A gentleman who now fills an important office in this State, was
travelling through a part of the country where he was not so personally
known as his horses and carriage; having exchanged places with his
servant who attended on horseback, he fell into conversation with a
rough countryman, who was riding the same way, and from the gentleman’s
extraordinary paleness, mistook him for the servant. The conversation
turning on the fineness of the horses before the carriage, the clown
observed, that he knew them very well; they belonged to Mr. G--: the
gentleman replied they did: “And I suppose,” said the fellow, “that is
he in the coach; but if I had his horses, I wou’d’n’t care if the D--l
had him.”
* * *
A veteran toper complained to the celebrated Doctor W. of Boston, that
from long use of spirituous liquors, they palled upon his palate, and
failed to exhilirate his spirits. The Doctor, in a sportive mood,
inquired if he had ever used AQUA FORTIS, and recommended it to his
patient, diluted with water.--The toper immediately procured a quantity,
which he first mixed with water, and then took in its crude state; but
in a few months the AQUA FORTIS afforded him as little pleasure as
common New-England Rum. Soon after the unfortunate tipler, meeting the
Doctor in the street, addressed him thus, “Doctor, the aqua FORTIES
won’t do, can’t you give me something stronger; do, dear Doctor, _for
the love of grog_, let me have a little aqua FIFTIES.”
* * * * *
* * * *
Messrs. PRINTERS,
The following story struck me on perusal, as an affecting one.
Modern military _petit maitres_, who have never seen any other
service but that of the ladies, pique themselves on extreme
_insensibility_. They nightly infest the theatres, not to be
entertained, but to interrupt--to display white teeth and empty
heads--to laugh at every noble sentiment of Melpomene, though
delivered with all the exquisite energy of a Siddons, or the
delicate tenderness of a Merry--to such _beings_ this little story
may be of infinite use--they may learn that _sensibility_ does not
entirely disgrace regimentals, and that the _sympathetic tear_ may
be given to distress, without tarnishing the honour of the soldier.