The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-05-15

II
Mr.. Pinkney's client from the West, dress
ed in costume, was giving the Pawnee
| war dance. This client was rough I'M
educated man, but full of originality, and
whim. Mr.. Pinkney had gained suit for
| him, which the title to an estate in the
| neighborhood was involved, worth sixty
thousand dollars. The whole bar believed
that the suit could not be sustained by Mr..
Pinkney, but his luminous mind had de-
tected the clue through the labyrinths Of
litigation, where they saw nothing but con-
fusion and defeat. His client was overjoyed
at the result, as every one had croaked de-
feat to him. He gave Mr.. Pinkney fifteen
thousand dollars, five more than he had
promised, and had made him present OF
the splendid Indian dress, in which, as a
bit Of fun, before the frolic commenced, he
had decked himself under the supervision
OF his client, who acted as his costumer,
and afterwards dressed himself in the same
way. The client had great many Indian
dresses, which he had selected with a great
deal of care, and on this occasion he had
thrown open his trunks, and supplied near
ly the whole bar.
The name of Mr.. Pinkney's client was
Blackwood, and the admiration which he
excited seemed to give him no little plea
sure. Most of the lawyers in the circle had
something Indian on them, while the boys,
who could not appear in costume, and
were determined to appear wild, had turn
ed their jackets wrong side out, and swop-
ped with each other, the big ones with the
little, SO that one wore his neighbours jack
ct the waist of which camo up under his
arms, and exhibited the back Of the vest,
while the other wore coat, the hip but
tons of which were at his knees.
On the outskirts of the assembly could
be seen, here and there, a negro, who might
be said at once to contribute to the dark
ness that surrounded the scene, and to re-
fleet light upon it; for their black skins
were as ebon as night, while their broad
grins certainly had something luminous
about them, as their white teeth shone
forth.
We stood about minute admring the
dance; when it was concluded, some one
spied us, and pointed us out to the rest.
We, or rather, should say, Dogberry, was
greeted with three times three. l have new
er seen, for the size of the assembly, such an
uproarious outbreak of bacchanalian merri
ment. After the cheers had been given,
many of the boys threw themselves on the
grass and rolled over and over, shouting as
they rolled. Others !crkcd their fellows
hats off and threw them in the air. Pret
lyman stood with his arms folded, as if he
did not know what to make Of it, and
then deliberately spreading his blanket on
the ground, he took seat in the centre of
it, and, like an amateur at play, enjoyed
the scene. Morris held his sides, stopped
down his head, and glancing sideways cum
ningly at Dogberry, threw himself back
every now and then, with sudden jerk,
while loud explosive bursts of laughter,
from his very heart, echoed through the
village above every other sound.
"A speech from Nogberry,' exclaimed
Prettyman.
'Ay, speech" shouted Morris, "a speechr
No, gentlemen, not now,' exclaimed
Richardson, the proprietor of one of the
hotels i sent down to my house an hour
ago, and have had collation. served. Mr..
Pinkney, and gentlemen, and students all,
| invite you to partake with me-
'Silencen called out Mr.. Pnkney. All
were silent. Students of the Bel Air Acad-
envy, and citizens generally, have the
honor to announce to you, that my friend
Mr.. Dogberry, is about to supersede Mr..
Sears. We must form procession and
place him in our midst, the post of honor,
and then to mine hosts So speaking Mr..
Pinkney descended, followed by Dogbcrry
and myself. The students gave their can
dies to the negroes to hold, joined hands,
and danced round Dogberry with the wild
est gleo, while lie received it all in drunk
en- dignity.
When | have seen since in Chapman's
floating theatre, or in barn or shed, in
the far West, some lubberly, drunken son
of the sock and buslin enact Macbeth, with
the witches about him, l have recalled this
scene, and thought that the boys looked
like the witches, and Dogberry like the
Thane, when the witches greet him
All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter =
The procession was at length formed.
Surrounded by the boys, who rent the air
with shouts, with his nightcap on his head
and his blanket around him, with one boot
and one shoe, Dogberry, following immedi-
ately after the judges, proceeded with them
to Richardson's hotel. Whenever there
was silence of a minute or two, some boy
or other would ask DogDerry not to re-
member on the morrow that he saw them
out that night.
No, boys, no, certainly not; this thing,
| understand, is done in honor of me.
shant take Sears in, even as an assistant.
Boys, he has not used me WE'LL
We arrived at Richardson's as we'll as
we could, having business on both sides of
the street. His dining room was very
large one, and he had very fine collation.
set out, with plenty of wines and other IL
quors. Judge Willard took the head of
the table, and Judge holland the foot.
Dogberry was to the right of Judge Will
lard, and Mr.. Pinkney to the left. He
made me sit beside him. The eating was
soon dispatched, and it sllenced us all Il
little, while it laid the ground work for
standing another supply of wine, which
was soon sparkling in our glasses, and we
were now all more excited than ever. 1t
was amusing to see the merry faces of my
schoolmates twinklng about among the
crowd, trying to catch and comprehend
whatever was said by the lawyers, particu-
larly those that were distinguished.
Songs were sung, sentiments given, In-
dian talks held by quantity. Dogberry
looked the while first at the boys, then at
the lawyers, and then at himself, not know
ing whether the scene before him was a
reality or Il dream. The great respect
which the boys showed him, and Pinkney
making an occasional remark to him, seem
ed at least not only fully to impress him
with the reality, but also with il full, if not
SOBER conviction Of his own Importance.
"A song song? was shouted by doz-
en- Of the larger students; "a song from
Morris. Give us down with the peda-
goguc Sears Hurrah for old Dogberry
Dogberry forever =
No. cried out others, "a speech from
Mr. Pinkney-no from the Pawnee. You're
Unable for not speaking in character
Here Prettyman took Mr.. Pinkney by the
hand, and said something to him in wills