Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-09-16
Mistella
An Amusing Duel.

The following is an amusing history oi
an affair of honor which took place in
Munster (lreland) some sixty or seventy
years ago;
Albeit wild locality, SO far as natur-
al features Of the landscape were con.
cerned, yet the vicinity &C Barnagore, as,
tor the double reason of coacea lment and
euphony, | shall call II, was tolerably
peaccable place, viewed with respect to
Its inhabitants Barring the occasional
beating of a titlc'rrcc,or or ducking of a
sherffs officer, the country for miles
around the village which gave it name
vas singularly free from agrarian out
rage. The land was divided into moder.
ately.sized estates, each supporting the
hospitablc mansion Of country gentle
man, with his good naturcd wife,and their
handsome progeny. During a long series
Of years various iatermarriages had taker
place between the several families so
that, at the time write Of, there was
scarcely an individua! Of note in the
county who could not claim cousinship
with each and every ono of his neighbors.
One gentleman there was. however, who
wholly unconnected with the magnates OF
ths district. He wa. Mr.. Fooks, rich
old bachelor residing in very pretty cot
tage close to the boundary hedge of a
large estate which had lain TOR some time
unoccupied. The dwelling Of Mr.. Fooks
stood in the midst Of beautifully culti-
vated pleasure ground, wilderness OF
sweets, where the cn,erald turf of the
lawn was soft. and rich, and smiliug, as
though it lay in the heart of England's
sunny Hampshire. A kind man was Mr..
Books beloved by the squires, with whom
he never quarrelled, when in the heat OF
the chase, following the hounds in full
cry after Reynard, til, y trampled his har-
vest fields. He was beloved by them.
Say, notwithstanding his uniform deser'
ton Of the dining.room after the first
magaum of claret had gone the rounds ;
a grie,ious dereIiction from the rules Of
good fellowship, which would not have
been easily pardoned in any one else, but
Mr.. Fooks was privileged man, and, as
the ladies were won't to remark, sit was
really comfort to feel sure Of huving
one gentleman steady on his legs in the
drawing. room, SO that one mi ght venture
to give him cup Of coffee without the
chance Of having half Of it spilled on
ones best satin"
With the young people he was an cs-
pecial favorite. No better partner in
'Sir Roger dc Coverly," or merrier op-
ponent in the game of "Matrimony,"
could be found in the entire county :
while his skill in making i" hurleys for
boys, and carving wooden babies for the
girls, secured for him wide spread popu.
larity among the rising generation. BY
common consent he was known in the
aeighb0rhood as "Holy Fooks :" and this
epithet vas bestowed not 10 ridicule, bnt
as sincere acknowledgement of his sim
gularly blamelcss and useful life. Per.
haps it vas also meant to commemorate a
pecvliasity in his charaeter--he was new
CT known to fight. From the title-proc-
tss. Ehom he Hospitality entertained and
regularly paid-an unprecedented line OF
conduct, which caused that much-enduring
man to cxclaim, "Surc Barnagore would
be heaven upon earth if every man in
it was like Holy Fooks"-from the title
proctor down TO the urchins whom he OF.
ten caught snaring hares or cutting sticks
in his wood. he never abused or quarrelled
with any one. Yet Holy Fooks was no
coward, that the poor widow at the mill
could testify, whose fair.haired boy he
saved from drowning. by jumping into the
mill-ponJ at the imminent risk Of his