Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-05-27

of his staff on the ground, and imploring all me
,,ov,ors of heaven and yearth to help him to hnd
~, he rnn.awa' daughter, that had decsmpn
MA .nme neerdoweel loon Of a half-pay captain
L.n,;, her in his arms from her bedroom
.n:.da'I nm twa pair O. stairs. Every father
- Nod If family maun hae felt for man Id
his situation. thus so to be robbit OF his dear
bairn. and an only daugter too, as he tell us
owre and owre again, as the saut saut tears "a"
gushing down his witherec face, and ne aye
6lev his nose on his clean calendered pocket
napkin. But, ye ken, the thing was absurd 70
suppose that we should ken ony thing about the
matter, having never seen either him or MS
daughter between the cen afore, and no kenning
them by headmark; so, though we sympathisea
with him as folks ought to do wi fellow-erea-
ture in affection, we thoughtit best to baud our
tongues, TO see what might cast up better iaah
he expected. So out he gaed stumplng al the
ither side, determined, he said, to hnd them
out, though he should follow them to the world
end. johnny Greats house or something 10
that effect.
Hardly was his back turned, and amalst be-
fore We gould cry Jack Robinson, In comes the
birkle and The very young Teddy the aud gehtie-
nan described, arm and arm theglther, smooa-
cling and launching like daft. Dog on II! 1t
was a shameless piece of business. AS true as
death, before all the crowd OF folk, he pat his
arm round her waste, and cad her his sweet
heart, and love, and dearie, and darling, and
every thing that is sweet. If they had been
counting in Gloss thegither on Friday night
they couldna hae said mair to ane anither, or
gaen greater lengths. thought SIGH shame 10
be an ee-witness to sic on-goings, that was
obliged at last to baud up my hat afore my face
and look down; though for a that, the young
lad to be SIGH BLACKBOARD as his conduct
showed, was well enough faured, and had
guild coat to his back, wi double gilt outtons,
and fashionable lapells, to say little O. very
well made pair of buckskins, little the waur
o. the wear TO besure, bur which, it they had
been well cleaned, would haze lookit amaist as
guide as new. How they had came we never
could learn, as we neither saw chase nor gig:
but from his having spurs on his boots, II is
mair than like that they had lightit at the back
door Of the barn frae horse, she riding on a
pad behint him maybe withe her hand round
his waist.
The father lookit to be rich auld bool, bath
from his manner Of speaking, and the rewards
he seemed to offer for the apprehension of his
daughter; but, to be sure, when so many Of us
were present that had an equal right to the
spulzie, wadna be great deal a thousand
pawnds when divided, still it was worth the
looking alter; so we just bidit wee.
Things were brought TO bearing, howsom-
ever, sooner than either themsells, l daur say,
or ony body else present, seemed to hae the
least glimpe oil; for, just in the middle of their
fine goings-on, the sound Of coming fit was
heard, and the lassie taking guilt TO her, cried
out, "Hide me, hide me, for the sake of guide
ness, for yonder comes my old father"
Nae sooner said than done. In he stappit
her into a closet; and, after shutting the door
on her, he sat down upon a chair, pretending
to be asleep. in moment. The auld father
sa ~ zap, he ran forrt and gaed him SIGH
a shake, as if he wad had skooken him sun
dry, which sumo made him open his cen as fast
as he had s,eekit them After Safeguarding
the chied at no allowance, cursing him up hill
and down dale, and Gazing him every name but
a gentleman, he hadit his staff owIe bis crown,
and gripping him by the cuff o the neck, ask
him what he had made O. his daughter. Ne
yer since was born did ever see SIGH hrazen
faced impotence! The rascal had the brass to
say at ance, that he hadna seen word or writ
than a hundred folk sitting in his company had
seen him dau,ing her with his arm round her
jmpy waist, no, FIVE minutes before As
man, as father, as an elder Of CDR kirk, my
corruption was raised, for aye hated leeing.
as puir cowardly sin, and an inbreak on the
ten commandments; and / fand my neebour,
Mr.. Glen, fdgelting on the seat as well as me;
SO thocht, tina, whaever spoke first, wal haze
the best right TO be entitled to the reward;
just as he was in the act Of rising
up, took the word out Of his mouth, saving,
"Dinna believe him, auld gentleman-dinna be-
lieve him, friend; he's telling parcel of lees.
Never saw her for month! It's no worth ar
guing, or Gazing witnesses: just open that press
door, and yen see whether Pm speaking truth
or No
Inc auld man stared, and lookit dumb-foun.
dered; ana the young man, instead Of rinHing
foriit WI his double nieves to strike me, the on
~ thing was feared Tor, began laughing, as
if had dune him guide turn; but never since
| had being, did ever witness SIGH an up
roar and roise as Immediately took place
The hall house was sac glad that the scoundrel
had been exposed, that they set up siccan a
roar o. laughter, and thumpit away at siccan
rale dl the oooruS WI lnelr leet, that dl iahS
and last, WI pushing and 6dgetting, and had
ding their sides, down fell the place they ca
the gallery, a. the folk int being hurl'd topsy
turvy head foremost amang the saw-dust on the
floor below, their gufawing sumo being turned
to bowling, ilka ane crying louder than anither
al the tap note of their voices, "Murder! muir
der! baud aft me; MURDER my ribs are in;
murder! Pm killed--I'm speechless;" and
ither lamentations to that effect, so that rush