Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1902 — His Commission. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

His Commission.

When Coronet Joyce, one of Cromwell s men, went to Holmby to remove King Charles I. to safer quarters, there being a plot among Presbyterians to kidnap him, he took along 500 troopers. When Charles stepped out of his house, he was confronted by this considerable force. The king at once asked whether Joyce had any commission for what he was doing. “Here,” replied Joyce, turning in his saddle as he spoke and pointing to the soldiers he headed, “is my commission. It is behind me.” “It is a fair commission,” replied King Charles, ‘‘and as well written as I have seen a commission in my life.” Stevenson's Cue Work. A story of Robert Louis Stevenson is told as follows by an acquaintance : “Once only do I remember seeing him play a game of billiards, and a truly remarkable performance it was. lie played with all the, fire and dramatic intensity

that he was apt to put into things.. The balls flew wildly about on or oil the table as the case might be, but seldom indeed ever threatened a (locket or got within a hand’s ireadth of a cannon. ‘What a fine thing a game of billiards is,’ he remarked to the astonished onlookers, ‘once a year or sol* ” A Rnce For ■ Wife. In Lapland the crime which Is punished most severely next to murder Is the marrying of a girl against the express wishes of her parents. When a suitor makes bls appearance, he says nothing to the girl, nor doe* she often know who he Is, but her parents Inform her that her hand has been applied for. Then on a day appointed the girl, her parents ami friends meet together nnd sit opposite to one another, so that they can view each other’s face and converse freely. When the feast Is over, the comps ny repair to nn open space, where "the race for a wife” Is to be run. The usual distanceIs about a quarter of a mile, and thegirl Is placed a third of the distance In- - advance of the starting point. If she be fleet of foot and does not care for her suitor, she can easily reach the goal first, and If she accom* pllsbes this be may trouble heir again. If, on the otb r h ud, she wishes to have him for a bu«'*nd, she ha* only to lag In her flight and so allow him to overtake tier. If she be particularly struck with him and would signify to him that his love Is returned, sh» can run n short distance, then stop and. turn aud invite him with open arm*.

HE PLAYED WITH FIRE AND DRAMATIC INTENSITY.