Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-11-24

wheel of a loaded cart, it discovered as
much solicitude to avoid rain, as a fine
lady in her gayest attire, shutting sway
on the first sprinklings, and making for
some shelter. Whenever the old lady,
its mistress, who usually waited Oh it,
came in sight, it always hobbled, with
awkward alacrity, towards its bensfac-
tress. though to strangers it appeared
quite inattentive. 1t never stirred out
after dark often appeared abroad only
for few hours in the middle of the day
and in wet days never came from its
retreat. Though it loved warm w.ath-
Ter, it carefully avoided the hot sun and
1passed the more sultry hours under the
shelter Of large cabbage leaf, or amid
the friendly shades of an asparagusbed.
Towards autumn, however, he appear
ed anxious to improve the effect Of the
faint sunbeams, by getting under th re-
Election of a wall, and incIining its hell
towards the sun. 10 scraping the
ground to form its winter retreat, itdug
with its fore feet, and threw up the
earth over its back with its hinder feet;
but the motion of it's legs was SO slow,
as scarcely to be observed; and though
it worked with great assiduity both
night and day, it was more than fort
night before it had completed its nhu-
nation. .N
How long an animal Of this species
may live, we cannot determine but IT
is known at least, that their age may ex-
coed century, One Of them was intro.
duced into the garden of Lambeth pal
ace in the time Of archbishop Laud, was
living 1870 years afterwards, and died at
last rather from the neglect of the gard
ner than from excessive age.
The land tortoise forms an excellent
article Of food, though it is scarcely en-
ployed, for that purpose except in
Greece.> The eggs, however, are eat,
en- very cfmmonly 10 Italy.
Extraordinary Circumstances few
days since servant girl was walking
by the side of the Canal, near Mr. Ra-
worth's Wharf, at Nottingham, with an
infant in her arms, when, looking at the
child instead of her path, she stepped
from the road into the water, and she
and the child instantly disappeared. A
man who saw the accident fastened TO
the spot, and fortunately caught the girl
by the hair of her head; but on raising
her in the water,i it appeared that the
child was no longer in her arms. The
man hastily pulled her out. that he
might have chance of saving the in
FAINT, when, to his great surprise, he
found that the little innocent had in
stinctively caught hold of the bottom Of
the girls petticoat, which it grasped so
firmly, that it was safely drawn out.
Al Clare Assizes, strolIing beggsr,
named LaughIin, was found guilty OF
manslanghter, in frightening Mss Stack
pole, an elderly lady, to death. Know
ling that she had great dread oftyphus
fever, he went to her house, seised her
by the wrist, and with view ofextort-
ing something, told her that his clothes
belonged to a person who died Of that
disease. The fright was SO greet, as to
occasion her death in few houB.
The PGinter.-A troublesome alter to
an eminent portrait painter puzzled
himself and plagued the artist in deter
mining whether he should be painted on
panel or canvass. "But how world you
have me drawn ?' he at last asEed the
irritated man oftalent. "On wo.d, sir"
roared the latter; "such fellow as you
ought to be drawn on nothing bu: hur-
de-"
A penurious old farmer engaged an
Indian to make some baskets, anil prom
ised to pay the Indian with good hogs
pluck. The baskets we're finished; the
farmer produced his pluck, but had TAX
en- care to curtail them of the heurts and
tongues. swell, well," said the Indian,
with a bitter smile, "white men are
good; no hearts to deceive, neither have
they tongues to Es."
From late London papen.l
An old lady in this town, of the age of
I86, who had lost all her teeth several
years ago, has, to the astonishment of
Eeher friends, cut six new teeth within
these few months, and, as may be sup
posed, enjoys no small satisfaction: at be-
ing able once more to bite a crust. But
there is an old gentleman living not many
doors from her, upwards of 81 years of
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