The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-20
THE DAILY DISPATCH
THE YOUNG MAN OF NINETY.
A SKETCH FROM THE LIFE.

worshipped Mammon-nestles here in this
quiet village,
The torn forgetting, by the town forgot"
Ii was an old gentleman, who had, few
moments before, entered the cozy, and cleanly
pariour OF mime inn,' and was now engaged
IN slipping his sherry and glancing through
the paper, who had given birth to these rehec-
lions. He was, as | afterwards ascertained,
ninety years old, though less than sixty
hearty and active-short, we'll set, and with
iegs that might make an Irish pavior misgive
his s, own; these were handsomely clad in black
shk stockings and legs which would stand by
man IN the handsome way which his had
gone, were worthy of the honor. A pair of
buckles o, conferred additional briliancy on the
"orlliiant Warren" of his shoes; and smaller
Paif gave compactness to their knees. His
coat was OF the old-school cut, lengthy and
capaclous, ample in pocket and hap-in short,
a reminiscence of the coat of .oiher davs );
ere taiiors turned out that
Starvsliag in scanty vest,
cameo an Exqdislte. His hat was partly nat
ana Pal.iy umbrella, tor il was wide enough
IN the brim to shelter his shoulder in a shover
His face was OF a healthy hue though there
were as many lines in it as in Denner's master
piece. His features had somewhat of the Scot.
tlsh character, and were what some physiog.
nomsts would call hard but their severity
was softened off by frequent smile, full Of
good nature, which a general expression of
mildness and benevolence to bis countenance-
such as face with more pretensions 10 come.
illness would perhaps have wanted.
There may be many human sights more
glorious to behold, but do not know one more
interesting-l would almost saw, more holy
than al old man, who has passed his active
days amidst the stir and strife ofthe great Babel
and in the evening of his life sinks quietly and
placidly back into the arms of nature-a man
in experience of the world-a child in the
mIldness and meekness of that Wedge.
have sketched the old man. | must now
describe his companion, for he had one-a dog
of the large spaniel breed. who seemed to have
seen as much CT the busy world as his mas.
ter. We were very soon intimate, for Prince
THAT was the worthy four legged fellows
name) appeared TO be Of that amable class of
dogs, who, by a handsome person and win.
ming manners, recommend themselves imme-
dlately to ones good opinion. His master
apologized for his famlliarities, and in mild
terms expostuated with him on the inn
propriety of his conduct. "You are too dirty,
Prlnce-do you hear, sir? you are too dity."-
The conscientious beast seemed to be imme-
diately made sensible that he was, and. tax
ng the reproOf in good part, very quietly laid
himself down at the feet of his ancient friend
Prince, suspected, had a great partiality to
duck-pOnds, for the weeds of those aquatic
paradises still hung about him, and decorated
him almost to the beattude ofa Sajlers Wells
Neptune. To encourage him in decent beha-
viour, the old gentleman began rumaging his
pockets; and the result was, the production of
two nicely packed papers of biscuits, which,
first having swept clean spot on the sanded
floor, he deposited there for honest Master
Princes refection and then the old gentleman
resumed the newspaper. The luncheon was
soon over; and the gaiete de ceur of Prince
returned, but he as speedily resumed the pro-
per degree of respect for self and company,
and straightway wore as much gravity in his
looks, as if he had, in his better days, held the
onerous office of deputy of the dogs of Dow
gate. | notice that Prince had trick tuck.
ing up one leg, and running about on the other
three, and this brought up story from the
old gentleman, which shall relate, as it was
short, and had some point.
''My dog, sir" said he, 'often reminds me
ofmy old acquaintance Jack Simpson. Itwas
stid of Jack Simpson,-but stay, | had bet
ter first relate how what was said othim came
to be said; tbs not bad joke, sir, Jack, when
| first knew him-let me see, that was in
seventeen sixty, not yesterday recollection,
sir!'
stared at the antiquity of the reminiscence.
"Yes, twas in seyenteen-sixty. Jack Slmp-
son was then a blood of the first pretensions)
as far as broad skirts and breeding went-lhe
Ladies' Man at the Hackney Assembly, a
fashionable thing, sir, in that day; first butter
hy at runbridge Wells, and second only at
Bath; an undisputed man of pleasure and of
the world; gay, full of unfeigned good humor,
having wit enough for men, address and a
hand some person for omen, and spirit suffi-
cient for all occasions. His fortune was but
small, and this gay life of his, you may be sure,
made it less. In no long time he began to find
out that spendthrifl's purse does not always
keep pace with the demands on ii; and so he
took dinners instead Of giving them, and be-.
came Of Sheridan opinion, that the best wine
is certainly our friend's.' Now what, in hea-
yen's name, sir, had man of Jacks fortune
and folly to do with avarice? 1t was one of
those contradictions in his character, which
could never understand, and which must have
been a riddle 10 himself
"Sir, it must have been born in him
an innate qualty-a genius for avarce; and
all bis brilliant exterior, which pleased the po-
pular eve, like the wretched hnery and foppe-
ry OF May day sweep, only disguised but
did not conceal the dirt and degradation
underneath. He confessed to me that he felt
the first gripings Of that heart-hardeDing vice
coming upon MIN at that time, while still
whIring round in the vortex Of fashion. His
fingers began 10 clutch closer, and his whole
hand held faster what il held. As if fortune
had become disguised with his meannes, she
sent him humping legacy of thirty thousand
pounds, the hard scrapings OF a miseriy rela-
tlon-it ran in the blood of the Simpsons, sir.
One would have thought that this sudden ac-
cessiOn would have confirmed him in his sor-
didness-it had an effect directly the reverse!
OFF he went again on The old road 10 ruin, with
renewed speed gained from lettering so iesure-
ly along itas he had lately done. Open house
card tables and faro banks--wine, women,
and assembles-routs, Ranelah, Pump room,
sedans here, and coaches there-flirtations
with Lady A., an aldsrman's young widow,
aud the lovely Miss B.-and folles of all sorts
which were nothing if not expensive, made
his thirty thousand pounds fy thirty thousand
ways; aad in three years Jack stood with his
haad in TWO empty pockels-hIs good consti.
tuition gone with his gold, forsaken OF his fiivo-
lous friends, his Irritation with Lady A. cf, as
the phrase is, and his calculations OF the mo
ney and matrimonial inclinations OF Miss b.
wrong in the items, and the whole bill disputed.
But we'll selected vice never leaves It's victim