Plymouth Banner, Volume 2, Number 49, Plymouth, Marshall County, 9 February 1854 — Page 1

Is A MM K Ft

Pi ililll fpp

A Family NewspaperDevoted to Education, Asriculture, Commerce, Markets, General Intelligence, Foreign and Domestic News. VOL. 2. NO. 49. PLYMOUTH, INDIANA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1854. WHOLE NO. 101.

' .

M I S 1 i - ''I .. f I 'J V, i "'-j V . U t -' t M I 1 - fl 3 I

'2m & Ü 'it Sf IS Si 3 VJ5i.:iHED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING.

r jar1 -2H2 Hcrsm 11 pail in advance, $1,50 A? tne en 1 of six months, ----- - 20(1 If delayed until the end of the year, 2 50 XT The abave terms will be strictly adbrel to. CtN j paper will be discontinued until all arre iraei are paid, unless at the option ol the Publisher. ADVERTISING. A Ireriisemen'.s willbe conspicuously inserts I, at the fjllowin? prices, viz. ? r l square (of 10 lines) 3 insertions 3 1 00 Each additional insertion, , . 25c TTAaythinless than a square, willbe con siisred a square. XTA Ivertisers must be particularto mark t he u'imbBr ot inssrti 3ns on the face of the advertisements, or th-jy will "a publishU until orders 1 oat, aa l Curbed accordingly. U" liberal discount will be made where a lverrisin-T is done by ihe year. n"ll C-xn.niiaicatioas irom x distance shoullbc ildreeJ, Post-Paid, to the Editor. From Blackwood's Magaxine. THE MASTER THIEF. A NORSE POPULAR TALE. Once upon a time there was a poor cottager who had three ßons. lie hid nothing to leave irtem whan he died, and no mjn ;y with which to pat them to any trade, so that he did not know whit to mike of them. At last he sail he wojM give them leave to take anything each liked b.'st, an 1 g whithersoever they pl?34.1 an I he would go with thtn a bit of tfia way; and so he did. He went with them till they carr.3 to a place where three roads met, and there each of them chose a road, an I thru father bade them good-bye. and went back home. I have never heard tell whit became of the two elder; bit a for the youMt, hs went bith far and Ion;, as you shall har. 3 it fell out one night as he was goin through a great woo I that such bid weather overtook him. It blew and drizzled sa thtt ha could s3rce k-ep his eyes opsn; an l in a trice, before h.r knew how it was, he git bewildered, and could no; find eithsr röad or path. Butas lie went no and on. at list he siw a glimmering lühf fir far off in the wools. Si he thought he would try and gel to the light; aal after a tims hs did reach it. There, it was in a large house, and the fire was blazing so brightly inside that he could tell the folk3 had not yet gone to bed; so lie went in and siw an old dame bustling .lbjut au l min ling the hou3e. "Gul evening." said the youth. Gil venin." sii I tha ol I I am;. II jttetu! its such foul weather out of door to night." said ha. S it is." Siii she. "Cm I get leave to have a bd artJ th-lter here to-night" asked the youth. "You'll get uo good by sleeping here." said th old dame; -for if the folks come home and finl you hire, they'll kill both aa an l you." Whit sort of folks, th.'n. ata they who lire h?re!" ask ad llw youth. Oi. robbrs! An I such a b id lot of them too." Slid the old dame. "They siole me away wh?n I vns little, anl hive kept ma as their house-keeper ever since. " Well, for all that, I think I'll Just go to bed." stil the yoath. "Cime what miy. I'll nut stir out at night in such Wath'T." V-ry w-ll'sii l the old dame; "but if i m i i:iv it will be the worse for you." i With i;nt the youth got into a bed whi strtol there, but he dared not go to s.-ip, an J v-ry soon after in came the rohber-?; i ) tV- old dame told them how a strn 'er fti'low hJ come in whom hn had not been abie to get out of the house Sain." Did you see :f he had any money V said the robbers. "Such a one as he have monej!" said the dame, "the tramper! Why. if he had clothes to his back, it was as much as he hid." Then the robbers bgan to talk among themselves what tbey should do with him; if they should kill him outright, or w'aai else they should do. Meantime the youth got up and began to talk to them, aal to ask them if they did not want a servant, for it might be that he would be glad to enter into their servic. "Oh." said they, "if jowi have a mind to follow th trade that we follow, you cm vjry well get a place here." It's all one to me what trade I follow," said the youth: "for when I left home, father gave me leave to take to any trade I choose." "Well, have you a mind to steal?-' asked the robbars. "I don't care," said the youth, for he thought it would not take long to learn thit trade. Now there lived a man a little wiy off who had three oxen. On' of these he was to take to the town to sell, and the robbers hid hard vhat he was going to do, to they sii l to the youth, that if he were goal m stal th ox from the man by the way with ml his knowing it, and without doing him any harm, they would gi him leive to be their serving man. Well! the outh set oSF, md took with

