The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-12-14

/ Is gone-quhe gone Lord John Russell h;
| purged it to death.
IT things go on changing at this rate f
me next hundred years as they have don
/ Oh late, we shall scarcely have relic of tn
good old times left. The weather is nt
what 1t used 10 he when was boy. Oh
those were glorious old times, when we ha
sunshine all through the summer, and bar
frosts all through the winter; when for on
halt the year we could battle every day, an
Tor the other half could skate every day
There is nothing ofthat sort now. Ifa maj
buys pair of skates in the winter, il is sur
TO thaw next day; and if u boy buys pal
OF corks one day, there is sure TO be hart
frost next morning. There is nothing bu
wet weather all through the winter, and NJ
dry weather all through the summer. For
merly we used TO have an eclipse or two il
the course Of the year, and we used TO lool
at 1t through smoked glass, and very gooo
fun 1t was, only it used to make our nose.
black, if we did not take care to hold the
glass properly. If we look into the alma
nae tor an eclipse, we are sure to see that il
Is nvlslble IN these parts; and even if il i.
visible we can never see it, for there IS al
ways cloudy weather. scarcely know any
ihlng that is now as it used to be when I
was boy. Day and night have not quite
changed places, but night and morning have.
What used to be Sunday morning when
was n little boy, has now by strange muta-
ton become Saturday night. wonder why
people cannot dine at dinner time as thew
used to do; but every thing is in disorder !;
wild spirit of innovation has seized mems
minds, and they will do nothing as thew used
TO do, and as they ought to do. Things
went on well enough when was boy 1--WE
had not hall the miseries and calamitles
mat one sees and hears of now. What an
absurd and ridiculous invention is that mas
", hithy, sinking gasl The buildings
Wnere 1t is made look like prisons without
SIDE, and like Internal regions within: and
there always is some accident or other han
Penlng with it; people have their houses
n'own up with 1t, and it serves them riuht.
Tor they have no business to encourage snch
newfangled trumpery. The streets used to
he lighted well enough with the good old
fashioned oil lamps, which were quite good
enough for our ancestors, and think thew
might have done for us but any thing for
innovation ] must confess liked to see
the good old greasy lamp-lighters and their
nice haring torches, they were fifty times
better than the modern gas-light men with
their little hand lamps like so many Guy
Fawkes'.
And what harm have the poor old watch
men done wonder, that they must be dis
missed to make room for set of new DO
llce-men and blue coats? The regular old
legitimate watchmen were the proper and
constitutional defenders of the streets, Just
as regularly as the King is the defender
o. the talth and more harmless set of men
than the watchmen never existed they
would not hurt fly. Things went on well
enough when they had the care of the
streets.
BIT innovations are not confined to land !;
they have even encroached upon the water.
Were not London. Blackfriars, and West
minister bridges quite enough in all cor
science: What occasion was there for
waterloo bridge, great overgrown gran
lie monster that cost ten times more than it
Is worth And what occasion for South
wark bridge and Vauxhall bridge? Our
ancestors could go to Vauxhall over West
minister or Blackfriars bridge. But of all
the abominable innovations meme ever equal
led the impudence of New London bridge.
1t was not at all wantt d. have been over
the old one hundreds and hundreds of
times. 1t is good old bridge that has
stood the test of ages, and it ought to have
been treated with respect for very antiqui-
tvs sake. AS for people being DIR jwned in
going under the bridge, nonsense they
would never have been drowned if they
had done as | did always made point
Of never going under it: and besides, if
people are to be drowned, they will be
drowned elsewhere, if they are not drown
ell here.
Talk of innovations, what can he more
outrageous innovation than steamboats, !?
they have frightened the FISH out of the rv-
err already. and if they go on increasing as
they have done Of late, they will frighten
the fish out of the sea too and should
like to know where all the fishes are to 60
to, then. We shall be in pretty mess +
they all come ashore. Besides, the sea is
obviously made to sail upon, or else what is
the use of the wind? And if we have no.
thing hut steam boats, what will become of
the sail makers? People in these revolu-
tionary times care nothing about vested
rights. hate innovation. hate every thing
that is new. hate new shoes, they pinch
my feet; | hate new hats, they pinch my
forehead; hate new coats, they put me in
mind of tailors' bills hate every thing
new, except the New Monthly Magazine,
and shall hate that if the Editor rejects
my article. ANrI-INNovAroR.