Litchfield enquirer. [volume], May 05, 1853, Image 1

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Vol. XXV11.
LITCHFIELD, (CONN.,) THURSDAY. MAY 5, 1853.
Whole No. 1353. No. 52.
Tills Li ftiJl FIELD ENQUIRER.
TVBI.HHED EVERT THURSDAY MQRNINO RT
HENRY W. HYATT.
OJiee—One Door Ea*t of the Court lloute,
LITCHFIELD, CONN.
TERMS.
Ti'laga and Single MailSwbaeribera. 01-50
In lundles ol SO and upwards, 01,Si; orit
taid ITRICTLT is ADTAKCE.01.00 pet annum
—ADVERTISING.—
1 mlsittratora ’Notices. 01.00
CornmUilonere’ Notieee *•**
E.tray Noticee, 75
Other adv’te.per equare. (3 weeks.) 1.0*'
fiechiubseauent insertion. SO
tf©® W ©!&!&,
Of mil lcinde neatly and prompt! y executed
Frederick D• Beeman,
Attorney and Counselor at Ur.
Oifice in Seymour’* Building,
Litchfield. Conn,
WXIUAM G. COB.
Attorney and Counselor at Law,
NEW BRITAIN, CONN.
REMOVAL.
Dr. BOSTWICK has removed his
tsideuce to Crossman’s U. S. Hotel*
Litchfield, June Z. 1852
Charles O. SSelden.
attorney at LAW, •
LITCHFIELD. CONN.
Office Seymour's Building, South meet
Sept. 10, 185 2.
D. G. Bostwick, M. 1).,
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON,
Officeover Sam’l P Bnlle, store,in ronmsfor
■ wly occupied by Dr J S Wolcott,
rune.5th. t85J.
Charles Vaill, M D
Physician and Suit,eon,
Office over the Post Office—Residence st tlx
••Bis«*ll Place” in East street, Litchfield.
David X*. Hollister,
Attorney and Cauusellor at Law.
SALISBURY, CONN.
First building south of the Mansion House
c. M. HOOKER,
RESIDENT DENTIST.
OFFICE at h is i evidence,3d Dwelling north
■et the Rank.
OBNRTB. GRAVBSr
Attorney and Counsellor at Law
LlTCHriSLD, Conv.
0$ice over Dr. BueVs Store, re.
tcntly occupied by the late Gen. Bacon
APPRENTICE WANTED.
TO learn (he Millinery bu inrse; to a
gir! wishing tc learn the trade a good chance
is t'ffcred. Enquire c ftw doers West of the
Court House of
S. H. GRANN1SS.
' Litohfield, April6 1853.
Millinery Goods.
MISS BRADLEY has returned from New
York with a full assortment of Rilibons,
Flowers, Gloves, Veils, Dress Caps, Low
Priced Strew and Slurred Silk Hats.
Colored Straws, and Shirred Hata for
Mourning, Love Veils, Collars, Ac Ac.
Straw Hata repaiie.1 as usual with the as
oursnee « f giving satisfaction.
Litchfield, April 12 1653.
Woodbury Bank.
NOTICE.
THE Hoo. Superior Court holden at Litch
field within and for the Count v of Litchfield,
Conn, has appointed and limited the tiiuo of
otx months Iron# the flat day of Match, 1853.
within which the creditors of the Woodbury
Hank shall prevent ihcir claims to the under
signed, who weie appointed by said Court
Receivers of the cffiicu and propertyof said
E*wa«* A. Phsxj-s, ofColebr^ok, Cl 1 R.
Thomas Boh., of Woodbury, Ct > criv
G*o. C. Woodkutf, of Luchfiold, Ct \ era.
Dated Litchfield, April 7lh, 1853. fitaU
LOST.
