The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-08-03

! the company from table, endeavors to com
fort her; but she will not be comforted OF
} any terms, and so the Major takes his leave
!: Cousin Feenix takes his leave, and Mr.
Carker takes his leave. The guests all &c
away. Cleopatra, left alone, feels little
giddy from her strong emotion, and falls
asleep.
! Giddiness prevails below stairs to. The
very tall young man whose excitement
came on SO soon, appears to have his head
glued 10 the table in the pantry and cannot
be detached from it. A violent Revision
has taken place in the spirits Of Mrs. Perch,
who is low on account Of Mr.. Perch, and
tells cook that she fears he is not so much
attached to his home as he used to be, when
there were only nine in the family. Mr..
Towlnson has singing in his ears and a
large wheel going round and round inside
his head. The housemaid wishes it wasn'l
wicked to wish that one was dead.
There is general delusion likewise, in
these lower regions, on the subject of time /;
everybody conceiving that it ought to be,
at the earliest, ten o'clock at night, where
as il is not yet three in the afternoon. A
shadowy idea Of wickedless committed,
haunts every individual in the party and
each one secretly thinks the other COM
panion in guilt, whom it would be agree
able to avoid. No man or woman has the
hardihood to hint at the projected visit to
the play. Any one reviving the notion OF
the ball, would be secuted as malignant
idiot.
Mrs. Skewton sleeps upstairs, two hours
afterwards, and maps are not yet over in the
kitchen. The attachments in the dining
room look down On crumbs, dirty plates,
spillngs Of wine, half-ihawed ice, stale dis
colored heel-taps, scraps Of lobster, drum
sticks Of fowls, and pensive jellies, gradu-
ally resolving themselves into lukewarm
gummy soup. The marriage is, BY this
time, almost as denuded of its show and
garnish as the breakfast. Mr.. Dombey' Is
servants moralize so much about it, and are
SO repentant over their early tea, at home,
that by eight o'clock or so they settle down
into confirmed seriousness and Mr.. Perch,
arriving at that time from the city, fresh
and jocular, with white waistcoat and a
comic song, ready to spend the evening,
and prepared for any amount Of dissipation,
is amazed to find himself coldly received,
and Mrs. Perch but poorly, and to have the
pleasing duty Of escorting that lady home
by the next omnibus.
Night closes in Florence, having ram
bled through the handsome house, from
room to room, seeks her own chamber,
where the care OF Edith has surrounded
her with Iuxuries and comforts and d.
vesting herself Of her handsome dress, puts
on her old simple mourning for dear Paul,
and sits down to read with Diogennes wink
ing and blinking on the ground beside her.
But Florence cannot read tonight. The
house seems strange and new, and there are
loud echoes in it. There is shadow on
her heart: she knows not why or what !:
but it is heavy. Florence shuts her book /,
and gruff Diogennes, who takes that for a
signal, puts his paws upon her lap, and
rubs his ears against her caressing hands.
But Florence cannot see him plainly, in a
little time, for there is mist between her
eyes and him, and her dead brother and
dead mother shine in like angels. Walter,
too, poor wondering shipwrecksd boy, oh,
where is he
The Major don't know; that's for GER
tain !; and don't care. The Major having
choked and slumbered, all the afternoon,
has taken late dinner at his club, and now
sits over his pint Of wine, driving modest
young mau, with fresh-colored face, at
the next table (who would give a hand
some sum to be able to rise and 60 away;
but cannot do it) to the verge Of madness
| by anecdotes of Bagstock, Sir, at Dombev 5
wedding, and old Joe's devilish gentleman
lily friend, Lord Feenix. While Cousin
Feenix, no ought to be at Longs, and 10
bed, finds himself instead, at gaming ia
Bile, where his wilful legs have taken him,
perhaps, in his own despite.
i Night, like giant, fills the church. from
pavement to roof, and holds dominion
through the silen, hours. Pale dawn again
comes peeping through the windows; and
giving place to day, sees night Withdraw
into the vaults, and follows it, and drives
il out, and hides among the dead. The
timid mice again cover close together
when the grea. door clashes, and Mr.
Sownds and Mrs. Milf, treading the circle
Of their daily lives, unbroken as marriage
ring, come in. Again, the cooked hat anc
the mortified bonnet stand in the back
J, ground at the marriage hour; and agar
this man taketh this woman, and this wo.
man takelh this man, on the solemn terms
, "To have and to hold, from this day for
! ward, for better for worse, for richer fol
poorer, in sickness and in health, to love
and to cherish, until death do them part"
, The very words that Mr.. Carker ride.
, into town repeating, with his mouth stretch
ed to the utmost, as he picks his dainty
. way.