The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-16
AN EXPERIMENT.

how to pronounce. The nearest approach
we could get TO 1t was Efllefechan, but
there were many more consonants in it
and fewer novels. II was in what is now
called gallant little Wales" but the
principality was not just then very
popular, because of the Rebeceaites, aud
this was especially the case with the
military, who were quartered in out of the
way spots, never intended for gay young
fellows to dwell in, in order to restrain
these gentlemen Of the road" from their
high handed proceedings.
Why they were called after Rebecca more
than any other lady | never knew, but
when engaged in their mission, which was
to destroy turnpike gates, they were al
ways attired in women's clothes. Sentries
were stationed at these gates, of which
there were half dozen in the neighbor-
hood, and every night it was the duty Of
one of us subalterns to visit them There
were three of us, Brown, Jones and Robin
son (myselfl, who with the captain, Miles,
and Maxwell, the surgeon, made up our
little mess.
1t was the worst country quarters we
had ever been in With one exception,
there were no gentry to entertain us, no
gayety of any kind going ON, and we were
thrown almost entirely on our own re-
sources, which, must confess, were not
strong enough for the strain.
The country indeed was picturesque
enough when we could get out into it, hut
the weather was habitually wet, and the
rides and walks over the mountains were
spoiled for us by "spatvs" and boys. More
over, we were not popular with the natives,
who wanted their roads free from toll and
sympathized with the Rebeccuftes, and
whenever we spoke to them shook their
heads to imply quite falsely, which made
J it more disaErcCahle) that they could not
i speak the English tongue.
\ The only country gentleman who was
our neighbor-Catiwaiad Pryce-was
unhappily q bachelor, so that we were alb
4 ,Olutely without female society of our own
lass, and though he was hospitality itself
| ne lived some miles away, and the increits.
/ ug downpour generally prevented our en-
Dying it. But what did we do? it may be
/ sked Well, we imhibcd II good deal Of
randy and Soda and smoked more than
vas good for us, and played IA great many
'ubbers of such whist as would not be
i thought highly of at the Portland club.
ri We were, however, after n fashion, scien-
I life. Our captain WAS an enthusiast about
i ucsmerisnI, utItl was never tired of lectUr-
] NJ on it and naisius the eXperimcntum in
orpure viii upon us subnlterns. At that
u inc the fad Of throwing people into n state
i u coma (which sometimes ends in n full
stop, when the amateur regrets the posses.
sion 81 his magic puwclsl was compare
lively ii new thing. The more advanced
lagcs of what was almost considered a
4 black art We're unknown. lIypnotism,
which, NJ its name implies is to mc,mer-
az al
4 dreamed OF, and Miles made quite sensit
ton among us.
Perhaps there was something in his being
in command Of the party which made u.
/ us clay to the potter, bnt we all three
y went or under his hands with ease, and
| were pronounced by him to he, what tn,
!, ltohtecaites certainly were not, excellent
: subjects" Eut the dpctnr, Il canuy Scotch
: man, who was more independent of hi
military 81 was less sensitive to hi
'passps,h ana Cudwallader pryce held til,
opinion and EXPRESSED it, and unfortu
untely not in The Welsh language, that "th,
whole thin; was informal ruhbish.' Tni'
caused u breach between that gcnlrmaI
i and the captain, who even gave up accept
! ing his invitations. aud so far tfur his din
ucrs were very good ones roved himscl
II martyr to science.
Soon after wr arrived at Eli Though 4
! seemed long nuus il, SO weary had we he
come Of the place Jones got an exchange
we never knew how. tut could easily i'm
Hgiue That he used al the influence lac hut
10 escape, and iu.tuau Of him there arrived
. one Pod-erS, an ensign who had just ioinr,
the regiment He very fat, aud locke,
rather dull, though las eyes had a shrew,
l twinkle in them, and from shyueSs or nat
: ural reticence il was difficult to get n wurt
out Of him. We thought him Il very bu,
I substitute for Jones, uud Brown, who hat
4 a very pretty wit, 40 once uiCknamcd hin
4 Podgy. But tn" captain at first though
y better Of him, for no other reason / liz
lcve, than bocaEse ling Of so lethargic
disposition he concluded the new arliva
I would fall an c3sy victim to his masi
A powers. This, however, was SO far frat
the case that Podgy would have nothin
Il to do with them, declining to have exper
il ments made upan linn, behavior which, i
the captains eyes, was little shrr; Of MI
n tinous.
Miles was in truth very good fellow
but had severe ideas of discipline and
CI general notion that his suhupiuates wcr
intended by nature, or ut all events 9TH
II regulations to save Linn from every M
OI pleasant duty by performing il then
selTes He visited the posts (i,nd gatcsJ i
= the daytime and in fine weather, but
pI uils hit or whrn it WAS wet the subaltcrns LA
20 do il, and thouuh don't mean TO impl
4 hat he took it OUT Of Pudgy because /
| would NOT submit TO be experiments
upon, it is certain that the new arrivi
III hd good deal OF night work and got e.
ii ceediugly wet.
On the other hand, Cadwalladar Prvc
T. waited VERY unjustlyJ to its first syllabl
took Pod.:y up for the very reason thu
)c Miles diSlikcd hin,-for his skcptieis
! about "cmnnat ions" invited him
dinner more often than any of us. Pc
VI maps PrNce's society, as the captain said
n. lid, made our Stout ensign mere stubhol
in his uuhelicf, and certainly the last thii
> we looked tor WAS his conversion, Whit
J nevertheless took place under ercuI
stances that. even To the professor himsr
- IS we plsyitily called the captain, seem,
| moet unlocked for
= For podgy had been to dine with q
IN the preceding evening, and mig
have hetn ~ sgd to be strengthened
his hetrsy-tO which, moreover, tic O.,
IAN alluded while WE sat ut mess in ton
pf coutsmpru"us Indignation. 1t was
Wild wtulor's night, atth rain aud snt
lalling together, and the wind blown
III over the bits aud far away in true Wei
T. fashion, and since il was poor Podgy
- turn to go tho rollnds we Thought the q,
~ tain might have lyft him at peace as to /
a spiritual and intellectual sholSrominl
y liut he did moi are him, any more Nh
Sll' iorqucmadu w1uid have rnfraincd fro
Iirnuumeing yialIH previously to his
Ing delivered over to the turnrrtOrs
Just as in thUt cast some unhap
wretch, worn oft by persecution, Won
,ly occasionally break dewu. SO for the fiji
ti.ie inee lis arrival puor Padgy tnluch
or our ast0uishreut Tor wc had credited |
~ Wis intriT with greater power OF endt
- auc,l ehate-d Ms at giving way, He 81
4 1t was deucrd hard lines that felc
| conduit have his own opinion witho
AZ being bullyragt,cd lie pick pocket, Al