The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-03-04 00:00:00

LITERARY EXTRACTS.

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TH3 PROUDEST MORTET OF NT 14711.—" Gentle-
men," says the-cruel Spite:mock, with 'sea his blandest
smiles—" Gentlemen, charge your glasses," which I
mechanically do, putting in a full charge, and drinking
it off at once at • gulp, thereby causing the was
candles before rue to double themselves in a most ear-
pricing meaner. I try now to think of something else
—to shut my eyes and ears to what is passing around
me—but I am spell-bound, and must listen. Surely
this is • terrible dream ; or sin I the prisoner at the
bier, found guilty of some fearful crime? No innocent
man could feel,. I do. Listen I what does he say?
"Gentlemen, with your permission, I will propose *no
more toast before I vacate this chair; and I am quite
sure, gentlemen, that it is one which you will receive as
warmly as you have received those loyal, patriotic, and
complimentary toasts which I have already had the
honour of proposing this evening. Gentlemen, we have
had the pleasure of drinking the heaths of many
of our friends who have favoured us with their cool.
pony to-night; and if we would uphold the character
with which Dulchester has always enjoyed for hospi-
tality, our new friends must not be left unnoticed."
(Applause.) I ass here taken much worse. "1 am
truly happy, gentlemen, to see around me so many
fresh faces, and I am going to propose to you that we
shall drink to the health of their owners, assuring them
that we shall always be happy to see them in Dul-
cheater, particularly on these testive occasions. There
Is one gentleman present, to whom I must crave your
permission to refer more partioularly"—The mayor, the
dignitaries, the twin M.P.'s, the town clerk, the alder-
men, and the mace, now swim before my eyes in
dreadful confusion—" he is an
.old friend of mine,
though • new friend of yowls; and I must tell him
how happy I sin to see him here on this, to me, proud
occasion. With your permission, gentlemen, I shall
give—' The Strangers present, and with them my old
friend and schoolfellow, Hr. Aspen.'" 0 smooth-
tongued Spitclicock I little do you think what misery you
are causing the old friend whom you wish to honour. I
feel that everybody is looking at me, and immediately
there is a fearful reiteration of my name from all parts
of the room. "The Strangers present, and Mr. Aspen
—Mr. Aspen—Mr. Aspen." The agony of that moment
How do men feel when they step on the stage' where
Mr. Calcraft awaits them? . . . . . " Now, Mr,
Aspen—now, Sir :" and I stand up, hardly knowing
what I do, and holding desperately on to the table with
both hands. My eyes are open, but, like Lady
Macbeth's, their sense is shut, I see nothing; all my
faculties are absorbed in the tremendous effort to say
sornethinj.—" Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen,—When I
took my seat at this hospitable board this evening, on
the invitation of my old and valued friend, your worthy
chief magistrate, I had not the remotest idea that I
should be called on to address you; and still less,
if that were possible, oould I have anticipated
that on me would have been conferred the high
honour of thanking you in the name of several
gentlemen, who, like myself, are enjoying your hospi-
tality for the first time. lam no orator, gentlemen,
as you may easily perceive. I shall therefore merely
thank you warmly for the high honour you have done
us, and crave your permission—in my own name, and
in that of the gentlemen for whom I have the honour
to speak— to propose a toast in return. It is on such
occasions as this, gentlemen, when we see assembled
round the social board the legfslators, the magistrates,
the clergy, the gentry, the traders, the professional
slams, and though last, not least, the representatives
of the fourth estate, of that glorious institution *About
which our boasted Magna Charts, our Habeas Corpus,
and our Trial by Jury, would be nothing but a delusion
and a snare—that we perceive the full value of our
ancient municipal institutions. (Loud sheers.) I con-
sider it to be a great honour and privilege, gentlemen,
and I am confident that all these gentlemen, in whose
name I speak, consider it to be a great honour and
privilege to be in a position to ask you to drink the
toast lam abont to propose. Mr. Mayor and Gentle-
men, we thank you with all our hearts for the high
honour you have conferred on tis, and we beg leave to
propose' Prosperity to the ancient city of Dulohester."
I sit down amidst tremendous cheers—of that I am
quite certain. But did I really speak that speesh ?
Commonplace as it is, it is much better than I thought
It possible forms to make; and yet I must have *ode
It, for is it not given, word for word, in the Pettey
Tramper and Shespshire Gazette, a journal remarkable,
as everybody knows, for the scrupulous fidelity of its
reports My wife hints, it is true, that the editor of
that well-conducted print has 'cooked ' my remarks, in
return for the ' butter ' which I perfectly well remem-
ber having administered to him, bet I really cannot
believe that any respectable editor would oandeseerid to
such an ant as that. Besides, my vrife is prejudiced, for
she was very angry at my accepting Spitchoock's invita-
tion scant her advice, and still more angry at my
coming home at midnight in 'such a state.' What she
means by that I don't know. I was certainly in good
spirits on reaching home, but that was natural enough.
The dreadful ordeal was over; a great weight was re-
moved from my mind, and there was some re-action--
nothing more, In future years, however, I will take
care not to be 'drunk,' either at Dulehester, or else-
where.—Prom an article "The Proudest Moment of
My Life," in Chanikrs's Journal.

