Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-07-23

peci shall see you as dry, wiihered and shrunk-
en- as an old eel skin, you mere outside of a
man." and he accompanied the words with a
hearty slap on the shoulder.
George Fortesque was leaning careessly
over the side of the yacht, laughing the loudes,
of any al The conversation which had been car.
ried on. The sudden mutual salutation of his
brolher.in-law threw him off his balance and
in a moment he was overheard. They heard
the heavy splash Of his fall, before they could
be said 10 have seen him fall The yacht was
proceeding swiftly along; but il was instantly
stopped.
The utmost CONSERVATION now Prevailed
II was nearly dark, but Forlesque was known
TO be an excellent swimmer, and startling as the
acciden, was, they fell certain that he would
regain the vessel They could not see him.
They listened They heard the sound of his
hands and feet. An answer was returned, but
in faint gurgling voice, and the exclamation
"Oh Cod" struck upon their ears. In an in
slant, two or three who were exper, swimmers,
plunged into the river, and swan towards the
spot whence the exclamation had proceeded
One Of them was within arms length of For
tssque he saw him; before he could be reach
ed, he went down, and his distracted friend be-
held the eddying circles of The wave just over
The spot where he had sunk. He dived after
him, and touched The bottom; bu, the tide must
have drfted the body onward, for i, could not
be found
They proceeded TO one of The nearest stations
where drags were kept, and having procured
the necessary apparatus, they proceeded TO the
fatal spot. After the lapse of above an hour,
they succeeded in raising The Iifeless body of
their lost friend. All the usual remedies were
employed for restoring suspended animation,
bu, in vain; they now pursued the remainder
Of their course to London in mournful silence,
with The corpse of him who had commenced
the cay of pleasure with them in fulness of
health, of spirits and OF life! And in their Sc
we're grief they could but reflect how soon one
of The joyous twelve had slipped out of The Ill
lie festive circle.
The months rolled on, and cold December
came with all lis cheering round of kindly greet
ings and merry hospisries and with i. came
softened recollection OF lhe fate of poor For
tesque; eleven of the twelve assembled on the
lasl day Of the year, and it was impossible moi
TO feel their loss as they sal down to dinner
The very irregularity of The table, FIVE on one
hand, and six on the other, forced the mean
choly event upon their memory.
A decorous sigh or two, a low, becoming
ejaculation, and an instructive observation upor
The uncertainty Of life, made up the sum Of ten
der posthumous offering 10 the name of Georg,
Fortesque,' as they proceeded to discharge lht
more imporlan, duties for which they had met
BY the time The third glass Of champagne hac
gone round, in addition 10 poiaiions of fine oil
hook, and capital madeira they had ceased II
discover any thing so very pathetic in the in
equality of the two sides OF The table, or e,
melancholy in their crippled number Of eleven
Several years had now elapsed, and still ou
friends continued 10 celebrate their double an
niversaries, as they might properly enough b
called, with scarcely any perceplible change
But, alas! there came one dinner at last whicI
was darkened by calamity they never expec,
ed TO witness; for on that day, their friend
companion, brother. almost, was hanged! Yes
Stephen Rowland, the wit, the oracle, the lf
Of the circle, had, on The morning of that day
forfeited his life upon scafold, for havin
: made one single stroke Of his pen in the wron
$ place. In other words, bill of exchang
which passed into his hand for f700, passe
out OF ii for El 700.
Ii would be injustice 10 the Ten TO say, ths
I even wine, friendship and merry season, coul
dispel The gloom which pervaded this dinner
: IL was agreed before hand, that they should nc
, allude TO the distressing and melancholy theme
: and having thus in,erdiced the only thing
which really occupied all their thoughts, th
natural consequence was, that siIen, con,en
pIaioh took the place of dismal discourse an
; 'hey separated long before midnight.