A Victim of circumstances.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3807, 21 October 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

A Victim o f circumstances.

What victims some of us are to circumstances. The ex-captain in the army, vbo lias to keep himself on tLree or four hundred a year, is to bo pltiod whon his creditors drive him into tho Bankruptcy Court, but his case ia nothiag when you come to compare it with that of a guileless young fellow at Guildford a day or two ago. lie, poor fellow, went to tho house of a widow and took lodgings. And a good surt of fellow ho appeared to ho. Scarcely had he been near the pl^co an hoar before ho invited his landlady to havo a glues cf beer, which she declined, but not to be denied, he went and fetched a pint himself, and on his return incited on the landlady having a glass. It must havo been galling for him to find that Bomebody had tampered with this beer, and he might well have surrendered to his fate when he found the man who wanted snuff (tho very aniclc the beer contained) so closely resembled him, that it was impossible to toll them apirt. But luck would bavo it so, and no doubt the wisest course the young gentleman could adopt was to go to bed and think about it. But fate pursued him still. By what procoas she worked we cannot tell, but no sooner had tho landlady gone clown stairs after showing him his bed-room, than, quito unconsciously, the unhappy youDg man appears to have crepe from his own bed-room into tho landlady^, quito unconsciously still, havo got under her bod as she camo upstairs again, and, quite unconsciously once more, you bet, have moved the valanco as he lay there, and so disclosed his whereabouts. And what is as remarkable aa any phase of the case.whenhewas called a vagabond and told to como out, and the landlady hurried off to fetch a policeman, ho without know,ing anything about it, scuttled off to bis own room, and when tho myrmidon of the law appeared on the scone was peacefully reposing ia his own bed. When brought before the Guildford Magistrates, he was still unconscious of all his adventures, and for anything wo know may not bo aware even now that he is dining off bread and skilly, and picking oakum for a month,