The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1829-05-21
Vol. 21.

| upon the uncertainty OF lie, made up the
sum of tender posihumons "ofierincs To the
names Of poor George Fortescuc," as they
proceeded TO discharge the more important
duties for which they had met. BY the time
the third glass of champagne had gone
sound, in addition TO sundry potntions of
iine old hook, and "capital msdeira," they
had ceased TO discover eny thing so very
pathetic in tho inequality Of the two sides
of the table, or so melancholy in their Grip
Piled number OF eleven.
The rest OF tho evct-ng passed of very
pleasantly in conversation, good humoured
enjoyment aud convsinlity, and il was not
till towards l2 o'clock that 'poor George
Fortescue' WAS again remembered
They all agreed, at parting, however.
that they had never passed such 4 happy
day, congratulated zach other upon having
instituted so delightful ameeting, and PROM
ised to DO punclual 10 their oppointmene
the ensuing evening, when they wore to
celebrate the new year, whose entrance
they had welcomed in bumpers Of claret,as
the wa!chman bawled "pasl IL o'clock."
beneath the window.
They met accordingly, and their gaicty
was without any alloy or drawback. II WA
only the frsttimo oftheir assembling, after
1
made the recollection of it painful: for tho
but few hours had intervoncd, they now
took their seats at the table as if eleven had
been their original number, and as if oil
were there that had been ever expected TO
| bc there.
II is thus in every thing. The first
time man enters prison--ihe first book
on author writes--the first painting on ar
tist exccutcs--the first battle a General
| wins --nny, the first time rogue is hanged
--Nor rotten rope may provide q second
performance, even Of that ceremony, with
all its singlenoss of characterj- j--difier in
conc civably from their first repetition.---
There is charm, spell, a novelty, "A fresh
ness, a delight, inseparable from the first
experience, changing always cxceptcd,bc it
remembered, (which no urt or circumstance
can mpart to the second. And it is tho
same in all the darker fruits Of life. There
is n degree Of poignancy and anguish in
the first assaults Of sorrow, which is never
found afterwards. In every case, il is sim
ply that the first fine edge of our feelings
has been taken of, and that it can never bo
restored.
Several years had elapsed, and our elov-
on friends kept up their double anniversa-
ries, as they might aptly enough be called,
with scarcely any porceptible change. But,
alas there came one dinner ut last, which
was dafkencd by a calamity they never ex-
pected to witness, for on that day, their
| friend dcompanion,b brother slmost, was hang
S"' - g., - D~..land The sv;t tho
oracle, the life Of their little circle. had. on
the morpsng OF that day forfeited his lifo
upon public scnfold, for having mado one
single stroke Of his pen in wrong place.
In other words a bill Of exchange which
passed into his hands for G70O, passed ouE
I of it for Gl700; he having drawn the impor-
tant little prefix to the hundreds, and tho +.
bill being paid ot the bankers without OK
aiming the words Of II. The forgery was
dlscovered-b brought home to Rowland
and though the greatest interest was used 10
obtain remission Of the fatal penalty, poor
Stephen Rowland was hanged. Every boz
dy pitied him, and nobody could tell why be
did it. lie was not poor; he was not gam
bler;--he was not a specula,or but phrene-
ology settled it. The organ Of neguisiiipe-
ness was discovered in his head, after tho
execution, as large as pigeons egg. lie
could not help it.
| II would be injustice to the ten to say,
that even wine, friendship, and merry sea-
son, could dispcl the gloom which pcrvadcd
this dinner. twas agreed beforehand that
they should not nlludc to the distressing
and melancholy theme; md and having thus
interdicted the only thing which really oc-
cupiod all their thoughts, the natural con-
sequence was, that silent contemplation
took tho place of dismal discourse; and they
separated long before midnight.
Some fifteen years lad row
glided away since tho fate ofpoor Rowland,
and the ten remained; but the stealing hand
Of time had written sundry changes in most
legible characters. Raven locks had be-
como grizzled-two or three heads had not
as many locks altogether, as may be reck-
oned IN walk Of half a mile along the Re-
gents Canal--ono was actually covered
| with a brown wig--tbc crows feot were
visible in the corner Of the eyc--good old
port and warm madeira carried il against
hook, clorei, rcd burgundy, and champagne
--stews. basbcs and ragous, grew iD favor
-crus,S were rurcly called for TO relish the
cheese after dinDer--convefsution wns less
bosterous. and il turned chiefly upon poll
tics, and the slate Of tho funds, or the val
ne oflanded property apologies were mada
for coming in thick shoes and warm stock
ings-ihe doors and windows were morn
carefully provided with list and sand
bags--tbe fire more in rcquest--ond quiet
game nl whist filed up the hours That werc
wont to be devoted TO drinking, singing and
rioious merrmcnt. Two rubbers, cup Of
coffee. and at home by eleven CLOCK,
was the usual cry, when The fifth or sixth
glass bad gone round after The removal Of
The cloth. At parting, too, there was now
a long ceremony IN tho hall, buttoning up
great coats, tying on woollcn comfofters,
fixing silk bsDdl erchiefs over the mouth g.
mp to The care, and graspiDg sturdy walk