The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1841-10-16


One Of Smiths exploits while he Lad
but little more than reached his teens,
was to over-reach his own father by
swlnHing him out Of the price ola toler-
ably costly horse. 1t was somewhat after
this ,manner:-the old gentleman had
given him colt which grew tn be fine
riding horse, so capital hack, that the
father, man Of capital, offer lmporluned
his hopeful branch 10 sell HIM to him; but
the boy, knowing he had never lacked
funds, refused any price: meantime the an
imal died one night III the meadow, of the
bolts. Early next morning Smith discov-
cred his loss, and taking the slaves with
him they succeeded i'll placing the stlhen-
ed dead horse on his feet, propped by a
lence-slake run into his oll-side, his
mouth on the grass as if eating. This
was some distance from, but in view of
the house. When his father rose, as he
approached The door, Smith coolly pointing
o 'Bucephalus,' observed, There, father,
there he is,-I've concluded to take your
offer of two hundred dollars for him
just about half price for such an animal
when in full health and vigour, aud only a
fair equivalent when these have failed
him. Like me, he is low. spirited ust
now, for wouldn't be surprised if he had
some presentment that was about to
transfer him to you for fllthy lucre: but as
you have always said his fiery metal was
his o"Iy fault, | can promise you that if
you do not fad that fault cured in him
now, | will take him off your hands any
time hence al the same price. The truth
is, Pm a liuIe supersutious, and tear if
do not sell him TO you now, | shall never
get any good Of him, SO if you see fit to
close with me white Pm in the mood, fork
up the needIul, and he is yours, ''lor bet
ter for worse" like you took NAM
my"
The old gentleman, glad to find his
son in the mood al last, readily counted
down the m in gold, and sent IA servant
to catch the horse, Jas he wished to ride
him express to the adjacent village, on ur-
gent busIness) Charging hun to make
sure by taking I o ears of corn to rub
together, well hAowing that ordinarily it
ra' next to impossible 10 app zach him
/ else.
a the negro, who was bnbed to Sc
crecy by the young master, proceeded to
obey the odd un,' when he neareJ the
horse from the opposite side, the father, in
ecs, cy, rubbed his hards and remarked
smartIv to his wiIc,-'Sophy, my dear,
! Pa daIighle with my bargaln-no pay
Ily too dear iol the whistle this time
Tor the only detect about that horse seems
about to BE- rem ved-look. never sa =
him stand So Grm ~
The son intcsposed wilh,-'l tear the
frmncSS of his standing, father but incline
to believe his witness is etiectually cur
ed: yet | thought had better sell (f II
could as that TT of stock is falling.
Just at that instant, Cuifquetly remov-
ed the stake, and OF course down went
the Greek.
The old man ran to meet Cuff, and Cuff
ran to meet the Old man, eXcIalming
with we'll feigned horror and amaze
| ment-
.Lora Cora, old massa, no sooner
'proach dat cussed, stupid hauss, dan he
fling up he tail an gone tumble down
dead as Julia Sneezer. Cuss him imper-
ence, spec him hab de bolt, or de bel
ly-ache, or de blind stagger, or sumpin.'
Of course the old gentleman saw the
jig was up,'-ahd returning to the house,
he snapped his eyes once or twice to see
if he was wide awake,-burst into ire
mendous----ft of Laughter, and as soon
as he could get breath, pocketed the joke
in lieu of his cash, saying if he had nves-
ted that sum IN United States bank stock |
it would have been working for dead
horse'-lhat it was way Of the smiths
| to shoe dead horses sometimes-and then
whistling ..Begone dull care" cody re-
minded 'Sophy' of what the boy'> grand
father had predicted on the occasion of the
queue-string business.
OF course it were morally unreasonable
to suppose that man of Mr.. Smiths turn
should be at all addicted to speaking the
truth; how could he? But how any man
could deal so extensively in the fancy line
with such economical pretensons, has al
ways been mystery 10 many ror il
stance he has said that he once owned
a dog Ito which he was very much at
tached) of the most extraordinary compo-
sition, being an entire dog Of gristle. And
perceiving that when in motion he neither
ran nor walked, but kept bouncing up and
down like an india-rubber ball, he was in
duced to feed hun altogether OH stur-
geon nose aud india-rubber, in order to
test how far this bouncing sort of locom-
olive power might be increased, in hopes
of superseding steam; till at length this
high pressure SYSTEM was carried to such
a pitch, that the only way the poor crea-
ture could get along was to lie down fiat
on his stomach and not go at all; or if at
| all, to merely swim or crawl: for if set in