True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-11-17
.STEUBENVLLE, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1853

D ratus, TO his intimate disgust, go. entan.
gled with the two old maids, ant had not
wit enough to extricate himself.
"Who is tina, tall distinguished looking
gentleman" asked her majesty of Rom
! ulus. indicating Aurelius, who was cir.
culating in very large and erratic orbit,
among the clustering consultations Of
youth and beauty, like regulating comet
in the social system. ;~
"Thai," answered the king is Aure-
Illus Superbus, 10 whom we have delega.
ted the duties Of Symdosiarch. He is
our Rex Convivii to-day. He is a great
traveller and has seen the world ;-visi-
ted Greece recently, and brought back
all the new fashions, and cook from
Athens"
can AIhenian cook !" said her maies-
ty, "oh then it was indeed vile cal,
umny."
What was"
"Never mind"
Both mused. Romulus thought of
the prospects Of his scheme. The Sa.
bine qneen looked forward 10 dinner by
an Athenian cook.
The banquet was announced. All start.
ed. Aurelius broke off in the midst Of =
discussion about Homer with Mistress
Lavinda, the fair patritian, whose literary
turn of mind he had at once discovered,
and with infinite delicacy invited the at
tenlien of the guests to internal comforts.
The assemblage turned towards that por-
ton of the grove savred to the delights of
appetite. And what an assemblage it
was. Life, light and beau.y, how devoted.
ly the brave Romans studied the fancies
of their fair companions. How mean
and utterly contemplate did the selfish
and unheroic men of Cures, show in con-
trast. And the fattered danes and dam
sells (; how radien,ly they beamed upon
their newly found gsllants. The battle
of love was more than half wen already.
The dinner THAT was almost enough
to complete the conquest. Never had
The genius of Aurelius' cook shone SO re.
splendently as now. Every arrangement,
was complete and exquisite. 1t was all
The cook; bu: as it always happens the
glory rested with the master. A buzz of
admiration saluted the ears of the Sym.
posiarch.
Close to line of messy banks, far
more luxurious than the artfully contrived
discubitori which long after became the
fashion, the tables were conveniently dis
posed. The efemenacy Of accubation
was then, happily. unknown among Ro.
mans, and the soft verdure of The terraces
offered the most agreeable resting places
TO be imagined. When all were seated,
how brilliant the spectacle! The excl
ted Romans, so long unused to the enli-
vening associations Of womanhood, could
scarcely restrain their overfowing Joy
Each had found fair companion conge-.
nial 10 his taste and temper. and the dull
Quirites, entirely unsuspicious and heed
ful only of the appetising Gelicacies before
them, failed to observe the effect produced
Upon their wives and daughters by these
new acquaintances.
".For whom is this vacant seat beside
your King" enquired Lavinia Of Azure.
lius.
My dear Lapinia," answered the
Symposiarch (he was getting on famous.
| ly,) "my dear Lavinia, that is subject
not lightly to be spoken Of The King
was SO unfortunate as to kill his brother
Remus in passion. Rcmus jumped
higher than the royal pleasure permitted
You shall have the details some day. IF
he had been poor devil, Romulus would
have been held 10 stern account; mon
arch's indiscrelions, however must not
be too severely scruenized. As it was,
the deed was fastened upon Celer, the
builder Of the wall which Remus leaped
over, and Romulus 10 keep up appear
ances, always has vacant chair set be-
side him on state occasions, in which the
weapons of his deceased brother are de-
posted. A cheap way Of securing the
sympathy Of The world"
All applied themselves to the banquet.
The first course was of stimulating vi
ands, richly prepared withodorous sauces.
Fish followed, dressed with not less art
and grace. Then in rapid succession,
came ducks and mutton, sucking pigs (;
warm as the first blush Of carly love, and
tender as a maiden's dream. Eggs in a
thousand fantastic forms. and vegetables
Of every character truffels, then
deemed dish sufficiently exalted for the
gods adorned the side tables Never had
the Sabillians witnessed display SO rich
and rare. The men Of Crues did not
conceal their amazed admiration. The
women, with more tact, affected TO consid-
er it matter Of course. and assumed an
easy unconcern. But inv ardlytheir hearts
beat with new and strange sensations---
the double effect Of enraptured palales and
entranced souls.
With the fruits appeared the drinking
cups, and wines sweetened with honey
and the Intoxicating calida, drawn from
ample a,heps@. The Romans whose
finest energies were soon to be called
upon, slipped delicstely from little horns
decorated with silver and gold, with the
exception Of Dra.us, who rendered des.