The Portland daily press., 1865-11-13

their normal appearance, tn2I champagne
TASKS were mbroken, and That neither salt
nor mustard" (which every picnicker contriyes
somehow or another to forget) Was in this par
ticular instance mislaid or forgotten.
It is to be observed that there is an "obelisk'
TOPPING this hill, raised there, as have heard
as a sort of landmark for vessels approaching
the Shore Near to this o0elisk stood, when
/ was suddenly aroused by slap on the
shoulder, accompanied in a moment after by a
stentorian but exceedingly pleasant voice. roar
ing into my ear the unexpected exclamation
Of
fellow"
1t was question under any circumstances
easier to ask than to answer, and SO felt it
at that moment to be; so l suddenly confront-
ed my questioner, and answered him by the
simple monosyllable,
"Sirw
In moment the strangers flor such he
was) hat was in his hand, and in the spirit of
an Irish gentleman, whose tongue seldom fails
him, his answer was ready, and his apologies
amply and frankly made. He had mistaken
me for another, and made his excuses for the
liberty he had taken with my scapula in a
spirit OF earnest simplicity which went to my
heart at once.
Our mutual explanations led to further dis
course, in the course of which told him my
name and occupation, and learned from him
that he was solicitor in good practise, and
had been detained in court later than he wish
edit was then five o'clock; and that his fam
lily and friends had preceded him to "the hill, .
and We're now, he supposed, either murmuring
at his delay, or soothing their ruIfled spirits
over quarters of lamb, chicken pie, and such
like calmatives to wounded mind.
81 suppose" he said to me at last, "that you
ohout n ha in fv I,o
same way as myself, and therefore it is un-
fair in me to detain you longer from your
triends.n ts5 iJE
II have no friends here" was my answer,
land L am only out on tour of inspection,
and mean to go back to my dinner at the
hotel"
"By your leave, then," he said to me, good
hnmoredly, "you shall do no such thing, if I
can prevent it, | am as hungry as hawk,
myself, and could not reconcile it with my
conscience to send man seven or eight miles
to look for his dinner when tolerable meal is
within stones throw of him. Do me the
favor to waive ceremony, and take what in Ire
land we call pot luck with me for once in
way"
"But as a stranger, sir, have no claim to
your hospitality.0 aHza q-&E
"Parlon me-" he interrupted; "you have
just stated the best claims any man could give
)
least, SO we think IN ireland, at all events. As
to your being a stranger and all that, it is got
over in moment, and ] will manage to spare
your bushes. will introduce you to my wife
and friends, as Mr.. Grantham-since such is
your name, you say-an English client of
mine, just arrived, and whom have induced
to accompany me. But we are wasting time,
meanwhile, and if we don't quicken onr move
ments we shall come in for the lag end of the
feast"
To hungry and solitary man such an offer
was not to be refused, and l followed nv i'm
promptu host, and in ten minutes found N.Y.
self introduced in round robin sort of a way
to party numbering at least forty persons
some young, some old, and some middla-aged:
some OF the male sex, some Of the female
each and all of whom seemed to take nv in
trusion as compliment, and to be delighted
that another item was added to their social ag-
gIegate
eyes, my love, SAID my jolly new friend to
his wife, very distinguished looking lady,
whose eye glanced pleasantly both at him and
me, Il assured Mr.. Grantham that you would
be delighted to welcome him, and that If he
didn't like your cookery he need not try it
again. by the by, he will repay it in more
ways than one, for he sings like an angel, and
will join Evelina in duet that, as Shake
peare has is, would draw nine souls out of one
weaver; so that your hospitality shall not be
sqnandered for nothing on nobody
"But l never sing with angels, papa," said
the brilliant Eyelina, bright and beautiful
blonde OF eighteen who was seated opposite
me, land even the rustic of their wings would
put me out and frighten me.a
You need not fear being put to the test,
Miss Riverside" 1 answered in the same tone,
"since, SO Tar as my musical capabilities are
concerned, your papa's Irish imagination has
galloped off with him; bat have the quality
OF being good listener, and can enjoy hear
ing good song, though cannot sing one.~
I'VE will test you, bye and bye, however
she said: sin the meantime recommend you
to try this raspberry tart, which is an excel
lent preparative to clear the voice."
She helped me as she spoke, and challeng-
ed her to glass OF wine, for the privilege Of
keeping up that glorious old fashion seemed to
be acknowledged there. Insensibly was at
tracted to the fair Evelina, who, though she
formed single star in TIE galaxy, had for me
an interest superior to the rest "
Neither did it end there; the days enioy-
ment ushered in night of enjoyment quite
as great. After dinner we broke into groups,
and wandered on and around the hill. BY this
time my spirits had risen almost to fever
height; bad dropped from the Clouds" as
might say, and yet so well had / played my
cards, that everybody seemed to like me, to
pet me, and to wish that "we might often
meet again." My old feeling about Lilly had
received what pugilists call "settler;o 1
did not even envy Sir Jasper his bad bargain;
began to feel that If had a liver at all, it
was now in a perfectly normal state; and by
sort Of "metastasis' (so my physician used
to call it) that my heart was the organ which
/ should hencefOrth look out for the engage
ment of most heedfully. s.rs4D /
As / walked accompanied by doctors wife
on one side of me, small plump, pretty, and
merry, and on the other side by charming
widow, somewhat past her premier jeuaesse,
but whose eye still spar kled as brilliantly as
ever, and whose temperament appeared to be
combination of solid understanding and
sincere and honest desire to be useful to every
human being that came in her way, was still
further confirmed in the business of my incipi-
ent feeling towards the beautiful Eveline. Her
friends, (female friends, too) spoke of her no
bly,, as one who was the idol other family, and
yet unspoiled by it, and equally the idol of all
who even like myself could only feel sort of
intuition that she deserved the worship and
admiration which universally attended her,
In the evening we adjourned to the house of
Mr.. and Mrs. Hazlewood, the former "one
of the best fellows breathing" as every one
called him, and as have since found him to
be, and the latter only second in beauty to
Evelina, and who backed the excellent uuali-
ties OF her husband by additional good quali-
ties OF her own. Here we literally ssmade a
night of it," and did not "go home till morn
ing-till daylight did appear Did / dance?
Yes-with Evelina. Did sing? did, and
with Evelina, too. Did make a speech when
called upon by general acclaim to return
thanks when-the toast of "The Ladies' was
proposed after supper? OF course did, and
with fluent tongue and "surcharged heart.n
as l called it there and then, Commenced eulo-
Eyalina in particular. In fact, everything i
undertook ON that auspicious day was "a sue
cess" and when on returning thanks when nv
own health was proposed, ! clapped the eli
max by honestly acknowledging the ruse rrae-
tised in my favor by @my dear friend Rivers
dale" and by as candidly owning who l was,
and what / was, and that my present inten-
ton was to postpone nv departure from Ire