sketches of young gentlemen-第3部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



are　equally　gentlemanly；　clever；　witty；　intelligent；　wise；　and

well…bred；　we　need　scarcely　have　recommended　them　to　the　peculiar

consideration　of　the　young　ladies；　if　it　were　not　that　some　of　the

gentle　creatures　whom　we　hold　in　such　high　respect；　are　perhaps　a

little　too　apt　to　confound　a　great　many　heavier　terms　with　the

light　word　eccentricity；　which　we　beg　them　henceforth　to　take　in　a

strictly　Johnsonian　sense；　without　any　liberality　or　latitude　of

construction。







THE　VERY　FRIENDLY　YOUNG　GENTLEMAN







We　know　…　and　all　people　know　…　so　many　specimens　of　this　class；

that　in　selecting　the　few　heads　our　limits　enable　us　to　take　from　a

great　number；　we　have　been　induced　to　give　the　very　friendly　young

gentleman　the　preference　over　many　others；　to　whose　claims　upon　a

more　cursory　view　of　the　question　we　had　felt　disposed　to　assign

the　priority。



The　very　friendly　young　gentleman　is　very　friendly　to　everybody；

but　he　attaches　himself　particularly　to　two；　or　at　most　to　three

families：　　regulating　his　choice　by　their　dinners；　their　circle　of

acquaintance；　or　some　other　criterion　in　which　he　has　an　immediate

interest。　　He　is　of　any　age　between　twenty　and　forty；　unmarried　of

course；　must　be　fond　of　children；　and　is　expected　to　make　himself

generally　useful　if　possible。　　Let　us　illustrate　our　meaning　by　an

example；　which　is　the　shortest　mode　and　the　clearest。



We　encountered　one　day；　by　chance；　an　old　friend　of　whom　we　had

lost　sight　for　some　years；　and　who　…　expressing　a　strong　anxiety　to

renew　our　former　intimacy　…　urged　us　to　dine　with　him　on　an　early

day；　that　we　might　talk　over　old　times。　　We　readily　assented；

adding；　that　we　hoped　we　should　be　alone。　　'Oh；　certainly；

certainly；'　said　our　friend；　'not　a　soul　with　us　but　Mincin。'　　'And

who　is　Mincin？'　was　our　natural　inquiry。　　'O　don't　mind　him；'