Supposed to be stolen from tha Railroad
Depot at Hartford on the night of April 8th,
o large rise rnnsef-colored VALISE, no mark
oh it. The Valise contained Nines and ac
coonts m favor of the Bridgeport Foundry and
Machine Company, and ail oeraons indebted
to owdCompany ere warned against making
payments «n noses of John H Shulls end otb
am, unioea called for te the naderaigned, the
•gartof Ibo Comport y, or some other authori
pomoc. A auitabla toward wiH bo paid
fm the retnrn of amid property, to
B P. WELCH, Bridgeport;
POETRY.
The ©14 Man t* bis Wire.
We are growing very Kate—
1 fee I it every day.
The hair upon our temples now
Is growing thin and grey.
We aie noi as ive were, Kate,
And yet our heart* are young,
As when we roved the sunny lulls,
And flowery dales among.
We are growing very old, Kate,
But it is not age of heart.
Though speedily the hour routes on.
When thou and i must part, Kate,
Ab we have never before,
Beside our callage hearth to meet,
With words of love no more.
But we’re growing very old, Kate,
And the parting won’t be long,
’Till we meet within a better home,
Amid yon heavenly throng,
’Till we sing the song together, Kate, ,
The angels sing above ; I
Where ne’er the (ear of parting takes
The blessedness from love. .
MISCELLANY._
A tale of fho Revolution.
A volume narrating tlie many high spir* I
itt-J acts performed liy American women of
the Revolution, of all ranks of life, would
make one of the most interesting hooks of
our cuiiiiiry’s annals. Time, in its ever
sweeping course, has buried in oblivion,
liicta of everlasting remembrance, becai se
there was no chronicle to inaik down the
events of the period. But there exists tia*
ditiotiarv stories in many fiiiiihes which
can he gathered, and they shall be rlironi*
ded—and among such sketches, the wo
men of the Revolution, noble hearted, shall
not he forgot ten.
Seventy five years ago. there stood upon
ihe summit of ‘Murray Hill,’ a handsiuue
country seat, the residence of Hubert Mur
ray, a Quaker merchant of much eminence
n New York, li was a beaut fol country
mansion, surrounded with gardens and fruit
trees, and just far enough Irom the city, as
it existed a! that day, to be delightfully ro
il and nndislnthed from the encroachment
• if unasked city visitors.
It was towards ihe hour of two, on a
unld afternoon in September, seventy five
ears by •.gone, that a lady in the gaih of»
Quakeress stood upon the portico ol Ins
Swelling, looking anxiously into tie road
vhicli passed about a hundred yard, u
front. Hercouiilenniire was mild, but then
xpressed great anxiety—and not witluiiu
eason, for ever and anon was heard tin
uid peal of cannon, and railing of musket
•V, ns if men were engaged in deadly strife,
uid now and then a faint cheer rose amid
he clangor ol arms.
Up the road in rapid retreat passed lira*
I •odies of soldiery. Artillery men rod.
.long ut the head of their pieces, and liag
g ige carts and amnr.omiion wagons nun
• !cd in the melee. It was evident the
Vmericans were leaving ihe city in rapid
diglit to save themselves from being cut oil
from the inireuchmeiiis on the upper pari
u! the Island.
Three or f mr negro servants of ImiiIi
•exes stood near her. to wh in she from
dine to lime addressed herself. Presently
a black fellow came rushing towards the
iiouse, from a hrane.h of ihe road, his eyes
protruding fioni fright, and Ins moiiih ex
tended from ear to ear.
‘Oh Missus! down in de meadow near
de hay, is a hundred dead sojers, and de
Kiighs.h are drivm de Mcncmis will guns
and swords before dem ! Oh, missus, the
sight is horn he.’
‘Thee says truly C no—the Right is
horr hie. Why, oh God! will men butcher
each oilier, defacing ihe image ol their
Creator! and fbr what!’
‘Oh, see, .Missus!’ exclaimed several of
the servants.
