Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

ATtKISON'S SILVER WAITER. 63
necessary to bring out the display in the back-ground. The
countenance is handsome, intellectual, full of life, and a
little roguish. The painting as a work of art has been
highly valued by connoisseurs, and five hundred dollars
have been offered for it.
But the silver waitbr is more particularly the subject of
this Ramble. On this waiter are inscribed the names, ages
and times of death of 48 individuals who were acquaintances of the elder Atkinson.. Many of the deaths inscribed
occurred before there was any newspaper in New Hampshire, and it is probable that Secretary Atkinson took this
as the best means of preserving a record of his particular
friends. The names upon the waiter were in two columns. One column was filled down, and the other was filled
about half way down, there being room enough for twelve
or fifteen names more. Prom the appearance of the engraving of the names, it is thought that the inscriptions
were made at different times, as the persons happened to
die.
The first date was about eight years after his marriage.
His wife died 12th Dec. 1769. It will be seen that but two
names were added after her death. He died 22nd Sept.
1779, and the dates stopped eight years previous to his
death. Although the last column was not filled up, there
were many distinguished persons who died within those
eight years.
It will be seen that neither the death of his son nor of
his wife is noticed. He alludes to the death of one of Gov.
Benning Wentwortth's sons, and omits those of the other
two. He also omits the death of Gov. Benning's first wife.
Those acquainted with the history of Portsmouth will
notice that he omits husbands and notices wives, and vice
versa. Indeed, the most interesting point in this matter is
to get at the standard of qualification for record upon the
waiter.