Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-07-04
HIS Welded Wlfe.
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lRudyari Kiplipg.l


Shakespeare says something about worms.
or It may be giants or beetles, turning II
You tread on them too severely. The safest
plan is never to tread on q worm-not even
on the last new subaltern from home, with
his buttons hardly on of their tissue paper
and the red of ssppy English beef In his
cheeks. This Is the story of the worm that
turned. For the sake OF brevity We will
call Henry Augustus Ramsay Fsizaune "The
worm," although he really was an exceed
ingly pretty boy, without hair on his face
and with waist like girls. when he came
out to the Second "Shikarris" and was made
unhappy in several ways. The "Shikarris"
are high caste regiment, and you must be
able to do things weil-play q banjo, OF ride
more than little, or sing, or act-to get on
with them.
The worm did nothing except fall of his
pony and knock chips out of gate posts with
his trap. Even that became monotonous
after time. He objected to whist, cut the
cloth at billiards, sang out of tune, kept
very much to himself and wrote to his mann
mn and sisters at home. Four of these five
things were vices which the "Shikarris" OBJ
jscted to and set themselves to eradicate.
Every one knows how subalterns are, by
brother subalterns, softened and not permit
ted to be ferocious. II Is good and whole
some and does no one any harm unless
tempsrs are lost; and then there is trouble.
There was a man once-but that is another
| story.
The "Shikarris" shikarred The Worm very
much, and he bore everything without wink
| ing. He was so good and 30 anxious to
| learn, aud flushed so pink that his education
was cut short and he was left to his own
| devices by every one except the senior sub
alterp, who continued to make life burden
to The Worm. The senior subaltern meant
no harm, but his ohaf was coarse, and he
l l,J,,k rnffa undaratanI uhara atm
He had been waiting too long for his
company, and that always sours q man.
Also, he was in love. which made him
| worse.
One day, after he had borrowed The
Worms trap for lady who neyor existed,
had used II himself all the afternoon, had
| sent q note to The Worm, purporting to
all about it, The Worm rose In his place and
said, In his. quiet, lady like voice: "That
was q very pretty sell; but I'll lay you q
months pay to q months pay when you get
your step that ! work n sell on you that
you'll remember for the rest of your days.
or broke" The Worm wasn't angry In the
least, and the rest OF the meas shouted
Then tho senior subaltern looked at The
Worm from the boots upward and down
again and said: "Done, Baby" The Worm
took the rest Of the mesa to witness that the
bet had been taken and retired into o bool
with O sweet smile.
Two months passed and the seniors sub.
altern still educated The Worm, who begar
to move about O little more an the ho
whether came on. / have said that the
senior subaltern was In love. The curious
thing is that q girl was In love with ths
senior subsltern. The the colonel said awfu
things, and the majors snorted, and married
captains looked unutterable wisdom, and
the juniors scoffed, those tuD were en-
gagged.
getting his company and his acceptance al
the Same time that he forgot to bother The
Worm. The girl was pretty girl and had
money of her own. She does not como into
this story at all.
One night nt the beginning of the hoi
weather all the mess except The Worm who
J had gone to his own room to write some let
ters, were sitting on the platform outside
the mess house. The band had finished
the captains wives were there also. The
folly of q man in love is unlimited. The
senior subaltern had been holding forth OF
the merits of the girl he was engaged to. and
the ladies were purring approval, while thu
men yawned, when there was q rustic ol
, skirts in the dark and q tired, faint voic,
, lifted itself:
, "Where's my husbands"
I do not wish in the least TO reflect on th
morality of the "Shikarris," but 1t is Oh
record that four men jumped up as II the.
had been shot. Three of them were marie,
l men. Perhaps they were afraid that thei
wives had come from home unbeknownst
The fourth said that he had acted on tn
. impulse of the moment. He explained thi
{ afterward.
Then the voice cried: "Oh, Lionsl" Ii