The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-08-08
CASTLE BUILDING;
on, THE MODERN ALNAscHAR.

II that quarter Of Clements Inn, whose
dingy chambers look out upon court-y 4rd !
where stands the well known statute Of a
blackamoor, lodged Charles Meredith, q
young man, abouttwenty-t years Of age,
who had just been called to the bar, and was
as much encountered with briefs as such raw,
inexperienced arristers usually are. Pos
sessed of considerable literary attainments,
which, both at school and at college had
gained him the reputation of a sspromising
youth" and endowed with a quick, versa
| tile, and even brilliant fancy, Charles was
still more fortunate in beng blessed with a
sanguine temperament, which always in
clincdhim to look on the sunny side ofthings.
On quitting the University, where study and
dissapation engrossed his mind by turns, he
had hurried over TO Paris, and there contri-
we'd in one short year, to run through the
best part ola small fortune, which had been
ileft him by his father; and now, with but a
flew hundred pounds remaining in his exc
Ichequer, he was, FOR the first time in his life,
awakened to the wholesome butunpalatable
lconviction, that if he did not abandon plea
sure, and apply himself with earnestness to
the stern duties of existence, he must ere
long sink into abjeot poverty. According
lily, after duly rejecting on his position,
young Meredith decided on becoming law
Iyer, as being vocation more congenial to
his tastes than any other he could think Of
But, unluckily, this did not supply him with
Ian immediate competence, but only put him
inthe way of acquiring remote che; SO, in
Iorder to furnish him with the means of sub,
Isistence until he should have gained suf-
i hor r,ctcr he dofc rr,. al
Hike many a clever young lawyer before him,
on turning his literary abilities 10 account;
in other words, on trying his luck as an au-
thor.
| Having once resolved on particular line
of action, Charles Meredith Was not the man
TO halt or fall asleep. "En avant'' was his
motto, as it is Of all the ambitious and the
lenterprising. After casting about for SUBJ
! iect calculated to call forth his utmost ener-
lgies, he at length decided on the compost
ton of a historical romance-a species of
Fiction which the Waverly Novels, then in
the zenith of their celebrity, had rendered
universally popular. Being well acquant-
ed with the period which he proposed to IL
lustrate-the stirring times of Louis XIV,
when the war-minister Louvois was i'm the
Height of his power-Charles, whose fancy
Twas kindled by the theme, wrought it out in
| a spirited and graphic style. Half years
Jealous application sufEced to bring his con
amore task to a conclusions, when, without
a moments delay, he despatched the pre-.
jcious manuscript to an emnet publisher al
the West End, offering him the copy-wrighl
for (what the sanguine author, no doubt
Thought was moderate price) three hun.
Idred pounds AS matter of course, he
calculated on favorable reply within q
week, or a fortnight at farthest; but two
months had since elapsed and heehad receiv.
led no communication, though he had called
I. Twice at the bbliopole's house of business
and each time left card by way OF a re-
fresher to his memory.
At last, when he had almost despaired o.
Isuccess and had come to the determination
|of peremptoriIy demanding back his manu-
script, his fondest hopes were realized. One
AFTERNOON, on his return home from the Law
courts, jus. as he had entered his chamber
1.-THE postman's brisk rat-tat was heard at the
Iouter door; and presently his clerk made his
appearance, with letter, dated street
lin his hand. Eternal powers! what were
the young mans transports on pcrusing the
the contents of this note! The communal
|cation was from the publisher to whom he
had transmitted his romance; and, though
ipenned in dry, terse, and business-lKt
lstyle, yet, in Charles estimation, it .teemec
with tho eloquence of Burke; for it was te
1.-THE effect that his tale had been read ant
approved; that the writer acceded to hi.
|terms; and that, il he would favor him will
Iavisit at his earliest convenience, he woult
sIgive him check for the three hundres
pounds, and, at the same time, venture Il
!suggesta few trifing alterations in the manu-
lscript, which he thought would tend to in
Icrease its chances ofpopularity.
Charles. read this touching billet at leas
Twice over, to convince himself TINT he hae
mot Inexperienced its import; and then
lhurrying out into the street, threw himsel
into the first cab he met, and-as might have
been anticipated-was thrown out just tel
minutes afterwards, though fortunately hi
fall was attended with no worse consequen
lcos than developing on the back Of his hea,
THAI particular bump namely, Conseien
ltiousness- which, as Phrenologis.s hav
Justly observed, is so invariably found want
ling in the skulls Of politicians. ~
On getting IN his legsagain, young Mere
ldith, made cautious,hy experience, continu
led his journey on foot; and on reaching ID
fpuhlsher's shop and sending in his nams
was at once ushered into the august pres
ence. The interview, though short wa