St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-03-19
THE FIRST AND LAST DlxxER.

IA h--~l--c ahont The cam.
age, and fixed Ly their pursuits, their h iaues
lily connections, and their local interests,
IS permanent inhabitants Of the metrvpo-
lis,o agreed, one day when they were drink
ing wine at the Star and Garter, at Rich:
nepd, to institute an annual dinner among
themselves under the following regula7
tivns: That they should dine alternately
at each others houses on the. first and last
day Of the year; and the first bottle Of
wine uncorked at the first dinner should
be. recorked and put away to be drunk BY
him who should be the last of their num-
ber,; that they should never admit new
member; that, when one died, eleven sho'd
meet, and when, another. died, ten should
meet, and so on : and that, when only
one remained, he should; on those two
days, dine by himself, and sit the usual
hours at his solitary table; but the first
time he had so dined, lest it should be the
only one, he should then uncork the first !
bottle, and in the first glass, drink to the.
memory of all who were gone. H."
Some thirty years had now glided away,
aud only ten remained but the stealing
hand of Time had written sundry changes
in most legible characters. Raven locks
bad become grissled two or three heads
had not as many locks IS may be reckon
ed in walk Of half mile along the Re
gents Canal-one. was actually covered
with brown wig-the crows feet were
visible in the corner of the eye-,good old
port and warm MADEIRA carried it against
hook, claret, red burgundy, and cham
pagne-stcws, hashes, aud ragouts, grsw
into favor-crusts were rarely called tor to
relish the cheese otter dlnner-conversa.
:tion.was less boisterous, and it turned chief.
~ on politics and the state of funds, or
the value Of landed property-apologies
were made for coming in thick shoes and
warm stockings-the doors and windows
we,e more carefully provided with lists
and sand -bags-the fire in more request
aud ! quiet game of whist filed up the
hours that were wont to be devoted to-
drinking, singing, and riotous merrriment.
Two rubbers. cup Of coffee, and at bone
by eleven o'cloek, was the usual cry, when
the 9Th or. sixth glass had gone round af-
ter the removal Of, tho cloth. :. At parting,
too, there swas now long ceremony in the
hall, ebuttoning up great coats, tying On
woolleu, comforte~, fixing silk handker-
chiefs eyer the mouth and up to the ears,
ane grasping sturdy :walking-canes 70 sup
port unsteady feet. >,,rI . ...s'9' AK ~
The 6ffieth anniva ia,i. ae,ri.sary came; and death
had indeed been busy. Four little old
men # H~ithered appearauce: and deerepit
walk, With cracked voices and dim, rayless
eyes, 81 down by the mercy Of Heaven,
| (ss they tremulously declared,) ID oeie..
ebrate, for the 6ftieth time, the firstd.ysof
the year, 10 observe the frolic conPact,
which, half century before; they had en-
tefedmW u the Star and Garter, at Rich
mond: Eight were in their gravesl The
four that remained stood upon ito confines.
Yet they ohirpcd eheerily over their glass,
though they could scarcely carry il 70 their
Hips, If moro than half full !; and, cracked
their jokes, though they articulated itheir y !