Wm IT FATe
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f I ii Baaa aaaa aaat r STlMMk ,
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K -Ww MbbwMbIbMb * * * MptIbb * t M'W
ffcg * a i aaiaai aa ; •
mwWm * < M • apwPB aaWajBp Jp * * b b bbb JHHaV ffB aBB-
tUta * ' • feSa- ' * bwb"Jbbb MMBMbbb" " * * * BflMBV (990 4H0MHPltfMBV i I
Ttl Lt I HI I > < * * I III , •
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E a1HiM * > w a Ba BBlB. * * ' l
B * > k aBBaaaakJftaaaaBBBBBaBBtfBBB 4fe kW
9" ia 111 t afXWMtMfc. afjl aBBaal. * • , " i
I m > a * aaar ajBaaBBaBBBBV-- . aai A ;
jMm * < m m in * . am i ' >
H bbbbbTlw . A. j M tafei 4Sk M " 3Hfr f 9
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jii rtr- J
# t ttifc * * ? < au' * * 1 mmrmol mmd . i
iflfeivw | i hii TU.j i W me-wmmt d ! ;
B aaaait I m ste lw * - ' * * - * * • " * " - '
4MMBI * J * iMW - ' • 'vrwBi ' * * ' I 1
4Mb nf ak A < • * * * n T - - " * " ' rfc * * * , •
" " rort * • ar ! I
. "
taw * qftiwt' -
* s. & - * * * T fcw * * - • " • " * " " '
' - - * . . - ! • • * :
T > i > li
B > ! * . WmM I
m nrr lur * < M Tin- * * •
' ' " • * " * t- * ' * * '
B'm j t8lTLiL ! r
BL t" fM'
* flr " tt §
" * * * TV kown wt r <
H cj i njiirtinc
B * * jr r ' < • * g ' * Mr. A * i i
B" "W Ti vacAiMNawlMw atL K used
-1 . V * . t fc * * * * * * * * * e Tefeaie. i
' fcra eeris * ot ;
B "tI' -jgin- ' - wlwpliaaiiMirfno
B * * • mi mi # Miiliiiiumn aaaliutttf
B y8 . • . * • " Pf • aa l
B y y . „ j a rf i > t l > uiw a > jr k ii * ;
"
" * * ' T - " * • * • - > - ' - '
B a If ir jiwifcr -ff
B
•
fw * # * * * tfitrW. To do • > ( > with a < s
* * f | i.l Mlfc iiiHMMiilTth ( rjr < ? aranddnir
MftHM-aMMMMk fcu JU linrVmr ami minute
mtpmm MmNl F < w h * pr life pDww this
% • i * mt hm I wwiit. MMnrfore. rutsttmt my-
4f Ml otetf im4 jiwnr. oat nftrnmrilii cur *
J mm * li < r > . ' -0IJ br cwrt < ii& infallible os tih
4 pmmm mm wmynn * • HU-hotrTp to show
* m Aha jmm rwwfcl iNtit hn U > ra only nt u
< > wwrirf kiU 4 jr atnl yeurandatno
| K i > M fc N s ojto-rtainnl tKat both
JMMMftNB4 ugt * * f t bora ia ' 51 , he in
& * + > & . fat . Mc no. iNoiml him lf forintr-
mwA winniiiii m a n * t f rotuimtatiotu * . iv-
fcMHfr fc w Ms * t tim * to the book which
kf ; w > fcj-fcyirlww. os > t * nntitn'H shincin
j * * 4 • { : k eiTKjr for & momrnt or
* it * % iik h Or.Uto.1 from hUtank ,
* md. > > ; • • * r a tiu k * > t of paprr. uf > *
< w * * Mb Mfframi t t rtrralar nsures flIW
* * * . rmMwnuniimil * .j-alx > U and naturruU ,
k mmmtrnxit * * r * * bi # tw * bari * l in thought.
g < iWn % fc 9h4. itmti-rM w > * h autart :
* Nmt f Itwur lwwiiti > | iiw , " ke at length
imli > wntitn mn ; btrnwif to Armitn f ,
j imii in < r. < mt jHngwfcir nail ntartlin
< l i * . 1"h # n ' * b ' < wfiiiaanl. tarnin to in ,
'fmm mtktSo * > - > > iii to hf the contini 'li-
- Hmmw Iti i fciMntjr to h * exjstrted
i r ) 'Wi i-w m. yme 4mtt tn. exrt-pt vrhere it
! ( • % mtrtmml. M It W during tilt )
mm i < mv . lk - > rtMK h-wU of which I
AdinAwNijr > " < JL walk ikat of jrour fnVnd.
-T * rfcii wt iif i > A * taw , * * vent on Mr.
Jr m \ wpMK mlibiiii w > c ArmitH t * . "that
> M ww ( ait MaMt wolchjr fuuiiljr to
* * > * < < rf wfcm tH + awl wwilth
> ai mM i * - ! . nt Y m h v h. U.Iy , tall , dark ,
tamMMMl MMNM dr mmC * f Wnt jour own
* mAh * > * MMVM * * I * Mr it ftiOH 1H | tia !
