NOW OR NEVER.

Mr. Johnson lounging in an easy chair, in his dresssing gown, reading a newspaper.

Enter his Sister.

MISS JOHNSON. What, brother, not gone yet? I thought you were to meet the commissioners at twelve.

JOHNSON. Well it has not struck yet.

MISS JOHN.

But it will in a minute, and you

are not dressed yet.

JOHN. (yawning.) Plenty of time. People never meet as soon as they say.

MISS JOHN. There is no time to be lost; there is the clock striking now, and it is a good half hour's walk to the board.

JOHN. (deliberately folding the newspaper and stretching out his legs.) I can get a fly.

MISS JOHN. There were none on the stand as I passed just now.

JOHN. There will be presently.

MISS JOHN. I doubt it; there is a pic-nic in the woods, and there is scarcely a fly in the town. Јони. Then I must wait till they come back. MISS JOHN. There is not time to wait: the commissioners were to meet precisely at twelve. JOHN. Precisely! people always say precisely, but they never meet for an hour after.

MISS JOHN. I saw the commissioners going towards the board as I came home.

JOHN. Only some of them, I dare say; there is plenty of time.

MISS JOHN. There is no such thing, brother. How can you be such a dawdle? The commissioners are sitting now, you will lose all your valuable rights, if you do not appear to support them.

JOHN. No, no, I shan't; I dare say they will wait for me.

MISS JOHN. Wait for you-that is just what you always say. As if public commissioners can wait for every one. You are as bad as a child, expecting a bird to wait to have salt put on its tail. Do pray put on your coat, and set off directly.

JOHN. Do not be in such a hurry, Jane; you never leave me a moment's quiet: hurry here— hurry there-hurry everywhere.

MISS JOHN. I never knew you hurry any

where.

JOHN. Well, why should I?

Hurry did not win the race-the tortoise beat the hare.

MISS JOHN. Because the hare waited. JOHN. Well, well; and people wait for me. MISS JOHN. Did the train wait for you when you were summoned to your dying uncle? Did that same uncle wait your arrival before he made his will? Did not he refuse to wait any longer, and thinking your absence a want of respect, leave all he had to my cousin?

JOHN. I don't see why they should be so very particular on the railroads. A few minutes could not matter with their speed, they could soon dash on and make it up again.

MISS JOHN. And dash into the train before them. They will never make you a railway director, I trust.

JOHN. If all the trains waited a few minutes it would be just the same. I doubt if railroads do

much good.

punc

MISS JOHN. They may teach people to be tual, which will be a great good. But you have not put on your coat now.

JOHN. I will in a minute, Jane; don't be so impatient. I am only just waiting to finish this article.

MISS JOHN. Just waiting! Those two words have been your bane through life: you waited till Miss Banbury, young, rich, and pretty, married your rival. You waited till the situation that had been offered you was given to another. You waited to insure your home till it was burnt down. To descend to minor things, you never make up your mind to buy a horse till some one else has purchased it. You never sit down to dinner till the fish is cold and the soup taken away.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at its flood, leads on to fortune."

But you never attempt to take the tide till it has ebbed; and then you are left floundering in the mud, instead of being borne into port on the top of the wave. Will you never learn that nothing in this world waits but Peter Johnson? Now do

put down the paper, brother.

JOHN. Well, well, there, I am putting it down, only let me lay it smooth.

on.

MISS JOHN. There now go and put your coat

JOHN. Wait a moment, I hear some one coming; perhaps it is to say that the commissioners won't meet to-day, but wait till to-morrow.

MISS JOHN. Much more likely to say that they

won't wait any longer for you. As I said before, nothing and no one waits now but Peter Johnson, and why should he be an exception to the general rule?

Enter Rattle.

RAT. I am glad you are here, for my uncle has sent me on business of great importance, and we were afraid you might be gone to the board of commissioners.

JOHN. (turning in triumph to his sister.) There! you see what good comes of waiting.

MISS JOHN. Time will show.

RAT. Mr. Winslow has sent my uncle directions to sell Barton's farm immediately, and Dobson has just offered three thousand pounds for it, and is to call for an answer in ten minutes. He declares he will give no more, so if you will advance upon this it shall be yours, only you must decide directly. Yes, or no.

JOHN. Stop, don't be in such a hurry; just wait whilst I think a little.

RAT. I cannot wait a minute, my dear sir: there are two sets of marriage settlements to be finished to night. Lovers won't wait-no one waits, except waiters at an inn, and they don't wait for nothing.

JOHN. Bless me! every one goes at railroad