Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-01-21

their company and asked the same question
linen another aud another and another fol
| lowed the example. and there was unicklv ;
Knot OF people gathered round the Deacon
ana the Squire, all asking questions which
nobody could answer. The whole con -rega-
| uon was IN buz buzzing. Every one wa.
asking where the minister was, although ev.
| cry one knew that all Che rest were lust a,
ignorant as himself
bll Muggs, the sexton, kept Juggling away
at the bell rope TIL he had tolled the people
OUT OF paiience.-But we must leave the bell
toilIng, and the sexton freiting. and the
Deacon and the Squire and the old maids
ana all the rest of the congregation on the
tenter-hooks of suspense, and 20 back to see
what has become of our friend Ichabod
lchahod had slackened his pace after leav-
ing the house and bad fallen into sort of a
revere. Finding himself rather late before
he got near the church, he resolved TO make
short cut across field where the road made
an angle; oJumpsng oTer a stone wall be
sieeled directly for the church, but had not
proceeded many PAGES when he was startled
by most savage aud unmusicll boo -boo-ing
sound in a tons Of the deepest bas. he ever
heard.-Liiting up his eyes he beheld furi
Gus bull making at him with sill speed and
believing like mad 1t is needless to say that
he took to ais heels; the bull made after him:
and lchabod put on with all the fleetness he
could exert Four legs are better than two.
ana 1t was soon evident that the quadruped
would win the race Ichaaod found he could
not reach the wall before the bull would be
up with him. Now thought he, it is all
over with mel His shoes flew off: but the
bull kept on. He dropped his hat, but the
stratagem did not take; the bull was not to be
made n fool of.--He threw his sermon behind
him, but withno batter success; the bull was
not to be reasoned; he gave the manuscript a
whisk with his tail and scattered it 10 the four
windsi
Pm gone, Tmgone.'. said Trhabod, for the
bull was close behind him.-At this instant he
espled an apple-tree close st honda sum
moning all his remaining strength he made a
desperate leap and was fortunate enough to
spring int the tree at the moment the buIl
was at his heels.
Here was an unlooked-for deliveranee, but
uniuckily the bull was not 50 easily got rid Of.
Though disappointed of his prey he kept a
bout the tree with such menacing disposi-
ton that ichabod dared not descend. II see
, med as if the malicious animal knew that he
kept a congregation waiting, he stuck to the
spot with such pertinacity. For two mortal
hours did the unlucky Ichabod sit perched
SI.S' va nv an Sir4tt Va
minute seemed an age to him. He heard
the bell toll, toll, toll, aud each stroke seem
ed the funeral knell to his hopes.
lie pictured TO his fancy a crowded eongre-
! cation waiting in anxious suspense and lost
:, In wonder and araaZement at his appearance.
-'Alasl' said he to himself
81 hear a voice'you cannot hear
| Which bids me thus delay.
| sec the horns you cannot see
! Which force me here to stay
! He saw the congregation come out of the
church and scatter hither and thithsr like
/ sheep without shepherd, yet he burst not
I, leave the appe-tree, because there was-not
q iion--but bull IN the way.
The congregation were at last fairly tired
Out. Two hours had they waited, and no
| parson came. The sexton left off tolling the
bell, and indeed ii was quite time, for he had
nearly worn the rope off. The people all came
| out ofthe church, having after two hours de-
| batting upon the matter, come TO the conclu-
| sion that there would be no sermon, and that
there was good ground for alarm a. 20 the fate
of the minister They sent of parties, east,
west, north and south, TO explore the country
and presently lchsbod discovered crowd
| advancing along the read headed by the Dea-
| con and the Sexton. Ichabod mustered all
| the strength of his lungs and bawled out to
them like seven watchmen upon tower. The
whole party came to a halt and gszed around
| with astonishment and fear: at length they
| spied something snugly roasted in the apple
tree: they took it at first to be huge black
| turkey-eock, but on a nearer approach they
! found it TO be no other than the Reverend
| Parsoni
! Now the bull Just at that moment hap
| pened to be paving and snufling with his
nose to the ground on the other side of the
tree, SO that he was hidden from the party by
. thorn bush at its foot. The people seeing
! lchabod perched on high in that same man
ner, were struck dumb with amazement foi
a few moments. Was the poor man bewitch-
ed? or has he ran mad, or what had possessed
him TO spend the afternoon dangling like q
scarecrow ON the Dough of an apple tree in,
stead OF holding forth a godly discourse il
the pulpIt?-For some moments no one dar-
cd advance step further or speak sing!,
word, At last Bill Mugs the sexton pluekes
up courage and advanced TO the stone wall
lie was an Old sailor, who within few years
had taken his land taxes abroad and settle,
himself up in the bush; he took up the trad
oil a sexton because il consisted in pulling
rope.--On this occasion he undertook to b.
spokesman of the party, for the Deacoa wa
absolutely frightened. Bill put his head owe
wall, elapped bis hand up to the corner @
,, his mouth and sung out
sPsrson ahoyi'
1 Icbabod Gfted mn his voire Ike an oyyl 4