Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-03-19
VARIOUS CIIiRACTLRs OT A TELLTALE.
Lcaky al bottom; if those cbink. you stop
In yain- ---ihe secI Iet will run o'cr the tnpr


Ned Trusiy .s teli-talc Of a very
singular kind. Having some sense OF
his duty, he hcsitatcs little at the
breach oft. Ifhe engages never to
utter a syllable, he most punctually
performs his promise but then he
has the knack Of insinuaIing, bya nod
and shrug weil.timcd, or seasonab!c
lcer, as much as others can convey in
express terms. II is dfficult,in short,
to determine, whether he is more to
be admired for his resolution in not
mentioning, or his ingenuity in dis
closing a secret. He is elso excellent
at doubtful phrase, as Hamlet calls
it, or ambiguous given out and has
convcr satioD consists chiefly of such
broken ,nuendos, as" Well, 4! know
-or ! could-aed il I would--or. if |
list 10 speak there be, and i there
might" &c. Here he generally stops
and leaves it to his hearers to draw
proper infercnces from these piece
meal premises. With due encour-
agement, however, he may be pre-.
vailed on to slip the paddock from his
lips. and Immediately overwhe!ms you
with torrent Of secret history, which
rushcs forth with more violence for
having been so long confined.
.Meanvell, though he never fails to
transgress, is rather to be piticd than
condemned. To trust him with Sc
cret is to spoil his appetite, or
break his rest. and to deprive him for
time Of every earthly enjoyment.
Like man who carries his whole
fortune in his pocket, he is terrified if
you approach him, and Immediately
suspects that you come with a fcloni.
Gus intention to rob him Of his charge.
If he ventures abroad, it is to walk
in some unfre1uentcd place, where he
is least in danger Of an attack At
homo he shuts himself up from his
family, PAGES to and fro in his cham
Der, and has no relief but in mutterng
over to himself what he longs to pub
'ish to the world, and would gladly
submit to the office Of town crier, for
the liberty Of procIaiming it in the
market place. At length, however,
weary Of his burden, and resolved 10
bear it no longer, he consisns it to
the custody of the first friend be
meets, and returns to his wife with a
cheerful aspect, and wonderfully alter.
ed for the better.
Careless is perhaps, equally undc-
signing, though not equally excusabeI
Intrust him with AN affair Of the
utmost importance, on the conceal
ment Of which your fortune and hap.
pincss depend: he hears you with a
kind Of half attention, whistles "a.
vorite Dir, and accompanies it with
the drumming of his fingers on the IA
BILE. AS soon as your narration is en-
ded, or, perhaps in the middle Of it,
he asks your opinion Of his sword
knot, damns his tailor for having dres.
sed him in snuff co!oured coat in
stead Of pompadour, and leaves you
in haste TO attend an auction, where
as if he meant to dispose Of his intel
l'gencc to the highest bidder, he di.
vulgcs it with a voice as loud as tho
auctionecr's and when you tax hin
with having played you false, he is
heartily sorry for it, bat never knew
that IL was to be secret.
To these one might add the char
actcr Of the open and unrcscvcd, who