The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-01-04
JANUARY 4, 1927

ner account, TO ODllRe MIN TO Tolerate anOln-
er trio in the chain of his misfortune. Pc
ter himself, though he possessed but COM
paratively small portion of his mates volu-
bility, was man of much courage, and
while in the frequent rencontress between
himself and madame Keltzer, to which he
was subjected, he was uniformly obliged to
beat the retreat, he turned his back with an
air of lortlly defiance, and his visage showed
evident signs of threatening retaliation.
Between parties so often belligerent, it
was hardly to be expected that every con-
test should end in smoke. Peter complained
to all his neighbors of his wife's reasonable
war upon his liberty, and accp>ed her with
design of reducing him to downright slave
ry; while she was not less prompt in charg-
ing him with an idle rambling disposition,
an entire neglect of all home AFFAIRS, and e.
ven with being guilty of amours with Some
of her good neighbours wives-whom he had
occasionally furnished with saddle OF ven.
ison or string of squirrels. AS the danes
suspicious seemed founded on this, the last
charge was probably untrue, but the others
were doubtless substantial, and incontroyert-
ible on either side.
No one who has seen any thing of the
world, need be told what kind OF advice the
friends Of our honest couple gave them on
these occasions, or that its tendency was not
in the smallest degree of a conciatory kind;
instead of growing better, things grew evil
IDENTIFY worse, and from oft repeated threats
on both Sides plans OF execution were re-
solved in the minds of both Peter and his
wife. The dame, in one particular, acquit-
ted herself with honor; she improved the
humble dwelling nightly in the course of
few years, and instead of a ground floor
,F ,rIp all, h,I
kind of trap door cut in the middle, di-
rectly under which she commenced hollow
ing out something like cellar, and made
such progress during one of Peters long
rambles that on his return, he began to sus
pcct the object oe SO much secrecy and des-
patch had some reference to himself. He
seriously believed Dame keltzer designed
preparing dungeon in which to immure
him. soul and body, and thereby execute
long standing threat that she would break
his rambling. In the confidence of his
strength, he determined to assist her, and
on the slightest symptom of the outbreak
ing of the conspiracy, to turn the punish
ment upon her.
We have now the worthy couple. each, in
the others absence, alternately embracing
the opportunity of following out deep cav
ern under the floor of the log cabin; and it
was persisted in, until it was actually, as
| found by measurement, nine feet deep. A
ladder was now tburst into it, and the dame
made use of it as temporary cellar, using
great precdut,on, however, never to enter it
while Peter was about home, and at the
same time seizng occasional opportunities of
! persuading him to SO down himself, under
one prctencc or another, for all of which she
found him too wisely cautious. At length
wearied with hope deferred, and Peter be.
coming in no wise reformed from his old in
veterate habits, on his return to the cabin
one dull damp evening. she took care to
have the door opened and the ladder drawn
up in readiness. The moment he set his
foot upon the threshold, she seized his arm,
and made a desperate attempt to accomplish
by force what she slespaired ever being a.
bic to do by stratagcm. A doubtful strug-
gle ensued and Peter partly disengaging him
self, so that as he fell, he seized and drag
ged the good woman after him, and she
catching at the door to stay herself, prccip-
itated it down over them both. The fan
did no injury. The dame in tenderness Tor
her husband, had deposited a quantity OF
fax which she had taken to spin, so that il
received them both, and when they fairly
recovered themselves on their feet, they
found neither had sustained damage, alft
both were fairly vanquished.
, At first they took separate corners of ths
cell, avowing themselves quite conten.ce
and comfortable. Then the dame began {
: commentary Of Peters evil life, which last
. ed untifnoon next days though poon broueh
small change from flight to them. Hunger
began its work; nothing to eat or drink wa
to be had, The business of mutual punish
ment went on apace, and long time. wa
5 borne with unacknowtedging obstinacy-h
, nally, however, neither could stand it longe
: "a truce was agreed upon-mutual ac
+ knowledgements passed; and at last the par
ties, thoroughly reconciled, agreed to assis
S each other out of this dreary confinement
This was no easy task, and had they no
abandoned all their jralousies and ill-will
t and abored in the closest concert, it woult
G never have been accomplished. Finally, b.
e gathering considerable pile of gravel be
: low, Peter took his wife upon his shoulder
: and she succeed from thence in climbing OH
:, The ladder was then put down and Pete
: himself obtained deliverance. What al
n the arguments in the world could never hav
e effected, this single incident did effect
6 thorough reform; and whenever afterwards
!, Peter was about doing amss, or dame kelt
: zer's voice exceeded common key, the re
r collection of the nine foot cellar, and thre
! days and nights passed therein, set all mat
e ters right.