The herald., 1896-04-15

We ran against "a case in point the other
night-or morning, If we remember our
bearings with sufficient clearness-which
served to illustrate this important excep-
ton. We we're blowing through the dark
ness. some dust and a few castor oil
plants, and just crossing the road ahead
was a man of plethoric physical develop
ment und abouuding IN the lines which
gave nature a reputation and indicated in
this instance large accumulation of
adipose tissue. This pilgrim was attend
ing strictly to his own affairs. and was us
lug his legs, with all the diligence he pos
sessed to shorten the distance between
himself and his couch. There was no ui
terror object in that gait--no such popular
conceit as q health stroll, no consttu-
tional diversion, no fresh air exercise as
sociated with that tolsome progress
through his "slough of despond." Hs was
just tired, and was communing with him
self with much earnestness, and the es-
sence OF his dialogue ;peared to be an
entanglement with the subject of who paid
for the last installment of liquid refresh
ments, and the sorrow he experienced over
a mistake in swallowing few carpet tacks
in place of cloves. His breath was per-
ceptible-to the ear. l mean. and altogether
1t was hard work, and cur sympathies
were enlisted from the start.
Just then, down the hill came flying
along one Of those humped-backed spec
ters. pointed straight for the lonely pedes-
trian. 1t stopped our breath and Our heart
beating as we saw the coming catastrophe,
| Tor we knew no power on earth could avert
collision. We were not mistaken. The
| ftend on wheels failed to miss the traveller
| by only few inches we should Judge, but
| it was enough. The result was that they
| scraped up acquaintance on the principle
of the sentiments which surround the rear
| apartments OF mule, and then separated
before they had time to cement it all with
| the Misunderstanding formula. The hand
shaking took place when the demoralized
man who locomoted with the feet of him,
| finally decided to give up his astronomical
investigations and gel, up; but his hands
| were closed up, and the shalSipg was on
the principle OF the Marquis of Queensbury
code. BY the time he had gotten his feet
| under the portions of his body which al
lowed the laws OF gravtation to operate
! properly, the wheelman had disappeared
| in the gloom of night, without any further
manifestation of friendship. The lonely
| man--did he swear. you ask us? He did.
The things he said involved the reputation
of the riders ancestry mainly, though
some allusion was made to the
moral status of the wheelman. his
integrity and station in life, his personal
traits, such as the question of cleanliness,
etc., and with much emphasis, his inability
to return and repeat the rather dramatic
ceremony of introduction, or submit to an
interview on how he did it. 1t lasted some
time, when he finally saw us, and he i'm
mediately began to convert us with the
justice of his claims and the force of his
oratory. We fell in quickly with his views
and assured him of our undying and per-
| petual sympathy, and our belief that his
| accusations should stand until better proof
| in rebuttal were produced than the tragedy
! SO far had afforded; aud with many assur-
| ances of his appreciation and the surfeit
! OF friendship he had so soon contracted
| for us in the hour of his tribulation, he am
bled off once moro.
Once in a while the people of Los An
geles get a good thing 10 the musical or
| artistic or theatrical line. But as gen.
eral rule the west. the far west, is sliChted,
for various reasons. on this score. There