Litchfield enquirer., 1832-12-27
Oae Peep ,Oas enough, or the Post O6fcs.

that of Dalton was the discourse that spe-
cies of discourse, which Johnson's Die
tionary entities conversation on whatev-
err does not concern ourselves Every
body knew what every body did, and a lit
tie more. Eaiings, drinkings, walkings,
talkings, doings-sall were for the good OF
the public: there was not such thing as
secret in the town.
There was story of Mrs. Mary Smith,
an ancient dame who lived on an annuity,
and boosted the gentility Of back and
front parlor, that she once asked few
friends to dinner. The usual heavy ante
cedent half an hour really passed quite
pleasantly, for Miss Mary's window over
looked the market place. and not scrag
Of mutton could leave it unobserved {; so
that the extravaganza or meanness Of the
various buyers furnished copious theme
for dialogue. Still, in spite of Mr.. A. 5
pair of fowls, and Mrs. b. round Of beef,
the time seemed long, and the guests found
hunger growing more potent than curiosity.
They waited and waited at length the fa-
tai discovery took place-that in the hurry
of observing her neighbors' dinners, Mrs.
Smith had forgotten to order her own.
1t was in the month Of March that all
event happened which put the whole town
in commotion-the arrival Of a stranger
who took up his abode at tho White Hart !:
not that there was any thing remarkable
about the stranger; he was plain, mid
die aged, espectable-looking man, and the
incest scrutiny (and heaven knows how
narrowly he was watched) failed to dscoy-
er any thing odd about him. 1t was asccr-3
tanned that he rose at eight, breakfasted NJ,
nine, ate two eggs and piece Of broiledl
bacon, sat in his room at the window, read
little, wrote little, and looked out upon
the road good deal he then strolled out,
returned home, dined at FIVE, smoked two
cigars, read the Morning Herald, (for the
post came in of an EVENING" and went to
bed at ten. Nothing could be more regu-
lar or unexccptionable than his habits !;
still it was most extraordinary what could
have brought him to Dalton. There were
no chalybeatc-spring, warranted to cure
every disease under the sun; no ruins in
the neighborhood, left expresslyAfor anti
quarians aud picnic parties no fine pros
poets. which, like music, people make it
matter of conscience to admire no cele-
brated person had ever been born or buri-
ed in its ,cnvirons there were no races,
no assizes=in short there was no Moth
ing 1t was not even summer; SO coun-
try air and fine weather were not the in
ducements. The strangers name was Mr..
Williams, but that was the extent Of their
knowledge and, shy and silent, there
seemed no probability oflearning anything
more from himself. Conjecture, like
Shakespeare, " exhausted worlds, and then
imagined new" Some supposed he was
hiding from his creditors, others that he
had committed forgery one suggested that
he had escaped from mad-house, second
that he had killed some one in duel; but
all agreed that he came there for no good.
1t was the twenty-third Of March. when
a triad of gossips had assembled at their
temple the post-office. The affairs of Dali
ton and the nation were settled together
newspapers were slipped from their covers,
and not an epistle but yielded portion Of
II. contents. But on this night all atten-
ton was concentrated upon one, directed
to John Williams, Esq, at the White
Hart, Dalton Eagerly it was compress
ed in the long fingers of MRS. Mary Smith,
of dinperless memory; the fat landlady Of
the, White Hart was on the tip-toe to
psep, while the post-mistress, whose curi-
ositv took semblance of official dignity,
raised q warning hand against any overt act
of violence. The paper was closely fold
ed, and closely written in a cramped and
iilegible hand suddenly Mrs. Mary
Smiths loo2 grew moro intent-she has
..,..aoJad IN Iec;nherinO n sentence the