The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-07-05

more than ever not word could get
out of her. As last Barnabas made his
appearance from the kitchen, and to him
1 addressed myself. "Barnabas," said
1, laying my hand upon his arm, ~
conjure you, as you value my happiness,
to tell me if Mr.. Wolstang is at homer"
"Sir" said Barnabas, with long
stare.
repeated my question.
"Did you ask" replied he, "if Mr..
Wolstang was at home? If that gentle
man is yourself, he is at home. O yes,
warrant you, my mester is at home"
"In what place is he them" / inquired
"Wherever you are he is not far off, 1
warrant you, master"
"Can find him in his study?"
40 yes" continued Barnabas, "if
you go to his study, warrant you he'll
be there. VIII you please to walk in.
sir ?' and could see the fellow put his
finger to his nose. AS soon as was in
the study she burst into loud laugh,
which ended by her declaring that
must be mad" Or drunk" quoth the
sapient Barnabas, in his usual dry
manner.
On entering the room, no person was
to be seen; but from behind large
screen, which stood fronting the fire, /
heard sneeze. "This must be VOL
stang" thought l "but it is not his
sneeze either; it is too sharp and finical
for him; however, let us see." So
went behind the screen, and there be-
held, not the person 1 expected, but one
very ditferent-to wit, a little, meagre,
brown-faced, elderly gentleman, with
hooked nose and chin, long well pow
dered queue, and wooden leg. He was
dressed in a snuff-coloured surtout,
scarlet waiStcoat, and black small
clothes, buckled at the knee; and on
his nose was stuck a pair of tortoise-shell
spectacles, the glasses of which were of
most unusual dimensions. a dapper-
looking cooked hat lay upon the table,
together with a large open snuff-box
full of rich rappee. Behind his right
ear pen was stuck, after the manner
OF the contingencies, and he seemed
busily poring over book in manu-
script.
looked a few seconds at this oddity,
equally astonished and vexed ut being
put into, what naturally supposed the
wrong room. 81 am afraid, sir" said 1,
as he turned his eyes towards me, "that
L have intruded upon your privacy.
beg leave to apologize for the mistake.
The servant led me to believe that Mr..
Wolstang, with whom l wish to speak,
was in this chamber"
" Don't talk ofapology, my dear SIR"
said the little gentleman, rising up and
bowling with the utmost politeness. "Be
seated, sir-be seated. Indeed l am
just here on the same errand-to see Mr..
Wolstang-eh, la sneeze,) that rappee is
certainly very strong. Do me the hon.
our to occupy the seat opposite. l un-
'derstand from the servants that he is
expected soon." Another sneeze.)
For the first five minutes / did not
form very high opinion of this new
acquaintance. He seemed to have all
the fidgetty politeness, and intolerable
chit-chat of a French petit mditre of the
old school. He bored me with questions
and apologies, hoped felt myself COM
Portable; and every interval of his
speech was filled up by intolerable gig
glingand sneezing. In order, as it were
to increase the latter, he kept snuffing
away at a preposterous rate; and when
he addressed me, his mouth was drawn
up into most complacent smile, and
his long nose and chin, which threatened
each other like nut-crackers, thrown
forward to within foot of my face. |
However, in the next five minutes he
improved upon me, from some very
judicious observations, as l thought, |
which he made, and in five more i be-
came convinced, that Notwithstanding
his outward frivolity and sneezing, he |
was far from being an ordinary man.
This impression gained such strength,
in short time / entirely forgot all my
previous irritation, and even the reasons
which brought me there. l found that
he had complete knowledge of the
different philosophical systems of the
day; among Others, that of my favour
ite Kant: and on the merits of the
school in the north Of Germany, founded |
by the great metaphysician, his opin-
ions and mine Tailed to a point. He |
also seemed deeply conversant with
the mathematics. This was subject |
on which l tlattered myself l had few |
equals; but he shot far ahead of me,
displaying knowledge which scarcely !
any man in Europe have matched,
He traced the science downwards, in
all its historical bearings, from Thales,
Archimedes, and Euclid, to Newton,
Euler, Leibnitz, and Laplace. In al
zebra, geometry, and astronomy, his
information was equally extensive.
From several hints which he threw out
l learned that he was not stranger to
the science of geomancy; and he gave
me to understand, that he had cast the
nativities Of several individuals belong
ing to noble families; and that as their
horoscopes pOrtended, such invariably |
was their fate in after-life. Nor was his |
knowledge confined to these abstruser
branches of science. 1t embraced the |
whole circle of literature and the fine |
arts. Poetry, criticism ,philology, paint
ing, and sculpture, seemed to be equally !
within his range. He descanted upon !
them, illuminating his positions from
such vast source of illustration, that