replied　our　friend；　'he's　a　most　particular　friend　of　mine；　and　a

very　friendly　fellow　you　will　find　him；'　and　so　he　left　us。



'We　thought　no　more　about　Mincin　until　we　duly　presented　ourselves

at　the　house　next　day；　when；　after　a　hearty　welcome；　our　friend

motioned　towards　a　gentleman　who　had　been　previously　showing　his

teeth　by　the　fireplace；　and　gave　us　to　understand　that　it　was　Mr。

Mincin；　of　whom　he　had　spoken。　　It　required　no　great　penetration　on

our　part　to　discover　at　once　that　Mr。　Mincin　was　in　every　respect　a

very　friendly　young　gentleman。



'I　am　delighted；'　said　Mincin；　hastily　advancing；　and　pressing　our

hand　warmly　between　both　of　his；　'I　am　delighted；　I　am　sure；　to

make　your　acquaintance　…　（here　he　smiled）　…　very　much　delighted

indeed　…　（here　he　exhibited　a　little　emotion）　…　I　assure　you　that　I

have　looked　forward　to　it　anxiously　for　a　very　long　time：'　here　he

released　our　hands；　and　rubbing　his　own；　observed；　that　the　day　was

severe；　but　that　he　was　delighted　to　perceive　from　our　appearance

that　it　agreed　with　us　wonderfully；　and　then　went　on　to　observe；

that；　notwithstanding　the　coldness　of　the　weather；　he　had　that

morning　seen　in　the　paper　an　exceedingly　curious　paragraph；　to　the

effect；　that　there　was　now　in　the　garden　of　Mr。　Wilkins　of

Chichester；　a　pumpkin；　measuring　four　feet　in　height；　and　eleven

feet　seven　inches　in　circumference；　which　he　looked　upon　as　a　very

extraordinary　piece　of　intelligence。　　We　ventured　to　remark；　that

we　had　a　dim　recollection　of　having　once　or　twice　before　observed　a

similar　paragraph　in　the　public　prints；　upon　which　Mr。　Mincin　took

us　confidentially　by　the　button；　and　said；　Exactly；　exactly；　to　be

sure；　we　were　very　right；　and　he　wondered　what　the　editors　meant　by

putting　in　such　things。　　Who　the　deuce；　he　should　like　to　know；　did

they　suppose　cared　about　them？　that　struck　him　as　being　the　best　of

it。



The　lady　of　the　house　appeared　shortly　afterwards；　and　Mr。　Mincin's

friendliness；　as　will　readily　be　supposed；　suffered　no　diminution

in　consequence；　he　exerted　much　strength　and　skill　in　wheeling　a

large　easy…chair　up　to　the　fire；　and　the　lady　being　seated　in　it；

carefully　closed　the　door；　stirred　the　fire；　and　looked　to　the

windows　to　see　that　they　admitted　no　air；　having　satisfied　himself

upon　all　these　points；　he　expressed　himself　quite　easy　in　his　mind；

and　begged　to　know　how　she　found　herself　to…day。　　Upon　the　lady's

replying　very　well；　Mr。　Mincin　（who　it　appeared　was　a　medical

gentleman）　offered　some　general　remarks　upon　the　nature　and

treatment　of　colds　in　the　head；　which　occupied　us　agreeably　until

dinner…time。　　During　the　meal；　he　devoted　himself　to　complimenting

everybody；　not　forgetting　himself；　so　that　we　were　an　uncommonly

agreeable　quartette。



'I'll　tell　you　what；　Capper；'　said　Mr。　Mincin　to　our　host；　as　he

closed　the　room　door　after　the　lady　had　retired；　'you　have　very

great　reason　to　be　fond　of　your　wife。　　Sweet　woman；　Mrs。　Capper；

sir！'　　'Nay；　Mincin　…　I　beg；'　interposed　the　host；　as　we　were　about

to　reply　that　Mrs。　Capper　unquestionably　was　particularly　sweet。

'Pray；　Mincin；　don't。'　　'Why　not？'　exclaimed　Mr。　Mincin；　'why　not？

Why　should　you　feel　any　delicacy　before　your　old　friend　…　OUR　old

friend；　if　I　may　be　allowed　to　call　you　so；　sir；　why　should　you；　I

ask？'　　We　of　course　wished　to　know　why　he　should　also；　upon　which

our　friend　admitted　that　Mrs。　Capper　WAS　a　very　sweet　woman；　at

which　admission　Mr。　Mincin　cried　'Bravo！'　and　begged　to　propose

Mrs。　Capper　with　heartfelt　enthusiasm；　whereupon　our　host　said；

'Thank　you；　Mincin；'　with　deep　feeling；　and　gave　us；　in　a　low

voice；　to　understand；　that　Mincin　had　saved　Mrs。　Capper's　cousin's

life　no　less　than　fourteen　times　in　a　year　and　a　half；　which　he

considered　no　common　circumstance　…　an　opinion　to　which　we　most

cordially　subscribed。



Now　that　we　three　were　left　to　entertain　ourselves　with

conversation；　Mr。　Mincin's　extreme　friendliness　became　every　moment

more　apparent；　he　was　so　amazingly　friendly；　indeed；　that　it　was

