The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-08-03
| From Harper's Magazine for August.
The JUDGES EIirtation.

AS Dr. Hoffman drove up the avenue
leading to Judge Cooper's house, he was
startled by cries for held-cries continued
and vocifcrous, thea piteous brok en-, and
emtreating.
Above all the accompanying chorus,
shouting negative that might have been
heard in Babel, he detected the voice APP
peaing for aid as belonging to the Judge
himself
Bending his head from under the cover
of his carriage that he might see the house,
he was again alarmed at the unusual light
and movement Good heavens could it be
fire? Was any one sick unto sudden
death?
1t was the work of Il moment to spring
up the steps leading to the piazza, to open
the shutters to the library window, and
look in What he saw seemed to satisfy
and relieve him, for he walked down the
steps with great deliberation, declined in
rather a snappish way the hostler's offer
to attend his horse, and acted altogether
like man who resented a false draft on
his feelings.
Before peeping over the doctors shoul-
der, it may be as well to say that during
the Christmas holidays Judge Coopers
house an old d-fashioned country mansion.
under whose roof-trees five generations of
the name had lived and died-was literal
ly an .'open" one 1t stood at the end of
the main street, and just out Of the little
village OF c.. the avenue OF carriage
way leading to the house being contin-
uation of the street itself AT this time it
was filled with Christmas guests, and hol
! iday cheer, the first being limited to suit
Al, 1n
the latter never reached any stated limit
except the forced ones of time and endur-
ance.
About midway between the two more
important days of Christmas and New
Years occurred the judges birthday,
when the mirth and fun outran all bounds,
when tricks were played upon the unsus-
pectlng, and jokes OF the most practical
and personal character were permitted
without ol1'ense. the master of the house
being usually the ringleader and fountain
head of most of the uproarous lolllty. No
distinction of age counted, and from the
Judge himself to Louis, his tlve-year-old
grandson, the only condition demanded
was to be wide-awake and make as much
noise as possible while strength lasted.
Dr. Hoffman alone of all the guests was
allowed to come and 90 independent Of
time and OCCASION his profession making
the exception necessary; and so it hap
pened that he missed many of the peculiar
scenes that were enacted. and which
would have shocked his rather prim sense
of official dignity, and he was all the more
! scandalized when he peeped through the
blind.
II agree with the Judge when he says
that for three hundred and fifty-tve day
he keeps house, and the other ten insane
asylum he was saying to himself as he
gave the horse his supper before going in.
And who would not have been shocked,
not having been present, and not under
standing the situation. to see an elderly
and ordinarily a dignilied gentleman try
ing to balance himself while standing in
the centre of a large library table? He
was gesticulating violently in the endeav-
or to make himself heard, as he read from
an ancient law-book, which he retained in
his hand with great difficulty, and was
surrounded by Il shouting multitude who
would neither let him dismount from his
platform nor listen to his Grafton.
The fury of the mob subsided a little on
the doctors entrance, only to turn its force
on him, and dozen voices demanded,
"Isn't it cowardly in him to refuse, doc
tor, when he understood the terms?''
Don't side with him please. for he can't
come down until he promises, anyway
This slight diversion gave the Judge his
chance, and he proceeded to read tho riot
proclamation in the same solemn voice
that had carried terror into the ranks of
the wicked many time in the court
room His face was picture of judicial
earnestness as he rehearsed the terrible
warning.
If you do not Immediately disperse
and peaceably depart to your own habita
tions, or to your lawful places of business,
you will be within an hour seized, and, if
you resist, be killed without benefit Of
clergy God save the king!"
But the disturbance was not so easily
put down Instead of being seized. his
tormentors turned the table on the Judge,
and hustled the poor victim on his wheel
ed throne until he was glad to agree to
terms, in order to give time to explain
matters to the doctor, who was elected
by the ma ority that the culprit be con-
fined to the table until Il decision was
reached.
| III SCclIltu lllttL u OuHso ltu} HUN DoS-
ton, u friend of pretty Alice Cooper, had
been trying to introduce and explain a new
game. which she called lmpromptu, -"
and which was in high favor in her native
city
Now. in the nature of things, new
game was a great acquisition, as the old
stock was exhausted, and the demand for
novelties lively. She explained to the
Il IL IL
violent exercise: "You take two boxes or
hats-hats will do nicely. In one you
place the name of every person present,
children and all, for the little ones make
the best fun; then, for the other hat, you
write on like slips of paper as many sub
jects for song story, recitation-anything
you choose-as there are names. Shake
them well, and let a name be drawn from
one hat and subject from the other, one
with the right hand and the other with
the left, the person drawing being Sc
curely blindfolded. Then story, song,
or whatever, must follow from said person
on said subject l speak with emphasis,
that the offender may understand n b.
Tickets not transferable
In the confusion of cross-eXplanation it
came out that Judge Cooper had been de-
| lighted with the ldea OF the game, ana
had commended it to the girls as giving
them chance to show their quick wit
but when his name was drawn, follow ed
by "Flirtation" as a text for his discourse,
he had protested against the decree, and
insisted on having another chance, OF at
least the privilege Of exchanging with
some one who had a theme within his
knowledge.
why, doctor, know less about this
matter than old Prince, asleep there on
the rug; and l appeal to your sense of
justice. Here is my wicked daughter,
who is going to tell us what she knows
about 'Torpedoes, and refuses to ex-
change with her poor old father. although
she thoroughly understands his subject.
Do you consider this fair?"
Yes, the doctor evidently did. for he
heartlessly joined the party having the
floor What else could he do when Alice
| CO l,o ,,,lr J