The Columbian informer, or, Cheshire journal — Keene, N.H., 1795-02-03 00:00:00, page 1

From the Connecticut Courant.
The COMPANION.—No. u.
Phas'd with tbe ftrangefaccejs, vast numbers
yrejs'd
Ground the forint, and made the Jame requefl.
Popt.
ONEof the most diflinguiffied trait#
in the human ch^aQer is that of Credulity.
Thia is true, not only as it refpetts the
more ignorant, and undifeerning; but
even the wifelt, arid most fagaciou^—Pro
feffions the mod hollow and absurd imag
inable, impose upon us all ; and however
mortifying it may be to our pride, we
must cor fefs that we are often deceived by
very fuperficial hypocrisy. To prove my
general affection, it is necessary to r re
sort only to a tingle fa^, well known to
universal experience. Quackery is one of
the greatest nuisances that ever obtruded
the progrefsof peace,good order,& moral
ity in focirty. Yet quacks often acquire
rcore credit,reputativn,& wealth,than can
be obtained by the fothtul exertion of
integrity, abilities, aad industry. Peo
p!e will entrust their property in the hands
of a pettifogging lawyer, their health in
the handsof a quack ph Uician, and incite
fouls in the bands of a flu,id, pmcbing
fliocmaker, and blindly fellow, three (e.-
lows, whom they know to be ignoran.
blockheads, to burh temporal, eernalru
in, m-rely hw^ the ,*^^fo
acquainted with the “ Law boos,
second with an " Indian's Jkill in herbs,
and the third has been 66 convarted,"—
These fame believers in quackery, (tor all
this is quackery) will not have heir faith
daggered, though they lee their neighbors
estates ruined and their bodies carried to
goal, in consequence of the advice of the
pettifogger—their health, and lives waft
ed by the prescriptions of the quack ; and
though the preacher will tell twenty lies in
a week, when his customers call upon him
to make their shoes, yet, ' he mull be a
godly man, he groans Jo when he makes a
prayer.".
I knew one of these pious groaners once,
who used to attend an evening ledure,
weekly for the purpose of preparing tc
preach. The wife of one of his near
neighbors also attended. As they lived
a, some distance from the place of worship,
the woman commonly rode on hoifeback.
The man, who had long legs, but nc
horle, went by her fide as a kind of foot
man. One moon-lhining night, the,
were discovered both upon-the horse ; the
man behind the woman. The story took
wind: And finally it became the fub
jett cf ecclesiastical enquiry. The wit.
messes were called, and unanimously a
gr<ed in the fa&. But both the man and
woman Hourly deniedthat he had ever rid
den behind her in his life, and were acquit
ted. After the business was all over, in
conferfation, the man confeffed that he
rode upon the woman's horse, but as she
was on a fidt^^, he was befde her
and not behind her. This abominable
liar, notwithstanding kept up the godly
groan, preached the gospel, and was “ a
nice man." , T ,
The application which I am about to
make of these truths, is not very flatter
ing to my pride. Still, it must be made
In corfcquence of myWn naked profef
fions, my readers already seem to think,
that, like a quack dodor, I can cure ev
ery thing. Under this impression ^any of
them have written to fan to take their case
into immediate confifoti,. But a, 1
mean toteach all the nrtm,firfi and I
Ihall begin with patience. Those therefore
who urge their requests with the greatest im
portunity, must expert to lie by, until ev-
[No. 45. ofVol. ll.]
iMifcellany.
THE
Columbian Informer ;
Or, C HESHIRh JOURNAL.
PRINTED and PUBLISHED BYHENRr BL AV E, & CO. ^KEENE, New-Hampshire.
1 wish you would recommend it to eve
ry body to take away their window flut
ters, and curtains. You mud know that
these nasty things give me a great deal of
unhappiness. lamof a ftiange tempr.
!ih:rit from my Mother, and Grand
mother, a most unbounded curiosity, and
I am never cafy, if any thing goes on,
and I don't know it. Many a time, I
have run .he riik of breaking my neck, in
climbing over fences, and walking about
in icy times, to peek into people's win
dows, and listen at their doors. My
mother, if possible, was worse tha, Ibe.
She^lway&knew of every match, that was
making wienrp five miles of her ; aadjf
any young mln fluid with a young, worn
ap, she would* iomchow or o her, get
<ear enough to hear what they said. In
deed the ufedto look through little hol^s
M9!»&mfl& ^* : f lhlnk ' h e " ™
little rqutut for It. And unicfs window
thutterr get cut of fafhion, 1 am sure I (hall
be squint too ; for I mult fee,or else 1 Ihall
run crazy. My mother sometimes tells
me 1 had better leave off, led by and by,
1 hear somebody fay something about my
(elf, that will mortify me. But I'm not
afraid, Nobody knows any thing bad a
bout me. *
I with, that you would tell people,
thafthey had irfuch better have no win
dow flutters, and curtains ; that they are
ufeleG expence ; and that their houses look
much more lively and pleasant, when the
light mines through the windows. |f you
will only do this, I ihall be able very soon
to let you know some very clever thing
for your paper.
