The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-12-30
From the Boston Transcript =: ::
ADVENTUREStAT A DINNER PAR
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It has sometimes been our fortune to be
guest al dinner aT,y, where ludicrous
events occasionally occured-having had
no inconsiderable experience in the way
of carving and helping our fellow-feeders,
we have the vanity to boast that can
serve out plate of the good things placed
before the guests as well, and little bet-
ter than some folks. Not SO with, every
one. gentleman. whom we will.desig-
nate as friend. was once placed in most
awkward prrdicament He hated Carving
as he did the evil one; and he happened
to be placed in situation just where he
did not want to be- He was invited to a
dinner party, at which distinguished
gentleman was to be present. His mind
recoiled at the proximity Of a dish, the
contents of which he might be called to
operate upon, aud he avoided any thing
which might be supposed to contain a
joint. In fact he always shirked large
cover, as though living tiger crouched
beneath it, ready t" spring upon him.
But the day arrived on which he was call.
ed upon to exercise his faculties at "the
internal art" as r. used to call it. He
had ANTICIPATED something of the kind,
and he had been looking through the
books on cookery, which contained cal
wing Instruments One, which he read,
treated iarkrl, ol this Internal art, and
presented pictures Of birds and beasts,
with lines drawn, indicating the course
the knife was 10 take. He studied hard,
and got, as he thought all the windings
and sinuosilirs of the art by heart He
cut up--in ina agination-all sorts of ami.
lmals-common and uncommon. And
tho thus theoretically prepared he still
made his appearance at the dinner party
with a Auticrine heart.
Dinner uss announced, and he, being
nearer he lads of The house, felt obliged
to offer her his arm, though be would
have gladly exchanged his distinction for
bowling wilderness, since it seemed to
bespeak the probability of his sitting next
her. aud. if 50 he knew too we'll, though
she did not, what would follow. As he
argued so he approved. She assigned the
"interes,ing stranger" on her right, and
and placed our friend on the left-a post
of hunor. i, might be; but to him, pill
lo.y wnuld have been a sort of paradise,
compared to it, The cover being remov-
ed, big salmon was exhibited to view
The lady turned to him requesting his as
sistarcs His les. hope, Aimsy as it was
hung upr,. The interesting stranger soli-
citing tnis distinction. But he sat erect
and mute; and when she politely handed
hin the fs-siice and knife, he felt about
as ,nuch Obliged to her as though she had
presented 10 him poisoned goblet and
dagger. But there was no retreating.
Being no gourmand, he did not for his
soul know why one part of creature de-
signed fer eating was not as good as ano'
ther. Moreover the tail of the fish was
towards him, and he judged from that cir
cumstance tha, it was designed that he
should commence there. He began.
therefore, and insinuating the 6sh-slice at
its very extremity, turned over thin fin
less morsel, t" the distinguished guests,
whose plate was first at his elbow. He
looked sout as it was placed before him.
The lady soon perceived our friends error,
and before he had despatched another
plate, pointed To the upper part of the
fish. tie dashed in the slice under the
]supcrntendeuce of her finger, and de-
tached portion for the other guests; for
every one, as fate would have it, would