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

anu promised TO be appointment the
ensuing evening, when they were to celebrate the
year, whose entrance they had welcomed in bumpers
of claret, as the watchman bawled "past twelve o.
clock!' beneath the window.
They met accordingly, and their gaiety without
any alloy drawback. 1t was only the first time of
their assembling, after the death of poor George
Fortescue, that made the recollection of it painful
for, though but few hours had interviewed, they
took their seats at the table if eleven had been their
original number, and if all were there that had
been ever expected to be there.
1t is thus in every thing The first time man en-
tiers prson-the first book an author writes-the
first painting artist executes-he first battle Gen
eral wins-nay the first time rogue is hanged-(for
rotten rope may provide second performance,
of that ceremony, with all its singeness of character
differ inconcevably from their first repetition
There is charm, SPELL a novelty, freshness, de-
light, inseparable from the first experience, Changing
always excepted, be it remembered,) which art
circumstance mpart to the second. And ii is the
in all the darker traits of life There is de-
gree of pognancy and anguish in the first assaults of
sorrow, which is never found afterwards In every
case, is simply that the first fine edge of feel
ings has been taken off, and that it be
tored
Several years had elapsed, and our eleven friends
kept up their double anniversaries, they might apt
ly enough be Called with scarcely any perceptibe
change. But, alas there dinner at last,
which darkened by calamity they never expect
ed to witness, for that very day their friend,
panon, brother almost hanged Yes Stephen
Rowland, the witt the oracle, the life of their little
circle, had the morning of that day, forfeited his
life upon public scatfod, for having made single
stroke Of his pen in wrong place. In other words,
q bill of exchange which passed into his hands for
G70o, passed out of it for Gl700; he having drawn
the important little prefix to the hundreds, and the
bill being paid at the bankers without examining the
words of it. The forgery was dscovered-brought
home to Rowland-and though the greatest interest
used to obtain remission of the fatal penalty,
poor Stephen Rowland hanged Every body pit
led him and nobody could tell why he did it. He
was not poor; he not gambler he was not
Spectator; but phrenology settled it. The organ of
acquisbireness discovered in his head after his
execution, as large pigeons egg. He could not
help it,
1t would be injustice to the ten to say, that even
wine, friendship, and merry season, could dispe the
gloom which pervaded this dinner. 1t was agreed be-
forehand that they should not auds to the distressing
and melancholy thence and having thus interdicted
The only thing which really occupied all their thoughts
the natural consequence was, that silent contempa-
ton took the place of dismal discourse and they sep
arated long before midnight.
Some fifteen years had now glided
away since the fate of poor Rowland, and the ten re-
manned; but the stealing hand of time had written
sundry changes in most legible characters. Raven
locks had become grizzled-two three heads had
not as many locks altogether as may be reckoned in
walk of half mile along the Regents Canal-one
was actually covered with brown wig-the crows