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4
THE HESPERIAN.
compare him to James and with detriment to Henry. James
perceiving this used all his art to increase her feeling of ad
miration for himself, and in so doing brought affairs to a
crisis. Henry, unable to endure the strain on his heart and
mind, resolved to settle mutters. Cool, calm and self-pos-.scssed,
one night when his brother twitted him with the loss
of his wife's affection, Henry struck him in the face. All
the spirit ol the man flamed out: "I would not take a blow
from God Almighty." In the stillness of a midsummer
night, in the shrubbery near the house, by the light of two
candles, the brothers fought their duel. And James lay on
the ground with his brother's sword through his body.
When Henry recovered from the nervous illness which
followed, it was to hear that his brother's supposed dead
body had been carried ofT by smugglers and that he was
then living in France. But the Henry Durie that received
this news was not the same man that fought his brother, and
left him for dead- Now the last mental anxiety seemed too
much for him, and the main object of his life was to escape
'rom trouble at whatever cost. So when James came back
again, (as he surely did) it was but natural that Henry, now
Lord Durisdcer, should leave Scotland, and go to America,
to New York. Thither James followed him. But by this
time Henry's mind was made up, and he met his brother
with all the coldness of a stranger. For a time things went
on so, till one day by ill luck, Lord Durisdecr, saw a printed
statement to the effect that James, his outlawed brother, was
to have the title restored to him. His mind, already weak
ened by suffering, failed him, and he laid a plot to murder
James. The latter bad long been wanting to find a treasure
which he said had been buried in the wilderness north of Al
bany. So when an occasion offered he went to the place.
But the companions of his journey were to kill him. Now
James had with him a Hindoo servant, who discovered the
plot, ana related it to his master. The twistings and turn
ings of the doomed man were awful, but of no avail. At
last he was taken ill, and after three days was buried. In
the mean time, Lord Durisdcer, became anxious at the non
appearance of his hired murderers, and set ofT to find what
had been the result ot his plot. A beautiful moonlight
night, in the coldest part of winter, they came to where
James had been buried, only to find the Hindoo engaged in
disinterring him. And now comes the exception to which I
alluded at the beginning. James had feigned illness. The
Hindoo had practiced on him a method, (said to be practi
cable in warm climates,) by which animation may be sus
pended for an indefinite length of time. This is done by
turning the tongue backwards in the throat. The Hindoo
succeeded at last in getting the body of James out of the
grave, and then, (ace to lace, the two brothers were together.
For a long time the sen-ant worked with his master's cold
body, and at last seemed to see signs of life reluming. With
his soul in his eyes, (and that soul lull of fear), Henry Durie
watched his brother's face. At last the eyes opened, arid it
seemcd that the dead had come back. But that look was
the last on earth, for both. Henry fell, -vnd when they
raised him, he was with his brother. Indeed, a fitting end
ing to the story. The story is told, as only Stevenson
knows how to tell stories, in the language of a servant ol the
family. As a specimen of English the book is a decided
change from the wishy washy gush of most modem novels.
There is an abundance of clear, sharp, cutting, idiomatic
English, with an occasional borrowed phrase from the
Scotch. Whether the author was actuated by a good motive
in writing the "Master of Ballantrae," or not is hard to tell.
There is a lesson to be learned from reading the book. Read
it and learn it. Morals drawn from 'stories, are, like com
parisons, odious.
MISCELLANY.
The law passed by the last legislature compelling voters
in the large cities to register was, we suppose, an effort to
prevent election frauds and to discourage the illiteracy of the
oters. While traveling through the city we noticed two
signs which seem to be a fit subject for reflection. The one
read: "Regester here to vote," the other; the "Ward,
ReGistcr Place."
Once upon a time, when Prof. Nicholson, of York, was
visiting our Prof. H. H., he took a seat in the lecture room
back among the class, and as ProPs. arc wont to do, began
to whisper with the students. A student soon became quite
familar and not knowing to whom he was unbosoming him
self, remarked: "I believe there is but one lazier
man on earth than Prof. Nick, and that is his brother at
York.
The new commentary on scientific names soon to appear
will contain the following: Colonel Fungophilus von Legit
Webber dc la Fanning Mill; Colonel, a name applied to
more or less important specimens in the west; Fungophilus,
fungus, sponge; philos, love, etc, loving to sponge; Legit; a
name peculiar to a species of botanists; fanning-mill, taken
from the fact that a breeze is constantly kept up by the hir
sute appendages of this species.
We were amused at the following conversation with a
"York Sophomore" at the Wesleyan University alwut a
week ago.
"Do you suppose Prof. Nicholson can say "The Lord's
Prayer?"
"Well! I can't say whether he can or not, but I don't
suppose he does very much."
"Well, mow, I heard he tried it once when he was the
only professor at chapel, and had to conduct devotional ex
ercises and stuck in it."
Th- appearance of Lieut. Dudley, his pleasant counten
ance and greeting to the cadet boys, while here in the city
last week, recalls to us our first encampment, the one at
Wymore, and an amusing episode of the sham battle there.
The attacking party was composed of the cadets in double
rank skirmish line, with two pieces ol artillery, Co. D. N. N.
G. on our right. The defensive party, Co. C. N. N. G, two
pieces ofartilery and a squad of G. A. R's. The attacking
party under command of Col. Ho'.chkiss had approached
quite near, and there was considerable smoke and noise in
the air. The squad ol G. A. Rs., unnoticed by any one on.
our side, except Lieut. Dudlcy.had made a flank movement out
beyond the crowd of people on their left, and were ap
proaching to attack the artillery on our right. The fquad
broke through the crowd on. a run, at charge bayonets, and
the surprise was so well planned that they captured the right
piece or artillery. The artillery men quickly recovering;
themselves, recaptured the piece, throwing the old soldiers
heels over head in the excitement. The old soldiers club
bed their muskets and renewed their attack and it was on
the point of becoming a hand to hand fight when Lieut. Dud
ley, who had noticed die G. A. R's. approaching, and walked
over to the right of the cadets, brought one of the men a slap
with his sword, remarked 111 a commanding tone "What arc
you doing?" Everything diopped as by magic, and the ar
tillery men proceeded to bum the rest of their allowance
of powder; the band played, and every thing ended lovely.
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