Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-12-26
THE MAJORS LUNCHEON.

TWAS bright, sunny day in July,
and: although people seemed to find II
! hot, yet to me the atmosphere had only
| just the chill off, for / was lately home
from heightened sojourn in Bombay.
1 had been to the India office to see one
| Of the officials on little matter of de.
tail connected with my furlough, and ]
had two or three hours to spare before
my train-7I live at Seyenoaks, and had
a return ticket by the London, Chatham
and Dover--was due to start, and ]
didn't exactly knowshow to employ the
time. I strolled across the parade, as.
cended the steps by the Duke Of York's
column, and stared at the statue they had
just put up of Outram horse standing
on three legs, and Outram looking back
leaning on the flank Of his horse. Well,
hadn't much fault to find with the
statue, except perhaps as to the horse
being a little heavy, and that I'd have
made him splashing out with his near
fore leg, seeing that his. riders leaning
over the flank; but, notwithstanding,
it's spirited thing, and that's good
/ deal to say in these days. When 7 had
good look ( at Outrams / turned into
Pail Mall and took long stare at the
print shops, and then I sauntered along
the opera oolonnade, fragrant Whit Of
some cooking going on at the restaurant
there making me all of sudden feel as
if I was hungry.
Perhaps You will say I was in the
right quarter to be satisfied, butt didn't
feel so. I am, like John Gilpin, of a
frugal mind. 3D. haven't toiled all these
years in foreign land under blazing
sun to !, dissipate my modest hoard on
cooks and restaurants; moreover, my
appetite is masculine one, and is not
to be appeased by outlets as big as half
crowns. Should I take the "bus" ~ to
Paddington andtlunch with my Sister
Emily? Paddington is long way; EN-
lily as likely as not wauld be- out, and if
at home she would probably be lunch
ing off cream cheese and Osborne bus
cults and glass of Gladstonian claret.
Should retreat to my station, and re-
fresh myself calmly at the dining-room
there and await my train? There was
something ignominious in the idea.
! Here was I in one of the most wonder
full cities in the world, and all Z could
find it in my heart to do was to get out
of it as quickly as possible.
Irresolute stood at the corner of the
Haymarket, not having made up my
mind which way to go. I hadn't stood
there before an old Irish woman asked
me the way to Bethnal- green. I was
rather Hurried ali this, as, although I
have good general idea of the direc-
ton of Bethnal- green, I found it diff
suit to methodize in with rsufi-
dent rapidity for the old Irish
egoman, ea..whos gave me glance Of
contempt and passed on. Before I had
recovered from this, two very nice-look-
ing girls, moved, / supposed. by my
fatherly appearance, besought me, with
charming smiles, to direct them to the
academy: Now, in my young days the
academy used to be at the national gal
lery. and although I ought to have
known very we'll that it was now at
Burlington house, yet somehow never
realized the fact, and SO 1 sent off these
two very nice young creatures entirely
in the wrong direction. My heart
smote ME the next moment, and I was
about to rush across the street to stop
them and. put them in the right way
when L was seized by forid young
Irishman, with all the superfuous en-
ergy and fuency Of his country who in
sisted upon my d'recting him to the
chief commissioner of the civil service,
and was very angry with me when as
sured him there was no such Junction.
airy. He insisted on producing an Of
fetal envelope addressed to Michael O.
Donovan, ESQ.,, at some bowling will
derness in Tipperary, which certainly
! bore in the corner the words civil Ser
vice. Commissions"
widout commissioner ?" cried Michael
triumphantly, but scornfully; and then
I saw, what he wanted, of course, and
sent him to Deans yard, but don't
know after all, whether he wouldn't
have committed an assault upon NE
with the idea he'd got that was 'desa:.
wing him. I hope to goodness the civ
il service commission hasn't moved too,
or I shall, fear to find my tall Irish
friend waiting for me at the corner of
the Haymarket' with a big stick next
time / pass. - = / %' ~
But next minute I was paid for all,
when such a sweet voice fell upon my
! ear, and aslady with little boy in her
hand asked me The way to Regent street.
She, had one. of those softly moulded
sympathetic faces that,give one heart
ache when one finds that the owners Of
than are married, not with any. idea of
!. selfish appropriation, but with the
thought that such sweet candid Great
ures should be set apart for the love
and alteration Of all mankind, and not
monopolized by some one unworthy
wretch. She asked me the way to Reg
emit street and happy was I that I knew
it. After that I deserted my post and
gdarted across to the other side. s#, !.
I hadn't got more than half q dozen
yards when I felt hand laid upon my
arm, and saw at my side a very good
looking, we'll dressed man.
b aAty dear fellow" lie said, g how are
you 2"
I didn't know but what / knew the
!. man, for onemeets SO many people Of
his kidney and for aught / could tell,
81 might have been hospitality entertained
by him somewhere or other up the coun-