Western Sun & General Advertiser, Volume 20, Number 11, Vincennes, Knox County, 25 April 1829 — Page 4
selected. WHAT IS LIFE? What is life ? the wounded mind, The spirit broken and confined Thi- f ided form the soul's deep strife, All fondly cchc what is life? 4Vhat is life ? a broken chain, weary road, a couch of pain, A few famtd blessings, little prized, A thous.md hopes unrealized. What "13 life ? a bank of flowers. Low drooping and unnurst by shower3; A winter's muj, whose quivering beam Sheds but a momentary gleam. What is lift ? a show'r of tears, A short, short round of mispent years; A dream thats broken ere its close, A battle scene mid hosts of foes.
What is life ? its tinsel'd toys Are but the mock ot real jovs ;
A play where gaudy groups are seen, And death presides to Hose the scene. FROM THr. F.MfRALD, THE RAG FA.VCY BALL, Wend ve to the ball to-night ? All the rasjjs and tags are oing ; Beauty with her eyes of light, Tatter'd bucks and sportsmen knowing, There will be 'cute Jen v Diddler, ! Purdy, Tom, and noisy Fiddler ; X, D.iggcrwotnl, and major Longbow, Cuffcc, with his monstrous strong bo'.v.
Wend ye to the ball to night ? Beggars, kings, and knaves are going; All, en masse almost, not quite. With their tatter'd garments flowing.
There Paul Pry will " just drop in,
1 here Palmer pray you out of s;n ; And Billy : give it up ; or guess ;" And Sergeant Drill will cry, ' O, yes
Wend ye to the ball to night ? Barrows, Drays and Carts are going ; Negroes turning up the white Of their eyes, and puffing, blowing. Crack, will crack his coach-whip there, Dandies strut, and Indians stare ; Tag will quote some jingling verses, Goldfinch swear a few stout curses. Wend ye to the ball to night ? All the folks in town are going ; Oh ! 'twill be a funny sight ; Tatters, rigs and shreds a blowing. There the 1 ar will not be far-dy ; Coblers with their -totes so hardy ; Puffing Dutchmen, jewing pedlars,
Shabby noblemen and meddlers. TROM THE T'UCHLIGHT. A XRim AMPSMRE VJl'ERA' OME years agr, his TO'-mante striding, A gentleman .v. is in Xe-v Hampshire riding Tar to the N'-rdi he'd travelled many a league One diy ; i id now wit i hunger, thirst, fatigue, Almost o'et-cosne wit.i most rejoicing eyes A t.ivern su;n, he at a ditanre sries : Appro.iching, on the si these words appear ; " Fur man and heist. ')'-' ntcrtain r.;'iit here." X)is:nounti!ii!;. for the hostler now he calls; B it f'r the hostler all in v.V' he bawls He np .-s the door : then sees vith graces winning,
i ue l i.t.iuuv ana a inc iter ts smnr.imr
bcaet i tmve to communicate ig one
hat requires more than ordinary aithfulness and prudence to prevent
you from divulging it. Oh dear! I
shodder when I think on t?7
'Why husband,do you know how
your lips tremhle. and your eyes roll?
What is the matter? Ichahod 1 you
surely cannot mistrust the confidence
of one who vowed at the altar to he
faithful to you. Come, unbosom
yourself."
"May I rely on your fidelity? "Ichahod. you know. you may." "Well then, we are hoth to be
ruined ! undone 1 I have commit
ted murder !"
"Murder !" "Yes, murder? and have buried
him at the foot of a tree in the urch ard "
"Oh ! awful ! Ichahod. Commit
ted murder! Then indeed we are ruined. and our children with us?"
Ichahod If ft flic mom, and Dor thy hurried ofTto her neighbour's. Mrs Pat 'e o' d ved a great change in Dorothy's countenance, and in her general appearance. ; so great as to cause her to inquire into the cause of it. "Oh! Mrs. Prattle," said D rothy
"I am the most miserable of woman !
I am ruined f r ever !"
"Merry ! Dorothy, how gloomy
vou look ! What has turned up t
make you look so dejected? Why
how you sigh ! woman Tell me
the cause
4,I wish I might. Mrs. Prattle ; but
the occasion of my unhappiness is a secret which 1 am not permitted to
divulge
4,Oh! you may tell me. Dorothy
I shall never speak of it again.
