Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1825-03-23

old Crispin, who took it all for granted,
and snatching up a boot-tree, would
have levelled the man with the floor
{" Hold, hold !! exclaimed the spectators,
let us hear further" 81 say, young
man, you took your masters note, a one
pound note Of Smith & Co.'S bank. Not
tingham." g. 1t was, it was,'' returned
Crispin, and again heaved the boot-tree
aloft. "Hold," said Merry, "be calm,
do the man no injury "What num-
Der was the note % now asked the trem-
bling culprit. Merry paused. THAT'S
matter | have overlooked; keep the
man here; | will 60 and consult my
book; you shall know in five minutes
He went, and returned almost instanta-
neously; 1t was of such number, and
1t vii! be found in certain moving
grass field, under three pebbles.' At
once Crispin uttered dreadful shout,
and struck at the culprit, but he leapt
over the stall, shot through the clamor
Gus crowd, and was gone. The crowd
pursued with terrible uproar, and
Merry and his friend pursued with equal
eagerness: for they expected no less
than his death, if he were caught, and
in fact they came up in but just time TO
save him. The enraged throDg had
seized him, and his clothes were literally
rent TO shreds, and his bare head was
covered with blood, the consequence Of
desperate struggle to escape; and his
enemies were just in the act of hosting
him over the bridge, on which they
we're, into the river. The voice of
Merry arrested their hands, and they
permitted him to depart. The money
was found exactly as described.
This was wondrous tale, to be sure,
and FASTENED to my friends for a solu-
ton; after some joking aud equivocation,
he told me, that the plough, as every
one must suppose, he had seen about an
hour before. For the discovery of the
COOLERS note he was, like his brother
conjurers, indebted to good fortune.
Walking, according to custom, early in
The morning TO some part of his estate,
! he had been observing to neighbor
whom he had met, that he expected 10
nave all the country about him for intel
iigence on losses and crosses. At that
lime they spied the aforesaid Journey
man snob busy in field of moving grass,
and guessing 1t was for no good purpose,
tney concealed themselves till he was
sone, when they found the note above
described; made memorandum of it,
well knowing it would soon be missed
by somebody.
My friends reputation was by this
stroke of fortune at once established :;
and his house was crowded with yisl-
tors, particularly ladies', 10 inquire the
particulars aud TO add a modest hint on
the great service his knowledge aust
be OF to his friends. But his purpose
was answered his garden, his orchard,
even sheep-waIKs, winch Hau ueun
plundered in spite of boards exhibiting
ire meadous threatenings of steeI-traps,
and offers Of reward by the association
ior the prosecution of felons-now re-
tanned their respective charges unmo-
Tested, while the outrageous conduct of
the villagers fully justified his avowed
determination not TO employ his learning
in future, except for his own advantage.
Ingenuity Of Lore.-The following in
genious contrlvance was adopted by "a
couple of lovers, not long since. The
young lady, who was of a highly respec-
table family. having formed an attach
ment contrary to the inclination and in-
tention Of her father, the lovers were
at loss how to carry on their cores
pondence; at length, aided by the faith
er's hair-dresser, no unusual agent of Gu
pid, they adopted the following mode of
communicating by letter, and escaping
the vlgilant eye of the watchful parent;
and, singular as it may appear, the old
gentleman's wig was made the medium
of carrying her letters. Attached to his
wig he wore bag; this the young lady
used to take off every night when he
called for his pight-cap. and here she
never failed to find billet, which had
been previously deposited there by The
hair-iresser, and which the father had
carried about all day. She had thus al
ways lime to peruse her letter, and re-
place it with an answer. which was in
due course taken away by the barber on
the following morning, and delivered to
the lover. This course of correspon-
dence enabled them to arrange and ef-
feet an elopement, and they were, some
time since, married at Gretna-green.
On their return, the father adopted the
old proverb, What can't be cured must
be enduredm The lady was pardoned
her indiscretion, and they are now liv-
ing happily under the sanction of the la
dy's parents, and the wig is now pre-
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