Litchfield enquirer., 1841-02-25

ODDITIES If an Old Scotch Clergyman. The
late Mr.. Sheriff, dissenting minister in kir-
kaldy, was a. very worthy man, but exceed
iagly eccentric, and took the liberty of say
ing and doing many odd things. The story
is well known of his having gone down to the
sands on the sea shore, to pray that wind
might spring up to drive the invading squad
ron of Paul Jones back from the Firth OF
Forth to the ocean, and which wind did &C
sually arise, and effected the desired pur-
pose Like other old fashioned clergymen
Of his day, he occasionally rebuked members
of his congregation by name from the pulpit
and put them to the blush. On one occa-
sion, when person seemed to be somewhat
ostentatious in standing up in his pew, in Or
der to show off new piece OF dress, Mr..
Sheriff stopped in the midst of his sermon
and said, "Ou ay, Johnnie, we a. see that
you have got Draw new pair o breeks so
Just sit doun, and we'll look at them when
the kirk scaills." What Johnnie's feelings
were may be easily imagined. AS kirkaldy
is considerable seat of the linen manufac-
Sure, many of Mr.. Sheriff's hearers were
weavers. One of these having child to be
baptized in the church, took slip OF paper
on which he had before written the set OF
check web he was going to begin, and put
the name of the child on the other side of it,
TO hand up to the minister. Unluckily MIR.
Sheriff turned up the wrong side of the pa
Oer. and looking little at it, he said aloud,
"Ay, ay, six threads of blue and four of
white that's the drollest name that ever
heard. Well pray little till John recol-
lects himself" John Immediately whisper
ed the minister to give him back the paper,
when he showed him the other side with the
name upon il, and all was set to rights.
Right Forming for the Season.--Are,you a
Farmer, and do you not know how to farm
it in February? Then we willtell YOU
1t is not enough that you get out fencing
stuff and fuel; it is not enough that you
market your surplus and feed your stock
we'll; it is not enough that you make all
your calculations as to operations next sea-
son; but it is now an excellent time to sow
seed; we do not mean corn, wheat, rye,
barley or oats but we mean the seed OF
knowledge and virtue in the minds Of your
rising families and in the community around
you.
The field is ample--the soil is good
there is seed enough at hand and he who
does not cultivate the moral garden. is not
Rt to be farmer. Send your children to
school, read and converse with them freely
these long winter evenings; encourage their
attendance on Lyceums and Lectures; see
that they attend church regularly. and in
short put them in the way of every good
moral and Intellectual influence. In this
way you will prepare for a rich harvest of
praise and benefit when the season of old
and dependant age comes upon you.
Another branch of good farming is to keep
accounts square and well settled at least
once a year. Now is just the time to do
that important thing. A man may work
hard all the year; but if he leaves his &C
counts unsettled and at loose ends, he has
labored quite in vain. Let no winter pass
without settling accounts with every one, or
at least ascertaining exactly how you stand
with the world.
. Make your calculations of business as if
YOU were to live a hundred years hence
but keep your accounts as if you expected
to die to-morrow.-MGine CultiuGtOr.
The father Of Return J. Meigs was born
at Middletown, Conn. For some time prior
to his settlement in life, he addressed a fair
Quakeress at Middlefield, some few miles
difficulty in obtaining her hand She re-
peatedly answered his protestations of fidel-
fly and attachment, with "nay, Jonathan,
respect thee much, but cannot marry thee;
for better is dinner of herbs, and content
ment, than a stalled OK and contention
therew ith." Mr.. Meigs finally told Ruth,
that he was then paying his last visit as a
lover, and should strive to form an alliance
with another family, and would therefore
bid her tars,ceu. The kind and heightened
word, pronounced with so much softness,
fell upon her heart with healing in its tone,
and as he mounted his horse to ride off, the
Quakeress beckoned him to stop, exclaim-
ing, "return Jonathan! return Jonathan!"
Mr.. Meigs went back, and fixed upon day
for the celebration Of the nuptials. The
first fruit of their union was a son, which
the father, in commemoration of the happi-
est words he had ever heard spoken, had
baptized, Return Jonathan" who rose to
distinction, and subsequently, to the Office
of Postmaster General of the United States
SOMETHING PURELY newt is often said
that sit takes the yankees" to do things up
about right, and devise new expedients to
meet emergencies. They have law in
every year, at their town meetings to pass
resolutions determining how many licenses
they will grant, if any, for retailing strong
Aiouors within their limits. In few towns
thew occasionally resolve that none shall
tbe sold, in others that all citizens may sell,
and so on from one extreme to the other, as
the humor happens TO prevail with those
who assemble to decide the matter.
But in one town, it is said, the people
lately resolved to try new plan. They
voted that, whereas the selling of ardent
spirits is profitable to the seller and I'M
profitable to the town, the town viii take
the business in its own hands" They then
AL A.. III tad h