The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-04-15
A CASE OF LUCK.

n cnce and having made spe-
nifty of serving men in the CONNER
eial line, | have many "reminiscences
,hat are more or less entertaining
Opening my diary at random, find
notes on the case of Hubert Meredith.
Ny first knowledge of the young man
came TO me through letter from his
nthcr. Sir Hubert Meredith, man
with large landed possessions, strong
uill Of his own.
Il will give you some history OF
An. how" wrote the old gentleman, af-
Ter we had some correspondence in
which it was arranged that | was TO
employ my time and professional tai
ents in looking for the son. could
IMAGINE the elder Meredith, self
villed. choleric gentleman, who was
naed TO having his own way within the
circle OF his, family and tenants. lie
frequently underlined his sentences
ana there was a ,igor in his language
that can only spring from masterful
spirit.
Hubert was always rebeliious and
intractable." declared the father. lie
ino strong and athletic, and taking 10
,i,c toughest boyish sports as natural
IL as n fish takes to water his spirit of
;ndependence grew with his years, and
h. had no taste for the accomplish
ments desirable in son OF my house.
lie would rather take dive from the
side of cliff into the river, back a
Wild colt. or wrestle with some OF the
village Doors, than to pursue his stud
;,s though provided him with some
ofthe best instructors that were turned
ont of Oxford, my own alma mater
insisted upon his tutors disciphnlng
him. and he knew great deal more
about the sensations that accompany
a good Gaming than about Greek roots
or the beauties that can be unfoldcd
.hrough a knowledge of the dead lam
guagcs.
"But no amount of punishment
seemed to tame his spirit or reconcile
him TO the task of being gentleman.
Had he not been an only son. and very
handsome one at that, I'm certain that
would have sen. him TO sea or found
him some kind of subordinate service
il India. While he was still mere
bov reached a degree of desperation
in which l decided that If he would
only look like gentleman would try
to be content. But / could not hire
him to put on the appearance, the
clothes or the airs that belonged TO his
class. In his hurry TO reach the fresh
air he would neglect all the essentials
If the toilet, and by the time he re-
turned from some boyish expedition
he would look as though he had beer
rolling about under one of your mod
ern street sweepers. My gentle WIN
used to remind me that the Widest
colts sometimes made the best horses
but il made me angry. and would say
that il his future goodness were but
1.-THE of his present wildness. he would
indeed he a paragon among men. H'
would ut least be a premier.
But the boy grew worse. III
would climb where n goat would no
venture. He ~ouid slide with flyin:
hair and shouts of exultation from III
roof-tree OF the house, and depend upoi
The eve-trough to prevent his dash
ing 10 death. When there was col
in the stable that was too wild and to-
vicious for the experienced men 7
charge to handle. Hubert would tax
him. and those who saw them say tina
the battles were like those with deatf
The punishment ne received was nc
ceptcd as matter of course, and IN
BOY slept the sleep Of the just unde
a conviction that he had fairly an
equarely paid for his fun.
Il regard it rs miracle that he grey
TO the age when we could decent
pack him off to school. My decisio
20 have this important step in h
career taken. came in characteristic
way We had the chief dowagcr {
the whole section TO dinner. In IL
midst Of the meal there was poppin
fire like that of muslctry. the roo
was full OF smoke, the dowager was
Mysteries and the boy was like to d
from laughing. He had packed II
springs beneath her chair with fiji
crackers. attached fuse, and cunning
ly lighted it from where he sat. Tbs
determined the whole matter. We sci
him TO school as soon as practicabl
trouble that he was liable to max
l will omit the troubles that his j
structors had with him.
when Hubert came home with h
handsome figure, his stylish cloth
and his CHEEKY laugh, was dclighte
No one was ever better to loo
upon. But the happy dream VI
cruelty dispelled. His aggressive al
lawless nature had only taken anoth
direction. think il he had only bet
a liberal, could have forgiven hi
but he was radical of the radica
The first time that the political stu
ton came under consideration Mt 4
table. he simply threw frcbrand in
"a powder mill. We elders were n
only loyal adherents TO the throne. b
deprecated the idea that the middle
lower classes should have any vol
An government. 1t was our duty
govern them, and theirs to be gratei
80.