Northern star, and Warren and Bristol gazette. [volume] (Warren [R.I.]) 1826-1830, 1826-05-27

the master ofthe Three Mari ne rs
slonk through crack 10 the door, and
having satisfied himself that il was not
all a dream, aud that the clutches Of his
guest we're not fastened on his feet, set
of full speed 10 declare what things he
had seen, tothe magistrate Of the town.
and to take the proper measures for
freeing his habitatioa from fits suspic
ious visitant.
An association had been formed by
the governour aud assistants, a shor
time previous 10 this, for the purpose
of suppressibg the fashion of wearing
long hair among men. The text in CO.
rinthians, furnished sufficient authority
for such procedure, and the zeal OF
our ascestors, by fines and persecution,
had rooted out pearly all the hmr that
grew on the heads of men, asd extend-
ed below their ears. Far be il from us
to dispute the justice Or the expedieucy
ofthe act We are not one of the pro-
fession that depends on the shears for
subsistence, and Of course, should not
raise our. voice against ii, if govern
ment should take upon themselves to
scalp the whole community. We do
not 90 estion the good inten.ions ofour
ancestors, for who can doubt if such a
law had been 10 force in the days OF
Pharaoh, Egypt would have been saved
from one and that not the least torment
ing, Of its seven plaques and our an
ccstors might wishto avert so great an
evil from falling on their own heads or
on the heads Of their posterity. We
lament the decline ofthis salutary fash
ion, and when we see the young men Of
the present day bestowing such infinite
pains on the outside OF their craniums.
while they neglect the interiour, we Can
, only say, that long hair, like cnarity
j; covers multitude Of sins. But we
! are DEPRESSING from our story. When
morning dawned on the quiet town ol
Boston, the wonderful tale Of goodman
: Gross, was travelling from mouth to
; mouth with the rapidity Of light, and
5 increasing in proportion to its progress.
II was cdrrently told and firmly believ.
, ed that the devil, in propria persona
] had taken possession Of the Three
i Mariners, driven out its mortal owner.
: and had set this example Of breaking
: the laws ofthe colony by wearing his
tail on his head. A general panick
/ seized upon all some took to their BIZ
bles, others to their heels some rails
| ed their hands in prayer, others to
: their heads, expecting that their hmr
would ere long begin to sprout and
+ shoot out to an unnatural length eve
ry one avoided :he tavern, while it was
possessed Of an evil spirit, lest like the
i'll fated Absalom, they should be caught
up to the sign.post, and dangle a sad
} warning to ail who have not the fear
of the devil before their eyes. The
, magistrates, after setting in council with
other pious men Of the day, voted, mem
con that it was judgment upon the
, town for permitting SO great an abom-
nation as house of feasting and drink
f ing, and that Master Dreadnought
! Doughty be forthwith despatched to
arrest the mysterious parsonage then
+, abiding at The Three Mariners, about
whom were sundry suspicious marks.
such a. wearing long hair, sc. Here
followed catalogue of all the sircum-
stances which tho fears or imagination
of goodman Gross had contriyed to sug-
gest, and which the credulty Of our
, good ancestors received without the
least distrust.
Master Doughty was true disciple
! ofthe staff, and bad been cxaItedto his
, present dignity by an, event that occur
red shortly before. A wood in the vi
cinity had been haunted with strange
noises, like the howlings Of wild beasts,
4 or of devils as some affirmed, so that
: none dared to enter or even approach
; it. A considerable reward was offer
I ed 10 the person who should free it
, from the cause Of these terrific noises.
Now master Doughty had long been
D known as man Of prodigious courage,
and only wanted an opportunity like
this to have it fully attested. Accom-.
, panied by ne living being but his dog
! he sailed forth and, after wasderin.
about the wood tor some time, disoov
cred the object ofhis search seated W
, the topmost bosshs of a tall pins!.4
Oaick as a fash. hlA gun Was at hi
shoulder. his finger on the trigger. ant
8 in another fash his prey would ha,,
, dropped at his feet, had his hre no
: been arrested BY a cry OF Nassa
q ( Massa J" The truth was, q poor ne
: gro servant had lost mis- way in III
Q woods. and his loutkand repeated call
i for assistance, and cries Of distress