The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-12-25
THE PASSING OF ARTHUR.
BY John Hyseoush.

hyxTELL, my boy, I must say !
wv do hope there will be no fail
ure this time," remarked Col. Tudor,
to say the truth, rather gloomily, as
though failure were by no means to be
regarded as out of the question. They
had driven about a mile already on the
way to Harmsworth station, and this
was the old gentleman's first observa-
ton. He held the reins with aggres-
sive firmness, and frowned savagely at
the cob, as though he rather thought of
shooting him; and the end of his cigar
was dreadfully mangled by his teeth
When Arthur had last been driven by
his father to catch the up-express at
Harmsworth, there had been a cigar
for him also; but none was offered to-
day, and after he had taken out his
own, the case was shut with a hard
click and put sternly away by the
eagle-visaged old warrior.
The colonel was really distinguished
man, but he had always been hard one,
and such people are apt to be hardest
OF all to their own flesh and blood. A
great deal had been expected of young
Arthur Tudor, and, alas! had been SO
far expected in vain.
Its a thousand pities," said the col
onel, that you have not as many brains
as your sister,"
Poor Arthur ventured no reply to this
dismal criticism, he had heard it about
ten times week during the last five
months. The wind whistled coldly in
the naked hedgerows, and made the
gaunt poplars by the wayside swish
their STOPPING branches against the
sullen wintry sky. He felt an inward
chill and sullenness creeping about his
own heart. "Pm awfully grateful for
all your encouragement" he nearly
said. For my part, think it was a
pity he did not say 1t out loud. The
colonel was a neutrality-suspicious. a bit
OF bully-and that sort of man re-
spects you only If you stand up to him.
But Arthur was a sweet-tempered
youth, and trained to old-fashioned hab-
its OF Difference; SO he felt sore, but held
his tongue.
Its an extraordinary thing" con-
tinued Col. Tudor, that you should be
80 like her in everything else. Height,
looks, face, voice, build-everything
but brains. And she So clever!"
Arthur and his twin sister were
quite as fond of each other as twins
are proverbially supposed to be; but
he would have had to be an archangei
not to resent the manner in which her
praises were sung by their father to
his own disparagement.
Still, he had SO far been a failure;
and failure has TO take what is given
him Of praise or blame.
So poor Arthur smothered sigh, and
thought with relief that while he was
up for his examination he should at
least be out of earshot of his fathers
criticisms. 1t certainly did not occur
to the colonel that he himself was in
any way to blame for his sons second
failure-for fail we shall see that he
debut it is fact that the lads utter
encouragement and consequent fiuster
and nervousness had much to do with IL.
The Tudors were family Of soldiers.
and there had never been any question
tn the mind Of Col. Tudor that his three
sons should all enter the service. The
two elder had already done so, and one
was rather rising artilleryman. while
the second was a clever "sapper." They
were both naturally suited to their
scientific corps. But the third son, our
luckless friend Arthur. was not strong
, in literary directions. A nicer.
straighter handsomer, better-hearted
lad you would not find, or one more
universally liked. But the truth is he
Yas moi clever. And he was. though