The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-06-12


LONELINESS of the stable, was poking his spectral
head out of a window, with the rain dripping
on 1t from the caves; an unhappy cur, chain
ed to dog-house, hard by, uttered something
every now aud then, between a bark and
| yefp; drab of kitchen wench tramped
I backwards and forwards through the yard IN
! pattens, looking as sulky as the weather it.
self. Every taing, in short, was comfortlcss
| and forloIn, excepting crew of hard drink
| ing ducks, assembled like boon companions
i round puddle, and making a riotous noise
oyer their liquor.
J was lonely ndlistless, and wanted amuse-
| rlent. My room soon became insupportable.
/ abandoned it, and sought what is technically
! called the travellers room. This is pnblick
room set apart at most Inns forthe accommo-
dalton of class of wsyfarers, called travellers
| or riders kind of commercial knights-errant,
! who are necessarily securing the kingdoms in
gigs, OF by coach. They arc the only success
sors that | know Of at the present day, to tho
kuishts-errant Of yore. They lead the same
, kind Of rowing adventurous life, only changing
the lance for a whip, the buckler for pattern
card, and the coat Of mail for an upper Benja
min. Instead of indicating the charms of
peerless beauty. they rove about, spreading the
fame and standing OF some substantial trades
man or manufacturer, and are ready at any
time to bargain in his name j; il being the fash
ion nowadays to trade instead of fight with
! one smother. As the room of the Hostel, in the
good old fighting times, would be hung round
at night with the armour of way-worn warri-
riours, such as coats of mail, falchions and
yawning helmets, so the travellers room is
garnished with the Harvesting of their sue
cessors; with box-coats, whips of all kinds,
49, L Al. \ 4
was in hopes Of finding some of these wor-
thies to talk with, but was Disappointed
There were, indeed, two or three in the room
but could make nothing of them. One was
| lust finishing his breakfast quarrelling with
his bread and butter, and huting the waiter;
! another buttoning on pair of CATERS, with
many execrations at +" Boots" for not having
cleaned his shoes well; third sat drumming
on the table with his fingers, and looking at
the rain as it streamed down the window
glass; they all appeared to be infected by
the weather, and disappeared, one after the
| other, without exchanging word.
saantered TO the window, and stood gazing
| at the people picking their way to church,
with pettcoats hoisted mid-leg high, and drip
| ping umbrellas. The bell ceased TO toll, and
| the streets became silent. | thea amused
myself with watching the daughters of
| tradesman opposite who, being combining TO
| the house, for fear Of wetting their SUNDAY
| finery, played off their charms at the front
| windows to fascinate the chance tenants of
the Inn. They at length were summoned
| away by vigilant vinegar-faced mother, and
| saw nothing farther from without to amuse
| me.
What was to do to PASS away the long
| lived day was sadly nervous and lonely !;
| and every thing about an Inn seems calculat-
| ed TO make dull day ten times duller Old
| newspapers, smelling of beer and tobacco
| smoke, and which had already read half
| dozen times. Good for nothing books, that
| were worse than the rainy weather. bored
myself to death with an old volume of the
Lady's Magazine. | read ali the common
| placed names of ambitious travellers scrawled
on panes Of glass the eternal families of the
Smiths, and the Browns, and the Jacksons,
! and the Johnsons, and all the other sons ; and
decyphered several scraps of fatguing inn
window poetry that | have met with in all
parts Of the world.
! The day continued lowering and gloomy :;
| the slovenly, ragged, spongy clouds drifted
| heavily along in the air: there was no variety
| even in the rain it was one dull, continued,
monotonous patter, patter, patter; excepting
| that now and then was enlivened by the
! idea of brisk shower, from the rafting Of the
drops upon passing umbrella. Il was quite
| refreshing (if may be allowed hackneyed
phrase of the day. when in the course Of the
morning a horn blew, and stage-coach yghirl-
| ed through the street, with outside passengers
; stuck all over it, covering under cotton um-
brellas; and seethed together, aud rocking
with the steams Of wet box-coats and upper
I<Benjamns.
The sound brought out from their lurking
places crew Of vagabond boys. and vapa-
bond dogs, with the carroty-headed ostler
and that non-descTipt animal yclept Boots,
and all the other vagabond race that infest
the puriieus Of an Inn but the hustle was
transient the coach again wiirled on its
way and boy and dog, and ostler, and boots,
all skunk back again to their holes and the
street again became silent, and the rain con-
tinued to rain on. In fact there was no hope
of its clearing up f; the barometer pointed to
rainy weather: mine hostess's tortoise-shefl
cat sat by the fire washing her face and rub
bing her paws over her ears and on referring
TO the Aimanack, found direful prediction
stretching from the top of the page to the bot
tom through the whole month, expect much
Tain about this time.'
The evening gradually wore away. The
tra"AilAEs road tho papers two or three times
over after which, they, one after another. rang
Tor Boots and the chambernaid, and walk.
ed Up to bed in old shoes, cut down into
maryeilously uncomfortable slippers.
There was only one man left /; short leo
ged, long bodied plethorick fellow with verv
large sandy head. He sat by himself with =
glass Of port wine negus, and a spoon; sippiny