to a full stop. i'.What is the
l exclaimed with some irri-
tation. 81 am the matter cried we'll
known voice; it was a great friend of
mine. who had stopped the cab, just to
shake hands. His quick eye saw some
thing besides myself in it. why do
you travel with two umbrellas he in
quired, like Japanese gentleman of
rank with couple of swords?"
Then l perceived that the man who
had just got out of the hanson at
the club had left his umbrella
behind him. Of course l might
have left it where it was, but, with
great presence of mind, it struck me
that it would be better to intrust it to
my friend (who was bound for the club)
to give it to the porter, for the owner,
who would thereby recover it at once.
l therefore did so, and with the con-
seriousness of having performed good
action, and also manifested no slight
acumen on the spur of the moment, we
drove on.
On arriving at Victoria, 1 rendered
the cab-man eighteenpence. "What
is this forP" he inquired, with an indig-
nation which, considering his actual
fare was shilling, did him. thought,
great credit. 1T is just fifty per cent.
above what / owe YOU" l said, '.you
very impudent fellow"
Whatr' he cried, in a voice that
brought quite little crowd around us;
''eighteenpence from the Temple!"
"The Temple! I came from the
Megatherium Club, you scoundrel."
'.Then that's not your umbrella"