aM-BMWik A r taJUa-f yw r 4Ttr f. mm jrnii
4i < > • > • > aaar.Jan aviM tn r d. You will
i-9Mi * PM r Tihwi * ifxi nl rttlauitj ol
fMV kb Hi MM jiwKVuti wtit kill your
• mwmI aa4 4krM > r t i k tivYit way you
afta f 1 wrfl kJI Wr wkua r how love
• nM 4mvV ifm w k. iWth wHl in 't
+ * mmA mit ? tk * mitin ran * * * ? You ,
ata4 ai m * wji hwmmii m mm < t wy art
MB * • < h riw i pmnmimmty W r with the tt
Hi liMfc i > I i kiii i > j - nrtnitStay ! The in *
Ap MMMBpM > Mir Sll • • < * * UMrttlllT Me
• # km. l i jr bmmW m ytHtra. I utuy be
atawalUA. • • mmnHm w lt b * .at th strange
ttummms * mn i by mmt • i > irtai T > and not
waaWiMt * Mtta 11 > > ; fa ou my par ; ,
• twill , w-r w > h b. | J u ore our rbairs at
Xr JwHpMMf mi r. Aratttit ; * * ix-atin him *
Mm * * * MW MMJWw JMNl r * * # . | Btr th * old J't'tl -
0"ii'iw mah * mmmI. v3mV 1 dtil Hkt > t9f on
WMk 1Wim - * fcw K * rk of a moment ,
• M • a * r l r c aty po > itiou I caht a
• a > M-Br ma Mr Jk t0M-t' isn > -totirrd that
* • ny. t , McMWIy ntpt expre-t > ion ,
• * < i • • bVjtuii' ' • * ! vAtNuM.t ujmu uhnt
! • . W-k * / iiib < a a Mrx traiKipurvnt
n < i mi hjiiifcniL aJknmt ta ueand chajK-ol
aw > - fc < hbc i ii lam , • < * a irlub of Mimn
I nfc > , t MW& imhIwitthat iooketl like j > t.
MMl MMff M * * i ii * < ifc * * > < i the table < ii-
-aafi i " * < * rfM - A > fiwd'Mtit. . and dis *
MM > i mi > fcwc fmt fc-jw. l're eutly
W 4i gfttmMM ' if * W rait to taovein-
mmM > a * at tryaajr at T a to speak , his
* aMaaaaaac * * • niixtan tly at the
aaawi atar • • at * traace. At lust he
"IBar m4 > aaaax la * erys-tal. * * he aid ,
* aa > alaMaaa ; aata * . aa4 MjnmM be-in to
aa > * istaaMtK-- iHK it. 1 w * aietared 1k *
laar aa la-r • - • - > /a st-iury auuHue. Itis
aaaaaaajat. T - • * * acv waria hlowly
aaaaa ; vW aMaaaa ai rlmi roarers * ? . One is
a * ajaMakacaa aa a mj noat. 11m * otkfr U a
MaaiL tnaaari aa-aai iW fcmamJ with a
aaaW upi i . aai aJfaax at aeotek n over
fct ifc lifca , "
* * ti aaMT * I aaail aaar Arthuray in
th-j • • • aaaajait. TV * y man
a-aaa aaar i-ar. Ma lafc-r * hoc hand. Xotrhe
Na--a.aa * aahr aaprr.aadi-toopsdonn
ft * ka > mm. % mw nW * rvit * meitri away.
jaat eW in iwahai * at hjcded 6p-are scat-
-alaianri aa 4at aa sa * * > . aad th nipt
mmmmtmmmmimm > gmmii im4ttfikt the ery.ital.
Faa aaaaaa a aaaaa * tai.'rt iiu aaVaee. whilt >
I aaaaat wa V a-praitii * > i ntt * * # what would
MaJaaaaat aa awaoMi. t > store aain. lie
• aaaaalia * m n a iaiatc ia the ery tal.
aaaaajl a aa > tw at hmtad * * bright and
aaaaaaaaaM a pr. .
OaaaW yao. " aai M < - . .L-sard ; "but are
ajatft aW aaaaV taac atoajr * e-iwr ia and out
aW aataaa * . mr aar tmrj T CKmhIm. foys.
a f iai aa mmt aa tha r avore. Ah ! 1 see
aaw * V * % aa af taxcarlr > aukii iH > n my
awjML aW aaMw a kaaV at aw aaatl and is
BMKjaar aa-aa. TaM-w • > trwaatr oa hU > Hind.
Saw aut > acavr a-caam aa ar apoa the
taaaarMaw at ta tiniaatrfat ywaac lady with
aW ia * Sum * , aac awW w ars a truve-
aasaaaa-k. aaa lar apaoars a portly old
aaaaaaaaa * • * ! Vaalt yaiatu. I'ioa. ' ftear pray
a i. aaaaat i iaaji > i w , aa-lawttly triaim l
laaaw a-aaal aa4 waa km . Ite earrseohi -
aaaanl ajaa . ha * * * • m upca aa l hen ears
"mjt aa * - " ' I haard AraMtatre remark.
waaVaa ax "taa * b * la J - * Tit U > a axoni *
/ffWaBaBaaBMM'B r taward eueh oth-
aa. ' raaaaaaUrn. AHdM-d ; "they meet , and
aa * aWltaa af aVjaaagBtaa t * twried in
aV M aMMt ' it artiani. The y * fc lady tails
aaaaaV farvaati. Fag ; cawda the * cene
1 a-aavedat Ajgtataga. H ia ewasa study.
H in r he waMuraiunt which everepreud it.
waawiamiii fc eaaawmalan * . aad at any oth-
af ii i wmbM. ha a a H rded maeh food for
Sbaaaha * . haa taegniTky aad venerable ap-
giiaanini miaar an rloetiiwr. together with
aV * aiialy gaatma rharater of the rerela-
ajaa-s jg-aafc taey w . waiehhewasmnktnpr ,
i a atit hatae pa'ehiifc'd aaythtay of the kind ,
riia if wiinania anort sy h ni not.
Aaaaa. dtnai wan a arrjodof--ilenee. folio wed
ap a Mtwakater b * > t > eak a. bvfore.
-Ta * ? i in-t this Iwwha-jhftedlike mapc , "
KaaiMr. AoaaJ. . "lae-iaterior of a church is
aVafaai t h.awiw . m& > . There is bright s-un-
am i , hna-hraavi-j-- l happy faces. Abridal
aaaty m t mmMmg ac the ehaaeel , a bishop in
faff inawiwiili i pwrfen-mias the ceremony.
