Evening star., 1904-02-27
A FRIEND IN NEED

Every time read about Nagasaki. in
the accounts Of the little Japanese-R Russian
misunderstanding now in progress. pause
to live over again the memory OF the most
soothing and opportune drink that l ever
introduced into my system in the whole
course of my Iife-and it happened in Naga-
saki," said Washington clubman with the
globe-trotting habit.
''It was a short time after the Boxer trou-
bles in China, and I had been proving
around over that way. On leaving China,
was running in and out of japanese ports
on Japanese coasting steamer. Before
leaving this country a great many ietleis
had been pressed upon me to present TO
American relatives and friends living in the
far east. Among them was q letter 10
missionary stationed at Nagasaki. When,
on the night before the little steamer was
due in Nagasaki, learned that she would
get into that port at o'clock in the morn
ing, and that, owing to being behind In her
schedule, she would only remain In the
Nagasad harbor for an hour. WASH
elated over the prospects attending my pre-
sentation of the letter to the missionary.
But didn't feel as il / could face the kind
ly American people who had given me the
letter If 1 was recreant to the niue .sus. ~
they had placed in me- and l resolved 10
fulfill the mission in spite of all incon.
venience and discomfort. didn't get
through playing my end Of the leetle one
ven ante game WIFI Tie UufCA VI news
per correspondents who were returning
from the Boxer uprising until about z IN
the morning. at that The game had peen
In progress for four days, and 1t wasn't any
dry game. either
told the steward to have the boy cali me
as soon as the steamer dropped anchor In
Nagasaki harbor. The boy banged on my
door. as / thought about eight minutes
after I'd toppled into my bunk with my
clothes on and gone to sleep; but 1t was
really after o'clock. and the steamer was
already at anchor In the harbor OF Naga-
saki.
sfWhen sat up on the edge of my bunk
I guess maybe my tongue didn't feel Hike
wooden bell clapper, what with tne san
and stuff wherewith that poker game nao
been wetted down during the four Gays OF
its progression. I poked my head into the
basin of cold water, but that didn't relleVe
the volcanic internal fires by whole mousse
full 1 thought when finished tidy1ng nay
self, that I'd dig up the steward ana get
teenchy leetle one from him to stave or
the harbor chill of the early morning.
But I found that the steward had al
ready gone ashore to get fresh provisions
The steward had with him ashore all of the
keys of the wet goods lockers. There was
nothing for it but to go ashore and see tne
missionary and look as pleasant as possible:
even with that crater in full blast INSIDE OF
me. So I hailed sampan and put OH LOT
the beach, the skipper warning me not 10
stay more than three-quarterS OF an nour.
On the way to the shore l understood TOT
the first time why shipwrecked and mad
greedily gulp salt water. I had a thirst just
like that myself. 1 hoped into 'ricksha
on the dock and told the boy to gallop me
at the top of his speed to the missionary
residence. He got there in something less
than three minutes. 1t was just about the
hour of dawn, and everything in the neigh
borhood was deadly quiet. But l banged
on the missionary's door, and presently
I, o. 0fl
n ans voice, 1t struck me-inquired:
What's up"
Nothing. except an American intruder
with letter to present. l sung back. and
only ten minutes in which to do it,
Down directly, came back the voice
that sounded astonishingly like that of
young man, and in about half minute
clean looking. clipperish, smooth faced
man, not above thirty, threw open the door
before which 1 stood He had gorgeous
mans kimono thrown around him and he
looked pleasant and gave me an athletes
grip.
lis your father up yeti? I asked him,
after the exchange of greetings
If you mean that he's in his heavenly
home said the young man. with sort of
pleasant gravity, think there's not a
doubt of it My good old dad was sanity
man. But 1 noticed that he looked at me
curiously as if not exactly understanding
how to take me.
II handed him the letter; it was from
and read it. 1 saw then, with astonish-
ment. that he was the missionary himself,
when had been mentally picturing an aged
man, with long, patriarchal white beard
and all that sort of thing. He gave me
another cordial grip Of the hand when he
had finished reading the letter. I told him
l had to run to catch the steamer. He
begged me to remain over until the next
steamer-said he and his wife would be
delighted to entertain me. But 1 couldn't
do it. l reflected that. as I was away
ahead of that poker game on the steamer.
the returning correspondents would have a
hard opinion of me If I dropped Off the
steamer and probably feel that 1 had got
coid 1eet@a-purpose. SOS to hang on to my
winnings. So l told the fine young mis-
sionary that 1t couldn't done
Er-um-a bit chilly this morning. isn't
1t! ne observed, eyeing me shrewdIy, and
perhaps noticing that my hand was trem-
oiing bit with the hurry and exertion Of
making his establishment .Er-and travel-
ers are certainly entitled to the benaft ~
dispensations Come this way. old man.
and he led me to his handsome dining
room.
HE opened a little cupboard in a corner
of the room and took from it a nearly full
bottle of an eminent old brand of American
bourbon. He placed glass before me and
brought jug of fine clear spring water.
"A little for the stomach's sake. as st.
Paul says, said the splendid young fellow,
smilingly. as / pushed the glass toward
him. No. he said, it's little early for
me, but could see all the same that he
didn't use 1t at all, but that he just kept 1t
on hand for emergencies.
And guess maybe didn't feel that one
out at the ends Of my fingers about an
eighth of q minute after took it!
Now, another trifling one to ward Off
the harbor miasma, said the young man a
few minutes later on, filing his glass with
water and clinking 1t against mine 1t went
down, and / shook hands with him and
made my necessarily hurried departure
And that was the brace Of gulps Of my
life. Since then, no man has ever dared to
ever utter even a whisper against foreign
missions in my presencel
New Medical Terrors.
From the Springfield Republican.