Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-04-18

nCSs Ol human beings 10 CO0'riVe 50 "a 10 DC
nowhere at all at any given time. The bill
of fare included score Of dishes, in soup
fish meat, poultry, game, pastry. and conIcc
tions; all with names chat made them ten
times more luxurious. yet, must own, 50
unintclligiblr, that choice was ont Of the
question. thought Of shutting my eyes,
| and tasting something Mt random; but qualm
! came over me us ] reflected on the stories
had heard of the continental cuisine including
frogs, snails and the ox's liver called yulgarlv
in England cats meat. ! looked Mt my
Frcnchman; but he was looking at me. lie
would not have begun before me for all the
world; and when in hungry impaticncc.
graspcd at something, that turned out to he
ovcrdonc boiled beef under the name Of bouil-
Ii, SO far from stareing at me with the con
tempt | perhaps deserved, he helped himself
largely to the humble fare. Eating, they
say, wants only beginning. My next ven
ture was upon biftik au natnrcl, then upon
cotcle;tos dc mutton, and then upon the giSot
which always comes last. The Frcnchman.
though looking with the eye Of Il connoiSseur
| upon the tempting dishes around him, was
true to his social principles, and followed
rightly the tastes, extraordinary as he might
think them, Of his fellow trayeller-so that
in the midst OF all sorts Of delicacies, we made
Il magnificent meal uroniboiled beef and beef
steaks, mutton chops and leg of mutton.
After all. 1t was very satisfactory. We
felt our selves expanding like the German
adv-who had now vanished, for she re-
sided at the place; and we looked at each
, other with increasing kindiincss and good
hum0r. Suddenly the Frcnchman filed his
tumblcr half full of wine, and he held 1t out.
Il rOtrC sdntc' cried he. and in an instant |
was ready for him. and brought my glass
against his with, ] regret to say a fatal col
lison. for it smashed it in pieces and split
the wine. ! was bitterly ashamed Of my awk
wnrdncss. 1t was the first timc'l had prac-
tiscd tbs fashion. which they call TjHf",r,
and should have been more cautious; but the
conduct Of Ry companion WAS very admirable.
lie actually seemed to take it all upon him
self, begging my pardon in the humhlcst
manner for the outrage had committed, in
dcmoi-hing mans glass, who had merely
invited me in u friendly way to take wine
with him.
The worst Of it was, the walters and the
other guests were excessively imludent; not
that they said nythins-thcy .uc?cr do on
such occasions. but they looked ut each other,
and then BIT their lips, and grinncl horribly
10 rcrrCss smile. rs for the hostess. who
had been looking at us "a good deal. she cover
el her face with her handkerchief and rrecipi
lately left the bar Both the lrenchman and
| were much annoyed, and looked iealously
from face to face 10 watch for an occasion Of
hostilitics; but by degrees the thing was for
gotten, and capital glass Of brandy and wa
ter made Us all right, thought by the
way, that my companion would have taken
the alcohol neat, for | had known his country
men express great disgust at our weak warm
mixture: but he was trump throughout,
and no mistake.
Our attempts at conversation at table
were very few, for did not like to expose my
slight acquaintance with the language before
a mixed company; but when we were fnirly
rcseatcd i'll the cOupce, after a plentiful din
ner and a reasonable allowance Of wine and
brandy, we went at it again with a will On
such occasions. one has Il full, comfortable.
jolly feeling, which ovcr-throws the barriers
of reserve and for my own part ! talked
away as if was a Frcnchnan born only a
good deal out in the grammar, and idiom,
and meaning Of words. Ny companion was
equally communicative, AMI although he took
great pains with my ignorance, but little
more intelligiblc; and 50 we kept hammcring
at onehanothcr during a great rart of the
Ii7". ",'" TO- ~''''1'~ '''''-- - perseverance
deserved.
Even alter fell asleep. the same thing
was continued for hours in my dreams. |
thought was speaking against the French
man for "a wager OF Il tumher Of wine; when
the contest was over. we each claimed to he
the winner; and while struggling for the prize
the glass smashed in our hands, and the
liquid de,ccndci,'o over the whole earth in great,
round, perpendicular drops. Whcrcupon
awoke 1t was the sound Of the rain that was
in my cars, mingled with other noiscs-dp"n
down, down--spash splash, splash--rumhlc,
rumble, rumble. Presently the coach stop
ped; we hai arrived at the town where was
to lose my companion.
lie was no more than in time for the
vehicle hy which he was to turn off into
another route; and when ! stood to sec him
mount, holding my umbrella over his head
it was with real emotion bade him farewell.
could not help thinking at the moment
what n pleasant time we might have passed,
and what a permanent friendship we might
have formed, had we only understood one
another language we'll enough to converse
freely. thought no more of my rs and Is IN
French speaking but wringing him by the
hand. bado him adicu in my own language
.Gool.by,' said |; God bless You =
1 What = cried lie, in Ihc same tongue,
'arc you an Englishman
| 10 he sure! and you Jupiter-Jovis-
| Joyi-Jovem- uliter-Joye!
'Moutcz monsieur, montcz shouted the
coachman.
what Il terrible mistake! But you speak
the language 50 admirably ---
III never tried it Till few days ago,
while you seem 0n Old experienced French
man-quite a -
'Montez, montez' Sacro'-nous soinme'
rartis' Ne-e-c,'
We bundled him in while the vehicle wa
actually in motion, and | saw no more o
my travelling companion.
EquEsTEtANisW E1rRAoRDINAKY.-A cores
pondcnt Of "Liic illustrated gives the fol