The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1854-07-09
For the Comet
A n NIGHT OF THE gin EES-RAG,
REGULARLY TAKEN is--trp ourDosE BY A COUNTRY
SCHOOL MASTER

mr. Comet,-Among the incidents
of the last GLORIOUS Fourth perhaps
not ing occurred Of more serious. and
at the sarne time amusing interest, than
The following story =
The fondness of young lawyers for
public speaking. whether from the
innate love of display. or from . sense
Of duty, believing the practice essen
tial to prepare them for the great after
requirements of their profession, it
matters not yet their fondness for
public defamation is proverbial and
almost by common consent that fruit
ful field for mental Development and
public distinction is yielded to them
by every other class of citizens.
Prominent among the distinguished
disciples Of "Cbitty on Blackstone for
his rare, long and ready eloquence,
is certain young Knight Of The
Green Bag in the city Of Baton
Rouge. Though young in years and
scarcely six months at the bar, yet
his fame for oraiory or eccentrleity, or
both, has extended beyond the circle
Of his own immediate neighborhood
Some six or eight days preceding the
advent of the last 4tl,, it was remarked
by all who knew him. that some deep
concernnent pressed uponh his thoughts
The knitted hrow-the fixed eye-tbe
clenched fist---tle quick reply or
seeming abstraction, when spoken to,
all all evinced that he was intensely
engaged in some great mental e|abo-
Grafton.
lie was seen day after day, and
night after night, pen in hand, tracing
the result Of his labors. Sheet after
sheet Of paper fell from his desk, bur
deped with his thoughts, till quires
were filled This done, the dllated
eye--the co'nplacent smile with
frequent bursts of l,ilarity and merry
chanting, clearly showed that he had
finished his labors, and that he viewed
the result with great deal Of satislfi-
cation, and self graduation.
Whether it was on account Of the
magnitude of the productions; Git filing
76 pages Of foolscap paper) the origi-
nality Of IDEAS. or the beauty Of their
dress. that was The source Of his seem
ing self graduation, we know not, but
certain it is, whether he felt The truth
of the latin adage or not nihX dictum
quad dtctum nm p,ius. he viewed his
performance as an oratorical triumph
worthy Of the 10Th century, aud al
ready realized in imagination, the pos
session Of that wreath and halo of
unfading glory, which should surround
his brow when he had pronounced the
Grafton before bis congregated fellow
citizens. Upon enquiry we learned
that he had been invited by letter to
make a speech on the 4th, to the citi-
zcns Of East Feliciana, at a barbecue
to be given in beautiful Magnolia
grove about eight miles from Clinton.
In response to this invitation be had
made the extensive preparation. His
outfit for the journey was on the same
magnificent scale HIS that Of his inten-
ded Grafton for be it known that our
young Knight Of the Greep-bag," be
longs to that class Of philosophers who
believe that success in the business Of
life depends upon the 'show and fuss
a man makes in the world. Accord
ingly the "Tattersal, " of our city, was
visited, and the fastest horse and finest
buggy which it boosted, was pro-
cured at the expense Of four dollars
per day, and early on the morning
of the Bird, while as yet many Of our
citizens had not shaken off tho slum-
bers of the night, and the grey light
of the morning had just announced
the approach Of the god of day in the
East, the quiet of Laurel street was
broken, by the rapid whirl Of his ve-
hicle as it dashed by, bearing the well
young lawyer to the field,
as he fondly imagined of"glory and
renown y On the morning Of the 4th
in company with one Of the committee
who had invited him, he arrived on
the ground at seasonable hour. The
stately Magnolias and green Olives
that shaded the spot and perfuumed
the air. compprted we'll with the sneak