Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-10-14
TIT. SCOTCH PEDLAR.

In one 81 our August days, suchas do come,
ana Wiii come, IN hotpess; when the sand
driss the shoes to parchment and sweats the
BRO" with saturatlon, as though the brain
was creeping but through skullpans and pore:
a man Was seen coming into a farm house.
with a Bunyan pack on his back. He was on
the wrong side Of fifty, seemed fatigued. and
looked as Though heat and humanity were at
tremendous variance. 1t may not be known
generally that he who is dry and hungry, by
the simple asking, will obtain meat and drink
almost any where ia our villages; and the
fact Of giving and receiving is considered Meth
er charity nor begging. If you ask for water,
the reply would be, would you not prefer ci-
der? and one is as free as the other. IL a fam
lily are at dinner, come and take a seat with
US is the common invitation OF every day, il
you are a stranger, and SO common are these
practices, that they are not put down to the
credit oil hospitality, but considered as mat
tiers of course. The pedler of whom | have
spoken, with but little ceremony, disencum-
bered blsself of his pack in the large kitchen
into which he had ushcred himself. and after
exercising his handkerchief about his nose.
face and ears with great industry for a few
moments, inquired of a lady somewhat near
his age, VINO, sat at a wheel spinning her
'pound OF flax whether SHE dinna think It
vera worm the day" She stopped the circun-
gyratlons OF her noisy help-meet Of industry,
elevated her spectacles and said she thought
1t was, Cold water was asked for, and cider
was as usual produced. The stranger, with
a broad Scottish accent, inquiered how far it
was TO a tavern Tor he was hungry, and was
followed by a reply that it was five miles, and
as it was after one he would be too late for
dinner, during which the table, span clean,'
OF white pine, was spread, and the hostess
placed on the board what had been left at
dinner, consisting of Boiled beef and pork,
potatoes, cooler than the guest, brown bread,
baked with care, and the whole TO be washed
down by 'old orchard alias cider. The strap
ger Tell to,and did justice to each. After this.
was brought forth (the pride Of our dairy wo-
mem cheese. The stranger as he discussed
each and all, would throw curious and maui
'ltlye glances. at the guide woman as he
called her, and he seemed to be pcering a.
bout the room like a thief or purchaser. AZ
Yer having his inner man refreshed he obser-
Ved' Madam, | maun pay now for the din
H@F. and the vinegar, and the curds, and you
maun as reel tell me how much o the %siiler,
We lack III yon ever saw a storm, now it was
10 be seen in its violence. .Ctsdsi' quoth
she, my best new milk cheese TO be called
eurds. Cheese | made with my own hands!
- a " aid lily AiuSOdiiu ,
cider vine saH you b~iackSuard pedlar, go a
bout your buslness!'and then she took a pinch
OF snuff and resumed-'taik to me absut pay
ing! as though wanted money for a meal Of
v%ietuals; III let you know who is who, and
what is whai!-And let me tell you my hus
bands name is Jonathan Twist, and he'll
twist you my fine fellow | knew yeu was AN
outiandish man the moment you began your
lingo and if there is any law, LII have you
before the squirrel
The pediar eyed her with consummate
non c~fUrtnnce on the occasion, and with great
gravity said, the curds mhilk | gathered
doubtless were cheese, but being, as W term
1t, an outlandlsh mon, | gil It the wrang
name; and iereby a The rest, that ii nun ben
made by yer ain sci, to give to a puir pedlar
IKE, tho yc Wilma tax his money, | beg you
10 lorgle me. The cider whilk is unknowu
srnaIst oar bonlH braes O. Scotland is very
suae' even "sr ye 10 ca it vinegar, TO a pun