The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-07-25
THE LAST HOUR
NJ DAVID RER.

NJ DAVID RER.
"Now, Miss Maynard, you're going TO
behold wonder. Ashley Melincourt's s
TO join us tonight, and you'll meet a
man who has Travelled all over the world
without learning to drink or smoke. and
has never gambed or made love in his
life! You must hide your literary fame
under bushel now, for he detests re-
viewers"
Time, three o'clock on a fine summer
afternoon; place, the veranda of quaint
little hotel in one of the most pctur-
csqucly old-fashioned of Breton coast
towns; subject, the addition of a new
member to the pleasant little American
party already located there.
"Wcll, I'm glad the catalogue of Mr..
Mclincourts periections has one flaw in
it, says the young lady, with curl of
her pretty lip which many of her admir-
ers know to their cost. "Of course its n
dreadful sacrilcgc for any lady TO meddle
with literature; but | must be content To
risk his displcasurc, terrible as it NAV be
After ALL it will be less insulierable than
the stories of how many tigers he shot in
India, and how many days he went with
out food in the desert, and the fever he
had in China, and the dinner the Ameer
gave him at Cabul | suppose some critic
has told him the truth on that score, and
hence his cnmity to them
"No; there's just the mystcry-thev'yc
| always spoken well of him hitherto; and
as for talking Of his travels, that's exact
ly what one can never get him to do.
However, when six o'clock comes, you'll
be able to judge for yourself"
Six o'clock came, and with it the cx-
pected guest--a short, square, bearded
sunburned man, with the grave, self
contained look of one accustomed to face.
unaided, every form Of difficulty and dan
ger. He spoke little and seemed to follow
| the conversation with quiet, attentive
/ vigilance indescribably provoking to
Laura Maynard, because, as she after
wards said, it was 'just like Il school
teacher watching for somebody to make a
mistake
Dinner over, there was a general move
ment to the vcrauda. TO watch the moon
rise over the sea; and the influence of the
/ hour gave romantic and semi-nystical
cast TO the talk which at length turned to
the transmigraiion Of souls.
''lt's II pity such a thing cannot he. -
said Mclincourt. Just think of the adj
mirable changes we should behold Our
cuStom-house officers should haunt every
harbor as sharks; our policemen prowi in
the darkness rs wolves; our bankers sucl,
their ncighbors' blood in the form of
leechcs; ourpoliiicians chatter and grim
ace in that of monkeys; and our critics
/ transformed TO frogs, croak, amid CON
genial slime, against everything higher
and better than themselves. "
"NOu don't favor the critics, see, Mr..
Melincourt,' said Laura, flushing with
indignation.
"No; look at them MS thcy arc-thc
hired brayos OF literature. ready to tax,
pay on either side, aud TO STAB friend or
foe rs their master bids them: infallblc
because never owning mistake; free
from bias, since they never read the books
which they review; showing their learn.
ing by misquotation; their refinement by
biilingsgatc; and their modcsty by setting
themselves up us authorities upon sub
jccts of which they know nothing"
The litter which followed this un-
conscious homc-thrust kindlcd Laura
Maynard's warm blood into flame.
"Mr. Melincourt, cried she, wrath
fully, ''you are giving us an excellent
illustration of the danger of setting W
rs an authority upon Il subject of which
you know nothing think | may
claim to know more about critics than
you, for happen to be one myself"
Melincourt answered only by bow
and an iroaical smile, more calling thnr
the bitterest sarcasm, rs he arose from
his place and sauntered away.
The three following days were so com,
pletely taken up with excursions into III,
surrounding country, that the quarrel haC
no chance of proceeding any farther
but on the fourth morning, the reaction
consequent upon these energetic amuse
ments began to show itself in rangin.
of chairs along the veranda of the hotel
and general production of Tauchnit
novels. Miss Maynard-who, sensitive
like all clever women, felt the mer
. | plNANhNN Va a l'Nlopl Nholi s4iN NlHllht'
intolerably burdensome-gaye the go-b
to this impromptu reading club, and Sc
of on solitary stroll along the sand
which the retreating tide had left bare.
The choice was II good one, for, eve
in that picturesque region, it would hav
been hard to find more charming walk
On one side lay the blue, sparkling sea
on the other, the long, dark outline O
the frowning cliffs, dappled every her
and there with tiny white cottages an
green, waving woods. Between the two
smooth as marble terrace, extended tn
vast level of hard white sand. Fa
; away to the right, Graded in a deep hol
! low between two mighty rocks, peepe
forth the white walled houses, the red