The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-05
A BACHELORS CONFESSION.

Those who for twenty years and more
have been absent from home had best, ac-
cordlng to my experience, remain away al
together. To return is to destroy illusions
hitherto firmly believed in; ones friends
are dead, are married, have gone away, or
are no longer the same one remembers
them. Your very birthplace is lost to YOU /:
the house you once called home is perhaps
a school-house, the fields you played in are
covered with villas, down the green lanes
rows OF shops run. Few stings come more
sharply than that feeling of being a
stranger where once you stood familiar
The smart had sent me from England row
ing over the Continent, never stopping at
any one place long enough to find enjoy
ment In 1t; and now, my years holiday all
but expired, was returning with a heart
llghtened by the anticipation of going back
to India and settling down among NV old
chums, who would, l knew, welcome my
advent and listen to my stories. Not that
L mad many to relate; one seldom expa-
tlateS on the experience of disappointment,
and mine was not a temperament to court
or attract adventure. An everyday, com
mon-place, fifty-year-old bachelor is al
lowed to go his own way without getting
much notice given to him.
was returning to London from Paris by
way of Dieppe; the month was September,
and the weather was hot enough to make
the longer sea journey seem inviting. l
half honr to snare and Vt ~ MiVn sou
time bought books, newspapers. fruit,
emptled my pockets, arranged nv note
book, and sorted my monev. 1t seemed to
me L had good deal more French gold than
need carry back with me, and | asked a
b -, 81 ili,'i i,'''o' eTe'i''ils ny IL
there was one round the corner Of the on
poSite street, not ten doors away-he would
keep an eve on NV BELONGINGS JybiIa Went
so far. | started. found the house. man.
aged my business, and returned inst in
time to be let ont ON the nlatfo,.n, S,,n.;ad
to secure a corner seat in a carriage
When had drawn breath il strlcl, me 7
need not have been in such hustle for nj.
though there was y crowd Of ,,osen,, cro,.- -;
tho waiting-room, none of them came in
nv wav: anparan+lv was goina 70 ,,1oi -.
a solitary Journey. Not foo FAST tboneyh :.
here comes some felIo,y- trs1,aIars 20 .
man and a voun0 lady. thev naSS nv, "" 90 q
riage. coma hail, ogoin hdpsi+ -, -
round: and finally She cote IN ana IL In
walks away. to RETURN few nainn+os ' a+a i,e
and stands chatting aft the yindoyy ont ~
which she leans. / get n GOOD view Of ~
MANS face-not IIeosan+ - - -, - = :
his ewes roam uneasiIIT about DC
for some one who has NOT come. a,,5
though the Girl is talking earnastIv anJ
ouickly. he seems to nav very soont oo+t.,,
tion to her. F' scum "o''n-
I'm comes the oruord-tbara !. n g.,
scrutinv of ticI,ets bora;ncr of -, mo u
shrek. oroan shriIi ru5istia ~ a., siooa >,
off-unex1ectedlv &C II saan,S 70 -, a.
panion. for she starts mn crI,in0. i.po,ra,
mana ~ and then. 90 r,pn Dia,, H., T. L'st
She has SINK down on the SCOT -, o, ,, UneIi
Of tears. Wv 0'i 'N0 '0''O III passion
o.Na,,.
4l,i Nv, 40. deN any appropriated person.
onlo Was Sne way l SoiloquiZed on the
1850 III "nas nay uone InaG should
naSe 'lle e 81, % inns young MODE forced
H. 20 -, Vsiol'ofy Cne glrI seemed
3ole w U'il II oll Iaps Oh Tears, ior When she
LEV aMay neI nt1hukerchiel from her eyes
AZ ~ " DO "eU anu soPpine' an ldea seemed
70 haye occuIreu 20 heTSeH that TINS utter
S stn., was iltIie ouo OF season;
dir,o - ~ IiriiiI glahce IN my
~, IL I's lIsoIu1ely closed her hand
~ Uto Daii neI was reduced
oo' euSC4neu nei eyel'ts CIgnt oVerher eyes,
ns ~ toi nov 70 leC ouI any more
% tie Oge'is Uii9 1 WeIe .nere' tucked up her
Iee:, anu Sav siielIDly paetilh8 WIN Vhe sobs
WHEN sue Go e.l' loC qulte overcome.
caniios now Ie .l w1at IL was that
'at ,, me III .e paper, puo somethlng