Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1848-11-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
The FIRST AND LAST DINNER.
A TALE LIFE.


by their pursuits. the family Xlns and other II
cal interests permanent inhabitants III ha n.r,n,lts
agreed nne day when they drinking hrir wine Al
he star and Garter Rchmnad to ms utp an ANIMAL
| dinner among themselves under tile flowing reIula
5 tons
That they shoud dine alternately at each others houS
es On the first AID last day of the var; the first b,e
OF wine uncorked al the first dinner should be rec rkeJ
and pm away. to be drank by him who should be the
last Of their numb-r; that they should admit nev
member; that when died. eleven " r. ID meet AMI
50 on; and that when only remained he should un
u 81 two days dine by himself. and sit the usual hours
at his solitary table but the frs Il re he 80 tinpd alone
lest Il should be the only one, he should then unc M the
hrs bIftle and in the first glass drink to The memory Of
; all whn were gone.
There was something original and Whimsical in the
lea and It was eagerly embraced They were all III the
prime Of life. closely attached hv reciprocal friendship
l'id Of social enuyments and lonked forward th-ir
future meeting with unaIoyed ancpations If pleasure
he only Thought Indeed that con have dakpned those
aniiclpationS. likely in,ruhe Itself at this
moment. that of The hapes| wight destined to
unr'rk the frs glass at his n'lv repqst.
IL was high summer when this fr'lic crmpacf was en-
Pred int" and as heir pleasure Yacht skmmpd N NO the
Dark b"m Of The Thames their return ID LONDON try
talked Of ot'rg bnt their 81 and last fa>ts NJ eisrr
years Their lamentations ran ont viii a III ,rslnd gay
predictions OF festive merrInlant. They wantonrd ia
conJectnros # what Changes time would create.
AS for You, George" exclaimed on %; he twelve
as dry, withered and ~hrunknn as an cid eel SKIN Won
mere outside Of man - and he accompanied the word.
VI \ hearty Slap On The shoulder
George forteSrup aiming clrpIessly over the sle
OF me yacht, laughing the lodes Of anv 1t tie cnnv.r
satlon which had been carried on. The sudden mammal
sutnton of his brother n-aw threw Inn off his bal lance
and IN moment he was overload. They heard the heavy
splash ot h t hefe they cou be said to have seen
him fall The yacht proceeding swiftly along but it
was Instantly stopped
The utInnS conservation now prevailed Il was rear
" dark, but FureScue known ID BE- an excellent
swimmer. and startling Ihe accident was tav Itc4r
tam he would regain the vessel They could not see
him They listened. They heard the sounds Of his hands
ana ieef An answer was ret rned. but faint glrr-
ling voice and the exclamation "Oh God !" struck upln
their ears In an instant. three who We're exDerl
swimmers. plugged into the river and swan towards The
sp whence The exclamation had proce dpd On Of them
was within arms length Of Fnrt4scue re- -.w HIN
before he could BE- reached he down. and lis diS
tracted friend beheld the ed yng circles Of wave just
nd neh S the %h 6 ne b bt sq4t lie Owed after him.
the body onward, for it could not I've fnnd
They proceeded to of The nearest stations where
drags kept, and having procured the necessary APP
pararus they proceeded The faa sp Ate thu lapse
If aoou an hour they succeeded in rasn. the aless
DIV Of their lost friend. All The usual rem dies We're
employed for restoring suspended animation, but IN VAIN;
they now pursued the remainder Of their course To l. r
don in mnnrnlu silerce. with the corpse Of him who
had commenced the day of pleasure with them IN the tul
of health, ofsprts. aud of e And IN their severe
Grief they could mol but ref ct how Of he joy
Gus twelve had slipped out Of this little festive circle
The months rolled on, and cold December came with
all lis cheering round Of kindly greetings and merry hs
pitaes; and with ii soitened recoectmo Of the
fate Of moor Fortescue Eleven of The twelve assembled
the last day If The year. and impoSSlhe not 10
feel their loss they sal down To dinner. The very If
regularity of the table, five one side aud on The
Ohpr forced the melancholy upon their memory.
deem Sir or a
ard an sfrIrve observation up the Uncertainty Of life.
mad tile If tender pslhumouS offering 10 tie
names Of poor George Foescue, they pr ceeded t.
discharge the important duties for which they had
met By the time the third glass OF champagne had gone
round in addition to the phatiuns OF fine old hook and
'capiIa Madeira" they had ceased 10 disc any thing
very pat enc in the inequality Of the two SIDES VI the
table, melancholy in their crippled number Of eev
en-.
Several wears had elapsed and or eleven friends kept
NJ tie double anniversaries they might apty enongh
be called, with scarcely any prrrepube change. But,
alas there dinner al last, Which was darkened
BY calamity they expected To witness; Tor On that
dav their friend, companion. brother, almost vas hang
ed Yes Stephen II wland, the wit, the oracle, the
life Of their circle had the morning q thai day, Tor
eiied his life upon public sca ID, FIR having made
single stroke Of his pen in wrong place IN oher words,
bill If exchange which passed into his hands Jr tiUU,
passed ont Of 1t for 81 100.
1t would he Injustice The to say, that wine,
|
which pervaied he dinner Il was agreed beforehand,
that hey should ailude the d>reS inc aud melan-
choy theme; and having thus nrerdiced the only Thing.
which really occupied all their thoughts. The naiur en-
sequence was that silent contemplation took The pare
OF dismal discourse and they separated long before md
night.
Some fifteen years had now gded away since the fate
of Row and and the nalned but The stealing hand
of time had sundry change Ill most leglb char
acierS Raven locks had become grIZzed, two ar three
heads had Glany locks altogether may be rrck-
oned a walk Of hall nile along the Regents Canal-
one was actually covered with brown the crows
feet visible in the ut The eye-gnod od pirt
and Madeira carried against hook, claet, and ;ed
burgundy and champagne. sews. haShes and a9"uls,
grew in favor crusts were rarely called for to relish
the cheese after dinner grew less buster
ous and it turned chiefly politics and The state of the
funds or The value OF landed property pdogrs were
made for coming thick shoes and warm Slockngs-the
doors and indows carefully provided vi list
and sand baes-ihe fire In request and quiet game
Of whist filled the EUuS that were wont 10 be devu-
ted 10 drinking singing and rluouS merrmeni he rub
hers cup of Coffee and at home by ii O'Clock, was the
usual cry when the fifth sixth glass had gne onnd
after the removal of The cloth. Al parting too, there
was long ceremony in The hall, butunng up great
coa.s Iyinr on wuollpn cnoreIs, fixing silk handker
chiefs over HE and up the graspng stur
DIV walking to support unsteady feet.
Their iiieh anniversary came, and death had indeed
been busy.
Four little old o. wthered appearance and decrep
i, walk with cracked voices and dim. rayless eyesat
down. by the mercy of Heaven, {as they themselves ire
mulo,~lv decarred) 10 celebrate, for the ttlleh Time
lie first day Of The year. observe the lic compact
which half century Def they had entered The