The Washington critic., 1890-02-03

,nced by Jnvan houis beneath bananl
shu,les. of snice l1dcu hrcezes and cool
sherbets and other attributes OF VI J.
paradise, were speed
ily dissipaiod by the odious re.
allies Of 9Th and vermiu, marsh
fever and mosquitoes. He wrote ~
his father, describing the horrors ot
the place, and begging to he released
from his pledge and allowed to return
to Holland. Ills obduralc progenltor re-
piled by letter of rcproach, aud sSore
that il he left Batavia he might live ON
his pay, and never expect silver from
the paternnl strong box, either IA gilt
or bequcst. To live upon his pay would
have been no casv matter, even for a
more prudent person than Van llfi-
bitz. lac grumblod immoleraielY, swore
like n pagan, but remained where ha
was. a wear passed aud he could hold
ont no LONGER. Disregarling the pi
urnal lispleasurc and reckless of con
sequences, he applied tu the chief mil.
tary authority of the colony for leave
uf absence. He was asked his plel
and alleged illhcalth. The general
Il ought he looked pretty well, au3 r..
uuested the sight Of medical ccriii
cate of his invalid state. Van lIdu.
hitz assumed doleful countenance and
betook him to the surgeons. They agreed
with the gen 3ral that his aspect WAS
healthy; askel for symptoms; could
discover none more alarming than reg
ularity of pulse, sleep, appetite and di
gestion; laughed In his face aud re
fused the certificate. The sickly gun
ner, Who had the constitution of rh,.
noceros, and had never had day ill
ness since he got over the measles AT
the age of " ars, waited n little and
tried the second dodge" usually re-
sorted to in such cases. Urgent prl
vate affairs" were now the preteXt.
The general expressed his regret that
urgent public affairs rendered It impos.
sibie for him 10 dispense with the valu-
able services of Lieutenant Van IIau-
bitz. Whereupon Lieutenant Van Hau
bitz passed half an hour in heaping
maledictions on the head Of his DISC
bliging commander and then sat down
and wrote an application for an eX
change to the authorities in Holland.
The reply was equally unsatisfactory,
The fact being that Haubitz senior; like
an implacable old savage as he was, had
made interest at the war Office for the re-
fusal of all such requests on the part of
his scapegrace offspring. lIaubitz junior
took patience for another year, aud
then, in moment of extreme disgust
and ennui, threw up his commission
and returned to Europe, trusting. he
told me, that after five years absence,
the governors bowels would yearn to-
wards his youngest born. In this he
was entirely mistascn; he greatly un-
derrated the toughness of paternal
viscera Far from killing the fatted
calf on the prodigal's return, the in
censed old Hollander refused him the
smallest outlet, and, shutting the door
in his face, consigned him, with more
energy than affection, to The custody
Of the evil one. Van IIaubiih ioal
himself in an awkward fix Credit &d>
deud; none of his relatives W0nld ii I'll,
or assist him; his whole fortune 80
sisted of a dozen gold WiiheimS. 81
this critical moment an ecceAt"C
maiden aunt, to whom, year or tSC
previously. he had sent propitiary
offering of ring tailed monkey aud Il
leash Of pea-green parrots, and who
had never condesccnded to acllnowl
edge the present, departed this life be.
queathiug him 10000 fiorins as q re.
turn for the addition to her menagcrie
A man of common prudence and who
had seen himself so near destitution
would have endeavored to employ this
sum, moderate as il was, in some tradt
or business, or, at any rate, would have
lived sparingly Till he found other re
sources. But IIaubilz had not ye
sown all his wild oats: he had sou
above barter, glorious disregard o.
the future, the present being pro
vided for; he left Holland, shak
ing the dust from his boots, dashed
across Belgium and was soon plunged
in the gaieties of Paris carnival
Breakfasts at the Rocher, dinners a
the cafe. balls at the opera and til,
concomitant petits S0uperS and ecartt
parties with the fair denizens Of tn
Quarter Lorette, soon operated prod
igious chasm in the monkey money, n
Van Haubitz irreverently styled hi
venerable aunt's bequest. Spring hav
ing arrived, he beat o retreat iron
Paris and established himself at HON
burg, where he was quietly completin.
the consumption of the 10000 fiorin
at rather slower pace than he woul(
have done at that headquarters of pleas
From hints he let fall. suspected
short time would suffice to see the las
of the legacy. On this head, however
| he had been less confidential than Oh
most other matters, and certainly hi
manner of living would have led n
one TO suppose he was low in tn
locker. Nothing was too good for him
he drank the best of wines, got II
parties and pic-nics for the ladies', an
had special addiction to the purchas
of costly trinkets, which he general
gave away before they had been da
in his possession He did not gamble
he had done so, he told me, once sin c
he was at Homburg, and had won, bll
he bad no faith in his luck or taste f0
that kind of excitement, and shoul
play no more. lie was playing auothe
gan just now, which apparently il
tcres,ed him greatly. A few day
before myself, young acres
who. within very short time, had az
quired considerable celebrity, had al
riqed at Homburg, escorted by he
mother. Fraulein Emile Sendel WA
lively lady of four-and twenty G
thereabouts, possessing smart figur
and pretty face, the latter wantin
somewhat in refinement. Her blu
eyes, although rather too prominen
had a merry sparkle; her cheeks In
yet been entirely despoiled by eI
vious rouge Of their natural, healthf,
tiuge; hair, Of that peculiar tint of re
auburn which the French call 6l0pt
hdSdfde, was more remarkable +,
abundance and fleXibility than for fin
ness of texture. AS regarded her qua
tiles and accomplishments, sl
was good -humored and tolerably III
affected, but wilfull and capricious as
spoiled child; she spoke her own la
guaee pretty well, with an occasions
slight vulgarism or bit of green-rool
slang, had a smatterinr of French nm