Four soldiers in the blue and buff uni
Ibriu of the Continentals, turned from the
road up Hie broad avenue, filled with trees,
which led to ihe louse, liearing upon »
Inter of reversed muskets a voting man,
from whose body the blood ivu^ o>i* ng m.
fast that it marked the track along the
whole path. On they cime towards the
itm riftiif in
•Ciito! M it gg v! bring instantly a mat*
trass and pillows, and place litem here in
J ‘Ins shady spot. Fly, nil of ihee; poor
I yoml;I poor youth ! he is dying,’
The-faithful negroes were absent but a
tiiniuent before they returned with ntatlraas.
pillows, sheets and blankets, and p ared
them in a coni corner of the wide portico,
which extended li e whole length of the
mansion. The soldiers came up, and the
leader of the parry addressed the ladv :
* Mad iin.', our Ensign is badly wounded.
Our Captain directed ns, Hanning your lib
erality, to leave him here. The surgeon
ivill soon follow.’
* Thee has done right. The slieher God
mss bestowed oil me shall e>’i-r lie open !<■
•lie unfortunate. Poor youth 1 ptsir y outh !’
she exclaimed as they laid him upon the
mat • rasa.
The young officer opened bis eyes and
gazed around him. liU age was not more
than twenty—liur-haired and fair-skmued.
but pale, very, very pale—lor the signs ol
deathwere too strongly marked on his white
and even brow, to he mistaken. His eyes
weteof a deep blue; as tjiey fixed tlleir
glance ti|s.n the fine expressive features o|
•lie Quaker ladv, he murmured almost in*
audibly—• Motlier!*
1 pi sir boy ! tluiu hast a mother living
then—one who |>erhnpi is now Idling hei
voice to God to save thee from tl>e danger*
of Hie h'nndv calling in which Hum lias:
fallen. Ra se liia head soldier,* little more.
He will soon he at rest.’ But the last sen
truce was muttered in herself.
I lie surgeon now came rapidly up tin
avenue, and was soon at the side of th«
youth. He fell his pulse, opened Ins vest,
and two gunslu’t were men, around which
the blond was fsM congealing
* P'*01" D ck, lie lias area his Iasi fight.’
said the surgeon. • Either ol’tl-eae woond*.
madante, is tiutrial—l%e cannot live at long
eat ha f sat hour. Follow vlW rnmt«H
ions, men, the five m ckW behind. Mv
good lady, farewell, ( can be of no use here.
Let me ask of you the ftvor to get this
poor Dow turned hy I lie enemy, wiien they
inter their own (lend,’ He lietit hastily
over the dying Ensign, wiped away a tear
and rushed uni alier the soldiers.
The good Q inker lady took <>ne hand of
the youth in tier own and passed her other
over Ilia clammy I trow,where the cold drops
of approaching death were gathering.—
He opened Ins eyes for the last time, smiled
upon the woman whose gaze was now fix
ed upon him, tntirmure.1 faintly, * dear
mother!’ clasped tier ha ml convulsively,
and the next instant ceaved to exist.
The Indy said not a word. She rose
from her recumbent posture, drew a snow
while linen sheet over ihe hodv, and, with
a st fled suit,again looked down the aver.uc.
In differt in portions of the open orchard
tippeared soldiers heating the dying litrms
of their comrads, which they laid carefully
down, and then rushed rapidly to their reg
iment, pissing dim it the main avenue. In
different portions of the open ordinal, more
than n dozen soldiers were placed direetly
nround the mansion.
Summoning her servants one and all, the
good lady went imo the orchard to aid the
dvtng soldiers as far as lay in her power.
Her attention had not thus long been giv
en, before an oIBcet in the bine and buff
itnifonr of Y\ ashingioti’s witsH came riding
at foil speed, op tie road, am! turned with
out slacking Ids speed towards the mansion.
He rented in Itis steed as he reached the
iadv, observing her kind actions towards
the soldiers.
* nave I the honor ol addressing :\lrs.
Murray ?’
* If thee means the Wife of Robert Mur
ray, I am what thou callcvi me,’replied the
laay, looking up.’
