The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-02
THE SATISFACTION OF A GENTLE
MAN.
An OId-Time Story.
: Sir, l will have satisfaction

"Sir, | will have satisfactionn'
The words were uttered in loud and
angry tone by a military-looking per-
sonage in saloon frequented by
opulent merchants, country squires,
bankers and lords, with sprinkling of
naval and military gentlemen.
"Sir, will have satisfaction SO
saying and buttoning up his military
surtOut with the air of man who has
determined on some desperate course,
the offended hero vanished out of the
room. He was Immediately observed
to mount a handsome phaeton, drawn
by pair of smart grays. His tiger
leaped up behind, and the equipage
drove off with furious clatter up St.
James street.
Satisfaction" OF course every one
within hearing knows the meaning of
the words, when uttered by ga man of
honor and gentleman" In fashion
able circles satisfaction means the
chance of projecting an ounce of lead
in the shape of bullet in some Offend
ing friends body; but the man of
wounded honor is equally satisfied"
If the friend sends the bullet into his
head; and if his head resists it, then he
may thank the thickness of his skull,
rather than the soundness of his brains.
Two men of honor fall out about the
most trit1lng matter-perhaps iniamed
with wine, begin to talk angrily-and
one of them uses an offensive word; in
stantly the other calls for " satisfac-
ton" The two friends''-call them
fools rather-come out in the cool gray
OF the next morning with two other
" Friends" equally foolish, and then,
in some chalk-pit or ravine, each sets
himself up as a target for the other.
Two bullets instantly speed on. their
FOOLS errand. They miss Well! the
two seconds step up interfere to
prevent further hostilities' -declaring
that their friends ''honor is satisfed7
and they march off to breakfast.
thinking they have done some valiant
feat; or, the balls hit their mark; one,
If not both, lie on the grass; a bullet
has lodged in the spine of one, and
another bullet in the shoulder Joint of
the other. Forth steps a wiry man
with box of implements, devised for
the cutting out, extracting, or the
wrenching away of the little bullets
from flesh and bone. All! with one of
them it is too late; he lies on the
grass breathless, his lips apart, his
eyes glazed; he is dead; he has had his
DESIRE the satisfaction of gentle
man." The other, after submitting to
the fortunes of bullet extraction, is
borne from the field on litter, "satis-
fed" he has "killed his man. Such
hnnnr1i in fha r,nrthr of
But we must return to our story.
Scarcely had the gentleman of wounded
honor rushed out of the house, ere the
friends of the other assembled round
him to ask "What is the matter? And
how did you fall out?'
1.-The matter" said the offending
gentleman, who sat somewhat stupe-
fled at the abrupt and threatening
exito his military friend; ''why, the fell
low is as irascible as turkey-cock. We
fell into dispute about politics, about
which he knows positively nothing. He
became more and more insolent, and
his arguments were at length so absurd
that l could not help bursting out
laughing and telling him he was bull
let-headed fool"
Is that alp" said a city merchant:
"why everybody knew that long ago.
AYE, but to tell him of it, said
another; " | fear mischief will come of
it."
A considerable damp seemed to have
been thrown upon the spirits of all the
company, and the circle gradually
broke up. The gentleman who had
been the cause of the explosion, at
length rose and went home, not over
free from anxiety. He now regretted
the use of the offensive word, and yet
he felt that it had not been undeserved.
Not being military man-for he was
banker in good business, and with
extensive connections-he could scarce
ly define what the other would do in
reference to the " satisfaction which
he had spoken of; yet he had some I'M
pleasant misgivings about the issue.
The banker was not left long in
doubt. Next morning, after an anxious
night, laundering rat-tat came to his
door Immediately thereafter a gen
tleman was admitted. The banker rose
up to meet him, and recognized him
for military gentleman--in fact, the
Major of the others corps.
81 have the honor" said he, "of
waiting upon you at the instance of my
friend, the Hon. Capt. Sir Eustace Fitz
Giles; this letter will explain to you the
object of my visit"
The banker opened the missive. 1t
was written in thunder nd-liphtninp
hand, and smelt frightfully of gum