Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-05-20

be drank by him who should be the last OF
their number; that when one died, eleven
were to 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 firsttime
he SO dined alone, lest it should be the only
one, he should then uucork the first bottle,
and in the first glass, drink 10 the memory
Of all who were gone. 7.
There was something original andwhim-
sical in the idea, and it vas eagerly em-
braced. They were all in the prime of
life, closely attached by reciprocal friend-
ship, fond of social enjoyments, and looked
forward to their future meetings with un-
alleged anlicipatious Of pleasure. The
only thought indeed, that could have dar-
kened those anticipations, was one not
likely to intrude itself atthis moment, that
of the hapless wight who was defined TO
uncork the first bottle at his lonely repast.
1t was high summer when This frollc
compact was entered into; and as their
pleasure yacht skinned along the dark
bosom of the Thames, on their return to
London, they talked of nothing but their
first and last leasts of ensuing years
Their imaginations ran out with thou
sand gay predictions of festive merriment.
They wantoned in conjectures of what
changes time would create.
"As for you, George" exclaimed one
Of the twelve, addressing his brother.In-
law, 81 expect | shall. see you as dry,
wthered aud shrunken as an old eel skin,
your mere outside Of a man! and he ac-
compainedlhe words with a hearty slap
on The shoulder,
George Fortescue was leaning careless
ly over the side ot; the yacht laughing the
loudest of any a,lhe conversation which
had been carried on, The sudden manual
salution Of bis bro,her-in-law threw him
off his balance, and in aQmoment he was
overheard. They heard the heavy splash
of his fall, before they could be said to
have seen him fall. The yacht was pro-
ceediDg swiftly along; but it was Instantly
stopped. - :,
The utmost CONSERVATION now prevail.
ed. II was nearly dark but Fortescue was
known 10 be an excellent swimmer, and
startling as the accident was, they felt cer-
tain. he would regain the vessel. They
couldn moi see him. They listened. They
heard the sounds of his hands aud feet. An
answerwas returned, ,sbutinsa faint, gurg-
hing Il
struck uponiheir ears. luaninstant, Two
or three, who were expert swimmers,
plunged, into The river, and swan toward
the spotwhence the exclamation had pro-
ceeded, One of them was within arms
lenth of Forlescue; he saw him; before he
could be reached, he went down, and his
distracted friend beheld the eddying cir
cles of the wave jus, over The spot where
he had sunk. He dived after him, aud
touched the bottom; but The tide must have
drilted the body onward, for it could no, be
found!
They proceeded to one of the nearest
stations where drags were kept, and hav-
ing procured the necessary apparatus, they
proceeded 10 the fatal spot. After the
lapse of above an hour, they succeeded 10
raising the lifeless body Of their lost friend,
ALI the usual remedies were employed for
restoring suspended animation but in vain;
they now pursued the remainder Of their
course TO London, in nournful silence, with
The corpse of him who had commenced the
day of pleasure with them in The fulness Of
health, Of spirits and of life! And in their
severe grief they could not but reflect how
soon one of the joyous twelve had slipped
out Of The little circle.
The months rolled on, and cold Dccem
Der came with all its cheering round Of
kindly greetings and merry hospilaliIies
and with il came soflened recollection Of
tie fate of poor Fortescue 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
very irregularity Of the table, Ave on one
side and six OIL the olher, forced the mel
ancholy event upon their memory.
A decorous sigh or TWO, a low, becom.
ing ejaculation, and All instructive obser.
walton upon the uncertainty Of life, made
up The sum Of tender poslhumous Offering
to the names Of poor George Fortescue,
as they proceeded 10 discharge The more
important duties for which they. had met
By the time the third glass Of champagne
had gone round, in addition to ,poia,ion.
of6ne old hook and capital madeira, they
had ceased TO discover any thing SO very
pathetic in the inequality of the two side:
Of the table, or so melancholy in their Grip
pied number of eleyon. rys
Several years had elapsed, and our e1c
ven friends kept up their double anniver
saries, as they might ap,ly enough be cal
led, with scarcely any rerceptible change
But, alas there came one dinner at last
which was darkened by a calamity the,
never cxpectedio witness; for on that day
their friend, companion, brother almost
was hanged! Yes, Stephen Rowland, tn,
wit. the oracle, the life Of their circle, had
on the morning Of that day, forfeited bis
life upon a public Scaffold, for having made
one single stroke OF. his pen 10 a wrong
place. In other words bill ofcxchangt
which passed into his hand for G700passet
out of for f1,700.
! 1t would be injustice to the ten 10, say
that even wine, friendship and merry
season, could dispeI the gloom which per.
vaded this dinner, 1t was agreed before
az