The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-10-15

evidently well pleased with the arrange
ment.
The dinner might be called provincial
in its arrangement and large-handed
abundance; certain 1t Is, no other part
Of the world could have afforded o
greater variety Of life's good things, nor
could any cooks in the great capitals
surpass the black women, who, though
slaves themselves, were the complete
mistresses of all the Hampton Kitchens.
Shell fish from the Great South Bay,
blue fish from the Atlantic, wild fowl
from the Great Peconic Bay; wild tur-
key, grouse and woodcoek from the
nelghboring forests; venison, better
than ever royal forest produced. early
vegetables, most grateful OF all food to
the sailors; preserved fruits and nuts,
imported and domestic; butter like fan
ciful gold ingots; these and many other
things came on in regular and seeming
ly endless courses; and the dishes
steamed amid masses Of flowers gath
ored from garden and field; and old
fashioned wax candles Of many colors
lit up the whole.
Ali were on good terms before the
meal began, but during its progress the
thin walls Of reserve melted away, and
when the banquet-for such we call It
was concluded all felt like old friends.
Wine and spiced rum were passed
around in abundance, and Captain Fox
and his men appeared to drink as did
the others-and this was time when 1t
was thought man could be neither q
good sailor nor brave soldier II he did
not drink-but they did not drink, or
even sip, each time they lifted the silver
goblets to their lips.
After dinner, the musicians, who had
been playing in the recovered porch
outside, struck up a march, and another
procession was formed; and Squire
Condit, with Mrs. Hedges on his arm,
led the way to his own house, where
the festivities were to be continued.
Sailors In the service Of the British
| Government were always sure Of q well
come In the best society of the colonies.
| Their commissions implied that officer
| and gentleman" were synonymous; and
1t can be said that knightly courtesy
ran through the service at this time
for England had entered On that grand
career for supremacy OF the ocear
] which was afterwards to leave her for a
time its undisputed mistress.
The officers Of the Wanderer were
made as welcome by the people OF Sas
| Harbor as II, like the Sea Hawks
crew, they were their own sons ant
neighbors.
With the exception Of Captain Foz
and Lieutenant Frenauld, the officers o
| the Wanderer were not, judging from
| their awkward and constrained man
| ners, much accustomed to ladies so
| ciety, for only tho two named coult
dance, or at least attempted to do so.
This, however, only made the non
dancers the more acceptable to sucl
stafd citizens as Squire Condit ant
Doctor Hedges, who were not so stric
in church matters as not to enjoy gam
of whist.
But Captain Fox and Mr.. Frenaul'
more than made up for the deficiency il
the others. The former, now that h
was in his magnificent uniform. an
his expressive face and strange blu
eyes beaming and flashing with ANNA
ton, was conspicuously fine-looking
even in the presence OF such men q
Captain .Denham and Mr.. Valentin
Dayton. Mr.. Frenauld, though dark
and with eyes that physiognomis
would call sinister" presented q goo'
foil to his light-haired commander
whom he equaled as brilliant CONVEX
sationalist.