The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-10-05

~ lAN IsAooNN3 anu llC GFOl Iidu d hluu WOiN
and jest to bestow upon the humblest Of
the little troglodytes. They all called him
uncle Nicholas, and he was so kind to them,
that many grew up in the belief that he was
actually the uncle of the whole village.
His residence was delightful spot. His
farm was well cultivated, and his buildings,
while they afforded every comfort, were not
so ostentaious as TO awaken the envy Of his
less prosperous neighbors' A river flowed
beside it, and in the rear where shady walks
Of sugar maple, to which the villagers would
resort Of a summer afternoon for recreation
and few would fail in returning to stop at
my uncle's cottage and partakc of the hos
pitality of his board. Indeed, he and his
were were looked up as common property.
At these social gatherings, all the bellies
of the village would rival each other to Sc
cure my uncle's attention. He was ever
the gayest among the gay, while his gentle
manners and playful fancy minisiered to the
delight Of all; and it was amusing to behold
the quiet complacency of my aunt as she
gazed on his little gaIIantres, and to watch
her countcnance gradually light up, as her
mind would pass from the scene before her.
to the halcyon days when he wooed and
won her, and then she would turn 10 her
next neighbor and whisper in a tone ming
led with pride and fondness,--" You see
his winning ways have not yet left him."
And then she would smile and look on in
silence, as if life could afford no delight
like gazing on my uncle Nicholas, when he
was happy.
Happy The heavens themselves are
never SO bright and clear, but that a cloud
over shadows some portion, and there lives
not that man whose mind is so free, but that
at some period a phantom pursues it, from
which he fears escape is impossible. My
uncle's phantom was the dread of poverty.
He had lived generously, and from his hab.
its and tone of mind was i'll calculated to in
crease his possessions. As he advanced in
age his property had impercepiibly wasted
away; and to increase his terrors, there was
a lawsuit against him that had been pending
many years. He dreaded lis termination
would result in ruin, though convinced that
justice was on his side; but the boasted trial
by jury is by no means as infallible, as its
encomiasts pretend, for il is a difficult mat
ter for ere man who does not understand
his case, to explain it to twelve, who fire.
quen1y are incapable of comprehending the
matter under any circumstances. And by
this frail tenure do we cling to our posses
sions, liberty and life. The sword of Dam
ocles is type Of the trial by jury.
1t was melancholy sight to behold the
old gentleman, term after term, attending
court to learn the issue of his cause. 1t ab-
sorbed all his faculties and sapped the very
foundation of his mind. He was wont to
have word and cheerful smile for all he
met, but now he would pass his next neigh
bor without token of recognition. His lit
tie friends, the children, no longer followed
him. His fayoriie volumes remained un-
busted on the shelves-their charm had pas
sed away, and those vernal fancies, that
were wont TO make his heart like sing
ing bird in the spring, had died, and it sung
no more.
He would at times struggle to disengage
his mind from the phantom that embraced
il with iron clutches, and affect more cheer
Gulness in the presence Of my aunt, for he
perceived that his melancholy was contagi-
Gus. How tenderly she watched over him,
and soothed him and encouraged him AT
one Of these tender interviews which were
frequent, he appeared suddenly animated
with hope--the world was open TO him
he was a man and could labor like other
men-his countenance frightened, and he
exclaimed exutingy.
"'The spider taken hold with her hands
and is in kings palaces" He fondly look