richly brown, so smoking hot, that
no man with a heart in his bosom could possibly refuse them. Then there
were glass dishes of them pickled, with little black spots of allspice
floating on the pearly liquid that contained them. And lastly, oysters
broiled, whose delicious flavour exceeds my powers of description--these,
with ham and tongue, were the solid comforts. There were other things,
however, to which one could turn when the appetite grew more dainty; there
were jellies, blancmange, chocolate cream, biscuit glace, peach ice,
vanilla ice, orange-water ice, brandy peaches, preserved strawberries and
pines; not to say a word of towers of candy, bonbons, kisses, champagne,
Rhine wine, sparkling Catawba, liquors, and a man in the corner making
sherry cobblers of wondrous flavour, under the especial supervision of
Kinch; on the whole, it was an American supper, got up regardless of
expense--and whoever has been to such an entertainment knows very well what
an American supper is.

What a merry happy party it was--how they all seemed to enjoy
themselves--and how they all laughed, when the bride essayed to cut the
cake, and could not get the knife through the icing--and how the young
girls put pieces away privately, that they might place them under their
pillows to dream upon! What a happy time they had!

Father Banks enjoyed himself amazingly; he eat quantities of stewed
terrapin, and declared it the best he ever tasted. He talked gravely to the
old people--cheerfully and amusingly to the young; and was, in fact, having
a most delightful time--when a servant whispered to him that there was a
person in the entry who wished to see him immediately.

"Oh dear!" he exclaimed to Mr. Balch, "I was just congratulating myself
that I should have one uninterrupted evening, and you see the
result--called off at this late hour."

Father Banks followed the servant from the room, and inquired of the
messenger what was wanted.

"You must come to the hospital immediately, sir; the man with the
typhus-fever--you saw him yesterday--he's dying; he says he must see
you--that he has something important to confess. I'm to go for a magistrate
as well."

"Ah!" said Father Banks, "you need go no further, Alderman Balch is
here--he is quite competent to receive his depositions."

"I'm heartily glad of it," replied the man, "it will save me another hunt.
I had a hard time finding you. I've been to your house and two or three
other places,