Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-10-29
AN OLD MANS DARLING.
London Modern Society.

lei
London Modern Society.
A particular friend Of mine tells ..
very amusing story of a little adj b.
venture he had returning from Tyne :.
mouth to Newcastle. He is o dash :
ing sort of a fellow, g~ood-looking,
perfect dresser, and up to all sorts
of fun. He had been helping enter >,
tain q visitor at the club on Satur-
day night, and on Sunday took a run = "
down to Tynemouth for a dip-a sort
of r~eviver, as it were. He says the
salt water sea breeze at Tynemouth :
make a splendid tonic after q pro- :
tracted sitting in a room where the :
only current of air is made by the =
fight of champagne corks through :.
the smoke.
1t was an unusually dull day at
this northern watering place. The
pretty barmaids who II usually on
the promenade, between the noon
closing and the 6 O'Clock reopenlng
we're not out in large numbers on this
, particular afternoon. The sands
were almost deserted and the ugly
bathing machines were tenantless.
, There wasn't even the satisfaction OF
seeing barefooted children chasing
l. the retreating surf. So after having
had a plunge, a good swim, and a
sharp walk down to Cullercoats and
:. back, my friend, whom I will call
we'll, say Algernon, went to the
d Grand, smoked q cigarette or two,
and absorbed, a he designated it, "a
# good stiff B. and S. (which he after
N wards translated to be as six penny
r. worth of brandy in a small bottle OF
ly soda.
lr That seemed to do him good, and
We as there was no one to be seen from
is the bow window of the Grand's
lis smoke room-which, if I may judge
st from passing in front of it, must
g. command a splendid view of the long
is, curved beach, the old ruin, the pier
ny and the vast stretch of ocean beyond
le. the cliffs-he decided to take the
lel fourteen train back to Newcastle, AND
he look up his companions of the night
b" or rather of the early morning.
er- Algy had been the life Of the com
ng, pany the night before. His fund o
lth stories was inexhaustible they wer'
len short, always had a point, and wer'
csc told so that the point vas made
m When Algy told a story there was n
forced laughter, no murmur. "Ah
yes, very good, very good,' and a
rels immediate resumption Of geners
cen conversation. He could sing a goo
Is song, sing it we'll, and sing jul
re- enough of it. He was q good gener'
ocK talker too, and was in excellent hi
est NOR that Saturday night; and tt
more the corks popped, the bright
'un- be waxed, until finally every OF
yielded him the floor and he ente
tanned them all right royalty. New
q was he so witty, never were his st
,ber ries so piquant, never his songs
Aan- effective.
den. But, somehow, the next day "
dred not altogether so pleasant. The
ches was a sort of a "don't-care-a-rap-f'
sery- anything" feeling. His head did
q Is actually ache, but there was not t
City usual Sunday afternoon clearn'
and lightness. He had eaten
and very little-a bit of dry toast, dipl
TWO in strong tea, and a soft-boiled eg:
West vet there was a kind Of a gnaw
illage sensation in the region Of the To-
| the waistcoat button, as though he
peo- eaten a substantial meal of indigo
good BILE stuff. He had a tired, languidf
It OF ing that his bath, his walk in the
breeze, his cigarette, and even the
3 and 3. could not O1spei.
Isl Sauntering listlessly down to
station, not caring particul
pp'es whether he went to Newcastle Oh
~ Edinburgh, he bought u ticket
-. walked along the train till he So
80 frst-class compartment with no o
. pant. This he entered, and shut
door. He chose a non-smo
compartment. Possibly he wa
to commune with his own thong
~ or perhaps he thought the fume
11-.m an old pipe, such as Britons US
W. smoke when travelling, would nc
agreeable to a sensitive organic
.,, such as his on this particular Su
- afternoon.
The ticket-collector shut the
with a slam, and the guard blew
whistle, then the gate quickly
", again; there was IN excited
-, nation
-. Here's one, Charles; goot
,k-Jacks ~ m. -a 49, h,,
enough voc s,o,
Intry in :. d. $50 uovo
and to his infinite disgust, a
old set
1900 very much out-of-breath young
~ who evidently had had a sha'
Ito catch the train.
No self-communion now.
Eleaned back in his corner, sh'
,terprise 49, + 80 th.n . win,
God part - h;mso,f t.L;na f,r,;ve
MY tory through his h~alf-closed e
Ato =