Resident-Engineer,Boughtlikeabullock,hoofandhide,BytheLittleTinGodsontheMountainSide。
BytheLawsoftheFamilyCircle’tiswritteninlettersofbrassThatonlyaColonelfromChathamcanmanagetheRailwaysofState,Becauseofthegoldonhisbreeks,andthesubjectswhereinhemustpass;
BecauseinallmattersthatdealnotwithRailwayshisknowledgeisgreat。
NowExeterBattlebyTringhadlabouredfromboyhoodtoeldOntheLinesoftheEastandtheWest,andekeoftheNorthandSouth;
ManyLineshadhebuiltandsurveyed——importantthepostswhichheheld;
AndtheLordsoftheIronHorseweredumbwhenheopenedhismouth。
Blackastheravenhisgarb,andhisheresiesjettierstill——
HintingthatRailwaysrequiredlifetimesofstudyandknowledge——
Neverclankedswordbyhisside——Vaubanheknewnotnordrill——
Norwashisnameonthelistofthemenwhohadpassedthroughthe“College。”
WhereforetheLittleTinGodsharriedtheirlittletinsouls,SeeinghecamenotfromChatham,jinglednospursathisheels,Knowingthat,nevertheless,washefirstontheGovernmentrollsForthebilletof“RailwayInstructortoLittleTinGodsonWheels。”
Lettersnotseldomtheywrotehim,“havingthehonourtostate。”
Itwouldbebetterforallmenifhewerelaidontheshelf。
Muchwouldaccruetohisbank-book,anheconsentedtowaitUntiltheLittleTinGodsbuilthimaberthforhimself,“Special,wellpaid,andexemptfromtheLawoftheFiftyandFive,EventoNinetyandNine“——thesewerethetermsofthepact:
ThusdidtheLittleTinGodslonmayTheirHighnessesthrive!
Silencehismouthwithrupees,keepingtheirCircleintact;
AppointingaColonelfromChathamwhomanagedtheBhamoStateLineThewichwasonmileandonefurlong——aguaranteedtwenty-inchgauge,SoExeterBattlebyTringconsentedhisclaimstoresign,Anddied,onfourthousandamonth,intheninetiethyearofhisage!
DELILAH
Wehaveanotherviceroynow,——thosedaysaredeadanddoneOfDelilahAberyswithanddepravedUlyssesGunne。
DelilahAberyswithwasalady——nottooyoung——
Withaperfecttasteindressesandabadly-bittedtongue,Withathirstforinformation,andagreaterthirstforpraise,AndalittlehouseinSimlainthePrehistoricDays。
Byreasonofhermarriagetoagentlemaninpower,Delilahwasacquaintedwiththegossipofthehour;
Andmanylittlesecrets,ofthehalf-officialkind,WerewhisperedtoDelilah,andsheborethemallinmind。
Shepatronizedextensivelyaman,UlyssesGunne,Whosemodeofearningmoneywasalowandshamefulone。
Hewroteforcertainpapers,which,aseverybodyknows,Isworsethanservinginashoporscaringoffthecrows。
Hepraisedher“queenlybeauty“first;and,lateron,hehintedAtthe“vastnessofherintellect“withcomplimentunstinted。
Hewentwithhera-riding,andhisloveforherwassuchThathelentherallhishorsesand——shegalledthemverymuch。
Oneday,THEYbrewedasecretofafinefinancialsort;
ItrelatedtoAppointments,toaManandaReport。
’Twasalmostwortththekeeping,——onlysevenpeopleknewit——
AndGunneroseuptoseekthetruthandpatientlyensueit。
ItwasaViceroy’sSecret,but——perhapsthewinewasred——
PerhapsanAgedConcillorhadlosthisagedhead——
PerhapsDelilah’seyeswerebright——Delilah’swhisperssweet——
TheAgedMembertoldherwhat’tweretreasontorepeat。
Ulysseswenta-riding,andtheytalkedofloveandflowers;
Ulysseswenta-calling,andhecalledforseveralhours;
Ulysseswenta-waltzing,andDelilahhelpedhimdance——
Ulyssesletthewaltzesgo,andwaitedforhischance。
Thesummersunwassetting,andthesummerairwasstill,Thecouplewenta-walkingintheshadeofSummerHill。
Thewastefulsunsetfadedoutinturkis-greenandgold,Ulyssespleadedsoftly,andthatbadDelilahtold!