She aaiiiganiim. m the yoaar man at my
atsjaf. aaai ta brale ir. a lady whom it would
a * aar % > ry ut rail he atal in either face or
iann. Ma * hacBituoa > r woadrously kind ,
• awl aaat ahai Tir. aauL she h H murrelously
aaaaaaai. hni i eyan. U r left bhoulde : is
aarJa % lawar aaa ta * njrht. "
- * # " ' I aaatd haar.Vrmitaeremarkiir >
tm aacaaaiLhul , 'waiatjr remarketlMr. As-
aaai. Thaaebrt-da * * > neawakeniii frora
amp aa-iaimlriwi at - . ay-tat owe , then at the
aaanr. a ait-taieaemt hin hand. : .
-A * * ! * ' ar aaaSy wud HJKns ; " 1 see. I
aaaar hnaa wntfrg i * -lattont * etKinected with
wiai haain wipni tartHtj-h the meilium of tho
iianiiat. Ir taan ttatuo tbm * whenthinter - '
• at at fc.a a. taa iUfopB e ktmlty and there is
aaaaaB < * * oaV arre to tvaerate the vision" ,
la ejjah aa > I aat stataly a paxdve medium
ml awilatiuw aad coaaatMBti-ation for the ben-
aamof adainTaa y > rta 9 of the crystal have
h-aat hwaauii aVaa/a t * a * from the wisest
aaaa ata n raat yo wochl call them
taa > aj laaaaji' tiaiii i ; a ptvsaaat title , by
ta * km , mt wairk ymc raoot learned profes-
aav aak tt > tcasaa th * tra * aa < l all-important
Tiriiaaar nff matfrttitiT that is to bay , if
aiaaY il ka-torW truth tak > any prece < lence
a * h < ar ayae * uTcr tiaw-hoaored tk-tion. The
etrvHtaJ. wa ritar rabht thare. wat > a fdt't from
mmm aa ka * v its Yahw oae to whom 1 owe
aiata af taa toe. Ieaa bay. without undue
aaaMMBBc * . I aaar om > * m. It is homogeneous
aaat aawtaji lawaatiat | tialKiations for pu-
aajr aa4 aarataiy of vMon. Bat.strnnge as
at aaajr > * * m , mf th * viaioat * which I saw 1 now
boot iaai an iwcathw-tioa. Thy were , of course.
lappiBBwatary To , aad exptaaatory of the
aurwwa wharh I aavtr jar-t cajt. 1 trust
taay atay araao of beacftr. "
baa word. Mr. A _ frd. . " said Armitape ,
frmwmty. "I hare ntBtH-sed thiags of so ex-
ii maitaiTj aatarathix afternoon , and which
yatarte topenaau m whom I im > - ss a peculiar
iaorat-t. taaS ya att excti e meforputtiug
twaa plaia , hiwat < | Bestto s to you regarding
raeat. Baysa reaMy saean to tell me "
heat Araitaip-pet on a most inquisitorial
took , "thai 1 aB to place reliance in what has
yamd : ia * e information drawn from
y Nif aoroscop . nwi the visions you say that
ya have seeaia that lump of crystal ? Or
are you merely making game of jis , on tho
nappositioa that xe are either too t ! nse , or
too earelas * , to sift your premises or dispute
tohxOBcJusions ? "
" I was astonished at the stand taken by Ar-
tkar. no contrary was it to the easy , good-
natsred way in which he usually took things ,
aad mast confess that I waited with some cu-
riooitv for the reply of Mr. Asgard not that
I myself entertained the least doubt of tho
purity and feincerity of that g-ntlernan a mo-
beariug pointed to the
t ea his whole
aontrarr. but. before I bud time to complete
mv * } IP-eonstituted argument , Mr. Asgard
apoke. Gravely turning to Armitage , and
without the leat t siirn of resentment at the re
marks so curtly put , he said :
- ' aja Mi , . J • il • " ij4 ! ' " ' " ' Wiil * * " - - f1" ; :
• 'My dear young friend , I Iiavo Been too
much of men and mannora to tako olfunso at
the plainnetts and nincerity of youth. You
must pardon mo for not going nt tills mo
ment into fuller explanations these would bo
fruitless in view of your present acquaintance
with the matter in linntl. I have don my
lKi t to servo you ; my art is nt j'our com
mand" here Mr. Asgard bowed toward us in
a courtly ami dignitled manner "hut. pniy
do not impute to mo motives which would bo
perfectly purposeless , even ifl cared to trouble
myself with them. "
This rebuke told upon Arthnr. 1 could seo
thnthofeltashaincd of tho paltry insinuations
he had just made , and tho real anxioty which
had caused him to make these tcntativo re
marks made itself thoroughly apparent in
his next wards.
"I'nrdon me , " ho said ouickly ; "I am mir-
prisetl durafnunded at the minutencsh nnd
uppoMtenc-s of yoiir knowledge. One would
think you camo from Northampton , and
knew alt the families in tho neighborhood. "
( Here Mr. Asgnrd gravely dignified dissent. )
"Your descriptions of my uncle , of Miss
Hoot hbyand of my cousin , must either arguo
intimate acquaintance , or . "
"Or intimate knowletlgc of tho scienco of
foiwasting human events , you would say , "
interrupted Mr. Asgard , good-humorcdly ;
"that is exactly what my life and energies
have Ixth directed toward I think not with
unfruitiul results.
"Hut , " answered Armitogo impulsively ,
"whatatnlto think of all this ? You have
as good as told me that I am destined to
murder my uncle , and the lady whom
whom I mean to marry when 1 do
marry ; and then that I am eventual
ly to marry my cousin , whom I love
and admire as a sister , but nothing more.
What am I to think of all this ? Docs it
tit'iu reasonable ? How , I ask you as a plain
man , could a girl love and marry the mur
derer of her father ? "Why , tho wildest flight
of fiction , where license is most allowable ,
would draw the line at that. "
"My dear sir. " responded Mr. Asgnrd ,
quietly , "I am not responsible for tho work
ings of destiny. I am simply their humble
exponent , for the good , I trust , of those who
chance to consult me. No one can bo more
wise than destiny. You can rest assured
that events will transpire just nB I havo
said unless "
'Tnlos what ? " put in Arthur , eagerly.
