Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-09-18
II III Il A O. Il .
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE AGE.
Polite Coupoe, La, Aug a, 1916.


Polite Coupoe, La, Aug a, 1916.
DEAR SIR:-It is generally well know
that during the summer months but little
business is transacted at the south Thos,
whose means or leisure will permit them
leave and spend the season in breathing
the pure air and enjoying the magnili
cent scenery Of the North. Those whC
belong to the cant get away club, fearful
Of the suns ardent frown', stir but little
abroad, leaving every thing of business
character, equally as dull as the weather
is hot. In the absence then ofthat spe-
cies OF news which is the usual theme oil
newspaper correspondence, send you
the story of the Adventures of Poet
as related to me by the subject of them.
As there rs nothing very marvellous in
the history of my hero it will not require a
great stretch Of cedulity on the part Of
your readers to give it entire crodence.-
The incredulous, however, are at liberty
to believe it true or reject it as fabulous.
You must allow me imprimis in order to
give some connection to my subject, to
state the occasion of my acquaintance
with the Poet, and the reasons that m
duced HIM to unbosom himself to me.
The other evening then Ito begin as all
story tellers do, by nat fixing the exact
tme) | started out with friend, to take
a stroll along the levee. We had not
proceeded far before we discovered Just
ahead ofus young man, whose figure and
men at once excited our observation. As
we approached near the spot where the
stranger was standing ! took the liberty
to scan his dress and features with Gu
rosity which Count Dorsey would
pronounce decidedly Igar. lie was APP
parently not more than twcnty-three years
old-taI and thin, with a countenance
that expressed much intelligence He
wore a white hat, which bore the marks
of hard service, yet it was put on his
head in manner that indicated he was
accustomed to make evey thing present
its best appearance. His coat was of
black, wore thread-bare, out at the ell
bows and wanting a considerable part Of
one Of the skirts. This last circumstance
was peculiarly unfortunate, as his panta-
looms; which were Of white, had received
from accident, or other cause best known
to the wearer, several rents in the rear,
exhibiting not the counterpart Of the
broad disk Of Irving's stout gentleman,
but narrow and contracted one. To
render his dress still more calculated to
excite remark, his vest and cravat, which
were Of the same color as his neither gar
ments, had evidently been strangers to
the soap and water of The Laundress for
several weeks Without appearing to no.
tice our proximity, he stood with folded
arms gazing on the noble and majestic
river at his leet-silent and distracted.
We should have passed him without dis
,urbng his medita'lons, had it not been
for laugh which was drawn from me al
the moment, by the fall Of an unlucky
Frcnchman from his horse who exclaimed
as he fell, 'llOn Dieu, c'cst trap maur0is
(Anglice, My God, that too bad) The
stranger hearing the laugh and suspect
ing he might be the cause of it, turned
around and addressed me with, i pre-
sumo, Sir, my new style o: dress cxcitcs
your mirth.' assured him that he had
mistaken the meaning OF my laugh, that
it had no reference whatever to him.
Making some common place remark in
reply to this, he observed that he had
been enjoying the scenery of this famous
river, My friend in reply, said the Mis-,
sssippi always reminded him of Byron's
description Of the Rhine, the exulting
and aboundig river which 'nobly toams
and flows. you read Byron then, said
our new acquaintance, abruptly, chang
ing the current Of conversation. j
for that was the name of my companion,
replied that he had read him through and
through from Childe Hasold to Don Juan,
and that in the force and intensity of his
expression and the absolute knowledge
his poetry displayed Of the passions from
the rage of the vuIture, to the love
of the turtle he considered him equal to
to any bard, that ever sang That's my
opinion said the young man. Though |
ought to be the last person on Gods
foots,ool to laud Byron's poetry. To
reading it | am indebted for many hard
ships and for my new Partisan dress.