Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-12-01
M 9 G z I. Y.
From the Magnolia, for 1897.
A PARTY OF SIX.
4 trait of the Nine:eenh Century
BY JoHS INMAN.

II DCBlO @AhSCbtC1 SCAN pa OBAlClCI Vi Ltlc
Hotel Della Madonna, situated in one
Of the quietest streets of the Eternal
City, stood at the open door of his di.
ming room, with a comical blending OF
hope and grief in his pale and not very
i engaging c~ountenance, 1t was a dull
lime OF year for travel, and Beppo had
serious doubts whether his tables were
not set out to no purpose (; for, as vet,
though his help mate had sent up three
times from below to say that the maca.
roni was boiled almost to a paste, and
she fish fried to a cinder, not a creature
had taken his seat at one of the little
tables and ordered even n bowl of mi
nestra. There was indeed one person
within the room, a tall, elderly man,
with gray hair and blue eyes, an enor~
nous queue dangling half way down
his back, and a remarkably hungry
look peering out from his face, and, IN
deed, characterizing his person ; but
this mans garments were seedy, not to
say shabby /; and though he had been
walking backward and forward, from
one end of the room to the other, for
more than three quarters of an hour,
he had as yet called for nothing and
Beppo nourished a huge suspicion, that
if he should order and eat his dinner,
payment was not quite SO certain to fol-
low as he could wish. "Some broken
down mihtaire," muttered Beppo, his
heart almost prevailing TO give the
poor fellow a meal and a cup Of wine,
at the risk even Of catching a scratch
ed face or q curtain lecture from his
better half, down below ; "some poor
kicked about vagabond, that has been
shot at, the best partofhis life for three
pauls a month, and now, that fighting
has gone out of fashion, is left either to
beg or starve as best suits his convent
ence."
Beppo was probably right in his con-
lecture The strangers port was erect
and his walk up and down the room
was much like a soldiers march on pa
rade as it was likeany thing. Besides,
his complexion was bronzed by the sun,
his chin was upheld by a stiff leather
stock, and his coat, though very much
the worse for wear, had a standing COL
lar, edged with furnished gold lace
tie was an old soldier, past question,
and as certainly very poor, or appear
ance sadly belied him.
At length, Beppo's anxieties were
relieved. The veteran pretermitted his
march, and, seating himself at n of
the tables, called for a bouilli and a
measure of brandy (; and, by the time
this command was fulfilled, the des-
pairs of Beppo were not a little allevi-
ated by an influx Of customers TO his
broiled, boiled, and roasted.
First came al old gentleman, tall
and thin, with a slight stoop of the
shoulders, a remarkable narrow head,
covered with stiff white hair, and small
black eyes, which the ftosts of some
seventy winters had not robbed oftheir
lire. He was plainly but handsomely
dressed IN blue coat and p%antaloons Of
very fine cloth, and apparently new,
and wore upon one finger of each of
his small white hands an antique ring
set with a jewel of price. His express
sion was grave and sad, and, before he
sat down, he crossed himself with an
air of the deepest devotion. He was
accompanied by a lad, or, rather, a
young man, Of about seventeen, remar-
kably handsome, with large hazel eyes
and a beautifully shaped head, covered
with masses Of dark curling hair, with
whose tangles the fingers of beauty
might love to play. His department
towards his aged companion was full OF
a charming reverence, softened down
by affection, and the eyes fthe old
man often rested upon his bright, bloo-
ming face, with a look ofthe tenderest
love slightly tempered with sorrow
They conversed together in French,
J but, likethe veteran who preceded them
gave their commands to Beppo, in good
Italian, strongly marked with a sharp
French accent. They asked for a po-
tdge a la j~ulienne an omelet u fines
herbes, and a bottle ofsparkling Cham
paigne, which they drank diluted with
water.
The next was a young man. of per-
haps thirty or thirty-fve. His COM
plexion was very dark, his hair short
and black as the blacklist jet, his lips
thick and prominent, his nose flat and
unmeaning, his figure inclining to cor
pulence, his expression, vulgar, coarse
and ever ferocious. His beauty was
not improved, withal, by a huge pair
ofmustaches. He was rather foppish.
iy dressed in a purple frock coat, red
waist coat, and blue pantaloons, with
a broad red stripe down the sides. His
fingers were covered with rings, a hea
Wy gold chain encircled his neck, des-
cending into his left waistcoat pocket:
and his heels we're adorned with q
no1 - .ixx~J,y lCpa 0tlt mr. gold