u Will you promise never to reveal
it to any person living i"
"Y?u know, Dorothy, I never tell
inning away at must eii'K u.nis rae,
T'lis on the little wheel, th v on the grrat. VWhere is the 1 null or 1 ?M " He is t,t?ne away Xle ir dovu t!ie let with Gl? a mc wing hay." t Gras.i mania'' ' Have vou oats? " No, none at all, My huh.ind sold the whole of them last fall. To find tae house in liquors" Corn, ma'am, pray ?" " The last half hnhel went to milt to day" 'Then you have f;:vai " Not anv ; vou know Bets, ' ' All we've not baked has $pne to pav our debts Letdown them bars, takeo n ihe bits, y.nir hore Will find .t: good feed sir as ever worz." This done, the traveller to the houe returned, And to allay his thirst imp ttieat harried " I'll than!; you, madam, fir a i-s of in And water" "Sir. there's not a drop within." ' borne brandy then"" Sir, we have none at all, Tor here, for brandy, peopie never call." A glass then of "West India" Sir, we've none" gone." Well then New England" ' All our rum is "llnve vou ron: cider, or some beer that's good?" Our cider's out, wc have not lately brewed." V if very thirsty, pray some water brh:g" " BeU take the gourd and bring seme from the spring" lud ! 75ct3 vent, returned4 mother, the old sow, oh, iias made the water all as thick as mud. By wallowing in the spring" the traveller now Demands: 4 what keep you but yourselves and sow ?' ' Keep," says the woman, feeling anger's spur, "What do we keep? why, s:r keei Tavern sir.
e
VAHIKTY. "CAN YOU KEEP A SCCKCT." "Dorothy," said Ichahod, pale and trembling, to his wife. Dorothy, I have a secret ; and if I thought you would beep it inviolable. 1 would not hesitate to reveal it to you ; Hut oh. Dorothy, woman." 'Why, Ichahod, it must certainly be a secretof great importance, for you are in a wolul agitation. You know, husband, you can place implicit confidence in your wile. Have I ever given you occasion to doubt my fidelity." "Never, never, Dorothy ; but the
secrets.
"Well Mrs. Prattle I scarcely
d ire say it my husband has com
milted murder, and huiied him at th
foot of a tree in the orchard ! Ik
told me of it himself. For Heaven's
sake don't name it to any one ! '"Murder! your husband com
mitted murder! indeed, indeed.
Dorothy, you have reason to think
yourself ruined ! - poor tiling! I pity
you from t lie bottom of my heart P
Dorthv went Ivme weeping and
wringing her hands ; and Ms Prat
tie leaving her dough half kneaded,
an I her infant, crving in the crad!e I4 sten -i to hold a tete a tetc wit!
Mrs iMiail. S)on after this last
! confab was ended, the report of Jch
ahod's MVing committed murder be
cune gene al. 6c the disclosure of the
fact Was traced to his wife Dorothy.
Process was immediatelv issued a
gainst him by a magistrate, before
whom and in the presence of a mul
tude of anxious spectators, he gave
the following explanation.
'My object " said Ichahod, "in the
course I have pursued, was totest my wife's capability of keeping a secret I have committed murder in as much as I killed a toad, and buried it at the foot of a tree in my own orchard. How far my wife is capable of keeping a secret, has been sufficiently proved, and with respect to the murder, those who feel an interest in it, are at liberty to inspect the body."
.. ..Ir mum " 1 - Mm a severe castigation. Ill Ml
HussellJarvis him." I caught my
lat, and started for the printing office.
My good woman "wondered what
made the man act so" it being one
of her peculiar expressions on such
occasions On reaching the outer
door I met neighbour Slack's ruddy-
faced, flaxen headed urchin. "Mis
cr " said he, 44 here is your breaking-
up hoe and hand saw that father bor
rowed of you last fall. Father says
you have been writing at him tn the newspaper about it." Bent on my purpose of revenge, I hastened along, struck half dumb with what the boy-
had said. I had not gone far before
I saw squire Stingy pass along with
a wheelbarrow My eye followed
him. He ran it tip close to a house,
and then cried out, '-Here Old Testy, is your wheelbarrow'.. Take it. and
keep it to yourself and be hanged to
you ; but be careful you never get
that printer to abuse, me again. " Thinks I to myself," it would per
haps be as well for me to haul in my jib. and tack about, and see how mat ters stood with hie at home 1 did so Search was made. Many things were found on my premises thai did not belong to me. I sent Tahitha home with the borrowed books Luna was off with Mrs. Pin blind's spectacles that I borrowed four weeks ago, at church, to find the hymn. Rosa hastened away with madam Gondii e's sausage machine John shouldeted Mr. Farm well's p lough, which hail lain out all winter ! car ried back paison Huldf rth's Bible concordance, and neighbour Stonecutter's crow bar and drills. As I was ging on sweeping my premises of these borrowed articles, the words, "Alas, it was borrowed !v more than once rose to my lips, and conscience, now-fur the. fnst time a wakened to the subject, urged me on so rapidly that I did not again once think of tweaking the printer' nose, or of flogging "A Lender." I determ ined never to borrow but when it was absolutely necessary. &. to return the article when I have done using it Such, sir, is the euceinct history, and such the firm resolution, of one who has heretofore been negligent in duty. A Kefoumkd Bo into wi: ii.
