Some Generous Acts.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 53

Some Generous Acts.

A HANDFUL OF STORIES,

The hero of " More Happy Thought?," when ho has had to Fea a physici?n, legiots that he did not fold the fee in a piece of paper and give it io the doctor, with a di<? in the ribs and a "Take that, you vasca!.'" A patient of Sir Astley Cooper improved upon this idea. The eminent surgeon had performed a critical and difficult operation on him with complete success. The invalid paid the afcsiptants, and then took off his nightcap and ihrew it at Cooper, with a "Take that, sir." And Sir- Astley did, pocketing the affront — and a cheque for lOOUgs which the missile contained.

Tho mention of Ahtley Cooper recalls s graceful action on the part of the mu^habuscd Dr Ratcliffe, " libertine, miser, debauchee/ as he is stylej by some. A Dr Drake, with -whom lie had one of his violent and bitter quarrels, fell on evil clays and came to want. Ratclirfe sent him £50 by ilie hand of a lady, stipulating, liko the convict in Bret Haite's verpes, that he should not Le told v.ho the donor was.

The well-known actor Quin had tho reputation of being a "careful man" — -with the moaning generally connected with the eupnemism — in money matters. A friend in distress asked him for a

LOAX OF FIVE HTTXDRED POUNDS. "I never lend money," was the disheartcninc; reply; "but I had ptit you down in my will for a thousand, and if you like you con have it now."

Many an act of dramatic generosity was done in the old gambling days, when fortune — and sometimes honour — went with the turn up of a card. Beau Nash was playing one day, and the rooms, as was often tho ca^e, were crowded. The ftakes were moderately high, and Nash stood to win a couple of hundred pound?. A favourable card turned up, and he won. Jus>t then he heard a murmur behind him from one of the onlookers : " How happy I could be with such a bum!" "Take it and be happy," said the Beau, handing his winnings to the speaker, and doubtless the latter was not the only one who derived happiness from the graceful act.

Another anecdote told of Nash al^o bears witness to the generous vein in Ids character. Playing one day with Lord Townshend, the latter was so persistently unfortunate as to lose

HIS EXTIRE PKOFEKTY.

Such an occurrence was by no means i>nknown; the title deeds of a good many estate-; changed hands over the "board of green cloth." A rumour has it that more than one " county family " owe their existence and status to a lucky evening a( Crockford's or White's. But Beau Nash did not ftVT'l himself of the opportunity offered linn, lie declined to deprive his antagonist of his jMnper'y. but accepted inrtead a bond for £VCC, to be paid whenever lie should need it, and it speaks not a little for hia good feeling that payment was never demanded &o long as Lord TownFhentl was alive.

In one of Grant's novels, the povertystricken hero who wins a timely purse of money at a s-hootiug match flings it in his pride of birth among the servants. Far nobler was tha action of one of "nature's gentlemen," a young Italian peasanr, recorded in more Ihpn one old book. A mighty flood was devastating the country, auol the bystanders on the bank of a river saw with dismay

THi: PEI'.IL OF THE IXHABITAXTS of a cottage, surrounded by ihe swirling waters ond (ottering to its fall. "I nil] give 100 louis to anyone who will \ont-jre to sa\o those hap!e:s welches," cried 1 nobleman. .S\ arco'.y was the nffci mr:<b when a young peasant stepped forward, looted his boat, and piiFhid out, lcckless of the peril, into the rpging (o.i'ont. His courage met its reward, and the eotlageis were vesciiod and landed in safety. "" Hero is your money, my gallant fellow," said tho count, who had offered it. "I do not bell my life," was the reply, worthy of a Bohun or ade Courcy ; 'give the money to tlic-e poor poop's, who ha\c lost their home."— Globe.