The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-20 00:00:00

THE MODERN LAW STUDENT.

(Prom the tact number of tee New Quarterly Review.)
Serrebutter is not a dissipated nor en idle men.
Re Can betimes, and Dias forth from the Temple gate by
half-pant eight, tans a gallop on horseback, era rapid walk,
out nev.r extends it beyond half-past nine. Just a St.
Martin', church rings out the half hour, he step, into the
gorgeous coffee room of the—" Alternative Club." Tflere,
sot too tar Irom the Are. with a dwarf screen before it, sands
the little table, conseented, by astatine' curare, to his
use : there the particular waiter, who knows Berrebutter
and his habits. The whitest of damask gleams upon the
table, and his letters, all of which are directed to his club,
,ie upon the serviette; the coffee genies is ineprosehable in
its polish ; tt e ci flee is pure, and very strong, and bright
as Burgundy ; Oh- boiled milk is affluent in quantity, and
there is cream, if Surrebutter loves it. The roll*, and the
try tout, are perfect, and as omelette, delicately flavoured,
ass firm herbs*. in .Ices its appearance, according to order,
'y the time our bachelor her poured out his coffee—kat
alenged at the telegraphic news in the Tinos, the Chroniela,
and the Daily New, sod in looking down the abort para.
araphs of the Post. Not above twenty men breakfast even
at the " Alternative," at half-past nine, and the appliances
of an ensaiahment of ten thousand a-year are all their own.
By ten o'clock Surrebutter has breakfasted, has taken in
his astatine, portion of news, and bas paid one shilling and
ninettence. Now be repairs to the writing room, and parses
halr.an•boar in answering his letters. Thence he ascend,
'n a 'usurious library, where, although the library of the
Alternative ix not very strong in law, he may fad a better
...movement of Blaclntones, Chitties, and Archbold', than
H irreourt can boast—the editions an decidedly more
modern than thoseof the Middle Temple library. Half-
vest twelve is a very moats'''e hour for a" pup" to make
as appearing,. at Pleaders' Chambers, and tinge or four
hears there "peat, are quite enough to learn all that can
*here be learnt. But we have nothing to do with Burn-
hatt.t's daily occupations As an industrious candidate for
the Woolsaek, he, of course, is assiduous in conning ever
Pe.rsanis Chitty, in noting up the report*, in drafting
opinions upon aside's' for his edgily", the great Mr. De
lojuris, the pleader; and in drawing bills and answers for
'hat very rising junior, Mr. Cyprit, of the Chancery bar
(who was called in the year '2O, and is thinking of giving up
.111414 and applying for silk). As a man of fashion, Burn-
hurter spends an hoer in the perk. and ea hour in " firing
pasteboard" in the panel's of Belgravia. But, "just as
she ev.nisig shadee prevail," he anal, returns home to
Pall Mall

la the lower library of the Alternative, shoat elk o'clock,
all the gaud wrace of the town are meambled. The city men,
me their way home, drop in to read the evening papers, and
hear the comments upon them. Members of parliament
an come to match a hasty dinner, between the enorr.ing
sitting and the serious work of the evening. The Beers tory
to the Treasury (if the Alternative be political, and if the
Alternative party be is poem.) moves about tehiog whether
and when a division is expected ; or if the Alternative party
is is opposition, then the opposition whipper-in is there and
busy. if the Alternative be not political, thee the talk is of
heblomadal boards sod traetariane, threatened reforms and
vacant profeesonhips ; end perhaps an energetic but quiet
maven is going ,on fur Demortlones Jones, and Pericles
Hogg, candidates for the public oratorship. In this room,
and at this moment, the last poor of news is known,
the last pies* of scandal is repeated, the last rumour paves
from month to mouth ; candidates for election are talked over, I
and it ts quietly settled that Stiggine shall be black-balled.
Naturally Hornbeam has his part in this shit-chat; takes
sore to be made known to the Treasury or the opposition
whipper-in, as the cam may be; compliments the judge
upon Isis hats appearance, or the bishop upon his publobed
eharge, and then betakes himself to the dressing-rooms and
bath-rooms. .

