Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-16
ThE Way nj the W1Tl1.

OF bne uuesI landscape views 10 De seen ID
broad England-a spot dear to the worship
ers of Byron's genius, as favored retreat
of the poet in his boyish days, and immor-
talized by him in pathetic verse. Here,
tradition records, Byron would often come
to escape the din and commotion of the
playground attached to the great public
school, where so many of the most famous
of English worthies-statesmen, warriors,
poets, thinkers-were trained and taught,
and having carved their names deep in the
oak of the school benches, went forth to
write their names deeper still upon English
memories and English hearts. Here that
proud spirit held his earlier communings
with nature, on whose ample bosom he may
have found repose, and an influence to
charm away the fretful turbulence of his
spirit, about which, even in those early
days, the shadows which finally clothed
him round had already begun to gather.
1T is the last day of summer term 80 years
ago. Speech day is over, and the last Wis
itor has long since departed. Three strap
ping youths, the silken down just showing
on their upper lips, are idly lounging on
the tomb traditionally assigned as the scene
of the poets reveries.
1t is not only the last day of the term for
these three, but their last day of school life.
Tomorrow, when ''the footing horn"
wakes the echoes in the still sleeping village,
the coach will bear them away from the
scene which, for nine long years, has been
their common home, and carry them hence,
each to tread his own path in the world.
They have been firm friends hitherto, and
before they separate will breathe mutual
VOWS of eternal constancy; but who shall
say what may betide them when the un-
sealed book of the future shall have opened
its pages?
Charles Lowndes, the sturdiest of the
three, with limbs like a well-trained ath-
lete, is destined flood for powder" His
father died fighting in one of the Indian
frontier wars, and powerful interest has
been employed by one who held the father
dear to secure commission for the son in
the -th, and generally to forward his pros
poets in his self-chosen career. The -th is
under orders to sail for Bombay, and Lown-
des has received instructions to join his
regiment Immediately. He will barely have
time to learn the goose-step and get
initiated into some of his new duties, before
the Nsbob troopship gets under weigh and
spreads her white wings to the breeze. He
looks, every inch of him, soldier, worthy
to bear the commission of the then maiden
Queen, and one to be depended upon to
bring honor to the eolors he is to carry. His
frank, open face proclaims him honest as the
day and true as steel.
There is something sardonic in the face of
Mark Westlake, the second of the trio;
something hard and cruel about the lines of
the mouth round which a curious smile,
half-amused and half cynical, is won't to
play, and which the passion that now sleeps
and anon flames forth from his flashing
dark eyes does nothing to belle. He has some
thing of the poets temperament in his COM
position, fervid in love and fierce in hate;
and you would judge him to De endowed
with a nature which would make him an
implacable enemy but a fast friend when
affection or interest inclined him. West
lake has his holidays cut out for him.
Nigh by the Vale of Llangollen maiden
aunt, who has burdened her slender means
with the care of his orphanage, has her
home. The next three months will find
him in Wales busy with rod and line, a
deadly foe to the trout which are sporting
and leaping in mountain stream and tsrn
all unsuspicious of their impending fate.
In October he journeys to London to begin
his studies at Guys, for Westlake has de-
cided to adopt surgery as his profession and
1oS VA 4Afo4AA6 sAS AosAAS va COAA
Hunter.
The third of the group, with laughing
blue eyes, and the retreating chin which is
ever the sign of weakness of character, Is in
other respects handsome lad, and good
natured to fault. But let the Fates deal
kindly with Pierce Wharton, for he is the
sort to 60 under if beaten hard by the stern
wind of circumstance. He is destined for
the Stock Exchange. His uncle, to whose
l.. AZ r
beQueathed him, and who is Shareholder,
means 70 introduce him to his own profess
sion, and he has only this brother of his
dead mother and his own honest endeavors
to look to In order to make his way in the
world.
All three lads are orphans. Their COM
mon sorrow may have been the bond which
in the first instance drew them together on
the day when they were severally launched
on the great world of school. But whatever
was the attraction in the first instance, there
was enough of identity in their tastes (or
shall we say dissimilarity?) slowly to weld
together the links of the friendship which
had grown stronger with each succeeding
term, until the three became insepara5le
and were ironically dubbed "The Three
Graces."
"I wonder when we shall meet again."
Pierce Wharton exclaimed sentimentally,
breaking long silence which had reigned
among them.
ave have been comrades in friendship and
in mischief allied, quoting line from his
favorite poet. "But here comes the end of
it all. What pity it is school days don't
last 20 he added, with discontented air.
fsDon't say that cried Lowndes, thirst
ing for the life of action, and dreaming al
ready of seeking the bubble reputation
even in the cannon's mouth" 'For my
part, he went on, 81 am glad to have done
with Latin and Greek, and all the classical
stuff. never had the head for it. And
then to be q soldier as my father wasF"
eyes. and to be run through with lance
hy one of those blackguardlY blackskins as
your father was," Westlake bluntly re-
torted. pheasant prospect must say"
The blunt home thrust from Westlake's
mockinp tongue told upon Lowndes, who
held his fathers name in reverent recollec-
ton, and was not q little proud that his
parent had died a soldiers death. A dark
shadow crossed his face as he thought of
him now, lying in his bloody grave in that
far-of land whittier his own steps would
soon be bent
'sIsn't that a little brutal, Westlake?"
asked Pierce Wharton, In demonstrating
tone. 'The fact is, Charlie, old boy, West
lake here is so full of carving other peoples
quivering flesh with tools of another sort,
in the interest of science and suffering hu-
manlty, as he says, that he cannot appre-
ciate the romance and the sacrifice of 'glori.
Gus war
"But, after al, " Lowndes quickly replied,
passing BY Wharton's apologetic explana-
tion of Westlake's unfortunate remark,
ihow can man act more nobly than giving