The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-05-16


ter the removal of the cloth. At parting too, there
now long ceremony in the hall, buttoning up
great coats, tying wooen comforters, fixing silk
handkerchiefs the mouth and up to the ears and
grasping sturdy walking canes, to support unsteady
feet
Their flftleth anniversary came, and death had in
deed been busy. One had been killed by the over
turning of the mail in which he had taken his place
in order to be present at the dinner, having purchas
ed estate in Monmouthshire, and retired thither
with his family. Another had undergone the terrific
operation for the stone and expired beneath the knife
"a third had yielded up broken spirit two years af-
ter the loss of only surviving and beloved daughter
"a fourth carried off in few days by cholera
morbua-a fifth had breathed his last the very morn
ing he obtained judgment in his favor by the Lord
Chancellor, which had cost him his last shilling
ly TO get, and which, after litigation of eighteen
years. declared him the rghtfu possessor of ten thou
sand year-ten minutes afterwards he more.
sixth had persisted by the hand of midnight
sin, who broke into his house for punder and sacrif-
ced the owner of it, he grasped convulsiyey
bundle of Exchequer bills, which the robber was
drawing from beneath his pillow, where he knew they
were every night placed for better security.
-Four little old men, of withered appearance and
decrept walk, with cracked voices, and dim, rayess
eyes, sat down, by the mercy of Heaven, Gas they
themselves TREMENDOUSLY declared to celebrate for the
fteth time, the first day of the year to observe the
froc compact, which, half century before, they had
entered into at the Star and Garter at Richmond !
Eight in their graves Yet they chirped cheerily
over their glass, though they could scarcely carry it
to their lips if than half full and cracked their
Jokes, though they articuated their words with difficult
ty, and heard each other with still greater difficulty
They mumbled, they chartered, they laughed, (if
sort of strangled wheeling might be called laugh y
and when themnes sent their icy blood in warmer
pulse through their VEINS they talked of their past as
it were but yesterday that had slipped by them-and
their future, as if it busy century that lay be-
fore them
They just the number for quiet rubber of
whist and for three successive years they sat down
to The fourth came, and then their rubber was
played with an open dummy fifth, and whist was
longer practicable tsco could only play at crib
bage, and cribbage the game. But ii was little
more than the mockery of play. Their palsied hands
could hardly hold, their fading sight distinguish the
cards, while their torpid faculties made them doze be-
tween each deal.
At length came the dinner and the survivor
OF the twelve, upon whose head four and ten
winters had showered their snow ate his solitary meal
1t so CHANGED that it was in his house, and at his Ia
BILE, they had celebrated the first In his cellar too,
had remained for eight and fifty years. the bottle they
had then uncorked, re-corked and which he that
day to uncork again. 1t stood beside him. With
feeble and reluctant grasp he took the fra memor
ar OF youthful vow; and for moment memory
was faithful to her Office. She threw open the long
vista of buried years and his heart travelled through
them all Their lusty and blthsome spring,-ther
bright and fervid summer,-their ripe and temperate
rnhill htItn not min H.