News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-02-20
APhySiOglOlniSt'S Mistake.
BY A. Grassy MORRISON

the Oldest hotels in New England for
several days. l have often flattered
myself that, backed as l am by con-
stantly meeting new faces and the
opportunities for reading character,
which it is necessary for a fellow on
the road to improve, there are few
persons who can size a man up more
quickly than [. had noticed several
times, during my stay at the hotel, a
fine looking man who always came
into the dining room just at the close
of the dining hour. He was about
forty-five, with iron gray hair, dark
complexion and very quick and
piercing black eyes. He had a queer
scar on one cheek; the flesh was torn
in three parallel lines, and in healing
had left three white marks about
half an inch apart and two inches
long. | never saw him tip the wait
ers, nor did | ever see man receive
more obsequious attention from
them. He had but to turn his eyes
on one of those darkies, and they
would fairly Jump to show their alert
devotion. He had rare taste in the
selection of his repast, and when
what was chosen was placed before
him it always looked as if he had
been guided by intuition, for it was
invariably the best there was in the
house.
Gone morning / sat opposite him,
struggling with very tough piece OF
steak, when, with a kindly smile, he
said -
"'Will you permit me to send for a
better steak for you? You notice,
perhaps, that | have had some sue
cess in obtaining a good one for my
self, and he pointed to his juicy bit
of tenderloin.
"'You may | said, for you al
ways have better luck than any one
else
she looked up-every waiter was
in an instant ready for instructions.
Selecting one with his eyes, he simply
pointed to my much mangled steak
and quietly resumed his breakfast
He had scarcely done so, when the
darkey returned, bringing the most
delicious piece of meat | have ever
seen before or since.
"The next day was Sunday, and
after dinner l was wandering aim.
lessly about, when espied my friend
in the reading room alone. His feet
were on low window sill, and, with
his chair tipped back, he was looking
thoughtfully into the street | en-
tered and taking a seat beside him
fell into conversation. We had chat
ted some time when | said
"'You will pardon me, sir. l have
some reputation as a physiognomist
and having noticed your marvellous
control over the walters, | have
formed an opinion of your character
and vocation which is very compli-
mentary.'
eyes l replied, and with your
permission [ will tell you what it is
for | am curious to know if l have
reached the right conclusion
4 would like you to tell me very
much, he replied, for | am always
curious to know how impress stran
gers
Well, said I, your quick, quiet
step, your absolute GOODNESS, your
power of enforcing obedience and the
strong outline of your nose would in
dictate the general" but your eye is
too quick, and your mouth, with the
corners indicating curiosity, tempt
me to believe that you are great
traveller. | will even venture to say
you are a hunter who has sought the
largest game. Shall l call you al
"Allen Quartermain," or an explorer
who has striven to benefit the world
by discovery in Africa?
"'Well DONE he answered. Il an
neither an "Alen Quartermain" mol
an explorer, but | have been to Afri
ca. | did not go to hunt or find any.
thing more attractive than dyewood
Of course, [ met with some animals
and became a good shot, hut not q
hunter, by any means, Stanley told
me once that he could trust me alone
with gun if it wasn't loaded, which
was his quaint way of admitting
that | could defend myself
Come said [, do you not think
that my remarkable guess is worthy
of a story of some of your adven
lures?
IT mill toll Won ono
GO Before | begin | want to say
that / am much amused at the lior
stories l read in the papers. The
writer's have never seen q tropica
landscape, a Zulu or a wild lion, anC
yet they describe them all at great
length, and the papers devote theiI
space to them. | admit that they
are sometimes very cleverly written
and will do very well for those who
do not know where they are at fault
but how can they describe correctly
what they have never experienced?
give those writer's credit for a marvel
usly vivid imagination. | will tel
you one of my experiences, and yor
will see that it takes a man who has
been there to get the true ring out
of even a slight adventure.
60 had penetrated farther thar
usual that year, and having met will
much success was on my way to the
coast, when one day we came unex
pectedly upon a Zulu village. Thu
people were in great excitement, anC
impelled by curiosity Indicated by
the turned corner of his mouth