♦ji^sr 



OUR FAREWELL DINNER. 3/0 



Bank, a gentleman of solemn aspect, and with 



a large bald head, who wore spectacles, dressed 

 in frock-coat, represented respectability, and spoke 



on all points wdth authority ; Mr. B. , an old 



Hudson's Bay man, highly convivial, delighting in 



harmony ; Dr. B 1, a medical gentleman, afflicted 



with the " cacoethes bibendi,'' as well as '^ loquendV^ — 

 a lean little fellow, with a large mouth, w^ho appeared 

 in the full glory of a sw^allowrtailed coat, and was 

 perpetually smiling, yet, in reality, taking a gloomy 

 view of things in general ; Mr. C— — , a young 

 lawyer, Irish and impressionable; Billy Ferren, a suc- 

 cessful miner, from his loquacity nicknamed " Billy 

 the Bladge," rough, noisy, breaking forth into 

 shouts and laughter ; Dr. B — — k's assistant, quiet 

 and generally useful; and lastly, the lady of the 

 party, Mrs. Morris, more generally known by her 

 Christian name of Janet, fair, fat, and forty, and 

 proprietor of a neighbouring house of refreshment. 

 She had kindly come in to cook the dinner, and 

 when that was duly set forth, she yielded to popukr 

 clamour, and joined us at the table. 



Before the cloth was drawn — metaphorically — 

 «.^., whilst we were still occupied with plum pudding, 

 Dr. B 1, who had shown symptoms of restless- 

 ness for some time, could repress the flood of 

 eloquence rising within him no longer, and having 

 succeeded in catching the president's eye, and 

 received a permissive nod in return, rose cautiously 

 on his legs. A vigorous rapping on the table pro- 

 cured silence, and Dr. B 1, steadying himself 



