Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-11-16
Frop. IA -seU Home Jyho'H foiior 80
The science or Borrowing.

q
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
md borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry
HAMLEr.
This good advice finds little regard in
Michigan, if faith is TO be put in the
following sketch, from the amusing
work we noticed on Saturday. IL shows
TO what lengths the practice may be car
RED, although there may, doubtless, be
found some in these parts who would
lend babies.
Lend me yonr eors---SHsKsrEAKE.
Graht grsciousiy v hat you cannot refuse safely
LAcoy.
Mother wants your sifter,- said Miss
1anthe Howard, young lady of six
years dtanding, attired in tattered cali
co, ihickencd with dirt her unkempt
locks struggling from under that hideous
substitute Tor bonnet. SO universal in
the western country, dirty cotton hand
kerchief, which is used, al nauseam, for
all sorts of purposes.
I" Mother wants your sitter, and she
guesses you can let her have some sugar
and tea, cause you've got plenty
This excellent reason, 'scause you've
got plenty" is conclusive as TO the sha-
ring with your neighbors. Whoever
comes into Michigan with nothing will
be sure TO better his condition but wo
TO him that brings with him any thing
like an appearance of abundance, whe-
,her Of money or mere household conve-
niences. To have them, and not be will
ing 10 share them, in some sort, with the
whole community, is an objectionable
crime. You must lend your best horse
TO qui que sc soil, to 90 ten miles over bill
and marsh, in tn. darkest night, for a
doctor, or your team TO travel twenty
after ''gal :" your wheelbarrow, your
utensils of oil sorts, belonging, not TO
yourself, but to the public, who do not
think II necessary even TO ask a loan,
but take it for granted The two saddles
and brides of Montacute spend most Of
their time travelling from house TO house
a-manback ; and have actually known
stray martingale TO be traced to four
dwellings, two miles apart, having been
lent from one 10 another, without a word
10 the original proprietor, who sat wait
ing not very patiently, TO commence a
journey. Then within doors, an inven-
tory of your penishing of all sorts, would
scarcely more than include the articles
which yon are solicited to lend. Not
only are all kitchen utensils as much
your noighbors' as your own, but bed
steads, beds, blankets, sheets, travel
from house to house, pleasant and eff
fcctual mode of securing the perpetuity
of certain effioresceat peculiarities of the
skin, for which Michigan is becoming al
most as famous as the land :. 'twixt Mai
dcnkirk and John o'Groat's." Sleeves,
smoothing-irons and churns, run about
as il they had legs ; one brass kettle is
enough for whole neignborhood /; and
] could point 10 the cradle which has
rocked half the ba bies in Montacute. For
my own part, have lent my broom my
thread, my tape. my spoons, my cat, my
thlmble, my scissors, my shawl, my
shoes, and have been asked for my
combs and brushes; and my husband, for |
his shaving apparatus and his pantaloons.
But the cream of the joke lies in the |
manner of the thing. 1t is straight for
ward and honest-none OF your hypocri-
teal civility and servile gratitude Your
true republican, when he finds that you
possess any thing which would contri-
butte to his convenience, walks in with,
/" Are you going to use yoar horses to-
day?" if horses happen 10 be the thing
he needs
"Yes, shall probably want them-n
"Oh, we'll if you want thcm--I
was thinking to get 'em TO go up north
a piece.
Or, perhaps, the desired article comes
within the female department.
smother wants to get some butter !;
that ere butter you bought of Miss Bar
ton this mornin.:'
And away goes your golden store, to
be repaid, perhaps. with some cheesy,
greasy stuff, brought in dirty pail, with,
"here's your butter J"
A girl came in to borrow sswash
dish,' {" because we've got company"
Presently she came back :" Mother says
you've forgot to send a towel.'
"The pen and ink, and q sheet o paper
and a wafer" is no unusual request i
and when the pen is returned, you are
generally informed that you sent " an
awful bad pen."
have been frequently reminded oil
ono of Johnson's's humorous sketches
A man returning broken wheeioarrow
TO Quaker, with Here I've broken
your rotten wheelbarrow, usin' ont. 1
wish you'd get it mended right of, cause
want to borrow it again this afternoon"
The Quaker is made TO reply g Friend.
it shall be done" and wish possess
ed more of his spirit.
But did not intend to write chapter
on involuntary loan, have story to
tell.
One of my best neighbors is Mr.. Philo
Doubleday Jas long awkward honest, hard |
working Maineman, or Mainoie, suppose
one might say so good-natured, that he
might be mistaken for simpleton !; but
that must be by those tina, do not know
him. He is quite an old settler, came in |
four years ago, bringing with him wife, |
who is to him as vinegar bottle TO oil
cruet, or as mustard to the sugar which
10 used 10 soffed its biting qualities. Mrs.
Doubleday has the sharpest ewes, the
sharpest nose, the sharpess tongue, the
sharpest elbows, and, above all, the
sharpest voice that ever 6 penetrated the /
int rior'' Of Michigan. She has tall,
straight, bony figure, in contour some
what resembling two hard oak planks