Home Service; Or, Scenes and Characters from Life, at Out and Headquarters. Or, Scenes and Characters from Life, at Out and Headquarters (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1839. Excerpt: ... 136 LIAISONS DANGEREUSES. CHAPTER IX. A Warning To Bailipps--Saoce Piquant--Going To The Wte And Wherbfore--A Hospitaele Beggar--An ExPeriment--Brother Soldiers--Female Energy--A Dreadpul Lay--Ladies Dated--What's In A Name--PorHng The Question--Reposal--Argdment--ConsentCandid Gratitude--Virtoe How Amiaele--Woman's Cm DULITY. I Shall not minutely describe my amateuring trips, to play for the benefits of pretty actresses, certainly not for my own; but one such excursion deserves a brief passing notice. A tolerably large party dined at my house, one Sabbath, to re-unite there that day week. It included Mr. Cooper, from London, and another friend from Greenwich. I had promised, and intended to perform, at Tunbridge Wells, on the following Saturday. A very clever and rather mature Cadet, burning to distinguish himself, also obtained leave, on false pretences, accompanied sne, and, with borrowed name and rank, enacted Jerry Sneak, in admirable style.-Ere he made RETRIEVE LOST TIME. 137 this de-but, however, our locality furnished me with an opportunity for raising a laugh. The 9tage of that theatre is exactly over a stream which divides two counties; when the Bums came to arrest me as Tangent, I ran back across this invisible boundary, shouting--"If your writ's for Kent, touch me at your peril, ye villains, for I'm now in Surrey " It were superfluous to dilate on how I was detained next morning, till there seemed little chance of my getting home in time to do the honours of my table. A chaise was our only resource, and, with hard driving, we reached the vale, a quarter of an hour after the appointed period. We found the company assembled, but the dinner not spoiled--though toe were rather over roasted for "scampering about" after our country Thalias. Some gro...