Cheap Receipts to insure Health. 1. Rise early Walk or ride for an hour or two, then eat a hearty substantial breakfast. Let our other meals be moderate, and use exercise freely (by walking, skipping, or in any other way) before going to bed This receipt has lately been recommended by Sir Astlcy Cooper, and many others of the most eminent physicians and surgeons in London Its first direction is consistent with Franklin's well known maxim "Early to bed, and early to rise, will make a man healthy, wealthy and uise." Its last direction equally a grces with a well known couplet. -After dinner rit awhile, (i e. a few minutes,) after supper walk a mile." 2. Keep your feet warm, (i. e bv exercise ;) your head cool, (i. e Intemperance;) and your body- open: (i. c. take great care to avoid costiv-
eness ) This was the golden rule of Boerhaave, the greatest physician in modern. or probably in ancient times; who concluded his advice by savin? something to this efiect : If people would only observe these plain, simple rules, and would avoid a current of air as they would an arrow, physicians would be altogether a use'le
iass i nesnjrs.
i from an
3. For Children u Give them plenty of milk ; plenty of flannel ; plenty of air ; let them have plenty of sleep.; & they will seldom, if ever, ail any tlnng." That is, mill: is their beet diet; they must be warmly clothed ; mu?t be much out of doors; and must be always allotted to sleep on till they waken of their own accord. And now, Mr. Editor, I challenge any medical man. or any other of your readers, be he who he may, to discover any reasonable objection to these plain, simple rules, or to offer better. If he can. I shall set him down a wise man. and a benefactor to the human race. Were they my own, it wouid be consummate arrogan c to say this, but they are the deliberate recommendations of the ablest of men ; and they aie the obvious dictates of nature.
BORROWING. ilr. Editor: The piece which recently appeared in your paper sign cd A Lender," has done some good. Several neighbours have since found things which they supposed were lost but which, it now appears, were lent
only a long time since.
When I first read the article of "A
Lender," I thought it was personal. and starting suddenly from my chair, "Scoundrel !" said I, "who has been writing about me ? I'll go to the printer, and find out the author, and give
The following is an extrai
eloquent speech of Judge Story, spoken in the convention of Massachusetts. " In our country (says he) the highest man is not above the people, the humblest is not 6eouUhe people.
f If the rich may be said to have addi
tional protection, they have not additional power nor does wealth
here form a permanent distinction of families. Those who are wealty to day, pass to the tomb, and their children divide their estates. Property is thus divided quite as fast as it ac cumulates. No family can, without its own exertions, stand erect for a long time under our statute of des cent, and distribution, the only true and legitimate agrarian law. It silently and quietly dissolves the ma-s heaped up by the toil and diligence of a long life of enterprise and indus try. Property is continually changing, like the waves of the sea. One wave rises and is soon swallowed up
Thy the vast abyss. &. is seen no more
Another rises, and having reached its destined limits, falls quietly away, & is succeeded by yet another, which, in its turn, breaks and dies gently on the shore. The richest man amongst us may be brought down to the hum blest level. &, the child, with scarcely cloths to cover his nakedness, may
i rise to the highest office in our gov
eminent, and the poor man, while he rocks his infant on his knee, may justly indulge the consolation that if lie possess talent and virtue, there is no office beyond the reach of his honoiablc ambition"
Buying reives. The Babylonians had a law, which was also followed by the IScneti, an Illy rian people, & by Herodotus thought to be one of their best, which ordained that when gills were of a marriageable age they were to repair at a certain time to a place where the young men likewise assembled. They were then sold by the public crier, who first disposed of the most beautiful one. When lie had sold her, he put up others to sale, according to their degrees of beauty.
The rich Babylonians were emulous
to carry off the finest women, who
were sold to the highest bidders But as the young men who were poor could not aspire to have a fine woman, they were content to take the ugliest, with the money that was given with them ; for when the crier sold the handsomest, he ordered the, ugliest of all of them to be brought, &, enquired if any one was willing to take her w ith a small sum of money. Thus she became the wife of him who was the most easily satisfied ; and thus the finest women were sold, and from the money which they brought, small fortunes were given to the ugliest, and to those who had any bodily deformi y. A father could not marry a daughter as he pleased, nor was he who bought her allowed to take her home without giving security that he would marry her But, after the sale, if the parties were not agreeable to each other, the law enjoined that 'the purchase money should be restored.
Faint praise is disparagement. The Chamber ot bickness, is the Chapel of devotion. Many that arc wits in jests, arc fools in earnest.