Litchfield enquirer., 1837-03-09
THE FIRST AND LAST DINNER.
 TALE OF LIFE.

permanent inhabitants of the metropolis, a. greed one day when they were drinking their wine at the Star and Garter at Rich- mond, to institute an annual dinner among themselves, under the following regna- tions: That they should dine, alternately, at each others houses on the first and last day of the year; and that the first bottle of wine uncorked at the first dinner should be recorded and put away to be drunk by him who should be the last of their number that they should never admit new mem- Der; that when one died, eleven should meet, and when another died, ten should meet, and so on, and that when only one remained, he should on those two days dine by himself, and sit the usual hours at his solitary table but the first time he so dined alone, lest it should be the only one, he should then uncork the first bottle, and in the first glass drink to the memory of all who were gone.
 There was something origin and whim- sical in the idea, and it was eagerly embra- ced. They were all in the prime of life, closely attached by reciprocal friendship, fond of social enjoyment; and looked for ward to their future meetings with unalloy'd anticipations of pleasure. The only tho't, indeed, that could have darkened those an- tcipations, was not one very likely to in- trude itself at this noment-that of the hopeless wight who was destined to uncork the first bottle at his lonely repast.
 It was high summer when this frolic compact was entered into: and as their pleasure yalcht skimmed along the dark bosom of the Thames, on their returning to London, they talked of nothing but their first and last fears of ensuing years. Their imaginations ran riot with a thousand gay predictions of festive merriMent. They wantoned in conj njectures of what changes time would operate; joked each other up- on their appearance when they should meet some hobbling upon crutches after se- were fit of the gou,: others poking about with purblind eyes, which even spectacles could hardly enable to distinguish the al- derman's walk or haunch of venison-some with por,ly round bellies and little brown wigs, and others decentIy dressed out in a new suit of mourning, for the death of grand daughter or grand son.
 As for you, George exclaimed one of the twelve, addressing his brothcr-in-law, 'I expect shall see you as dry, withered, and shrunken as an old eel skin, you mere outside of man!' and he accompanied the words with heavy slap on the shoulder.
 George Forleseue was leaning careless ly over the side of the yatcht, laughing the loudest of any at the conversation which had been carried on. The sudden manual salutation of his brohcr-in-law threw him off his balance, and in a moment he was O. vcrboard. They heard the heavy splash of his fall, before they could be said to have seen him fall. The yatcht was proceeding swiftly along-but it was instantly stopped. The utmost constcrnati"n now prevailed. It was nearly dark, but Fortescuc was known to be an excellent swimmer, aud, startling as the accident was, they felt cer- tain that he would regain the vessel. They could not see him. They listened. They heard the sound of his hands and fect.- They hailed him. An answer was return ed, but in fain, gurgling voice, and the exclamation, Y" Oh God :" struck upon their ears. In an instant, two or three who were expert swimmers, plunged into the river, and swam towards the spot whence the ex- clamation had proceeded. One of them was within an arms length of Fortescuc- hc saw him before he could be reached he went down, and his distracted friend be- held the eddyng circles of the wave just o. yer the spot where he had sunk. He dived after him, and touched the bottom; bn, the tide must have drifted the body onwards, for he could not be found They proceed ed to one of the nearest stations where drags were kept, and, having procured the necessary apparatus, they returned 10 the fatal spot. After the lapse of above an hour, they succeeded in raising the lifeless body of their lost friend. All the usual remedies were employed for restoring sus- pended animation, but in vain; and they now pursued the remainder oftheir course 10 London, in mournful silence, with tho corpse of him who had commenced the day of pleasure with them in the tullness ol health, of spirits, and of life! Amid their severer grief, they could no, but reflect how soon one of the joyous twelve had slipped out of the little festive circle
 The months rolled on, and cold Decem- ber came with all its cheering round of kindly greetings and merry Inequalities {; and with it came sofiened recollection of the fate of poor FOrtescuc eleven of the twelve assembled on the last day of the year, and it was impossible not to feel their loss as they sat down to dinner. The ve- ry irregulariiy ofthe table, six on one side, and only five on the other, forced the mel sncholy event upon their memory.
 There are few sorrows so stubborn as io resist the united influence of wine, a circle of select friends, and season os prospee- tive gaiety. A decorous sigh or two, fcw