Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-02-10
THE MISADVENTURES
OF JOHN NICHOLSON.
sy ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER I.

yet mucn Quller men nave risen 10
high places in the government; If he
had been of keener wit, moreover,
this story would never have been
written. His father, stern and re-
ligious gentleman, ruled him with a
firm hand and governed his house
with majestic dignity.
Here was a family where prayers
came at the same hour, where the
Sabbath literature was unimpeach-
ably selected, where the guest who
should have leaned to any false opin-
ion was instantly set down, and over
which there reigned all week, and
grew denser on Sundays, silence
that was agreeable to his ear, and a
gloom that he found comfortable.
Mrs. Nicholson had died about thir-
ty, and left him with three children;
daughter two years, and son about
eight years younger than John; and
John himself, the unlucky bearer of a
name infamous in English history.
The daughter, Maria, was good girl
-dutiful, pious, dull, but SO easily
startled that to speak to her was
quite perilous enterprise. II don't
think care to talk about that, if you
please" she would say, and strike the
boldest speechless by her unmistaka-
BILE pain, this upon all topics-dress,
pleasure, morality, politics, in which
the formula was changed to "my
papa thinks otherwise" and even re
ligion, unless it was approached with
particular whining tone of voice.
Alexander, the younger brother, was
sickly, clever, fond of books and
drawing and full Of satirical remarks.
In the midst of these imagine that
natural, clumsy, unintelligent and
mirthful animal, John; mighty we'll
behaved in comparison with other
lads, although not up to the mark of
the house in Randolph Crescent; full
of sort of laundering affection, full
of caresses which were never very
warmly received full of sudden and
loud laughter which rang out in that
still house like curses. Mr.. Nichol-
son himself had a great fund of
humor, of the Scots order-intellec-
tual, turning on the observation Of
men; his own character, for instance
If he could have seen it in another
would have been a rare feast for
him; but his sons empty outlaws over
broken plate, and empty, almost
light-hearted remarks, struck him
with pain as the induces of a weak
mind.
Outside the family John had early
attached himself (much az a dog may
follow a marquis) to the steps of
Alan Houston, lad about year
older than himself, idle, trihe wild,
the heir to good estate which was
still in the hands of a rigorous trustee,
and so royalty content with himself
| that he took Johns devotion as a
matter of course. The intimacy was
gall to Mr.. Nicholson; it took his son
from the house, and he was jealous
parent; 1t kept him from the Office,
and he was a martinez, lastly, Mr..
Nicholson was ambitious for his fam
lily, lin which, and the disruption
principles, he entirely lived) and he
hated TO see son of his play second
fiddler to an idler. After some hesi-
tation, he ordered that the friend
ship should cease-an unfair
command, though seemingly in
spired by the spirit of prophecy;
and John saying nothing
ing, continued to disobey the order
under the rose.
John was nearly nineteen when he
was one day dismissed rather earlier
than usual from his fathers office,
where he was studying the practice
of the law. 1t was Saturday; and ex-
cept that he had matter of f400
in his pocket which it was his duty to
hand over to the British Linen COM
pany's bank, he had the whole after
noon at his disposal. He went to
Princes street enjoying the mild sun
shine, and the little thrill of easterly
wind that tossed the flags along that
terrace OF palaces, and tumbled the
green trees in the garden. The band
was playing down in the valley under
the castle; and when it came TO the
turn of the pipers, he heard their
wild sounds with q stirring OF the
blood. Something distantly martial
woke in him; and he thought of Miss
Mackenzie, whom he was to meet
that day at dinner.
Now, it is undeniable that he should
have gone directly to the bank, but
right in the way stood the billiard
room of the hotel where Alan was
almost certain to be found; and the
temptation proved too strong. He
entered the billiard room, and was
instantly greeted by his friend, cue
in hand.
Nicholson, said he, 81 want you
to lend me pound or two till Mon
day"
you've come to the right shop
haven't youp" returned John. 81
have twopence."
Nonsense" said Alan. ''You
can get some. Go and borrow al
your tailor's; they all do it. Or III
tell you what; pop your watch"
."Oh, yes, dare say" said John
"And how about my fatherp"