"Very well," says the anxious host; "

    see that he does it

   ."

   That evening a Captain Jones called on Don Cæsar—a servant carried up the card—Captain Jones was requested to walk up. Lieutenant Smith, U. S. N., next called—"walk up." Dr. Brown called—"walk up." Col. Green, his card—"walk up;" and so on, until some six or eight distinguished persons were walked up to Don Cæsar's private parlor; and pretty soon the silver necks were brought up, corks were popping, glasses were clinking, jests and laughter rose above the wine and cigars, and Don Cæsar was putting his friends through in the most approved style!

   Time flew, as it always does. Capt. Jones gave the party a bit of a salt-water song, Dr. Brown pitched in a sentiment, while Colonel Green and Lieutenant Smith talked largely of the "last session," what

    their

   friend Benton said to Webster, and Webster to Benton, and what Bill Allen said to 'em both. And Miss Corsica, the French Minister's daughter, what she had privately intimated to Lieutenant Smith in regard to American ladies, and what the Hon. so and so offered to do and say for Colonel Green, and so and so and so and so. Still the corks "popped," and the glasses jingled, and the merry jest, and the laugh jocund, and the rich sentiment, and richer fumes of the cigars filled the room.

   Don Cæsar kept on hurrying up the wine, and as each bottle was uncorked, he assured the servants—"All right; if it ain't all right,

    we'll make it all right in the morning!

   "

   And so Don Cæsar and his

    bon vivant

   friends went it, until some two dozen bottles of Schreider, Hock, and Sherry had decanted, and the whole entire party were getting as merry as grigs, and so noisy and rip-roarious, that the clerk of the institution came up, and standing outside of the door, sent a servant to Don Cæsar, to politely request that gentleman to step out into the hall one moment.

   "What's that?" says the Don; "speak loud, I've got a buzzing in my ears, and can't hear whispers."

   "Mr. Tompkins, sir, the clerk of the house, sir," replies the servant, in 

 Prev. P 8/430 next