Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-08-26

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neither or us three boys has ever serious
ly thought of marriage. John is now 80
and getting set in his ways. For his own
sake. as well as for the family's, he ought
not to delay much longer. Father set
his heart upon the perpetuation of the
Mainwaring line in America, and he
built this great stone mansion and
bought the 200 acres of ground ON which
it stands with the purpose thatit should
be our homestead forever. But John does
not seem to be attracted by women or
to attract them, apart from the fact
that he is millionaire. | am not mar
rying man either. Inever was so much
in love with any girl as l am with my
COBRA Henry is the LADY, man of the fam
lily. He was always cherishing a romantic
passion for somebody and had score of
good chances of becoming Benedict
even before he went abroad. What he
may have done since know not. But he
is as tickle as he is impressionable, and l
doubt whether he will ever bring him
self to the point of calling any woman
his wife. What villainous mischance
it would be if we were all to remain
childless and Cedarcliffe were finally to
go to some of our unknown English rel
atives! There is Edward Forrestal, for
instance. my mothers brother. The last
we heard of him was 90 years ago. when
he married and was going to India. He
may have a dozen children by this time
who would come in for a share of our
spoils. 1t would be too bad.
Now that | have got my cobra | in
tend to make some experiments in snake
charming. l ought TO succeed, for was
always fond of snakes, and they never
seemed inclined to harm me. hope to
discover how the effects are produced
and to get at something like scientific
formula for it, There must be further
use for serpents than has been yet re-
vealed. Since the time of Adam they
are reputed to have done much harm to
the human race, but believe that they
may be rendered as beneficent as they
have hitherto been hostile. Probably the
ancients understood them better than we
do, and the Asiatics are still far in ad-
vance of us in that respect. But there
may be something that no one has yet
detected, and | may be destined to hit
upon it. At all events it will be some
thing to do and to think about, and that
is what am in want of at present. l
shall get my Indian toumril and set to
work tomorrow.
despise myself and my way of life. l
am nothing. | think of nothing. do
nothing-a man who has never loved,
student who has made 20 discovery,
physician who has never earned his liv-
ing! People say that prescribe for So
phie Stubbs and Mrs. Hodge and charge
them no fees out of benevolence. and
that refuse wealthy p tents from pride
that | may devote nay time to scien-
tifc research. But the truth is l have no
sense of human brotherhood. l cannot
breathe and hope and work with my fel-
low men. l am gradually getting be-
numbed out of existence every year. Ev-
cry month finds my scope of action and
interest narrower. Yet know that there
is in me the power to be great. Oh, for
some torch to kindle mel into blaze, and
| care not whether the torch be lighted
at the higher or the neither fire! | sit and
read the newspaper to my mother when
| might administer laws to nation.
counsel my brother in the care OF his es-
tate when | might direct the policy OF
an empire investigate tho physiology
of serpents when | might solve and de-
clare the secret of earthly immortality.
| am a pygmy when could be Titan.
Is this insane vanity? think not 1t Is
not that THAT my private unalded self
is great, but that | cannot rid myself or
the conviction that was born to be the
instrument through which some great
result shall be accomplished. cannot
escape a premonition that l am destined
to render the name of Mainwaring for
ever famous. But such premonitions and
convictions, though l cherish, do not
believe them. They are what are lnmost
in me, yeti laugh them to scorn. know
that no change will come, no klndllng,
no enlargement, and nevertheless all
that preserves me from total spiritual
death is the secret assurance that the
impossible will occur. Well, if | prove
great in no other way, shall prove my
SELF the greatest of fools. But at least l
will keep my folly to myself. may
whisper it to my queen cobra-my Sa-
prani-perhaps, for she will not reveal 1t,
but unless it go far indeed it shall go no
farther.
CHAPTER II.
/ have inexcusably neglected Saprini
4lo Lot IN DAYS hnt she seems to flourish