Year: 1863

quisite word painting brings all I love dear
est before me so clearly, that am sadden-
ed in spite of myself"


Ipitied the stranger.


''The strangers heart o wound it not,


A yearning anguish is its lot"


These words thrilled through my heart,
and I kept beside the gentleman when I
ought to have been on my way home. At
length spoke of going.


''My young FRIEND" said the lover of
Burns ''you will not go till you have drunk
to the memory of Scotia's bard"


He spoke gravely and tenderly, and l
Joined him over bowl Of punch made of
the "Dew off Ben Nevis" meaning to
leave my fascinating friend after single
glass. But was fated not to do this. l
listened to his musical voice, as he quoted
literally from Burns, and lauded him as
lberally. / had never strong head, and
the national beverage and the national po-
etry, suspect, were too much for me
pretty soon. remember that the gentle
man remarked that the higher senti-
ments should not be exposed before the
vnlgar," and in illustration Of the remark
he proposed that we should go into his own
private room, which adjoined the coffee
room, but was fitted up much more ele-
gantly. Then he opened a backgammon
board and said with Indifference:


"Do you ever play?"


At home l had never been allowed to
play at backgammon, and probably for this
reason l was very fond of the game. l said
| liked no game better, and we began to
play. | was very much excited by the
punch, and by all the circumstance of the
evening, and after time found we were
betting largely. This seemed only natural,
and went Oh stalking my fathers money
and winning the strangers. l remember
having confused notion that if took the
gentleman's money when | had won, the
play would be gaming, and no longer the
innocent game | had consented to play.
Therefore, though winning largely the
strangers money, refused to take it, He
urged the gold upon me, telling me that he
should take my money without scruple, if
he won it. A pile of gold lay at my elbow
that I refused to take, when he began to
win from me.


"Win your own money IN welcome"
said l; a. will stake it all, and twenty
guineas besides, on this throw"


AS | said these words, q heavy hand was
laid upon my shoulder, but was too much
under the influence OF the punch and the
game to notice it.


"Won, by all the gods" said the gen.
tleman, 'hand over your twenty guineas. :"
Won-but with loaded dice, and from
boy who stakes his fathers money with
professional gamester who has made him
drunk said the deep voice of Angus
MLean, who had come unnoticed and at
midnight into this room, which had a semi
public character, and as we afterwards
learned was often used for the nefariOuS
work of the professional blackleg. Angus
knew the house well, but such had been
the accuracy of his information this night,
that he would have found me, if he had
known nothing before of the house or
| its character.


AS Angus spoke of the loaded dice, the
gambler cried out GA base falsehood." At
the same time he attempted TO sweep them
from the table But Angus was too quick
for him. He coolly put the in his pocket,
saying, I" l will just save this we bit of evil
dence, and you, sir, may call me to ac-
count whenever you like


The discCmfitted gambler scraped up
his gold, and slunk out of the room. An
gus drew my arm through his own, and es-
sayed to take me away.


| was weak from the effect Of the
liquor, and violently affected by the op-
perfume appearance of Angus. The
thought that l had been within hairs
breadth of running my poor father came
upon me and sobered me, like deluge of
cold water.


Now Angus Mclean always spoke in
Scotch when excited, though in the main
he was only an English-speaking cosmo-
politan, having spent several years in Lon
don, and having no pride in his Scottish
idiom.


aye puir Gallant" said he to me, as we
emerged into the open air, {" did ma ken
we at a.. To think of your bein' clean
wud the night, just real daft, and thrawin'
AVA your puir auld fathers last bawbee. -


heard him, and yet l seemed not to
hear him. 1 was in dream-like state,
and suffered myself to be led home and
put to bed by Angus, as if 1 had been a
child of two years led by the hand.


When awoke next morning Angus was
beside me. He brought me bottle OF
soda water, which somewhat cured the
confusion in my head, besides quenching
burning thirst.


"My poor boy l" said Angus, edo you
remember?"


The rush of recollection, though confus-
ed, the shame of my conduct, the ruin, the
misery that had so narrowly escaped
bringing upon my poor father and oul
family, overcame me entirely. I nearly
tainted. 1 believe felt in that moment
all the agony that would have been my
fathers portion, if Angus had not inter.
posed his strong arm between me and that
most accomplished knave and hypocrite