Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-04-29
the window /; .he lives here.'


Il am glad of that said NJ, 'for the nigh.
is very stormy, and have something of great
importance to communicate to him.
'Of great importance--of great importance,
| did you say2 l know nothing very impor-
tant that can concern me at this hour of the
| night; but whatever it is, let US hear it. l
am the person you want
Speak little louder, if you please said
NJ, Il am somewhat deaf, and the spout
makes such noise. Did you say your name
was Nutt!'
Certainly did; and wish you would
make haste to communicate whatever you
have to say, for have nothing on but my
shirt and night cap, and the wind il whist
ling through me, nation cold
'Have you got an uncle in Boston--child-
less, and very ellsworth ten thousand dol
lars.'
At this question long pointed white night
cap was thrust out fthe window; and i'm an
instant together with the shirtcollar that fol-
lowed, it was saturated with rain. 'What
did you say about an uncle, and ten thousand
dollars There is my uncle Wheeleris very
old, and very rich; but what of him!'
ooh! nothing as yet, till 1 am certain Of
my man. There may be good many Nuts
about here. 1t is John Mutt want
Il am the mani said the voice in the night
cap. 'There is no mistake. There is not a
man for twenty miles round of the name Of
Mutt but me; and besides my Christian name
Is John; and / have an uncle in Boston,
BY this time the whole back and the sleeves
were out OF the window, the tassel at the end
OF the white night cap nearly touched the
green palings in front Of the house; and, had
there been light enough to have seen, pain
ter might have caught an attitude of straining
anxiety, and face, or rather two faces, for
by this time there was female peering over
Nuts shoulder, beamng with anticipation of
good fortune to come.
'Well,' said Mackay, very deliberately, Il
suppose l may venture to speak out; but
mind, if there is any mistake, you cannot cay
it was my fault
mo, certainly not cried two voices from
the window.
you say your name lie John Mutt, do
you9'
Il do
well, then, all that have to say is, may
the devil crack your
The two heads were drawn in like light
ming from the rain; and, as the window was
slammed down with violence that bespoke
rage and disappointment, loud horse laugh
rose upon the wind, and the lover of practical
jokes turned on his heel to trudge homeward
through the mist, az the good woman inside
was going in search Of the tinder-box to ena-
BILE her to hunt up dry chemises, shirts, and
night caps.
This story was many years afterwards done
into verso, after the manner Of Coleman the
younger, by clever student of Harvard Uni
versity; but all that remember Of the poetry
are the two concluding lines -
and if your name be certainly John Mutt,
Why, then, the Devil crack your
Another Of his tricks had very nearly bro
ken poor fellows neck but verify believe
that if it had, it would have been all the same
to Mackay, who seemed to think that the
whole human race had only been created for
him to play pranks upon; or perhaps he quiz
eted his conscience by the belief that the a.
musement afforded to the many more .han
counterbalanced the annoyance, and some
times actual pain, which he dealt out to the
few.
Old Ben Russell, or Major Russell, as he
| was usually styled, was tall fine looking
man, at that time in the prime of life, strong
as Hercules, but with good deal OF the neat
ness of dress and polished manners Of gen.
tleman of the old school. He had for many
years owned and edited the Boston Sentinel,
and prided himself upon two things-always
having lis paper out at a certain time, and al
ways having In it the most exact and anthem
tic intelligence. No man in the city could
at word tell you SO correctly the position
of contending armies in the last European
battles, or the points at issue in the latest Con-
tinental negotiation. When two armies wen,
into the Netherlands for summers work,
and Sergeant Gotten, the Waterloo guide
says, 'Ain't it the cockpit of Europe! no mat
ter where they quarrel, they're sure TO come
}, here to fightp Ben Russell unfuTled the
map of the country upon the wall OF his sane
tum as soon as they uniurled their banners II
} the field /; and two pins, one white and the
: other black, stuck through the map, servet
, to mark the places at which the first entered
the country, or opened the campaign. These
r pins shifted their positions, and either adyan
5 ced or retired as the belligerents changed
3 their ground; and when any part of the mail
: force was detached, pin OF small size wa
S sent to watch Its line of march, and declare
r its operations. The editor by this simple
!, continuance could not only tell at glance, b
o looking at his pins, where the armies were
S but by tracing to holes which the pins ha
left behind them, could read you off from hi
IT maps, at the conclusion of long war, I'll
" history of every campaign.
n AS this worthy, but somewhat fiery al
II dignlted person, was bending over the La
IS proof of his editorial column, which contain
l. ed seader' Of some Importance in his eye
ST iDsomuch as it gave the latest Intelligent
oil from France, and corrected an error whlt
er appeared in the Boston Gazette relative
of the movements of Gen. Dumourier, stran
re kind of clinking noise was heard at the 70
o. OF the long staircase which led up to t
ID printing Office, at one end of which was Bel
D. sanctum, where he was examining the pro
rs aforesaid. Nearer and nearer came I
Sc noise as footsteps appeared to ascend
staircase--clink-cink clink Every BIO
he wondered what it was; tie devil stopr
he scraping the bali--for rollers, like Mack
ut toshes, were not dreamed Of then, the CO