The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-25

Gus experiment; wherever they may have
been. other people have now Also been
and 10 10 easy. II may use . professional
expression. to correct their proofs. my
distrust arises from the IDEAS In my own
mind OF the experiences that they do not
tell me. When they get away from the
regions Of civilization and out of the In
dHence OF public opinion. think to my
@eif. what 10 II these people do not do?
For the very fact of . mans being trav-
eier ~. between ourselves. by no means
good sign. Why does ne not stop at home
In the bosom OF his family. or. II he has no
family. acquire one, 1t Il his duty as q
citizen When . boy runs away from
school II II. Of course. the correct thing 10
call him intrepid" gallant" "high-sp.r-
ited." and Independent: but that sort OF
boy - in reality not-genera!iy speaking
good boy. II may be very true that .
nation owes It's nautical supremacy TO thu
description OF youth: but he doesn't run
away TO sea from that distant and patr1-
Otto motive: he goes to sea because he
doesn't Ike what is good for him on land.
and almost Immediately. though that Is
beside the question. finds he has made
great mistake. Similarly. man does not
30 TO Tartary or Kamchatka TO improve
his mind II he ventured TO tell me that.
tsuppossng he was not q very tall man.
and had no reason TO suppose he had
yafaghan or any other outland.sh weapon
concealed about his person. should laugh
IN his face. No; he flies to such obscure
regions because the restraints Of civiliza-
ton are abhorrent to his undiscip.ined
mind. and he has some morbid taste; say.
for human fiesh-uncooked. The mildest-
spoken man ever met in my life. and the
greatest traveller. once confided TO me.
after a most excellent dinner a cur club,
that. after all, there was nothing like
uncooked food. He did not say human
flesh. but / knew well enough what ne
meant. He has repenteo since OF having
let out so much. and endeavors to reas-
sure me by his conventional behavior and
conversation.
Tho world il small" he says Che has
been round h two or three times, "ani
give him England; for. when all 10 said.
that In the best place to live in" but this
does not deceive me for a moment. That
man " a cannihal at heart. l have seen
him look 1T plump and tender people In a
very peculiar way, and / would not trust
him alone with my baby for a small for
tune. That sweet child would take rank
among the mysterious disappearances."
He would say. How should know like
the frog who swallowed the ducks egg:
but should know better than the duck.
IL you think these apprehensions extreme.
You are. OF course. welcome to your own
Sotuc ptopic are more S3D8uiuo
taan others. and also more simple.
My mind ID. think. tolerably fair one.
and / have never entertained suspicious
against those who are compelled to visit
distant ATTITUDES against their wills.
Queens messengers. convicts. sailors. etc,
may be very respectable persons In their
way. notwithstanding where they may
have been TO. Such was my charitable be-
lief until within the las, few days; since
which have seen some reason TO change
IL. One Of the quietest and best fellows
ever knew-and ! have known him all my
life-was Simpson OF Bu.eora. ! was at
school with him FIVE and forty years ago,
and though his house of business is at the
distant spot just mentioned, / had met
him from time TO time during his periodi-
cal visits to this country. and always
found him acknowledgements. unassum-
Ing. modest and orthodox In HIS opinions.
Our house does little business with him
IN shawls and carpets. bu. our acauairt-
ance Is mainly social. My wife and daugh-
tiers are very partial to him, and delight In
his Persian tales. which are picturesque
and fun OF local color. He brings them
little bottles Of scent which perfume the
whole neighhorhood, and now and then a
scarf that Is the envy OF their friends. I
never. however. entertained any idea OF
simpson as a son-ln-law until my wife put
for me 10 picture him In such relation.
and though knew he had made money.
id not think he had made enough to re-
turn home and settle. His income was a
very handsome one hu. living at Bussora,
he had given me to understand, was dear.
and did not admit OF much saving Above
all. Simpson struck me as by no means a
marrying man. Whenever the subject of
matrimony was mooted he always smiled
In that dry, cynical way which proclaims
the confirmed bachelor. Household mat
ters did not interest HI: he did not take
r.uch 90 children. he would smoke until
the small hours OF the morning and raise
his eyebrows when one said IL was late
and perhaps ones wife might be sitting
~. He would say. Really" as though
such an idea as ones wife sitting up for
one was preposterous, but could never
concern him.
I need not go into the causes which led
to my conversing with Simpson on the
subject OF matrimony. Suffice II 70 say
that did not do so OF my own free will
j had received Instructions from my wife
10 sound Simpson on the matter, with
relation 10 some ideas" that she had got
into her head with respect 20 our second
daughter. Jane. and "to hear was 10
obey" as they say al Russora.
My dear simpson" SAID 7. as we were
cracking our wslnuts together. after a lit
tie dinner under nv own roof II often
wonder why man like you. with large
income and fine house. a. You dexe~i be
your home 20 he ~ Busscra, has never
married. II must he rather wretched llv-
sng ogt there all alone
Well. 4 woula be. no doubt" said Slmp-
son. in RS quiet way. ~puf. Lord bless
sou' I've been married these - years
You nn'gst have knockei me down with
feather.
Married these 90 years, You astount
me. WAY. how was II you never spoke
about 49,
''oh. don't know; thought Il van,an'.
tnteres; you. she was a Persian. YOU
know. II she had been a European. then
I should have told YOU
a Persian Wife, Dear me" said T.
how funny & seems ! said funny
bat a. the same time al the suspicious [
entertained tsn1 now entertain more than
ever respecting travellers ard persons
who ah3ure civilization moved into my
mind. Now. what color, my dear S!fup-
son. X may put the question without i'm
pertinence. are your ehiidrear"'
Wei. we've get no children" said
si7Spson. ~ rs ssnsl innertureahle tone.
I'VE never had any
don't cutie knew why. bat somehow or
other 7 Thought this creastable 10 Strp-
sCn. j. was very wrong IN him 20 have
mar - Persian, perhaps a fire worship
Per. or az best s MoAamredan. but Il was
comfort % th.Dk that The evll had. so 10
speak. stepped there. To think OF S4mp-
sen WIKI a heap of psrtt-co,ored children.
professgns, perhaps. their mothers out
lsndish Fairh as they grew up. would have
been palnfa, 70 ne. in connection wlth the
fact thar : nnpS0a was at that moment
under NY rcas. the same roof nth nv
wife and daughters. ara wat I was taA
ehurca warden OF cur district church.
foFSook a. once the particular subject OF
Simpsons wife 20 discuss the general sub
tecs cf pe'yg&my.