Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-07-12

cry for help; or, if cry should be uttered
1t might reach, in deaiening reverberation,
the ear of the utterer, blu. it would not ira.
vel twelve inches farther in any direction.
To add to the distresses of the case, the un.
happy sufferer soon found great difficulty
in breathing.-What wi.hthe heat dGcasion.
ed by the beating of the sun on the metal,
and what with the frequent return Of the
same heated to his lungs, he was in the ut
most danger of suffocation. Every thing
considered, it seemed likely that if he did not
chance TO be relieved by some accidental
wayfarer, there would soon be ''death I'M the
pot"
The instructive love of life, however, is
omni-prevaleni, and even very stupid PEG.
pie have been found, when put to the push
by strong and imminent peril, to exhibit a
degree of presence of mind, and exert a
degree of energy far above what might have
been expected from them, or what they
were ever known to exhibit, or exert,under
ordinary circumstances. So it was with
the pot-ensconced minister. Pressed by the
urgency of his distresses, he fortunately re-
collected that there was smiths shop at
the distance of about a mile across the
fields, where, if he could reach il before
the period of suffocation, he might possibly
find relief. Deprived of his eye sight. he
acted only as man Of feeling, and went
on as cautiously as he could, with his hat
D his hand. Half crawling, half sliding,
Ser ridge and furrow, ditch and hedge,
somewhat like Satan Houndering over cha.
os, the unhappy minister travelled with all
possible speed, as nearly as he could guess
in the direction of the place of refuge.
leave it to the reader 10 conceive the sur
prise, the mirth, the infinite amusement OF
the smith, and all the hangers.on Of the
smiddy, when, at length, torn and worn,
faint ard exhausted, blind and breathless,
the unfortunate man arrived at the place
and let them know (rather by signs than
by words,) the circumstances Of his
case. In the words of an old Scottish
song
"Out came the gudeman and high he shouted /;
Out came the gudewife and low she louted
And a. the town neighbours were gathered
abo't it;
And there was he, trow."
The merriment of the company, howev-
er, soon gave way TO the considerations of
humanity. Ludicrous as was the minister
with such an object where his head should
have been, and with the feet OF the pot
pointing upwards like the horns of the great
enemy, it was nevertheless, necessary that
he should be restored to his ordinary con.
dtion if it were for no other reason than
that he might continue to live. He was
accordingly led into the smiAay, multitudes
flocking around to tender their kindest off.
ces, or to witness the process Of release :
and having laid his head down on the an
vii, the smith lost no time in seizing and
posing his goodly forgehammer. "Will |
come sair as We like" was the minister's
answer; shelter q. chap / the chats than
die for want Of BREATH" Thus permitted,
the man let fall blow, which fortunately
broke the pot in pieces, without hurting
the head which it enclosed, as the cook,
maid breaks the shell of lobster, without
bruising the delicate food within. A few
minutes Of the clear air, and glass from
the gudewife's bottle, restored the unfortu.
nate man; but, assuredly, the incident is
one Of those which will long live in the
memory Of the Pensioners of c.. Edin
Lit. Jour.