Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-10
THE MYSTERIOUS GUESTS.

ABOUT on years ago, TWO EngllShmen one day
arrived at Calais in the Dover oacke:. They
did not take up their lodgings al the hotel Of
Mons Dissein, on whom the author of the &E.
timental Journey bestowed such celebrity, bu.
went to an obscure inn, kept by man of The
name of Du Long. They desired to have bis
best apartments, spenta great deal Of money,
relished the produce of his wretched kitchen,
and thought his adul:erated wine perfectly &C.
nuine. From day 10 day Du Long supposed
they would continue their Journey, and proceed
to the capital; for that they had come merely to
see Calais was an idea too absurd to enter any
body's head But SO far from continuing their
Journey and proceeding to the capital they did
not even inspect what was worth seeing at Ca.
lais; for, except going out now and then OihOot
snipes, they kept close al home, eatng, drink
ing, and doing nothing. 'They may be spies
thought the host, COR runaways, or fools. No
matter: what is that.to me? They pay honestly
When he was sitting in an evening over put
with his neighbor and relation, the grocer, the
used to rack their brains about the mysteries
guests. 'They are spies,' said the grocer OF
of them squints with his left eye "A man mi
squint without being spy rejoined the hos
q should take them for runaways, for they Tea4
all my newspapers, probably for the sake Of ad'
yertisements' His kinsman then assured hin
that all Engishmen spend at least '"sIiI
part oftheir lives in reading newspapers Inc
conclusion to which they generally came was
that as the said foreigners were apparently
neither spies nor runaways, they could nOEPoS
sibly be any thing else than fools. Here 'ne
matter rested
In this opinion Du Long was still more con-
frmed, when at the end of few weeks, one
his guests, an elderly man, thus addressed hIn
Landlord said he, we like your house; &Ily9a
will acquiesce in a certain whim, it is prooaJ:
that we might continue fora long time to sPel-
our money with you.' 'Your honorS have ODI
to give your commands; an inkeeper is, byPN
fession, the slave of all the whims that t6rong
10 him from all the four quarters OF the gIooe
you have, TO be sure, continued the Eng'i'L
man, 'had a prodigiously large beast painted "
your sign; but your house is only a ny amO'6
inns; ii scarcely contains three toleraoe r'On'
and unfortunately they all look into the ST W
We are fond of rest; we want sleep 10.
Waterman has very loud voice, and Inc eO'''
es roll the whole night along the street, I" y"
to make all the windows rattle. WeWah.1"
ry quarter of an hour to curse them, anu ian
sleep again to be be again walked 10 ANU,
quarter of an hour. You must admit, my oi%
fellow, that this is enough to destroy our us~
and exhaust our patience. The host snFu W.
his shoulders-'How can it be helped; ,I
easily replied the stranger; 'if you are nnI
fraid of little expense, in which We VI"
halves, without requiring at our dePal'unb r
smallest compensation Du Long, WINS.
rem field had, since the arrival OF The hp5"
men, been daily fertlized with snoS~
guineas, promised to do all that lay IN ID f.
er TO satisfy his worthy guests; but he cUu'"
help the railing of the coaches and oenUs
of the watchmen. Neither is II nece'sS aap
the stranger. Behind your ~.
you have little garden, though YUu
no lover of gardening; for, except a nun' i
sley for your soups, observe nothing 'rie
but nettles. The old garden wall 100 " Nh
of its thickness, is just ready TO 'u" sn,c
Suppose you were to make use OF 'i.l' ,,a rr
to run up little building, sort oil p'' ,hs
house, even if it were to contain no NOR. .5BE
a couple of rooms. 1t might be support,
the ole. wall, by which means consul b
part of the expense would be spared, ATo is
wall itself would be propped up 40 ,iossI
now mentioned; for the sake ofa quiet low 5o5
we would willingly defray one halt oI Wv III; u
and when we are gone the building sso~pDsl
yours; you will then have an additions, OrhGE
Of convenient rooms to let. II, Oh ", I,gtI
hand, you object to our proposal, we mus s,< III
you.' The host, however, had not inc ;mmssa>E
lection, though he thought within Ill.," IA cor
My kinsman and were right enouS" He in
GLIDING that these people were fools Lace saE
mediately sent for a bricklayer; the patd sb,
and the Englishmen dessriO