Mariposa Democrat., 1857-04-22
From the New York Spirit of the Times

From the New York Spirit Of the Times.
a Hnnd-Round supper In Alabama.
Among the most perplexing of the small ca
lamities to which civilized humanity is heir
none, for time being, are better calculated tc
disturb good humor, and upset equanimity
and radically take the conceit out of man
than to find himself placed in situation, in q
drawng-room or at. an evening party where
prompt decision is indispensable, and neither
guide or precedent is at hand to indicate the
course to be pursued. These petty annoyan.
ces are sometimes magniied by circumstances
into positive distrcsses. There are things more
comforting in life, there are situations more to
be envied, than that of man cropping in the
terra incognita" of fashionable society, com.
PEELED to act without previous acquaintance
with its usages, and painfully conscious that
the slightest ignorance or inadvertence will be
duly heraded as the +" best joke of the season.
A little sympathy or disposition to relieve
from embarrassment is felt or manifested by
the generality of man or womankind towards
a suffering victim. There is only one instance
on record of courtesy and true politeness where
gentleman, at his dining-table, drank off un-
hestatingly the fnger-bowl of tepid water, in
order to keep in countenance an unfortunate
guest, whose obvousncss Of that institution
had led him to despatch at a gulph similar
bowl to appease his thirst This exception,
confirming the general rule, adds this general
truth as another argument in support of the
theory Of innate cruelty. And hence, many
an unhappy soul is allowed to founder about
in all the mazes of gauchrie enduring agony
the most pitiable, until he is slowly and ten
derly drawn ashore by some fendsh Chester
field, who, in his mission of mercy, takes good
care that every body present shall have fair
view of all the "points of the animal )" or, un.
Ill the poor devil, discncumbered Of all remain.
ing sense, with desperation Of resolution, ad.
eqnate to the most forlorn hope, cuts the Cor.
dion knot, and relieves himself from his dilem.
ma by incontinently taking to his heels-va.
mosing. The latter was the inglorious cxpe-
dent adopted by Bill Brisson at the memora.
Bile tea-fght" that came off at Gen. Jones
on the first of May, Anno Domini ls4--. But
we must permit Bill to relate his "hair-breadtll
'scape' in his own language, as he narrated il
last winter to an admiring crowd assembled in
the social hall of Warrior river steamboat
"Speaking of agtil. fires, gentlemen, | was
in one once; but as long as my heads hot III
never be so caught again-never. You are al
acquainted with Miss Angelina Jones--Genera
Jones' second daughter; about fifteen years
ago, you know, she was beauty, and no mis-
take
Tho most peerless piece Of earth think
| That e'er the shone bright on"
| was sixteen years old-Angy, as endear
ingy called her in my heart of hearts, wa'
twenty-cight; still, Byron-like loved her, ant
with devotedness that had noparallel outsid,
of fashionable novels feel queer when
think of her now. The spell this paragon hat
over me was wondrous an accidental lool
transfxed me, and set watery vapor float
ing before my eyes; a word set hundred
jewsharps playing in my ears; her touch
gave me absolutely buck ague. In short
was heels-over-head, many fathoms deep il
love-encountering, in imagination, multitudi
nous perils for her sake; had saved her, in my
waking dreams, at the lowest calculation, from
the sinking wrecks of thirteen steamboats,
three hundred runaway scrapes in carriages
and on horseback, fought and killed twenty
seven men in buckram, in duels on her ac
count, took to rhyme and melancholy ant
whisky, and, to cap the climax, engraved hel
initials, A. j., on every beechen tree within
a circuit of five miles-an operation by which
was fast acquiring notoriety, in politica
way, some wng having made people belev,
that a. j. stood for the hero of tho Hermit
age, until an evil-dsposed person, much to my
detriment, interpreted them to signify a jack
ass
About fifteen years ago was invited, by
the latest imported method, to take tea at Gen
Jones' That invitation was an epoch in M
life; it was the first public acknowledgment
of my sixteen year old manhood, and | resol
we'd to CO. Now, one word about my raising
and the position of the Jones family in society
My parents, you know, belong to the plain
substantial, respectable, but unhJalutin class
and regulated their household economy ac
cordingly; when we slept we slept in beds, am
when we ate our meals we sat down to tabl
! on which the eatables were placed, with ser