him a prr tty shoe with a silver buckle on it, which lay about the. house; and he put the shoe in the road along which the man was going with the ox; and when he had done that he went into the wood and hid under a bush. So whtn the man came by he siw the shoe at once.

"That's a nice shoe," said he. "If I only had the fellow to it, I'd take it home with me, and perhaps I'd put my old dame into a good humor at once." For you must know that he had an old wife, so cross and snappish, that it va3 not long between each time that she boxed his ears. But then he bethought him that he could do nothing with the odd shoe unless he had the Mlow to it; so he went his way and let the shoe lie on the roid. Then the youth took up Ihe shoe, and made all the hate he could to ge before the man by a short cut in the wo.-Js, and laid it down before him in the road again. When the man came along with his ox, he got quite angry with himself foi being so stupid as to leave the fellow to the shos lying in the road instead of taking it with him; so he ti-d the ox to the fence, and said to himself, "I may just as well run back and pick up the other, arid then I'll have a pair of good shoes for my old dame, and so. perhaps, I'll gel a kind word from her for once.' So he set o(f. and hunted and hunted up and down for the shoe, but no shoe did he find; and at length he had to go back with the one he had. But, meanwhile, the youth had taken the ox and gone off witli it; and when the mm came and siw that his ox was gone, he began to cry and bewail, for he was tfrid that his old dame would kill him outright when she came to know that the ox wis lost. But just then it came across his mind that lit would go home and take the second ux, and drive it to the town and not let the old dame know any thin about th- matter. So he did this, and went home an I took the ox without his dame's knowing it. and set off with it to the town. But the robbers knew all about it, and they said to the youth, if he could get this ox too, without the man's knowing it, and without his doing him any harm, he should be as good as any of them. If that were all, said the youth, he did not think it a verv hard thing. This tiaia he took with him a rope, and hung himself up under the arm-pits to a tree right in the man's way. So the man came along with his ox. and when he saw such a sight hanging there he began to feel a little queer. "W'.l," said he, 'whatever heavy though you had who have hanged yourself up tlic re, it can't be helped: you may hang for what I care! I can't breathe life into you again;" and with that he went on his way with his ox. Down slipped the youth from the tree, and ran by a footpath, and got before the man, and hung himself up righ in his way again. "Biess me!' said ihe man, "were you really so heavy at heart that yo i hanged yourself up there or is it only a piece of witchcraft that I see before me? Ay. ay you miy hang for all I care, whether you are a ghost or whatever you are." So he passed on with his ox. Now the youth did just as he had done twice before, he jumped down from the tree, ran through th woods by a footpath, and hung himself up right iu the mini way ugin. But when the man saw this sight lor the third time, he Sii.l to himself "Well! this is an ugly business! Is it likely that they should have been so heavy at heart as to hang themselves, all these three? No! 1 cannot think that it is anything else than a piece of witchcraft that 1 see. But now I'll soon know for certain; if the other two are still hanging there, it must be really so; but if they are not, then it can be nothing but witchcraft thai I see.". So he tied up his ox, and ran back to see if the others were really hanging there. But while he went and peered up into all the trees, the youth jumped down and look his ox and ran off with it. When the man came back a:id found his ox gone, he was in a sad plight, and, as any one might know without being told, he began to cry and bemoan; but at last he came to take it easier, and so he thought "There's no other help for it than to go home and take the third ox without my dame's knowing it, und to try and drive a good bargain with it, so that I may get a good sum of money for it." So he went home and set off with the ox, and his old dame knew never about the matter. But the robbers, they knew all about it, and they said to the youth, that, if he could steal this ox as he had stolen the other two. then he should be master over the whola band. Well, the youth set off. and ran into the wood; and as the man came by with his ox he set up a dreadful bellowing, just like a great ox in the wood. When the man heard that, you can't think how glad lie was, for it seemfd to him that he knew the voice of his big bullock, and ha thought that now he should find both of them again; so he tied up th? third ox, and ran off from the road to look for them in the wood; but meantime the youth went off with the

