Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-03-26
A TwELFTH.NIGHT CHARACTER.

A TWELFTH.NIGHT CHARACTER.
"Sixth of January-Twelfth-night is
it ?" said Robert Kennedy to his friend
Mr.. Charles Crackshot, as they were
taking their ease in as snug little coun-
try hotel as one would wish to find,
after stifish days campaign with the
snipe, in the pleasant county of Hants.
"Whisky punch, ashen fagots, motley
characters, fine old English customs,
and all that sort of thing. Suppose We
have some-I mean the punch"
The proposition was one which Mr..
Crackshot did not care to controvert.
1t was, he said, thoroughly orthodox
and seasonable beverage and the
sooner they had it the better, as he (Mr.
Crackshot) was fatigued, and did not
feel at al like sitting up into the small
hours. The landlord of the Kennedy
Arms (Mr. Kennedy's family had long
been considerable proprietors in that
part of Hampshire), formerly in the
private service of the lamented Dir.
Gridling, Mr.. Kennedy's uncle, was no
mean hand at hot brew. Having
manufactured the punch to the best of
his ability, be brought in the china
bowl, deposited it on the table, and was
about respectfully to retire, when Mr..
Kennedy suggested that he should
taste glass of tie compound that he
had himself SO cunningly devised.
My respects to you, sir" said the
landlord of Kennedy Arms and he
made an obeisance to both the gentle
men before him.
"And good luck to YOU, Spriggs, and
Mrs. Spriggs, too 4; any many happy
years may you have in your house and
never again such Twelfth night as that
which you had how long? Six years,
isn't it, ago."
@Six years exactly, sir. 1t was not
pleasant at the time, sir; but l owe
what / Aave now to it-that is, to your
kindness, Mr.. Robert"
"a good fellow that" said Mr. Ken
nedy meditatively, as the discreet
Spriggs left the room :" a good fellow,
and devilish useful one, / can tell you.
And this decent punch and, on the
whole, / am as comfortable as wish to
be-
"How about that mysterious Twelfth
night six years ago-A. d. 1867, it must
have been, Bob? What was it % asked
Mr.. Crackshot, who had pulled himself
together, and acquired sufficient energy
to charge his pipe once more-and his
glass.
''My dear Charlie" was the reply
"you will pardon me if / tell you that
you are the most inquisitive man ever
met. I don't say this in disparagement
of your many excellent qualities I
simply mention it as fact. viii back
you to ask more questions In the course
of ten minutes than / ever asked In my
life. However, 1 don't mind answering
you on this occasion, and will tell you;
only l shall have to bore you for about
twenty minutes.
Mr. Crackshot settled himself com
fortably down, and said, $50 ahead -
and Mr.. Kennedy commenced his mar
rative.
"You see, six years ago matters did
not stand exactly with me as they stand
now. Iwasmysef more less dependent
well, we viii say on circumstances. My
Uncle George had not yet abit ad
pl,res and, not to put too fine point
upon it, the principle of hdbeas corpus
was not observed SO strictly In certain
class of lawsuits as it is In this era of
social and Legislative reform. Cam
dldly, was down on my luck and
unless certain relatives exerted them
selves, clearly foresaw disagreesble
amount of personal notoriety, not alto
gether unconnected with the Insolvency
Court, awaiting me IN the immediate
future. Ny uncle, Mr.. Gridling, had
disappointed me- He said had disap-
pointed him. Still I managed to pre-
serve fairish front, and consoled my
self with the philosophical reflection
that matters might have been much
worse. / might have been residing by
compulsion In the neighborhood of
Chancery lane, or an exile across the
sea might have had to take up my
quarters at Boulogne. The prospect
which / had to face was not . lively
one. was down and / was dull. /
had eaten my Christmas dinner at the
club. Ever dined sc the club on Christ
mas Day? No? take my advice, then,
and don't. You go there, we viii say,
about half-past four, and find the hall
porter, who has gorged and drunk two
hours previous to something more than
repletion, asleep in his box. He wakes,
more or less, at your inquiry for letters,