The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-06-27
SELECTED TALES.
lFrom the New York Mirror
ELIAS FISHER THE DOG-PEDLER.


Some ten or twenty years ago, there
lived near London, in Franklin county
Pennsylvania, poor decrepid widow, who
had sou aud daughter. They were mrs
erably destilule and the mother, by the
most humble employmenis, which she per-
formed IN pain and sorrow, procured
scaniy subsistence for her children. No,
unircqoen,ly she WAS compelled to apply
Tor and, to save them from the pangs of
hunger, aud cover their infant limbs from
the peltings of the pit,lcss blast, while they
gathered from the lanes or woods bark and
branches of tees which had been rejected
by woodsmen, with which to warm the
sbivering limbs of their aged porcui.
! The girl was about ten years old, and
deformed by nature, so ms to render her
incapable of performing laborious service.
The priyations consequent on her wrelched
CONDITION had impressed on her infant face
melancholy and detection approaching
idiolcy. But still she looked up to her
mother for support and protection, with
that deep love and resignation which, per-
haps; embraces with more intensity the OBJ
jec:s Of our attachment in proportion ms
fortune or fate diminishcs the number, and
"ghastly poverty" forces upon us the un-
welcome truth that we have no real friends
apart from our blood relations. Nor did
poor Catherine indulge In idle, unnvailing
complaints, when hunger made her faint,
aud the icy wind pierced her unprotected
frame. Still she placed her reliance upon
her mother, that wretched withered being,
who lived merely because she hoped her
children would be less miserable thun ifl
she were dead.
Elins was about twelve years old, aud
SO much dciormed that he walked like one
afflicted with st. Vitas' dance. From the
elbow to the rist the left arm projected ut u
right angle, while the hand hung helplessly
from the wrist. The other arm wns de-
, formed, but less so than the left, and he
+, could use them both to limited extent.
Y The muscles of his leA check .wero drawn
Y over the. jaw-bone as If contracted by ihs
= palsy. The lcit eye shared in tho dcfcrmity
One shoulder was an inch or two higher
than the other His speech, also, was af-
, fccted to such a degree ms TO render him
, partially unintclIigbIe to strangers New
erihelcss, Elias possessed mind Of unus-
ual accuteness for boy in his class of life !;
} higl, native spirit Of independence, which
induced his mother to suffer many actual
evils rather than accept Of public charity
u kind, uiicc,ionatc heart, aud an omiabi-
iiy of temper, the equnnimiiy of which moth
ing could ruille or disturb.
The infirniiies Of the widow now 0ssai-
} ed her so rapidly. that she was under the
necessity Of informing her children, with
many bitter tears, that she would be unable
to save them from furnishing the npproch-
ing winter; and that when cold winter
came, they would all have TO depend on
the parish for suppor.-Thc anguish caus-
cd by this communication speedily gave
way to other feelings. The proud spirit
, of Elias was reuscd-hc could not brook
the idea of becoming puuper, and he
said" Mother, / can't bear that-i won't
70 to the poor house. ! can do something
. to help you and sister Catherine, and we'I
J try to get through next winter, and then III
be older and do better yet" Poor little
Catherine looked the very picture Of dcs-
pair and, in the bopclessncss Of grieI, she
buried her face in the lap Of her mother
and sobbcd ms if her heart would break.
: But EIius had taken his resolution to do
} something and the only question was what
be could do 10 save his mother and sister
} from starvation, or, what ho thought n
! greater calamity, the poor house.
: Pennsylvania was flooded with Yankee
pedlers, who sold tin ware, wooden clocks,
: dry goods, and perhaps wooden nuimegs
: and brown paper ssusogcs. The great
Y turnpike road leading from Philadelphia to
Pittsburgh passes through London; and
: inasmuch as London is situated ot the foot
I Of the Tuscarora mountain, the pedlers
G were in the habit Of stopping to water their
G horses before they began TO ascend, and
= sometimes remained there all night.
Q pcdIcr never loses an opportunity to swnp q
Z horse, or dispose to advantage Of his wares !;
j and, therefore, Elias had numerous oppor-
Y tuuities Of observing the ncuteness, almost
& intuitiye, with which they drove trade.
b and the moral certainty Of their getting the
: bes; Of the bargain. Elias also judged that
il must bc n profitable business, or else so
1 many would not be engaged in il ond he
i was satisfied Of the fact when he saw them
4 return from the west, laden with feathers,
] cotton, sc. and three or four led horses
S along side the wagon-much finer animals
0 than the crazy, spawned beasts with winch
4 they had journeycd west. Besides, Elias
Q had some vague suspicion that they carried
8 concealed 10 some secret part OF the vehicle,
I, a portion Of the United Stntes's currency (;
bur whether it consisted Of paper or hard
7 money, he had no direct means of asccr-
tanning.
q However, Elias mus: do something aud,
Q after some hours Of reflection, lie dctcrmin-
y ed to turn peder. liut where was his
wagon or his horse Hc had neither ma
II tcrials, nor cent TO offer for them, and
y bodily n6rn,iiies prohibited him from car
t. rying pack on his bsek.--Bui, even u
g this difficulty was overcome, where were
his goods on which to make the profits