The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-02-12


world, he began to feel anxious abolt
lbf the next He thought with regret
he bargain he had made with his black
Trend and set hi wits 10 work TO cheat him
out of the conditions He became, therefore,
all OF sudden a violent churchSoer lie
prayed loudly and strennousiy, as 1t heaven
woe to be taken by force y lungs Indeed,
one might always tell when he had sinned
| most during the week, by the camor OF his
Sunday devo,lou,sS The quie, cbrfti4ns who
| bad been modesly and stea'iiastly travelling
Zionward, were struck with sell repToach AT
seeing themselves so suddenly outstripped In
their career by this new. made convert Tom
was as ri id in relisionas n money matters; he
was stern supervisor & c.nsurer OF his neigh
bors, and seemed to think every sin entered
| up to their account, becime credit on his
own side Of the page. He even talked OF the
expedency OF reviving the persecution oil
quakers apd anahapti'ts. In aword, Toms
zeal became as notorious as his riches
Still, in spite OF all his strenuous attention
to forms, Tom had tiarking dread that the
devil, after all, would nave his due That he
might not be una wares, the, eiore, 1t is SAID he
always carried small bible in his coat peck
ct. He also had great folio billie on his
counting house desk AID would frequently be
| found reading it when people called on busi
ness; on such occasions he would lay his
g cen spect acies on the book. TO marx the
place, while he turned round 10 drive some
| usurious bargain.
Some say that Tom grew little crack
| Drained in his old DAYS and that, fame wing his
| end approaching, he had his horse new ehod
Sadded and bridici, and huEicd with his feet
! up9ermOsf; brcHrSe W. 'un1oi"d that Of the
, last dav the world wunld bc turned upside
down, in which case hr should find his horse
! standing ready Tor mounting. and he was de-
te"nincd. at the worst, to give his old friend a
| run for it. This, however, probably mere
| old wie's fable Ii he really did take such a
pre- aution, it was totally supertuous at least
| so says the authentic old legend, which closes
| his story in lne following manner
| One hot afternoon in the dog day $. Just as a
terrible bIacI; thundes gust was coming up.
Tom sat in his counting. house, i'm MS white
| linen cap and India six morning gown. He
| was OH the point of ioreeiosins mortgage, by
which he would comp,Se the ruin OF an I'M
| lucky land speculation, for whom he protested
the greatest friendship. The poor land jobber
begged him to grant few months indui eence
Tom had grown tcsty and irrtatcd, and re.
| fused another day.
upon the PARISH" said the land, obber
"Charity begins at home" replied Tom ;
81 must take care OF myself i'll these hard
times"
| "You have made SO much money out OF
me-" said the speculator
| Tom lost his patience ani his pirty -ssThe
devil take me-" said he, il have made a
farthing!"
| Jnst then there were three loud knocks at
the street door. He stepped ont to see who
! was there black man was holding black
| horse, which neishcG and stamped tn i'm
| patience
! "Tom, you're come fori" said the black
fellow grufily. Tom shrupk back, but too
late. tie had left his little bible at the bottom
Of his coat pocket, and his big bible on the
desk buried under the mortgage he was about
| to foreclosc: never was sinner taken more
awa,cs. The black man wbisked him like a
child astride the horse aud away he "a loped
| in the midst OF a thunder storm. The cler Ks
stuck their pens bebinG heir ears, and stared
after him from the windows. Away went
Tom Walker, dashio. down the streets his
white cap bobLing up and down his morning
gown nuttering IN the wind, and his steed stri
| king fire out OF the pas ement at every bounce
| When the clerks turned to look for the black
man, he had disappeared
| Tom Walker never returned to foreclosc
the mortgage. A countryman who lived on
| the borders of the swamp, reported that In the
| height Of the thunder gust he had heard a
| great Gathering OF hoois and bowling along the
| road, and that when he ran to the window he
| Just caught sight of a figure such as have
described on horse that gallopcd madly
across the fields, over tho hills, and down into
| the black hcnlock swamp, towards the old
Indian fort; and that shortly sfter, thunder
bolt fell in that direction, which seemed to set
tie whole forest in a blaze.
The good people of Boston shook their
heads and shrugged their shoulders, but had
been so much accustomed to witches and COB.
Inns, and tricks Of the devil, in all kinds of
shapes, from the first settlement OF the colony,
that they were not 50 much horror.struck as
might have been expected. Trustees were
appointed to take charge of Toms effects -
There was nothing, however, to administer
upon On searching his Golfers, all hi, bonds
and mortgages were found reduced to cinde $
In place Of gold and silver, his iron chest was
filled with chips and shavings two skeletons
Law in his stable instead Of half starved horses
and the very next day his great house took
fire and vas b9tot to the ground.