The Southern Literary Messenger, Volume I., 1834-35Various
General
The Southern Literary Messenger, Volume I., 1834-35
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
The characteristics of the other lawgiver to whom I have alluded, were
less complicated. His was a face as black as night. His beard,
whiskers, hair and eyes were coal black--the latter small and
piercing. No other feature was worth noticing, and the whole taken
together, formed, if not an _ugly_ countenance, one which came very
nearly up to that epithet. His dress was a pepper-and-salt frock, vest
and trowsers, and his hat had evidently passed its prime. In manners
he was the opposite of Mr. C. There was a bluntness in his remarks,
and a sharpness and brevity in his replies, entirely unaffected, but
not altogether pleasing. On a partial acquaintance, you had such
doubts of him as you would entertain of a partly tamed _bruin_.
The young naval officer was like all _young_ naval officers, with a
dash of spirit which he seemed solicitous to display--a stiffness of
deportment which evinced that the thoughts of discipline could not
easily be shaken off, and an apparent consciousness of the admiration
to which his profession and his _dress_ entitled him from people of
every degree. Nevertheless, he was agreeable, and condescended, most
benevolently, to mingle in the conversation with those around him.
Passing the time between these companions, and an occasional peep into
the ladies' cabin to see that nothing was wanting to the comfort of my
wife, (who was deterred by the chilliness of the atmosphere, from
joining me on deck) the journey was uncommonly agreeable, until we
reached Philadelphia. At that city my treasury friend left us, not so
much regretted as he deserved to be, because his place was supplied by
the new companions to whom I have alluded.
We were shortly transferred to another steamboat, in which, after
about two hours' delay, we proceeded to New Castle. A change of
considerable extent had taken place in our company. We had lost many
faces to which we had been familiar during the morning--and we had
gained many others which wore the first gloss of newness. I have
already said that I had not been formally introduced to the gentlemen
whose acquaintance had been pressed upon me--yet we had learned each
other's names, and used them with freedom. Probably I was the only
_incognito_ among them--the only man whose profession was unknown, and
therefore the only one liable to doubt or misconception. But of such a
chance I did not then dream.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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