Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-04-24


the world; while your mere sympathetic or SEN
unenlal distress gives way like the inconsola-
bic affection Of widow of tweny, closely be-
seiged by lover Of thirty.
A decorous sigh or two. few becoming eja-
culalions, AMI an instructive observation upon
the uncertainty Of life, made up The sum Of ten
der posthumus "offtrings to the names oIpoof
George For:escue," as they proceeded to dis
charge the more important duties for which
they had met By the time the third glass OF
champagne had gone round, in addition 10 sun
dry po,ations Of fine old hook, and "capital
Madeira" they had ceased to discover any
thing so very pathetic in the inequality Of the
two sides Of the table, or so melancholy in their
crippled numoer Of eleven.
The rest Of the evening passed off 10 their
hearts content. Conversation brisk!y kept up
amid the usual fire Of pun, reParlee, anecdote,
politics, toas,s, healths, jokes, broad laughter,
erudie disquisitions upon the vintage OF the
wines they were drinking, and an occasional
song. Towards twelve O'Clock k, when it might
be observed that they empied their glasse.
with less symptoms Of 2ala'ing the quality #
what they quaffed, and filled them again with
less anxiety as 10 which bottle OF decanter they
laid hold of, they gradually waxed moral and
tender; sensibili.y began 10 ooze out; poor
George Forrescue !" was once more remem-
bered those who could count, sighed to think
there were only elevt n Of them and those who
could see, felt the tears come into their eyes,
as they dimly noted ne inequality of the TWO
sides Of The table. They all agreed al par ting,
however, III at they had never passed such hap
py day, congraul lated each other upon having
Instituted so delightful meeting, and pro.
missed 10 be pLnctual 10 their appointment the
ensuing evening, when they were 10 celebrate
the new year, whose entrance they had welcom'
ed in bumpers Of claret, as the watchmen bawl-
ed past twelve" beneath he window.
They met accordingly; and their gaiey was
without any alloy or drawback. 1t was only
the first time of their assembling, after the
death Of "poor George For,eseue," that made
The recollection Of it painful; for, hough but
few hours had inervened, they now look their
seats at the table, as if eleven had been their
original number, and as if all were there tia:
hid been ever expected TO b. there.
1t is thus in every hing. The first time a
man enters prison; the first book an author
writes; The first painting an artist executes;
the first baIle general wins; nay, the first
time rogue is hanged, (for rotten rope may
provide Sc ond Performance, even Of thai &C.
remony, with all its singleness OF character,)
differ inconcrivaby from their first repetition
There is charm, spell, novelty, freshness,
delight inseparabe from the first experience,
hanging always excepted, be il remembered, !
which no art or circums' ance can impart 10 the
second. And il is the same in all the darker
traits Of life. There is degree Of poignancy
which is never found afterwards. Ask the
| ,,ho 10 N,,f,a oil tear
Follows her MIN husoahc 10 the grave, anu s,i-
will tell you hat the first time she performed
that melancholy Office, it was with at leas, Ave
times more lamentations than she last discharg.
ed it In every case, it is simply thar the first
fine edge Of our feelings has been taken of, and
tina, it can never be restored.
Several years had elapsed, and our eleven
friends krp up their double anniversaries, as
they nigh, aptly enough be called, with scarce
y any percepuble change. But, alas! here
came one dinner at last, which was d,rkened
by calamity they never expected to witness,
for, on ha, very day, their friend, companion,
brother almost, was hanged! Y,s! ephen
Rowland, the wit, the oracle, the life of their
little circle, had on the morning Of that day,
forfeited his life upon public scaffold, for
having made one single stroke OF his pen in
wrong place. In other words, bill Of ex-
change, which passed INTO his hands for FOOL.
passed out of it for 1901 he having drawn
the important little prefix tn" hundreds, and
the bill being paid at The bankers without ex,
aiming the words Of it. The forgery was
discovered ,-bro"g t home to Rowland; and
though the greae Is interest was used 10 obtain
remission Of he fatal penalty, (the par,cu.
lar female favouri,e Of The prime minister him.
self in,erftring) poor S,r?nen Rowland was
hanged. Every body pitied him; and nobody
could tell why he did it. He was NOT poor; he
was not gambler he was not Spectator;
hu, phrenology settled it The organ of acqu-
s'tiveness was discovered in his head, after his
execution, as large pigeons egg. He
could not help IT,
|, would BE- in Justice to the ten to say, that
even wine, friendship and merry season,
could dis2el the gloom which pervaded this
dinner. 1t was agreed beforehand, thai they
should not auds 10 the distressing and meian.
choly theme and having thus Inlerdicted the
only thing which really occupied all their
Thoughts, the natural consequence was, that ST.
lent contemplation took The place of dismal dis
course, and they separated long before mid