Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-18

parties must submit ihe' Niio7
mittee and appointed her TO the char
after the NEAL they retired Tor DEBATE
There was long discussion, while we
waited anxiously for the result At last
the fair Judges appeared, and my ialrest OF
the fair, who had thrown tablecloth
about her for robe, and looked more I'M
pressive in it than any judge IN his
ermine. announced the decision. First,
nas objection to the contest was
considered. The troubadour smiled out
wardly but | could clearly see
his secret chagrin-but ! must 50 TO
surgeon and be examined. ohouid ne
decide that my limb was perfectly healed
and that swimming would not lnlure 1t,
then | must take up the challenge, and the
contest must take place de facto: Now II
was my turn to smile outwardly to hide
my inward disgust | had agreed to the
decision, and now must yield. Indeed, |
attempted to show that the decision was
unfair, but the English lady insisted that
| could not in honor, gainsay 1t. L
know" said she, distinguishing me signally
by her favor, II know you will yield for
my sake, and if it be possible for you
to swim at all, enter the battle as
my knight. Conquer OF die let
this he your motto" | thanked her for
the honor as well as for her faith III my
courage to sacrifice myself.
Next day the surgeon came. He ex-
amined, he pressed my handsome limb on
every side with his rough peasants hand !;
he looked at it with as much persistency
as if he had never seen anything of the
kind before; in conclusion he declared, in
spite of my solemn assurance to the con-
trary, that there was no trace of fracture
about my limb; if there had ever been
one, then the setting had been triumph
of the surgical art; in his opinion, there
might have been, at most, a slight disloca-
ton; now the limb was sound rs limb
could be. could have cholied the fellow,
but when | saw how delighted my loved
one was at his announcement | could have
ilugged him. Nothing dissipates de-
spondency of the soul or clears the brow
so quickly as the unhoped-for discovery
that love, long sought and given, is re-
turned. Yours, RUDOLPH.
My FRIEND: To-day | am going away
from here to make a short excursion
through Switzerland, and then | must re-
turn home, to see about favorable chance
which my presence is absolutely necessary.
In haste RUDOLPH
Berne is charmingly situated, and Inter
laken, though as yet but little visited. is
an Eldorado of elegance and noblesse.
The calm of the region, with its mountain
ranges, the mighty guards Of the simple,
pretty cottages, has done my foolish brain
good. | have been lying on the hill near
est the "Neil" and have heard nothing
but the fash of the rushing waters and the
beating of my heart Your
RUDOLPH.
am at home and so constantly occu-
pied with the sale of the estate that re-
serve details till later RUDOLPH.
N.
DEAR FRIEND: Five weeks have passed
since my return; the estate has been sold
to advantage and ! have entered into
possession of my outstanding commission,
as Lieutenant. The art Of war is surely a
vocation from which the weaker sex are,
so far, excluded.
Every bit of youthful nonsense which |
have hitherto cherished is completely an
initiated. | stand above myself, as it
were, and taking bird's-eye view of the
past, contemplate it with smiling glance
like the Troubadour's" Now | must
tell you how my adventure ended; every
one else has enquired long ago, but YOU
were always the friend who asks nc
questions; > perhaps, however, you had
your little moral lecture already for the
occasion; but | escaped by that journey to
Switzerland.
was the signal word which my lady gave
me on the pathless road to glory in that
swimming contest You know the Castle
of Chillon, whose subterranean vaults were
once Bonivard's living tomb. Byron's
magnificent poem has shed over it the
glorious sunlight OF poetry, and innumer-
able English women, in visit TO Switzer-
land, have sketched it in their much
enduring portfolios. Not far from the
castle, at the appointed hour, my rival and
| appeared in lightly-woven swimming
attire wore the English colors-mnd
full of my lady fair My heart
beat loud with love and knightly
devotion. 4 small island, which a swim.
mer could reach in about an hour, was
fixed rs the goal He who treads its sol
finds himself on English ground, for il
belongs to Victoria In imagination
queror swimming to England and his lady
! love. | rushed into the water at the start
ing place, and, glancing proudly around
perceived my charmer in Il fishing boa
near our course. "She wants to see mt
win the race" thought | yet she con
ceals her interest and desire under the pre-
tense OF fishing" She stood erect in til,
swaving boat and directed the boatman Il
he threw out the net. ] cast at her Il low
ing glance. and did not notice the whilt
how my opponent was gliding past me
but surely I was held back by some power
full restraint; Simultaneously | saw my
ladv's boatman lean far over the edge o
the boat and pull with all his might on tn
net. felt myself forced out Of the course
it was as if / was srasped by 4 current an'
forced toward the boat. Slowly 4
first, and then with increasing speed
1t was horrible! | realized that | wa
caught in the net, literally. 1t EXTENDED
for several meters into the water, and helt
me so fast in its meShcs that | could no
Get loose. Here was sacrifice to tn
royal sport, which had always so mucl
esteemed. was compelled to submit t
being hauled in by the lusty fisherman
Should cry out? | was already near tn
boat and heard his words: "a heav,
haul, miss; please lean to the other side
and pull as hard as possible, 50 that W
can keep our balance" diyed and hope,
to tear the net. Vain thought wa
pulled in by the powerful fisher
man and MY angel charmer, an
sprawled hclplessly in the Net ut thei
feet! His Honor, the Lieutenant
casped the boatman, astonnded. NJ
Knight" said The lady, full of disgust an
horror. suppose should have sal
"Odysseus at Nanska's feet" but nothin
could have been farther from my thought
than Homer was at that moment. I'll
simple language of children and {
; the classical authors is not b,
fitting such occasions rs this. II
deed, | doubt if any modern coul
invent a conversation which would hay
, exa ,tlv suited the circumstances. 0, N
friend, there are eases in which a simp
swimming attire is changed into the ros
, of meditation
Specifies stood the lady, and specific
law nj her feet But the huatman 4