"Taless , " said Mr. Asgard , slowly , "the
current ofevents chungetl by thoso who nro
part and parcel of those events , for they
alone can inovein tho matter. Yon nnd you
alone , have the unalterablo nnd inalienable
power to shape tho course of vour own life.
if "
"If what ? " again put in Arthur , eagerly ,
as Mr. Asgnrd paused as if Becking for an
expression.
"If , " returned our venerable friend , slowly ,
"we are absolutely sure of the conditions ol
those events , and tako deliberate measures
to insure the possibility of their happening.
"Anil then ? ' . ' returned Mr. Asgard , mus-
Kb * . "and then ay , and then what ? At
our peril. 1 have sien much and foretold
much , but I have yet to record a single in
stance of the successful defeat of fate , even in
cases where there was the most express and
premeditated purpose of doing so. "
"Then you sajcontinued Armitngo , with
the evident intent of pushing our friend into
a corner , "that it is practically impossible
for me to escape doing what my horoscope
has laid down for me that I must , in short ,
1h guilty of those unnatural acts which you
have stated. "
Mr. Asgard paused and bowed his head
upon his hand before he answered. When he
did so ho spoke very deliberately and
earnestly.
"Yes , " said he , "I believe that , practically ,
there is no escape from tho conclusions
drawn from the configurations of tho stars
and the visions in the crystal. Still , theo
retically there is , and there is no reason why
you , of all men , should not use your best en
deavors to defeat such a terrible and peculiai
destiny as we have just foreseen. "
"Hut how ? " asked Armitage , sharply and
impulsively , for 1 could see that , somehow , he
was getting every moment more and more
deeply imbued with the plausibility
of Mr. Asgard's argument.
"There is but one practical course thnt I
can see. " returned Mr. Asgnrd , "and that is
to eliminate vour own personality from the
chart. "
And how is that to be done ? " inquired
Arthur.
"By making sure , " answered Mr. Asgard ,
"that you cannot , by any possibility , parti
cipate in the events foretold , for the simple
reason that yoti do not fulfill tho conditions
of time and place. "
"Ah ! " acquiesed Arthur ; "then will you
please enlighten mo" and I could seethe
skeptical twinkle in his eye as ho said so
"regarding those very necessary essentials of
time and place. "Where and when , for in
stants , am 1 to kill my uncle , and and Miss
Ethel iloothby , for your descriptions are cer
tainly unanswerable , and how can I escape
the parricidal doom which , it appears , is cut
out for me by the planets , " and Arthur in
dulged in the faint mockery of a laugh , a
thing which I remember I was sorry for , as
he said this : "CJive me the timu and place ,
ami 1 will put my resolution against destiny
that what you have foretold never occurs. "
Mr. Asgard said nothing , but again took
the paper upon which the horoscopes were
drawn m his hands and scrutinized them
eIo ely ,
"The place , " he said presently , drawing a
deep and sympathetic inspiration , "can not
be precisely worked out from the data I havo
got. Butthe time can. The planets in the
sixth nnd seventh houses of the horoscopo
point unmistakably to the fatality I have
said. Mars and Saturn on the cusp of tho
seventh , in plntic quadrature , to the sun in
thefourth for , unlike Lilly and the astrolo
gers of our-modern era , I use both natural
and mundane aspects sines , co-sines and
tangents signifies , of course , tho violent
denth of the nearest relative to the significa-
tor. But when ? Ah. when ? That , fortunate
ly , we can limit by producing the secondary
aspect , and by drawing rapt parallels to
ward the meridian. This fatality must
occur" and in these words Mr. Asgard be
came more solemn and impressive than ever
"must occur directly on tho point of tho
sun's ingress into cancer. "
"And when is that ? " asked Arthur , half in
credulously , butwholly earnestly.
"At twenty-two minutes past 3 on the
morning of the 22d of Juno , next year , when
Mars and Saturn will be in quadrature to tho
sun , the one in aries , the other in libra , " re
turned Mr. Asgard , referring to his figures.
"Andifthiscausualityyou speak of does
not occur I am safe ? " inquired Arthur , anx
iously.
"Precisely speaking.yes , ' " returned Mr. As
gard , slowly ; "although , remember that I la
bored underdisadvantages whencastingyour
horoscope and as degrees and minutes are of
the first and only value in estimating time.it
is possible , in the present instance that the
incidents I have foretold may occur either
sooner or later by an hour or two than tho
actual culmination of the aspect. "
"In other words you draw out , " said Ar
thur rising from his seat and buttoning up
his coat to go ; "you arenot sure of anything.
Thero is always a loop-hole to crawl out of ,
and excuse me. but 1 must go. "
To say that I was surprised at this very
strangw movement on the part of my friend
Armitage. so utterly different from the tone
and manner that I had known for years , is
very weakly to express the sentiments than
possessed me at tho time. Mr. Asgard bowed
us out , like a courteous man of the world , and
together we strolled silent and mood } * back
to college. Arthur was not himself again tor
more than a week after , for I could frequent
ly see him grinding his teeth and muttering
to himself in a manner wholly unlike him ,
und though 1 tried over aud over again to
pull him out of the moral blougli into which
he had evidently sunk , I made no headway ,
and eventually was fain to leave things to
themselves.
So the term wore on till commemoration
when , of course , we went down into the coun
try. I do not think either Arthur or myself
gave tho visit to the astrologer more than
a passing thought afterward I certainly did
not.
not.One
One thing.however , recalled it very forcibly
to xnymind before I had been aweekntBooth-
by Court , which was tho first on tho list of
places to which we. as eligible undergrad-
ntes , had been invited and were morally com
pelled to go. That was the episode on the
terrace , and tho whole thing Btruck mo like
a flash so vividly did it recall tho vision Mr.
Asgard haa Been in the crystal.