* Vy dear niadame, pardon my address.
The kindness I see displayed tells me I am
not mistaken; the co!nnr»nder»in-chicf lias
sent me to ask the favor, if pussih'e, of
your detaining tin* advance of the Bri'ish
troops, hv receiving Sir William Howe mid
his associates with your usual civilities, ns
they will probably slop to lake a glass ol
wine, if r« ques etl ’
‘ My ilear madame.’—and lie hotved li s
head nearer in the lady, ns if ill private
conference—‘a portion of our troops arc
vet in the city, and they can only escajie
hv the Bloom ngdale road. You may pre
vent ii e march of the enemy across tin
stand.’
‘ Tell your General, young man, dial I
shall offer General Howe all the civilities in
niy power.’
* Thanks, M rs. Murray, thanks!’ and
the Aid rode away.
Not more than five minutes had elapsed
from ihe time the officer departed, when
lie sound of martial music with no'es of
victory fi led the air, and proclaimed move
units of advancing troop*. Mrs. Mnriav
vent down in ihe road, mid with two or
hri e ntteudaina waited their cottiing.
Indeed it was a brilliant spectacle. An
■ dvancecorps of cavalry in scarlet iini
I* r:ns, caii.e gallantly up the lull, their
trumpets ami kettle firms discoursing most
cioq ieni music—next followed a company
• if grenadiers, ilteti a large number of otfi
cers in licit uniform. Tne foremost officer
mi horseback was Sir W'llmm Howe, cum
in unit r-n chief of the Bri'ish forces. In
frame ol body and statue, Sir W illiam
equalled Wa-diiiiguui, hnlh being above Ihe
ordinaiy height. Here the comparisoi:
stopped. The countenance of the British
General, so say h storings, was harsh,dark
and forbidding, noiv and then lighting cp
hv a smile wliicli seemed more (Itsagreeable
'Inin prepossessing. Onward came tile
cavalcade, until they leac cl the gate at
which Mrs. Murray was standing, upon
which all eyes were instantly turned.
* Will thee not stop and refresh iliyselves
fora season at my mansion? thee must be
fatigued!’ said she, addressing herself to
Sir YV illtam Howe and tlie officers imme
diately around him.
‘ Really, Clni'on, I think we may as well
accept this good lady’s offer for a lew mo
meins. T. e troops thus lar have hud hot
work of ii, and a general rest will not he
amiss. Madam, we accept yourufler with
pleasure, the more so ns it shows von to be
a loyal friend of his majtsty, whom I now
humbly represent as niiiiiiiiaiider-iflscliief
of Ins forces in North America,
‘I aiii alike llie friend of King George
and Congress—of William Howe and Geo.
YV aslimgton. Ii Itecnines me iihi, a poor
weak thmg of God's making, to dislike any
of Ins creatures.’
Sir William Howe bowed ;ir she apnke ;
he was Inn pihte in argue political mailers
won the good Quakeress. He rode in'o
the park, after commanding a general IihIi
often minutes lor refreshment of the troops,
billowed by Mr Henry Clinton, Generat
Knyphansen, commander ot the Hessian*,
Lord Percy. General* Leslie and Grain,
and Ids staff, where they diamoumed and
billowed Mrs. Murry into the mansion.
ItefrfNhmi-nis of cake, w ine and cold
meats were ordeted out upon the liwn in
pinl'intiou, of wliieh the officers partook
freely—and tradition sa\s ilut Sir Henry
Cliii'on, who wit* a great Ism vivat I, re
marked to Ids sojieriiir officer, in an nn
dertone, 1 that if the cellar- of the miinsitin
coiiiiiined any large quantity of such Ma
deira, he Hhould like to be billeted there for
• he campaign/
In the mean time, Mrs. Murray had di
reeled Cato, the black servant, privately ><•
go to tht (op of the mansion, and ‘.lie in
statu lie saw a body of men pass a certain
piitit of the B'Onnrngdale road, to give her
information hv signal. I may as well re
mark, that from the lijll the road could not
he |ierarived, but from the eupiM of the
dwelling it was very easily seen.