impossible　to　talk　about　anything　in　which　he　had　not　the　chief

concern。　　We　happened　to　allude　to　some　affairs　in　which　our　friend

and　we　had　been　mutually　engaged　nearly　fourteen　years　before；　when

Mr。　Mincin　was　all　at　once　reminded　of　a　joke　which　our　friend　had

made　on　that　day　four　years；　which　he　positively　must　insist　upon

telling　…　and　which　he　did　tell　accordingly；　with　many　pleasant

recollections　of　what　he　said；　and　what　Mrs。　Capper　said；　and　how

he　well　remembered　that　they　had　been　to　the　play　with　orders　on

the　very　night　previous；　and　had　seen　Romeo　and　Juliet；　and　the

pantomime；　and　how　Mrs。　Capper　being　faint　had　been　led　into　the

lobby；　where　she　smiled；　said　it　was　nothing　after　all；　and　went

back　again；　with　many　other　interesting　and　absorbing　particulars：

after　which　the　friendly　young　gentleman　went　on　to　assure　us；　that

our　friend　had　experienced　a　marvellously　prophetic　opinion　of　that

same　pantomime；　which　was　of　such　an　admirable　kind；　that　two

morning　papers　took　the　same　view　next　day：　　to　this　our　friend

replied；　with　a　little　triumph；　that　in　that　instance　he　had　some

reason　to　think　he　had　been　correct；　which　gave　the　friendly　young

gentleman　occasion　to　believe　that　our　friend　was　always　correct；

and　so　we　went　on；　until　our　friend；　filling　a　bumper；　said　he　must

drink　one　glass　to　his　dear　friend　Mincin；　than　whom　he　would　say

no　man　saved　the　lives　of　his　acquaintances　more；　or　had　a　more

friendly　heart。　　Finally；　our　friend　having　emptied　his　glass；

said；　'God　bless　you；　Mincin；'　…　and　Mr。　Mincin　and　he　shook　hands

across　the　table　with　much　affection　and　earnestness。



But　great　as　the　friendly　young　gentleman　is；　in　a　limited　scene

like　this；　he　plays　the　same　part　on　a　larger　scale　with　increased

ECLAT。　　Mr。　Mincin　is　invited　to　an　evening　party　with　his　dear

friends　the　Martins；　where　he　meets　his　dear　friends　the　Cappers；

and　his　dear　friends　the　Watsons；　and　a　hundred　other　dear　friends

too　numerous　to　mention。　　He　is　as　much　at　home　with　the　Martins　as

with　the　Cappers；　but　how　exquisitely　he　balances　his　attentions；

and　divides　them　among　his　dear　friends！　　If　he　flirts　with　one　of

the　Miss　Watsons；　he　has　one　little　Martin　on　the　sofa　pulling　his

hair；　and　the　other　little　Martin　on　the　carpet　riding　on　his　foot。

He　carries　Mrs。　Watson　down　to　supper　on　one　arm；　and　Miss　Martin

on　the　other；　and　takes　wine　so　judiciously；　and　in　such　exact

order；　that　it　is　impossible　for　the　most　punctilious　old　lady　to

consider　herself　neglected。　　If　any　young　lady；　being　prevailed

upon　to　sing；　become　nervous　afterwards；　Mr。　Mincin　leads　her

tenderly　into　the　next　room；　and　restores　her　with　port　wine；　which

she　must　take　medicinally。　　If　any　gentleman　be　standing　by　the

piano　during　the　progress　of　the　ballad；　Mr。　Mincin　seizes　him　by

the　arm　at　one　point　of　the　melody；　and　softly　beating　time　the

while　with　his　head；　expresses　in　dumb　show　his　intense　perception

of　the　delicacy　of　the　passage。　　If　anybody's　self…love　is　to　be

flattered；　Mr。　Mincin　is　at　hand。　　If　anybody's　overweening　vanity

is　to　be　pampered；　Mr。　Mincin　will　surfeit　it。　　What　wonder　that

people　of　all　stations　and　ages　recognise　Mr。　Mincin's

friendliness；　that　he　is　universally　allowed　to　be　handsome　as

amiable；　that　mothers　think　him　an　oracle；　daughters　a　dear；

brothers　a　beau；　and　fathers　a　wonder！　　And　who　would　not　have　the

reputation　of　the　very　friendly　young　gentleman？







THE　MILITARY　YOUNG　GENTLEMAN







We　are　rather　at　a　loss　to　imagine　how　it　has　come　to　pass　that

military　young　gentlemen　have　obtained　so　much　favour　in　the　eyes

of　the　young　ladies　of　this　kingdom。　　We　cannot　think　so　lightly　of

them　as　to　suppose　that　the　mere　circumstance　of　a　man's　wearing　a

red　coat　ensures　him　a　ready　passport　to　their　regard；　and　even　if

this　were　the　case；　it　would　be　no　satisfactory　explanation　of　the

circumstance；　because；　although　the　analogy　may　in　some　degree　hold

good　in　the　case　of　mail　coachmen　and