Litchfield enquirer., 1830-11-18
THE VILLAGE MUSICIAN.
BY JAMES HALL.

we must cen beg the authors pardon for liking him so we'll that we cannot forbcar taking few extracts.
 The village musician is Johnny Wander booker, neat square built Dutch lad, who whilom was great tavorite in Herkimer, New-York. The first time Johnny was enabled 10 think of two things at once, was when he became deeply enamoured of a beautiful girl of nineteen. Lucy Ather- ton, the young lady in question, had bcauA ty enough to compensate for the loss of wealth, and a sufficient portion of the tam- fly inheritance of pride to enable her to hold her head quite as high as any belle in the village. Indeed she made it a point to take precedence wherever she went and as she did it without the appearance of ill-nature, and without displaying dny self-important airs, it seemed to be uni- versally conceded to her. She was the : reigning beauty of the village-the pretti- est, the gayest, and the most graceful of the maiden train who danced to the music of Johnny Vandcrbocker's violin. It was a treat to behold her laughing face, her lovely form, and her light steps, ass she flew, with joyous heart and noiseless foot, | it happened to Johnny occasionally to shut his mouth and open his eyes, just at the dangerous moment when Miss Alherton was engaged in these captivating perform ances and he must have been the most churlsh of the Dutchmen not to have been fascinated. She was in the habit, too, of leading off the sets, and the choice of the air was generally dictated by her taste.- On such occasions she would address our hero with the most winning grace, and in tones of the sweetest euphony, ask Wr. Vamderbocker for that delightful tune which he played so charmingly.' Accus- toned to the plain appellation of Johnny from every other tongue, the title of Mis- ter, conveyed in such honied accents, fell pleasantly upon his ear; and whether the fair lady was actuated by self-respect, or by respect for Johnny, the effect was to make him her fast friend. Often would Johnny surprise the company, by keeping his eyes open for whole minutes together, as the lovely visage of Lucy Atherton fit- ted before him. The fire would flash from his eye, and the blood rush from his heart to his elbow, as he gazed in ecstarv at ti,a. loveliest dancer in the village. Then would he close his eyes, and having laid in an a. greeable idea, feed upon it in secrecy, as a stingy boy devOurs mcrsel in some hid- den corner. But he kept his own council so closely, that none could have suspected the object of his thoughts, or have pro- nounced with any shadow of reason that he had any thoughts at alI-except upon one occasion, when Lucy Atherton, hav- ing gone through sCamper d0scn with un- common spirit, he exclaimed with great emotion, that she was dreadful nice kdancer.' Yet with all his devotion of heart, Miss Ather,on's image was uncon- nccted with ideas of wedlock. He had seldom seen her except on holidays, when she shone as bright particular star in the constellation of village beauty, and her name was engraved on the same tables with quiltings, fddle-strings, minced-pies, egg flip, and spiccd gingerbread. The idea of wife entirely unsettled his thoughts, which commonly moved on from point to point, with as much regularity as the hands of a watch. A wife ? quoth he casting look ofslIy bashfulness all around as if afraid of detection. A wife y ex. claimed he a second time, laughing alouc at the absurdity of such a proposition.- "A wifc ? muttcred he again, and then the image of Lucy Atherton came dancing be- fore him. Me and Lucy will just suit, said he to himself; 'she dances prime, and I can out-fiddle the world.'
 And Johnny, decked in pink silk neck 10th, purple watch-ribbon, and scarlet vel vet waistcoat, was actually inspired with confidence to offer himself, his fiddle, a snug house, three hundred dollars in silver, and bakeshop, all to Miss Lucy Ather- ton. Of course, the honor was civilly but peremptorily declined; and merely ad' ding, You must excuse me, sir, have other engagements the lady left the room
 That means she is going 10 marry somebody else,' thought Johnny. What fool was not to speak first
 And he retired, not little puzzled thai young lady of sound discretion, and not worth cent, should refuse a neat cottage, a bake-shop, and three hundred dollars. with the slight incumbrance of himself and , his violin, merely because she made pre- yious engagement with another gentleman. Had there been mill-pond at the front door our hero would undoubtedly have z drowned himself; but it would have beer .. rashness to have left the treasure vacant and his bale-shop unoccupied, so he de termined 10 mount his horse and take {