The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-30 00:00:00

in vain.

A CHRIS'TMAti FROLIC.

In the course of yesterday a respectable tradesman, turn,' Dee
man, raiding res-hailliogroicnthlempckat'ap-lecidast., amttelknidnedgatatedhbeevertrodayresieiciatw.ihemipagntMilouanagnakcciapif.irditatah,eetirdandit.
He stated, time on Christmas-eve he went into a publie.h,a,..."
his neighbourhood, called the Hose, where hewn in the haZt
taking his pint of beer and his pipe, and listening to rational
venation. While In: was there enjoying lumselt with his setitiaih,
antes, two privates and a non-commissioned officer belonging too;
6rregiment, as well as he recollected, entered the room as ca
for liquor.
The conversation took a turn on their entrance to the dam,.
guishetl battles fought during the late war, when one of the
strangers,f intelligent
e r cnt
landt fheel Inonw,-clme
engagementsnitem ni intom
he iteds
da not
taken
imi 'ea
active
part
in;
sod
eluded the history of his campaigns by reverting to the roacatice-7
saidba he ttle of Waterloo, a most interesting detail of which, the applican:
, amused the company with. The next topic or comma..
tion introduced was upon the subject of the recruiting serene,
the course of which, applicant said in a joke, that he should liketnct
become the comrade in arms of such brave fellows as con:pact the
66th Regiment. The joke was scarcely pronounced, when the err,
of the soldiers glistened with delight, while they eulogised the
toriesobtained by the brave 56th, and commended the spirit of Masa
who joined It, all of whom, they asserted. were sure of making fee,
tunas in that glorious quarter of the world, Asia, to which di' • re: giment was now under orders to embark for. The non.agooth_
stoned officer then intimated that he, together with a party, Pete
now recruiting, and that any gentlemen desirone of enlisting in me
corps had, now an excellent opportunity. lie accompanied the in_
citation by producing a shilling, and addressing himself totpli_% cant, said, Now, Sir, is your time ;if you wish to bream an
honourable man and a soldier, take this shilling (handing ITO,.
cant a shilling) in the King's name, and you become our comrade'
Applicant still considering it all a joke. did certainly accept or the
shilling, which he sent into the bat, desiring it to be taken for a
glass of brandy and water, and intending to pay himself* gifts,
apiece to the three soldiers in return. When, 4owevet, hemse
for the purpose of going home, the soldiers said that instead of do.
ing so he must proceed to their quarters, as he lOW now owe et
themselves. Applicant ridiculed the observation, declaring th an
when be accepted of the shilling, it wan not with the intention oe
entering the army at his time of life, and particularly as he had i
wife and family, and was well established in the reiglihtmenood
a good business ; under these circunistancee, he begged to decline
going into any other quarters titan his own ; and with r.spect to
his visiting any other quarter of the world than the imehe
was now fixed in, he had no such view in contemplation. The
seliiers said they cared not what his views were ; he had teak
a shilling in the King's name, and he was theretore to consider
himself as having taken the first step towards becoming a private its the 56th foot. After much parleying on the sulject, he was se
length permitted to go home, on Condition that one of the soliliets
should accompany him, and early the following morning, he (op.
plicant) received a letter from a sergeant belonging to the regiment,
desiring his attendance at the depot of the 56th for for the purpose
of being attested. Now, gentlemen, added the applicant, a.
dressing the Magistrate, this letter has bothered Tile not a little,
and the object of my application is to ascertain whether I am bound
to pay any attention to it.
The Magistrate laughed a good deal at the applicant's mate_
meat, sad as the latter admitted that he was tipsy during the(
he visited the Rose, for the purpose of having his pint, his pipe,
anti his rational conversation, they advised him to appear It head..
quarters, pay the smart-money for his Christmas frolic, and have
done with the business altogether, as there seemed to be no question
but he had taken the shilling from the soldiers in the King same,
consequently he had subjected himself to the payment of the smut.
money,