LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1970, 17 June 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE DEMON CHILD. [Abridged from " Bound Table."] I'll never believe that he was anything else; for did he not blast my happiness, ruin my prospects, injure my health, sour my temper, and make me what I am—a disappointed man ? Pshaw ! stuff! rubbish ! Children angels ? Here is my story. I loved her—passionately, enthusiastically loved her. She was my lode.star, my hope, my everything. I nearly ruined myself in the brightest ties, the lightest-colored kid gloves and the best. I gave sixpences, shillings, and eighteenpencea for buttonholes ; even more for costly exotics than I thought she might admire, and wore them in coats than seemed old and threadbare when she had seen me In them three times. My income was not large, and it hardly sufficed for my ever-changing wardrobe. I loved her, however, and I believed I was beloved. I was not sure, because of Harcourt Tomlins—pah ! what a name! Poor wretch he was madly jealoas of me, while I believe my feelings towards him were those of scorn, for I could not believe she would stoop to care for suoh an insignificant worm. There was to be a grandchildren's Christmas party at Morrison's, and I was asked. ' Pray come. Mr Limpet,' said Lady Morrison ; ' we are going to give the children a delightful treat, and I know you'll come and help ns ; Augusta Lisa will be there ; she is going to help to amuse the children ; you'll come too, and do some of those funny tricks of yours—swallowing oranges, and making shillings go through tables, and finding them in children's hair; say you'll come ?'

Of course I said I'd go. I'd have tried to go to the moon if it was to meet her ; and on tha appointed night I was there to find they had nearly a hundred children in the place. Disgusting little wretches ! how they stuffed, and quarrelled, and exhibited all the weaknesses of human nature on a small scale !

Tomlins was there —why, I could never imagine ; and the sight of his nasty black moustache and dark eyes nerved me to do my utmost to show how superior I was at that greatest object in creation—a man. As for Augusta, she was something delicious, dreamy, and fair as an angel, in pale blue, floating about the rcom. I had one thrilling glance, one tender pressure of the hand, before she was quite absorbed by the children; and then, seeing how Tomlins was busying himself, I threw myself into the spirit of the tbing, and, to please the little wrethes, and through them Augusta, I became a kind of clown in a dress suit.

I do not wish to boast, but if I am clever at anything it is at legerdemain. I paid a professor heavily to teach me, and with my apparatus I could go through a series of puzzling tricks. I made cards come and go at will; I could pass money in all directions ; palm various objects; and even do the globe-fish trick. I was not myself on this occasion. I performed a trick or two amidst great applause, and then, looking up for a smile of approbation and encouragement from Augusta, I saw her at £the back with Tomlins. It was absurd to mind them. So it was absurd to mind that horribla child, a big-headed, thin-bodied, vinegary fellow, about eight years old, but as sharp as a razor I say it was absurd tto mind him, but I could not help it; and the more I minded, the more nervous and awkward I became, ITor instance, I had just passed r a penny piece into a box, when that horrible child squeaked ont—* Ch, I know; I saw him. It ain't in the box !'

'Nonsense, my dear,' I said, trying to look him down.

' He's got it up his sleeve," squeaked the little wretch again, aa he hugged himself up and looked very miserable. ' Oh, dear me, no,' I said amidst a roar of laughter ; ' nothing of the kind.' But that trick was spoiled, So were half a dozen more ; for as soon as I began a freeh one that demon ohild screwed himself round, and began to explain how it was done. I smiled my best, and glanced at Augusta to show how amiable I was; but she was always listening to Tomlins, and at last, as that miserable little boy kept spoiling my best efforts, I felt as .if I should like to strangle him. * I'll serve him out though,' I thought; ' I'll havo him heie before me, and bring the gold-fishes out of his head; and if he comes any; more of his taickn, I'll half-drown him.' So, after putting up with it all goodhumouredly, I prepared for my gild-fish trick, and invited my little enemy to come to a chair I bad placed ready. He stepped forward readily enough, and I lifted him into his seat—a nasty little bag of bones. But no sooner had I made ready, than the little wretch began to weep aloud, saying that he was poorly, and wanted to lie down. So he had a sofa all to himself, and lay upon it criticising my tricks aloud in a nasty oldfashioned way, like a fairy changeling in knickerbockers, and making the people laugh at his sayings instead of at my legerdemain. A little demon! And there afterwards were the children crowding round him, and sympathising because he was not well, and his mamma smiling graciously as she announced that her dear Theodore was eo delicate, but so clever. I meant to be revenged upon him, and to achieve this I took him ices and jellies, and strange cakes and negus, expecting every moment to sae him turn violently ill. But no ; he kept on eating horribly. His little miserable body did not seem big enough to hido the things I took him, and yet they all disappeared, until I began to look upon him in the lieht of an animated conjuring trick, and should not have been very much surprised if he had taken out of himself toys and clean ironed pocket-handkerchiefs—all sorts of things different from those which he had swallowed.

At last the dear little wretches hsd gone, after I had had to carry tbat demon child down to his dear mamma's carriage, returning to try and get a few words with Augusta. Tomlins was putting on her cloak. Disgusting sight. But I had a few words with my darling, and she reminded me that I was to be her cavalier at a picnic next da/" fortnight. Then Tomlins saw her to )*r carriage, and I went heme not so happy s I had been before. The fortnight had glided by, ar4 the morning of the picaic had arrived, to iind me so terribly unwell, with a seusaT-on of a violent cold, that I felt thoroughly unfit to go. ' But Tomlins will be there.' I groaned to myself; and at last I bethought me that a friendly doctor might f've me such a "pick-me-up" us would enable me to go through tho day pretty comfortably. So I sent round for him, and he came. j «Hallo, limpet,' he said ; ' poorly ?' 'Got a bad cold coming en. Give me a something, doctor, to set me up. I'm going to a picnic' * Going to a what, sir V * A picnic—out door party. I- clt ishew.' ' No, sir, you are not,' he said quietly. ' But I must, I am engaged,' I said. * Can't help that. You won't stir out of this house for three weeks, sir.' ' Don't talk nonsense, doctor. I'm not ill.* ' But ycu are ill, dr.* ' Well, a bit of a cold.' * Bit of a cold, man ? Look at yourself in a glass. You've got the measles.' •Whaaa-atV ' The measles, sir- badly.' I leaped up, gazed at my swollen face in glass, and sank down with a groan. * I've got thirty or forty caseß abont, ho continued, ' and more to come. Little boy at evening party sickeaing for the disease, and infected the lot,'

I groaned again, and then, taking pen and paper, Boribbled a line to Augusta, sayinf that I had so bad a oold, that I could not go. But Tomlins did, and after my miserable illness I learned that Augustas as so disgusted at me for staying away on account of a cold, that she listened to the voice of the other charmer, and she was lost—lost to me for ever ! For how could I tell her I had the measles? how confess to my speckled visage ? I could only conceal it, and remain one Jof the doctor's hundred patients, all provided for him by that demon ehild I