Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-06-11
MY FRIEND JOE

The following article is copied from
en- interesting publication, entitled "1he
Bachelors Journal" issued from the Bos-
ton press:
81 called upon him the other day:
and found him in his counting room,
looking like Adam when he was ejected
from PARADISE. His head was leaned
upon his hand, his Ieger was open be-
fore him, and he stared upon it as though
he did not comprehend a figure upon Its
pages. The corners Of his mouth were
drawn down, giving to this receptacle OF
meats and drinks, the circular appear
ancc of rainbow, while his brows were
compressed towards his nose like the
long caves Of an old fashioned house,
resembling in their wrinkles pan OF
milk, frozen in the wind. l disturbed
his cogtations by "a slap on the shoulder.
But let me tell you who my friend Joe
was. In the first place he was one OF
your poetry folks, and loved the moon
and wrote verses; some oil them good
enough to place as posy on ring, Tor
many Of his lines actually got into the
newspapers. In the next place he had
poesy of soul, and with him the even
ing star was Venus, and no star at all
lady's lip distilled nectar even II she
chewed tobacco, and petticoats were
nothing but aerial drapery. All milk.
maids were village sheperdesses, and
country Lubins, no more nor less than
Collins. He was, in youth, kind OF
Billy Lac&aday, though he had pIckec
up sundry very good imaginary PreceeptS
from novels, and had suspended to that,
kind Of not common sense, yet sense II
was. lie wore his cravat utter the iash-
ion of Byron, and talked upon stills to
the ladies', Of sun-llt clouds, golden pill
lars o! the sky, and oil Mal are Kind q
things, until they admired his good sense
for its uninteligibiIity. Very well-thls
is Joe's outline. TO return to the slap
on the shoulder. asked him what was
the matter, and tho occasion OF his
dumpishness. TO this he replied by
asking me whether remembered Lu-
cretia? She being perfectly in my re-
collection, replied atlirmative!y. She
was, by the by, beautiful girl, rather
cXtravagant in dress and desire ior style,
yet like most of the sex in this, and other
respects. He continued in the following
strain, viz:-"I have been attached to
her since we first visited our village
church; when boy, church had no
pleasure or interest to me il she was not
there. My eyes and soul hung upon her
presence, and though "concealmcnt like
a worm in the bud fed on my damask
cheek" still never revealed my fatal
passion. Year after year went by, and
still the secret was locked in my bosom,
until she grew to womanhood; when, III
an ILL., fa.ed hour revealed my tender
ness. 1t was not long before l asccr-
tanned that a reciprocal attachment OK
isted, and we were blessed in the delight
full certainty that we were all in all to
each other. AT the age Of eishteen lpro-
posed the question of our union to hel
father, and he, cruel man, replied in the
coarsest manner, if it so be you ever
arrive at the age of twenty one end your
daddy is willing, and you are in any
kind of business, [ don't know sartin as
shall have any objection; but you are
boy now" Stung with resentment al
such incivility, left the house in dis
gust, and never visited there for two
, days. remember writing some poeir,
on the occasion, beginning as follows:
Since fate her arrows at my heart,
La anger of IS ci,siiig--
Here told him to omit, for that was
quito enough, "weII," proceeded he
81 had an interview with my charming
$ Lucrctia, and submitting TO "hope de
, ferrcd," buried myself and talents in ,
Y counting house in this city. There, a
you well know, toiled and worked unit
), ! became a partner in the firm and ar
: rived at an estate sufficient to warran
me in taking to my bosom my .adored
D She in the mean time had expanded int
. every thing which was lovely, fascnaiin.
D and desirable on earth. She scenes
. formed rather for heaven than earth
J, and to wear the form Of mortality lik
chains which kept her from the skies
Oh my dear friend do you pity mc'-
: such being as this, so perfect, 50 com
pIetely the object of my alteration, 81
{ every way worthy of my idolatry!-oh
have compassion upon my desolation
: Said I, my dearest friend can it be pos
, siblc she is deadi she was in health bu