Nearer «n Iu.it than the ten minutes Sir
William Howe gave orders b>r I tie halt ol
Ins troops had passed away, yet still lie
fore the mansion he lingered with Ids offi
cers. Mrs. Murray hsd nut only entertain
ed them with refreshments, hut couvers*
dnn. The younger potion of the officers
Usd entered the orchard and amused iIm-iii
-elves with gatleriog the fruit with which
the trees were bending, ripened tinder the
om of au early autumn, ami thus time had
-li|i|ied sway unaware*.
A* length Cato made the requisite signal,
md Mrs. Murray, turning' to the British
commander, said—
* Wiit thee and Ibv office re *'ep with me
to the pirnco of the mansion ? I have a
•«h7forthee #B/
^p
1 liia wim uttered in an quiet mid jfrave
a lone dial die merriment of dieir triumph
ovei die ‘rebels’ instantly censed, die
glasses were pm down, and Sir William 1
• low e ond Ins Generals followed die Qua 1
keresa as requested. Lending tlieni to die ■
etui of die portico, she stooped down, and i
Itl.tng the sheet, uncovered tlie body ol the
poor continental ensign. |
Handsome even in death were the fea*
lures of tlie youth. His fair curling hair
blew ligh'ly over Ills marble cheek, in the
soft breeze. The bufT lining of Ins uniform
was deeply streaked with his life blood,
which had gathered in a pool upon the
mr.t truss. The sight was indeed one to
awake emotion in the stearnest breast.
‘ Who among you will a-nswer to God
and this hoy’s mother for the bloody deed ?'
said Mrs. Murray, raising hei eyes calmly
to the group of young officers.
* To horse, gentlemen! Madame, such
are the fortunes of war. Thanks (or your
courtesy. Farewell.* This was the only
response of Sir WiJIinin Howe. What
more could lie say? In a few moments the
blast of the trumpet and drums and files
told that the troops were on • lie march to
triumph and victory—fora season. Thank
God n wiir only liir u short season.
The main facts of this sketch are true.
Mrs. Murray, the patriotic Quakeress, bv 1
ilriahung Sir William Howe, saved a large
body of American troops —near three thou* i
land—tinder the command of Putnam, who ,
would have been penned up in the city j
ivitli his men if the British army had cross
'll the Island sooner. Might not the loss 1
if three thousand troops to Washington, 1
it dull nine, have lieen sufficient to change
>ur whole destinies, us regards a Republic ?
It is a grave though;. At any rate, nil
honor to Mrs. Murray, the Quaker lady o!
olden tune.
Tbe Newspaper.
As popular lecturers nave frequently of
late thought it worth their while to say tin*
civil things ol newspapers, we deem it no
more thar. right to offer I lie following from
• sermon hy Rev. Dr, Adams, of New
York, as an offset lo their slanders.
“ Why is anything made public, but the
lieliefibnt it will lie nf interest to others?
Why is it announced that Isaac and Re
becca were marr ed on a certain day last
week, hot oo the supposition that it will
give you pleasure to know ii. And then
lower down on the sheet, under the start
ling head of deaths, your eve runs along
always wuh apprehensions lest it fall on
fine well known name, and read that the
aged father, the young child, the heloved
w le, the rich, the poor, the admired, the
beautiful are gone,is ii not taken lor granted
hat strange"-* will have a sigh for the al«*
11 cied, and the world respond in sympathy
it* the incur .ions of a common foe ?
11 Head in this light the commonest ad
vertisement which crowd our papers have
a kindly order tibotit them. Say not with
a cynic sneer, as though you were doubt
ful whether there was any thing honest in
the world, when a store keeper advertises
his wares, that it is all sheer selfishness, for
il it is p'e'iNant for one to announce a fresh
supply ol tallow ami wool, hardwares mid
iiiiimIiiik, is it not josl us pleasant for one
win* wishes lo know ? When a brace of
voting partners in trade insert their virgin
advertisement, inhuming tfie world how
happy they shall lie to wait on customers,
can you read it without entering into their
new career?
