THE SECOND'S POINT OF VIEW.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11509, 6 November 1912, Page 4

THE SECOND'S POINT OF VIEW.

After acting as a second in a French duel, and being badly injured by his principal falling on him, Mark Twain claimed to be the first man to be injured in this kind of combat. Now we have a Frenchman, who has fought in duels and acted as second for other men, coming to the conclusion that tho practice had better be abolished for the sako of the seconds, if uot for that of the principals. M. Mille's impressions of tho ridiculous business of duelling are very amusing, and show that the humorous side of the custom is taking hold of the French mind. His first objection to acting as second is that it takes up a good deal of time. The arranging of a duel cuts a man off from his work for days, during most of which time his principal can talk of nothing else but the business on hand. "If he would only consent to talk of something else —descriptive geometry would be more interesting." Then there is the choosing of the weapon. The other side generally chooses the sword, a weapon of which his principal may know nothing. The only thing to be done is to advise the ignorant one to hold his sword at arm's length, straight before him. He does so, and his adversary dances about and thrusts at him, but cannot touch him. Each bout lasts two minutes, "an eternity for two anxious seconds who know that their man is done if he should forget his instructions." Suddenly the director of the duel orders the combatants to stop; each man has been pricked in the forearm. "The four seconds look grave, but in the depth of their hearts they say, 'What luck!' They put on their coats, drive somewhere for lunch, and honour is satisfied." But M. Mille admits that there is fun to be got out ot duels, even by the seconds. He recalls the behaviour of a friend of his who followed the instruction to hold 'his sword out in front of him. His adversary backed away, and M. Mille's principal stood his ground and waited for advice! On being told to follow his opponent he advanced cautiously, but as the other still retreated, again appealed to his seconds for guidance. "Give him a thrust," was the advice, find the duellist took it and wounded the other man in the arm. M. Mille tolls us that the victor was so proud of his achievement that ho was ready to fight anybody.

ses havo been blunted and their wits I dulled by the unrelieved horror of their i existence.. After the deposition of Abdul Ilamid, it was believed that the condition of Armenia would be improved. The Young Turks announced that a new era of freedom and peace had dawned, and the Armenians thought that at last they wore protected from attack. But they wero soon cruelly disillusioned. politicians in Constantinople were top busy with their own quarrels to trouble about a dependency that had no idea of helping itself. "Other nations in Turkey sutter terribly from mismanagement or reckless neglect of elementary duties on the part of the Ottoman Government," wrote a correspondent of tho London Daily Chronicle last nionth, "but they are capable of offering resistance. They rise in revolt, make heavy reprisals and frequently obtain redress. This is the case with the Arabs and the Albanians. It is altogether different with the Armenians, who have forgotten how to use arms. Although at one time they wero brave and skilled in the art of war, they have become now, through ages of subjugation and oppression, so disheartened that even the ordinary spirit of self-defence has long left them." Perhaps the triumph of the Slav, nations in the war now in progress will bring some light into the lives of the Armenians.