Evening star., 1927-02-06

1.-THE evening came, and with much
anxiety I awaited the return of
Capt. Creighton. Rumors continually
reached me that the enemy was at
the Marine Barracks. at the Capitol
Hill and that an advancing army had
reached Georgetown. l therefore de-
termined to wait only until half past
o'clock to execute my orders. becom-
ing apprehensive that from his long
delay Capt. Creighton had fallen into
the hands of the enemy.
During this delay ordered few
Marines and other persons who were
near me to go off in one of the small
galleys. Col. Wharton, in command
of the Marines, furnished with small
boat, left the yard between Z and
o'clock Twenty minutes past Capt.
Creighton returned. He was still ex.
tremely adverse to the. destruction of
the property, but having informed
him that my orders were imperative,
the proper disposition of the boats
being made, the matches were applied
and in a few minutes the whole was
in a state Of irretrievable conflagra-
ton.
when about leaving the wharf
observed the fire had commenced at
the works at Greenleafs Point, and on
the way out of the branch we observed
the Capitol on fire. 1t was my inten-
ton to remain with my boat in the
vicinity of the yard during the night,
but having Capt. Creighton and other
gentlemen with me, the boat was too
much overladen and encumbered to
render this determination proper. We
therefore proceeded to Alexandria, in
the vicinity of which l rested until
the morning of the 25th, when about
half past Z o'clock. with my gig and
crew. / returned to the yard, where |
landed unmolested about o'clock"
X X p
MY excursion last Sunday among
AVA the English persons to whom l
was introduced by my old friend Will
liam M. Thackeray reminds me of
way to fill the page and a half needed
to finish this rambie. l was on speak
ing terms with the Esmond-Warring-
ton family of Castlewood, Va, on the
Potomac, but not owning many acres
and slaves, / was not often invited to
dinner-that is, not at the table In
the dining room, of course. YET L
feel that | am descended from ances-
| tors who liked good things to eat and
I drink-and plenty of them-and who
| liked more to rest in the sunshine
and the shade than. to work. To make
me plain, | will tell you that my old
friend DR.. Francois Rabelais, to
whom l was apprenticed at Lyons in
1888 (where Gryphius had his print
shop) TO learn the art of modest writ
ing. had the same thought about him.
self, and he put 1t thus: And to give
you some hint concerning myself, who
speaks unto you, l cannot think but
that I am come of the race or
some king or prince in former times,
for never yet saw you any man that
had q greater desire to be king and
to be rich then 1 have, and that only
that / may make good cheer, do moth
ing, nor care fore anything, and plen.
tifully enrich my friends and all hon
est and learned men; but herein do
I comfort myself that in the other
world l shall be so, yea and greater,
too, then at this present l dare wish;
as for you, with the same or a better
conceit, consolate yourselves In your
distresses. and drink fresh If you can
come by it,"
I was in England when Harry Es-
mond Warrington and Gumbo landed
at Bristol from the Young Rachel"
You remember that Harry's brother
George went west with Braddock, was
saved from a redskin scalper by Flo
racs sword, was long missing and
thought dead. Harry's aunt, baptized
Beatrix Esmond, and later Tusher and