The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-08-12
MISCELLANY Y,
I'd Esessr From Chambers Journal
AT THE HOTEL DESSIN.

What win you walk with me about the town
And thengo to mine inn and dine?5
n9ut &. tas'i COMEDY OF ERRORS.
''To the Hotel Dessin," said /, putting
the book in my pocket. e :
deny that am romantic; deny, un.
equivocally, that am influenced by ficti-
tious sympathies. I never was an IDEAL
ist in my life; never mean to he one:
and yet l told the coachman to drive me
to the Hotel Dessin. scags gag mstf
The fact was, that I had been reading
the Sentimental Journey all the way from
St Omer; and when reached Calais,
and jumped into a .tfacre, the name rose
to my lips almost before was aware of it.
So away we ratified through tangle Of
gloomy little streets, and into the court
yard of s'mine inn." 20 .u1a edTa
An aristocratic-looking elderly waiter,
with a ring and a massive gold watch
chain, sauntered out from a side-ofice,
surveyed me patronisingly, and said, in
the blandest tone: 9a4eai 81. ri
what is it that monsieur desiresg'
ga private room to begin with. AT
what hour is your table d'hotes"
"We have no table d'hote at the Hotel
rDessin," replied the waiter, lang,lidly /;
four visitors are served at their apart
ments." -..t.g 5.....
"Then let me have dinner as speedily as
possible, and a good one, remember"
He looked atme again, as implying
that my tone was not sufficiently deferen-
tial- yawned, rang feeble little bell,
and sank, exhausted, upon bench beside
the door. A pretty chamber-maid attend
ed the summons. n .r7,ve-1 az9.4
''Marie, conduct monsieur to one of the
vacant rooms on the corridor by the gar
den. And, Marie, on thy return, nv
child, bring me a glass of absinthe and
wat r."Tv ..ur.gg .fe-faS ears. Il
Leaving the gentleman extended on
the bench in an ostentatious state of eanui,
| followed the neat little feet and ankles
of my conduetress up stairs and along a
passage full of doors. One of these bore
an inscription which at once arrested my
attention and my footsteps -SrERsE'sf
Room. ag Ts1 8 an q
..Stay, mademoiselle ~ | exclaimed :.
f'can l have this one''
Marie smiled and shrugged her
shoulders. "Certainly," she said, un-l
locking the door. ''rhe chamber is at
monsieur's service. The English adore
it. And why! Because somebody or
other slept in it many yeas ago. How
droll they are, these English! Com
ment! is monsieur English? Cielt-
what mistake have committed. Mon
sieur will never forgive me-" ou ri
1t needed, however, no great amount
of protestation on my part to convince
Mrdemoiselle Marie that was not in the
least affronted; so she drew up the blinds
busted the table in pretty Intellectual sort
ofway with the corner of her little apron,
hoped that monsieur would ring if he re-
quirod anything, and tripped gayly out
of the room.
As for me, I threw myself into chair
and surveyed my new quarters. A por-
trait of Sterne hung. over the FIREPLACE
1t was painted ON panel, oval-shaped,
dark with age and varnish, and looked as
though it had been taken during his visit
to Calais-if one might Judge by the
cracks and stains on it. The cheek rest
ed ON the hand; the eyes were turned full
upon me with that expression of keen PEN
etration which characterizes every one of
his portraits. l sat for long time look
ing at it. till the waiter came and prepar-
ed the table. 5s6 dseI ed Ho.i1a 50
"And now, garcon," said |, after a con-
siderable interval, during which / had
been very satisfactory cmployed-"and
now, garcon, do YOU really mean to tell
me that this is Sterne's room?" atE7
'Upon my honor, monsieur, replied
the waiter, laying his hand upon his
heart.
"But how can you be certain after
three quarters ofa century,, or perhaps
more, have gone bya'a adgs
..The event, monsieur" said the waiter,
'.has been preserved in the archives of the
house. We pledge ourselves to the YER
aeity of the statement"
/ surveyed the man with admiration
He was the grandest waiter I had ever
seen in my life, and l had had some little
experience, too. az. $50 ..s,-.sss.F
e "What wine does monsieur desire for
his dessert? 2" R5.il# .72lS
ID i hesitated. Under ordinary circum-
stances, | should have said port or cham
payne; bns his subimity abashed me. /
ordered a bottle of Johannisberger.
70 my right lay delicious garden,
radiant with beds of verbena and scarlet
geranium, and flooded with the evening
sunlight. The great trees nodded and
whispered, and the windows at the oppo-
site side of the quadrangle shone ike
FURNISHED gold. 1 threw open the jal-
oaoies, wheeled my table up, plucked one
of the white roses that clustered outside,
and fancied | could smell the sea-air.
And so" said /, complacently peeline
my peaches, ''this is actually Sterne's
room! He once sat beside this easement
where am now seated; looked out into
this garden, where, But who knows
Peahaps the opening scenes of the Senti-
mental Journey were even written
in this chamber, and her am l with the
book in my pocket. Now, this is really
delightful! Yorickn and | poured out
o.,