, 1861-12-05
The Congress and the Agapedome.
A Tale OF Peace and Love.
CHAPTER I.

| in the manner of the military biographers that
Jack Wilkinson was as brave a man as ever
pushed bayonet into the brisket Of a French
man, should be telling confounded lie, seeing
that, to the best Of my knowledge, Jack never
had the opportunity Of attempting practical phle-
botomy. | shall content myself with describing
him as one Of the finest and best hearted fellows
that ever held her Majesty's commission; and
no one who is acquainted with the general char
acter Of the officers of the British army will re-
quire higher eulogium.
Jack and were early cronies at school but
we soon separated, having been born under the
influence Of different planets. Mars, who had
the charge Of Jack; Of course devoted him to the
| army; Jupiter, who was bound to look after my
interests could find nothing better for me than
situation in the Woods and Forests, with a
faint chance Of becoming in time subordinate
Commissioner-that is, provided the wrongs OF
Ann Hicks do not precipitate the abolition oi
the whole department. Ten years elapsed be-
fore we met and regret TO say that, during
that interval neither Of US had assembled many
rounds of the ladder Of promotion. As was
most natural considered my own case as pc.
Culiarly hard, and yet Jacks was perhaps harder.
lie had visited with his regiment, in the course
of duty, the Cape, the 1onian Islands, Gibraltar,
and the West Indies He had caught an ague in
Canadn, and had been transplanted to the north
Of Ireland BY way Of cure; and yet he had
not gained higher rank in the service than
that Of Lieutenant The fact is, that Jack was
poor, and his brother officers as tough as though
they had been made Of caoutchouc. Despite
the varieties Of climate to which they were ex-
posed, not one of them would give up the ghost |;
even the old colonel, who had been twice des-
paired Of, recovered from the yellow fever, and
within week after was tapping his claret at the
ness-table as jollily as Il nothing had happened
The regiment had bad name in the service I;
they called it. believe, "the Immortals"
Jack Wilkinson, as have said, was poor, but
he had an uncle who was enormously rich. This
uncle, Mr.. Peter Pettigrew by name, was an old
bachelor and retired merchant, not likely, ac-
cording to the ordinary calculation OF chances,
to marry; and as he had no other near relative
save Jack, To whom, moreover, he was sincerely
attached, my friend was generally regarded in
the light Of prospective proprietor, and might
doubtless, had he been so inclined, have nego-
tiated loan, at or under seventy per cent, with
one Of those respectable gentlemen who are max
ing such violent efforts to abolish Christian egis.
lation. But Pettigrew also was tough as one Of
the Immortals," and Jack was too prudent 4
fellow to intrust himself to hands so cminently
accomplished In the art Of wriuging the last drop
Of moisture from sponge. His uncle, he said,
had always behaved handsomely TO him, and he
would see the whole tribe Of Issachar drowned
| In the Dardanelles rather than abuse his kind
ness by raising money on . post-obit. Petit
grew, indeed, had paid for his commission, and,
moreover, given him fair allowance whilst he
was quartered circumstances which
rendered II extremely probable that he would
come forward to assist his nephew as soon as the
latter had any prospect Of purchasing his COM
pany.
Happening by accident to be in Hull, where
the regiment was quartered, l encountered VIII
kinson, whom found not whit altered for the
worse, either in mind or body, since the days
when we were at school together; andat his in
stance agreed to prolong my stay, and partake
Of the hospitality Of the Immortals. A merry
set they were The major told capital story,
the senior captain sung like fncledon, the cuisine
was beyond reprOach, and the liquor only too
alluring But all things must have an end. II is
wise to quit even the most delightful society be-
fore It pals upon you, and before It is accurately
ascertained that you, clover fellow as you are,
! can be, on occasion, quite as prosy and Tidicu'
lous as your neighbors; therefore on the third
day declined renewal Of the ambrosial ban.
| quet, and succeeded in persuadiug Wilkinson to
| take quiet dinner with me at my own hotel.
| He assented-the more readily, perhaps, that he
appeared slightly depressed in spirits, q pheno-
menOn not altogether unknown under similar
| circumstances ra
After the cloth WAS removed. we bepan 10 dis.
course ,tnon our resnectiye iortunes not omittinc
the ns,iai COMPLIMENTARY remarks which. IN such
moments of cnnfdence are aDnlied Ia ones supe.
riOrs, who may be very thankful that they do not
possess preternatural power Of hearing. Jack
Cured in bis REGIMENT, and that he hai now an
onnortnnity. conld he Jepost the money. of get.
tine his captaincy, But there was evidently a
screw loose somewhere.
LT must own.n sail Jack. 1that Il Is hard.
after having waited SO long, to lose a chance
Which NAV not occur again iOr years; but what
can doP You see I haven't got the money; so
suppose must lust bend to nv luck, and wait