Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-21

termiDed TO have little social reunion, aud
with this view cards of Invitation were issued
10 various friends, and on the evening dssig-
mated quite crowd Of persons assembled 10
The parler of Mr.. L., on - street. 1t
wes eight O'clock. aud nearly, IL not quite,
all the invited guests had arrived, wheD the
ringing oftke door bell announced still an
other conner. This,last arrival proved TO be
quite an elderly gentleman, and as be was
usheted into the drawing-room by the serV
ant, q general whisper of 'Dr. F." ran
round the room. Who can DR.. r. be 2 was
the hurried inquiry of several guests who did
not seem to be acqusinted with the gentle
man, and whose attention had been drawn
TO him by the eager glances bestowed on
him. The Doctor looked round the room
with something like an uneasy feeling, but
his apparent Irepidation was quickly re.
lieted by the sudden appearance Of
mine host" The astonishment OF the lat
ter parsonage when he heheld the we'll
known features of DR.. +. seemed to exceed
even the puzzled countenances Of the guests
q few moments previous. However, the
landlord was not long in finding out the
cause Of. DR.. F,'s unexpected visit. The
Doctor stated, in the hearing of all the COM
paDy, that about half an hour before he had
been waited upon by a msn who requested
his professional services Immediately, 30 at.
tend upon Mr., L., whom he represented as
very i'll, and considered in a critical condi-
tion-hence the Doctors sudden intrusion.
The joke was instantly perceived by the
company, and received with suppressed
laughter by all except Mr.. L., who was evil
dently displeased. The disciple of Esoula.
Plus soon took his departure, apparently
relishing the joke to as great an extent as
the company had.
The Aaffair sfOrded no little gossip to the
ladies and gentlemen assembled, but had
ceased to be discussed, and other subjects
were eugrossing their attention, when, to the
utter smazeTDent of Mr.. L., gentleman wsa
shown into the room, who was Immediately
recognized as a neighboring undertaken
I his visitor, as soon as be saw Mr.. L., turned
deadly pale, and for few moments looked
as if he would sink to the floor. Recover
ing his self'possession, however, an explana-
ton was quickly made, which turned out to
be, that some heartless wsg-the s6me, no
doubt, that sent the DOctor-had requested
the undertaker's presence at Mr.. L.s resi-
dence for the purpose OF taking the gentle
mans measure for a cofin-he having but a
few hours previously departed this life OF
course Mr.. L,'sindignati0n knew no bounds,
and the company, who felt very much dis,
posed to treat the matter as a decidedly rich
joke, were compelled through respect to
the feelings of Mr.. L., to elongate their
countenabces to as great an extent as if the
body of their host was really "laid out" ia
the room. After q short time, quiet was
| again restored-the Doctor and the under
taker were forgotten in manner,
Sand all went merry as a marriage bell"
When, lol another uninvited visitors
| preacher this timel AS the reverend gentle.
| man, mufBed to the chin, entered the apart.
nent, it would have been difficult fer one to
decide which of the two--Mr. L. or the cler.
| gyman-was the more surprised. The
| preacher, finding gay and festive scene,
as ATtemus Ward would say, where he evi
IDENTIFY anticipated general gloom and mourn
ing, was go greatly astonished that he looked
from one to another for an explanation. Mr.
| L., suspecting in moment how matters
stood, approached the minister and asked him
the object of his visit The latter, in verJ
embarrassed manner, related how that q per
son unknown to him, had called and re
quested his services in ministering to thu
spiritual wants of Mr.. L., who, he said, wa
dying. The messenger who carried this in
telligeuce to the preacher directed the latte
to Mr.. LIS residence, and then started of
hurriedly on some other mission for thu
afflicted family.
4 The rascal doubtless intended that tn
preacher should be on hand in advance O
the undertaken, but somehow or other tn
latter party was the first to arrive. Th
cleTiesi gentleman, after indulging in shor
serin6n on the Wickedness of the times, a
which be alluded in no complimentary term
to the preparations which seemed to be goin
on for a shop" took his leave. Mr.. L
waited upon him to the hall door, and wa
just in the act of closing the door, when
policeman stepped up, and demanded to b
shown up stairs where the "distur bance' wa
going on! "What disturbance" roared Mr.. L
The officer explained that he had just bee
informed around the corner that terribl
fuss was progressing in his house, and seen
the lights in the upper rooms, and hearin
noises, that he interpreted to mean "help,
&c, be had considered it his duty to step i
and quell the affair.
just here, the writer, who luckily haI
pened to be in the neighborhood, passed til
house aud seeing the policemen, right
judged that something was up. Pushing il
we CLEANED the foregoing facts from the pei
secuted Mr.. L., who after relating all the pal
ticulars to us, sneakingly insinusted that W
had some completely in the matter-thf
being hard up for an item, we had adopte
this wretched plan to get up sensational
one. OF course we denied the charge en-
phatically, and promising Mr.. L. not to So
, any thing about it in the papers, went on ou
way. We consider the affair too good to kee
| Irna h A.,