the city. In truth, what was a century ago entire
river, is now one-fourth of the city, and this deposit goes on
annually without any decrease in its ratio.

By agreement of all parties, this batture was surveyed into squares
and lots, and sold at public auction, and the money deposited in the
Bank of Louisiana, to the credit of the Supreme Court of the United
States, to abide the decision of that tribunal as to the rightful
ownership. The decision gave it to the city. Grymes, as attorney for
the city, by order of the court, received a check for the money. The
bank paid the check, and Grymes appropriated one hundred thousand
dollars of it, as a fee for his services, and then deposited the
balance to the credit of the mayor and council of the city. This was a
large fee, but was not really what he was entitled to, under the
custom of chancery for collecting money. He had agreed to pay Daniel
Webster for assistance rendered; but Mr. Webster, some years after,
informed me that he had never received a cent, and I am sure he never
did, after that.

Grymes was well aware, if the city fathers got their hands upon the
money, it would be years before he got this amount, if ever. With a
portion of this money he liquidated all claims not antiquated and
forgotten by him, and the balance was intrusted to the hands of a
friend to invest for his benefit. This, together with his practice,
which was now declining, furnished a handsome support for him. Age
appeared to effect little change in his _personnel_. At sixty-seven,
he was as erect in person and as elastic in step as at thirty. There
was none of that _embonpoint_ usually the consequence of years and
luxurious living. He was neither slender nor fat; but what is most
agreeable to the eye--between the two, with a most perfectly formed
person. His features were manly, and strikingly beautiful; his blue
eyes beaming with the _hauteur_ of high breeding and ripe
intelligence. These features were too often disfigured with the sneer
of scorn, or the curled lip of expressive contempt. His early hopes,
his manhood's ambition had been disappointed; and, soured and sore, he
sneered at the world, and despised it. He had no confidence in man or
woman, and had truly reached Hamlet's condition, when "Man delighted
him not, nor woman either." He felt the world was his debtor, and was
niggardly in its payments. He grew more and more morose as the things
of time receded. Others, full of youth, tale