*' Business advertisements ! Waste pa.
per! You know not what you say. Those
slops winch are lo anil for every harbor in
the world—llume fabrics which arrive from
every commercial mart on the earth, 'his
iron from Russia, lea from China, wool
from Smyrna, fruit from Malaga, coffee
'rom Cuba, cotton from Georgia, sugar
from Louisiana, do they not preach to us
at rhe corners of ihe streets, ai the entering
in of the gatea, in our docks, anil in our
custom houses and exchanges, sermons on
the mutual dependence of mankind ?”
_
Pde Whrlstoitt and the Mail Boy.
IVte Whetstone, of Arkansas, was once
travelling on Imrsehack through tlit;iuieri»
or of the Stale, ami called one evening to
stay ail night ai a Imle log house near the
road where enieitn'iniieiii and a Post Ol
lice were kepi. Twoother strangers were
ihcie and iiiemsil rider rode up about dark.
Supper being over, (lie mnil carrier and the
three gentlemen were invited into u small
room furnished with a good lire and iwn
heils, they were to neeommodiite the four
persons for the night. The mail carrier
was a In tie shabby, dirty, lousy looking
fellow, with whom-none of the genilenien
liked the idea ol sleeping, Peie Whetstone
eyed him closely as he asked :
* Where do you sleep to night, my lad ?’
' I'll thleep w itb ..I reckon/ lisped the
youin, ‘or with one o’lbein other lellurs, I
don’t care which/
I lie other two gentlemen took the hint,
and occupied one of the Irrds together im
mediately, leaving the oilier bed and the
confab 10 he enjoyed by Pete and the mail
boy together as best tltev could. Peie and
me laiy ttoib commenced battling ofl ibeir
duds, and Peie gening into lied first and
wishing to gel rid of sleeping with ibe boy,
remarked very earnestly—
* Mv frit ml. I’ll leliyno beforehand, /’re
got the Itch, and you’d heller urn gel in
here with me, for the disease is catching.’
I’h* bov, who was just gening into bed
loo, drawled out very coolly, • Wal I reckon
that doni make a hit o'difference, I’ve find
d now for nearly these ilieven years/ and
into bed be pitched along with Peie, who
pitched out i.-t as great a burry as if lie
had waked op a hornet’# nest in the bed.
The otlter two geitiletii.en roared, and tfe
mad hoy, who bad gig peaceable possession
of a bed to himself drawled out, ‘ why yon
iuu«i lie a set of darned fulea, mam and
dad’# got the eaich a heap worth Ilian I is,
aiyl they llilep in that bed Isili nigiil when
• hey wal It hear at the .quilling.’
The oilier two sir*tigers were now in a
worse predicament than Pete bad been,
and bouncing from their ne#i a# if ibe liouse
had beeu oil fire, ai ripped, shook tlieii
clothes, put them on again, ordered their
hours, and, though it wag nearly ten
o’ckitk, they all three left, and rode several
mile# lo the next town before they slept,
leaving the imperturbable mail carrier lo
H a Miss of aeratching sod sleeping stone.
Story of a Humorist.
