Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-06
THE MAJOR.


knox0 world, &c nAs FeHs ~
rience< 10 relate; and. rnst n'osc IN
common. be possesses the khacN " rem,
ding them web. Get the MIoI w eoou
hnnor-~and " 4 not dimcun 70 90 20 =
scss are fortunate enough 10 dine with
S,m-snti you may depend upon an inter-
! hsd been dining with Major olympic
"A tbc club one evening, and we had been
ssltInr ph,losophically Of ocean voyages
md uboard-sblp- life. felt certain that
shs shin would recall 10 the Majors men,
orv an interesting experience, aud | was
not disappointed. With the cigars came
the following singular story, which must
tske the liberty oil relating Ia my own way,
Sll;ne Ia. for the readers satisfaction, many
details, such as I imagine them 70 have
hecp. and which my friends susceptible
ties prompted him 10 omit:
In 1850 the Major found himself 10 Aus
sraIia. lie had been away IRON nome Tor
three wears. during which he bad "done"
she two Americas, India. China, japan, and
fht far East generally. Cape Colony--the
sast and west coasts Egypt, Arabia, ana
she UoIy Land he had done In former
t,u,es while he could almost count his
scampers over the continent by dozens:
since landing in Australia, too, he had
snrnt four months IN cruising among the
Islands OF the South Pacific.
n isno wonder, then, Chat when ne came
a. himself in Melbourne Ia 1880 the Major
hegan 10 long for home and rest. He was
ssted with travel. He reflected, with
shame. that he knew many countries more
intImately than his own. lie knew the
Mall. whitehall, Aldershot, Wimbledon,
Brighton, Goodwood, and Few other
places, but be had never been up tne
5;ramplan Hills or down Lancashire coal
mine. to the lakes OF Killarney. or Inc
Glan't Causeway in the sisier isle Inc
Major acknowledged TO himself that IL was
aman's duty TO see his own country before
wandering about other peoples, ana nc
felt remorseful. , ~
Then came the mournful thought that ne
was no longer twenty-five, out witnih a
very few years OF twice thar age. oreae
heavens, In q little over twenty years
r"o,e no would have lived the allotted
snan. and he was still unmarried-no pro-
vision made for the respectable domestic
comforts old age demands. He had his In
come Of sl,4O0 year-sufiicient for all
natural comIorts--but age without COM
naninnsbip would be unbearable. lie
Sooled In the mirror, and was startled at
the ouantlty OF gray hair that was TO be
&c, among the brown. Had he remained
A. home. he thought bitterly, he would
have had plenty Of kind friends to tell him
how gray he was getting. In short, being
Tor the first time in his life terribly home
sics-a moral silment which might fire.
oneptly be traced tophysical cause.-the
Major resolved to arise and depart.
Nc sooner was the resolution taken than
nv friend, man OF action and impulse,
began 10 make il good. A glance at the
morning paper told him that the fates were
propitious. In two days the u. NJ. 5.
iberia would sail for London via the Suez
canal. In half sn hour the Major was al
the agents Office looking over plan OF the
Iberia's saloon. With the discretion OF an
old traveller he selected the most comiorta
BILE and best situated OF the vacant state
rooms: then he paid the fare, received bis
ticket. drove back TO bis hotel, and began tc
pack up his wisely-limited luggage. A
visit TO the bank, hurried calls upon two oil
three OF the few friends be had made, mes
sages Of regret to those he was unable "a
see. and the Major shook Australian dusi
from his feet and rowed to the Iberia
When the big ship steamed through Por
Pbiip Heads our friend was rs comfortably
settled on board as though he had lived
there all bis life.
During the first few DAYS Major olympic
kept himself well In reserve. He knew toe
welltbe FOLLY of making sudden friendships,
especially on board ship, where, II littlepa'
thence and observation are eXer cised, the true
character OF ones fellow passengers will
very soon be disclosed. The passenger-ship
Is a splendid field for the student Of human
nature.
Major Dymple was less student OF hui
man nature than q student OF self-comfort.
The latter 1t was his practice to study with
considerable earnestness, and accordingly
be refrained from getting mixed up too in
timately with people whs, upon further
acquaintance, might prove to be objection
able. As a matter OF policy he made him
self agreeable to the officers, and he seized
IN early opportunity OF cracking bottle
Of Dry Monopole with the captain.
Several days passed. The usual call wa
made at Adelaide, and gcamper on shor'
was afforded. Then the Iberia steamed
along the great Australian blight In bealti
full weather, rounded the usually turou
lent Leenwin" in q calm-the stormy
cape was caught asleep for once-and be
gan to pillow her way n. N. W. across tn
placid breast Of the Indian ocean.
III WAS DOT tUtH tuht thN
Tor permitted himself TO be on friendl.
terms with any OF the passengers. TIRE
men in the saloon be found TO be very dc
cent fellows. They were gentlemen, ant
they PLAYED cards-two frst-rate recon
mendations. Among the ladies there wa
only one who attracted our travellers al
tention, q widow-blonde, beautiful, an
clever, and certainly not more than thirty.
Now, the Major was very susceptible
female lOyeliness, especially when II wa
accompanied by wit. 1t was accident an
the wandering life he had led and not wan
of inclination that accounted for his nc
having been permanently caught in IN
silken tolls Of the gentle sex years ago.
Ii must not be imagined for one momen
that his cehbacy was the consequence oil q
unattractiye appearance. so Tar from IN.
being the case, the Major was general
considered handsome man a tall, mani
figure, with broad shoulders, deep ches
and straight, muscular limbs; well.sC
head, clothed With thick brown hair, b(
sprinkled with gray; face well-shape
and closely shayen, with fine brown eye
and clear.cut, aquilne features; distiu
guished bearing, courtly manners, and
smile which disclosed white, even teeth
oil contributed 10 a personality whic
elected admiration In women and envy i
men. Years have the same improvin
effect lfpon some men. He was much-be
ter looking at iorty-lye than he had bee
in bis twenties.
OF all the men on board who were after
tive 70 Mrs. fleGingt0n, and they Include
the captain, the officers, and all the gras
widowers and unmarried men in the salooi
the Major was the least demoLstrative an
the most successful. He sat opposite
her at table, furtively aud admiring
watching the play Of her mobile teatur
and the changing lights in her big gra
blue eyes. lie sat near and chatted Wi
her on deck, enjoying the brightness Of n
wit and the keenness OF her Intelligence
fetched books for her from the library, II
quently choosing them himself; he turu
over her music at the piano, aud occasio
slly-haying n light, easy baritone voice al
agood ear-sang ducts with her. He
sll these things In quiet, unostentatiO
manner, and In the same, quiet, unosten
tious manner be sank deeply In love vi
the charming widow.
Perhaps Mrs. bennington was also
love, but II was not quite certain.
though she had plenty OF dignity, with
power, too, OF exercising II very shar
when occasion required las more than
. presumptuous wight on board could 7
fully testify she unbcnt 10 the handsC
Major. and II was very apparent that
N enjoyed bis society. Perhaps having
ready experienced one courtshlp, she
deayored to compare her feelings then
now and was unable TO determine q