Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-11-14
7 HE APOLOGY Y;
or, WHAT rs H"ONORABLEG
Written ron THE SATURDAY EVENING PosT,
by ROBERT CAMPDELL.
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CHATTER l..
/.

1hAG En- L..
II was an anniversary night, and tht
wine circulated freely up and down the
long table of one Of The Charleston clubs
and illusions intended to 10 witty were
bundled around, and song and laua9ei
cUuteBdtti for the mastery.
"A question, II question, Mr. President,
shouted several voices at the bottom Of the
table, as n young man with q faCo flushed
with excitement mud with wine, arose in
their midst, with n gay smile oil his lips.
Order, order, gentlemen exclaimed the
President, MIR. Mason ia about to speak
lido not rise 10 make d speech, Mr..
President said Frank Mason--'I only
wished 10 PROFOUND n question 10 you a.
the learned head of this learned body, oI
which II gentleman, who shall bo namrless,
IL tho tail. My question In simply this
Whether, by the rtIlo Of majorities, u lover
thai has been by the same lady rejected
twice anti only accepted once, can bo truly
said TO he accepted
And would ask another question: or.
claimed q gentleman opposite, In an angry
tone, stprting 70 his %feet--'l would ask
whether tho lady, who accepts n fool The
first time he offers, with a yes and thank
YOU too does not prove that there will pro.
badly soon DO bhtB OF fools, If not n
whole family
Order, order, gentlemon-these person.
Mites cannot be- allowed said tho PFgsi
| dent.
what do you mean by that, sir said
Mason, with Indignation.
Take IL as you please replied Edward
Farrell, contenptn0nsly.
Then | will take It ne an insult, md
fling II back as SUCH exclaimed mason,
dashing bis glasg Of wine full III Farrell's
fnee.
Fierce with passion, tho two young mon
would have rushed NJ each other; but their
comrades held them back until The first
phrenAy Of rage had passed, md then they
left the room, each yowing The deadliest
hatred 70 the other, while n sudden still.
ness fell like d pail upon the scene Of such
bui4erUus and III advised merriment,
Frank Mason and Edward Farrell we're
the accepted lovers Of two cousins of the
namo Of Lee. Anna and Mary Ice had
been from childhood inetparable friends.
Living but n short distance apart, they had
gone to the Same school in girlhood, and
as early womanhood drew on, tho tic of
sympathy that conncctod them seemed to
become IL auytbing, stronger and frmer.
One only thing bud over occurred 10 mar
their choice Of lovers. With Annals f,yo.
rite, Frank Mason, Mary was very we'll
pleased; but TO Edward Farrell, Anna had
nearly in insurnouwabls aversion. Nor
was she al0tte in that feeling. Common
report spoke unfhvofably Of Edward Far.
rell-it said he was given to intemperance.
and that bis moral character generally,
was rather loose and uncertain But M.
ny saw comparatively nothing Of this-sho
owned he was not all that her season mn.
proved, but in some way her heart had be.
come biassed In Lie favor, md n woman's
heart always carries tho day. Thoteiore,
although she bad in compliance with
Annals wishes and her parents prayers,
twice refused him, yet II was done in such
Il way that Edward by no means was dis.
hoaftened-and the third time she Welded,
and her parents sorrowfllly consented to
that Which they found It was impossible to
prevent
In Annals feelings of dislike to Farrell,
Frank most hearty shared and be ing ofa
h~ighsspirited, inpetuoIs nature, he did not
scrupIo to display his sentiments, even
when there WA an evident want of pro.
priety in so doing. And in this way he was
betrayed into the indiscretion which we
have related.
We'll, Garland, Ned has challenged
me- said Frank the afternoon Of tho next
day, 10 bis most intimate friend, as the lat :
ter entered bis countingroom.
Challenged your
Yes challenged mel here Is bis note,
written I'm good old Saxon a. the Profcs-
sor would say
sWhat folly Y
i know well enough il is folly, Garland,
and yet Iam inclined 10 let him see that he
has mistaken his man.
Why what do you mean, Frank 7 you
arc no duelIist--I heard you say that, not
three months SINCE
DO you remember too, what Farrell said
then-do You remember he limited that it
was more cOwardice in me than principle
said Mason, while his cheek colored.
But you yourself know it IL not cowar.
dice, | know It, all that know you know It,
! am not so sure Of that replied Frank
-'and more, | have a notion he should al.
so know il, the scoundrcl
BESIDES, you really did give the first Of
fence, Mason-you sh01ld not have made
that a~llusion to him.
4 said nothing about him in what said.'
And he did not name you, either, ifthat
Is what you mean, in what he said.
We'll, grant was wrong in that, Gar.
Iand.'
'Then you should apologize 2
Apologize ! what, in the face of such a
note I no. viii die first
4 am not saying what you win do, but
what you ought to do, Mason
i suppose, then, Garland, If you were in
my situation, you would, in the first place,
get down on your knees, and then, most
abiectly, beg his scoundrelship's pardon for
having offended him, would you not? 2
Not exactly, Frank, but thisI would do.
/ would call and see Ned, and / would not
care how many Of bis cronies were by, it
would be setting them a good example-and
! would say to him, Mr.. Farrell, as ! find
upon consideration that | was to blame, in
the first place, last night, beg your par.
don for what | then said and did, and r
trust you, in like manner, viii recall your
words upon that OCCASION
And he would either refuse your apollo