The working cdasses derive the most important
benefits from dealing at • shop where no credit ii
given. Few greater evils *Mid our working 'classes
than the facility with which they are permitted to get
into debt. Such • facility increases their improvidenoe,
and when a man Kite in debt at any particular shop,
he is compelled to continue dealing with it, and he is
bound to accept inferior articles at very high prices.—
Macinillan's Magazine for February.
What is chiefly needed in guitlend at the present
day is to show the quantity of pleasure that may be
obtained by • consistent, well administered competence,
modest, watered, and laborious. We need examples
of people, who, leaving Heaven to decide whether they
ars to rise in the world, decide for themselves that
they will be happy in it, and have resolved to seek,
not greater wealth, but simpler plemuree ; not higher
fortune, but deeper felicity ; making the first of posses-
sions, self possession ; and honouring themselves in the
harmless pride and calm pursuits of peace.—
Ruskin.

THS AIITZL AMONG THS SEtOALS.—The extra-
ordinary activity of Griffith, which communicated lla-
ma with promptitude to the whole crew, was produced
by a sudden alteration in the weather. In place of the
well-defined streak along tte horizon that has been
already described! an immenth body of misty light ap-
pearedate be moving in with rapidity from the ocean,
while a distinct but distant reeving announced a sure
approiith of the tempest that had so long troubled the
waters. Even Griffith, white thundering his orders
through the trumpet, and urging the men by his cries
to expedition, would pause for instants to cast anxious
(lenses in the direction of the coming storm, and the
bow of the sailors who lay on the yards were turned
instinctively toward the same quarter of the heavens,
while they knotted the reef-points, or passed the
gaskets, that were to confine the unruly canvass to the
prescribed limits. The pilot in that confused and busy
throng, where voices rose above voice and cry echoed
try in quick suesession, appeared as if he had no in-
terest in the important stake. With his eyes steadily
&see on the approaching mist, and his arms folded to-
gether in composure, he stood calmly awaiting th e
melt. The ship had fallen off with her broadside tic
th• sea, and was become unmanaresble, and the sal •
went already brought into the folds necessary to her
security, when the quick and heavy fluttering of canvass
was thrown atirose the water with all the gloomy and
chilling sensations that such sounds produce, where
darkness and danger unite to appal the seaman. 'The
schooner has it t" eried Griffith; Barnstable has bald
on, like hiirreelf, to the last moment—God sand that
the squall leave him cloth enough to keep him from
the shore !"—" His sails are easily handled," the coin- ,
mender observed, "end she must be over the '
prisisipal danger, We are falling off before it,
Mr. Gray; shall we try • east of the lead r
The pilot turned from Hs contemplative posture, and
moved slowly across the deck before he returned any
reply to this question— like • inen who net only felt
that everything depended on himself, but that he was
equal to the emergeney.—"'Tie unnecessary," he at
length said; " Twould be certain destruction to be
taken aback, and it is difficult to say, within several
points, how the wind may strike us."—" 'Tie difficult
no longer,," cried Griffith; "for here it comes in right
earnest P —The rushing sounds of the wind were now
indeed beard at hand, and the words were hardly passed
the lips of the young lieutenant before the vessel bowed
down heavily to one side, and then, as she began to
move threNgh the water, rose again majestically to her
upright position, as if saluting, like • courteous cham-
pion, the powerful antagonist with which it was about
to contend. Net another minute elapsed before the
ship was throwing the waters elide with • lively pro,
gress, and, obedient to her helm, was brought as near
to the desired course as the direction of the wind would
allow. The hurry and bustle on the yards gradually'
subsided, and the men slowly desisended to the deck, all
straining troli2os to piens thjaliciatiomioa +Melt *het'
were sae end_ 'pipe . their, hoick IA
111.4,0*1T 91kit. WO,* UMW 19PV.Iliden

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