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Only On The Box

Only On The Box image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
March
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Any ono g"t a Jight Í "Oere, luy boy, I have. Tlie best malohrs in the world. Safest tbiiisyoo an- " "What, those things 1 "Won't lot bcra near me. I'd have the patcntces 3 1 ; n t with fagntL of 'cm. Why, 1 paid 'i,r a box ol them, and Jessie pnid, too, ow iiiuch rio you suppoee ? Out of a hop, rnind you I" "I . can't teil, I'm snre; some fancy pi ice " "Only fifty thousand pouuds 1 11 tel! nu l.ow. Wait, I can't give up my niüko, even to gratfify go just a vondera. So for once I'll use tlie ill omened hing. I remember tlie last time I u?ed r (ried to use t!;err - but yon shall hear. You remember at. tlie time whep I nd Jet-sie weic goitig o i together, old Vxherry, the nnllionaire ; so lie enjoyd iho credit of being pallpd, thouh without any claim to lh? titlo, p.s it provd, for he bad but s'.-venty thousaud oiii)ds, anr! t millionairo, even by cour flpj, oughl to s'.o'.v at least two or three lundred thousand, However, he took 1] the airs,aod enjnyed all the respect, f one, and so as far as ho was concemd, it came to tho same thing. lic really showcd a great interest in our co;ing and wooiiig ; quite bevond what migbj be expected from a money-grulibcr, sueh as be had beqn uil hts lile The liking began m li is fide, through my preseniiug him with a pound of tbe very choiceet ïurkish, wliich had been sent me as a present. There was tiis weak plnce. Ho smokcd - Btaofced i; night, not like a chimney which often ha8 its fires banked up, but like a mountain ot üre. "Givu me my pipé;" l:e wculd sr.y, takiug a rather sellisli view of tho cos mnpuny. "iiüd I don't care if tlie world, turns upside down." A rather weak logician onco rctortcd on l-.ini, 'but my dear Mr. Foxoerry, if tiie world turne upside down, you and your pipe mu--t turn tipsidetiown with it" But M: Foxbcrry bad h'v iti a momeo.t. "i s'iy, sir,'"íi-e roared, 'if yon had , tokeii the troubl.; to attend - I Btipulati for the quitt eijovment of my pipe. You like s,plitting hiiirs, tu I eo " i could sea tbat this oll ien'lemfiu K:ok á kindiy iatores' in my lovo for Jea sie. Between huge clouds of smoko be jnji,! il . Ut hi BfipTobaMQBi ''I l;ke you," he said, "Bob, aud thats a great dea!. Motpowell as my pipo, of course ; but more than my money I like you hoiter tb the areedy crew who are'huö'ung me for it, and who wilj iid tl emtelves disappoi'it'.d Bvery one, of cour.se ;ri'(dn;Uuredly ; aid thüt was iiuntii g him, wliioh wat 'ar from the truth, though I owu I had be air of it, and liked listeuing to bis tories. his grim reniark, and, I own, he tuioking some rare old cigars that ie büd got from a sea captain. I vii-it d him ofien w.hen it sured me, took iltle iroii'uh; about him, aad at lat goj bint froin a (rieiidly soiioitor's thrk hat my nart)'' figured in "larg cup?,'' nd in large fit;uies, too, in his testaTicnt. The oext lime oid Foxiuriy Tas smoking hard, he said to me : "Why don't you name a day ? Be )ld man olive. -tiuck up, and don't tand Bhillyshallying You won't lose iy it in the end, ' he said signiü'cantiy "i tel! you what," he said, "I've got a niw box of cigars over VVe'll make a ttle party for a drive to Threo-orOM Abbey. Get her to meet you thero. SetIe it all off your hand, try thu new ei ;ars, and have done with it. ' I was enchanted. This, indeed, look(1 like businsss. I wtote off a hasty note to Ji'KSieand hir aunt, telling tlieni ïow muoh depended on their coming, andimploring them to attend. I wrote als) to a jeweller for a couple of little oekets, as I wanted to mako a. tender jffeiing. I was very happy and exoited Air. Foxberry giew more und more belignaut. "There are pijes," he said, "that 1 inock about any way, and throw down ifter I have smokedttheui. There aro ithers I take care of, and put by careully. Youareagood fellow, Bob. Will ie i capital smoker one of these days, aud I'll taüe cure of you." I thankecf bim coidially. Well, the morning came, and the carriage was actually it the door. Jnst then the postman came in with two lePttrs and a little registered card-board box. Ouc was from Jessie, eaying that she was delighted lo oome. The other was from the jeweler, sayinc that be cent me two lockets, but that he wanted ond back, "for a bridemaid'n ordeiv' The locketa were vcry pretty, and I admired them greatly. It was hard to. choose between thein. 