This , however , was fogotten as soon aB
Bfca so prone is youth to repudiate what it
does not like. Arthur Armitago and myself
passed "greats" next May at tho end of tho
long term , and together wo again took tho
London and northwestern for home , as we
had done many times before.
I believe that our little university incident
with tho astrologer was forgotten a month
after it occurred. At all eventB it was never
referred to and passed , in the busy whirl of
existence that we were swept into like a vor
tex , into the past.
In tho following Spring Arthur concluded
J- s
' • * -
„
I '
I
- f
, -
ijiaiiWiJi-- - * - - * * * * * * * - ' ' "
9
to make tho regulation tour of tho world , a
year being alloted him for doing so. I
would have gono with him myself if tho state
of my finances had permitted. Ah it was ,
I had tho pleasure of seeing him off a pleas
ure , by the way , which sometimes does not
work both ways. For eight or nine months
wo heard little or nothing of the wanderer ; a
telegram from Urindisi , another from Alex
andria , a slip of pupei from Aleppo.
Ueyrout , Damascus and Teheran ; a
big draft from a mervnntilo house in
Bombay , another from Singapore , and a
third from Hong Kong , served to keep his
uncle reminded thnt ho was in the land of the
living yet. The last letter I recollect being
received was ono from our own city of Sun
Francisco , stating that ho might be expected
home in June.
Early in May , feeling somewhat indisposed
- I had been reading tor a fellowship 1 con
cluded thnt a littlo fresh air would do me
good , and thought that a blow on tho At
lantic would be tho healthiest and most ex
peditious way of taking it. AccorJingly , the
middlo of tho month found me in a suite of
rooms on the shady side of the Fifth Avenue
Hotel , with Arthur Armitage occupying ono
of the lounges , I the other. In June wo began
to got tired of the hum-drum routine of New
York existence and yearned for a glimpse of
the green fields and stumn-willows of old
England. State-rooms in tho Bothnia were
engaged and our luggage transferred thither
for passage to Liverpool. We steamed down
tho harbor , I think it. was , the :20th of June ,
and tho same night were rocked in the cradlo
of tho deep , looking upon nothing of any con
sequence but stars and seas. Two days out
found us in pretty much the same condition.
On the third day out , while we were on tho
banks , lounging over the tafirail for an after-
dinner chat , Arthur , lazily paring his nails
with a penknife , suddenly made the bantering
remark :
"I say. old fellow , recollect that old astrol
oger at Oxford who told mo I was to murder
my undo and Ethel on or about the sun's
ingress into Cancer ? This i ? the 22d of Juno ,
and either they or I must hurry up if the
thing has got to be done on time. "
It was not three seconds after he spoke
when the short snap of the bells "revcrso
steam" sounded from the bridge right above
us. Swiftly out of tho fog although it was
pretty fair weather for the banks , still there
was tho usual fog came bearing down on us
the huge hulk of an ocean steamer. Seconds
mean miles when ships an eighth of a mile
long meet each other , both running at the
rate of twenty miles an hour , and all the nd
der in tho world will fail to deflect the long
hulks out of their course , if only sighted a
couple of miles away from each other , in tho
forty-five seconds before they must inevit
ably clash.
It is now nearly twenty years ago , but there
aro many people , both in America and Eng
land , who leel sick-hearted when the collision
of the Bothnia and thcAuranin , upon the
Newfoundlands Bank , is brought to their
recollection. Arthur and I , as I have said ,
wore leaning over the tnfiYail , Arthur paring
his nails with his penknife , when tho collision
occurred. There was no notice but the short
snap of the bell upon the bridge and then 1
knew no more. I have since learned that I
was knocked senseless by tho concussion.
But the extraordinary fact remains , that on
the deck of the Aurania , when the steamers
struck , stood old Mr. Armitage and Ethel
Boothby , who had meant to give Arthur a
surprise by meeting him in New York nn < 7
sailing homo with him , as our lastletters had
stated that we were in no hurry. The
swiftness and violence of the shock threw
old Mr. Armitage against Arthur's
penknife , tho steamers coming to
gether side by side , and the loose bodies on
deck following the usual laws of gravity. At
the same time sailors were thrown out of the
rigging , and tho rivets on two of the boilers
of the Bothnia were sprung. Miss Ethel
Boothby was thrown violently forward , I
have heard , and her head striking the deck ,
nearly at Arthur's foot , death was almost in
stantaneous. There is little more to be said ,
except to consider the marvelous manner in
which Mr. Asgard's predictions after nil
came true , in a way which nobody could
have dreamed of and nobody foreseen. Helen
Armitage Arthur's quiet and kindly cousin
was of tho party , but escaped uninjured ,
and she nursed him so well for Arthur , like
myself and scores of others , was laid up for
weeks after the disaster that ho fell in love
with her and married her after all. I would
Bay more , but I am afraid that if I do so I
will get a wigging when I call on them at the
Palace Hotel next. But still , even twenty
years after , Arthur and myself look back
with meditative silence upon the philosophy
of Mr. Asgard , and tvonder , after all. wheth
er there is not something in it. San Francis
co Argonaut.
Two at ji Shot.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
George Scovill of Chestnut Hill
station , "Windham county , fancies
that he is the only man living who
has killed two snakes at a single rifle
shot. George completed his planting
a few days ago , and to celebrate the
accomplishment took his new TVin-
chester rifle and sallied into the pas
tures to hunt woodehucks. His in
tention was to sit down in the grass
fifteen feet away from a burrow and
read a novelette until the ground
hog came out or appeared in front
of his hole in returning from a preda
tory excursion in distant clover fields ,
when Mr. Scovill would stealithly
lift his head above the wind-swung
dasies , sight his piece , and put a 32-
caliber bullet directly under the
woodchuck's chin , or into the little
round proturberance between the
ears at the back of its head. He had
often performed thefeat at twenty
rods and returned with three or four
woodehucks after a single afternoon's
sport ; but he Avas destined to do finer
work on this occasion and on snakes.
