MR. o'b. relates his EVENTFUL HISTORY. 193 



man of peaceful and studious habits, and utterly 

 abhorred the wild and dangerous life to which he 

 was at present unfortunately condemned. He next 

 astonished us by telling us almost as much about 

 our relations, friends, and acquaintances as we knew 

 ourselves ; their personal appearance, where they 

 lived, what property they had, their families, expec- 

 tations, tastes, peculiarities, and his opinion of them 

 generally. All his statements were correct, and a 

 rigid cross-examination failed to confound him. He 

 then proceeded to relate the history of his wandering 

 and eventful life. 



After leaving the university, he studied for the 

 bar, and became connected with the press ; then 

 went out to India and edited a paper at Lahore. 

 After a year or two he returned to England. Finding 

 it somewhat difficult to succeed in the old country, 

 by the advice of an old college friend, who had 

 settled in Louisiana, he went out to seek his fortune 

 there. Before long he obtained a situation as secre- 

 tary to a wealthy planter, and for a time lived in 

 happiness and ease. But the vicissitudes of his 

 career had as yet only commenced. The civil war 

 between the Northern and Southern States broke 

 out, and the peaceful Mr. O'B. was startled out of 

 his dream of rest and safety by the bustle and 

 din of warlike preparations. Although sufficiently 

 alarmed at the prospect of hostilities, he yet flattered 

 himself that he would be considered a non-com- 

 batant. One day, however, his friend the planter 

 came up to him in a great state of delight and ex- 



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