Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-11-20
From The ~ Y "SpirH ofMe Tines"
PLANO IN ARKANSAS.

fAaNO IN AkhANSAS.
Dr THE AUTHOR OF tom OWEN, rnr BEEuuNrER.
We shall nere. forget the excitement which
seized upon the Inhabitants OF the little Visse of
Hardscrahblc. as the report spread through the
community that real Piano ha actually arrived
within hs precincts. Speculation was ahoat as to
I its appearance and lis use. The nar,e was fa.
miar with every body, bu, wha, precisely meant,
none could tell. Tha, it had hss was certsn, for
stray volume OF Capt. Ma-ya,t's "Diary," was
one Of the most conspicuous works in the floating
library of Hdrdscrahhc. And Capt. Maryatt
stated that he saw Piano, somewhere in New
England, wRh pantaeitcs on. An Old and
foreign paper was brought forward. in which there
/ was nn advertisement headed "Soree" which
! informed lhr "ctiaens gencr lily" that Mr.. Bobo-
link. "wou'd preside at The Piano" This was
presumed TO nrin by several wiscacres, who had
been 10 a mrnagcre, that Mr. Il ID link stirred the
pi'nn up With a long pole, in the same way the
show man did the lions, aud fli>noce.Ius. So
pulatc opinion in favor of IFS being an amin H.
! though harm'esS one, for there had been land
srcculator through the village few weeks before
who distributed circulars OF Female Academy ior
for the accomplishment of young ladies'. Thcec
circulars distinctly stated the use of the Piano to
be one dollar monlh." One knowing old chap
said, that they would tell him wha, so i>rec meant
he would tell them what a Piano was, and no mis-
take.
The owner Of this strange instrument was no
less than a very quiet and very respectable, late
merchant in little town somewhere "down east"
who having "taied' a, home, had emigraied into
the new country of Arkansas for the purpose of
hettering his fortune, and escaping the hearlless
sympathy of his more lucky neighbors, who seemed
to consider him an Indifferent ani deer AIDED man
h'cnuse he had become honestly poor.
The comrrs were strangers of course, The
house in which they were setting up their flrni.
turr, was too little arranged "to admit Of calls"
and ,hry seemed little disposed to court society
all prospect of Immediately solving the misery ,ha,
hung ahoat the Piano. seemed hopeless In the
meantime public opinion was "rile'-the deposit
tory of this strange hing was looked upon by pas
sers l,y with undcinall lie awe an as noises uli.
familiar, sometimes reached The street it was pre-.
sumed this was the Piano, and the excitement rose
higher than ever. One OF two old ladies, presum
ing on their age and respeciaby, called upon the
strangers and enquired after their heallhs, and
offered their services and friendship. In the mean-
time they eyed every thing in the house with in
ienslty, but seeing nothing strange, they hunted
about the Piano. One of The new family observed
carelesly, "tha had been much injured in bring
ing it out that the damp had affected ITS tones, and
that one Of lis legs was injured that it would
not stand up, aud that for the pcsent, it would no,
ornament the parlog,"
Here was explanation indtcd-iniurcd in
bringing ou-damp affecting its iones-lg brok II
-'poor thing" circulated the old ladies', as they
proceeded to their homes, "travcling has evidently
atigucd it, the Mas lis sip fogs has given i, coId
poor thing" aud III v all wanted to zee it with in
creased curiosity. 1.-The Village" agreed that if
Moses Mercer, famiIiarly called Mo Mercer, was
in town. they would soon have description of
the Piano. and the uses to which it was put, and
fortunately in the midst OF the excitement, MO-"
who had been oil on a hunting expedition arrived
in town.
Moses Mercer was he son of" "Oll Mercer" who
was, and had been, in the State Senate, ever since
Arkansas was admitted into the "Union" No"
from this fact received great glory of course, his
fa'hef's greatness would have been glory enough
but his h,ving heen twice TO the Capitol" when
the Legislature was in session. stamped his claims
70 pre-eminence all other competitors, AMI Mo
Merc1I was The oracle ofthe village. No knew
every thing he had all the consequence aud com.
/ pacency Of 4 man who hal never seen his equa',
aud never expected to. Mo Dragged extensively
on his having heen to the Capitol twice,-of bis
there having been ia the most fashionable society,
of having seen the world. His return TO town
was received with a shout. The arrival of the
Piano announced to him, aud he GI0ne of all
The community, was not AS onished al the news.
His insensihllily WIS wonderful he treated the
III ng as matter that he was Us TO, and went
on to say he had seen more Pianos in the Capitol
than he had seen woodchucks-that it was not an
the ladies, and he wound up his description y say.
ing, "ha, the way the dear creetcrs could pull the
music out f IT, was caution TO screech owls"
This new turn given to the Piano excitement
in HaIdscrabJle by Mo Mercer, was like pouring
oil on fire to extnsuish it, for it blazed out with
more vigor than ever. That ii was musical in
srument made it thing than If II had been
an animal, in that wild country, aud people of all
sizes, co'ors and d grees, were dying to see aud