, 1840-12-26
WHOLE NUMBER 375.
said her grace; shut why don't you advise
him better2 He seems to be a pen that eve
ry one cuts but nobody nendS."
From the Ne,o- York Sunday Mercury.
AN AMUSING SPECIMEN OF
HUMANITY.

Whoever travels through any of the New
England States, and twigs as he journeys
the eccentricities of some of the ndtiyes, can
not fail TO be amused; and may, if he choose,
derive many new ideas in respect to etymo-
logy and diversity of character.
Some years since an acquaintance Of oun
set out on horseback, from the eastern part
Of Massachusetts, for the Green mountains
of Vermont. While travelling through the
town Of New Salem, his road led inc a piece
Of woods Of some five miles in length, and long
before he got out Of which he began to enter.
tain doubts whether he should ever be blest
with the sight of a human habitation; but a.
all things must have an end, so at last had the
woods, and the nut-brown house of a far
a tall raw boned, ovegrown, lanthern jawed
boy, probably seventeen years of age, dig
ging potatoes. He was a curious figure 10
behold. What was lacking in the length
of his two breaches was amply made up be-
hind; his suspenders appeared TO be composed
OF birch bark, grape vine and sheep skin; and
for his hat, which was adIgny white felt-poor
thing! it had once evidently seen better
days; but now. alas. it was shorn of its glory.
Whether the tempest Of time had beat the
top, in. or the lads expanding genius had
burst it out. was difficult to tell; at any rate
it was missing and through the aperture
red hair in abundance stood six Ways for
Sunday. In short, he was one of the rough
est specimens of domestic manufacture that
ever mortal beheld. Our travelling friend
feeling an itching to scrape an acquaintance
with the %critter, drew up the reins Of his
horse. and began,
"Halloo, my good friend, can you inform
me how far it is to the next house?"
Jonathan started up-leaned on his hoe
handle. rested one foot on the gambril Of his
sinister leg, and replied:
"Hullo yourself! how'd dew! wall / Just
can. faint near so far now as it used to be
aiore they cut the wood away-then twas
generally reckoned four miles, but now the
sun shrlvels up the road, and don't make
morn tew. The fust house you come to,
though is Il barn, and the next is a haystack;
but old Hoskin's house is on beyont. You'll
be sure TO meet his gals long afore you git
there; tarn rompIn c~ritturs, they plague our
folks morn little. His sheep git in our pas
ter, every day, and his gals in our orchard.
Dad sets the dogs after the sheep and mo
arter the gals, and the way he makes the
wool, and | the retticoats fly, is a sin to
snakes"
Il see you are inclined TO be facetious,
young man, pray tell me how it happens one
OF your legs is shorter than the other7
q never lows any body TO NEEDLE with
my grass tanglers. mistur, but seen it's you
I'll tell We. ] was born so at my ticker re-
quest, so that when | hold u plough, ] can 60
with one foot in the furrer. and t'other on
land md moi lon .yar. hasiJoc =, - uarv oop-
~venient when NOW round n side hill"
'Very good, indeed-how does your po-
tatoes come on this YEAR,
'They don't come Il: all; / digs 'em out;
and there's an everlastin snarl Of 'em in each
hill;
But they are small | perceive
'Yees, | know it-you see we planted
some whoppin' blue noses over in that eN
patch there, and they Aourished so all hredly
that these ere stopped growin' just out Of
spite; cause they know'd they couldn't be-
gin TO keep
You appear to be pretty smart, and I
should think you could afford a better hat
than the one :ou wear
The looks amt no;hin; its all in the BE-
haviour. This ere hat was my religious Sun
day-go-to-meetin hat. and its Just as chock
full OF pIety now. as Il dog is full OF fieas.-
I've got n better one to hum, but | don't dig
taters in il, no how
You have been in these parts some time
| should guess"
i guess so few. I was bornd and got nv
brot in up in that ere housed but my native
place is down in Pordunk.'
Then you say 1t is about three and a half
miles to the next houseY'
'Yis sir. twas 4 spell ago. and ] don't be-
lieve IL crowd much shorter SINCE
much obliged. Good bye.
Good by TO ye-that's Il darn slick mare
of yourn.'
There reader-there is a Jonathan for Won
Of the first water. You don't find his equal
every where.
1t is said that Mr.. Van Buren,, in spite of
his unusual placidity of temper, was thrown,
a few days ago, into a most extraordinary