Brave men and bold! whom every future age Speak, name the man, Who then should meet your wish! Siv. Forbear the theme! Why wouldst thou seek to sink us with the weight Of grievous recollection? Oh, Gustavus! Could the dead wake, thou wert the man. Gus. Didst thou know Gustavus ? [worth Siv. Know him! Oh, Heaven! what else, who else was The knowledge of a soldier? That great day, What Christiern, in his third attempt on Sweden, Had summed his powers, and weighed the scale of fight, Of sweetness mixed with glory—grace inestimable! - yet still to this I bow, as to the relics of my saint: Each morn I drop a tear on every bead, Gus. Rightly thought! For so thou dost, my soldier, Gustavus! come once more to lead you on To laureled victory, to fame, to freedom! Siv. Strike me, ye powers! It is illusion all! It cannot - it is, it is! [Falls and embraces his knees.] Rise to my arms, my friend! Siv. Friend! say you, friend? O, my heart's lord! my conqueror! my Gus. Approach, my fellow soldier; your Gustavus Claims no precedence here. Haste, brave men! Collect your friends, to join us on the instant : [Exeunt Dalecarlians, shouting.] BARON VON KLINGENBERG.* CAPT. BROMLY CHESTON. J. C. PORTER. MRS. ALBINA CHESTON. MRS. BLAKE Bently. MISS MATILDA BENTLY. MISS TURRETVILLE. MISS LYBRAND. MR. SYMMINGTON. MR. BEVERLY, an acquaintance of Smith. [Enter Capt. Cheston, Mrs. Cheston, and Miss Cheston, and take chairs.] Miss Cheston. How fortunate that Aunt Quimby left us last week! This last visit has been so long, that I think she will scarcely favor us with another for two or three weeks, at least. I hope she has not heard of our party to-night. Capt. Cheston. There is no danger of that, Myrtilla. Aunt cannot possibly have heard of it; and besides, she told me she was going to set out for Baltimore on Wednesday, to visit Billy Fairfield's sister, Mrs. Bagnell. Says she, "I shall remain in Baltimore all the fall, for when the Bagnells once have me with them, I don't believe they will let me come away this side of winter." Mrs. Cheston. I sincerely hope they may not. But pray, is it not about time for our company to arrive? Capt. C. They will soon be here, no doubt. I trust we shall spend the time pleasantly with our new acquaintances. Miss C. One thing,- Aunt Quimby will not be here, to rattle her tongue as usual in everybody's ears. Capt. C. Well, I confess aunt is rather sociable. Miss C. She is. indeed, most intolerably sociable! Mrs. C. Oh, Bromly! There comes our most mal-apropos of aunts! I thought she was a hundred miles off! Miss C. What shall we do with her?. on this evening, too, of all evenings! Capt. C. We must endeavor, as usual, to make the best of *Adapted from the "Ladies' Book." her. But where did she pick up that singular looking man she seems to be pulling along with her? [Enter Aunt Quimby and her companion, whom she introduces as Mr. Smith.] Mr. Smith. [Shaking hands awkwardly with Capt. Cheston.] I suppose I am unexpected — I fear I am trespassing Aunt Quimby. O nonsense, now, Mr. Smith! where's the sense of being so shamedfaced, and apologies for what can't be helped? I dare say my nephew and niece wonder quite as much at seeing me here; but are you sure my baggage is all on the barrow? Just step back, Mr. Smith, and see if my big blue band-box is safe, and the little one too. Men all seem to owe a spite at bandboxes. Capt. C. Tell me who this gentleman is, aunt, and how happens it he comes with you? Mr. Smith.] [Exit Mrs. C. I thought, aunt, you were to start yesterday for Baltimore. Aunt Q. O! yes ever saw. -but things have worked the queerest I Miss C. Have you invited Mr. Smith here to-night? Capt. C. You are always meeting with strange adventures, aunt, did the steamboat blow up? Your perseverance must have met something extraordinary-pray give us the whole history. Aunt Q. Why, the short and long of it is this: I was to have started for Baltimore yesterday morning, bright and early, with Mr. and Mrs. Neverwait; but the shoemaker disappointed me in my overshoes, and a great many other things turned up, so that I could not possibly go; and the Neverwaits went without me. Mrs. C. But who told you about the party, aunt? Aunt Q. Don't be in such a wonderment, Albina! you'll know all soon. As I was saying, I was bent upon going somehow this morning. So Billy Fairfield went down to the wharf, and found this Mr. Smith, who was a man that took no airs, and didn't set up for great things. Miss C. And invited him to our party? Aunt Q. No, no! We had n't heard of the time you was to have to-night. As I was saying, Billy