If he is going to dine out, the urchin, who, at the wipe
~f five shillings a week, passes his days in polishing his
master's boots and Hying paper-kites out of the windows
of toe gibs is Hare-court, has brought the evenieg pare
pharaohs, and flarrobott.r stakes leisurely toilet and dis-
appean from the door of the club In a cab. But fiarrebutter
only allows himself two dinner parties a week—he says this
is a eudicient 'tendon of time to society, for all essential
purposes. We will take one of the days when he stays at
home.

He has ordered a quiet, frugal dieter, with old Nosebag,
it half-past seven. Not that he loves Nosebag, or that
Nosebag greatly loves Barrebutter ; bet their Maser tutu
are pretty mesh alike; they stand upon co ceremony with
each other, and then is this great advantage in dining
topetber—shay can divide the portions.

Barrehatter's companion is net iatalleethel—a nes.felsre
dinar with a slaver sae, who talks sad aspects to be as-
serted is a fearful bore. Blight criticisms are ejaculated
apes the productiose of the cordon bin, and ocamosally a
word of faformaties falls from a passing atheeistases as to
what is going oa the floes' ; " bat this is ell that
doss, or that ever should, disturb the process of doing.
When the sham is removed, Serrebstter calls for the bill,
lead Nosebag for a pint of port sad the Stostriard.
Hors is the bill.

Ur. Serrebstter and Ns. Nosebag.
No. of portions. Price.
orable LO 1 6
_ .

1 Comeau& as: mats pooled 1 0
1 Cabalaed ila tiligieese 2 0
1 Catalonia as beetre d'aitelleis
1 Demi poulet ass trell.s
1 Bei/eats de pewees 0 6
Via ardiasite, una bilaterale
Fiat et ahem 2 0

£0 13 10
{Baimp arithsetisal operatic* (which has, believer, bees
lOW se gravely to trouble wake imagine that the clerk
Ise fhb desk sow performs it) shows that flambeau's in-
debtedness, is respect et this dieser, b its skillisp sad
alma pesos. Be puts doss emu shillings, useless a
= stump is Osage, sad allouras at eau to the
Illarathutter has thud liked a civilised oreaturt, who has
a Aim-tealisi for his stomach, sad is sot laying up a store
81111114id1GPilblo, aid speplasy for his old sp. There ire
way arid& lisas is the eoffeequat who have dined off
Pint sad heat, sad have drink a plat of poet wins after-
wards. mg whale WA is but bar adage sad threepence.
Oa* gissakszary ia a mount deb is, that there Is se temp-
lates to saialatious superb. At as habl there is as
albedo is sauss satires to be "a geed sastesuer." At a
club the best sea are gesually the mass tregs3—they are
afraid et being thought like teat little nob, Cellos, who Is
elwop suenuadai by flu dishes sad explusive mime (eves
'Amiss* sod is dways Is loud talk with the bailer, sad
la esustopandisals with the sea =Mee sheet the cook.
Cellist is • risk mm, with a large bottle-sees, sad people
tlsakMll W Meade.

Settled la a vny emsy.dmir ia the library, Barelsalter bas
his café Noir (eirpsase), sd slater over the last now French
novel, a sew battens Ayala, the West Getman system
of philosophy, and the tars betel of political pamphlets.
Beak aa *semiotics ssemsarily ladsess a mammies of drow-
siness. Shalibsg thb of, he woad's' Mu the smoking.
reem, where a very general esavnestea is going en apes
the pasilust Ispis Otte day. Bat as a greet parliamen-
tary usimust aertssmis aloes in, sad hoists spot Wag
didallitortreCt.be ameiten, ease by one, desert Use
Wstio Om billiard room, whither the
ben rasirlit haw Esse thirebetter smokes the re-
mbar sr his aim perhaps takes a ball In • shilling ass
belllidbas peal, perhaps plays a pmt of billiards, perhaps
risghtleekitest. Bat abut Sine. o'clock he generally asks
unmans is jempssims eastwards and it %sully
iteppeas that two souses Tel-plus are jest than Wilkie(
*families home la thememelight.
As they ge atoratailes, Isnebatter reddest, Whisks
Lm that lee has asked two rasa es Mae with bin ant day,
sail has lacked a slab men ts Isla him. For, as a mamba,
sea only ask ea* peat, it yes Make two, yea oast get the
mead. • godfather la the slab. Bemehalist mast osier,
last y Bee nannies kw 05,.1i *Bawl, while I make eat
s Oases bill kw temicisrow—.r new .sm. sad Ist as do it
la scaelave."
_ _

