Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-12-04
MIS- f. l. l. 4 y r. u L ).
Selected for the Palladium.
ELM TREE HALL,


He was about three score years Of age, very rich,
and some " hat old III his habits but Tor generos
ity and benevolence he had no equal No poor
cottper st-Jd IN need 0! comforts when ne was
not ready to supply; no sick man or woman ian
pushed for want OF his assistance; nor ever d
begpar unless a known impostor, went empty
handed from the HILL.
Now ii happened that the cid gentleman wan T.
ed boy to wait on him nj table, and TO attend
him IN different ways, for he was very iond OF
youpp people Blu, much as nc liked the so
ciety of The young, he had great aversion 10
that curiosity IN which many people are too apt to
indulge He used to say The boy VINO VIII
peep into a drawer will be tempted TO take some
thing out of IT; and he who steals penny III his
youth Ill steal a pound IN his manhood This
disposition to rcpress evil as well as 10 encourage
coed conduct formed part OF his character, for
though of cheerful temper, and not gwen 10 Sc
verify, he would not pass over iauit III! IL was
acknowledged or repen,ed OF.
No sooner II known that he was IN want OF
a boy than twenty applications were made tor The
s,,natIop: but he was determined not to engage
any till he had IN some way ascertained that he
did not possess curious, pfFIng disposiiion
1t was Monday morning that seven lads dres-
sed IN their Sunday clothes, with bright ana nap
DIV faces, made their appearance at The Hal, eaCh
of them DESTROYS to obtain the situation they APP
piled for Now the old gentleman, beng OF a
singular disposition, had prepared the room III such
a way that he might easily know II any OF the
Young people who applied to be his servant, were
given 10 meddlo unnecessarily with things around
them, or peep into cupboards aud drawers. lie
took care tina, the lads who were then at Elm
Tree Hall, should be shown INTO this room one al
ter another.
AT first james farmer sent into the room,
and told that he would have to wait a little; so
James sat down on chair near the door For
some time he quiet, and looked about hiin
but there seemed to be so many curious things IN
The room that at last he got up to peep at them
On the table was placed dsh-coyer, and
James wanted sadly to know what under IT,
bu, he felt afraid to lift 1t up. Bad habits are
strong things. and James was of curious dsno
sitiou; he could not withstand the teinptation OF
taking one peep: 50 he lifted up the cover iais
turned on, TO be sad affair; for under tho dish
cover a heap of light feathers; part OF the
feathers drawn up by the current OF air, ilew a
bo II the room and James IN his fright, put down
the cover has ally, pulled the rest OF them OH Inc
table What to be done! James began
quickly to pick up the feathers, one by one; but
the old gentleman, who was IN the adjoining room.
hearing a scufllo and guessing the cause, entered
the room, TO the CONSERVATION OF james Turner,
who was very soon dismissed AS II boy who had
not principle enough 10 resist the slightest temp
taiion.
When the room once more arranged, Thorn
as IIawker was placed there until such time
he should be sent for. No sooner was he left To
himself than he attracted by plate OF hne
ripe cherries. Now Thomas was uncommonly
fond of cherries And he thought would be i'm
possible 10 miss among SO many. lie looked
and lonped and longed and locked for some time;
and lust as he had got off his seat TO take one, he
heard as he thought, n foot coming to the door;
but no. it false alarm. Taa;ag fresh eour'
age he went and took very fine cherry Tor he
determined TO take but one, and put 1t INTO
his mouth. 1t was excellent; aud he then persha-
ded himself that he no risk IN taking anoth
err this he did, and hastily popped 1t into his mouth.
Now the old gentleman had placed few small
cherries at the top of the others, filled with Cay
enne pepper; of these Thomas had nnfortn-
natey taken and i, made his mouth and
burn intolerably. The old gentleman heard him
coughing, and knew very well what was the mt
ter. The boy who would take what did not be
long to him, # no more than cherry. was not
the boy for him, Thomas was sent about his bu-
siness without delay, with his mouth almost as
hot as ii he had pn, burning coal into it.
William Barker was next introduced into the
room and left To himself; bat he Ind not been
the minutes, before he began to move
from one place 10 another. tie was bold, OF reso-
lutte temper, but not over burthened with prlnct-
pie. Having looked around the room. he noticed
drawer to the table, and made up his mind 10
peep therein; but sooner dld he lay h I'D on
the drawer knob than he set a large bell ringing,
which concealed under The table. The old
gentleman Immediately answered the summons
and entered the room William was so startled
at the sudden ringing of the bell that all his i'm
pudence could not support him; he looked
though any one nigh, knock HIM down With a
feather. The old gentlemen dismissed him from
the premises.
Samuel Jones then shown in the room by
old stewards; and being of a curious disposition
he touched nothing. bat only looked the things
about him. At last he saw that close, door was
little open, and thinking that would be lnpos-
sibs for any TO know that he had opened II
little more, be very cautiously opened 1t inch
further, looking down at the bottom OF the door
that II might not catch against any thing and
make a NOISE. Now had he looked At tho top. in
stead of the bottom. II might have been better for
him. for at the top Of The door was fastened plug
which filled the hole of a small barrel Of shot
lie veniured 10 open the door. till the plug being
puiied out OF The barrel, the leadeu shot began TO
pour out at strong rate; az the bottom of the
closet was placed nan and the shnt fallinr r1,nn