The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-01-23
Select Story.
MY FIRST MURDER.

From BelgraUia.
never realized until quite lately what
a lot the fellows who write books and things
have to answer for. For instance, L am
pretty sure that should never have thought
of committing murder but for a particular
article in the C0rnhiU Magazine. | don't
often read magazine articles, but this one
was brought to my notice in rather ex-
ceptional way. l had occasion to pay a
visit to my dentist, and on being shown
into his waiting room observed at once
that there was an addition to the current
literature upon the table. had been there
(from circumstances over which | have un-
fortunately no controD so frequently that |
knew the list by heart. There was vol
ume of Punch for 1872, list of the Gov
ernors of University Hospital, the "Adven-
lures of Mr.. Ledbury," by Albert Smith;
the second volume of 'Mr. Carington," by
Mortimer Collins; time table of the South
eastern Railway, and several odd numbers
of the transactions of the Chronological
Society" 1 had tried them all, at various
times, and had found them, without excep-
ton, vanity. 1 defy any one to enjoy hu-
NOR, even of the most rollicking descrip-
ton, with those folding doors staring him
in the face, and yelp of anguish occa-
sionally audible behind them had made
several attempts at "Mr. Carington," but
when you have no means of ascertaining
either how a story begins or how it ends,
the interest soon flags, and never got be-
yond the seventeenth page. With the
other books l had still less success, for OBJ
vious reasons. Under such circumstances
itmay be imagined that caught sight of the
familiar yellow cover of the CornhiW with
much satisfaction. / found, to my sur
prise, that it was quite recent number,
bearing date September last. | pounced
upon it, and was soon deep in highly in
teresting story, entitled "The Curate of
Churnside." 1t set forth how a nice
young curate, by name Walter Dene, of
charming manners and artistic tastes-a
man who showed the tenderest solicitude
for little sick girls, and touching consid-
Grafton even for their aged grandmothers-
was impelled, by pressure of circumstances,
to murder his uncle. had always had a
prejudice against murderers, whom pic
tured to myself as vulgar and brutal per-
sons like the late Mr.. Peace, but | began to
see that there might be another side to the
question. The story showed in the clearest
and most unmistakable manner that Walter
Dene really had no alternate. He had not
the least wish to murder his uncle, but the
old gentleman formed an obstacle to Wal
ter's union with an amiable and deserving
young lady, and it was absolutely necessary
that he should be removed. Accordingly,
Walter makes up his mind to remove him,
and does so, stabbing him artistically in the
back with bowieknife. 1t shows the ma
tural nd-heartedness of theman in that,
having in withdrawing the knife accident
ally wounded the paw of the murdered
mans favorite spaniel, Walter Dene sits
down quietly by the side of the corpse and
binds up the dogs wounded limb with his
own pocket handkerchief had reached
this point in the story when the folding
doors opened My dentist appeared in the
opening, with his usual crocodile smile, q
never could realize crocodiles' tears, but
can picture their smile exactly and beck
oned me in. | had to lay down the story
unfinished, and to this day don't know
what ultimately became of the tender.
hearted murderer.
For the next half hour or so my atten-
ton was diverted from the subject by ex-
treme personal discomfort, but on leaving
the chamber of horrors and regaining the
street the history came back to me with
renewed vividness I found myself exam
lining Walter Dene's arguments for the sup
preston Of his uncle with sort of per
sonal interest For I, too, have an uncle
1, too, love (and am beloved by) charm
ing girl, and my uncle is the only obstacle
to our union. / don't mean to say that he
objects to it-quite the contrary; but the
mere fact of his continuing to exist, and
thereby retaining possession of his money,
which would otherwise come to me, is an
effectual bar to our happiness. Dear julia
is charming girl, but, like the young lady
in the song, her face is her fortune, and il
is hardly to be supposed that |, Benjamin
Grylis, clerk in her Majesty's Civil Ser
vice at ESQ year, could marry on that
even with the additional hundred or so mJ
uncle allows me. Really tn eparallel was
wonderfully close. In some respects, in
deed, mine was the stronger case. For tht
Reverend Walter Dene's uncle was NOT
(save by the mere fact of his existence,
Objectionable. Mine was Not to men