Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1831-01-20
THE SCOTCH PEDLAR.

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Hartford -
THE SCOTCH PEDLAR.
In one ofrour August days, such as will
come, in holiness when the sand dries the
shoes to parchment and swcats the brow
with saturation, as though the brain was
creeping out through skull-pans and pore ;
"a man was seen coming into a farmhouse,
with Bunyan pack on his back. He was
on the wrong side of fifty, seemed fatigned,
and looked as though heat and humanity
were at tremendous variance. 1t may not
be known generally that he who is dry or
hungry, by the simple asking, will obtain
meat aud drink almost any where in our
village and the fact of giving and receiv-
ing is considered neither charity nor beg
ging. lfyou ask for water, the reply would
be, would you not prefer ciderl and one is
as free as the other. If a family are not
ut dinner, come aud take scat with u.s.
is the common invitation Of every day, if
you are stranger; and SO common are
these practices, that they are not put down
to the credit of hospitality, but considered
as matters Of course. The pedlar of whom
have spoken. with but little ceremony,
disencumberrd himself of his pack in the
large kitchen into which he had ushcred
himself, and after exercising his handker-
chief about his nose, face and ears with
great industry for few moments, inquired
Of lady somewhat near his age, who sat a,
wheel spinning her pound of fax
whether she dinna think il vera warm the
tay2' She stopped the circum2yrations
Of her noisy hclp-mcet Of industry, cleva-
ted her spectacles and said she thought it
was. Cold water was asked for, and Gle
der was as usually produced. The strait
ger, with broad Scottish accent, inqui-
red how far it was TO a tavern, for he was
hungry, and was followed by reply that it
was five miles, and as it was 'afer 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 salt 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 stranger
fell to, and did justice to each. After this,
was brought forth (thc pride Of our dairy
won,an) cheese. The stranger, as he dis
cussed each and all, would throw curious
aud inquiring chances at the 'gudc woman,
as he called her, and he seemed to be peer
ing about the room like thief or a pur-
chaser. After having his inner man re-
freshed, he observed, Madam, maun pay
now for the dinner, and the vinegar, and
the curds, aud you maun as wcel tell me
how much o the siller ye lack " II you
ever saw storm, now it was to be seen IN
its violence. Curds" quoth she, 'my
best new milk cheese to be called cUrds F.!
Cheese made with my own hands
Cheese fit for the President and my hus-
bands cider called vinegar! you black
guard pedlar you, go about your business J
and then she took pinch OF shnh and re-
sumed-' talk to me about paying as
though I wanted money for meal OF Wet
uals: I'll let you know who is who, and
what is what And let me tell you my
husbands name is Jonathan Twist, and
he'll twist you my fine fellow knew you
was an outlandish man, the moment you
began your lingo, and il there is any law
1 will have you before the squirrel
The pedlar eyed her with most consum-
mate non-chaLancc on the occasion, and
with great gravity, said, the curds whilk
gathered doubtless we're cheese, but be.
Ing, as We term it. an ou,landish mon. g
il the wrang name; and foreby a the rest
tina, i, ha' been made BY yer ain sell to give
to pure pedlar like, tho ye WHINE TAX hi'
money, | beg you to forgie me. The CT
der whiik is unknown anaist our BONE
braes o. Scotland, is very guide, even WEI
We to ca it vinegar, to puir traveller tina
hath weary pack o bis shoulder. Hat
va. nae better tax the siller and let me gam
awa9'
There was sofiening in the good lady
brow, and as she gathered up the dishes
she seemed to collect her good humor.-
She avowed that the cheese might no
have been so good as her last years an
offered that he might try any that was Gu
In the checse-roOm, and admitted that Nv
duys. before, she told her husband 90 TAP
new barrel, but he could not End che spik