Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-26
WHAT TOM MAXWELL DID.

WHAT TOM MAXWELL DID.
"Who was that young fellow who
seems to be rather epris with your rector's
pretty daughter - said | to my friend
Marcus Jermyn. as tore off white tie,
flung away my dress boots into a corner,
and prepared to settle myself down com
fortably to pipe and a chat in his cosy
smeking-room, after dinner party which
ne had given TO some Of the village mag.
mates.
What Tom Maxwell, d'you mean
the youugEter who sat opposite to you 2"
d" Yes there was something about his
appearance ! rather like. VINO is ne q
Hes duced plucky fellow, l can tell
you, said Jermyn "Why did you not
hear what Tom Maxwell did last winter
It was in all the papers"
Not !, said l. q was in New York,
you know, and missed a good deal of Ea-
glish news
"Wen, look here, old fellow, just get
into that shooting jacket and brew your
self what yen like, and I'll tell you the
story. YoE know in old times I was rather
fond Of yarn.
Jermyn and 1 had been at Oxford TO-
gether some ten or twelve years before, and
mad kept up the friendship which we had
formed there. Since | had last seen him
ne had succeeded to his fathers property
at Coxton, a pretty village on the east
coast, and had settled down very comfort
ably to the ordinary routine of a country
gentlemau's lie. | had been roaming all
over the world, partly on business and
partly on pleasure, and, having a few
weeks before returned from a heightened
tour in the United States, l had run against
Jermyn IL the Strand, and he had then
made me promise to spend few days with
him at Christmas. Consequently, | found
myself, at the end of Christmas week, in
his comfortable country house aud what
with two or three dinner parties carpet
dance and servants ball, had rather a
Jolly time of it. l was to leave the next
day for London, and Jsrmyn had given a
dinner party in my honor to some Of his
intimate aeighDors. They having departed.
Mrs. Jernyu had given Marcus leave of
absence, at my particular request and we
had determined to pass pleasant hour or
two in talking over old times, and compar-
ing notes as 20 now the world had treated
us both since We were q couple of thought
less undergraduates.
"We'l, continued he, you'd like TO
hear what Tom Maxwell did but first,
you ought 70 know something about him.
He's the pEpi, OF old SAWYER, the Vicar of
Middleham, e village about a mile from
here. Sawyer, who has good deal in that
ancient brain Of his, but very little in his
pocket, adds to the some hundred and
fifty per su1un which he draws from the
Niddlansm -ilhe.psyers by taking pupil
or two, and a confounded nuisance they
have been on one or two occasions, l can
tell you. Talk of poschers, why that
Young scamp Z Twin Millborough, a son of
Lord Mul6orcugh, played the dickens with
my pheasants q couple of years ago and
finished of by shooting at my keeper.
Luckily it was a long shot, and it didn't
hurt him, but Sawyer had the good sense
to see that that sort of thing wouldn't do.
and SO the Honorable Edwin was sent
home, much to the delight of the neighbor-
hood Since then the pupils have been
pretty fair, and l think young Maxwell
one Of the best. He came to Sawyer
about eighteen montha since, and, as he Is
= very quiet, reading youngster, and never
into mischief, he's a favorte among the
matroas Of the neigbboThood, and also,
since the event l am going to tell you Of,
among the girls | should mention that
there is no society whatever in Middle
ham. so that C0xton sees as much
as it does of Sawyer's pupils, and, in fact.
they are tame about the place, and have
the run OF all the houses. At the time
Maxwell came TO Sawyer he had hut one
other pupil, tall young fellow called Dem
ton, most abominably conceited and no
favorite with u.s. l don't know what Den
ton did. except dwaddle about and gossip
for he had as genuine q liking fer scandal
as an old woman in the place. Somehow
or other he gave US all a general impress
sion that the new pupil, Maxwell, was
regular nilksop, fresh from his mothers
spron-stri1g and up TO none of the ordI-
nary pursuits of other youths. Seeing the
samples we had already had this was good
news for us elders; but, of course, such
character did him no good among the Young
ladies', and they needed t. pity one an
other when Maxwell fell 10 their lot As
dinner party OF dance. He certainly had
very little Sc say for himself, and was un.
commonly shy. and was, therefore, a great
contrast to Denton, who would have
thought nothing of strolling up To Her
Majesty a. a levse and advising her 70 let
Buckingham Palace. In this way it got
to be considered that Maxwell was muff;
and as be did nothing in particular to re
move TINS impression, it clung to him until
She incident took place which I AN going
TO tell you.
Wen, things vent on very quietly until
last January. Denton had taken to patron
ling Maxwell before people, and often
limited that, hu. for him, that unfortunate
youth would be always getting into scrapes,
and he took much credit u himself for
taking tbs trouble to look after so young
and IN Zear.elcej a lad Il was on the
20 CT Jauv-ry that these two young fsl-
lows had been iiniag with US, and, it being
q fearful night We had persuaded them
both 90 stay o.. night a thing they were
often 10 the habit { doing and which, we
well knew, world give old Sawyer no
anxiety, iao wind had been blowing
pretty s.jI all cay from the north. and
toward evening II had veered round TO the
east. aud came on b. blow a regular gale.
had been asleep for about two hours,
when M1rv a~oke me and SAID she had
heard en- troDt-dooT bell ringing.
guessed at once what il wss. had given
my directions 20 the fishermen 20 send up
to the hail whenever there was 4 ship on
the shore, sud felt certsin that this was a
message Of that import Accordingly l
slipped on my dressing gown and went
down to the door, and without opening IT,
asked who was there.
Tom PuJvis, was the answer.
What is it, Tom said.
There's 4 ship on the Black Steel, sir.
God help them, then was my first
ejaculation. I'm be down directly, Tom,
l said, and went up stairs to dress. Before
doing so, however, l thought these two
lads might possibly like the excitement OF
the scene, and so l went into the double
bedded room where they were sleeping
Upon hearing my errand Denton said that
he had cold, and that ne had seen wrecks
before, and that he thought he wouldn't
come but young Maxwell Immediately
began to dress, Saying that he didn't think
he could sleep comfortably, knowing that
probably some unfortunate sailors were
perishing so near to US.
VIII they be able to do anything for