Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-10-23
ODD CONDOLENCES.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE TRICKS THAT
FATE CAN PLAY.

Most Peculiar Ways-1n the View of the
Science of Chances Such Things Are Not
Extraordinary.
An article in Good Words by the ed
itor, DR.. Macleod, contains a string of
we'll authenticated condolences. These
cannot but encourage the novelist, who
discovers that 10 invention Of his can
be lnore improbable than reality. Thus
sailor idly cuts his name on piece of
wood ON Spanish shores, and the waves
carry it to his sisters feet on the coast
Of Orkney. The Duke of Argyll startles
a bird which is flying overhead, and it
drops pine cone at his feet, the vehicle
of vegetable substance almost un-
known to science. A lady loses a ring,
and it is found next year by her servant
in q potato which shs is pssling. In the
same way q sportsman is said to have
lost ring on the moor. Next season he
found it in peat which he broke up
and threw on fire in cottage.
This looks like variant" Of fairy
tale, but the potato anecdote at least is
authentic. The same may be said of the
Roman bracelet thrown overheard by
its owner in crossing the Firth of Forth
and lately discovered by him in shop,
where it was exhibited as a relic of the
Roman occupation. Fishers had dredged
it from the deep, as in the case of the
ring of Polycrates, which may be true
tale. The Inverness ring story has prob
ably no evidence but that Of tradition.
A jewelers. boy dropped into the Ness q
diamond ring which he was carrying to
customer. He fed the country, re-
turned a rich man, and walking by the
river he told his tale to friend. To
illustrate it he struck his stick into the
shallow water over the gravel, and
there, on the tip of the staff, was the
diamond ring.
Quite recently, it is said, young
lady was travelling in an omnibus. In
her purse she had all her portable
wealth, threepence in coppers. Near her
sat an i'll looking man, dirty, wearing
a large, shiny ring, which she supposed
to be paste. When she alighted from the
omnibus, her purse was gone, her pocket
was picked, and she, with confusion of
face, had to go on credit for her jour
ney. Arrived at home she searched her
pocket afresh, and therein was the seedy
mans shiny ring. This was fair circum-
stantial evidence against her unknown
fellow passenger, but somebody had the
curiosity to take the ring to a jeweler
1t proved to be an excellent large dia-
mond, but advertisement did not dis
cover the owner He had stolen three
pence and purse, and had lost small
fortune, probably dishonesty acquired,
in the process. We would judge no man
hastily, and there may be some other
explanation Of the presence of the ring
where no ring should be and the absence
of the coppers.
Such things as these keep occurring.
To the disinterested gaze Of the science
of chances it does not seem odd that
they befall; the miracle would be if
they did not befall. For innumerable
events are eternally happening, and ac-
cording to Cocker, extraordinary events
must necessarily be among them. 1t
would be extraordinary indeed if some
events were not extraordinary. Thus, a
man puts his name down in the Club
Derby Sweep, say, opposite No. IS. He
draws the winner. Next year, coming
up late to town, he finds every number
occupied except 68. He puts down his
name there, and draws the winner again.
The other sportsmen had acted on the
converse of the principle of Marryat's
MILDLY, who always thrust his head in
action through a hole made in the ships
tiinbers by cannon ball, arguing that
it would not be pierced twice.
These facts Of course hit at the root
of the belief in dreams Thus, tourist
fell asleep at Ventimiglia station,
dreamed of 13, hurried back to
Monte Carlo and backed 13 for the
maximum. 1t came up three times run
ming, and he was "on" every time. BE
then, in a brief oration, described the
and resumed his Journey
to Italy. This kind CT thing was mathe-
matically certain to occur one day or
other, and the adventurer nicked it.
But the amateur would be very i'll
advised who backed his dreams, for of
dreams there are millions every night,
and nobody can tell whether his vision
is the one of the many millions which
is destined to be fulfilled in a manner
that seems extraordinary to the vulgar.
The calm observer, when a dream is
fulfilled, does not, like the French caddy
at Pau, after brilliant shot by his en-
ployer, say "beastly fuke." He only
recognizes the inevitable working Of
the law that out of countless incidents
some must be odd. He is convinced that
once in blue moon the dealer must
hold all the trumps. This blue moon
not infrequently appears in the United
States of America, it being "such
large place. London News.
On July 25, 1918, an unsuccessful at
tempt was made to carry San Sebastian
itself by assault. Colin Campbell, with
30 men of the light company of his reg
iment, constituted the forlorn hope at
the great breach, and on reaching the
top he was shot through the right hip
and fell to the bottom. Again ascending,
he was shot through the inner part Of
the left thigh. and Graham in his dis.
patch said, ST beg to recommend to you
Lieutenant Campbell Of the Ninth, who
led the forlorn hope, and who was Sc
verely wounded in the breach. In 1857
viz, "A years after the siege-Colin
Campbell was inspector general of in
fantry.
"While," said Campbell, ST was in
specting the depot at Chichester I no.
ticed that an old man, evidently an old
soldier, though in plain clothes, was
constantly Oh the ground and apparent
ly watching my movements. AS was
leaving the barrack yard at the end of
the inspection he came toward me, drew
himself up, made the military salute
and with much respect said Sir Colin,
may speak to you? Look at me, sir.
Do you recollect me?' looked at him
and replied, Yes, l do. What is my
name?' he asked. told him. Yes, sir,
and where did you last see me?' In the
breach Of San Sebastian I replied,
badly wounded by my side. Right,
sir, answered the old soldier 4 can
tell you something more, I added.
You were No. - in the front rank