third ox. Now, when the man came back

and found he had lost this ox too, he was! so wild that there was many days before he dared go home; for he was afraid lest his old dame should kill him outright on the spot. As for the robbers, they were not very well pleased either, when they had to own that the youth was master over the whole baud. So on day they thought they would try their hands at something which he was no: man enough to do; sol they sei off, altogether, every man Jack! of them, and left him alone at home. Now, the first thing that he did when they were all well clear of the house, was to drive the oxen out to the road, so that) ! they might run back to the man from whom he had stolen them; and rii;ht glad t was he to sec them, us you might fancy. I Next he took all the horses which the I robbers had, and loaded them with the best things he could lay his hanJs on; gold and silver, and clothes and other fine things; and then he bade the old dame to greet the robbers when they came back. 'and to thank them for him, and to say tnry wouui nave niru worK to nna mm again; and with that, off he started. After a good bit, he came to the road along which he was going when he fell among the robbers, and when he got near hone, and could see his father's cottage, he put on a uniform which he had found among the clothes he had taken from the robbers, and which was made just like a general's. So he drove up to the door as if he were any other great man. After that he went in and asked if he could have a lodging. No; that he couldn't, at any price. "How ever should I be able," said the man, "to make room in my house for such a fine gentleman I, who scarce have a rag to lie upon, and miserable rags too:'" "You were always a stingy old hunk," said the youth, "and so you are still, when you won't lakw your son in." "What! you my son!.' 6aid the man. "Don't you know me again?" said the youth. Well, after a little while he did know him again. "But what have you been turning your hand to, that you have made yourself so great a man iu sut'h haste: asked the man. "Oh, I'll soon tell you," said the youth. "You said I might take to any trade I chose; and so I bound myself apprentice tosom ihievesand robbers, and now I've served my time out, and am become b Master Thiel." Now there lived a Squire close by to j his father's cottage; and he had such a great house, and such heaps of money, that he could not tell how much he had. He had a daughter, too, and a smart and pretty girl sha was. Sj the Master Thief set his heart upon having her to wife; and he told his father to go to the Squire and ask (or his daughter for him "If he asks by what trade I get my living you can say 1 am a Master Thief." "1 think you've lost your wit3." said the man," for you can't be in your right mind whn you think of such nonsense." No! he had not lost his. wits; father must and should go up to the Squire and asK for ht3 daughter. Nay. but I tell you. I daren't go to the Squire and be your spokesman: he who is so rich, and has so much money, said the man. Y'es, there was no help for it, said the Master Thief: he should go whether he would or no; and if he did not go by fair means, he would soon make him go by foul. But the man was still loathe to go; so he stepped after him, and rubbed him down with a good birch cudgel, and kept on till the man came crying and sobbing inside the Squire's door. "How now, my man? What ails you?" said the Squire. So he told him the whole story; how he had three sons who set offone day, and how he had given them leave to go whithersoever they would, and to follow whatever calling they chose. "And hre now is the youngest come home, and has beaten me till he has made me come to you and ask for your daughter for him to wife; and he bids me sav. besides, mat lie is a Master Thief." And so he fell to crying and sobbing again. "Never rnind, my man," said the Squire, laughing, "just go backend tell him for me, that he must prove his skill first. If he can steal the roast from the spit in the kitchen on Sunday, while all thehousehold are lookingafter it, he shall have my daughter. JujI go and tell him that." So he went back and toll the youth who thought it would be an easy job. So he set about and caught three hares alive, and put them into a bag, and dretsed himsalf in some old rags, until he looked so poor and filthy that it nude one's heart bleed to see; and then' he 6neaked into the passage at the back-door of tha Squire'e house on the Sunday afternoon, with his bag, just like any oilier beggar-boy. But the Squire himself and all his household were iu the kitchen watching the roait. Just as they were doing this, the youth let one hare go, and

