Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1829-09-09

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lallow US TO distinguish. | thought it was
a white cat. He protested it was pigeon.
! Iwang rung the bowstring, and away went
the arrow. Presently loud and lament
able scream issued from the direction in
which the arrow had sped; and form
rose slowly and awfuliy, TILL. to our utter
famazement, it reached the high and M
questionable shape" Of an old woman
My friend, being on his own turf, was
more alert than in discovering the precise
extent Of the mischief Inc had done and.
calculating, 90 ny poor grandmother ! |
nave killed my poor grandmother !" he
hoped over the fence in a iiffy to her as
slstance. | followed, Of course. The good
old lady, like many others IN dangerous
times, was considerably more scared than
hurt; and as is usual in such cases, she
grunted and groaned Justify, till by the aid
of us two boys, she made out at last with
great difficulty to hobble into the house.
Here again was ''terrible work IN the Jcr
Seys." The women and the men, the boys
and the girls, the white servants and the
black, the dog and the cat, all surrounded
the ancient maron. Some pltied, some
lenqulred into the matter; some scolded
some cried the servants laughed the cat
and dog barked, at least the dog did and
( there was hardly more fuss at the battle Of
Waterloo, where hundreds lay dead upon
the field. As soon as quietness was re
stored to the family, which was not very
soon, the old lady looked at the little bow
and-arrOw-man, with an ndescribable, but
never to be forgotten expression of coun-
tenance: " Tom" said she, how could
you have the heart to shoot your granny?"
at is a monstrous thing, Tom," said his
father, for a person to shoot his granny"
whatever you do. hereafter, my sweet
son." said his mother, don't you never,
my dear, shoot your granny; now don't
you" His brother bantered him-"Tom
went out to shoot birds, but, behold, has
shot his granny" In the kitchen, and in
the farm ward, the same tune was sung 1t
was nothiug but Tom has shot his granny
Years have passed since the holiday
hunt, and the accident with which it ter
minated; but the impression upon my mind
is not less vivid now, than when It was
! first made. Early impressions are abiding
ones. Had the same thing occurred only
two or three years ago, or possibly as many
months, it might now be entirely forgotten.
But there Is another reason for my having
kept this particular incident fresh in men,
DRY. 1t has been brought 10 nay recollection
from time to time, by the conduct of my
neighbours and acquaintance and friends,
aud caudour obliges NE to acknowledge,
sometimes by my own. Whenever have
seen one man mlschievously intending evil
to another, but by mistake or other cause,
really inflicting it upon himself, | have
immediately thought Of my poor old school
mate, and have inwardly, if not audbly
exclaimed TEdt man has shot his granag.
To this day, when observe people bIanch-
ing out into vast undertakings without
proper calculation, and failing 20 DO what
every body but themselves knew to be be
/ You'd their ability; in a word, going in at
/ the big end, and out ofthe little end Of the
horn; the expression, that such and such
a person has shot his granny, pops into my
mind and out of my mouth, as qmck as
! one may say Jack Robinson"
The ildicrous adventure of my boyish
days has not been without its use to me,
and may not be altogether proftless to
those who may hear Of 1t. The remem
bance Of 1t has instructed me to look ere
should leap; 20 consider the consequences
of actions, m connection with actions
themselves; to aim at nothing above the
condition Of humanity; to plot no harm
against others, lest 1t should re act upon
myself; and to guard against the influence
Of sudden and hasty impressions. Ii has
shielded me, doubtless often times, from
the ridicule TO which wild and precipitate
conduct would have exposed me; and has
saved me, IN many instances, from those
worst of feelings, sefreProach and mortl-
tication.
Experience has moreover convinced me,
aud may convince any one, that it is not
the rarest thing in the world for marks
man to take good aim at the desirable OBJ
ject, as my schoollellow did at the pigeon,
and after all shoot his granny. | have
known politician to watch, with entire
anxiety, the fluctuations Unpopular opinion,
and at last enlist himself, with the view of
obtaining an Office, on what he supposed
the strongest side; but, being mistaken,
he was compelled to remain IN "diguifed
retirement" Thus he shot his granny.
| have seen an Orator, at the bar, the
forum, and upon the stump, nay even in
the pulpit, with amazing parade make
pompous exordlum, and excite high expec-
/ tation, when nothing but emptiness or non