Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-02-09
MISC ELLA EO U $
From ssTales end Sketches from thS 'shHeA 'i'J
THE YANKEE COLPORTEUR.
ny BENJAMIN DRAKE:
cbor of the Life and Adventures OF Black Hawk"

ny BENJAMIN DRAKE:
..ho If in. 81 life add Adventures of Black Hawk
One bright Sunday morning, the steamboat
Adratic was returning from New Orleans TO the
O,c~o Guy, two skiffs were observed to leave the
shore Of the Mississippi in quick SUCCESSION. The
soitary gondolier, who occupied the rearward
berqme, displayed more impa fence than skill in
Il. maGa cement. He splashcd the water IN all
directions with his broken oars; screaming at the
zoo of cracked voice and shaking his head as Vi
oently as if trying to decapitate himself.
The captain Of the Adriatic checked her head
way, in order to ascertain the wishes OF these
aquatic racers Presently, the foremost SKIN
touched the side of the boat, and the young oars
man sprung upon the deck, accompanied by his
companion, a bonnie lassic, with eyes as dark and
wild as those Of fawn. They desired the cap
tain TO take them to Natchez; telling him at the
same time, that the old man IN the other skill
their insane unc.e-would probably insist upon
accompanying them up the river But they beg
eed the captain not TO take him from his home
Dointing to Il white cottage on the bank OF the RI
ycr-and from the core of his atfectionae wife
and children.
By this time the repu,ed lunatic, still crying
aloud with unintelIigible jargon, reached the Adr
s,ic but in his haste TO mount her deck, lost his
ce1tre of gravity, and was thrown, head foremost,
into the stream The turbid waters of the Mis-
si.sippi closed his body, and his li'to csQuif
Aoated on towards the ocean.
Some weeks previous TO the occurrence of this
unfortunate catas ,rophe "A certain Monsieur Pierre
La Motto, one afternoon smoking his pipe IN
the piazza of his humble cottage, on the bank of
5 the father of rivers. His violin, which looked as
If it had come down the stream of time, from the
DAYS of tho musical Jubal Cain, was lying by his
side; and his only Aiid, trolcksome young de-
moiscIlc Of sixteen summers, with ii laughing eye
and cherry cheek, sitting on the door steps, wcav-
inr a chain of beads, and warblng song III her
own native patois. Monsieur La Motto was a
widower and since the death of his wife, which
occurred when Julieite was III her cradle, had
done little else than chatter French TO his daugh-
ter, smoke fiddle, and praise lie grand Napoleon.
In Short he claimed to be philosopher; not be-
cause he learned in the sciences, ripe In
scholarship, profound in metaphy Sizes or any other
of those occult mysteries of nature, about which
tho wise of this generation delight to puzzle their
brains. Far from it. His philosophy essen
TALLY different from all this. II laugh, HIM TO re-
sist the innovations of modern iniprov emen t$-to
think and act his forcfathers had thought and
acted--,o be contentcd with his lot-aca -; inc
busy, money -hunting world, gallop on, as best i
snay, without troubling his hodd about the boast
ed "march of mind"
As his daughter finished her chapsoncttc. littl,
wagon, drawn by pair of dapple grey poneys
guided by spruce young gentleman, drov up Il
the Gotta e door. Julicttc arose from her humb
seat, instlnctivelv adjusting stray curl playin.
over her forehead, and seated herself III a chair
Her father knocked the ashes out his pipe, took
pinch OF snuff, and prepared TO receive his guest
The Young stranger entered the piazza with
/ familiar air, shook Monsieur La Motto hearth
by the hand, and bow ed respectfully to the duugh
ter. The old Frcuchman being as kind heartc
as garrulous, and leading solitary life, was a
WAYS happy to any body at the cottage t
whom he could talk for hour two He &C
cOrdnSly gave his vIsiter warm greeting, an
they were soon in the midst of an ANNA ted con
versation. During this time the listening arts
did not string half dozen beads; but the auI
was not hers, for Mr.. Obediah Slow-such ben
his namc-kept watching her SO closely, that sh
could not get with her work. At length thu
stranger rose to depart, but the presence of sucl
we'll behaved, citoyen DIES Etats Tnis, being O
rare occurrence al the cottage, Monsieur La Mott
would not consent TO his departure before thu
So they proceeded to unharness tn
Poneys, while Juhete spread the supper table
winch, III honor OF the stranger guest, was grace
with sundry extra delicacies in the line OF con
serves and confectionery The evening passe
Off pleasantly
The following morning Mr. Slow discovere
mat his Poneys were too much l,ded to travel,an
expressed many fears, lest he should trespass o
tho kindness Of his friends, guessed he had bette
aarry until the next day. The morrow came. an
the poneys were still unable to travel, and tn
owner was compelled to accept the protfere
hospitality of his interesting friends for some tim
longer. With this, father La Motto was so we
pleased, that he talked faster than usual; an
even timid Juliette, who had scarcely ever befor
4 spoken in presence of n stranger, found herse
several times engaged in conversation with NJ
Slow
The old man and his guest walked togethe
over the plantation, and the latter kindly assiste
nD host IN doing many little chores. The garde
gate, for instance, was broken. and the repair ,
twas quite beyond father La Notes skill i'll tn
mechanic arts; but Mr.. Slow enacted The carper
ter, and the gate soon swung on its hinges TIL
axe was dull; the same ready hand applied it
The grinds,one, and II became as sharp as thT
with which Jack Downing used TO split wood {
the "Whitc House." The old cow which sur
MAed the cottage with cream, had lately acquire
. sehe naughty habit of milking herself. Mr.. SIo
'ant'ca,ed a curious leather halter, bristling wit
e'Sa@Penny nails, which, when placed on brindle
heao' ehectually restored Juliette to her rights
MIX maid Tho wooden clock that ornaments
S ne Parlor mantel needed adjustment; and NJ
.'o" called up his knowledge of horology-sai
% an instinct with his countrymen-and tn
Peooulum resumed its vibrations JulIetfe's mn