Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-08-17
The last Supper.

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The Last Supper.
The Cincinnati Gazette records story of seven
Young men of that city, who, about twenty years
ago, then in the early flush of manhood, entered
into an agreement for an annual meeting and sup
uer so long as any of their number should survive
The names of the seven young men were DR. Vat
tier, DR.. James NJ. Mason, William Stansbury,
William Disney, Jr., Henry L. Tatem, Joseph X.
Mason and Fenton Lawson. The compact has
since been faithfully kept. For several years. the
pleasure of their meeting was unallcyed with sor-
row by death. In 1899 one vacant seat and one
unused plate announced the beginning of the week
which Death was sure at last to make OF all their
number. BY and by second empty plate bore It's
Quiet testimony to the stern reality OF the relent
lessness of the grave. Soon but four met at the
annual commemoration, and another unoccnpied
chair told lis silent story.
A year or two longer, says the Gazette, and the
deod were more than the living; three survivors
remaincd,-four had died; and now another Fen
ton Lawson, swells the TT umph of the grave
Next October, DR.. vattier and Henry Tatem will
meet alone, if death is not TOO urgent, and how
sadly and solemuly, as they look upon the memorl'
ais of their departed associates, will they mental
Iy agitate the question which, OF the two, will
finally sit solitary in the shadowy presence of the
dead, and say TO the grave 'thou art my brother'
and TO corruption, thou art my sister," How awful
that last supper when the sole survivor enters the
room, sees there the seven plates and the seven
chairs, each of which tells him ''whnt shadows
we are, what shadows we pursue"
This very odd and impressive story is almost
PARABLE to one which may be found in Newman's
Rhetoric. Our readers will peruse 1t with interest,"
both on account of its thrilling details, and its
literary merits 1t is as follows:
oTwelye friends, much about the same age,
and fixed by their pursuits, their family connec-
lions, and other local interests, as permanent IN
hab;ants of the metropolis. agreed one day, when
they were drinking wine at the Star ana carter
at Richmond, 10 institute an annual dinner among
themselves under the folio ing regulations
That they should dine alternately at each others
houses on the first ard last day of the year; and
the first bottle of wine uncoTked at the tITst UNI
ner should be recorked and put away 10 De drum
by him who should be the last oil their number;
that they should never admit new memberj that,
when one died, eleven should meet, and " hen
another died ten should meet. and SO on and when
only one remained, he should, on these two days,
dine by himself and sit the usual hours at lS soil
tary table; but the first time he had SO dned, lest
it should be the only one. he SHOULD then uncoTk
the first bottle, and IN The first glass, drink to The
memory of all who were gone.
Some thirty years had now glided away, and on
lyten remained; but the stealing hand OF time had
written sundry Changes in most legible characters
Raven locks had become grizzled; two or three
heads had not as many locks as may be reckoned
in walk of half a mile along the Regent Canal
one was actually covered with brown wig
the crows feet were visible in the corner othe eye
good old Port and warm Madeira carried it
against hook, claret, red burgundy and champagne
-stews, hasheS, and ragoutS rev INTO favor
Hall TO- t., at1gtt tfa rI1e
after dinnar-conveTSato was less boiSterous, and
turned chiefly upon politics and the state OF the
funds, or the value of landed Property-apologies
were made for coming in thick shoes and warm
stockingS-the doors were more carefully provided
with list and sand-bsgs-the ire was in more request
and quiet game of whist filled up the hours
that were wont TO be devoted to drinking, singing,
and 1iotous merriment. Two rubbfrs, cup of
coffee, and at home by eleven O'Clock, was the
usual cry when The fifth sixth glass had gone
round after the removal of the cloth. AT parting,
too there was now long ceremony in the hall,
buttoning up of great coats, tying on wo2llen
comforts fixing silk handkerchiefs over the mouth
and up To the ears, and grasping sturdy walking
canes 10 support unsteady feet.
Their fiftieth anniversary came, and death had
indeed been busy. Four little old men, of wither
ed appearance and decrepet walk, with cracked
voices and DIM TayiesS eyes, sat down by the mercy
of heaven, Gas they tremulously declared) to cele
brate for the ffeth time, the first day of the year,
to observe the frolic compact, which half centu-
ny before, they had entered into ut the Star and
Garter at Richmond. Eight were in their graves!
The four that remained stood upon its confines
Yet they chirped cheerily their glass, though
they could scarcely carry il to tleir lips, if more
than half full; and cracked their jokes, though
they articulated their words with difficulty, and
heard each other it'll still greater difficulty. They
mumbled, they chartered, they laughed, (if a sort
of strangled wheeling might lie called laugh,)
and as the wine sent their icy blood in warmer
pulses though their veins talked OF their past
rs If 1t were but a yesterday that had slipped by
them; and of their future as if 1t were but busy
century that lay before them.
at length came the LAST dinner; and the Suryl-
vor of the twelve upon whose head four score and
ten winters had showered their snow, ate his sol-
tary meal. 1t so CHANGED that it was in his house
and at his table, they celebrated the first In his
cellar, too had remained, for eight and forty years
the bottle they had then uncoIked, reccrked, and
which he was that day to uncork again. 1t stood
beside him. With feeble and reluctant grasp
he took the "frail memonap' of youthful VOW,
and for moment memory was faithful 10 her Of
fee. She threw open the long vista of buried !
years; and his heart travelled through them all.
Their lusiy and bthesDme spnng-their bright |
aud fetvid summer-their ripe and temperate au- |
tumn-their chill but moi too frozen winter. He
saw, as in mirror, how one by one the laughing |
companions ofthat merry hour at Richmond, had |
dropped into eternity. He felt the loneiyneSs OF
his condition, for he had eSchewed marriage, and
in he veins of no living creature ran a drop of
blood whose source was in his own and as he |
drained the glass which he had filled, "to the
memory of those who were gone' the tears slow
ly trickled down the deep furows of his aged
face,
He had thus fulfilled one part of his VOW, and |
he prepared himself to discharge the other by sit
ting the usual number of hours at his desoate ta-
Bile. With heavy heart he resigned himself to |
the gloom OF his own thoughts lethaIgic sleep |
stole over him-his head fell upon his bosom
confused images crowded into his miud-he bab-
bled to himseI-was silent-and when his ser.
want entered the room, alarmed by noise which |
he heard; he found his master stretched upon the
carpet at the foot Of an easy chair, out of which
he had slipped in apoplectic stroke. He never
spoke again. nor once opened his eyes. though the
vital spark was not extinct until the foowingp ny.
And this was the LAST DINNER.''
D1Eytounrx AMoNo rnr BANxs.-The notes of