Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-09-15

of snuff, sir" cried the widow, turning
up her pretty little nose, with an air Of
ineffable disdain." $50 much the
worse, madam; you lose one OF the
greatest pleasures in life. / have tried
all sorts Of enjoyments; one thing ia
tigued, another disguised me; this
pleasure brought repentance, and thai
safety. At last I determined to look
out for something of which l should
not tire.-It suddenly struck me tina,
in my fits ofvexation and ennui, l had
found occasional relief from a pinch o
snuff; so l became a snuff taker five
years ago, and from that time to the
present | have had no ennui. Come
madam, let me advise you to try my
remedy for this distemper, with which
we are all visited more or less"
81 have no occasion for it," replied
the lady, coldly, 81 am not troubled
with ennui, and ifI were, Ishould think
there are more rational means of dis
polling it.""Name them, madam, il
you please" "Reading, reflection, the
Offices of benevolence, the pleasures OF
society,"" "Ah, l have tried all that;
reading set me to sleep; reflection made
my head ache; benevolence / own is
pretty well, but one cannot occupy ones
selfin that way from morning till night;
as 10 the pleasures ofsociety,I have been
cheated by one half ofmy acquaintance
and laughed at by the other. | am
therefore not very favorably disposed
to mankind. SO you see, madam,
have nothing left for it but to amuse
myself in this way; and opening his
snuff box he took a pinch and present
ed ii to her.
Thoroughly provoked at what she
considered objectionable rudeness, she
rose to leave the room. "Nay, mad
am" cried Milborne, "you must not SO
in anger" 81 am not angry, SIR
cried the lady, then trying to disengage
her hand, which he had taken hold Of
"you forgive me, then ;" Yes" replied
she, but not in the most placid tone IN
he world. every well, then, to prove
that you don't bear malice, take a pinch
Of snuff"
At these words the widows patience
and temper both forsook her, she burst
into tears. Some of the gentlemen
present then advanced,and one OF them.
Comte de S., asked Milborne in a
naughty ont what he meant by insult
ing the lady. The Englishman imme'
diately took fire he replied in a tone ol
defiance which frightened madam Dor
val. She endeavoured to stife the dis
pute, by protesting she was not often
ded but the gentlemen were both toe
hot headed to be casilg pacifed they
dissembled their resentment till the
widow had left the room but as soor
as she did, the dispute was renewed.
In a few minutes ii rose to such q
height that a meeting was arranged
for the following morning; and thus
for no greater cause than a lady's refu'
sal to take a pinch of snuff, two men
who were not destitute either of com,
mon sense or principle, so far in Their
anger forgot both, as to be guilty Of
the folly and impiety of risking their
own, s seeking each others life.
Both perhaps repented when the
challenge was given and accepted but
it was then, according to the notions o
false honor, so prevailing among man
kind, too late They retired to theil
respective apartments Milborne wrote
two or three letters and began to pace
his room deeply engaged in rumina'
ting on the probable event Of the ap'
preaching meeting.
Suddenly he fancied he smelt fire
he threw open the door Of his cham.
Der and beheld tn stair case enveloped
in smoke. His first thoughts were tor
Others; he ran to the different apart,
ments, vociferatiug fire! In a few mo-
ments every body in the house was a.
larmed all fastened to escape; and
Milborne, on going down stairs, found
a greater part Of the inmates assem-,
] bled in the street before the door Of
the hotel. 1t was indeed time, for the
flames were bursting out in every di'
rection. The first person whom Mil
borne saw was his antagonist. MY
cried the E~nglishman at sight OF him
where is madam ?'-They looked ca
gerly around, she was not to be seen.
'Oh, heavens exclaimed the land
lord, SHE must be lost-see her cham
Der is ON 6re,'sA ladder quickly eried
Milborne. Eve have none, and II we
had, it would be of no use, you woult
perish without being able to save her.
i will try however, cried Mllborne
and breaking from his antagonist, who
shocked at the certain death to which
he seemed devoting himself, caugh
hold of his arm, he rushed back int
the flames.
sHe will be lost!' exclaimed the by
ISLANDERS. mo, no. cried Comte de !
49,, Providence will not suffer hin