The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-06-10

.
Land You have probably had warm work
there to-day?
Gen. Yes, pretty warm, but we clean beat
EN- IN the argument.
Land. You took an active part in the debate
then
Gen. Not exactly, for them air lawyers talk
ed SO fast could not get word in edgeways.
HoacsOmeoer, | logged a member from B9rk-
SHIRE, and put him up to saying SdTcy :hlng
or two.
Land. Are You fond of public speaking
Gen. Yes, L always made speech to my
Ttdgiment every muster day, for you must know
I'm bit of soldier at home but some how
or other, when rose to speak in the House,
felt something in my throat, which said, Gin
eral hold your tongue and as / could not
speak word, took the advice.
Land. That was prudent in you
Gen. Why, you see, always mean to speak
TO the pint, and while l condensing my
ideeS, up jumps somebody and gets the start of
me.
Land. You are as bad as the lame man at
The pool of troubled water, but you will get
used to it in time.
Gen. Yes, so | teued my wife. Now, says
/, wife, when 1 go to Boston, mean to do the
thing that's right. And when | was getting
ready, my wife, says she, " GinerGt, (tor my
wife always calls me Gineral) Gineral" says
she, you must have ruff1e put on your shirt,
as Squire Smart has" Now don't care moth
ing about such things myself, but my wife, says
she, "you must do as other folks do" Well,
says |, mean to do the thing that's right
and so you see, she ruffled me two of the best
Inning ones-I always wear cotton at home,
and body must have change, you know
The remainder of the article is in the same
style. After this specimen, we might have
al IL, obad
by the editor of the Bulletin, that the author
was born and BRED in Boston, and that a
confinement to the duties of pedagogue had
prevented that intercourse with the world
which would subdue his prejudices and liber-
alize his ideas. A bettoT specimen OF genuine
cockneyism we have seldom met with The
author if he should travel in the country might
possibly be as much surprised as the Bostpnlan
was, who, when he arrived at Waltham ex-
pressed his astonishment at finding that " the
world was so large" and could not conceal his
disappointment at finding that the "natives'
dwelt &c in houses, and dressed like other Peo-
ple," and neither wore ornaments of bone in
their noses, nor painted their faces.
We are ready as any others to unite in
measures calculated to prevent the returning
of unsuitable men to our Legislature, whether
from the city or country. But such is not the
tendency of the article under notice. by
broad carcature of peculiarities, attributed to
the people of tho country, and possibly with
Justice in a limited extent in some individual
cases, the only effect it could produce would be
in the country to excite disgust at the author,
and in the city to confirm, in the minds of their
youth, the cockney prejudices against the coun-
try, and to establish their faith in the belief
that civilization is bounded by the limits of their
peninsula, and that the light Of knowledge has
not yet extended beyond the sound Of the Old
South bell. The greater refinements OF city
life imparts to many dolt an exterior polish
which gives him currency to which the more
sensible and better informed, but less polished,
country man nigh. in vain aspire. We do not
intend, however, to institute any comparison
between the good common sense, and practical
knowledge of the mass of the population in the
city and country but if the author of this book
will inquire, and ascertain for himself, what
portion of the most active and intelligent men
in Boston, of those who represent her in the
Legislature, and fill her highest offices, and of
those who are her pride and boast, are emf
grants from the country, he may find it larger
than he now supposes.
We will, in conclusion, assure the author
that, although his book may be calculated
for the meridian of Boston, it will" not Z" an
swer, without material variation, for the ada
cent country. There is no paucity of good
school books now in use, and we do not believe
that the school committee of any country town
will be so wanting in self respect as to intro
duce into their schools, " The New Speaker,
by William B. Fowle."