The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-10-13

FATAL FRoLIc About twenty years since,
young gentleman remarkable for strong nerve,
was at party consisting of few friends;
where ghosts and supernatural agency became
the subject of conversation After few
marks by some Of the party, the young gentle
mans opinion was asked, when he firmly de-
clared he had no belief whatever in such non
sense, and that he would as soon meet herd
of ghosts as flock of sheep, and that he would
no more mind passing night in a reputed
haunted house, than by his own fire side. One
or two ofthe party determined TO try his nerve,
and one gentleman in particular, offered to
wager him dozen of wine, that he would be
afraid to sit up all night with corpse He
instantly accepted the bet, provided he was
allowed fire; pair of pistols, and glass of
grog, and his own house being made the scene
of the trial of his nervous faculties. These
terms being agreed to, the parties separated,
and the next evening was to be the time APP
pointed for the decision Of the bet.
The next evening came, and every thing
being in readiness, pistols, fire, and grog,-the
corpse was brought in bv the party who laid
the wager, assisted by friend, enveloped in a
large sheet, and placed in cnffin, and set down
in the middle of the room. AT this instant, the
Young hero was called down from the room to
speak to person upon some trifiiDg business,
which he instantly dispatched, and returned up
stairs. The parties who brought the corpse 10,
after wishing him a good night, were on the
point Of departure, when he earnestly said to
ihem,-
s'Now, if any tricks are attempted to be play
ed with me, will fire at the corpse, if one it
is, for strongly suspect it is a living being"
They made him no further answer to this threat
than these ominous words,-"Remember twelve
o'clock !"
He was then left alone, He stirred his fire,
slipped his grog, and made himself as comforta-
BILE as he could possibly do At length the
solemn hour of midnight arrived. As the last
stroke vibrated his ear, he distinctly saw
the corpse begin to move-he snatched pistol
from the table, advanced to the coffin, and ex-
claimed, I" If you stir another step, | will
fire." To this injunction he received no
answer,-the supposed corpse rose up in the
coffin, and stepped. He repeated this threat
1T still advanced-he fired, and the bullet was
thrown back in his face by the corpse. He fell
to the ground with piercing shrek, and rose
a lunatic,-in which wretched state he remain
ed till his death, which happened about year
after this tragic and truly heart-rending scene
occurred.
A more lamentable instance Of cruel folly
perhaps never occurred. Had but its victim
for a moment reflected, he would have been
saved but the idea of the bullets being re-
turned, or perhaps that of shooting a fellow
creature, took such an effect on his nerves, that
reason forsook her empire, never more to re-
turn. moments forethought would have
saved him.
During the time he was called out of the
room to speak to the person who wished to see
him, (who party coneerned,) the bullets
were drawn from the pistols, and given into
the hands of the corpse, who was likewise one
OF the party who was present when the wager
was laid. The occurrence is never thought Of
by either of the actors in this fatally foolish af.
fair, but it occasions sigh or pang Of remorse
The old fashioned system of learning by rote
was never better illustrated than by the follow
iEg instances, which occurred, in the immedi
ate vicinity OF Boston. A needless little girl,
who possessed BlOnsGr0us memory happened
to lose her usual place at the head of the class.
and was extremely anxious to regain it, Ea-
ger to show how well she knew her lesson she
spelled and defined the words, before thev could
be put out TO her. Mrs. Rowson's Dictionary
was then in use; and it Glanced that the word
Acephalous came to our little genius The
meaning of it is, without head but too i'm.
patient TO have it pronounced, and misled by
the long marks between each of the svllables.
she thus spelled and defined it 'Aceph-s
louise without head
On another occasion, when a scholar should. !
by regular rotation, have had the question |
What animals infest the shores of the Rio de
IA Aidtd sue was asked, Who first diecOvar- /
ed the shores of the United States Alioators
and serpents of enormous size replied the girl
ofmemory.
well remember one Of these pOyd. aeithouf |
idea scholars in my own school, who grayelv ,
asserted that, Hartford was 1ourishing. com I
zeal commercially town. and that, THE Kenne. /
bee river was navigable for boots (toats) as far
as Waterville. '-yhassachusctts Journal.
TO Core SORE EYES. "Good morning.
landlord, said man the other day, as he stept
into tavern to get something to drink.
Good morning, sir" replied mine host.
" how do you do ~
On ! don't know" said the man, raising
MS goggles and wiping away the rheum, 0Pm
P'agud most to death with these ere peskv
sore eyes ] wish you'd tell me how 70 cure
,em" ~ Nut0
Willingly" said tho merry host owesr
your goggles over your mouth-wash your
eyes IN bfandy-and Ill warrant cure