Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-10-26
MISCELLANEOUS
JENNY AND IHE WATCH.

for whom they have declar, d their attach
ment. The watch is kept and carried in
the bosom ofihe fair one until the anxious
couple are united in the bonds Of wedlock,
when, as a matter If course, the pledge OF
sincerItv is delved up TO its original ow.
ner. Tbs is imagined by the country
lssses to be an infinitely better plan for
securing the fidelity OF swesthearts than
III - breaking sixpence. A watch is a
valuable and highly priced article. II is
worth at least couple OF pounds, and the
loss Of that sum by an individual in an
humble condition tf life is very serious
m tier. Still, we believe there are cases
IN which the proposed match is broken off.
and the watch abandoned forever, though
doubtless this is only 10 cases Of great
ticki' ness. or when weighiy reasons for
d sertion intervene.
The flowing laughable incident no.
gardlng watch so intrusted occurred a
few years ago,
Jenny Symlngton, a well-favonred
spughty girl, IN certain farmhouse in
Galloway, had hem intrusted with a
".
= neghboiing shepherd. which she CARR.
ed with the most scrupulous care 10 her
bosom; but even the mosi carefully k. pi
articles viii som, times disappear in spite
OF all the precautions considered n.cessa
ry 10 preserve them. Jenny br it known,
was esteemed fifst-rate hand at prepar.
ing potatoes FIR the family supp r--none
II 4 n 4. 4
beaten and mashed 10 the most tempting
sfyls.- On one ofcssinn, IN harvt ST, when
The kitchen vas crowded with number
Of shearers waiting for their evening meal,
and while Jenny was busy beating a mess
Of petatoes, whist did the unldcky watch
do but drop from her bosom. chains. seals
and all, into the pot among the potatoesl--
Jenny's h. ad being turned away at the
moment, she knew nothing of the disaster,
and therefore continued 10 beat on at her
task. She certuinly was a little surprs
ed when she felt the re was still hard POI
tato to beat, Notwithstanding her previous
Diligence, but thinking nothing of it, she
continued to beat, occasionally giving the
hard potato, alias the watch, hard hump
with the end of the beetle. AT length
she thought she had Inirly completed the
business; and So, lnfusing large Jar IF
sweet milk IN the mess. she stir, it up
all toy, Their, and then placed the vessel
rfady for the attack OF the hungry | ok.
ers on.
| Behold, then, the pot--a round gswso
tripod, planted in the middle OF the flour.
A circle was formed round il in lrice,
and horn for horn the shearers began to
stretch and stretch and strive. Many
mouthfuls had not been taken before GER
tain queer looks were manifested.
'Del's in thu iat,ies,' says one; Il think
they've got banes in them
Ban S" says another, they're the fun
nirst banrs ev'r saw; they're made o
brok en- glass and pieces O. brass; IN sup
nae mnir Of them
With tat, another produced silver
watch case, oil Ia tered and useless, from
his capacous horn spoon, and univ.r s,i
strIkr among The sup ers imme l'at ly
"nsued |; was clrar that watch had
been beaten up win the potatoes; so thu
20 wife hsd nothing for IT but t, order
Il e dlsgrac d pot out Of the wy, and to
. ace basket of oatmeal cakes and milk
10 us place.
What was poor Jenny's feelings during
The strange denouementi On the frs,
Appearance of the fragments Of The watch,
she slipped her hand to her bosom, end
soon found how matters stood. She had
tie fortitule towever TO show no symp
oms OF surprise; and althnugh every Que
was won ing where the broken wat b
mad come from, she do not disclose her
kncwlefg Of how il had fund us way
IN the pot. As il had bel, ng To no one
in The house, the materials were not iden.
Ilhrd; and as Jenny was Young woman
of great prudence and m -drsty, and had
never shown any one that she had
watch IN her poss, ssion, no one leased
her about It. la n short tue the no Sc OF
The Circumstance ed away, but not til
It had gone over ihe neighb rhood that
tn" family had found watch in the poa-
TO pot, IN !, among others, it C me 10 the
ears OF the owner. Tam Il llidsy, was
highly pleased with the conduit OF his be-
loved J.nny-ior he thought that # size
had cried or subhed, and told 10 whom
the watch belonged, it would have
brought ridicuie on them both. Tam was,
10 SHIRT drhgh,, with The way the MT
ter had been managed. and he thought
the watch was wi lost, though it had
been ten times The value.
Whatever Tam's IDEAS were on the
subject, Jenny fel. consci ous that ii was
her duty to replace tie watch. Accord
inely, next time she met her lover she al.
low Ell no time to elapse before she thus
address, ell him
Now, Tam, ye ken very well how
have demolished your good silver watch,
but il is needless to regret what cannot be
helped. ! shall pay you for It every far
thing. TIE one hall | will give you
when get my half years wages at Ma
'imas, md the other half soon as my
brother has avn me three pounds, which
he hos promis d to pay me afore the next
Fasiern's cen fair"
My dear Jenny, said the young man,
taking her kindly by the hand, Il beg YOU
will say nothing about that ri diculous a f.
far. do not care farthing Tor the loss
1.-THE watch, MAR by tokec, have got.
I q