THERE isa practice erept into exif
ftence in the town where I live, that ir
very troub'efome, and vexatious, which
I wife you to notice in your paper. The
young fellows who visit the girls in our
kitchens, come in early in the evening,
take their feats before the fire, and there
they fit till nine and femetimes ten o'clock,
with their hats on their heads, let who
will come in, the room. It is not nn
frequently th& % that mv wife, and my
felf, are cbligec^hbe coorfe of the even
ing to go into th^TCqfcn, where a great
lubber fits with bis hat on, and takes no
more notice of us than if we were not in the
room. Nay, they not only do not take off
their hats, but they will not even get up,
or move out of the way, when we are e
bliged to go round about to get along.—
I am fatisfied this ill manners, is by no
means pleasing to the girls; and there
fore I am determined to break it up in my
house. As Ido not wear mv own hat in
the house, I (hall not submit to the lib
erty of in an apprentice, or aj^urnev
man. But as lam willmg to get along
without any quarrel, I have thought it
prudent to let you know mv d+termina
ion, fothat they may save themselves
from a mortification, by taking off their
ident marks of moderation appear in thdir
condud. But the young coxcomb, who
fays he knows Leonora,is informed, th&
he is much mistaken. Leonora, is Leoobfj
ra no more. She many years since ecu
changed a life, in which ffic'had ktio%^
the extremes < r misery, for one, which
we feel aJJwred is incooceiveabiy happi
er. Mr. Timmy Shoe 1! u.g has thcic
fore loft much promised felicity.
. The remainder of this paper shall be
made out by publishing two or three feri
cus grievances, which call aloud for re
dress. 1 widalfo add, that peifons of all
ranks will do well to read The Compan
ion, for 1 propose to attend to th m ail ;
and they may, unless they read, have a
Companion without knowing it.
Sir
In the moan time. T am yours to serve,
Rachel Peeper.
To the Companion,
Sir,
TUESDAY; February 3, I79fr
I have a complaint of a fiagular hatdre
to lay before you ; but 1 feel a degree of
diffidence in attempting it, left you ihould
mantfeft fume contempt or at leall disap
probation of my conduct. By a itri& at-
Mention co the propensities of my heart,! am
fotisfied my dif,ohtion is made up of what
people generally call Euvy.& Haugbtinefs.
This conclusion is forced upon me; for 1
confefs, had not the world at large agreed
in the description of these two passions, 1
Ihould call them by very different names.
£ut as the the world and I are at variance
in our opinions, I will just inform you of
the effect they produce on my behavior,
and leave you to judge whether it deserves
cenfore, or praise,
I rarely mix with mankind, bacaufe 1
"&;fh to aVrid contamination. 1 w ulc
not h^ve you luppofe that I am afraid of
becoming vicious. No I despise the idea,
lot I am afraid of catching the manner
frhe vulgar, of becoming Sociable, fa
^irilr —and in short, too cheap. An ab-
Eorrence of this, has given ray counie
ance a kind of moroferefs, and fever
„ t!. ? * ferae „ctyh eomplpj.^ ol>bur
which I ihink very becoming.
But there is arcther thing which I must
mention,which 1 wish you to keep secret. 1
was feme how or other,never thought very
charming by the better fort of w< men—
they would always avoid me if possible.—
You may easily iuppofe that it would not
be very pleasant for me to fee other young
men whom I thought beneath me, grea
ter favorites than myfelf. This however
has happened; and I have endeavored to
save ilyfelf the murtification, by means
truly orignal. I have more than once,
watched the motions of young gentlemen,
towards young ladies and when I found
them progressing fart into favour, have
written letters in a feigned hind, full of
scandal, and dropped them in the young
ladies way, in order to break up an inti
macy which made me wretched. Some
times mv plans have partially succeeded.
But in the end, they have not only failed ;
but by some meins that I could never di
vine, they would guifs that I was at the
bottom of the mifehief. In this way my
character has fuffned, as I think unjustly.
If you chink so, pray fay so publickly ;
which will be a great relief to,.
Sir, your humble servant.
H. Midnight.
me not ! Jesus christ.
IT hath pleated the Pieficent < fthe U
nited States of America, to issue his
Proclamation, dated Philadelphia, Jan.
