Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-02

y
extravagantly, were Sli month, told
the landlord that | should not think
OF standing IN the way Of my man's
prosperity but would rather influence
him in favor Of an opportunity so prom
Using.
Then / sent FOR John. explained to
him the hotel-keoper's proposal. and
suggested that he should take time to
think the matter over. John wept. II
no stay here, Muster, not Il It was 100
ruples a day i so with master, 1 no
stop in Durham. Nothing could shake
his resolve so John and l came TO
England together,
JOHN MAKES A SENSATION IN
ENGLAND.
The only thing John did not like In
England was that the street boys in
sisted ON regarding him as n Zulu, and
treating him cOntemeliously accordingly.
His great delight was when l went
on Il round Of visits to country houses.
aud took him with me as valet. Then
he was the hero Of the servants hall.
! will not say that he lied, but from
anecdotes Of him that occasionally came
to my ears, II would seem he ere
ated the impression that lac habitually
wnded In lmec-deep gore. and that he
was In the habit Of contemplating with
equanimity battle6clds Uttered with the
slaughtered coIuhatauts.
John was quite the small lion of the
hour. He had very graceful ways, aud
great skill In making tasteful bouquets.
These he would present 10 the Ia
dies OF the household when they came
down stairs Of a morning, with a grace
tul salaam, and the expression of a
hope that they had slept well
The spectacle Of John seen from the
drawing-room windows of Chevening,
Lord Stanhope's seat In Kent as he
staggered across the park to church
one Sunday morning IN frock coat and
silk hat with huy0m cook ON one
arm and tall and lean lady's maid on
the other will never be elfaced from
the recollection of those who witnessed
II with shrieks Of laughter.
HOW L CAME 10 PART WITH
JOHN.
In those days / lived IN fat my
modest establishment consisting Of an
old housekeeper aud John. For the
most part my two domestics were good
friends, but there were periods Of es-
arrangement. during which they were not
on speaking terms. and when they sat
on opposite sides of the kitchen table,
and communicated with each other OK
clusively by written notes of an ex-
cessively formal character passed across
the table. This stiffness lof etiquette
had its amusing side, but was occa-
sionally embarrassing. since neither was
uniformally ineligible with the pen.
The result was that sometimes j got
no dinner at all. and at other times,
when j was dining alone, the board
grOancd with the prOfusiOn. and when /
had company there would not be enough
90 go round those awkwardnesses arts
ing from the absence of a good under
standing between my two domestics.
/ could not part with the old house
] Il III.
John. whose head had become considera-
bly, swollen because of the notice which
had been taken Of him. lt was all very
well 10 be IN q position 10 crafty ladies
| who We're giving dinner PARTIES and who
wrote me little notes asking for the
| loan for n few hours Of John, TO make
/ that wonderful prawn curry of which ne
had the sole recipe. But John used TO re-
turn from that culinary operation very
late, and with indications that his bever-
age during his eNertiOns had not been
wholly confined 10 water
To my knowledge he had wife in
Goa, yet i feared he had his ilirtatiOns
here in London. Once / charged him
with inconstancy to the lady In Goa, but
ne repudiatcd the dispersion with the
quaint denial
NO, MASTER many ladies are loving
me, but | don't love no ladies'"
However ] had in view 10 spend a
winter in the States, and resolved TO
send John home. He wept coplously
when | told him of this resolve, and pro-
fessed his anxiety 10 die in my service.
| But ! remained firm, and reminded him
that he Ind not seen his wife IN Goa for
nearly three years That argument APP
peared 90 curry little weight with him.
but he tearfully submitted to the ineyita-
bit. | made him a good present, and oh
tanned for him from the Pcninsuar and
Oriental people q free passage TO Bonn
bay, and wages besides IN the capacity
of a saloon steward. ! saw him of
from Southampton; at the moment of
parting hc emitted lugubrious bowls.
He never fulfilled his promise of writ
ing to me, and / gave up the expectation
of hearing of him any more.
/ MEET "AlR. COMPOSTELLA DE
CRUCIS."
Some two years later / went TO Aus
tralia by way of San Francisco and
New Zealand. At Auckland / found
letters and newspapers awaiting me
from Sydney and Melbourne. Among
the papers was Melbourne illustrated
journal, on n page Of which i found a
full length portrait Of the redoubtable
John, his many-syllahled name given mt
full length with a memoir of his MILF
tnry experience, affixed 10 which was
facsimile of the certificate of character
which ! had given lin when we parted.
Ii was further stated that MIR Com
postella de Crucis' was for the present
serving In the capacity of butler to a
financial magnate in one of the suburbs
of Melbourne, but that il was his inten-
ton TO purchase the goodwill Of a thriy-
ing restaurant named
Among the first 10 greet me on the
Melbourne ietty was John, radiant with
delight and eager TO accompany me
throughout my projected lecture tour. /
dissunded him In his own interest from
doing so, and when / finally quilted the
pleasant city by the shore of Hobson's
bay, John was running with success the
"Maison Dore" in Bourke street.