The Polynesian., 1840-12-19
From the Albion.
MUNGO MACKAY, TIE PRACTICAL. JOKE
BY A BLUE OSE,

by BLUE NOSE.
OF all the amateur lovers Of wit, or rerul
professors of testing, Heaven defend i.
from the entire tribe of practical oke
There is no race more dangerous to 4.
peace of mankind or who commit mon
outragcs upon the good sense and good fee
ing of society. can endure mere yerls
wit, perpetrator of puns, or an inventor
quaint savings and humorous anecdotes, |
can tolerate even an ill-natured sa,irist. DR.
vidcd there be something like impromptu /
the fun or mischief: but when a fellow tp|
sccnds to plot, to introduce machinery, and
erect regular battery of malicious droIcr
against his neighbor, "Put me a whip \
every honest hand to scourge the rascal nal
kcd through the world" | have tried hat
for some whose good qualities | respect,
have been given to this vice,-but neye
could preserve lasting friendship with
practical joker. The wife of his bosom
not safe how then can the chance acQuai
ancc or intimate friend hope for cnduri.
courtesy and esteem: | have known mad
dsnhcIited for indulging this evil propcnN
- "p'I Ills udNC NIIoNn tNO INl
sent out to exchange shots of cold mol
ing, because ncighbor, to make sport d
the expense of the one, had brcahed vhd
was meant for humor, but was in reanI
foul suspicion, into the ear ofthc other Bt
of all the mad dcvotecs to the science d
practical joking, of all the invctcratc MANI
iacturers of mischief in this line of ACTIN!
the most notorious, the most systcmatlcaNv
troublesome that ever ! heard ofwas MuOy
Mackay, of the good town of Boston, d
massachusetts Bay. Others followed tn
sport as most mon follow the hounds d
cultivate music, for rccrcatiOn; but Macka
might be said to follow it as though it we
his trade. With them it is the bye-phl
with him it was the business of life Itw
food and raimcnt to him; he could not eN,
without plot against the tranquility Of b.
nci ghborhood; he laughed but when other
were in Il rage, and enjoyed life to mai
when those around him were suffering ir@
the results of his inventive genius. H.
father died Just as he had grown to man
estate, leaving him comfortable ndcpcnc
cncc; and from that period he passed b.
days and nights in crusade against tn
peace of the good people of Boston. II
was an lshmacitish wit; for truly, "his han
was against every man, and every man
hand against him. and the hand of ever
woman too, from the River Charles to Sou
Boston, and for many miles round the vi
lagos, by semi-circlc of which the ancIen
capital OF the land of steady habits is en-
closed.
1t is not my intention to write the life 0
tins eccentric individual, although ha'
read less amusing, and perhaps less insruc
tive biographies than it would make; but
shall throw together "A few passages, that lh
readers of Bcntley's Miscellany may kno
what manner of man he was, and that SON
entcrprlsIng publisher may be induced
send out scribe in the Great Western
gather up the anecdotes of him that ar
scattered as protusely as plums in goo
pudding, in the memories of those who's
ancestors he delighted to torment Pass
thcn over his juvenile days of pristine wick
cdhess, over countless manifestations OF pre-
cocious talents, that we may come witho'
l'lrtller preface to few of those exhibitor
OF r'Pened genius which prove him to hay
been master of his art
One cold, raw November night, in n
year 10, the wind blew as though it Won
blow down old Fanucil Hall, and the RAJ
lcll IN such torrents that Bunker Hill vi