Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-08-22
/" "RAMBL rs ROUND TOWN.

Win plelSluO ana SOIIcN, dHdhtUtu ~ "EcH
rambling around tho place Of ones NATIVITY;
and as We gaze upon the places where Ne one"
partook OF the innocent pleasures Of juvenile
Ito, an emotion of regret is called forth, and
We ponder with sorrowiu ilarts over the rocol-
lection OF those scenes, which ~e Witnessed IN
our boybood, and lament that the happy DAYS
that gave thom existence, have fled 10 be 40
moro heard of--havo departed, and are los; IN
the chlos Of forgetiu!:loss And whilst we
thus waDder Ground the place OF our nativity,
and look back and remember the days lns-
spent, the time we haze misipp!led, OF lost, Il
bitter pang OF repentance pervades the bosom,
and in vain do We wish tadt our lives could be
renewed, that We might be allowed an oppor-
tunty Of correcting our early errors; OF maxi
ing amends for former trans aress.on5, and alb
CREATIONS from duty.
To us, these rambles are exceedingly inilr-
esting, and often do we indulge IA them; and
il is then, that We Z" live our lives o'er again, -
renew our old associations and pastiines, and
once more we are boys.
A few mornings since We tool, an carly ram
bic through the streets, and though the hand
OF improvement had remo"ei lho last vcstgcs
OF those monuments which once marked the
places OF our youthful resort, still, tharc was
something left 10 remind ,,s OF those times when
We, with an hundred other roguish and ,ruant
mchins, VIC PLAYED snap behind old Andrew VIII
lisms' barn, and caught tad poles from the
mlrsh opposite the Big Boot and stoned the
humble dwellng Of ne Lady Of the Lake.
Gastin, our minds eye back apace Nc saw tie
very spot where Jim Bird tioggcd Bill WInmIn,
for sptiiug on Ruth Wus.ll8 bonnet; and
the battle ground where the up-hilicrs and the
blck-strcot"rs me. in bloody ai!ray, and set
tied their disputes AZ the expense OF bloody
noses: the ground where Jack King and Bill
Kcan and ,hcir;asso cates used Ia play horse
nin.hip. and turn the cart wheel. Up by tho
HAY -Scales---that WAS once Il dreadful place,
where the angry spirits OF the up-hll!crs aud
bacs -s.rce'crs used % come IN contact, and
wofh was :hc fate TIE up-h"lur, II he was
no, accomDlo' ,d By band OF hardy hcart',a
tough rs his own we nut!ced that the hand
of Improvement had made sad havoc, and the
pace OF ra.ott which was once known 20 Us as
;ae pir4iisc oryou'hi'Il lo'', wls o5ltcrAtcd
tythc indue,riois o.jor;s otth" hand!cral'sman
aa,i the en,ogprizc II the capitalist. Taxing
stride or two 10 tho west; wo cast our eve upon
Sow Pond, that i:'tl, inland sca' vnorc
i.rs VIC leirari 10 SKATE, and we'll 90 We re-
member tho dlc. wAel Gcupoiai1S,cf Marvin
rave ~. and CAariev peSeLy. Pod Pnckdail,
and Hut S"ce;. severe drssbJ:aT, for push
ing SukG ii.la into an gir-hoic, Wtaa wc "crc
running Gph0-HnIHais g. all over Stow Pond.
R!n the hand Of Improvement has been nnspar
ny in It's operations, and even n" priucd pond
has shrunh from moral gL2c. and scarce else
than little spot Vi water remains 70 tell Of
the greatness OF the oace deep and much loved
lake.
Above, few hundred yards distant, once
resided that faithful old soldier of the Hevon-
tion, and generous black, Eben Siscoe. On
t,rc maEgin OF little lake .nsd the faithful Al
rlcan erected an humble cottage, and with an
Industry almost unexamplcd, with his o"n
hands and wheei-barrow, had he formed a
garden in the lake. which strongly rescnbled
those Of Mexico; and it was there that the
care-worn African had hoped 10 spend the
brief remnant of MS days, in security and hap
pness. 81 he woul have lone, but for our COM
panions and ni;1chieyous associates, who, when
fhc moon shonc bright would annoy hlA, and
disturb his domestic happiness, by singing,
4" Ebcn Ssco, Is i whisho,
Ills wool q; blaca. tnl lc's a rrisko
PoH oil Ebcn, Ebon, Sisco,
His wool il black, aud ho's a frisko.
The meaning Of .hcee words, we could never
,lndeStanI, .but th2y were ratsbanc 70 poor
old Ebcn; and The moment they were uttered,
lIs was cnraged and pu, 10 agouica E,cn
bore his yoirows aud annoyances, Ill hr bad
nuyi,JeFcd norn than four score years and ten
sna then, with II fond hope Of returning to his
native roanifv, gave up fab ghost, and stunt
bercd win tho ashes Of his fathers,
Ney, door nciIhboF TO Ebrr, was an old SOL
der Of .hc Revolution, named Zakirl Lard. an
industrious. taitht u cit"cn. "!D did nUt how
ever understand the az, q! accommodating wealth;
and scened TO he poor from choic" h li,cd
III small hovei, and daring The summer sea-
son. foowedthe Vocation % cauiier; ~ VIM
ter, he lived upon the iAi o! the lIla, ana sup
piled his family with icl, with e:rmps from
proSn's Woods; and thus situated. be remain
cd in peaceful curriers', til The returning Spring.
Zekiel, like his next nei1hbor Ebcn Ss-oe,
was annoyed by the lads of the times; bat NJ
he wus a man OF different teiuperamcnt from
Eben, he wsged q war OF retaliation upon his
invaacrs, and sad the lot oi him, who un-
fortunately cana wii0in A.a clutches lie was
a neaceable. rood. honest citizen; aud could
bear many An insult, bu, unfortunately, like
Eben he was ,hc sphiect Of song, and that
vas more than I've could bear. The offensive
diry ran thus:
. zah'el Lard, h. lalors hard
IL dicgiu. up OIL s,unps,
An every bow ;ha, comes along
Gives him txo--,hroe thunps.'
Whenever this was chaunted, and broke upon
the ears OF Ezekiel, his bosom swcllcd with the
wrath OF Achilles was more than he could
bear; and an open and undssuisad warllre
was the inevitable result. The last four years
OF his LIE was cons'an; season Of annoyance
and each succeeding generation, as if taught
intuiiiyeiy, sought bis disquictudc. But alas,
poor Zekiclweary with prosecutions, he at last
broke up his quarters; and the tide of improve
Incnt, has erased from existence, the last re-
uianna emblem Of ins former domicl
A little beyond the abiding places of Ebcn
and Ezekiel was n Common plain, where Sim