Page:Kickerbocker Feb 1833 vol 1 no 2.djvu/37

perfumes of a hundred climes—This, thou hast caught from the "spicy breeze" of Ceylon; and, here is the native sweetness of thine own wood-land isle. I can resist no longer—Come, to my—mouth!—

Circe's cup; nonsense!—That made men brutes; this might make brutes men, men demi-gods. "'Tis not so sweet as woman's lip?"—Ah! Tom Moore, you never tasted it; the right sort. They don't get it in England. Woman's lip, after it, I grant you; and it was then perhaps you wrote.—But what were woman's lip or woman either without?

Beautiful traveler!—Blest be thy lonely, distant home!—Blest the blue Atlantic that wantons on its shore!—Blest be the winds that pipe in its valleys! Blest the mountain side where the sun warmed and ripened thee!—Blest be thy parent vine! Blest be the careful old man who pruned its too great luxuriance! Blest the little boys and girls who gathered thy ripe clusters! Blest the wine-press to which thou didst yield thy virgin charms!—

Oh! blest be the ship that first bore thee on the deep! Blest be each particular sail, rope, spar, and block from her topmast down to her keel!—Blest be the very bilge-water in her hold, and the barnacles that grew to her bottom!—Blest be her captain!—Blest be her mates, her passengers, her men before the mast, her cabin boys!—Blest be her cook!—* * * *

The world brightens:—Love, Friendship;—ye are not illusions!—The poets have not feigned.—There are many whom I love, and who love me; Charles, John, Dick; these men would die for me, or I for them; cheerfully, gladly. And my wife loves me; very much, very much!—She has her ways,—but she loves me—And my children!—What a delightful thing to have a large family! Mine is perhaps a little too large: I am a happy man:———

I believe I am drunk. **** "I wish," said Mr. Winthrop, "it was some other father."———

"Why," said his friend, they are not quite in the first circle to be sure; rather, rather"———

"Oh!—that's nothing—you know he has a son; you must have seen him. The youngster had a notion for fashion—there were some conveniences about it, and I took him under my wing. He would play; I warned him against this; but one night I became winner from him of about five thousand dollars; this was rather beyond my young gentleman's present means the father called upon me, he wanted me to abate—I was obstinate; not a farthing; could not, a debt of that nature.—It was all paid. But you see the old gentleman will not be disposed to regard me in the most favorable light"—

"That is a difficulty."

"No matter, I think something can be done—I have a notion of my