1 was u difíiculty when Mr Fixbcrry decided me by roaiÍDg out frora below that he waB ready, that the cigars wcre in, and that we were losiug tlie tine day. I had tbus to make a hasty clioice. So I chose ue that seemed the inot elegant, rolled it up in silver paper, and packed it up io a neat cardboard box ]5ut how was I to eend back theother locket? A capital idea. Tliere was a matoh-box on the chirantíypieoe, which I emptied, packed away the locket in it, and sealed the box in white DOte-paper. tying it round with tape. "You," I aid to a handful of matcl es "must not set the houso on oro, anc willbe of use in my waistcoat poekeU" And tbere I deposited tbem. My reverend friend, n littlo out of hu mor, was still calüng for me I camo down with many apologies, md away we drovo. Before wo had got a qiiartor of i milo, he cnl'.ed out : ■'Hallo! just like me Forgotten my fusee-box. Drive back at oneo." "Stop, air," I said, smiíiDg, "I have thuught of that;" aud pullad out a match from my pocket. Ho would have bugged me for this forethonght, líe said it sliowed stich a (rué smoking instinct. It oertainly did. "Just faney," hc said, holding up his cigar ; 'lI should have left this out, and where should I havo been then ? Wo on't pesa a viltage or even a cottage n the rond to Th reo cross Abbüy ; aud her 's nnt a houso within miles of it. Or elte," he added reflectivoly, "I must iavc gono on smoking the whole day and wholo of dinner. 1 teil you eolemnlv, think I should die if t lost my nfterinncr smoke." I was a little facetious on thia, making noginnry plans as to how tho pacred ire might have been kept in or propoated ; making the coachman keep it live during dinner, and the man eorvunt uring the coachman'f dinner, and I reevin g both. "But ouly tbink of the risk," he said : suppos9 the eiirnr got chokod, or the 'ijllow go' drunk, and let it go out. What wo'.ild bceomo of mo then ? I delare," he said, with ferocity, "I'd have ie fellow broke and dismissed. I'd ork heaven and earth to punish hiin." "Quite right," I suid, laughing. "But am happy to save the poor devil from uch a fate." "Vou will not," he said, sternly. Where my pipe is concerued, I'd let otbiug stand in the vay. I reolly hoeve it to be the elixir of life ; nnd any ne that iuterferes with Ihat supply, tho ital energy, I look on as oterfering ith my iife. And I would deal with ïim accordingly.'1 The eigars were certainly very aood, nd nftcr smoking two, he said, "Xow, ny boy, lor a bit of self denial. Not one lore till after uach, or dinner, s we ay cali it; and then bow wa fhall rol h it ! That's the real time for enjoyment." We were now at Three cross Abbey, lit'leoid ruin, in the middle of a sort ' waste or eoinrnon, with hardly a treo r a house nenr. It vv;is a favorite spot 'or a picnic, is the ruin was pieturestju' nd moss-grown, and ehady, shelter ing s all from tha sun. Jessio and Uer unt wcrc thcro wttitiog to meet uu, 'essie lookinsr lovely, as, iudoed, onlv osberrv as good as told her i. unch "When you're both installed in a fino ïouse, sho'll look all trio better for such i frame. Öorae ono," he ndiiou witli meauing, 'will tak caro of you both." Dinner was over, and he called to his man to bring bim bis oigar oase out of ie ciirriage. "I nevcr was in a better humor for a igar-, and fur a good cig-r," he suid. Altur that little repast, to-, I shall enoy it the more. Here i good corpu tut o:e for yon, and ano' her for me. I Uvays say, give me my smoke, nud lh"e world rnay turn upaide down. Aye, a:;d vitv bunran btiug in it too,: he added. We laughed at thejest. Saefa a littlo ilmte was on'y duo to him after the enerou? declaration about us. "Give me a light," said he, stioking ie cigar into the hole in tho extreme oreer of bis mou'h, a ppsTtioo wbich 'anstical sniokers are fond fef. I drew out my bundie oí matches ith triumph. "I have half a boxful in iy pocket," I said : "it never does to be ithout thom. ' And 1 rubbed one on iy boot-hcel. It missed firè. I t ried nother. It missed also. I tried a lird. It missed igain. "What are you about ?" he said testiV. "You're very awkward ; I thought ny fooi could s'rike a tnatoh " "My boot is damp," I said nervously l'll try the wall here." I did so, and diled witb three more ia suocossióa, He now lost all patisuce. "You aro more -tupid fellow than 1 tookyoufor. lere, give 'em 'to me." He tried hitnelf, but in vain'; they all failed oue af er the Other. I feit my heart sinking. "The damp must have got at them1' J allcred, trying again. "l hate delay?," he said ia a passion, it epoils my smoke. Are you a noodle?" "Why," eried Jessie, who had been ookiug at one of them closely, "they re safety matches ! They light only pon the box." Old Foxberry flung his cigar over the wall in a fury. 11e gave me one look and walked away to the earriage. I rushed n despair to tho coaohman and tho foot ■ nan. ('For heaven's sake, a match ! Twenty )ounds for one," I whispered hoarsely. "Lord blens the man !'' said the form r, starting, "what d'ye mean ï" ■'A match, a match ! Quick, a comuion lucifer match ! ' "Dought to have one," ho said, feelng lus waistcoat pocket "Wait - do -yes - there is obe I do beiïeve." Ho pulled out one - saved ! It was as recioua as agem, that littlo splinter of vood. Alas ! willi frayitig in bis pocKet he top had all woni off It was nogood struggling with fute. I bowed my heiid and submitted. All the way back he never opened bis lips. When he got out he complained of beinp; 11, and said to his housekeepor, "That blackguard íes dono it purposely, in hopes of kiling me ; but l'll be even with him.' The next dy ho altered bis wil]. "Now," added Bob, "idmit that I iavereason to loatho the sight of safuty matches that üght only ou the box."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus