The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-07-06

ca lHe mOSt COnnOeuL eA poe'~,. Ill.
After quitting the house, | couio nos ne.P
launching immoderately at the recoliectioh OF
the scene had Just witnessed; ana n1ls Va
who hanoened to be passing on the o'hef sac
ofthe street and observed my involuntary rlsi-
b;ltv toox occasion to spread an lll-natured
rumor that | was in the hsoit OF making
,nvself tnorry at the expense OF my patients y
About eleven o'clock the next morning,
,.id N a second visit. The door was open
I'd as psual by his black servant Nambo, by
whose demeanor saw that something or other
,sv,raordinary awaited me. His sable swollen
features. and dancing whitc eye-balls, showed
that he was nearly bursting with laughter.
sHe-he-her he chuckled lin q sort of soto
yocs. him massa head turned him back in
front him waddle !--he--he--he and he
twitched his clothes, jerking his jacket, and
pointing TO his breaches, in a way that | did
not understand On entering tho room where
N, with one of his favorite silent smoking
friends, Nj, the late well known counsel
we're sitting at breakfast, encountered spec
tacle which nearly made me expire with
laughter. 1t is almost useless to attempt des-
crbing it on paper, yet | will try. Two gen.
tlemen sat opposite each other at the breakfast
table, by the fire the one with his face to me
was MIR. NJ; and N sat with his back
towards the door by which | entered. A
glance at the former sufficed to shew me that
he was sitting in tortures of suppressed rlslbill-
ty. He was quite red in the iace-his features
were swelled and puffy, and his eyes fixed
strainingly on the FIRE, as though in fear OF en-
countering the ludicrous figure of his friend.
They were averted from the fire, for a moment,
to welcome my entrance, and then re-directed
thiiher with such painful effort-such COM
ical air of compulsory seriousness, as added to
the preposterous fashion after which poor
N had chosen to dress himself-completely
overcame me. The thing was irresistible /;
and my utterance of that peculiar choking
sound, which indicates the most strenuous et-
forts to suppress ones risible emotions, was the
unwilling signal for each of us bursting into a
long and loud shout OF laughter. 1t was IN
vain that [ bit nv under lip almost till it
brought blood, and that my eyes strained till
the sparks flashed from them, in the vain at
tempt to cease laughing; IN full before me
safe the exciting cause of it, in the shape OF
N, his head supported by the palm of his
left hand, with his elbow propped against the
side of the arm chair The knot of his neck
handkerchief was tied, with its customary
formal precision, back at the nape OF his neck ];
his coat and waist coat were buttoned down his
back; and his trowsers moreover, to match
the novel fashion, buttoned behind, and of
course. the hinder parts of them buIged out RI
diculousy in front Only to look at the coat
collar fitting under the chin, like stiff militia
nv stock-the four tail buttons of brass glisten-
ing conspicuously before, and the front parts
of the coat buttoned carefully over his back,
the compulsory handi-work Of poor Nambo
N, perfectly astoundsd at our successive
shouts of laughter-for we found it impossible
to stop-suddenly rose up in his chair, and
almost inarticulate with fury, demanded what
we meant by such extraordinary behavior
This fury, however, was all lost on me ;
al cfaN nj
almost bordering on frenzy, to his novel mode
of dress-as my apology. He stamped his foot
uttered volleys of imprecatons against US, and
then ringing his bell, ordered the servant to
shew us both TO the door. The most violent
emotions, however, must in time expend theII
violence, though in the presence Of the same
exciting cause; and so it was with Mr.. NJ -
and myself, On seeing how seriously affronted
N was, we both sat down, and entered
into examination, my whole frame aching with
the prolonged convulsive fits of irrepresslble
laughter
1t would be in vain TO attempt recital o
one of the drollest conversations in which
ever bore part. Ms temper was thorough
ly soured for some time. He declared that M
physic was all humbug, and piece ofquack
cry and the - pudding round his neck,
the absurdest farce he ever heard OF; he hal
great mind to make Nambo eat it, for tn
pains ne mao taken IN making II, ana fastening
it on-poor fellow!
Presently he lapscd into melancholy re
Elective mood He protested that tho laws o
iocomotion were utterly inexplicable to him
a practical paradox; that his Voltions as Il
progressive and retrogressive motion neutral
lied each other and the necessary result was
a cursed crcumgyratory motion-for all the
world like that of hen that had lost one of its
wings! That hence forward he should be
compelled to crawl, crab-Iike, through life
all ways at once, and none in particular He
could not conceive, he said, which was the
nearest way from one given point to another
in short, that all his sensations and perceptions
were disordered and COMPOUNDED. His situation,
he said, was an admirable commentary on the
words of st. Paul But see another law in
my members warning against the law of my
mind" He could not conceive how the arteries
and veins of the neck could carry and return
the blood, after being SO shockingly twisted-or
'how the wind pipe went in affordng free
course to the air, through its distorted passage.
In short, he said, he was walking lie Curl
GUS to ascertain the consistency of this anoma-
lous state of feeling, endeavored once more
to bring his delusion to the test of simple sem
sation, by placing one hand on his nose, and
the other on his breast, and asking him which
was which, and whether both did not lie in the
same direction. He wished to know why
persisted in making myself merry at his ex.
pense. l repeated the question, still keeping
my hands in the same position but he sudden
ly pushed them off, and asked me, with ndig
nation, if was not ashamed to keep his head
looking over his shoulder in that way-accom.
panying the words with a shake of the head,
and sigh Of exhaustion, as if it had really been
twisted round into the wrong direction. sAh :,
he exclaimed. after pause, if this unnatural
state of affairs should prove permanent-hem /!
iii put an end to the chapter He-he-he ?
He-he-he! he continued, bursting suddenly
into one of those short abrupt laughs which /
have before attempted to describe. He--he-
he! how - oddn We both asked him in sur
prise. what be meant for his eyes were fixed
'on the fire in apparently melancholy mood.
'He-he-ho exqnisitely odd 'He-he-
her after repeated enquiries, he disclosed the
occasion of his unusual examinations.
I've Just been thinking, said he, Suppose
He, he, he suppose il was to come to pass
that should be hanged-hc, he, he God for
bid, by the way; but suppose should, how old
Ketch would be puzzled my face lookino