The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-23
FERGUS CAMPBELL.

SNtSbA~fh'H W i'iBuS tdtHpneH 10 eli
gage n room for me in the house where
be had his lodgings. Already there had
been n tumultuous rush for the hotels,
and lodgings were at a premium.
Fergus Campbell was a Scot whom !
had met in Dunblanc. but for ten years
ne had been engaged ON the rcportorial
staff Of n Montreal journal He hired
rooms of an aged Frcnchwcman who
owned dilapidatcd chateau On Dorches-
Ger street. Ordinarily he was her sole
1odgcr, and madame was too decrcpit to
properly attend even 70 his simple wants:
but in thoce days of activity and festiv-
ity she imbibcd some of the prevalent
spirit Of enterprise, and agreed 70 rort
me a room.
Certainly ! would never have chosen
the chateau for my permanent abode, AZ
belt was glad to spend q week with
Campbell. II was composed Of crum-
bling mass Of gray stone. and was dingy
and cherries. Campbell hired bed
room and sitting room in this unplcas-
ant dwelling, and two more unwhole-
some and disorderly apartments It would
be difficult TO find.
II was long after midnight when first
entered the chateau. / had visited Do
miniOn square, and seen the ice palace
with its tUrretcd towers and frovning
battleInCnts; we had tried the stcepest,
speediest tobOggan shoot in the city; |
had seen the governor general open the
carnival. and had sent his speech YER
batim 10 The Pittsburg Bellows before
renewed my acquaintance with Fergus
Campbell.
Late as it was he was engaged in cook
ing our supper He was committing the
culinary atrocity of frying n bccfsteak,
end was smoking pipe while he worried.
lie was a man Of 80 years, with huge,
angular frame and big lungs. He had a
shock of brown hair, broad, white fore
head, keen blue eyes under shaggy
irows. anG a beard that presented as un-
kcmpt an appearance as q blackthorn
hedge. His big frame was clothed in
ragged dressing gown that had long done
double service as a garment and pen
wiper. Certainly no one would have
suspected him Of beinga ladies man.
nor the hero of a romance. yet | subsc-
Qucntly learned that he had once been
bctrothed 20 a woman.
We had a very delightful time over our
bcefctcak and ale, for Campbell was OK
collcnt company IIo wos sllpshod and
iattcrcd; nc drank ale out Of n pewter
mug. and smoked the worst tobacco in
the queens dominion. He was ugly and
eccentric, but he was picturesque, and
was undeniably gentleman. lie seemed
- be uncomplainingly submissive to the
hardships in his life.
! had need Of his cheer for several
DAYS for my work proved arduors. !
was expected TO send home entertaining
accounts of the carnival, and il was viz
;ually suspended. A warm rain had
drcnched me 10 the skin. and had made
the ice palace preceptibly thinner. Ii il
continued This fairy building would soon
De Obliteratcd Out Of door pastimes
wcrc impossible and | returned TO the
chateau one night feeling tired and dis
hcarened. | intended to leave Montreal
on the following morning.
found Campbell in an unusually silent
mood. II was a black night, and / sus-
pccted that he was depressed by the bad
weather and 10y my approaching depart
ere. The man was naturally sociable, and
had enjoyed companionship as Grdeutly
as bov. As We sat close to his rUstcd
old stove, kept wondering why tllis zig
hearted ScOtchman was so removed from
the rest Of the world. A man oi his
ability could earn Il living anywhere.
Whv, in The name Of reason, had hc
never made use of his voice? Evidently
IL had been cultivated, and hc sang so
81 LIT To. IL f.ft
throughout the world
| am not supeiStitious nor Imaginative,
but on that night j dislikcd my surround
ings. The room was dimly lighted. IN
the adjoining apartment | could see
Campbcll's dressing gown hanging On
one Of the high. old fashioned bed posts,
end could not rid myself of the fancy
that an cmaciated figure stood in the
ScOtchman's bedroom. clothed in his tat
tered gown Worse than that, The fig
ure had the rigidity Of corpse. turned
ny back upon it,
''You ought TO leave this place, Camp
ben" said, land get into the whirl Of
American enterprise. Come with me to
The States, where journalism has more
O. feed upon.
lie had been smoking in silence; but
now hc spoke.
Montreal is not a bad place. II is
deal cleaner than your town of Pitts
burg. and deal less internal.
"YOu know about as much OF Pitts
burg as YOU do OF the infcrnal regions,
l said, surprised at his remark. You
told me yesterday that you had never
visited the United States
lie crossed his legs, dropped his chin
upon his big chest and eyed me from
under his shaggy brows. Then he made
this remarkable statement:
what | said yesterday was true; tst
since then have visited New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. The last town
/ saw was Pittsburg, end hope l may
never be compelled to see its like again.'
/ looked at him sharply. Was he joking
or laboring under some hallucinetioaf
lis eypression was serious-nay, even
folenn' There were heavy fhedows ebout
his eyes end his face wes pallid. He'd he
been drinking No; his battered mug
yas flle1 with his untouched ale.
"Of course you don't expect Inc 70 be-
lieYe YOU caid "No man ever trey
eled the distance you mention in eingie
nlght Of lis life"