Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-08-18

to burst at once from a hall doZen 'oiCts' 'e
echoed like chorus by all the otnrfs-it was
entirely owing to a Jack Hatch! How could we
think Of playing without lack Hatch!
This was the first heard OF him. Wy In,
quiries as 10 this great player were received
with utter establishment. VINO Is JACK
Hatch?" "Not know Jack Hatch!' There
was NO end 20 the wonder-"not 10 know him,
argued myself unknown" "Jack lla,ch-the
hes, crickerter in the parish; in the county, in
the country! Jack Ha,ch, who had got seven
notices at one hit! Jack Hatch, who had rolled
and caught out a whole eleven Jack Hatch,
who besides these marvellous gifts in cricket,
was the best bowler and the best musician IN
the hundred,-could dance hornplpe and
minuet, sing whole song-book, bark like
dog. NEW like cat, crow like cock, and 60
through Punch from beginning 10 end! Not
know Jack Halch!'
Half ashamed Of my non-acquantance with
this admirable Cri,chton Of rural accomplish
ment, determined 10 find him out as soon as
possible, and have been looking for him more
or less ever since.
The cricket ground and the bowling green
were OF course, the first places OF search; out
he was always just gone, or not come, OF ne
was there yesterday, or he is expected to NOR
row--a to morrow, which as Tar as am Com
cerned never arrives, the stars were against
me. Then directed my attention to his other
requirements, and once followed ballad singer
| half mile who turned out to be strapPlng
woman in mans great coat; and another time
pierced a whole mob of urchins 10 get at ca
capital Punch-when behold it was the genuine
man of puppets, the true squeakery, the "real
Simon Pure" and Jack was as much to seek as
ever.
At last thought that had actually caught
him, and on his own peculiar field, The cricket
ground. We abound in rustic fun, and good
humour. and OF course nicknames. certain
senior Of fifty, or ,hereabout Tor instance, OF
very juvenile habits and inclina,ions, who plays
at ball, and marbles, and cricket, with all the
boys in the parish, and joins kind merry
buovan, heart TO an aspect somewhat rough
and care worn, has no other ap2ellation
that ever / heard but "Cncle;" l don't
think, if by any strange chance he were called
by il, that he would know his own name. I'm
the other hand, little stunted pragmalca'
urchin, son and heir Of Dick Jones, an absolute
old man cut shorter, so slow, and stiff, and 5iur'
dy, and wordy, passes universally by the title
Of .Grandtather"-I have not the least notion
tina, he would answer TO Dick. Also SLIM,
grim looking, white headed lad, whose hair is
|
he is as hideous as an Indian idol, goes good
lack! by the pastoral nisnomer OF the "Gentle
She pherd" Oh names Of Allan Ramsay! the
Gentle Shepherd!
Another youth, re gular al cricket, but never
seen except then, of unknown parish, and pa
rentaee, and singular uncoutbness OF person,
dress, aud demeanor, rough as badger, rag
ged as colt, and sour as verjuice, was known,
| Ear more onnronri,tely by the copDomen OF
on Tor JACK Hatch. II the first place, as had
in the one case a man without name, and in
the Other a name withou. a man, TO have found
these component parts Of individuality meet in
the same person, 10 have made the man 10 fit
the name, and the name 10 fit the man, would
have been as pretty a way of solving two enig>
mas al once, as hath been heard Of since Gdi-
Pus his day. But besides the obvious conve-
nence and suitability Of this belief, had divers
other corrobora;in3 reasons. Oddly was
young, SO was Jack;-Oddity came up the hill
from leeWard, SO must Jack;- Oddly was a
capital crickcter, so was Jack;-OGdiy did not
play in our unucky Beechhill match, neither
did Jack;-and, last o! all, Oddity's name was
Jack, a fact was fortunate enough to ascertain
from pretty damsel who walked up with
him to the ground one evening, and who on
seeing him 5awl out Tom Coprr, could not help
'AN''i'"ihS i" SoiioquyJdo Shc S'oou le" yaTeS
behind US, looking on with all her heart, swell
done, jack" That moment bull: up all my
hopes; The mex, knocked me down. thought
had clutched him, but willing TO make assur.
ance doubiy sure, turned to my pretty neigh
bour, Jack Hatch too had a sweet hearty and
said in tone half affirmative: half interrcga.
tory, "That young man who plays so well is
Jack Hatch?" mo ma am, Jack BoI,on" and
Jack Hatch remained sill sound, name,
mockery. .
We'll! at last ceased TO lock for him, and
might possibly have forgotten my curiosity, had
not every week produced some circums lance
10 relumne that active female passion.
lseemed beset by his name. and his presence
invisibly as il were. Will of the wisp is no.
thing to him; Puck, IN that famous Midsum>
mer Dream, was quiet goblin compared 30
Jack Hatch. He haunts one in dark plac.
es. The fiddler, whose merry tones come ring
ing across The orchard in winters night from
Farmer Whites barn, setting The whole village |
Ia,x =. t.