The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-03-10

came at the burgomasters house, it once fell to
his lot to be Obliged to write something, and it
was found that he could not even sign his name.
In geography he made the most stupendous
blunders; for he made no hesitation in locating
a German city in France, or q Danish one in
Poland He had read nothing; he had studied
nothing; and the priest often shook his head
significantly over the dreadful ignorance of the
Young gentleman. Still, in spite of this, every
thing he said and did was held to be excellent
for he was mpudent enough to insist always on
being right, and the last words of every remark
he made, we're 81 understand this much better
than you"
The scenes of his greatest triumphs, however,
were the Grunwesel balls No one danced so
perseveringly, none so vigorously as he; no one
made such bold, snch graceful jumps. His uncle
dressed him for such occasions in the newest and
handsomest fashions; and, although it was i'm
possible to make his clothes fit, yet everybody
considered his dress charming. The gentlemen,
new style which he introduced Hitherto the
burgomaster had always opened the ball in per-
son, and the most highly born young men ex-
ercised the right Of regulating the rest of the
dances; but since the young Englishman's arri-
val total change had been brought about
He would seize the prettiest girl by the hand
without leave or license, take his place with her
in the figure, manage everything precisely as be
,o1oo l.; ~,
lord, master, and king of the ball But as the
ladies found these manners extremely elegant,
the young men dared not venture on resistance,
and the eccentric nephew retained unopposed
his self-assumed dignity and rank
Such was the behaviour adopted by the ne
phew at balls and parties in Grunweisel. AS is
too often the case in other matters bad habits
come into vogue much easier than good ones,
lie ridiculous has ever something in it highly at
tractive for the young, who have not yet formed
an accurate or sensible Judgment of themselves
and the world So it was in Grunweisel with
the nephew and his extraordinary manners
For, when the younger world perceived that the
young stranger won more admiration than he in
Cured rebuke for his awkward habits, his loud
laughter, and his insolent answers to his Seniors
and that these passed merely as evidences Of his
spiritual nature, they thought to themselves =
"Nothing is easier than to make myself exactly
such another spiritual brute - They had for
merIy been Industrious, clever youths but now
they thought 'Of what use is learning, when
ignorance carries man so much further -
So abandoning their books, they spent their
time in dissipation on. the streets
Till now, the Grunweisel young men had en-
tertained proper dislike to rough and vulgar
demeanor; now they sang all sorts of vile songs,
smoked huge pipes Of tobacco, and spent much
time in low pot-houses, for with them they re-
sembled the young Englishman At home, or
on a visit, they lay down in boots and spurs on
the ottomans; at assemblies they tilted their
chairs, or put both elbows on the table In vain
their older friends represented to them how fool
ish how disgraceful this behavior was; they
referred to the shining example of the nephew
1t was said to them, in vain, that certain de-
gree of rudeness must be forgiven in the nephew,
in consideration Of his English birth; the young
Grunwieselonians declared that they had as good
a right as the best Englishman in the world to
be vulgar in spiritual way. In short, it was
general complaint that gentlemanly breeding
and behavior had been entirely eradicated from
Grunwiesel by the evil example of the young
stranger.
But the pleasure of the young men, in theil
rude and reckless life, was of short duration, fol
the following incident changed the whole aspect
of affairs. A great concert was resolved upon
, to close the winter amusements tobe given part
ly by the regular city musicians partly by skill
full amateurs of Grunwesel The burgomastel
played the voloncello, the doctor the bassoon
with great skill, the apothecary, though he had
no ear, blew the flute. several young ladies of the
city had studied arias, and every preliminary had
been carefully arranged. The old stranger ex.
pressed the opinion, that though doubtless the
! concert would be admirable as it was he noticed
. that no duet wasincluded in the programme, and
; that a duet was as every one knew, a necessary
! element of every concert This opinion occa