Year: 1868

g do not know" he began, "good
people what you mean by a fix; but if you
mean an awkward predicament, which for
the season is unpleasant, but may or may
not end advantageously for the individual
chiefly concerned, 7 can relate to you an
interesting narration in which | was the
principal performer; but if by fix you
intend to designate some circumstance in
the chapter of incidents in human life
which of necessity must terminate very
unplcasantly, like the case of our elder
brother, Richard, why all can say is
that"


" You are an ass, Ned" burst In Dick.
90 In the first place, you know very well
what fix is. You have not left college
quite long enough to have forgotten slang
Secondly, Ned allow me to remark that
my fix did end advantagcously most ad-
| vantageously, for | got out of matrimony,
and saw how nearly through it I had
got into trouble. Thirdly, permit me, my
dear fellow, to observe, and | will answer,
for if the rest of the company, or congre-
cation, as | suppose YOU would call them,
will indorse my observation, that you are
now in the pulpit, and consequently you
need not use the longest words you can
find moreover, You may come to the point
at once. provided you have a point to
come to: and although we happen to be
nearly related to you, it is not absolutely
necessary that in the course of your story,
you should address lis more than once as
'f My brethren, or My dear brethren"


" Tres bien," replied Ned, good humor-
edly, :" | will tell you fix, clerical one
to boot, moreover it is the biggest fix l
ever was in, and yet it ended so advanta-
geously as to start me in life. Just after |
was married, | took the curacy-a sole
chargc-of B, in Warrickshire |
resided in the rectory, the rector himself
being obliged to live in the South of France
Callers of course came, but owing to one
circumstance and another, we missed see
ing most of them. Before we had started
on our round of returning visits, l receiv-
ed friendly note from Mr.. Chilmark, a
vicar in the neighborhood, stating that, in
former times, he had known my father at
college; that he had the rural dean and a
few friends coming to dine with him Oh
such day, and that if my wife and
would waive ceremony 1--WE had not then
returned their calD, Mrs. Chilmark and
he would be very much pleased if we would
join their party. I should remark tha
my wife and | had never seen Mr.. ant


Mrs. Chilmark we were out in the parish
when they called on us. They lived abou
three miles on the other side of W
from which we live three miles distant


In those days l did not keep close car


riage, but drove my wife in an open wa
gonette. did not know the country a


all well, but having studied the map


and got directions from an acquaint
e ance, had little doubt but that, with tn


help of young moon, should find m.
way.


, 1t so happened that the night of Novem
Der II, 1872, was very foggy; the mool


was hardly of any use to us. We coul,
find our way to the town of W al


right, because it was turnpike road, an
e | was acquainted with it but with regar


to the other side of the town and the cross


roads, I hardly knew what to do | mad
= up my mind to see if could get out at all


and if | found myself In the least degre
e puzzled, | determined to 60 back and &c
!. an ostler from the town to act as guide
IS As we were leaving W, and abou
:. to drive through turnpike, a well ap
8 pointed carriage overlook us, and passe


through the gate just before us. aske
|. the woman at the gate whose carriage tina