Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-05-19

occupation ot the moment. His gravi.
ty vas explained TO me By my friend
Buckthorns. lie Informed me that the
concerns Of the house were admirably
distributed among the partnsrs, Thus.
for instance said he. 'the grave gen /.
tleman Is the carving partner who at
tends to the joints. and the other is the
laughing partner who attends to the
jokes
The general conversation was chief
~ carried on at the upper end Of the
table; as the authors there seemed To
possess the greatest courage Of the
tongue. As to the crew at the lower
, end. IL they did not make figure in
talking they did in eating. Never was
there more determined, invcterate.
thoroughly sustained attack on the
trencher. than by this phalanx Of mas
ticators. When the cloth was remov-
cd, and the wine began to circulate,
they grew very merry and jocosc a
mong themselves. Their jokes. how
ever. IL by chance any of them reached
the upper end of the table, seldom pro.
duccd much effect. Even the iaughin.
partner did not seem tn think il ncces
sary to honour them with q smile !;
which my neighbor Buckthorne ac-
counted for, by informing me that there
was q certain degree of popularity to
be obtained, before bookseller could
afford to laugh at an authors jokes.
Among this crew Of questionable
gentlemen thus seated below the salt,
my eye singled out one in particular.
He was rather shabbiiy dressed; tho,
he bad evidently made the most Of
rusty black coat. and wore his shirt
friil plated and pulled out vo,uminous-
y at the bosom. His face.Mas duskv,
but forid-perhaps little too florid.
particularly about the nose, though the
rosy hue gave the greater lustre to a
twinkling black eye. He had a little
the look Of boon companion, with that
dash Of the poor devil in il, which
gives an inexpressibly mellow tone to
a mans humour. had seldom seen
face Of richer promise; but never was
promise so I'LL kept. He said nothing.
ate and drank with the keen appetite
OF gazetteer, and scarcely stopped 10
laugh even at the good jokes from the
upper end # the table. Inquired who
he was. Buckihorne looked At him at.
tentively. Surely said he, Il have
seen that face before, but where lean.
not rccOllect. lie cannot be an author
Of any note. suppose some writer Of
sermons or grinder Of foreign travels
After dinner we retired To another
room TO take tea and coffee. where we
were reinforced BY a cloud OF inferior
guests. Authors Of small volumes in
boards, and pamphlets stitched in blue
paper. These had not as VET arrived
TO the Importance of dinner invita-
ton, but were invited occasionally TO
pass the evening in a friendly way. ,
They were very respectful to the part ..
ners, and indeed seemed to stand liz :
tie IN awe or them but they paid very
devoted court 10 the lady Of the house,
and were ex'ravaganily fond Of the
children. ] looked round for the Door
devil author in the rusty black coat
and magnificent frill, but he had dis
appeared immediately afterieaviny tie
table; having dread, no doubt. of the
glaring light OF a drawing room. Find.
ing nothing farther TO interest nv at
tention, took my departure as soon
as coffee had been served, leaving the
port and the thin, genteel. bot-presscd
octave gentlemen, masters Of the field.