New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-04-17
THE FIRST AND LAST DINNER
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,r,. f;crla ouch about the age. and fixed, by
,be; ,rapi,s their family connexions and other local IN
teres as permanent inhabitants OF the metropolis agreed
one dav when they drinking their WINE al 'c 7' anu
Garter at Richmond to institute an annual oiilr ai'Ns
themselves under the following regulations lhit 'i{
should dine alternately each others houses on the rst ana
last dav the year that the trst bottle OF vine
p, tho fret dinner should Toe recorkcd and put away 10 be
drank BY him who should be the last OF their number a
they should never adm; member iht men one ucd'
eleven were TO meet and aud ,nai when Only one re-
NAMED he should those tSo days dine by himself ana
ii, the usual hours at his solitary table out the hrst c ne
so dncd 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 gone
Tbcre was something original and whimsical in the idea
md !, was eagerly embraced They all IN the prime
g Ir closely oocbed by reciprocal friendship fond OF
cl and looked forward 10 their future meet
ings with unal!uyed antcipatons OF pleasure. Inc ON!
thought indeed that could have dakened those an'cpa
lions was one not likely n,ruec itself at TINS moment
that of the hap!css wight who was destined % uO'" ~
first bottle u his lonely rcpas;
Il was high when this froc compact wa entered
into and s their pleasure yacht SKINNED along inc ah
bosom of the Thames their return 20 London the! llAed
of o,b;nc bu, their first and asts OF ensuing years
Their macinaons ran with thousand gay predictions
of festive merrneut. They wanoned IN conJec'ues OF
what changes time would create.
As for Won George exclaimed one OF the Twelve adj
drcss;pr his brotber-in-aw " expect shall see you as
dry whcred and shrunken old eel skln your mere
outside of man - and he accompanied the words with a
hearty slap on the shoulder
George Fortcscue leaning carcessy over the SIDE OF
the Yacht laughing the oudcst Of any the conversation
which had been carried on The sudden manual auailon
of his brotlcr-nlaw threw him off his balance and IN
moment he was overheard They heard the heavy splash OF
his fall before they could be said TO have seen nm aii
The yacht proceeding swiftly along; but was instantly
stopped
dark bu, Fortcscuc known To be an excellent swimmer
and startling as the accdcn; they felt certain he would
regain the vessel They could him They listened
They heard the sound Of his hands and feet An answer
returned but in faint guglns voice. ana ''e eNcl-
nation Oh God - struck upon their In an instant
Two or three who expert plunged INTO the
river and toward the spot whence the exclamation
had proceeded One of them within arm length oi
Fortcsouc; he him; before he could be reached ne
went down and his distracted friend behold the eddng CIR
clcs of the the where he had sunk lie
Owed after him. and touched the bottom; but the tide must
have drtcd the body onward for could not he found
They proceeded to one of the nearest stations where
drags kept and having procured the necessary apa-
tu they proceeded the fatal spot After the lapse {" aoYe
an hour they succeeded in raising the clcs body Of their
lost friend All the usual remedies were employed Tor re-
storing suspended animation but IN van they now pursued
the remainder of their to London III iournu silence
with the corpse OF him who had commenced me DAY OF pea
with them the fncss OF health OF spirits and OF HE
md in their grief they could not but reflect how soon
Of the JOYOUS twelve had slipped out OF the little festive
circle.
The months rolled on md cold December with all its
cheering round of kindly greetings and merry hospatcs
and with soencd recollection OF the tate OF poor
Fortcscue eleven the twelve assembled On the last day o
year. and impossible TO feel Their loss as they
sat down dinner. The very rcsulary OF the table i've
side and six the other forced the melancholy event
upon their memory.
decorou sigh or two low becoming ejaculation and an
instructive observation upon the uncertainty OF HE made up
the tender po>thunous offering TO the NAMES OF poor
George Fortcsque they proceeded to discharge the more
important duties for which they had met BY the time the
third glass OF champagne had round III addition - Po-
n,H q al
ceased to discover thing very pathetic IN the inequality
of the sides OF the table melancholy IN their cr-
Piled number OF eleven
Several wears had elapsed and eleven friends kept up
their double anniversaries they might apy enough tee
called with scarcely rcrcepublc change bu alas .
there dinner last which was darkcneG 10y ca
laitv they never expected witness Tor on that day their
friend companion. brother almost hanged leS Ste
phcn Rowland, the Wit the oracle, the Ike OF their circle
had the morning OF that day, forfeited ms lie upon
public scaod for having nGe one single stIohe oil MS pen
in wrong place In other words bill OF exchange whch
passed into his hand for 500 passed out OF II for zoo
1t would be injustice the say, that even wlnc
friendship and merry season could dSpe the gloom which
pcrvaded this dinner Ii agreed before hand that they
should ,luc the distressing and melancholy theme
and having thus n,crced the only things which really occu
pied all their thoughts the natural consequence was that =
len, contemplation took the place of dismal DISCOURSE and
they separated long before midnight.
Some fifteen years Ind gded away since the fate OF
Rowland and the ten cinoncd but the stealing hand OF
tl'lc Sh"tSce
Raven locks had become rzcd three heads Ind
rs many locks altogether may be cckoned in walk
half mile along the Regents Canal actually
crd with brown wig, the crows feet visible in the
cornct of the eyc-good old port and madeira carried
1t against hook cact and rcd burgundy and champagne
s,cws ashcs and ragouts. grew into tavorcruSt were
rarely called for to relish the cheese after dinnerconvcr
non grew less bostcroxS and turned chiefly politics and
the stat, OF the funds or the value of landed pcperyaPo
ogie were made for coming thick shoes and warm stock
inssthc doors and windows mos, carefully povidcd
with list and sand bagshe fire more IT requeSt-and
quiet glnc of whist filed up the hours that were wont to be
do,J m drinking singing and rioous rncrrncnt The
rubbers cup of coffee. ard home by o'clock was the
usual cry when the fifth sixth glass had gone round after
the removal of the cloth. parting there was loa
ceremony in the hall. buonng up great coats tying CD