The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

A QUESTION OF HONOR.
In the Olden Times No Money Consideration Would Avail.

I had just thrown down a newspaper in disgust. What had aroused my wrath was the report of a suit for damages. The climax was $300,000. The charge was that of meddling with a wife's affections. This, I said to myself, is modern civilization. Such a thing would not have been possible in any other age. Two hundred years ago the offer of money in such a case would have been an insult irreparable, says a writer in the Washington News. To-day it is demanded as a right.

With that there came into my head an old story. It is now forgotten. The average modern cannot see the use of it. To his downright spirit and club-footed intellect the story is ridiculous. But here it is:

One day in 1834 the Earl of Chandos was sitting at his wine in the Red Bull tavern. There were stories about the earl and a certain Lady Leveson which it would not do to repeat. Some people have wondered a little at the indifference of Sir Robert Leveson. The earl, however, on that day at the Red Bull appeared to be entirely at his ease. But suddenly Sir Robert Leveson came into the room. He walked over to the table at which the earl was sitting and pointed to the tablecloth.

"My lord," said he, "that is a blue napkin lying there."

Lord Chandos looked up quickly and saw what he meant:

"I beg your pardon, Sir Robert, but it is a red napkin."

Sir Robert laughed. "Shall we fight upon that, Chandos?" said he.

"I will stand by my convictions," returned the earl, smiling: "let us meet at sunrise"

They met and the earl was slain by Sir Robert Leveson. To this day nobody knows a word more than what I have told. The seventeenth century did not advertise its wrongs.