Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-11-04
mn

W are sorry TO be obliged to mutiate 81
amusing and cleref a story as this: bn, Il Is
too ieag 10 be extracted entire; and ,ye mus,
cen beg the authors pardon for liking him
50 wsa. ti2at we cannot forbear taking 4 fe,.
extracts.
The Village Musician is Johnny Wander
nocker, q neat, square built Dutch lad, who
Mhiom was q great ~faroritc in Herkimcr. NJ
DIRK. The first time johnny was cnabled "a
TANK oil two things at once, was when he
beeasne aeeiiy eDamored OF n beautiful girl
o. eigh7een. Lucy Atherton the young lady
~ 94s.ion, had beauty enough to compen
SAFE Tor vac loss OF wealth and a snffieient
portion OF tho family inheritance Of pride n
enable her 10 hold her head quite ~ l,;gh ~
any belle in the village. Indeed she u,de i,
o point to take precedence wherever sbe
"ent, and rs sile did il without the appear
anee OF III nature. aud without displaying a
ny sell important airs, it seemed 10 be uni
vtfsaDy conceded 10 her. She was the reign
ing beauty OF the village : the prcttiest. The
gavtsts ana The most graceful OF the maiden
tran, who danced TO The music ofJonny Van
dtrhoekers Violin. Ii was a treat 10 behold
her laughing face, her lovely form. and her
hsht step, as she iew, with Joyous heart and
n~oise,ess foot, Though tho .n1azes or roun
ua-atice. Now II hapPencI to Jonny coca
ioiatF, 20 SUM ms mouth and open his eyes.
Jast at the dangerous moment when Miss
Atherion was engaged in these captIyaflnx
performance, and he must have BEN lie
most chnrlish Of the Dutch,aon moi h have
been fascinated. She was in the hAbit foo Of
leading OIL the sets. ahdtbe choice Of the air
was generally dictated by her taste. On such
occasions She would address our hero with
thf most winning grace, aud in tones of the
sW.ce'esi e'iphony, ask .Wr, Es.dybockey for
that delightful laoe which he played so
charnhnriy Accustomed TO the plain ap
pehation Of Johnny froai every other tongue.
the tue Of .~'ister, conveyed IL such honied
accents, ieH pleasantly upon his ear, and
whether tbe FAIR lady was acfuated by self
respect, or by a respect for Johnny, the ef
feet was to make hii, her fast friend. Often
would Johnny surprise the company. By
keeping his eyes open for whole minutes to-
gether, as tbs lovely yisagc OF Lucy Ather-
ton fitted before him. The fire would flash
from his eye, and The blood rush from his
heart to his elbow, as he gazcd in ecstser
at the ioychest dancer in the village. Then
would be close bis eyes, and having laid ia
an agreeable idea, feed upon it in secrecy, as
a stingy boy devours a morsei ia some hid
den corner. But he kept his own counsel so
closely, that none could have suspected the
object Of his thoughts. or haze pronounced
with any shadow OF reason that be had any
thoughts at an-cxcept upon one occasion
when Lucy Atherton having gone through i
scanlper doaea with uncommon spirit, he ex-
l~claiined with great emotion, that she was a
sdreadiul pice dancer Yet with all this de-
yotion Of heart, Miss Ayherton's image vas
unconnected with ideas Of wedlock., lie bad
seldom seen her except on holidays, when
she sho..e as a bright particular star in the
constellation of village beauty and her name
was engrayeB on the same tables with quilt.
lngs, fiddle strings, minced pies, egg flip, and
spiced ginger bread. The idea of a wife en-
tireiy unsettled his thoughts. which comnon
" moved on from p0iat TO point, with al
much regularity as the hands of a watch, "A
witcn quo;h be, casting q look Of silly bash
fulness all around a. IL afraid of detection "A
wife, exclaimed he u second time laughing
aloud At the absnrdity Of such d propositiar
-a.riie.' mutsered be again-ana then ths
image of Lucy Atherton came dancing be
fore him. Me aad Lucy will just suit saie
he to himself, She dances prime, and | car
out fiddle the world.
And JOnny, deeked in PINK .IIk neck cloth