Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/363

"Sir,

"It gives me great pleasure to have the honour of presenting the song of my own composing as promised. My ideas were not perhaps fructifying much when I wrote it; but if placed in juxtaposition with some, it may not amalgamate amiss. It is boney fide my own, and as such

"P.S. I shall be at the Crumpet to-night, about nine; and if you should be there, I should feel highly honoured to see you."

Here followed the song of "Old England," which Sylvester read as a matter of course, and then asked himself what it all meant. He couldn't understand it at all! "It gives me great pleasure to have the honour of presenting the song of my own composing, as promised!" What could the man mean by sending it, "as promised?" "I shall be at the Crumpet to-night about nine!" Did he expect him to go to the Crumpet to meet him?

"Judkins," said Sylvester, having endeavoured to solve this small mystery in vain. "Judkins, do you know a man named Obadiah Drant?"

"Know him, sir! I think I do, rather. He's a lunatic, sir—that's my belief—a political lunatic. He'd talk a horse's hind leg off, sir; and then wouldn't be quiet. He's always contin'ally at it! Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter—gabble, gabble, gabble! He's a wonder, sir—a political wonder."

"Why a political wonder?"

"'Cause, sir, he's always talking politics."

"But he's a poet as well, is he not?"

"I never see none of his poetry. If he does write poetry, he takes care to stuff lots of politics in it, I'll warrant!"

"Then you think he's insane?"

"Why, sir, I couldn't, we'll say, prove him to be exactly that; but it's my belief a man in his proper senses would never go on at the rate he does. You should just hear him talk, sir: you'd never forget it! He has got a lot of jaw-cracking words at his fingers' ends, and he stuffs 'em in any how, and no how."

Sylvester was now summoned to breakfast, and on entering the parlour with the note in his hand, he said—

"Aunt! I have received a highly important communication this morning, from one of your neighbours."

"Indeed, my dear! Of what nature?"

"Here it is! perhaps you would like to look at it."