The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-02-02

The next night l had neighbur oopsins
aud neirhbor. Grumple in the bar, talking
a,.e, the' news. I told them that the great
est news had was, that the rats had been
arinkinr my port wine, and thought this
nroycd to me that some two-legsed rats hao
been at it. Oh, no said neighbor Sopkins'
not at all. not at all-rats are the moSt-iuN
RANT dogs alive -what do you think! i(hu
hu hu !-and his great belly jumped up ana
down with his solid laugh;) actually caught
a rat Thu! hu, hu) drinking my brandy
I held up my hand in amazement ~ as
sure YOU it is true said Gruinplc. wen,
said I, tell us how it happencd-had,nt the
rogues any water to their brandy! YOU see,
said Sopkins, my nephew, who IS IN greal
counting house, in Malaga, sent me guam
tity of Spanish Brandy. 1t is "A good liquor
but not so dark colored as Cognlac. 1t was
in hottles in hamper. AS soon as this
brandy arrived set it by, just as as 1t was
received except that opened it at the top
to see that it was safe, and set 1T IN my Of
fce behind the work room. l never knew
of any rats being there; however, two or
three days after the brandy was put INTO the
room. looked under the straw, just TO take
out bottle to let a friend taste the stun,
and there found rat laying dead; iooh- :
ed "A little farther, and there found Dot
tie empty! Dosen't this prove to you thtt
rats drink brandy? Not quite, said /, tor the
sailors might have drank yeur brandy, anu
- nut in the rat. so thought, sad oopRhs,
but YOU shall hear how found out the rats
/ infused quantity of poison in the upper
bottle of brandy; the next rat We caught we
dissected and he had evident ma.ks oIPoi-
son in his flesh. III assure YOU IL Is Ifue'
said ncighbor Grump!e.
Z. mo I could not see
how rat could get drunk with port w'ne
and get himself into a trap, or get himself
into trap, and get drunk With port WINE
after he was almost beheaded. These things
puzzled me amazingly, One day, however,
the exciseman came in, and told nm my
grievances. He advised me to get snit
KEY. He drew off a quantity OF my ocst
nine took out the head of it and put the keg
full of port wine mixed with jallap, So as
to come out at the tap without mixing Win
the rest This was in the afternoon, whcf
nobody saw us | told John and loe, TO lie
nobody have any of the best port that Gay
but to tell the customers tha1 II MAS sieh
and give them some of an inferior kiAd
Very consiaerate ct me 70 save them iron
beinp sick. bv LAYING the charge Of sicknes
on the wine. All went on well. had th
rat trap baited extra. had famous lar5
candlc-i four-in- the-pound, in the cellal
We all went to bed at the usual time, on
about two o'clock, in the morning was a
wakened by confusion Of tongues com
planning sadly, IL walked quietly down stars
found that the cellar door stood aJAr-
sripped as lightly as l could towards th
bottom and there | saw John and Joe, an
Sopkins and Grnmple; the waters h,'l
dressed and in slippers, groaning terribly
and talking out Of all caution about thci
bowels and the queer taste Of the wine Non
sense. nonsense said the stay maker Ther
is a rat in the wine, that's all, ard began
swallow his first glass; while Sopkins wa
Just filling Jug John and Joe had got
before them, and thus it happened ny Nv
story -telers, about brandy drinking -rat'
had not vet enjoyed my jalap. heard an
saw enough, however, and bounded INT
the cellar like a fury--l'll rat YOU my boy
I, I'll rat you. With that, Sepkins an
Grumple hobbled up stairs, but lohn an
mn man eyer D-lievc there are rats IN II