The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1823-08-27

city. The court bowed respectfully,
and a look of astonishment was visible
on every face, when he asked the priyi-
lege OF acting as the defendants &C insel.
1t was granted, however, unhesita,.
ingly, and he resumed his seat When
the witnesses had been heard on the
side of the prosecution, he rose and adj
dressed the court. He recollected the
prisoner; he remembered, that on the
night, on which the evidence went to
fix the murder, he had employed the
prisoner in the capacity of a guide. and
was conducted by him over the Ford !:
that he missed his way, and did NOT
reach the lower Ford to which he had
intended to go, but travelled by another
direction TO the city. In regard to the
bones so mysteriously found, he had two
evidences to prove, he said, that the
very physician who pronounced them
human and Of five years decay, and who
was a bitter enemy of the defendant.
had placed them there himself; that
they had for many years before decked
corner of his study the first was a
boy who assisted in placing them there.
and the second was the aperture in the
trunk of the tree itself, which at the
entrance was not more than FIVE inches
In diameter, and therefore utterly in
capable of admitting human body.
He sat down with acclamations of aston
ishment; the proof went on /; the de-
PENDANT was acquitted without an arer-
ment, and the corrupt and revengeful
physician just escaped from the village
time enough to save his neck.
This is the story of the blasted tree
1t has moral. How dangerous is su-
Perstition How carefully should cir
cumstantial evidence be examined. and
how cautiously weighed! How false and
how deceptive the idea, that what is
generally believed, is infallibly the
right FEmnov;xm
DECENTRALIZATION is, and ever has
been tyrannical and subjects IFS votaries
TO many privations and difficulties. 1t is
perpetually changing, and scarce yes-
sci arrives from Europe, but what some
new one is imported, to torture the, human
form into gentifity. Fit is fashionable.
no question IS asked about comfort and
whatever may be the size of the body.
be it large or small, our morta! part il
soon made tofit it? and we look vastly
happy, and appear perfectly easy, while
10 tact we are writhing under pain equal.
to thatlnficted by thumb screw. But
no matter, i is the fashion. and bellies
and beaux are willing to subject them
selves to it; reasoning very conclusive
ly that pain Is nothing, compared with
handsome shape; and torment less
than nothing if il will but reduce the
form to perfect symmeterv.
We did not take the pen, for the pur-
pose OF railing against fashion, or lis yo-
tarles.; but merely to drop a word or
two of advice, to our aged matrons and
their more aged spouses, not TO be so
outrageous.agains: The modern customs of
the Younger part of the community bat
ask them to remember the days Of their
dandyism-their cooked hats ,-their lea
Their breaches, - and buttons on their
coats, as big as modern sized template
and soNe may Remember, how hard
twas when the fashion changed TO get
rid of these duraGl.. small clothes; and
after bordering we'll the best possible
way Of wearing them out, have quietly
sat upon a grindstone, while another
youugster has turned the crank We
know there are many pery CYNICAL; who
are always talking about the degenera-
cy of modern taste and customs. and
laughing at the leather straps and 5usks
of their own sex, but forget they were
themselves once encased in stays that
would have proved impene,rable to
zine pounder--and as for the other sex.
it is not more ont of the way to tie two
or three cravafs tight about tile neck for
the purpose of givirgthem a prominent
eye, than for our grandfathers TO wear
wigs as big as a busheI for the purpose
OF giving them a look of gravity and wis
dom. f.Fantucket Ing.
wIscAssET, (MA.) AUG. is.
METEORlC STONE.
Mr. No.. hs cove .