Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-05-17
CAPTAIN TIGHTFITTS
Account Of his last Dinner. Party.

My favorite entertainment is dinner
party. I have come to the time Of life for
it. An evening party is all very well for
women and young people; but the mature
OF the robust sex require the solid charms
of dinner. When | retired from the army
and set up house with Mrs. Tightfftt in
-, we quickly fell into nice circle of
dinner giving acquaintance, with whom we.
have ever since lived on the terms Of the
greatest amity. Times may change-con-
soils may be at 78, and half Manchester at
half-time-but it never makes any differ
ence in our nice quiet town. | am afraid
some Of my friends do not epinsytie ytis ayyeell. {
furnished tabie the less, when the conver-
sation turns upon las prominent newspa-
per subject) the distresses of the couatry.
My friends, however, like myself, are all
moderate men, engaged in the cultivation
of the Responsibilities. We deprecate ex-
cesses of whatever kind, and always feel
extremely sorry when any of our acquain-
tance begins to show symptoms of want of
self-control. So existence goes with US, as
with thousands of other well-of people,
who have little else to think of than how
to live in as pleasant a manner as possible.
We had very nice party at Sobraon
Lodge last Tuesday afternoon, ten guests
being present, most of them married coup
les. The gentlemen being all Of them lov-
ers of good wine, and accustomed to the
best, deemed it necessary to set forth the
primest qualities my cellar could afford
Besides Sherry and Bucellas on the table
at dinner, we had Champagne and Sauterne
handed about; and | think the consumption
was three bottles of the former, and two of
the latter. At the conclusion Of what, [
believe, may fairly be described as an ele-
CANT dinner, we had ice, chased by brandy
and other cordials. The whole went off in
capital style, and left the company in the
finest possible humor. AS [ looked along
the table, my heart rcjoiced in the joy de-
picted on the friendly faces which met my
gaze The cloth being removed, the de-
canters were brought forward and set in
circulation-frst that ancient binity, Port
and Sherry, in double slider upon wheels !;
then Madeira, followed Immediately by a
small black bottle of Amontillado; finally,
the silver-handled jug; being five in all.
The ladies took their statutory glass each,
and then retired to the drawing room, to
discuss bonnets, the characters of nursery
maids, and the other profound, but to them
selves exclusively interesting questions
We gentlemen, seven in number, sat still
to have little quiet chat over ouT'wine.
The conversation proved to be of a cu-
riously mixed character, all owing to two
of the company, who chanced to be deter
mined takers, but who on this occasion
were set upon two totally opposite topics
Quarterly-and old officer, like myself
would speak of nothing but wine. DR.
Bowtell-a medical man, and philanthro
pist-was eloquent on visit he had latel,
paid to large manufacturing town, AM
some inquiries ne had made into the hab
its of the humber class of its inhabitants
Each kept up his own strain of talk with
out much regard to the other, some of tn
company listening to and joining with tn
one, and some with the other, according a
they severally could command attention
whether by the interest of their topics c
the emphasis and vociferation with whic
they discussed them. The consequence
was, the most curious set of cross-reading
which it was ever my lot to encounters
That's capital Sherry of yours, Tigh
ftt,' said Quartley; may ask whel
you got it?'
By all means. A friend of mine pic7
ed up two gross Of it at the sale of the ce
lar of the Spanish ambassador, and he
me have small share Of the spoil
, very high?'
, 20, enormous; eighty-four shillings.-
I don't grudge it, however, since it h
: turned out so fne.'
Here the company in general help
: themselves to the mbassador-looked CT
! ically through their glasses, drank, smack
= = their lips, and allowed their countenauc
: to settle down into tone of knoWingne
: mixed with satisfaction.
= : Well, as [ was saying I made a tour
the aOy,ads, attended by policeman. '
:, started at eleven o'clock at night, and spe
" two hours in making our round Su
. scenes we saw surface-drainagee everywhe
including the creaking stairs Rooms
! fourteen feet by twelve, strewed with th
y ty-eight half-naked human beings, of
. ages and both sexes. Such an exhibit
T, of what vice and that odious habit of dril
y ing will reduce humanity to, it is absolu
- = ly sickening to think of. If the chol
:" come, what harvest he must meet W
j. in that fostering mass of misery? Wit
~ ~ few streets we have the residences
~ placid well to-do citizens, who seem tota
10 unaware of there being such focus of ]
~ thence in their neighborhood'
~ ~ I am told, Tightftt, that Port has ra
: er been coming in again of late. Whe
= was in London, in the spring, made C,
r full inquiries to see if there was such a tn
y as really good old ripe article to be /
and was told that kind of vein of it
lately been hit upon in Ireland, OWN,
me the breakup, | suppose, ofa few old fan
ur cellars, in the late revolution of propt
,ne there. l secured very small parcel, wi
md had come out of Castle Puddle in Cou
er, Down, celebrated by Sir Jonah Barring
the for its hospitality "a dreadful price thou
the How much !?
ten "A hundred and 6ve Perfectly fri
Eek Eek full, isn't itP
ck- 20, why, it may not be too much f
Ind genuine dry Port, as Ports once were.
ide must let US taste it some day, Quartley
ma ma l asked my guide if there were n
e to thieves among these wretched people.
will said he, there is every kind of wicked
!, of here And to what do you attribute
ry.' said I, that there are such hordes of