Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-08-18
OLD TIME s.

Some 40 years since, Selkerkhire
farmer, great original in his wayi and
remarkable for his iondaess for il Iibig
price" for every thing. ATTENDED att
Langholm fair, and, notwithstandinE his
parsimonious habits, actually sob his
lambs to perfect stranger upon hissim-
ply promising to pay him punctuallt at
the next market. On his return hime,
the farmers servants who regularly hess
ed at the same table, and seldom hInor-
ed him with the name of master, inf uir-
ed " Well Sandy, hae ye sell't the
lambs ?"-" Atwell haze |, and | gat sax
pence mair head for them than onyl
body in the market" sand a. weel
paid siller?" "Na, the silIer's no paid
yet, but its sure eneuch." What's your
merchant, and what's your security ~
"Trotb never spiered, that he's a de-
cent lookin' man WI tap boots and a
bottle green Coat.'-The servants al
this laughed outright, and tauntingly told
him he would never get farthing.
Sandy, however, thought differently ,.nd
having accidentally hurt his leg so as to
prevent him from travelling, he sent
shepherd TO Langholm, with Instructions
TO look for a man with a bottle green
coat, whom he was sure, he said, 10 find
standing near a certain sign.-Thc shep-
herd did as he was bid, and strange TO
say, discovered a person standing at the
Identical spot, who, on learning his err
rand, inquired kindly for his master, and
paid him the money to the utmost tarth-
ing. Sandy, who piqned himself on bis
skill in physiognomy heard The news
without emotion, and merely said y |
wad at any time trust mair TO looks than
word, and when saw Colley smelling,
about him sac kindly! kent wce enough
he couldna be scroundel"
On another occasion Sandy, who had
brother settled as respectable mer-
chant in Edinburgh, conceived the within
of presenting him with very fine fat
tup, the flesh of which, at certain sea-
sons, is known TO make most excellent
hams. Early one morning, therefore,
the ram with its legs tied, was tumbIed
into cart, and, on arriving at his quar-
tiers in the CandIemaker-row, the &c
centric driver far from committing the
extravaganza of hiring porter, hoisted
the animal on his own brawny shoulders
and HE'D him away to his brothers resi-
dence. On the door being opened by
a good looking maiden, he briefly inquir-
ed ''hinny is my Billy in ?" " Your
Billy - said the lass 6 wha is t'ye want
sir? Il want my Billy, or my brither,
| tell ye, giffye ken that ony better"
The girl retreated few PAGES, and
told her master that there was IA daft
man at the door inquiriog for his Billy,
with great big sheep on his back.
The merchant guessed in an instant the
quality of his visitor, but being engaged
at the time, he desired that the stran-
ger might be shown into the parlor.
The waiting woman, however, looked
so sulky and suspicious, that Sandy de-
termined to haze nae comings and gain
ings wiz her = SO that in place of leav-
ing his burden in the kitchen he edged
it through the lobby in very handsome
sitting room.-Here he rested for a few
minutes, and wishing to show his pres
ent TO the best advantage, he set about
unloosenlng the letters of the ram NUT
tering to himself, :" puir beast, l'se war
rands your legs are eye tier-tor this is
me like scampering about the hills. :"
Thus emancipated, the astonshed tup
began to make survey of the apart
ment, and fixing his kindling eyes on a
large antique mirror, he made a sudden
bolt az the woolly antagonist who glared
at him from within,as if equally anxious
TO come to the scratch The crash was
dreadful the glass was shivered in a
thousand pieces, not few of which, as
they escaped from the frame, ratified a.
bout the ears of the astonished farmer,
who sSrathing for fear, seemed the very
counterpart of the messenger who
" Drew rriam's curtain at the dead of night
And told halfhs Troy was burned"
Not conteDted with this exploit, the
tup turned suddenl y round and again es-
plying his shadow in the glass facings of
the chimney, he executed a second as
sault with all the fury and success Of
the first.-The noise ofthese explosions
brought the merchant TO the room soon
er than he intended, and aware as he
was that something had happened, he
was scarcely prepared for the singular
scene that presented itself: his chairs
upset, andtables covered with shower
of glass his brother trembling like "A
condemned criminal, and gigantic rain
stridlng in all the pride OF victory over
every part ofhis fine Brussels carpet
At first he Did the ram and every
nm fnnnarfo1 ,.iSb b;r.. L..