Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-06-01
The Iron Duke,s Rreeches.


One morning when the duke OF
Wellington was at breakfast says
Cassell's Magazine, he received a
letter in an unknown and rather
illeglble handwriting With a view
to obtaining clew to its contents
he put on his eyeglasses and scrutin-
lied the signature, which he read &c.
j., London" "Ohl" said his grace,
''the bishop of London, to be sure.
What does the bishop want of me, l
wonder?" Then he began at the be-
ginning and read the note carefully
through, an expression of bewilder-
ment and perplexity gradually over
spreading his face as he did SO. The
writer crayed his grace's pardon for
the intrusion and requested as a per-
sonal favor that the duke would
kindly permit him to come and see
his famous Waterloo breeches.
"Nhy, the bishop must have gone
mad!'' exclaimed the duke, as he let
his glasses fall. "See my Waterloo
breechesl What in the world does
the man want to see my breeches
for? However, I'm sure I've no OBJ
lection if he has a curiosity about
them. A queer within, though, for a
bishop to take into his head"
Next morning the bishop of Lon
don, on sorting his pile of correspon-
dence, found among it letter bear
ing a ducal crest. He opened it and
read as follows: my Dear Lord You
are perfectly welcome. as far as am
concerned, to come and inspect the
breeches ! wore at Waterloo when
ever you like. It's true / haven't a
notion where they are, but / daresay
my valet knows, and / will commune
cate with you more definitely in day
ortwo. Yours, veryfaithfully, Yelling
ton" The poor duke" calculated
the bishop of London, in a voice OF
the profoundest commiseration. Il
always thought it was foolish of him
to enter political life after his mill
/ tary career. He must be helplessly
insane What a dreadful thing for
| the country, to be surel' So the
worthy bishop. with many signs,
went into his study and wrote kind
letter TO the duke of Wellington,
remembering that persons who are
mentally afflicted must be dealt with
tenderly. He thanked his grace
/ for his kindness, but as
sumed him as delicately as he could
that he was not in the least anxious
to inspect the historical relics inques-
ton, and begged that the dukewould
/ give himself no further trouble in the
matter as far as he, the bishop of
London, was concerned.
1t was now the dukes turn to be
astonished. Il can't have been
dreaming, he said in his perplexity.
"And vet the bishops first letter was
/ plain enough" Then he did what he
1 ought to have done inthe first instance
he called for his secretary, Col. B.,
1 and laid the whole matter before him.
Il am afraid it's your grace who has
4 made the mistake, said Col. B., an
irrepressible smile fitting over his
/ face as he examined the two letters.
THE first letter is not from the bish-
OPP of London at all:nor does the writ
er say anything about the breeches
you wore at Waterloo" Not from
the bishop exclaimed the duke
Yes it is. The signature is as clear
as can bee. j., London The in
itials stand for Charles James" 1T
is from Mr.. C. ]. London, scientific
gentleman who is preparing an i'm
4 portant work on forest trees" re-
/ piled the secretary; and what he
wants to see is your grace's avenue,
the Waterloo beeches, as they are
called, leading up to your door at
Strathfeldsaye Shall / write and
give him your permission" And
I thus it fell out that both duke and
bishop were ultimately convinced of
] -, l.