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Article COLLEGE MUSINGS. ← Page 5 of 8 →
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College Musings.
covery alone , not venturing to take my new-made friend until I had first myself reconnoitred the feasibility of introducing a stranger when but a stranger myself , except to one amiable occupant of the abode I was now seeking . After trudging the distance of a mile I reached the cottage of Captain P , the uncle of the lady I before mentioned . It was a snug little dwelling or cot , embosomed in trees , a very necessary protection I should surmise from the " wintry winds" in that bold , bleak vicinity ,
, and situated near a most romantic estuary or cove , the rear of the building facing a stupendous fell , with which I was informed many marvellous legends were connected by the wise gossips of the adjacent township . The widow quickly recognised me , and graciously conducted the ceremony of introduction to the veteran capituine and his cara spousa , from both of whom I instantly received a truly cordial welcome . They had evidently seen what is commonlcalled " better days" butlike the case
y , , of very many other brave defenders of their country , the " piping times of peace , " after many years' hard service , had brought nothing but the effects of toil and waste of constitution in " battles fought and won , " with marchings and counter-marchings , and a half-pay pittance . His manners were particularly of that easy gentlemanly degagee caste which none but the well-bred military man possesses . Free without vulgar familiarity , bland without bluntnessand dignified without any affected stiffness or
, reserve . The only blot in the mental portrait 1 drew of him on the spot was a yielding to an irascible hastiness of temper , which I knew not whether to ascribe to a national trait of character—being born in tlle land of the Emerald Isle—or to the petulance of a testy humour . Perhaps I may take blame to myself in exciting an ebulition of his
foible . My fair friend , Mrs . H , had introduced me also to her cousin , a young lady of bewitching loveliness , on a visit there from the north of Ireland , and it was proposed instanter that we three , who never can meet again in this world , should stroll down to the aforesaid romantic cove . Wrapped in contemplation of the surrounding curiosities , and discoursing " honeyed words , " we took no heed of the fleeting moments that were passing on the swift wings of the sun ' s chariot steeds . The consequence was we returned home an hour too late for dinner , which
the host , punctilio and precision personified , resented by scolding his sweet nieces . I endeavoured to throw the onus of the mishap upon my own shoulders , but nothing would pacify the old gentleman before the cloth was removed and the decanter was put into circulation , and he had fairly launched himself into the horrors of the American war , wherein he had personally served . Peace was restored in the deeply absorbing events of an " oft-told tale . " I must not forget to mention as a mark of the veteran soldier ' s good breeding , that during my absence with the ladies he had walked down to my hotel and insisted upon my fellowtraveller joining us at the dinner table , and I really think his sedateness
and intelligence of understanding very much contributed to procure our return to the captain ' s good graces . Our inattention to punctuality was ¦ A disobedience of standing orders not to be borne by one who had all his life been accustomed to command . But , perhaps , the most strange of all to-day ' s strange events was my learning now , for the first time , my fellow-pedestrian ' s cognomen . It arose from the occasion of introducing him to my friends . I suppose , but for this circumstance , I might have
journeyed on with him a thousand miles and never once dreamt of making the enquiry . Conventional rules and customs have in general little to do , I think , with the habits of the children of nature and feeling . VOL . [ V . A A
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
College Musings.
covery alone , not venturing to take my new-made friend until I had first myself reconnoitred the feasibility of introducing a stranger when but a stranger myself , except to one amiable occupant of the abode I was now seeking . After trudging the distance of a mile I reached the cottage of Captain P , the uncle of the lady I before mentioned . It was a snug little dwelling or cot , embosomed in trees , a very necessary protection I should surmise from the " wintry winds" in that bold , bleak vicinity ,
, and situated near a most romantic estuary or cove , the rear of the building facing a stupendous fell , with which I was informed many marvellous legends were connected by the wise gossips of the adjacent township . The widow quickly recognised me , and graciously conducted the ceremony of introduction to the veteran capituine and his cara spousa , from both of whom I instantly received a truly cordial welcome . They had evidently seen what is commonlcalled " better days" butlike the case
y , , of very many other brave defenders of their country , the " piping times of peace , " after many years' hard service , had brought nothing but the effects of toil and waste of constitution in " battles fought and won , " with marchings and counter-marchings , and a half-pay pittance . His manners were particularly of that easy gentlemanly degagee caste which none but the well-bred military man possesses . Free without vulgar familiarity , bland without bluntnessand dignified without any affected stiffness or
, reserve . The only blot in the mental portrait 1 drew of him on the spot was a yielding to an irascible hastiness of temper , which I knew not whether to ascribe to a national trait of character—being born in tlle land of the Emerald Isle—or to the petulance of a testy humour . Perhaps I may take blame to myself in exciting an ebulition of his
foible . My fair friend , Mrs . H , had introduced me also to her cousin , a young lady of bewitching loveliness , on a visit there from the north of Ireland , and it was proposed instanter that we three , who never can meet again in this world , should stroll down to the aforesaid romantic cove . Wrapped in contemplation of the surrounding curiosities , and discoursing " honeyed words , " we took no heed of the fleeting moments that were passing on the swift wings of the sun ' s chariot steeds . The consequence was we returned home an hour too late for dinner , which
the host , punctilio and precision personified , resented by scolding his sweet nieces . I endeavoured to throw the onus of the mishap upon my own shoulders , but nothing would pacify the old gentleman before the cloth was removed and the decanter was put into circulation , and he had fairly launched himself into the horrors of the American war , wherein he had personally served . Peace was restored in the deeply absorbing events of an " oft-told tale . " I must not forget to mention as a mark of the veteran soldier ' s good breeding , that during my absence with the ladies he had walked down to my hotel and insisted upon my fellowtraveller joining us at the dinner table , and I really think his sedateness
and intelligence of understanding very much contributed to procure our return to the captain ' s good graces . Our inattention to punctuality was ¦ A disobedience of standing orders not to be borne by one who had all his life been accustomed to command . But , perhaps , the most strange of all to-day ' s strange events was my learning now , for the first time , my fellow-pedestrian ' s cognomen . It arose from the occasion of introducing him to my friends . I suppose , but for this circumstance , I might have
journeyed on with him a thousand miles and never once dreamt of making the enquiry . Conventional rules and customs have in general little to do , I think , with the habits of the children of nature and feeling . VOL . [ V . A A