The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1839-01-02
he walked so slow tha, got out of sight Of


ly virgin, who held the opinion of Paul PRIV.
that the spirit of inquiry is the grand char.
ae'eris'ic OF The age in which we live and
who also felt particular sympathy in The
fate OF unmarried cIcrgymen, thrust her
long nose between the Deacon and ,Le
Squire, and asked
Law, me !-Dcaeon-'S Squire
don't the minister come /"
Then Miss Martha Busybody, seeiny
The Deacon, the Squire aud Miss Peepa-
bout engaged in n coIloquy, wrieeed her
sell into their company aud nskcd The same
question.
Then another, and another, aud another.
followed the example, upd there wns quick
y knot Of people gathered round The
Deacon aud HE Squire, all asking ques-
lions which nobody could answer. Every
one wns asking where The minister was.
although every one knew that all the res,
were just ms Ignorant as himself
Bill Muges, the sexton, kept iugging n
way nj the bcll-ropc ill he had ioled the
people out of patience. But we nus, leave
the bell tollns, aud The sexton fret,inC, nnd
the Deacon aud the Squire, and The old
mnids, and oil The rest of the congregation,
on the tenler hooks of suspense, and pn
hack TO see what has become of our friend
ichabod.
lchabod had slackened his pnce nfer
leaving The house, aud had fnllen into "a
sor: OF revery. Finding hirself rather
late before he got near the church, he re-
solved TO make a short eul across field
where the road made an angle; 50 iumr-
~ III Ia
Tor the church, but had not proceeded many
PAGES when he was startled by most saw
age and unmusicnl boo-boo-iug sound, in a
tone Of the deepest bass he ever heard.
Lifting up his eyes, he brheld a furious
bull making at him with speed and bell
lowing like mad. II is needless 10 say thnt
he took TO his heels: the bull made nficr
him, and Ichabod put on with sll The feet
ness he could exert. Four legs urc better
Than two, and il was soon evident that the
qnadrupod woald -win-ihe- race. IL iissNod
found he could not reach the wall beforc
the bull would he up with him. Now
thought he, 1t is oil over with me !'-His
shoes flew off, but the bull Kept on. He
dropped his hat, but The siraiage did not
take the bull was not To he made fool OF.
M better success The bull was not 10 be
reasoned with; he gave the manuscript
" hisk with his tail, and scattered j, to the
four winds
I'm gone I'm gone ~ said IclIabod,
for the bull was close behind him. At this
instant he espied an opplc-,rce close Mt
hand; and, summoning all his remaining
strength, he madc desperate leap, and
was fortunate enougl, TO spring Into the
tree at the moment the bull was at his
bceIs.
Here was nn unIookcd-for delverance
but unuckiy the bull was moi so easily got
rid of. Though disappointed Of his prey,
he kept about the tree with such n menac-
ing disposition that Iclabnd dared no, dea,-
cend. IL seemed MS if the malicious nni- ~
nal knew that he kept n congregation wait
ing, he stuck to the spot with such perlina-
city. For two mortal hours did The nnucky
lchabod sit percbed upon the tree in sight
of The church. Every minute seemed an
age to him. lie heard the bell toll, toll,
toll, and each stroke seemed The funeral
knell to his hopes.
He pictured TO bis fancy crowded con-
crcgalion whiting in ANXIOUS suspense and
lost in wonder and amazement at his non
Appearance. Alas !" said he to himself,
hear voice you cannot hear,
Which bids me thus delay;
sec the horns you cannot see,
Which force me here 10 stay,"
lie saw the congregation come ont oftho
church aud scatter lIuher aud ihi,her ike
sheep without sheppard yet he burst not
leave the npple-iree, because there wus--
Doi lion, but a bull--in the way
The congregation was at last GaiIy tired
out. Two hours had they waited, anil no
parson came. The sexton left off iolling
the bell, and indeed j. was qai,e time, for
he had nearly worn the rope off. The peo-
pie all came out oi The church, having, af-
ter two hours debniing upon the matter,
come TO the conclusion that there would be
no sermon, aud Thai there was good ground
for alarm as to the fate Of the minister.
They sent off parties east, west, north and
south, To explore the country and present.
ly Ichabod discovered n crowd advancing
along the rood, headed by the Deacon aud
the sexton. lchabod mustered all the
strength of bis lungs aud bawIed out to them
like seven waichmen upon tower. The
whole party came To halt, and gazed IA
round them with astonishment and fear. At
length, they spied something snugIy roasted
in tree they took II ut nt first for hugo
black turkey-cuck but, on n nearer APP
proach, they found it to be mn other than
the Reverend Psrson ' f..
Now the bull happened JUST at that mo-
mcnt to be paving and snufing with his
nose close to the ground on the other sido
Of the tree, so that be was hidden from the
party by thorn-bush at its foot. The
people seeing Ichabod perched on high in
that strange manner, were struck dumb with
amazement for few moments. Was tho
poor man bewitched ! or had he run mad Z