The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-19

looked away doaiu, us u" S"N"'-of "1s
without words.
sWell, well, my lord said !, "your win is
my pleasure. will do this for the fourth
tisie; but would beg OF you 10 invent an
other task against tomorrow, for, by my
trcth, am weary Of this one"
"You do not know what you are saying,
returned my lord, putting on his hat AMI
turning his back 10 me. 1T is a strange
thing you should take pleasure 70 annoy me
A friend-but that is a different affair. Ii Is
a strange thing. lam a man that has had III
fortune all my life through am still sur
rounded by contrivances omalways tread
ing in plots" he burst out. 1.-THE whole world
= banded against me-"
IL would not talk wicked nonsense il / were
YOU said L; "but will tell you what would
do would put my head in cold water, for
you had moro last night than you could
carry"
DO you think thatT said he, with a man.
ner Of interest highly awakened. "Would that
be GOOD for met It's a thing never tried"
81 mind the days when you had no call 10
try. and / wish, my lord, that they were
back again, said l. "But the plain truth is,
il you continue to exceed, you will do your
self a mischief"
u don't appear to carry drink the way ]
used 70, said my lord. II get oyertaken,
Mackellar. But l Will be more upon my
guard"
THAT is what / would ask Of you" l re
Piled. "You are TO bear in mind that you
are Mr.. Alexander father; give the BARN a
chance 30 carry his name with some response
blity."
"Ay, ay," said he. "Ye're a sensible man,
Mackellar, and have long been in my employ
Bu8 think, if you have nothing more TO say
10 me, will be stepping. II you have moth
ing more 70 sayp he added, with that burn
ing, childish eagerness that was now so com
mon with the man.
"No, my lord, have nothing more," said
I, dgyly enough.
"Then think / will be stepping" says my
lord, and stood and looked at me fldgetine
with his hat, which ho had taken of again
Il suppose you will have no errandsi MOI ]
am to meet Sir William johnson, but / will
be more upon my guard" He was silent for
a time, and then, smiling: DO you call to
mind q place Mackelar-it's a littlo below
Engles-where the burrsruns very deep under
a wood Of rowansi mind being there when
was a lad-dear, il comes over mo like az
old songl was after the fishing, and / made
a bonny cast Eli, but was happy ! won
der, Macl.ellar, why am never happy nowi
"My lord, - said /, 'if you would drink With
more moderation you would have the better
chance II is an old byword that the bottle
is q false consider"
'No doubt, said he, "no doubt. Well, /
think | viii be going
Good morning, my lord, said !.
GOOD morning, good morning." said he
and so got himself at last from the apart
mcnt
give that for fair specimen Of my lorG
in the morning; and / must have described
my patron very III if the reader does not per
ccive a notable falling of. To behold the
man thus fallen, 20 know him accepted
among bis companions as a poor, muddled
topper, welcome df he were welcome at all
for the bare consideration OF his title; and a.
recall the virtues he had once displayed
against such odds Of fortune-was not this
thing at once to rage and 10 be humbled at
I'm his cups, he was moro excessive. viii
give but the one scene, close upon the end
which is strongly marked upon my memory
to this day, and at the time affected me al
most with horror.
was in bed, lying there awake, when }
heard him stumbling on the stair and sing
ing. Ny lord had no gift Of music-hi'
brother had all the graces Of the family-so
that, when say singing, you arc TO under
stand a manner Of high, caroling utterance
which was truly neither speech nor song
Something not unlike is 10 be heard upon the
lips Of children ere they learn shame, from
those Of q man grown elderly it had a strang,
effect. He opened the door with noisy pre-
caution, peered in, shading his candle, con
ceived me % sumber; entered, set his light
upon the table and took of his hat saw
him very plain, a high, feyerish exultatio
appeared to boil in his veins. aud he st0O
and smiled and smir5ed upon the candle
Presently he lifted up bis arm, snapped boz
fingers and fell 20 undress. As be did SO
having once more forgot my presence, ll
took back TO his singing; aud now coule
near the words, which were those from thu
old song Of the "Twa CorOies, endlessly re
peated;
"And over his banes when they are bare
The wind sail blaw FOR evernairF'
have said there was no music in the man
His strains had no logical succession excep
in 80 far as they inclined = little 10 tho minoi
mode, but they exercised a rude potency
upon the feelings, and followed the words
and siguihed the feelings OF the singer witt
barbaric fitness He took it first in the tims
g tI.t d.
favored gle4iulness aoated, ne began 10 dwell
upon the notes more feelingiy, and sunk at
last into a degree Of msullin pathos that vas
10 be scarce bearable. By equal steps the
original briskness Of his acts declined, asd
when he was stripped 70 his breechos, he sat
on the bedside and fell 20 whimperins /
know nothing less respectable than the tears
Of drunkenness, and turned my back impa
tiently on this poor sight.
But no bad started himself q am TO sup
posel on that slippery descent Of self pity, on
the which, 70 a man unstrung by old sorrows
and recent pOtations, there is no arrest except
exhaustion. His tears continued 70 flow
and the man TO sit there, three parts naked,
in the cold air Of the chamber | twitted
myself alternately with inhumanity and
sentimental weakness, now half rising in my
bed to interfere. now reading myself lessons
Of indifference and counting slumber until
upon sudden, calling TO remembrance his
old wisdom, constancy and patience, | was
overborne with pity almost approaching
the passionate, not for my master alone. but
for the SONS Of man.
At this leaped from my place, went over
20 his side and laid a hand on his bare shoul-
der, which was cold as stone. He uncovered
bis face and showed il me, all swollen and
tear marked like a childs, and at the sight Of
my impatience partially revived.
"Ihink shame 10 yourself said |. "This
is bairnly conduct. l might have been SWIVEL
ing myself, if | had cared to swill my belly
with wine But went 10 bed sober like a
man Come, get into yours, aud have done
with this pitiabls exhibition
"Oh, Mackellar," said he. my heart is
waem
"WaeP cried l. FOR COOS cause, /
think. What words were thes, you sung as
YOU came INF Show pity to others. we then
eel talk Of pity to yourself You can be the
one thing or the other, but will be no party
to half way houses. II you're a striker. strike.
and if you're a bleater. bleat"
"Cryr cries he with burst, that's it