He had not gone far into the pasture
before his attention was arrested by
a rustling noise that sounded angry ,
and the next instant the irate
head of an immense black snake was
thrust out of the tangle of a neigh
boring blackberry clump not ten feet
away. The wicked black eyes of the
serpent winked viciously at Mr. Sco
vill , its head wagged to and fro , its
red tongue shot out as swiftly as the
flying needle of an actively worked
sewing-machine , and for an instant
the banter experienced the peculiar
sensation of self-surrender that
snakes aro able to excite in all other
creatures. * But Mr. Scovill was not
slow to recover hit ; self-possession.
He instantly lifted his rifle , and ,
though the object lie sought to hit
was a small one , was very steady for
a moment : he trusted to the intui
tion of natural marksmanship and
pulled the trigger for a snap shot.
The bullet wciiYu-ue , the snake ' s head
suddenly went down , and the hunter
heard the sound of a great thrashing
amoung the bushes , lie made his
way into the copse. The first extra
ordinary thing that presented itself
was two restless black tails that aim
lessly twined aud untwined them
selves about the black brier stems ,
and next he saw two snakes " heads ,
one completely severed from the body
and the other hauging by only a
small strip of black hide. Both heads
bad been perforated by Mr. Scovill's
Winchester bullet. The biggest snake
was not less than six feet in length
and the other was a few inches short
er. Both were ugly-looking reptiles ,
and Mr. Scovill will not soon forget
the deadly fascination they exerted
when the dual head , which appeared
to be that of erne serpent only , was
thrust out at-uin. _
? t • • •
Married Couples Here and in England.
An American lady writes as follows
to a London paper :
"An English married woman in
your upper classes , as a rule , cate
chises and cross-questions her luck
less husband when he comes home ,
worn out , from tho house of com
mons , or from a race-course , or from
the city , and sooner or later ho has
recourse to evasions , of subterfuges ,
from very weariness or her vexatious
interrogatories. The happiness of.
English marriages has been wrecked
by the husband insisting upon know
ing every thing that the wife has done
or said , or thought since they last
met , and by the wife being equally
exacting. The fault of your husbands
is that , when rich , they have not
enough to do , and hang about then-
homes until their wives .me tired to
death of their very presence and com
panionship. No home can , in my
opinion , be happy unless the hus
band is away from it every day for
man } * hours. In tho United States
we have no idle men. Our wives , on
the other hand , havo time without
end to dispose of , and their husbands
think it the most natural thing in
tho world that these vacant hours
should be filled up and spent as the
wives please. In England tho reins
are rarely left untightened on a wife's
neck , and she is often tempted to
slip her muzzle. Jn America wives
have no reins and no muzzles , and
never seek to fix either on their hus
bands. Until Englishmen of the
higher classes conform in this respect
to our easy-going American ways
there will be no surcease of divorces
and matrimonial scandals among
you. "
Qa - C * .a
A Pair of Fools.
George I ) . Prentice in tho subject
of a little story from the lips of Col.
John A. Joyce , which I have not
seen published before.'You know ,
maybe , " says Col. Joyce , "that in
my early days , when I was 10 years
of age , I used to write poetry for
George D. Prentice , when he was edi
tor of the Lousville Journal. Ono
day I went to the city , and , as the
editor had been good enough to
print my poetry , I called to see him.
I climbed a rickety stairway and
found a negro man at the door of
the sanctum , who demanded my card.
I had none , but tore off a scrap of
paper from a bundle in the hall ,
wrote my name , and sent it in. I
was admitted. Prentice was tit work.
He never looked up. His chin was
almost on his desk. A pilo of ex
changes stood on a high stool near
by. Seeing that Prentice did not rec
ognize me , I knocked the exchanges
from the stool. He looked up.
" ' " '
"Who are vou.
"Tma fool ' I 'Who
, said. are
you ? '
'Tin another ; shake , ' he replied. "
Louisville Post.
hi 31 Ti ' C i
Domestic Manners in Host on.
From tho Boston Courier.
There was a good deal of wisdom ,
and withal a deal of unconscious
satire upon the domestic habits of
many heads of families in a remark
which tipeditor overheard tho other
day. "Yes , " one lady observed to
another , "he is a real good man in
his family. I've often been there to
breakfast , so I know. " The men
who at breakfast are raging tyrants ,
give a point to the remark which
makes it note worthy. Somebody
has recorded as the touching epi
taph wherein a bereaved husband
summed up the virtues of his lost
wife : "She always gave me the heart
of the celery. " As a companion in
scription , there might be engraved
upon the tombstone- any msiu
who was worthy to-be so remembered :
"He was always good-natured at
breakfast. " ' It is doubtful if the epi
taph , truthftlly used , would be in
any special danger of being hackney
ed.
HIT ) ' ll < C ' "
"Was He Pions or Lazy-
Deacon Emerson was very strict
about keeping the sabbath. Ono
Sunday morni ng as he was riding to-
church , Mr. Emerson being on a pil
lion behind ho saw a fox chasing a
rabbit , which dodged under a large
log. "Deacon ! " exclaimed Mrs. Em
erson , her sympathies being touched ,
"don't let that fox kill the rabbit !
Get off and scare him away ! " "Wifpy "
replied tho deacon with a long-drawn
sigh , "it would be breaking the sab
bath to interfereand ho rode on
leaving poor bunny to its fate. "Tho
deacon is a very particular man , "
said his wife , in relating the story :
but for tho life of me I couldn 't say
then whether he was to lazy or too
pious ! " History of Weare. X. H.
.
s > -o-e "
The Molehills and Mountains of Life.
From the Philadelphia Itecord.
Mrs. De Dash "Oh , yes my plan ol
managing a man is to let him have
his own way in small things , and
then he is more impressed when you
oppose him in great things. It is
simple enough and very easy. "
Fair young bride'But what do
you call small things ? ' ' "
"Ob , smoking in the back libraiy ,
sitting with his legs crossed , neglect
ing to properly adjust his necktie ,
and so on. There ' s no use fighting
about such things. But when a man
begins criticising milliners' bills it is
time for a woman to sissert herself. "
A Millionaire's Will.