Nextmorn,astartledEmpirelearnttheall-importantnews;
Nextweek,theAgedCouncillorwasshakinginhisshoes。
Nextmonth,ImetDelilahandshedidnotshowtheleastHesitationinaffirmingthatUlysseswasa“beast。”
*
WehaveanotherViceroynow,thosedaysaredeadanddone——
Off,DelilahAberyswithandmostmeanUlyssesGunne!
WHATHAPPENED
HurreeChunderMookerjee,prideofBowBazaar,Ownerofanativepress,“Barrishter-at-Lar。”
WaitedontheGovernmentwithaclaimtowearSabresbythebucketful,riflesbythepair。
ThentheIndianGovernmentwinkedawickedwink,SaidtoChunderMookerjee:“Sticktopenandink。
Theyaresaferimplements,but,ifyouinsist,Wewillletyoucarryarmswheresoe’eryoulist。”
HurreeChunderMookerjeesoughtthegunsmithandBoughtthetubesofLancaster,Ballard,Dean,andBland,Boughtashinybowie-knife,boughtatown-madesword,Jingledlikeacarriage-horsewhenhewentabroad。
ButtheIndianGovernment,alwayskeentoplease,Alsogavepermissiontohorridmenlikethese——
YarMahommedYusufzai,downtokillorsteal,ChimbuSinghfromBikaneer,TantiatheBhil;
KillarKhantheMarrichief,JowarSinghtheSikh,NubbeeBakshPunjabiJat,AbdulHuqRafiq——
HewasaWahabi;last,littleBohHla-ooTookadvantageoftheAct——tookaSnidertoo。
Theywereunenlightenedmen,Ballardknewthemnot。
Theyprocuredtheirswordsandgunschieflyonthespot;
Andtheloreofcenturies,plusahundredfights,Madethemslowtodisregardoneanother’srights。
WithaunanimitydeartopatriotheartsAllthosehairygentlemenoutofforeignpartsSaid:“Thegoodolddaysareback——letusgotowar!”
SwaggereddowntheGrandTrunkRoadintoBowBazaar,NubbeeBakshPunjabiJatfoundahide-boundflail;
ChimbuSinghfromBikaneeroiledhisTonkjezail;
YarMahommedYusufzaispatandgrinnedwithgleeAshegroundthebutcher-knifeoftheKhyberee。
JowarSinghtheSikhprocuredsabre,quoit,andmace,AbdulHuq,Wahabi,jerkedhisdaggerfromitsplace,Whileamidthejungle-grassdancedandgrinnedandjabberedLittleBohHla-ooandclearedhisdah-bladefromthescabbard。
WhatbecameofMookerjee?Smoothly,whocansay?
YarMahommedonlygrinsinanastyway,JowarSinghisreticent,ChimbuSinghismute。
Butthebeltsofallofthemsimplybulgewithloot。
WhatbecameofBallard’sguns?AfghansblackandgrubbySellthemfortheirsilverweighttothemenofPubbi;
Andtheshinybowie-knifeandthetown-madeswordareHanginginaMarricampjustacrosstheBorder。
WhatbecameofMookerjee?AskMahommedYarProddingSiva’ssacredbulldowntheBowBazaar。
SpeaktoplacidNubbeeBaksh——questionlandandsea——
AsktheIndianCongressmen——onlydon’taskme!
PINKDOMINOES
Theyarefoolswhokissandtell“——
Wiselyhasthepoetsung。
ManmayholdallsortsofpostsIfhe’llonlyholdhistongue。
JennyandMewereengaged,yousee,OntheeveoftheFancyBall;
SoakissortwowasnothingtoyouOranyoneelseatall。
Mennywouldgoinadomino——
Prettyandpinkbutwarm;
WhileIattended,cladinasplendidAustrianuniform。
Nowwehadarranged,throughnotesexchangedEarlythatafternoon,AtNumberFourtowaltznomore,Buttositintheduskandspoon。
IwithyoutoseethatJennyandMeHadbarelyexchangedourtroth;
SoakissortwowasstrictlydueBy,from,andbetweenusboth。
WhenThreewasover,aneagerlover,Ifledtothegloomoutside;
AndaDominocameoutalsoWhomItookformyfuturebride。
Thatistosay,inacasualway,Islippedmyarmaroundher;
Withakissortwowhichisnothingtoyou,AndreadytokissIfoundher。
SheturnedherheadandthenameshesaidWascertainlynotmyown;
ButereIcouldspeak,withasmotheredshriekShefledandleftmealone。
ThenJennycame,andIsawwithshameShe’ddoffedherdomino;
AndIhadembracedanalienwaist——
ButIdidnottellherso。