it set off and ran round and

round the yard in front of the house. Oh. just leok at that hare!" said the folks in the kitchen, and were all for running out to catch it. Yes. the Squire saw it running too. "Oh, let it run," said he, "there's no use iu thinking to catch a hare by running after it." A little while efter, the vouth let the recond hare go. and they saw it in the kitchen, and thought it was the sime they had seen before, and still wanted to run out and catch it, but the bquire said agiin it was no U3e. It was not 'ong before the youth let the third hare go, and it set off and ran round the yard as the others before it. Now, they saw it from the kitchen and still thought it was the same hare that kept cn running about, and were all eager to be out after it. "Well, it is a fine hare," said the Squirt; "come let's see if we can't lay our hands on it." So out he ran, and they after, so that it was rare fun to see. But meantime the vouth took the roast nd ran off with it, and where the Squire got a roast for his dinner that day, I don't know; but one thing I know, and that is, that he had no roast hare, though he ran after it till he was both warm and weary. Now it chanced that the Priest came to dinner that day, and when the Squire told him what a trick the Master Thief had played him, he made such game of him that there was no end to it. "For my part," said the Priest, "I don't think how it could ever happsn to me to be made fuch a fool of by a fellow like that." "Very well only keep a sharp lookout," said the Squire; "may be he'll come to see you before you know a word of it." But the Priest stuck to his text, that he did, and made game of the Squire because he had been so taken in. Later in the afternoon came the Master Thief, and wanted to ha ve the Squire's daughter, as he had given his word. But the Squire began to talk him over, and said, "Oh, you must first prove your skill a little more; for whit you did to dav was no great thing, after all. Couldn't you now play off a good trick on the Priest, who is sitting in there, making game of me for letting such a fellow as you twist me round his thumb." "Well, as for that, it wouldn't be hard," said the Master, Thief. So he dressed himself up like a bird, threw a great white sheet over his body, took the wings of a goose and tied them to his back, tnd so climbed up into a great maple that stood in the Priest's garden. And when the Pries' cams home in the evening, the youth begn to bawl out: "Father Laurence! Father Laurence!" for that was the Priest's name. "Who is that calling me?" sid the Priest. I am an ang'-l," said the MasterThief. "sent from God to let you know you shall be taken up alive into Heaven for your piety's sake. Next Monday you must hold yourself ready for the journey, for I shall come then to fetch you in a sack; and ail your gold and your silver, and all that you have of this world's goods, you must lay together in a heap in j TOur diuiug-ror a Well, Father Laurence fell on his knees before the angel, and thanked him; and the very next dav he preached a farewell ! sermon, and expounded how there had come down an angel unto the big maple in rus garden, was to be taken up alive into Heaven for his piety's sake; and he preached and made such a touching discourse that all who were at church wept, both young and old. So the Monday after, came the Master Thief like an angel again, and the Priest fell on his knees aud thanked him before he was put into the sack; but when he had got him well in, the Master Thief drew and dragged him over stocks and stones. "Off! ovrP groaned the Priest inside the sack, "wherever are we going!" "This is the narrow way which leadeth unto the kingdom of Heaven," said lhe Master Thief, who went on dragging , him aIong ualij he haJ nearl broken ev ery bone in his body. At last he turnbled him into a goose house that belonged to the Squire, and the geese began pecking and pinching him with their bills, so that he wag more dead than alive. "Now you are in the flames of purgatory, to be cleansed and purified for life everlasting." said the Master Thief; and with that he went his way, and took all the gold and silver, and all the fine things which the Priest had laid together in his dining room. The next morning when the goose-girl came to let the geese out, she heard how the Priest lay in the sack, and bemoaned himself in the goosehouse. , "Oh!" said the Priest, "if you are an angel from Heaven, do let me out. and let me return again to earth, for it is worse here lhan in hell. The little fiends keep on pinching me with tongs." God help us, I am no angel at all," said the girl as she let the Priest out of the sack; "I only look after the Squire's geese, and like enough they are the little