The will of the late Christopher
Meyerof New Brunswick.N. J..leavea
to his daughter Margaretta § 200-
000 , to his son Howard , for his
maintenance during life , a sum not
to exceed § 7,000 per year , and to
Howard's daughter Helen Rosvena.
the sum of § 100,000 , with interest
until she attains her majority. The
balance of the estate is divided equal
ly anions * other heirs. The estate
will schedule between 811,000,000
and § 12,000.000.
r
" -
/
. J
wkHSmKS/HSmMmWBfiks S
The Outcast.
Uno dark , cold winter's night ,
when I was ti bo } * , my mother and 1
sat together by the kitchen fire.
Mother was engaged with her needle
work , and relating in her quiet way
some simple stories of her childhood.
The rest of the family had retired ,
nnd it was growing near midnight.
At length she pub away the work-
basket and was moving to the street-
door to assure herself of its security ,
when a low groan sounded on tho
outside. I screamed from fright and
caught hold of my mother's skirt. I
looked into her face and noticed
how pale she was.
"Be quiet , my child , " said she.
"Wo listened for a moment , my
heart throbbing quicker , and again
Lhe same mournful wail , as if borno
on the storm , reached our ears ,
plainly , distinctly , above all.
Mother moved me behind her , nnd
turning the bolt hastily , pulled the
door ajar. A gust of wind swept
through the room , scattering in
every direction tho decaying embers
on tho hearth. At that moment a
female figure , wrapped from head
Lo foot in tin old , torn cotton gown ,
tottered into tho room. The hood
fell from around her face , and , heav
ens ! What a face ! The remem
brance of it haunts me to this day.
Mother locked the door , and , turn
ing around stood motionless , gazing
at the wretched figure.
"Do not , oh , do not , in God's
name , put me out in tonights storm !
My very heart is cold ! " ' said the poor
rreature , in the same tremulous
voice.
"You may remain till morning , "
said mother , going to the heart hand
rekindling tho almost extinct sparks.
"God bless you ! " said the wander
er , with a sigh of relief. "I'll stand
here till the heavy wet drips irom un
clothes. "
"Madam , " said she , at length , "I
know you will not go to bed while I
am standing here , and if you sit
down and listen for a while , and tell
your boy to give his attention , I will
tell you a story from which ho and
you may learn something ho espe
cially , who has the journey of life be- '
lorehim. "
"When she saw mother prepared to ' '
listen she began thus :
"Notwithstanding that I am to-
night the poorest of the poor I have J
boon brought up in the midst of pride '
and flattery. My father was a wealthy |
gentleman. He was kind and gener- [
ous to all around him , especially the
poor. My mother , on the other hand ,
was proud and overbearing toward
all. I being an only " child , the took '
particular pains that my mind and '
manner should be fashioned after her 1
own. This , I may say , was no difficult ]
task. To preserve peace at home -
father always endeavored to conceal 1
his acts of charity from her. '
"One day father was riding out to "J
tho hop fields when his horse took -
fright at a pack of hounds and , dash
ing ofthrew him to the ground ,
breaking his neck. On a hillside on * '
tho estate , within view of tho draw- [
ing-room window , stood a neat littlo -
whitewashed cottage , not unlike -
. For mother s
your own. many years
had tried hard to induce father to '
dispossess its occupants and level it \
tt > the ground , and [ believe " twas !
the only point on which he openly '
"
disputed her wish. The tenants of -
the old and J
cottage were an woman
her little grandchild.
"The day after fathers interment i
a party of men , under control of our e
biiliff , set out to demolish tho little
home. - "
"Never , even through all my weary *
sufferings since then , can I forget * :
the wild dispair of old Mary Eckford , c
when they flung her out upon the < |
highway and began to demolish the -
little home in which she had lived j1
for over forty years. For a moment .
she stood with her hands clasped (
above her head , then uttering a wild I
shriek , the sufferer turned her eyes j- :
toward us , then raised them toward * ;
God , and said in a voice that to- * ;
night rings in my ears : :
" ' A curse onou and yoursr ! - •
"She spoke not another word and - '
they soon had her from our sight , " :
but for fully two miles we could hear
the heart-broken wailings of her lit- ? ;
tie granddaughter. That very night J !
the curse began to fall : the mansion1
caught fire and was burned to the j s ;
ground. We-moved to an old house j • '
on a distant part of the estate and | ]
commenced to fit it up for a tern- '
poravy residence till the mansion *
would be rebuilt. Owing to father ' s *
great liberality wo werenot possessed P
of sufficient fundsto restore the man- j1
sion to its former grandeur , and as - '
nothing less would do mother sheobv'
tained a mortgag. * on the estate. "
But instead of making the mortgage
for the requisite amount the lawyer \
made it fur just ten times tho sum.s
at the same time giving us only the * |
needful amount , applying the enor- "
mous balance to his own use.
"We knew nothing of this till the
mortgage came due. The entire val
ue of the estate Avas no more than
adequate to this debt. Mother ' s a
want of economy jiad entailed onus b
many other debts. We were poweri i *
less. The lawyer fled the country , o
The brewer seized tiie estate , and. in w
one month after , mother beat out IJ )
her brains against the wall of her ceil n
in a lunatic asylum. At once I found w
myself without a home. fri--nds. or
money. What little cash I obtained s ;
for mother ' s wardrobe-and my own
was stolen from me in a London d
lodginghou e. Helpless to do anyn
thing for myself. 1 was cast on the
cold charity of the world , down to p
the lowest level of those I had been tl
taught so well to abominate. " Ii
"You shall not go forth tonight , " g
said mother ; "revenge belongs to ei
God alone. " New York News. f ; :
- b
in j n r i
A cowardly attack was made at the high V !
trestle station on the Minneapolis & St. e
Louis railwayoppositeShakope , Minn. , by a
Tom Haas , formerly residing at Shakopee , \
but iccently of Canada upon Henry I'ois , the C
mailcnrrier between the city and thestaticsn. a
After tho assault Hans jumped upon the Q >
train aad decamped for parts unknown. His
victim is badly injured and was unceu : ioue
vhan brought to ta\-n. [ 0
- • a * . - - - -BBBBBBBaBB
A Hot Fight With Hears.
