The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-03-26
THE DAILY DISPATCH
WIN. CoRBETT.

lication. We had never had any conception
that the very curious parsonage here intro
duced was such as he is represented.
INCIDENTS OF VISIT AT THE HOUSE OF WILL
LIAM coBBETT.
The name of Blami,e has always a certain
interest tor me, in consequence of circum-
stance, which, as II took place somewhere about
ilve and-forty years ago, and has reference to
Irritation of twenty years previous, there can
not now be much harm in relating.
Being with my father and mother on a visit
about Elk miles from Southampton, we were in
vited by gentleman of the neighborhood to
meet the wife and daughter of Il certain DIR.
blamire. +" An old friend Of yours and mine,"
quoth our inviIer 10 my father. "Don'r you
remember how you used TO flirt with the fair
lady when you and Darlington were at Haslar?
falth, II B!amre had not tt ken pity on her. il
would have gone hard with the poor damse.
However, he made up TO the disconsolate mai
den, and she got over it. Nothing like a new
love for chasing away an old one. You must
dine with us tomorrow. / shall like to see
the meeting.
My father did not attempt 10 DENY the mat.
ter. Men never do. He laughed, as all that
wicked seq do laugh al such sins twenty years
alter, and protested that he should be very glaG
10 shake hands with his old acquaintance. So
the next day we met.
j was little curious to see how nv own
| dear mother, my mamma that was and the stran-
ger lady, my mamma that might have been,
would bear themselves on the occasion. Al
FIRST, my dear mother, an exceedingly ladylike,
quiet person, had considerably the advantage,
being prepared for the TeacOntre, and perfectly
calm and composed while Mrs. Blamire, ta-
ken. Il suspect. by surprise. was god deal
startled and fusered. This state of things,
| however, did not last. Mrs. Blamire having
got over the first shock, comported herself like
what she evidently was, practiced woman OF
the orld-would talk to no one but ourselves
and seemed resolved not only 10 make
friends with her successful rival, but to strike
| up an intimacy. This by no means entered
into my mothers calculations. As the one ed
vanced the other receded, and, keeping always
within the limits of civility, | never heard SO
much easy chat put aside with so many cool
| and stately monosy llables in my life.
The most diverIing partsof this scene. very
amusing TO a stander-by, was, that my father,
the only real culprit. was the only person who
throughout maintained the appearance and de-
mean0r of the most unconscious innocence.-
He complimented Mrs. Blamire on her dsugh-
ters two very fine girlsl-inquired after his
old friend, the Doctor, who was attending his
patients in q distant town-and laughed and
talked over hy-gone stories with the one lady.
jus, as if he had not Tilted hcr-and played
the kind and attentive husband 10 the other
just as if he had never made love to any body
except his own dear wife.
1t was one ofthe strange domestic comedies
which are happening around us every day, 1t
we were but aware of them, and might proba-
bly, have ended in a renewal Of acquaintance
between the two families but for dispute that
occurred toward the end of the evening between
Mrs. Blamire and the friend in whose house
we were staying, which made the lady resolve
against accepting his hospitable invitations,
and half suspect hurried of day or two be-
fore her time.
This host of ours was very celebrated per-
son-no other than William CohbeIt. Sporting,
not politics. had brought about our present
visit and subsequent intimacy. We had be-
come acquainted with Mr.. Cobbett two or
three years before, at this very house, where
we were now dining 10 meet Mrs. BlamIre-
Then my father, a great sportsman, had met
him while on coursing expedition near Alton
bad given him greyhound that he had fallen
in love with-had invited him TO attend another
cOursing meeting near our own house IN Berk-
shire-and finally, We were now. in the early
autumn, with all manner of pointers, and set
tiers, and grey hounds, and spaniels, shooting
ponies, and gun-cases, paying the return visit
TO him.
He had at that time large house at Botey,
with a lawn and garden sweeping down TO the
Bursedon River, which divided his (Mr. Cob
beti's) territories from the beautiful grounds
of the old friend where we had been originally
staying, the great squire of the place. His
own house-large, high, massive, red and
square, and perched on considerable eminence
always struck me as not being unlike It's
proprietor. Ii was filled al tnat time almost
10 overAowing. Lord Cochrane was there.
then in the very height of his warike fame,
and as unlike the co,1mon notion of a warrior
as could be. A gentle, quiet, mild young man,
was this barner of French fleets and cutter
our of Spanish vessels, as one should see III q
summer day. He lay about under the trees
reading Seldom on the Dominion of the Seas,
and letting the children iand children always
know with whom they may take libertes.) play
all sorts of tricks with him at their pleasure
His ships surgeon was also & visitor, ana
Young midShpman, and sometimes an elderly
leuienant; and Newfoundland dog; fine sal
lor-like creatures all Then there was very
learned clergyman, q greaifr OF Mr. Gltiord,
OF the "Quarterly,' with his wife and daugh
ter-exceedingly clever persons. Two litera-
ry gentlemen from London and ourselves COM
peted The actual party; but there was large
fuctuating series of guests for the hour, or
guests for the day, OF almost all ranks and de-
scriptions, from the count and MS countess 10
the farmer and his dame. The house had ropm
for all, and the hearts Of the owners would
have had room fer three times the number
never saw hospitality more genuine, more
simple, or more thoroughly successful in the
great end of hospitality, the putting every body
completely at ease. There was not the slight
est attempi at finery, or display, or genililty.
| They called il farmhouse, and every hing
was in accordance with the largest idea OF
| great English yeoman OF The old time. Every
| thing was excellent-every thing abundant
| all served with the greatest nicely by two
waiting damsels and every thing went on
with such quiet reg ularity lharofthe large CIR
Gle of guests not one could find himself IN the
| way. / need not say a word more in praise of
the good wife, very lately Dead TO whom this
admirable order was mainly due. She was a
sweet, motherly woman, realizing our notion
of one of Sco,t's most charming characters,
Ailie Diamoat, in her simplicity, her KIND
ness, and her devotion to her husband and her
| children.
AT this time William Cobbeit was al the
height of his political reputation; but OF poli'ics