'> 1795 i which Proclamation signed by
the sign Manual of the man greatly We
ved, ari sealed with the ^Zxfeal of %
Tma Columbia ; earned recommends
Hits themselves. I have mentioned this
fra to my girl, and she fays she is willing,
forfhe does not want any company,that does
not know how to behave with civility. At
the fame time,the young fellows are at lib
<ty to visit at my house, if they will
jeep good hours, and conduct themfelvea
with decency and good breeding. Other
^ife I am determined to take their
HATS OFF THEIR HEADS WITH MY
w WN HANDS.
IMPORTANTMISCELLANY.
Sick and in Prison and ye viftted
From the ORACLE OF THE DAY.
Sir,
PLAN of A
Continental Contribution
FOR THE RELIEF OF OUR
AMERICAN BRETHREN
I am, fir, your humble Servant.
S. Orderly.
IN
Captivity at Algiers.
America,
That on the felffame day and month of
the year lad pad, to wit, the 19th day of
February,l794, thatih: Matters, Mates
and Crews of the following American
Ships and Vrffels, were in Slavery at Al
giers, the City of Bundage and Death —as
will more fully appear, by due recurrence
to the Journals of Capt. Obrien, who
has languished for TEN YEARS in con
finement, that is to Jay.
Ship Dauphin, Penntylvanis, R .Obrien,
——Minerva, Ditto, John M'Shane,
Prefident, Ditto, William Penrofe,
Hope, New-York, J. Burnham,
Thomas,Maffachufetts, T. Newman,
Brig George, Rhode-lfland, J. Taylor>
Minerva, New-York, J. Ingraham,
- Jane, Massachusetts, Moles Merle,
Polly, D tto, Michael Smith,
O ivebranch, N. Hampshire, W. Furnace,
Sch'r. Difp^ch, Virginia, Wm. Wallace„
Maria, Maffachufers, I. Stephens,
Jay, Ditto, Samuel Calder, Ma
king in total 5 Snips, § Brigs, and 5
Schooners two of which veflels were cap
tured in 17X5, ten ditto in 1703# .'nd ono
ditto in 1794. Out of 13 Milters, it
Mates, 2 Supercargoes, 4 second Mates,
and 84. Seamen, only 4 had been redeem
ed on the 27 hos February, 1794 Os
,he remaining 126 Col. Huuiplre,s Hates
the death <f 20 previous to the lad vifita
lion of Algiers by the Plague ; ana w^t
that awfully desolating period, it is to bo
presumed, that the numbers of thete un
fortunate viaims have been reduced to 70
or 80 individuals.
Fathers, Hufoands, Brethren !
For one moment of time, tranipurt y< ur
felves, in idea, to the City cf A gie r „ —
leave behind you the tendered charities
oflife, weeping for your hap'.e&fate ; —
Fancy* that you are prisoners, in chai.r,
condemned to life-long toil; tugging a;
the oar from morn to eve; fulfilling on
a scanty pittance ; denied the blessed
privilege of repose ; goaded to labour by
the uplifted scourge ; compelled to carry
heavy burdens beyond common ihength ;
crowded at night into close dungeons ;
and unrelentiog'y confined with the fob
jeas of pestilential disease. Oul* realize
this affecting portrait : Believe from the
heart, that in truth, these miftries are
your wretched portion; then caftirg an
eye towards your native country, whi.ft
the bitter tear rolls down year cheek,
and the agonizing sigh reads the tortured
bosom, bold forth the Presidents
Proclamation in your left hand, and
stretching out the right arm, made bare
in fufferings, thus feelingly address the
free born 3 ;ns of Columbia.
Americans, Fellow-Countrymen,
Chriflians !
And is it possible that you can review the
calamities which afi &Jo many other nations,
and forget the greatest of al lpoflible ca
laorfties, which rest on the "wearied heads
of year devoted feliow-ci isers, devoted to
lifelong servitude devoted to death in bon
dage.—God forbid! This cannot be.—
We are persuaded that every American
has a heart susceptible of the fined im
pressions of humanity : We are convinced,
by a thousand examples, that the foes °'/
Freedom are ever prompt to relieve thg
wretched. —Your fellow-men, native A
mericans, prisoners in a foreign land,
lodge an affeaing appeal to the noblest
feelings of humanity. Have, ity,have pit,
• See Col., Ufflpbrgs Addrejs, dated Ju
%it, 1794, ^ tbc Cfobt&s InjQtar. of
No. 88.
to all religious focieries and denomina
tions, and to all persons whemfoerer,
within the limits of his extrnfi-e Junf
diaion, to set apart and oblerve IhurJdu,
the igth day of February, i 79 5• G ' a '"J °f
Public Tbankjgiving and Pra,er.
Now be it Remembered by all .
[Whole No. 97.]
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