Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-11-04
The Satisfaction Of a Gentleman.


The words were uttered in loud
and angry tone, by a military look
ing parsonage, in the saloon Of one
of our most respectable clubs, fire.
quented by opulent merchants, coun-
try squires, bankers, and lords, with
sprinkling Of naval and military
gentlemen.
"Sir, l viii have satisfaction so
saying, and buttoning up bis militia
ry surtout with the air of a man who
has determ ined on some desperate
course, the offended hero vanished
out ofIthe room. He was Immediate
ly observed to mount handsome
ph@ton, DR. awn by a pair Of smart
greys. His tiger leaped up behind,
and the eqpipage drove off with fu-
rious clatte1 up st. James street.
''SatisfaGtion!" of course every one
within hearing knows the meaning of
the word when uttered by a ''man of
honor anda gentleman In fashion
sble circles esatisfactio oh' means the
chance of projecting an ounce of lead
in the shape of a bullet into some of
Tending fri ends body; but the man of
wounded honor is equally Satisfied"
if his friend sends the bullet into his
own head; and if his head resists it,
then be may thank the thickness Of
his skull, rather than the soundness
of his brains. Two men Of honor fall
out about the most trifling matter,
perhaps inhamed with vine, begin to
talk angrly, and one Of them uses
an offensive word; instantly the 9th
er calls for satisfaction The two
friends, y call them fools rather, come
out in the cool grey Of the next
morning, with two other "fliends"
equally foolish, and then, in some
chalk pit or ravine, each S cts himself
up as a target for the other. Two
I.bhlIets instantly speed upon sheir
fools errand. They miss. Welll the
two seconds step up interfere to
prevent further hostilities, declaring
that their friends honor is satisfied
a ahd they march off to breakfast,
thinking they have done some gal
liant feat; or the balls hit their mark;
one, if not both, lie on the grass; a
bullet has lodged in the spine of one,
and another bullet is in the shoulder
Joint of the other Forth steps wiry
man with box Of implements, de-
vEsed for the cutting out, extracting,
OF wrenching away Of the little bul-
l&ts from flesh and bone. Ahl with
one of them it is too late; he lies on
tile grass breathless, his lips apart,
lis eyes glazed; he is dead; he has
had his desire, -Hthe satisfaction OF a
gentleman. The other, after sub
hitting to the fortunes Of bullet ex-
traction, is borne from the field on a
litter satisfied he has skilled his
man" Such is "honor' in the mo uths
df fools.
But we must return to our S tory;
scarcely had the gentleman of " oun-
ded honor rushed out Of the house,
ere the friends of the other as sem
bled round him to ask @What if the
matter? and how did you fall dut?f
"The matter said the Offer Hding
gentleman, who sat somewhat S Eupe-
fed at the abrupt and threat fning
+ evil of bis military friend, "whyI the
EelloY is as irascible as tut ufkey-
tock. we fell intoia dispute about
politics, about which he positively
khovs nothing. He became more
and more insolent, and bis arguments
VI ere at length so absurd, that ! could
nbt help bursting out laughing, and
telling him ne was pullesf. .nf''uOu
fool"
| Us that alIlo said a city merf liant,
n why, everybody knew that long
ago.
cay, butt tell him oft sa id an
other, q fear mischief viii come out
df it."
A considerable damp seemed 70
have. been thrown upon the spirits OF
an the company, and the circle graz
tally broke up. The gentleman 1ho
lad been the ca use of the explosion,
dt length rose and went nome no'
DYER free from anxiety. He now re-
J,retted the use of the offensive word,
md vet he felt that it had not been
dpdeserved. Not being a military
han---for he was a banker IN
eood business. and with extensive
,,ld ccorcalv Cj-