Indian Tales"Or ever the knightly years were gone With the old world to the grave, I was a king in Babylon And you were a Christian slave," -W.E. Henley. His name was Charlie Mears; he was the only son of his mother who was a widow, and he lived in the north of London, coming into the City every day to work in a bank. He was twenty years old and suffered from aspirations. I met him in a public billiard-saloon where the marker called him by his given name, and he called the marker "Bullseyes." Charlie explained, a little nervously, that he had only come to the place to look on, and since looking on at games of skill is not a cheap amusement for the young, I suggested that Charlie should go back to his mother. That was our first step toward better acquaintance. He would call on me sometimes in the evenings instead of running about London with his fellow-clerks; and before long, speaking of himself as a young man must, he told me of his aspirations, which were all literary. He desired to make himself an undying name chiefly through verse, though he was not above sending stories of love and death to the drop-a-penny-in-the-slot journals. |
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Page 17
... sort of a notion that his wife could dance , but he never knew she danced so divinely . At the end of that waltz he asked for another as a favor , not as a right ; and Mrs. Bremmil said : " Show me your programme , dear ! " He showed it ...
... sort of a notion that his wife could dance , but he never knew she danced so divinely . At the end of that waltz he asked for another as a favor , not as a right ; and Mrs. Bremmil said : " Show me your programme , dear ! " He showed it ...
Page 26
... sort of thing to spring on an English family ! What shall we do ? " I said , knowing what the Major had brought me out for " The Boy died of cholera . We were with him at the time . We can't commit ourselves to half - measures . Come ...
... sort of thing to spring on an English family ! What shall we do ? " I said , knowing what the Major had brought me out for " The Boy died of cholera . We were with him at the time . We can't commit ourselves to half - measures . Come ...
Page 30
... sort of a man and passed by on the other side . Strickland had himself to thank for this . He held the extraordinary theory that a Policeman in India should try to know as much about the natives as the natives themselves . Now , in the ...
... sort of a man and passed by on the other side . Strickland had himself to thank for this . He held the extraordinary theory that a Policeman in India should try to know as much about the natives as the natives themselves . Now , in the ...
Page 34
... sort of flirtation - most difficult for a woman to turn aside deftly , and most maddening to listen to . Miss Youghal was shaking with fear at the things he said in the hearing of her sais . Dulloo - Strickland - stood it as long as he ...
... sort of flirtation - most difficult for a woman to turn aside deftly , and most maddening to listen to . Miss Youghal was shaking with fear at the things he said in the hearing of her sais . Dulloo - Strickland - stood it as long as he ...
Page 35
... sort of satisfaction , but when the General had thoroughly grasped the story , and knew who Strickland was , he began to puff and blow in the saddle , and nearly rolled off with laughing . He said Strickland deserved a V. C. , if it ...
... sort of satisfaction , but when the General had thoroughly grasped the story , and knew who Strickland was , he began to puff and blow in the saddle , and nearly rolled off with laughing . He said Strickland deserved a V. C. , if it ...
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Common terms and phrases
Aloud asked Aunty Rosa ayah bhoy Black Sheep bloomin Bobby Bremmil Bronckhorst Buldoo called CAPT Carnehan Colonel Coppy dead dear devil divil Dravot eyes face fool fwhat Gadsby girl give gone Gunga Gurkhas half hand Hauksbee Havildar head heard heart horse India Jakin Janki Judy Kafiristan kape Kitty knew Lalun laughed Learoyd Lispeth look Majesty the King Mamma married Marwar Miss Biddums Mulvaney Nafferton native never night niver once orf'cer Ortheris ould Peshawar Pinecoffin Pluffles Punch Ram Dass Reggie Regiment rickshaw rifle river round rupees Sahib Sargint sick Simla Sorr Subaltern Suddhoo talk tell There's thim things told took trouble turned Twas veranda voice Wali Dad walked Wee Willie Winkie whin wife wint woman Youghal young
Popular passages
Page 506 - Singing and murmuring in her feastful mirth, Joying to feel herself alive, Lord over Nature, Lord of the visible earth, Lord of the senses five ; Communing with herself : ' All these are mine, And let the world have peace or wars, Tis one to me.
Page 676 - Some talk of Alexander, And some of Hercules ; Of Hector and Lysander, And such great names as these...
Page 601 - BAA BAA, BLACK SHEEP. BAA Baa, Black Sheep, Have you any wool ? Yes, Sir, yes, Sir, three bags full.
Page 634 - Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Page 550 - I have been fellow to a beggar again and again under circumstances which prevented either of us finding out whether the other was worthy. I have still to be brother to a Prince, though I once came near to kinship with what might have been a veritable King and was promised the reversion of a Kingdom — army, law-courts, revenue, and policy all complete. But, to-day, I greatly fear that my King is dead, and if I want a crown I must go and hunt it for myself.
Page 760 - If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Page 582 - I wished then that we had explained about the loss of the genuine secrets of a Master-Mason at the first go-off; but I said nothing. All that night there was a blowing of horns in a little dark temple half-way down the hill, and I heard a girl crying fit to die. One of the priests told us that she was being prepared to marry the King. " ' I'll have no nonsense of that kind,
Page 723 - For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands ; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord ; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
Page 600 - Up the hill under which Wee Willie Winkie's Bad Men were discussing the wisdom of carrying off the child and the girl, a look-out fired two shots. "What have I said?
Page 155 - A MAN should, whatever happens, keep to his own caste, race and breed. Let the White go to the White and the Black to the Black.