Page:A strange, sad comedy (IA strangesadcomedy00seawiala).pdf/33

Rh cake, Black Juba, and little Patsy Jane, all together, to bring in supplies of batter-cakes, to which the invariable formula was: "Take two, and butter them while they are hot."

The Colonel kept up a steady fusillade, reinforced by Miss Jemima, of all the family history, peculiarities, and what not, of the Corbin family. The Corbins were, to a man, the best judges of wines in the State of Virginia; they inherited great capacity for whist; and were remarkable for putting a just estimate upon people, and inflexible in maintaining their opinions. "Of which," said the Colonel, suavely, "I will give you an example:

"My honored father always believed that it was the guest's duty, when spending the night at a house, to make the motion toward retiring for the night. My uncle, John Whiting Corbin, held the contrary. As both knew the other's inflexibility they avoided ever spending the night at each other's houses, although upon the most affectionate and brotherly terms. Upon one occasion, however, my uncle was caught at Corbin Hall by stress of weather. The evening passed pleasantly, but toward midnight the rest of the family, including my sister Jemima and myself, re-