John Brougham's Arrest

" In 1865," relatcd the dratuatist to somo friends, " I paid my last visit to the other side, and I made the most of old Dublin. I fairly lived in the park and looked from its ehade into the Windows of my boyhood home. I had been about a week idling in this way, absorbed in niemory, little thinking that my presencc was even noticed, let alone that I was suspected of being a dangerous character, whin ' k-ui.:.. A-..„tAA me to niovo off. I did move off, sort ol sldeways, with surprise and tcars blending in the one eye on the ' bobbie ' and in the other on the old house. All would have been well had I continued to move away, but, the ' bobbie ' turning a corner, I shot back, and indulged in rêverie. Soon I was reawakened and draggcd across the street, where an old gentleman, from my very doorway, in a loud And inuignant tone, bcgan berating aie. I think he would have Rtruek me in his rage, but wy laughter caused him to ask, 'What are you doing around here, any way? You've been watching my front and area-way for a week, for no good purpose, l'll be bound. What do you want about here 't ' " When I could oontrol my laughter, I told the old man bow I had first seon the outside world from the window above, held in my mother's arms, and peering over geranium blossoms that had her daily care ; that from that doorway I had regularly gone with her to church ; that where I then knelt her coffin had for a moment rested ; that no ray of cheer ever entered the house afterward, and that the household was soon broken up. The old man lifted me up, looked- for he could not speak - a thousand apológica, hurriod me into the doorway, and summoned a half dozen servants, witbdirections to bring old port and other rostoratives, by the aid of which we came toin uuderstanding of' each other. Thcn we'd apologizc, shake hand, ïuakc rcady tu part, reinstato ourselves in each other s chair, have aoother cork drawn, followed by another, and that by sevural more, until my own mother would not - yes, shc would, Ood bless her soul ! - have recoiinized me."