Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-12-07
THETABLEs TURNED.
CasselI,s alagaaine.

IOHeLner one winter evening drOun
our dining-table.
"Hang the credit!' that pelso
replied. He was rather uplifteC
for he thought he had that evenin
won distinction in the sight of
lovely pair of eyes,, then Waistin
their sweetness IN the drawing
!. room. The owner of the Lowell
eyes had been a widow for som
years she was rich, elegant an,
clever. There was a hulnorou
wrinkling about the mouth of ou
middle-aged guest, as he answered
"tHang the creditp So / Sd,
now with light heart. Then tn
credit was OF more importance t
me. However, YOU shall Judge
You have heard" he went on
turning to the gentlemen wht
; headed the table, '1that in the early
days of our settlement we were
wild lot. Large fortunes had beer
made by the first settlers; and i
got abroad at home that gold wa,
to be had simply for asking. Ad
venturers poured in. The native
war brought in adventures o.
another kind-men whose lives haG
been played out in the old country
and who were ready for any kind
of Cleviltry. Oh | can assure you
there was at times singular col
lection in the settlement. | could
tell you one or two tales that would
surprise you. This, however,
turning to the person whose remark
had provoked his tale-'sis not Oi
SO desperate q character,
You must understand that at the
time OF which l speak-things are
much changed now--We had neither
library or theater, nor concert-rOom,
and were driven now and then to
queer devices for killing time. Some
few of Us took with practical jeSts,
but after q time even these palled.
Every one in our community be-
came so Wide-awake that the most
artfulIy constructed scheme broke
| down. If it did succeed, on the
other hand, the vengeance taken
was so dire as to be alarming. We
were sorely in need of a patent
butt.
| 1t happened that, at this time, a
a young solicitor whom fortune had
not favored at home, taking it into
his head that competition was Slay-
ing his talent, determined to try
his fortune among us. He was
certain and not far from wrong
| that in such community causes
for litigation would abound.
He was slightly acquainted with
one of my friends, and wrote to
/ him of his intention, asking him at
] AI- - En Ii
| the poor fellows own words-Just
let the people know, you know,
that / am coming
The letter was shown about, and
that same evening my friend and
/, with two or three others whom
we had let into our secret, went out
together, armed with large pieces of
chalk. In the morning there was
much questioning in the cOmmuni-
ty, for on every bit of boarding,
every blank wall and gate, was post
ed up in gigantic letters-'He is
coming
Again and again were the notices
expunged by indignant household
ers. Again were they imposingly
reproduced. The police were set on
the watch we either brow beat or
bribed them. People began to
think that there was something
mysterious in the business. We,
of course, kept our own counsel,
and at last one fine morning
second advertisement appeared. 1t
was to this effect-'He has come
In the interval our friend had
heard again. Il shall arrive by the
steamship Benares,' our solicitor
wrote. Il hope you have let people
know We had let people know
to some purpose. It began to be
rumored abroad that joke was on
foot, and the whole community
fiocked to the landing-place.
To preserve the delusion we had
draped pretty with scarlet cloth,
and decorated it with flowers. AS
soon as the steamer dropped anchor
NV friend and / put off in a small
boat to receive and bring to shore
our distinguished guest.
He was a small, delicate looking
man, with face as refined as tnE,
of Il woman. / had slight pickinge
of compunction when | met him
He was SO delightfully."- frank and |
confiding." ~ say" he said to his
friend, as we neared the decor tied |
landing place, ''do they expect any |
swell %
"They expect you. my dear fel-
low" was the reply. II let the |
people know, you know"
"You must be jolly hospitable |
set. But what am l to say to them /
ALL"
"No necessity to say anything. |
Just bow as you pass through"
ooh! ! scarcely like"
"You must, my dear fellow, you
must. Not to acknowledge thi- |
brilliant reception would stamp you |
Mt once as a churl ~
The young fellows color rose. He |
was as shy and sensitive as a girl, I
but rather than appear ungrateful |
he would have gone through an
or 'eal and presently-oh +! dear,
| can see it nOw-he was stepping
out on the scarlet cloth and bow
ing graciously to his right hand and
his left.
No need for us to wink and nod
behind his back. 1t was under
stood that a butt was being brought
into the community. The bows
were gravely returned and as, like
an honorable body-guard, we form
ed round the new conner, to es-
cort him to his hotel, the crowd
that had gathered to receive him
fell in procession behind us.
1t was the cold season, and we
called on him the next morning to
take him for q ride. He was full of
his pleasant reception, and anxious
to become personally acquainted
with those who had so interested
in him.
ooh! you'll know them soon
my friend said.
"Shouldn't wonder if you find,
when you go back, that half the
has been calling on
YOU" And sure enough, when we
returned, there was his table heaped
high with visiting-cards. His eye
glistened.
give heard that people abroad
were hospitable," he said, "but,
upon my word, this kind of thing
didn't expect"
My friend glanced over the heap
of cards.
"Ah!" he said, "the most influ-
ential names. They don't often
call on new corners. suppose you
impressed them favorabiy yester-
day. Sharp set of fellows, too!
You had better lose no time in re-
/