Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-07-18
voL. i1.--No. SO.

Ws;, ina. made hum seyenty-n years, and
etJe seventy-three years OF age. when ths.
moon, which was shining tbronob .ha b.,
an1 ihe stars rushed down the dork cloud
DUO lay siaring on the face of the ocean
oi "nch was spread an unnatural col,,'
ness, although the skies Appeared ~ - r,..a
Tered by the winds, and were beov;S -.
ward with their mighty waves of cio,5s
Difds cropped dead from the clouds. and tho
Iohage of The trees turned TO pale red. An
seemed TO Prognosticate the approach OF
ueu'ii' ana I'm few minutes afterwards sure
IJnGDuSh ne came: He was, however, very
neie"t rom all the worthy couple had
heard or fancied of him. He was certn;nl,.
very thin, and had little color. but he ,va,
wen dressed, and his department was TINT
vi gentleman. Bowing very pol;telv 10
-, ,ne ancient PAIR, lac told them that he mere
~ came 10 give notice that by right they he
iohged 10 him that day, but fifty wears res-
pie was granted, and when that neriod CIV.
pred he should visit them again. He then
walked away, and the moon, line stars. AMI
the water, regained their natural appear.
alice' FOR the next fifty years every thing
passed Oh as quietly as before; but the time
drew near Tor the appointed advent ofdeath.
Jan became thoughtful, and he felt no plea
sure sure a' inc idea OF the intended visit The
the same horrors as on a former occas;on!
Wen, good folks and he made lo,v
DOW, you can now have no objection 70 Ar.
company me, Tor assuredly you nave hitherto
enough. 'o's
he Old dame wept, and chung feebly 10
her husband, as if she feared thew were 10
be divided, after passing away from the
earth on which they had dwelt so long and
so happily together. Poor Shaken also
iooHed very downcast, and moved after death
put slowly. As lie passed by JAMS garden.
lie turned to take a last look at it, when a
death and said, ~
/ .'Sif' allow me TO propose something to
you-our Journey Is long one. and we have
no provisions; am too infirm, or | would
chmo yonder pear tree and take a stock of
It's oeSf iruIt with us; you are active and obi
Sihg, ana VIII, am sure, get ii for u.s.
Death, with great condescension, complied,
and ascending the tree, gathered a great
number OF pears, which he threw down to
Shaken and his wife. sAt.length he deter
mined upon descending, but to his surprise
anu uPPaieht coIs.eTnatioi', discovered that
he was immoveabie; nor would To-, IL,
him to leave the tree until he had oiyen y
promise of living another half century.
They logged on the good old way fiftv
years more, aud Death came TO tile day.
lie was 10y no means so polite as he had
formerly been, for the trick that Shaken
had put upon him offended his dignity, and
hurt his pride not little
Come, JAM said he, you used me very
scurvily the other day, death thinks yery
little of fifty ycarsD am determined TO
lose no tIme-come'
Jan was sitting at little table. busIy EN-
pioyed IN writing, when Death entered He
raised his head sorrowfulIy, and the pen
trembled as he thus addressed him:
1confess that my former conduct towards
you merits blame; but have done with such
knaverIes now, and have learned To know
that life is but little worth, and that have
seen enough of IT. Still, before | quit this
world, should like to do all the good can,
and was engaged when you arrived, i'm ma,
King VIII, that poor lad who has been al
ways KIND to us, may receive this hut and
my boat. Pray sit down. and in few mo.
ments my task will be ended.
Death thus appealed to, could refuse no
longer, and seated himself i'm chair. from
which he found il as difficult to rise as IL
formerly had been TO descend from the tree
Dis liberation was bought at tue expense of
an additional fifty years, at the end of which
period, and exactly on their birth day, Jan
Shaken and his wife died quietly in their
bed, aud the salt water flowed freely I'm the
village IN which they had lived almost long
enough TO be parents to its whole inhabitants