got him to take charge of me to Baltimore Mrs. C. And why did n't you go, aunt? Aunt Q. Dear me! Albina, that's what I was trying to tell. You see, Mr. Smith was some bashful, and a good deal flustrated, and took me into the wrong boat; and the boats being all mixed up together, we did n't find out our mistake until we got half way up the river, instead of being half way down. And then I heard the ladies talking of a party, which they said was to be at Capt. Cheston's to-night. I pricked up my ears, and found it was even so; and I told them that Capt. Bromly Cheston was a near relation of mine, for his wife was own daughter of Mrs. Marsden, whose first husband was my own sister Nelly's son- and all about your marrying Capt. Cheston. Capt. C. And what did the company say to all this? Aunt Q. Why, I don't exactly remember; but they must have said something, for I know that those nearest stopped their own talk when I began. Mrs. C. But about this Mr. Smith? Aunt Q. Oh! after a while I went and told him what a lucky mistake we had made, as we were to be at a party without intending it; and he made a sort of heming and hawing about intruding himself without an invitation, as he called it; but I told him the party was to be at my nephew and niece's, who are always crazy to see me, and to have me with them, and I'd engage to pass him through, as they would be just as glad to see any of my acquaintances. Miss C. But does your son-in-law know nothing more of him than merely seeing him at the wharf? Aunt Q. Oh! yes, we had him at tea once, (you need not - mention it though.) It was quite in a plain way; but he seemed very satisfied; and though there were doughnuts and cucumbers, and all such things, on the table, he didn't eat anything but bread and butter, and not much of that. Miss C. But, is he respectable ? Aunt Q. But, if the truth must be told, Mr. Smith is an Englishman. Miss C. An Englishman! Aunt Q. Yes, but the poor man can't help that, you know; and I'm sure I never should have guessed it, for he neither looks English nor talks English. Capt. C. Are you sure he is a man of good character? Aunt Q. Why, Bromly! you are as fidgety as an old maid! Billy went to the English consul and described his dress and looks, and the consul knew who he meant, and said he would warrant him to be perfectly honest and respectable. [Reënter Mr. Smith.] Mr. S. Mr. Cheston, will you be so kind as to direct me to the nearest inn, that I may remain till a boat passes down the river? Aunt Q. Why, Mr. Smith, where's the sense of being so backward? I suppose you think you 're not welcome; but I will answer for you, as well as for myself Capt. C. Mr. Smith, I hope you'll not leave us; we should be very happy to have you remain and pass the evening with us. Mr. S. But but-is there not to be a party of young folks here to-night? Aunt Q. Oh! there, Mr. Smith, I do believe you are bashful, and afraid of getting into company where there are girls. Capt. C. We are, indeed, expecting a few friends in this evening, but we think you will find them every way agreeable. Mr. S. I guess, then, I will remain. [Goes and takes a seat by himself.] Aunt Q. I heard some of the ladies in the boat say that there was to be a lion here to-night. Capt. C. Well, aunt, did that frighten you? Aunt Q. Frighten me? Good gracious! It made me open my eyes, and put me all in a quiver. I told them he should not be turned loose, if he were ever so tame. Is it indeed so, Albina ? Mrs. C. Why, aunt, don't you know that a lion means a great man? Aunt Q. A lion means a great man! Well, I say it's a real right down shame to speak of Christian people as if they were wild beasts; but who is this great man? Mrs. C. O he's a foreigner-Baron Von Klingenberg. Aunt Q. Baron Von Klingenberg! My sake!-a baron a real outlandish baron! Mrs. C. O aunt! he's a person of very high tone. Aunt Q. High tone! I suppose he'll drown the voice of everybody else in the room. I'm sure I want some chance to young ladies talk myself, a baron! I suppose, then, all the have fallen in love with him. Well they may, for all of me, if I am a widow! Dear me ! now they are all coming; how glad I am that there are chairs enough! [Enter Symmington, Miss Lybrand, and Miss Turretville.] Capt. C. [After all are seated.] You never visited this place before, I believe, Mr. Symmington-how have you enjoyed yourself since your arrival? Symmington. Oh! very well indeed—a pleasant place. I understand that the baron is to be here to-night. Capt. C. He is, and will probably come with Mrs. Bently and her daughter. |