Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-08
70
NO. 100.

Mingled with the great pleasure that
then began to feel in being lord and mas.
ter, if even of SO small domain. was the
regret that l should be so utterly incapaci.
tated by my age and position from bestow.
ing any help and consolation upon the one
who needed il so much. - sa8ef
l remember that l devised several
schemes by which my aunt might be made
to reap some benefit, but second thoughts
applied even to she best of them showed
me how incapable was of gauging the
desires of her heart with the desires Of my
own. l found myself compelled to stand
aloof and to observe with perfect helpless.
ness the eternal woe of the terderest
heart l know. re.. p,
But still the times were jolly enough,
and. in spite Of my efforts 10 give seri-
GUS color to everything. went about quite
as much as / ever did, and / found in ef-
feet that. instead OF becoming recluse,
| was fast becoming a sort of macaroni.
On the third Wednesday. after my in
stallment l went to French restaurant
near by to take dinner A friend named
Wines, who had just come to town from
college, accompanied me. and we deter
mined to have some extra claret in honor
OF the change in my mode Of life
The restaurant was one Of those that are
now so common in New York. The two
parlors of any ordinary dwelling-house
had been filled with small tables, designed
to accommodate from two to four persons
each and the hallway had been turned
into an Office
AT the moment Of our arrival. Il party
quilted table in the centre OF the front
apartment, and we made haste to secure it.
The room was full of people; and, as
the hour was late, the air was somewhat
overladen with cigar-smoke.
Our cloth was changed, and our table
neatly reset by clever waiter. We
| looked at our neighbors. have seen
the curious picture was refurnished by the
them were Americans; and, having taken
Edemi-bottles of claret, and not being used
to the indulgence. they were now in hap
py, sem-somnolent state. which the cigars
| they smoked made something more de-
| lightful. Very little talk was going on.
The twenty or thirty epicures, nearly all
of whom were in evening dress. sat sip
ping and gazing blankly through the blue
| ish atmosphere, seemingly unMindful Of
| what was going on. but being. in reality.
very wide awake.
On the west side of the room there sat
| alone at table, and with his back turned
toward the throng. large and powerful
man OF nearly sixty years OF age. His
hair was thick and gray, his features were
large and finely proportioned, and they
bore the gentle seal of the gentle life. He
seemed entirely absorbed in his own
thoughts, and he did not, at any time,
raise his eyes from the table before him.
IL was not long before l found that he had
become the object of some fun at q table
OF three young men near by. and that they
were commenting rather gaily upon his
gravity and abstraction.
Wines, whose eyes now fell upon the
gentleman for the first time, extended his
had and was about to speak to me, when
a perfect crash of sound burst upon the air
from street brass band upon the side
walk without. So sudden was the on
slaught that after the stunning shock was
over most Of the young men found the
blatant roar to be rather laughable. and
they laughed accordingly. Not so, how
ever. the quiet diner. He arose hastilyto
his feet and, going to the window with
an expression of vexation ON his face, he
motioned the players to 60 away, uttering
the command at the same time, but in too
low a tone to be heard by any other than
those present in the room.
This mistake, and most people will re-
cogniZe it TO be common one, added to
the amusement of the laughers. and they
began To cry: "Oh, let them alonen'
Lets have some sweet sounds, now dor
"You'vc no soul, sir,' and so on. | sided
with the old gentleman at once, partly be-
cause the braying and shrieking played
mischief with my own comfort, and part
ly because saw that all the dignity that
he could exhibit would be likely to make
but poor fight against the too jolly tenn
pers of the others. | wanted to enter my
protest against the music and the insult at
the same time therefore applauded Wig
orously with my hands. a@e r9
The others misunderstood my purpose
They thought that intended to applaud
the musicians, and to my CONSERVATION
they adopted what they thought was bet
ter plan than their own, and in an instant
the two parlors rang with tempestuous
clapping, intermingled with the jangling
of glasses and humping of cane-heads
and feet upon the floor. The cd gentle
man turned about and swept the room
with n pair Of angry eyes. He made
gesture OF impatience and surrender with
his huge napkin, and then returned to his
table. And as he sank once more into his
chair, he turned his face directly toward
me for an instant, and delivered look
which asked. What could have inspired
you with such unmanly presumption ?"
then saw his face for the first time,
and so struck was by its fineness. that l
was unable for the moment to make any
sign of disclaimer.
Wines touched my arm and begged me
in low voice to do nothing further in the
matter. For some reason-I do not re-
member what listened to him, though
was bent upon going over to my enemy
and explaining the matter without delay.
81 know him." whispered Wines. ATS
great story. IN tell you when he goes
away. He's got his roast, and he never
smokes, he'll be off in fifteen minutes"
We then paid an uneasy attention to our
own affairs. The dinner was excellent,
and under any other circumstances l
should have enjoyed it immensely. As it
was, however. only fretted and took my
best satisfaction in glancing ike a wild
beast upon the fellows who had unwilling
| ly drafted me into their army