The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-02-19


a strange, foreign language. The old gentle
man would give him no respite, Bdt AeikinI
him BY the leg would pull him doEh, Bsa
him soundly and draw hia neekeloth tighis
round bis neck by the buckle, after whioi
the nephew would beesms mannsrly aud 90
bsr again, and the dancing lesson 80 on qui
city 10 its close.
These dancing lessons very nearly killed
the old Frenohman, but the dollar which he
regularly. received and the good wine which
the old gsntleWan brought out always took
him back ID hiS pupil. sften a. he resolved
never TO set his foot Ia that hateful house
again.
The people Of Grunwieaal looked on these
things very differently from the Frenehman.
they settled 10 their own minds that the
young gentleman possessed great talents for
society, and the ladies 10 the place all con
graduated themselves suffering as they did
from great lack Of 'gsRtlemsn-on the ae-
QUESTION Of 80 ylB5rbus dancer for the com
ing winter
One riofhlnf lhI Haldi returning from
market deBgiltd tB tiitlt muSter and mis-
tresses a singular incident. They had seen
an elegant carriage standing before the
strangers house and a servant In rich livery
holding the step Two gentlemen had enter
ed the carriage, the servant sprung into the
boot behind, and the earriage-only imagine
it-droye stralgh, of To the house Of the bur
gomastrr.
Everywhere people were in raptures with
the two strangers, and regretted only that
they had not made their acquaintance earlier.
The old gentleman showed himself TO be n
well'brcd, sensible man, Who laughed little
TO be sure, in everything he said, rendering
il difficult to know whether he was in jest or
earnest, but who talked Of the weather, the
scenery and the pienies TO the cave In the
mountains so politely and shrcwdly that eve.
ry one was delighted. Rpi, the nephew
lie bcwiiohed everybody, he Non all hearts.
A. for hia exterior il was impossible to call
him exactly handsome. file lrwer part Of
his face, especially his jaw projected too far,
and his complexion was extremely dark,
while occasionally he made the most remark
able grimaees, shutting his eyes, and snnb-
ping his teeth together queerly, hut people
found the shape Of his features exceedingly
interesting. "He q an EngIshmnn," people
said, "they are all so. We must not be too
particular with an Englishman."
Towards his old uncle he was very submi,-
siye. for whenever he began to jump too vi
vaeiously about the room, or a. he .semed
particularly inclined to do, draw his feet up
undsr him on his chair, n single stern glance
from the old man served TO bring him TO or.
der at once. And how could one be angry
with the young man when his uncle in every
house said to the lady, MY nephew Is still a
little raw and uneultivated madam, but | an
icipa,e much from the modifying effect pro-
duced by your society, and ! implors your
forgiveness for any gaueheries he may happen
to be guilty Of"
Thus was the nephew at length introduced
to the gay world, and all Grunwiesel spoke
of nothing else for the two following dayG
but this great event The old gentleman re.
nounced his habits Of retirement and seemed
wholly to have altered his mode Of thought
and life. In the afternoon he went with his
nephew 10 the cave in the mountain where
the more important citizens of Grunwiesel
drank beer and rolled ninepins. Here the
nephew showed himself skillful master Of
the game, for be never threw less than five
or six balls. Occasionally a strange humor
seized him. It happened more than once
that he rushed like an arrow down among
the ninepins with one Of the balls, usaLing a
dreadful racket, and when he made a spare
or ten strike the fancy sometimes came
over him 10 stand erect on his nicely curled
head and extend his legs high into the air, or
If carriage happened to pass, before one
knew what he was about he would be seen
sitting on the top Of the vehicle, making the
most ludicrous grimacoS, and AFTER riding n
short distance would return with prodigious
leaps aud bounds to the party he had quit
ted.
The old gentleman at such incidents az
these was wont to beg ten thousand pardons
Of the burgomastOr and the other gentlemen,
for his nephew's sccentricities Ttey in re-
ply would laugh, ascribe such conduct to his
youthful spirits, declare they had been just
the same in their youth, and admire the
young springal. as they were pleased to call
him, immensely.
In this way the nephew of the stranger
came before long, to be held in high favor in
Ihe city and environs. mo one could recall
EVER having seen young man like him in
Grunwisssl before, ana he was indeed the
'trangest apparition which had ever visited
heir borders. No one could accuse him Of |
cultivation of any possible kind except per
naps little dancing. Latin and Greek we're
both Greek to hlhi. AT d round game at the
house, it once fell to his lot to
DC obliged to write something, aud 1t was
ound that he could not even sign his name
Il l. L II