The Washington critic., 1890-02-09

lily dissipated by the odious re-
alties of filth and vermin, marsh
fever and mosquitoes. He wrote to
his father, describing the horrors Of
the place, and begging TO be released
from his pledge and allowed to return
to Holland. His obdurate progenitor re-
piled by a letter of reproach, and swore
that If he left Batavia he might live on
his pay, and never expect silver from
the paternal strong box, either as gift
or bequest. To live upon his pay would
have been no easy matter, even for u
more prudent person than Van Hau-
bitz. He grumbled immoderately, swore
like a pagan, but remained where he
was. A year passed and he could hold
out no longer. Disregarding the pa
ternal displeasure and reckless of con
sequences, he applied to the chief mill
tary authority of the colony for leave
of absence. He was asked his plea,
and alleged ill-health. The general
thought he looked pretty well, and re-
qucsted the sight of medical certiti-
cate of his invalid state. Van Hau-
bitz assumed doleful countenance and
betook him to the surgeons. They agreed
with the general that his aspect was
healthy; asked for symptoms; could
discover none more alarming than reg
ularity of pulse, sleep, appetite and di
gestion; laughed in his face and re-
fused the certificate. The sickly gun
ner. who had the constitution of rhi-
noceros, and had never had a days ill
ness since he got over the measles at
the age of years, waited little and
tried the second "dodge" usually re-
sorted to in such cases. Urgent pri-
vate affairs" were now the pretext.
The general expressed his regret that
urgent public affairs rendered it impos.
sible for him TO dispense with the valu-
able services of Lieutenant Van Hau-
bitZ. Whereupon Lieutenant Van Hau-
bitz passed half an hour in heaping
maledictions on the head of his diso-
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 Haubitz junior
took patience for another year, and
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 mistaken; 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 Haubitz found
himself in an awkward fix. Credit was
dead; none of his relatives would notice
OF assist him; his whole fortune con
sisted of dozen gold Wilhelms. Al
this critical moment an eccentric
maiden aunt, TO whom, year or two
previously, he had sent q propitiatory
offering of ring tailed monkey and 9
leash of pea-green parrots, and who
had never condcscended to acknowl
edge the present, departed this life be
queathing him 10000 forins as re
turn for the addition to her menagerie
A man of common prudence and who
had seen himself so near destitution
would have endeavored to employ this
sum, moderate as it was, in some trade
or business, or, at any rate, would have
lived sparingly till he found other re
sources. But Haubitz had not We
sown all his wild oats; he had sou
above barter, glorious disregard Of
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 a Paris carnival
Breakfasts at the Rocher, dinners a
the cafe, balls at the opera and th'
concomitant petits sOuperS and ecartt
parties with the fair denizens of til,
Quarter Lorette, soon operated prod
igious chasm in the monkey money, a
Van Haubitz irreverently styled hi
venerable aunt's bequest. Spring hav
ing arrived, he beat retreat from
Paris and established himself at HON
burg, where he was quietly completinl
the consumption of the 10000 forin
at rather slower pace than he woult
have done at that headquarters of pleas
ant iniouity, the capital of France
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 oil
| 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 III
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. lie did not gamble
he had done so, he told me, once sine
he was at Homburg, and had won, bu
he had no faith in his luck or taste 70
that kind of excitement, and shoul,
play no more. He was playing anothe
game just now, which apparently in
terested him greatly. A few day
before myself, young actress
who, within very short time, had &C
quired considerable celebrity, had ar
rived at Homburg, escorted by he
mother Fraulein Emile Sendel wa
lively lady of four-and-twenty o
thereabouts, possessing a smart tigur
and pretty face, the latter wantin!
somewhat in refinement Her blu
eyes, although rather too prominent
had a merry sparkle; her cheeks ha,
not yet been entirely despoiled by en-
vious rouge of their natural, healthfu
tinge; hair, of that peculiar tint of re'
auburn which the French call blond
| hdSdFde, was more remarkable fo
abundance and fleXibility than for fine
ness of texture. As regarded her quail
tiles and accomplishments, .sh
was good d-humored and tolerably un
affected, but wifull and capricious as
spoiled child; she spoke her own Ian
guage pretty well, with an occasiona
slight vulgarism or bit of green room
slang; had Il smalterlug of French, an
played the piano sufficiently to accom-