The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-10
IR JONAH BARRINGTONs PLATE.


F. criptive charm, is more than his match in
Inventive power. His ''Memoir"-bating
hat small quality of truthfulness--is, how |
bver, amusing. 1t is true, in his account of |
rish extravaganza and reckless living, it |
would have been hard for him to err on the |
Bcore of exaggeration. The social condition |
bf Ireland, at the time he speaks of, was one |
pf unbridled license, and any eccentricity of |
onduct was pardonable if it only contained |
bome humoristic ingredient or some droll |
situation. He makes, however, at times,
Fery high pretensions to morality himself,
knd takes a stand in censuring the habits Of
the day, which, if we could only suspect him
10 be serious, would be simply gross hypo-
brisy and there is a story told of him which
he has not included in his memoirs, but
which is fully as indicative of the habits of
bis day as anything recorded in that veracious
history
Sir Jonah, though Judge of the Admiralty
Court, and in receipt of very fair income,
fhad contrived, by the liberal use of great
variety of vices, to embarrass himself to
that extent that he was reduced, as last
resource, to make terms for his retirement
from office, and escape to the Continent,
where he could live unmolested by creditors
and untortured by duns.
To do this empty handed was however, no
part of his plan; and to evacuate the fortress
with bag and baggage was matter which re-
moment of unusual pressure Sir Jonah had
been reduced to pawn all his plate-of which
he had considerable quantity-some beng
of family origin, and, consequently, especi-
ally dear to nature so impressed with feu-
dal regard for ancestry, and very feudal con-
tempt for common honesty.
This plate had been confded to the keep
ing of certain well-known pawnbroker called
Dan Malone, a man of some wealth, but
chiefly celebrated for the hardness of his
bargains and most miserly disposition. He
was dry, laconic, ill-natured old fellow,
with whom few but the poorest people ever
dealt, for, be it remembered, men and
women of condition at that period were not
above resorting to the pawnbroker's in their
moments of pressing necessity. Dams for
bidding exterior and coarse manners, how
ever, excluded him completely from this walk
of business, and limited him to clients of the
humblest order
Whether for greater secrecy in the trans
action, or for some other motive unex-
planned, is not easy to conjecture, but it was
to this man that Darlington resorted in his
emergency. The plate was pledged for some
hundred pounds, which he could not now
z command, and he was very unwilling to quit
the country, and forfeit-as he should do
such a valuable deposit.
He had already made arrangements for a
little farewell dinner to some ten or twelve
n were Bishop of Waterford and Chief JUS
tice of the Common Pleas. There was also a
peer-I believe Lord Granard-and three or
four were men high at the ''Bar, and already
looking to the 'Bench." 1t is important to
bear in mind the rank and social standing of
the company to understand-what, indeed, is
the chief pOrtee of the anecdote-the social
morality of the day. To these choice friends
he communicated his plan of action and OBJ
tanned their pledge of concurrence and sup
port.
This done, he repaired to Malones house,
which stood in an obscure part of the town
called ''Smock Alley. ''Dan," said he, gaily
as he entered, ''don't look glum at me, ole
boy, I'm not come to ask long day for the
interest. or try to squeeze ten-pound nott
out of you; it's another errand brings me
here. There are two or three old friends o.
mine-Chief Justice Fitzgerald and DR.. Mar
ley, Bishop of Waterford, amongst them
who have great desire to make your acquaint
ance. They have heard of your quaint DIR.
humor, your sly drollery, and that ad
mirable gravity which you preserve il
your funniest sallies and they asked me t
make up little dinner and include you in thu
company / hope you'll not refuse me; on
day is Thursday next; promise now, like
good fellow, you'll be one of us.
Overwhelmed at first by such an honor
Malone no sooner recovered himself than h
impossible it would be for man in his sts
tion, and with his habits, to mix in such con
pany He was equally prompt, too, in dis
claiming the very slightest pretension to th
qualities of wit and humor ascribed to him
''Come, come, :" said Darlington, ''you ma
refuse our society, if you will. You may sa
you'll not know us, and can't help it; bl
I'll be shot if you shall do it on the plea th
have mistaken your talents or misled n
friends on the subject of them. Why, ma
that don't carry away some dry bits
Irish humor, some quaint morsel
native drollery, that makes the fortune
the next time 1 dine out. You forget, Da
that YOU see great deal of life; that sui
men as Lord Granard and Tom Conol
know nothing about you, perceive nothil
strange, nothing odd, in these varieties
character; but they are all new and interestil
to others, and every remark you make up'
them has its priceless value besides.
BY great deal of fattery, and by the u
of persuasion which never had the appei
ance of persuasion, Sir Jonah at last gain
over the old fellow, and it was agreed that
should find himself in Henrietta street at
o'clock on the following Thursday.
''By the way" said Sir Jonah, as he reach
the door, lit just occurs to me you have {
some plate of mine-some OF the old b
rington silver, haven't you 2"
'Yes, Sir Jonah, said Dan, with 81
pectful glance of the eye.
''It will look strange in celebrating fam
anniversary-it is my fathers birthday-if
receive my friends without my hereditS
plate. I'll tell you what you can do for me, d.
l. -. Il 7. l. \