The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-15
WHOLE NO. GA.

uVfSt tue tllug tiht Oh lhee.
This speech offended me, and answered quickly
Pray, SIR, what matter my troubles 10 you Ii
have wished myself riches, have not asked you for
them"
The wan form perceived my chagrin, and more
over that struck upon my breast he ex-
claimed, in that rang upon the exceed
ngiy touching and impressive 4 am no evil spirit,
Andrew give me your confidence Take this ring,
and about the season Of the third midnight dive boldly
INTO the sea to the depth Of gunshot; there wilt
thou lind three turned topsy-tuTvey upon the
ground the middle lift up and deliver the soul Of
a drowned man which is confined underneath. Then
haste quickly Up again, without any tarriance below
ana without concerning myself IN the least about
what thou shalt hear. w hen thou hast accom-
pished this feat, be assured that will richly reward
thee and there never shall be end Of blessings to
thee and thine
With these words he vanished without waiting my
reply, while he left on the ground before me some
thing resembling ring duled by age was cautious
not TO NEEDLE with it. All cried l. what are
the souls OF the drowned me- should like 10 know
who could be stupid enough to let themselves be
caoped under wretched old at the bottom of
the sea They may stay where they are, for any
thing care.
'In this mood walked quietly home, and when
the appointed third night came stirred from my
chamber.
"The year that followed reduced me still lower;
lost small sum Of money, which had saved with
much toll dstemper broke out on board the ship
where served, and was laid up for nine months in
the hospitals when they discharged me came hlther
on the beggars cruch seek the place OF my grave
for was weary of my life. know not how it came
to pass (tor wanted nothing there that, night
found myself once on the desoale strand by
the sea II was again st. Andrew day. but this time
the ocean not calm il dashed and roared wildly
and the foaming pillows made their sport with the old
wreck, so that il seemed If it intended once more
to put TO sea had not stood long here when the
well Known voice became audible, and the old man
4 stood before me Now looked him boldly in the
! face AS a N old IIa ~
same proposal of yore only he appeared much more
pressing, and len, vanishing the very same ring
behind him as formerly This time | took it up, and
put Il on my finger resolving moreover 10 perform the
succour for you, Andrew among men, said | to my
self; let us see, then, what ghosts can do
Not to be tedious, came in the middle Of the
third night and descended into the water To this
hour, know not how it was but the deeper | Owed
into the ocean, the il ceased to be ocean and at
last | found myself on handsome verdant meadow
than which had never beheld anything more lovely
and luxuriant upon earth A great many young men
were assembled on the mead some of whom were
moving the grass with cleaning scythes while others
tied II together in bundles. They sang moreover a
merry chant, in which much said in praise of a
beautiful female, well as Of the reward which she
would dispense to them when their labor done.
According to the admonition of the spirit fingered
not long among them still could not deny myself
scrutlnzlng the face nf many on, and then
ell TO me If beleld several of my friends and
acquaintance who, many many long years ago, had
| been drowned a, Upon the smooth level stood a
house, and as approached ii, lady of surprising
loneliness came forth to meet me- spread out her arms
and cried, In sweet, fdwning tone, All then you
come at last dearest TO take me home how long have
| been expecting UP
4 AT this speech, coupled with the sight ola form so
bewlching had well-nigh forgotten the warning OF
the spectre howbe ra llied my self quickly, dated
under the raised of the fair one and EDWARDS to
place where saw the three vases standing. In an
instant had thrown down the middle one know
not what happened to me then in moment saw
all the young fellows in the meadow rush towards
me, the beautiful female uttered shrek of lament,
heard it jarring and ringing in my to stunning
degree, and had the feeling though some one was
| drawing me upwards very fast When | once more
recovered my senses found myself on the shore,
leaning against the old wreck bruised apparently in
all my limbs
" The good of this was that the little wan old man
kept consciously the promise he had given found
10y my side leathern wallet such merchants used
TO wear hundred years ago filed W tn gold and pre-
cious stones. But still than this treasure
the blessing worth, which from this time forth visibly
rested on all that did and undertook. My life was
as II were, transformed if formerly it had presented
| the rough side it now showed only the smooth and
vevety one. took, besides, several journeys next
married my beloved wife here, settled quietly in the
village, and accepted the good days which Heaven
\ provided me. God be thanked they have not yet
ceased; although reckon hundred, | feel
myself still fresh and vigorous and when young mer
| ry fellows collect any where, | am among them, re-
fleeing of truth, how there a time when |
was shy every contened face which put in mind
OF my misery and restitution. This is the work OF
the good spirit"
! Now in the village, where the pleasant adven-
lure had befalIen old Andrew, there lived another
fisherman who the LATEST the dissolute and
extravagant fellow that you shall find in day march
! His face resembled a withercd plum, which has been
boiled and then crushed his eyes must certainly have
once belonged to a water-rat the dimlnutive nose
| stuck upon his uncouth vsage like almond on
piece OF gingerbread beard, that looked like the
! brstles of a hedgehog surrounded his gaping mouth
and his legs not much thicker than whip-handles
and not much straighter than a sickle. The people
who came to Peter Knock to transact business with
him. must forsooth, learn from his wife Martha, lie
was unwell and could not be seen" The truth was
however, that Peter Knock, from early dawn to the
late of evening lay drunk behind the stove in his hut
and stared at the church tower of Client until he ms
took it for flask Of brandy In this state of affairs
then Dame Martha took the management Of the house
and bore the reputation OF using sceptre of SO brittle
a texture that II wasted away in the handling.
She often used TO say that her husband was old
unweldy packetboat which, on account OF too strong
ladlng, could not make way properly she, however
light heecd friraie for which the wind needed
only to touch Its slender stern, TO urge it its
row like caieer The truth of this metaphor consist
ed in this, that Dame Martha looked after the fishing
and the business in the day time and in the evening,
when she came home, soured her husbands life for
him certain persons would aver that occasionally she
thrnshed him soundly
These lrllng deSag remdns embittered Peters pr.
vatee. No enjoyment such really suited his
taste, could any more be found. II he sat in Corne-
liza Dephs tap room it was not right, in his eyes. for
the windows To have view of the sea for the
was hateful to him. because he knew that Dame Mar
tina rowing and fishing upon it in fact, he could
have wished she might lie deep at the bottom of the
same and he and the fish be at peace from her Dame
Martha, however, not Of that opinion; she had
excellent health aud boomed in her mature years still
more /, seemed, the more visibly Peter Knock de
cIined Indeed, ifhat good woman did not very soon
oblge him in this particular | don't know that our
Peter had any i'll desire to take her place at the bot.
nm of the ocean. so heartily WEARY mns he nf The