The dinner was disposed of as most good dinners are, but perhaps, the passing of the wine afterwards was rather more rapid than would be considered strictly proper amongst slower communities;—our readers will not, therefore, be surprised to learn, when the chairman, Mr. Nailem, exposing the full front of his capacious waistcoat, slowly rose and in an impressive manner proposed long life and prosperity to their intrepid guest, Giles Dodge,—and spoke of that guest's devotion to the cause of order, and of the bravery he had evinced in ridding the country of internal foes (interpreted by Dodge into 'infernal foes),' that the toast was received with particularly loud and continuous cheering; but when, endeavouring to raise a silver salver overflowing with gold, and failing in the attempt, he almost supplicated Mr. Dodge to accept that as but an imperfect proof of the estimation in which his late never-to-be-forgotten and heroic conduct was held by his brother colonists—the excitement knew no bounds. One enthusiastic settler, who was well acquainted with Dodge, and it spoke volumes in his (the latter gentleman's) favor, was so far transported by the intensity of his admiration, that he swept the table near him of every movable, and requested, as a special favor, that some one present would assert that Dodge was not worth any two men in the whole settlement, the Governor and himself not excluded. As there appeared an indisposition to indulge this eccentric request, he retired under the table in a state of unmitigated disgust and wine.
The attention of the guests having been with difficulty again secured, the chairman proceeded to say, that it afforded him infinite satisfaction, and he was quite sure he might also include his respected friend, Mr. Dodge, to be able to state—and he had no delicacy in doing so, for Mr. Dodge was too honest a man to feel ashamed of the truth—that the handsome manner
