Year: 1869

ncus inIO business LransactlO
suggesting that Mr.. Harding wou


think that he had brought it as a T


ceptacle for the widows money.
must have it with me- said the O
gentleman, for il / ever venture
go out without it l invariably me


with some invaluable specim,
which escapes me in a hearLrendiI
manner. But he added, I'm n,


going to let Harding discover m


weakness, you may be sure. L


leave it outside among the bushe
and recover it when the interview


over


well, good luck attend you, an,


way p l called after him "a success


ful end to your negotiations, an
lplenty of butterflies


The good-hearted old fellow CAV


me nod and smile, and, fiourisl


ing his net, was presently off ON hi


mission.


l had what we Familiarity calle


the fidgets' that afternoon. coul,


not settle down to anything. Hay


ing tried wandering about the garden


L now took, in turn, to wanderin


about the house, going first into on


room and then into another, lookin,


at the pictures, taking up differen
objects which lay about, and exam
lining them in an entire purposeles
way,


AT the top of my friends hous
there was little room in a tower
which was used as a smoking room
and also kind of observatory M
host being in the habit of observing
the heavenly bodies through his tel
escope when favorable occasion
offered. / remembered the existenc.
of this apartment now, and, feeling
that q small dose of tobacco woulC
suit my present condition very well
determined to climb the turret stair
case, and enjoy quiet smoke in
observatory.


The room was charming. There
were large windows in it, and the
view was most extensive, taking in
scenery OF very varied kind-hill
and dale, wood, river, and plain.
The signs of habitation were not nu.
merous, the country being but thinly
populated still, there were cottages
and farm-houses scattered here and
there, and even one or two villages
in the distance. lighted my cigar
and gave myself up to the tranquil
enjoyment of the scene before me.


As | sat thus, the clock of my
hosts church struck three. Remem-
bering that to be the hour of Mr.
Irwin's interview with Mr.. Harding,
my thoughts reverted to the subject
of the widows debt, and TO the good
nature whiCn my friend had display.
ed in giving himself so much trOu-
bls and undertaking such thank
less office. My mind did not dwell
long on these things, however.
happened to catch sight of the tele.
scope, which which was put away in
a corner of the room and being
restless, and not in a mood in which
total inaction was agreeable to me, ]
determined to have it out, and exam
inc the details Ofthe landscape which
| had just been studying on a large
scale,


The day was very favorable for
my purpose. The'sun was shining,
and there was an east wind,--a com
binatiOn which often produces re
clearness in the atmosphere.
could not possibly be
more suitable for telescope observa-
tions, SO, placing the instrument on
its stand before one of the widows,
sat down and commenced my sur
vey.


1t was a superb telescope, and al
though l knew it well, and had often
used it before, l found myself still
at its power and range.
| set myself to trying experiments
as to the extent OF its capacity, tax
ing the time by the church clock of a
village two miles of, trying to make
cut what people were doing in the
extreme distance, and in other ways
putting the capabilities of the instru-
ment to the test. That done, with
results of the most satisfactory kind,
went to work in more leisurely
shifting the glass from point
to point of the landscape, as the
fancy took me, and enjoying the de-
licious little circular pictures, which,
in endless variety, seemed to fit
one after the other, into
the end of. the instrument. The lit
lie round pictures were some of them
very pretty.


| came presently to little bright
green paddock, with a pony feeding
IN it-a refreshing little round pic
lure pleasant to dwell on. There is
4 pond in one corner of the paddock,
with pollard willows, the
water rejecting them upon its sur
ACE, as also a little patch of sky,
which it gets sight of somehow, be-
tween the branches.


1t is comfortable and innocent
little place this, with a small wood
close by, with haystack near the
gate, and stay-what is this There
are figures here-two men--how
plainly see them. But what are
hey doing? They are in violent
movement. Are they lighting,
wrestling, strugglinga 1t is SO. A
is going on between them,
and one of the two--he wears
bright red cap-has the best of it.
He has his antagonist, who seems to
be weak and makes but faint resis-
.ance, by the throat he strikes fierc-
" at the wretched mans head with
stick or club he holds, and, pressing
On him sorely, beats him fiercely to
.he ground. The man who has the
best of it-there is something more
of red about him besides his cap; is