fiends who have pinched your reverence." "Oh!" groaned the Priest, "this is all that Master Thief's doi:ig. Ah! my gold and my silver, and my fine clothes." And he beat his breast, and hobbled home at such a rate that the girl thought he had lost his wits all at once. Now when the Squire came to hear how it had gone with the Priest, and how he had been along the narrow way. and into purgatory, he laughed till he had well nigh split his sides. But when the Master Thief came and asked for his

daughter, as he had promised, the Squire put him offagain, and said "You must do one masterpiece better still, that I may ee plainly what you are fit fur. Now I have twelve horses in my stable, and on them I will put twelve grooms, one on each. If you are so good a thief as tosteal the horses from under them, 1 will see what I can do for you." "Very well, I dare say I can do it," said the Mister Thief; "but shall I really have your daughter if I can?" "Yes, if you can, I'll do my best for you." said the Squire. So the Master Thief set off to a shop, and bought brandy enough to fill two pocket flasks, and into one of them he put a sleepy drink, but into the other only brandy. After lie had hired eleven men to lie in wait at night, behind the Squire's stable yard; and last of all, for fair words and a good bit of money, he borrowed a ragged gown and cloak from an old woman; and so, with a staff in his hand and a bundle at his back, he limped off, as evening drew on, towards the Squire's stable. Just as he got there, they were watering the horses for the night, and had their hands full of work. "What the devil do you want?'' said one of the. grooms to the old woman. "Oh! oh! hutetu! it is so bitter cold," said she, arid shivered and shook, and made wry faces. 'Hutetu! it is so cold, a poor wretch may easily freeze to death;" and with that she fell to shivering and shaking again. "Oh! for the love of Heaven, can I get leave to 6tay here awhile, and sit inside of the stable door?' Go to the devil with your leave, said one. 'Pack yourself off this minute, for if the Squire sets his eye on you he'll lead us a pretty dance.' VOh! the poor old bag-of-bones,' said another, who seemed to take pity on her, the old hag may silinsideaud welcome; such a one as she can Jono harm."" " And the rest said, some she should stay, and some she shouldn't; but while they were quarreling and minding the horses, she crept further and further into the stable, till at iat she sat herself down behind the door; and when she had got so far, no one gave any more heed to her. As ihe night wore on, the nvn found it rather cold work to sit so still cud quiet on horseback. Hutetu! it is so devilUh cold,' said one, and beat his arms crosswise. Yes. that it is,' said another. 'I freeze so that my teeth chatter.' 'If one only had a quid to chew,' said a third. Well, there was one who had an ounce or two; so they shared it between them, though it wasn't much after all, that jach got; and so they chewed and spat, and spat and chewed. This helped them ; somewhat, but in a little while they were just as bad as ever. Hutetu!' said one, and shivered and shook. Hutetu! said the old woman, and shivered so that every tooth in her head chattered. Then she pulled out the flask with brandy in it, and her hand shook so that the spirits splashed about in the flask, and then she took such a gulp, that it went 'bop in her throat. Whai is that you've got in your flask, old girl?' said one of the grooms. Oh! it's only a drop of brandy, old man, said she. Brandy! Well, I never! Do let me have a drop!' screamed the whole twelve, one after another. Oh! but it is such a little drop.' mumbled the old woman; 'it will not even wet your mouths around.' But they must and would have it: there wag no help for it; and so she pulled out the flask with the sleeping drink in it, and put it to the first mau's lips; then she shook no more, but guided the flask so that each of them got what he wanted, and the tweltfh had not done drinking before the first had snored. Then the Master Thief threw off his beggar's rags, and took one groom after the other so softly off their horses, and set them astride on the beams between the stalls, and so he called his eleven men, aud rode off with the Squire's twelve horses. But when the Squire got up in the morning and went to look after his grooms, they had just begun to come to; and some of them fell to spurring the beams with their spurs, till the splinters flew again, and some fell off, and some still hung on and sat there looking like fools. "Ho! Ho! said the öquire; "l see very j well who has been here; but as for you, a