Well, I have seen your fiiend, and
ind him to be exactly what you de
icribed him as being— a humorist. He
;eems «o have imparted much of that
character to everything around him.—
His servants nre all admirably discipli
ned to second his whims, and his very
urniiuie is, for the most part, adapted
to the same purpose. Thia put me
upon my guard ; and there was hardly
my thing in the room that I did not
touch with apprehension. No tiick,
however, was practiced upon me; and,
»s I found subsequently, I was indebt
ed for such indulgence, .to one which
was reserved for me at night, and which
was such as perhaps all my English
phlegm would not have enabled me to
bear with patience. I escaped, liowev
er, being put to the proof, by the me
rest accident—the arrival of a poor
Scotch surveyor, wht> was thought a fit*
ter subject for the often repeated exper
menl.
nil n i « . .
a iic ouuiuuumii whs ueuieu wiui ex*
.reme hospitality. He was helped lo
jvery thing Iff excess; his glass was
lever allowed to stand full or empty for
>ne minute. The potations were sus
icnded not until, and only while, the
doth was laying for supper, during and
ifler which they were resumed with ren
ovated energy. Our enteitainer was
ike the landlord described by Addison ;
ihe liquor seemed to have no more effect
upon him than upon any other vessel in.
the house. It was not so with his Scotch
guest, who whs, by this lime, much fur
ther advanced upon the cruise of intox
ication i linn ' half seas over/
In ibis state be was conducted to bis
chamber—a fine lofty Gothic apait
ment, with a bedstead that seemed coe
val with the building. I say seemed,
for that was by no means the case, it
beirtg in reality a modern piece of struc
ture. It was of daik mahogany, with
its four posts extendijig completely to
[lie ceiling of the chamber.. The bed,
however, was not more than two feel
"rom the floor, the belter to enable the
parly to get into it. The Scotchman,
with n good deal of assistance, was
soon undiessed, and had his body de
posited in this place of repose. All
ihe party then retired, wishing him n
good night, and removing the candle
i'or fear of accidents.
When the door was closed, I was, for |
the first time, made acquainted with the
struciuie of the bedstead, which our
host considered as bis masterpiece. Up
on the touching a spring, outside the
door,the bed was so acted upon by a pul
ley that it ascended slowly and smooth
ly iluougli the foui posts, until it came
within two or three feet from the ceil
ing. Ihe snoiing of the Scotchman
was the signal for the touching the
spring, and ho was soon at the proper
altitude.
The servants required no instructions
how to act. At one moment the house
was in an uproar; cries of * fire ! fire !'
were heard in different directions. A
pile of shavings was set in a blaze op
posite the window where poor Sawney
slept. The landlord's voice was contin
ually heard exclaiming, ‘ Good heaven !
save the poor Scotch gentleman, if pos
sible ; the flames have got into the the
room just under him !’
At this moment we heard him fall,
and bellow out. A sudden silence took
place; every light was extinguished,
and the whole house seemed to be buti
ed in the most profound repose. The
Scotchman’s voice could alone be heard,
roaring out, in the high dialect of his
country for assistance.
At length, two ol the men servants,
in tneir shirts, entered the room, with u
candle just lit, and yawning as if just
moused fiom their first sleep. They
found him sprawling on tho floor.
* Oh, dear, sir, what is the matter
with you ?’
* Matter!’ says he, * why, isn’t the
house on fire ?’
' Not at all, sir,'
‘ What was the teason of the cries of
fire, then ?’
* Bless you, sir, you must have been
dreaming ; why, there’s not so much as
a mouse stirring, and his honor and the
whole family have been asleep these
lliiee hours.’
The Scotchman now gave up all
credit in tbe testimony of his own sen
ses.
* I must hare been dreaming, indeed,
and ha’ hurt myself by fulling out of the
bed.’
•Hurt yourself, sir!--not mucb, I
hope, the bed is so low;’ and by this
time it had been made to descend to its
first level,
Tbe poor Scot was quite confused ;
quite ashamed at disimbing the family ;
begged a thousand pm dona, accompari
ed the servants to the door, closed it af
ter them, and was once more left in the
darjt.
But the last act of the pnntomine
was not performed. Tbe spring lmd
been immediately touched upon closing
the door, and the bed was soon beyond
the reach of .pur guest. We could hear
lum groping about, and uttering fre
quent ejaculations of astonishment. He
easily found the bed-posts, but it » as in
vain he endeavored to get in. JIw mo
ved Lis Jrands up aud dowtj, ^ is leg
was often lilted by way of stepping in,
but it always epcpunlcred the floor on
its descent. He uttered exclamations of
surprise, net loud, hut deep, for fear of
again disturbing the family. He con
cluded himself to be in the possession
of some evil spirit.
