Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-19
RIDLKYs LOVE AFFAIR


cation" when Sydenham-Iovingly termed
the "Doctor"-and your humble servant wert
breakfasting with our common friend, Duval
great legal luminary, at his chambers in
Plumd Court Temple. The long vacation, q
most civilians are aware, is that ungenial sea.
son when briefs are no longer sOwn broadcast
but are merely dribbled in as sheriff's court
or sessions case may render necessary; when
outstanding fees are carefully gathered by
provident clerks, whose shadows become more
and more attenuated as they noiselessly glide
about the inns Of court, dreaming of terms,
and signing for the fatness Of Hilary and
Easter.
The locus in QuO-to speak prOfessionly-oi
our matutinal.repaSt was not so much mat
ter Of choice as Of compulsion. According to
the original draft Of our campaign, we should
have been seated, not in Pump Court, but on
the cold and craggy peaks of the Grand Mu-
lets. Various untoward circumstances had,
however, conspired to battle our aspirations.
examination, and had sentenced himself in
consequence to six months imprisonment and
hard labor. Sydrnhan who was grinding at
the mill VI medical science, with his intellt Ct
ual eye upon the college," was suffering like
character. In performing his celebrated nee.
romantic feat Of breaking . poker over his
arm, he disqualified himself for scaling accliv-
tiles by severely bruising his shin. My own
little domestic calamity was more touching
and not quite so ridiculous. Having, after an
unusually prolonged rGLse deur temps with
u most ethereal partner, been induced to take u
mOOnit ramblc into the conservatory, we had
just begun to enjoy the unspeakable charms
Of 8, clusiUn, when l was suddenly seized
with most violent fit of Sneczing, which
speedily drew public attention to our retreat,
and nipped our delightful tet, -a.tate err it had
scarcely unfolded its blossoms. Between cold
and mOrtifiratiOn, had no desire for cont.
mental travel, but remained gloOmily in town,
tOiIing hourly at sonnet ON 'Inhucnza, Vi
which ] purpOSed Sending to Maria as a me-
mcntO Of that fatal night, and winch had
not yet finished satisfactorily, thoughmy sui.
icIingS for three weeks had been very acute.
"What has become Of little Ridley ?" in.
quired the Doctor, as he curiOuSly disscctcd a
Uox of Sardines.
"Gone to Jersey, believe" replied Duval
on love misSiun-re Laura Blanchhowcr; q
case on which We have already advised. "
| He is a special original if ever there was
|
Iyrs is gone by, or little Ben, with his great
soul, would long since have perished at the
stake. A small piece-well done-thank
you.
Does he walk in his sleep now p" asked
Duval. "He was perfect ::Amina' when We
were at school together. One night, I remem.
pcrcolating through the floor, acted as an ex.
| cha,rar hnNh EOr h.
ment of Monsieur Mercredi, our irritable old
French master, who slept immediately be-
meath.
"You should have seen him at Exeter Hall
listening to Mendelssohn's Ath0Iie," observed
the doctor. "There he sat, speechless, with
his eyes raised to the ceiling apparently LOST
in solemn rapture. He told me afterwards
that he had q presentiment he should marry
widOw-Cayenne, please.
can tell you better story than that,
said Duval, laughing. "When Ridley suppeG
with our friend p, one night last summer
he was taken very i'll, and p made him
up bed in the chamber which Oliver Gold
smith once occupied, and where II Is stated ht
wrote one of his best works. Well, Ridley
inspired, suppose, by the genius loci, had &
drt ANA terrible dream-sO he described il
He fancird he was in China, in Pekin, where
all is sunshine. pagOdas, babies feet, aud satin
slippers. Suddenly . procession came in
Sight-A most magnificent widow, under O
flaming pariSOl, and attended by her slaves
She glanced at Ridley, and killed him ut on,
shot. Her beauty was magnetic; she drew
him along he st,Ovc to turn remembering
Laura. but he felt that where she went he
must follow. Poor little Ridley, his heart
shifting him for his Inconsistency; still he went
on, till the widow, killing him more and more
by her smiles, conducting the martyr to sort
Of tea gardens, where, in q hinese summer.
house, she sat down. and presented Ridley
with cup the size Of an acorn, swcetly rc.
quested him to till it from a tea-urn in the
ntrr Of the garden. Two hundred and for
ty.seven cups Of strong Bohea did that luxu.
riOus widow consume, aud As many times did
little Ridley run backwards and forwards, till,
overcome with fascination and fatigue, he al
length sank exhausted at her feet. Il was
then that to his horror and bewildcrment, he
discovered that the widow had glass eye
and he woke up, shivering all over as IL he
had got an aguc. From that time little Rid
Icy has had a dismal prescntiment that he
shall marry most inexOrable widow.
When we had done laughing at Ridlcy'S
superstitiOuS t, rrors, SydcnhAln observed
that he thought their eccentric but eStima6lt
little friend was engaged to that handsome
girl whom he met at Matlock.
"Well, he corresponds with her," said Du-
val, land suspect has now gone on visit
there; but he has never proposed exactly,
because he fancirs in his extreme cOnscicn
uousneSS that hc is not quite rich enough
Ii any thing should happn to his old WEIGH
aunt, then, lOll drums nerrily. march away"
The above conversation tOuk place, as
nave mentioned, Ovr the breakfast. table nl
Du>al'S clanb Rs, where those univei sally in.
tcre>lins SuhjcctS-matI iMI0ny aud MutilnS-
We Z l,equeLtly dist uSS with libe. ality and
rhi.o>Oplic cand"r. Little Ridlry's mOloma
"ia was utterly iMcxplicable. A phantom
wI'lOA conir"nted and appalled, him wherever
lie WI mt. Yet he was cOnStitutiOnaIlv brave,
aid dcvOtcdly attached to Laura, before Incl
dcntally referred tO, and who, have been
iulorn',d Il and believe, entertained for her ar
dent but respectful adOrer that pure esteem
which is the nicely nlAca,lanliz d dthOrNughfarv
leading direct to the dwCling1acr Oi Love
Ridley'S introduction to his enchantreSE took
place under remarkable circumstances. Lau
rn, fine, flashing, and high-spirited girl. war
driving pair Of young horses in phWtOn,
when they took fright, and Laura, though 4
good whip with strong nerve, lOst oil com
| ,,,.uA kha,,, Tse.I.. .lo,, H. o.,.