NextmornIknewthatthereweretwoDominoespink,andoneHadcloakedthespouseofSirJulianVouse,OurbigPoliticalgun。
SirJwasold,andherhairwasgold,Andhereyewasabluecerulean;
AndthenameshesaidwhensheturnedherheadWasnotintheleastlike“Julian。”
THEMANWHOCOULDWRITE
Shun——shuntheBowl!Thatfatal,faciledrinkHasruinedmanygeesewhodippedtheirquillsin’t;
Bribe,murder,marry,butsteerclearofInkSavewhenyouwritereceiptsforpaid-upbillsin’t。
Theremaybesilverinthe“blue-black“——allIknowofistheironandthegall。
BoanergesBlitzen,servantoftheQueen,Isadismalfailure——isaMight-have-been。
InalucklessmomenthediscoveredmenRisetohighpositionthroughareadypen。
BoanergesBlitzenarguedtherefore——“I,Withtheselfsameweapon,canattainashigh。”
Onlyhedidnotpossesswhenhemadethetrial,WickedwitofC-lv-n,ironyofL——l。
[MenwhosparwithGovernmentneed,tobacktheirblows,Somethingmorethanordinaryjournalisticprose。]
NeveryoungCivilian’sprospectsweresobright,TillanIndianpaperfoundthathecouldwrite:
NeveryoungCivilian’sprospectsweresodark,WhenthewretchedBlitzenwrotetomakehismark。
Certainlyhescoredit,bold,andblack,andfirm,InthatIndianpaper——madehisseniorssquirm,Quatedofficescandals,wrotethetactlesstruth——
Wasthereeverknownamoremisguidedyouth?
WhentheRaghewroteforpraisedhispluckygame,BoanergesBlitzenfeltthatthiswasFame;
Whenthemenhewroteofshooktheirheadsandswore,BoanergesBlitzenonlywrotethemore:
PosedasYoungIthuriel,resoluteandgrim,Tillhefoundpromotiondidn’tcometohim;
Tillhefoundthatreprimandsweeklywerehislot,AndhismanyDistrictscuriouslyhot。
Tillhefoundhisfurloughstrangelyhardtowin,BoanergesBlitzendidn’tcaretopin:
Thenitseemedtodawnonhimsomethingwasn’tright——
BoanergesBlitzenputitdownto“spite“;
LanguishedinaDistrictdesolateanddry;
WatchedtheLocalGovernmentyearlypasshimby;
Wonderedwherethehitchwas;calleditmostunfair。
*
Thatwassevenyearsago——andhestillisthere!
MUNICIPAL
“WhyismyDistrictdeath-ratelow?”
SaidBinksofHezabad。
“Well,drains,andsewage-outfallsare“Myownpeculiarfad。
“Ilearntalessononce,Itran“Thus。”quoththatmostveraciousman:——
ItwasanAugusteveningand,insnowygarmentsclad,IpaidaroundofvisitsinthelinesofHezabad;
When,presently,myWalersaw,anddidnotlikeatall,ACommissariatelephantcareeringdowntheMall。
Icouldn’tseehedriver,andacrossmyminditrushedThatthatCommissariatelephanthadsuddenlygonemusth。
Ididn’tcaretomeethim,andIcouldn’twellgetdown,SoIlettheWalerhaveit,andweheadedforthetown。
Thebuggywasanewoneand,praiseDykes,itstoodthestrain,TillheWalerjumpedabullockjustabovetheCityDrain;
AndthenextthatIrememberwasahurricaneofsqueals,Andthecreaturemakingtoothpicksofmyfive-footpatentwheels。
Heseemedtowanttheowner,soIfled,distraughtwithfear,TotheMainDrainsewage-outfallwhilehesnortedinmyear——
Reachedthefour-footdrain-headsafelyand,indarknessanddespair,Feltthebrute’sproboscisfingeringmyterror-stiffenedhair。
Heardittrumpetonmyshoulder——triedtocrawlalittlehigher——
FoundtheMainDrainsewageoutfallblocked,someeightfeetup,withmire;
And,fortwentyreekingminutes,Sir,myverymarrowfroze,Whilethetrunkwasfeelingblindlyforapurchaseonmytoes!
Itmissedmebyafraction,butmyhairwasturninggreyBeforetheycalledthedriversupanddraggedthebruteaway。
ThenIsoughttheCityElders,andmywordswereveryplain。
Theyflushedthatfour-footdrain-headand——itneverchokedagain!
Youmayholdwithsurface-drainage,andthesun-for-garbagecure,Tillyou’vebeenaperiwinkleshrinkingcoylyupasewer。
Ibelieveinwell-flushedculverts。
Thisiswhythedeath-rate’ssmall;