pretty set of block-heads you must be to sit here and let the Master Thief steal the horses frcm between your legs." So they ell got a good leathering because they had not kept a sharper lookout. Further on in the day came the Master Thief again, and told how he had managed the matter, and ashed for the Squire's daughter, as he had promised; but the Squire gave him one hundred dollars down, and said he must do something better still. Do you think now," said he, you can steal the horse from under me while I am riding on his back?" "O. ys! I dare esy I culd." said the MasterThief, "if I wera really sure of getting ycur daughter." Wtll, the Squire would see what he could do; and .le told the Master Thief a day when he would be taking a ride on a great common where they drilled the troops. So the Master Thief soon got hold of an old worn-out jade ofa mare, and set to work, end made traces and collar of withes aud broom twigs, aud bought an old beggarly cart and a great cask After that he said to an old beggar woman, that he would give her ten dollars if she would get in the cask, aud keep her mouth agape over the taphole, into which he was going to slick his fiiigsr. No harm should happen to her, she should only be driven about a little; and if he took his finger out more thau once, she was to have ten dollais more. Then he threw a few rags and tatters over himself and stuffed himself out, and put on a wig and a great beard of goat's hair, and set off L,x ihe common, where the Squire had already beeu riding about, a good bit. When he reached the place, he went along so softly and slowly that he scarce made an inch of way. Gee up! gee up! and so he went on a little, then he stood stock still, and so on again; and altogether the pace was so miserable that it never once came iulo the Squire's head that this could be the Master Thief At last the Squire rode right up tu him and asked if he had seen any one lurking about iu the woods thereabouts. "No ' said the man, "I haven't seen a soul." "Hark ye, now" said the Squire, "if you have a mind to ride into tue wood, and hunt about there, you shall hate the loan of my horse, and a shilling into the bargain, to drink my health, for your pains." "1 don't see how I can go," said the man, "for I am going to a weding with this cask of mead, which I have ben to town to fetch, and here the tap has fallen out by ihe way, and so 1 must go along, holding my finger in the taphole." "Ride off," slid the Siure, ' I'll took after yuur l0rse and cask." WcW, on these terms the man was willing to go; but he begged the Squire to be quick in putting his tiuger into the taphole when he luuk his own out and to mind a ad keep it there till became back. Yts the Squire would do the best he could, and so the Master Ibief mounted the horse and rode off. But time went by; aud hour after hour passed, and still no one came back. At last the Squire grew weary of standing there with his fiuger in the taphole, so he took it out. "Now I shall have ten dollars more!" screamed the old woman inside the cask: and tuen lhe Squire siw a i once how the laud lay; au I took himself Mf home: but

he had not gone far before they met him with a fresh hors; for the Master Thief had already been to his house, aud told them to send one. The day after, he came to the Squire and would have his daughter, as he had given his word; but the Squire put him offagain with fiue words, and gave him two hundred dollors.and said he must do oris more misterpiece. If he would do that, he should have her. Well. well, the MasterThief thought he could do it, if he only knew what it was oiug to be. 'Do you think, now." said the Squire, "you can steal the fheet olFuur bed, and the 6hift off my wife's back! Do you think you can do this?" "It shall be done," said the Master Thief. "I only wish I was as sure of getting your daughter." So when night began to fall, the Master Thief went out and cut down a thief who hung on the gallows, and threw him across his shoulders, and carried him off. Then he got a long ladder aud set it up against the Squire's bedroom window, and so climed up, aud kept bobbing the dead man up and down, just for all the world like one who was peeping in at the window. Thai's the Master Thief, otd lass!" said the Squire, and gave his wife a nudge in the side. "Now see if I don't shoot him, that's all." So saying he took up a rifle that he had laid at his bedside. No! uo! pray dont shoot him after telling him he might come and try," said his wife Dont talk to me for shoot him I will " said he, and so he lay there and aimed but as soon as the head came up before the window, and he saw a little of it, te