The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-04-01

or seven making conversation. They had
got very friendly, and one expressed her
hope that they should see more of one
another "My sister yonder" (pointing to
a damsel of eleven) is at home every We'd
nesday from three to seven. We should
be so glad to see YOU"
Instead ofthe indiscriminate rush which
used to follow the announcement of supper
when we were young, these dignifed ju-
veniles went down in couples, and talked
the same twaddle on the stairs which their
seniors use-inquiring sedately of one
another whether they had been lately to
the theatre, or were going out of town.
AT the repast itself, it was thought vulgar to
admire; as for bursting into applause at
the sight of any gorgeous dainty, as youth
was surely wont to do-to have given way
to such an impulse would have been
considered barbaric. On the other hand
deprecatory criticism was as freely ex-
changed as among the most fashionable
grown-up society. Professor Puzzleton's
son and heir, aged seven, happened to be
my neighbor. He was prosecuting his at
tentions to little golden haired fairy on
the other side of him in most characteris-
tic manner. Having inherited the faculty
of analytical investi cation from his parent,
he was taking the gilt off the coniurers
tricks which had just been performed up
stairs, and preaching to his beloved OBJ
ject upon the text of the hollowness of
things in general. Presently he took up
highly ornamented cracker, and in a
loud and distinct voice the very echo of
his fathers lecture-room tone-observed,
'These crackers were made at home"
| saw the color come into Mrs. House
wife's face when, on finding it did not ex-
plode, he added: "Ah, 1 thought So"
Another young gentleman of somewhat
less tender age, who, it seemed to me, had
quit as much champagne as was good for
him, was ceaseless in his opportunities for
port.
sport wine, l say !''-"Port wine, wW
YOU" were the observations he addressed
to every waiter, with increasing irritation.
Now in his ignorance of the tastes of the
rising generation, their host had provided
no port wine, and the Indignation of his
very respectable butler at its being de-
manded in this public manner was charm
ing spectacle. saw him growing redder
and redder with each reiteration of the re
quest, which he nevertheless affected to ig-
more. When the little ladies retired from
the table, some of the little gentlemen re-
manned to discuss matters of general inter
est, with their little legs as wide apart as
they would go, and their little thumbs in
the arm-holes of their waistcoats, and
among Others was my bacchanalian friend,
as lmportunate as ever. "They have got
no port in this house think of that !" he
cried.
Then Housewife, wishing to discover
the young gentleman's reason for wanting
port, as well perhaps as to remove this
stigma from his character for hospitality,
caused bottle of the desired liquor to be
brought
"Now, why were you so anxious for that
wine, my young friend!'' inquired he.
swell, you see, I've had deal of dam
cing and though your 'Fizz'" (by which
he meant champagne) sis we'll enough
there's nothing like port wine to pick a
fellow up"
From subsequent inquiries, discovered
that this gentleman had seen, as the novel
lists say, only thirteen summers.
Surely Housewives remark upon the
probable extinction of the genus Mtans Of
fcinalis-the common child as used to be-
was not without good grounds.
oh pouuSt W duu, HOWeNcT, IHdJ luc
rising generation are as sharp as needles;
perhaps their brain forced into immature
activity, will soften at the period when it
was wont to become well seasoned and
mature; but at present their intelligence is
acute. During the course of that evening
Professor Puzzleton entertained us with one
of the very best conundrums that l ever
heard in my life. 1t was one of that COM
plicated kind it is true, which excited the
wrath of Sydney Smith, who deemed that
a man should not be hurried to execution
without being permitted to explain the
relation of his "third" to his "fourth :" but
it was excellent for all that:
"1n my first my second sat;
My third and fourth ate
The answer to which is like Columbus's
egg problem, very easy when we have
learned what it is.
| Insdtidte.
Our Juveniles applauded it exceedingly,
and quite appreciated it; but what was
still more curious, when the Professor adj
ded as pendant to the above,
"Under my first my second stood
think you'll own this quite as good"
there was quite roar of Juvenile voices,
that had all guessed right
Let us hope my grown-up readers have
been equally sagacious.