The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-30 00:00:00

ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

After G. D. had served his apprenticeship with a
respectable chemist in Devises, he removed to Chelten-
ham, where he commenced business ; but, devoting
more time and attention to pleasure than trade, his af-
fairs, as might be expected, became disarranged, and
rendered his situation everything but pleasant. To
avoid the consequences of which, he quietly sold all, and
left the place without paying a farthing in the pound.
To escape the pursuit of his creditors, he thought he
could do nothing better than take a continental tour,
where he could make many useful.philosophical obser-
vations, by way of a finish to his education, and re-
main till the fury of the Cheltenham storm had in some
measure subsided. Amongst other things to which he
had directed his enlightened attention, the unhappy
state of Spain, in consequence of the civil war, power-
fully excited his cominisseration ; and, being of a gallant
and chivalrous spirit, he embarked heart and soul in
the cause of the Queen, declaring " that ere six months
had passed he would make Don Carlos's head a foot-
ball for the Chapelgorris." But somehow or other he
was out in his calculation, and seeing that there was a
greater probability of his wearing more scars than lau-
rels, he suddenly became poetic, and sung—

. .
" England,.with all thy faults, I love time still."
No sooner had he repeated the above sublime senti-
ment, than he thought of home, sweet home, and left
the field of battle, saying, with heartfelt. sincerity,—
" He that tights and runs away,
111ay live to fight another day."
Thus end the achievements of the patriot. Impu-
dence being a considerable ingredient in his nature,
he had the audacious assurance (after he returned
from the wars in Spain, in which he had been en-
gaged eighteen long months,) to commence business as
a spirit merchant, at no greater distance from Chelten-
ham than B—, near Melksham. Being now tired
of " single blessedness," he paid his addresses to a
young and amiable lady in this neighbourhood, most
respectably connected. To her misfortune and sorrow,
she gave him her heart and hand. He had not been
married long before his creditors began to pay him
more visits than he considered pleasant to a gen-
tleman of his standing in society, and, just by way of
ridding himself of such a nuisance, he sold off every
chino., pocketed the money, snapped his fingers at his
creditors, sent his wife home to her parents, and took his
journey without even telling his creditors in what direc-
tion he had gone. A few days after his departure he
sent tt laconic note to his wife, of which the following is
a copy :

" Bristol, —, —.

" DEAR POL,—By the time you receive this I shall be
on my way to Australia. When lam settled I will send
for you, and if you like to come I will make you welcome ;
if nut, you may stay wuere you are.

" Yours, s:c.

G. D--."

From the above note it was inferred that he had left
England. Nothing had been heard of him till within the
last two weeks, when he was discovered in a rather sin-
gular manner. A tradesman of this town received a letter
from a gentleman residing in the town of C—, in De-
vonshire, wherein he asks a number of questions, respect-
ing a Dr. D—, who had commenced practising as a
physician in that place. It appears that the gentleman
who wrote had been led to entertain some suspicions
about Dr. D--, which were increased considerably
from his having picked up a paper dropped by the Doc-
tor whilst dancing one evening at a ball. The paper in
question happened to be a bill directed to G. D. Devi-
zes, and not to D--, which induced the gentle-
men to write. Immediately Mr. -- received the
communication he started by the first coach to Devon-
shire. After arriving at the town of C--, and calling
upon the author of the letter, he heard with no small
degree of astonishment that our hero was living in a
handsome villa, which he had furnished in the most
elegant and modern style ; that he had largely stocked
his cellars with choice and costly wines ; that he asso-
ciated with the most respectable society ; that he was
practising as a first-rate physician ; that he was on the
eve of marrying a wealthy, handsome, young, and amiable
lady, and that this lady was envied by all the fair and
gay of the place. After this he called at the Doctor's
residence, when he wa3 told by the servant that her
master was out dining► at the house of a gentleman,
to which she directed him. Having traced him
where he had been dining with a large and respectable
party, lie requested to see Dr. who made
his appearance :porting a pair of fashionable mustachios.
Not in the least daunted at the sight of Mr. —, he af-
fected to be highly pleased at seeing him, and if be
would wait a moment till he returned to apologise to the
company for his absence, ho would accDmpany him
to his own house, where they could talk over and
settle matters. Alter walking to the house, which
stood in a rather lonely situation some way out of
town, be introduced him into a large and elegantly
furnished room, requesting him to be seated, and
hoped he would excuse his absence for a moment or
two. In the course of a few minutes he returned,
locked the door behind him, closed the shutters, and
then went up to Mr. -- with a Bible in one hand
and a drawn dagger in the other. " Now, Mr. —,"
said he, " I have got you completely in my power, there
is but one way of saving your life, and that is by taking
an oath upon this Bible which I hold in my hand that
you will never mention to any one that. you have seen
me, and that you will never divulge what has taken
place." Knowing that it would be instant death to
refuse, he reluctantly took the oath, but in place of
kissing the book, as is usually done, he kissed his thumb,
from which he inferred that the oath which he had un-
willingly taken was not binding. When this rather un-
pleasant ceremony was over, the Doctor accompanied
Mr. -- to an inn, and treated him to a glass of brandy
and water, after which he saw him safely out of town on
his way back to Devizes. We have heard that his
wife's friends have written to the young lady at C--
to apprise her of the truth.

The Duke of Dorset left Harley-street on Wed-
nesday, on a visit to Lord and Lady Delawarr, at
Buckhurst-park, Sussex.

CLERICAL Box MOT.—A Reverend Doctor
was lately travelling from London to -- in the mail
coach ; it so fell out that he and a lady were the only
persons occupying the interior of the vehicle. He
therefore essayed to draw the lady out in the way of
conversation, but to no effect ; so he resigned himself
to the embraces of Morpheus, which example the lady
shortly thereafter followed. Subsequently the mail
coach halted at the lady's residence ; footmen were in
attendance to hand her ladyship from the carriage,
which attendance the lady was in the act of receiving,
when the Reverend Doctor facetiously remarked, " Why,
Madam, we must not part without shaking hands, as
'tis probably the last time we may sleep together ;"
which the lady, highly amused, assented to by a cordiA
pressure of the band.
CONFLAGRATION OF MOSCOW'; JAY AN EYE•
Wl'rNEss.—lt was night before I was able to quit the
house which I occupied, We left Moscow under a
real rain of fire. The wind was so violent, that it car-
ried to a great distance the iron plates which were torn
from the roofs and made red hot by the flames,
The
feet of our horses were burned, It is impossible to form
an idea of the coufuson which prevailed in this precipi-
tate evacuation. The noise of the fire resembled the
waves ; it was truly
roaring of the a tempest in an
ocean of fire, The whole road to Petersof was covered
With fi,gmeots of different kinds, especially with broken
bottles which our soldiers bad thrown about. W 0 4.
vouacked on the skirts of a little wood, from which bv•i":.
t4Pniti f6i"ql4l*"t4,ol'''—the ;;;age of hell.
Was udt..aing out a plain. of
That immense city
• .11e
heavens and the entire br•-•
Izon Arpo4eoru he in flames,.
DEO I'M Ae, ctt the ditane9 pt. three-quarter's of a
league to read the orders Which were brought nV,
the Major-general.—lllenrcirs of His ailllA 'Ante by
Lieutouv,l4-G enqwl Dumas.