A correspondent of tho St. Louii
Globe-Democrat , writing from Green
Pond , Khi. , gives tin interesting nc * , '
count of a light three women had 4
with three bears : \
At Bat Simpson's son's place , some i i
three miles from here , and about nZm\ \ \ '
half mile from the river swamp , the
women folks had an exciting contest
with bears a few days ago. Mr. Simp- , . , j
son takes great pride in his hogs.f
and has some very fine ones. The
pen is near the house , nnd tho fence
which surrounds it is very strong , '
being built of heavy rails strongly
braced , and seven or eight feet high. j
He has had visits from bears before , •
but thought that such a fenco would \
bother them not a little. I
- *
The men folks were off about a hall
mile front the house , at work , and the
females , Mrs. Simpson and her two
grown-up daughters , were washing
at a small stream that runs near the
house. About 10 o'clock they heard
a gretit uproar at the pig pen , whore
at that time they had some ten por
kers fattening. The hogs wore ;
squealing in wild alarm , while above
all could be heard the deep grunts
that too plainly told who tho intru
ders were. The plucky women , how- (
ever , didn't intend to let their prize
porkers go without a struggle. Mrs. •
Simpson ran up to the house , and j
seizing the tin horn blew aloud whistle
which she knew would bring up the
men in a hurrv. The two girls and
their mother then seized big brands !
of pine knot sfrom under their wash
boilers and ran out back of the barn
where the pigs were.not counting theii
own danger at all. As they rushed
around the corner of the barn '
tho loud whiffs and growls of the .
bears gave thorn an idea ol
what was before them. Climbing up '
the fence into the pen were two
big , gaunt , black follows , while
a younger one was sitting down
outside as if on the watch. The girls
were not daunted by the savage
growling , and made for the young
one ' , waving their fire-brands and
shouting . loudly. The bear stood
his ground till they got so close that '
tho flames flashed in his face , when
he turned suddenly and ran off with
a savage growl. He stopped alter •
ho had gone a dozen rods and licked
his wounds , snarling savagely all tho
time. ' Running up to the other two
bears ' on tho fence , they thrust their
torches close to the animals'haun
ches , resulting in their flesh being
burned. With roars of rage and
pain the two scram1 .led forward , and
not taking pains ; o secure a safe
footing , both fell' In ullong into the
pen. As the bears landed in their
quarters , the hogs all fled in the
wildest alarm , going through a small
hole that led under the barn.
The imprisoned animals just then '
began to get mad. Th--y rushed ' .
around the inclosure , and then
rlashod up the inside of th-pen , climb- ' .
ing with a rapidity that showed they
meant business. While ? fi-s. Simp
son ran to the house for an ax , tin-
two girls Kin up to the fence , and as
Mie animals got their heads over the
fop rail , flashed their torches in their
faces , burning and scorching them
terribly. They couldn 't Ma ad this
md fell backward with savage roars.
The young cub now became brave I
ill at once , and advanced upon the <
2irls growlinir and snarling as he |
• ame. One of the .sisters ran toward I
lim , and at the sametime the two
-rapped bears made a desperate at- / " j
empt to regain their liberty. With . |
me of the guards absent it seemed
is if one of them would surely escape. .
Fhe girl met one of them as his sav-
tge face appeared over the rail with
ler effective torch , and he again
Iropped backwardHis plucky op
ponent then saw to her dismay that
he other onewas apt to get out , as
10 was nearly ovt-r , and , being on
he opposite sideof the pen , she , '
ould not get around there in time. ,
Jut to her relief her mother at thi.s j
noment camo running around the \
ornerwith an uplifted ax in hand. > '
raking in the situation at a glance
he rushed up in front of the escap-
ng bruin and delivered a blow at his
mid paw. cutting it off. Mrs. Simp-
on uplifted her ax. took deliberate
dm and brought down tho sharp
> lade square on tiie bear ' s head.
iVith a snarl of pain lie fell back into
he pen. Tho young cub , in themean-
ime , retreated before the blazing
line knot , though the roar of its
nates had incited its anger to the
lighest point. While one of tho
* omen kept it at bay. the other two
runrded imprisoned animals. .
Finally the men arrivedind , hasti-
v * securing their Winchesters , made j
hort work of the bears. The women
re all gra tely praised for their plucky ,
ight. j
Relations of a Married Conplo
A matronly looking German worn- M
n , a rosy-cheeked lass of 1 fi and a 9
ilue-eyed German youth formed an M
lteresting group in tbimarriage - -ja
fiice recently. The youth blushed <
* hen he gave the nameof Joseph m
urr and said he wanted a license ta M
uirrv the buxom Tass , . whose name M
as Catherine Duyr. 'm
"How ' s that you're both the- H
ame name ? " a > ked Clerk Nichols.
"Oh , " said the matron : "tliis is my H
aughter. I was a widow when I < fl
tarried this younir man ' s father. " 9
Clerk Nichols gave the necessary * 9
apers. but sighed as he figured out
he numerous family complications fl
iableto ensue from the nmriife. . Tho 9
room ' s stepmother will be his moth- 9
rin-lawaud his father will bo hisstep- " * 9
ither-in-law. He will be the bus- 9
land of his stepsister , whose mother 9
rill be her stepmother-in-hnv. The 9
ouple will be the stepuncle and step- 9
tint of their own children and the 9
hildren will bo not only brothers 9
md sisters , but stepcousins to each 9
ther. The bride will be her own 9
topsister-in-Iaw and the groom his 9
iwn stepbrother-iiv-lavu 9
'jaal '
:9 :