At length, when, it was found, by hi*
silence, that he had given up the task aa
hopeless, and had disposed of himself
upon one of the chairs, the bed was al
lowed to slidendown again, and in the
morning Sawney could not bat express
his astonishment at not being able to
find it in the dark.—Extract of a Utter
written in 1799.
American Character.
Mr. Casey, in his work, "Twoyears
on the Farm of Uncle Sam,” just pub
lished in London, gives the following
analysis of American character :
Vieing with the Parisian in dress—
the English in energy—cautious as a
Dutchman—impulsive as an Irishman
—patriotic as Tell—brave as Wallace
cool ns Wellington—and royal as Alex'
anaer—uiere ne goes—.ice American
citizen 1 In answering your questions,
or speaking commonly, his style is that
of that of the ancient Spartan ; but put
him on a stump, with an audience of
Whigs, Democrats or Barnburners, and
he becomes a compound of Tom Cribb
and Demosthenes—a fountain of elo*»
queue;, passion, sentiment, sarcasm, lo
gic, and drollery, altogether different
from anything known or imagined in tbe
Old World States. Sny anything (as
public men) united with conventional
phraseoly, he swings his rhetorical mace
with a vigorous arm, pushing the antag*
onistic principle or person into a most
villainous compound. See him at din
ner— he dispatches his meat with a
speed which leads you to suppose hhn
not a ruminating animal; yet enjoying
his cigar for an hour afterwards, with
the gusto and ennni of a Spaniard.
Walking tight on, as if it were life
against time, with the glsss at fever
heat, yet taking it cool in the most se*
i iotia and pressing matter—a compound
of the Red Man, Brummel, and Frank*
lin, statesman and laborer—on he goes,
d ivided and subdivided in politics and
religion--professionally opposed, with a
keenness of competition in vain looked
lor in England. Yet let but the nation*
al tights or liberty be threatened, and
that vast nation stands a pyramid of ra*
solve, united as one man, with heart,
hand, and purse, burning with a Ro*»
man’s zeal to defend inviolaate the
cause of their commonwealth.
To him who has lived among the
Americans and looked largely at the
theory and practice of their government
and its executive, there remains no pos*
sible doubt that the greatest amount of
persona] security and freedom has been
produced from the least ‘amount of cost
of any nation in the world. Culling its
principles and wisdom from the history
of all empire, it stands the nearest of all
earthly systems to perfection, because it
is built on and embodies those principle*
which God hath proclaimed in bis attri
butes.
I noticed that the American seta less
value on life than Europeans ; that is,
he does not think the loss of life the
greatest loss—the ultimatum. When a
mun dies you see none of that senti
ment, (I use the best terra I can think
of,) which surrounds such an event ig
other countries.
ine American is sneiu in manner
embarrassingly so at first, extremely ac
curate in his observation of human na
ture, and any man that cannot sjbear to
be scrutinized had better not come hare.
The American judges much by the eye,
nod has a most enviable power of esti
mation. Your temperament, speeob;
looks, and acts, are all taken in by him ;
and if you can get a tablet of his judg
ment, you will find a remarkable da*
guerreotype of your exact worth writ
ten thereon. They are all phrenologists
and physiognomists, not merely as phi*
losophera, but as practical appliers of
those instructive sciences; and beneath
a show of positive laziness and languor
there is an amount of energy and acs
lion, mental Rnd physical, perfectly sur
prising. They are not averse to the
higher branches of science or literature;
but they bepd all to utility, and are,
as a nation the best arithmeticians in
ihervoild; and this science alone gives
a ter<e matter-of-fact to tbeir mental
working; in fact, when a man wanta to
reflect on a proposition, be says, * Wait
till I figure up/
m