It is to to NAM that ao masa ovor yetietesal his 'maul

• is tha *sitarist/ of a dinner. Ordering a dinner la the sidolon
of sadist; a dinner.
"Is it a boas, dinner ?" asks Grosbois.
" Not I never dine at hoses limners ; everything's crud
sad cold. The money Is all spent upon the eye. The eye
her its own particular plesaurss ; a dinner should appeal
oaly to the palate. I bold that 'wellies bat flowers and
fruit should aver appear upoa a dionsr-table—evary fit'
should be divided la the kitchen, and appear through the
trap•bos °sly to be handed round."
"Alt, I aim apartienwric 11. w such do you intend to
stand ?"

" i;mething under a pounds head will do it handsomely.
Waiter bring the large carte. Let me see, 'linage trots
dousaiees'—that, of course ; &ignition an petit macaroni,'
• pod soap, and Bisque dlcrevisses' anotber—one portion
of the first and two of the other will be plenty. Now for
fish. ' Filets de sole hla Oecevoisse for one, Saumon
la Hollandaise' for two. Then a 'Vol an vent ila Tou-
louse.' We must have some chiller. There are only three
cooks in Europe who can accomplish a Tits de ~an eq
torte, but as our chef happens to be one of the three, it is
a public duty to keep him in practice. Same Supiemes de
filets de perdreaux au: unfree,' a dish of 'cotelettes' for
simple tastes, and a little .Baucisson de Lyons' to correct
the palate will, I think, be enough. 'lb. legumes and the
salads I meet leave to the chef. A Pouliot au: eremites'
will be a simple MS, sod as to sweets, a Conde glace it la
Neapolitaine,' a' Prussienne d'ebricots,' and a ' Charlotte
Ruse.,' the first for two and the two last for one, will wind
up. As to drinks, suppose I put down German Seltzer, one
bottle of Claret Cup, two of Champagne, one of Amoxtd
lado Sherry, and two of Clog Vougeot. It's as well to order
these beforehand, or the Champagne and Claret Cup will
not be feed to the exact tarn, and the Burgundy will not be
leisurely placed i 2 its basket."
This "draft of • bill" was not made without some inter-
ference from Surrebutter's counsellors; but Surrebutter
yielded not a pia, well knowing how easy, it is to spoil a
dinner. Having completed the valuable document, the
Amphytgion enclosed it in a private note to the cook; and
leaving it with the porter, lights another cigar, and walks
quietly Temple-wards with his compani,ns.
If any careful mamma has followed Surrtbutter la his
club expenditure this day, she will have escertained that
his home disbursement has been something under ten shil-
lings. If she be a candid woman, who holes in memory the
occasional catastrophes of her own htusthold, she will alio
admit, that if he were Lord of Lansdowne House, or of
Alawick Castle, or even the recipient of her own housewifely
cares, he could not be better provided in the matter of
creature comforts, or lea bored by attendant inoonve-
alencee.

I know that Surrebutter is a horrid selfish bachelor, and
that such are his five hundred acquaintances at the " Ahem,.
native ; " but is it not horrible that the paths of bachelor-
hood should be made so easy and so taxless? Ladies,
should not them clubs be put down by a salutary and severe
enactment?

*This charge includes all the et *stens, bread, vegetables,
beer, cheese (of every description, whether Cheshire,
GroOro, Parmesan, or Cottendham), club beer, apd table
service. It Vane' item sixpence to a shilling at different
slabs. We put it, therefore, at the medium.