The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-11-02
fMUNGo MACKAY, THE PRACTICAL
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. heard of was Mungo Mackay, of the town o
, Boston, on Massachusetts Bay. Others fol-
low the sport as most men follow heIhounds
or cultivate music as recreation, but Mackay
| might be sald to follow It as though it We're his
trade. With them twas the by play, with
him it was the business of life, Il was food
and raimenf TO him: he could not exist without
a plot against the tranquility of his neighOor-
hood; he laughed bets whea others were in q
rage, and enjoyed to mark when those around
him were suffering from the results Of his in
ventixe genius. His father died just as he
had grown TO mans estate, Leaving him COM
Portable Independence; and from that period
he passed his days and nights In crusade a.
ga nst the good people of Boston. He was an
lshInaelitish wit: for truly "his hand was
! against every man, and every mans hand
against him, "and the hand of every woman too.
from the Charles River to South Boston, and
for many miles round the villages, by semi
circle of which the ancient capital of the land
ofsteady habits ia enclosed.
One cold, raw November night, in the year
49,, the wind blew as though il would blow
| down old Faneu Hall, and the rain fell in such
torrents that Bunker Hill was nearly washed
away. The sky wss as black as ''all round
my hat" and the air was compounded of that
| delightful admixture of frost and moisture in
which there is enough of the latter TO open
the pores while the former goes directly to the
heart In the midst of the rumbling of the
elements tall figure might be seen vending
stealthily along the narrow streets and lonely
alleys, shod with pair of fisherman's boots,
and enveloped in huge pea jacket, for indeed
rubbers and Mackintoshes were unknown in
those days, until il halted under the window
of lonely cottage at some distance from the
| town, and the family being sometime in bed,
knocked violently at the door. At first his rude
summons was Unanswered; but after repeated
thumps a bed room window was thrown up
and voice demanded who was there.
"Pray, sir" said Mackay-for it was he.
'swill you be kind enough 10 tell me if a per-
son named Mutt lives in this neighborhoodl"
"To be sure he does" replied the voice from
| the window, "he lives here"
81 am glad of that, for the night is very stor-
my, and have something of great importance
to communicate TO him."
tOf great mportance!-ofgreat importance
did you say? l know of nothing very impor-
tant that can concern me at this hour of the
night; but whatever il is let US hear it, | am
the person you want.
"Speak little louder if you please said
Mackay, II am somewhat deaf, and tie spout
makes such noise. Did you say your name
was Mutt"
'sCertainly did; and wish you would
| make haste to communicate whaEeSer You
have to say, for have nothing OH but my SHIRT
and Dight-cap, and the wind is whistllng lhro'
me nation cold"
"Have you got an uncle in Boston very old
| and childless worth ten thousand dollars"
| At this question a long pointed white night
cap was thrust out of the window; and in an
instant, together with the shirt collar that fol-
| lowed If, was saturated with rain.
| "What did you say about an uncle and ten
thousand dollars? There is my uncle Wheel
er-very old and very rich. but what of hint"
sob nothing as yet, till | am certain of my
man. There may be a good many Nuts
about here, 1t is J. Mutt want"
| ~ am the man." said the voice IN the night
can. uFhere is no mistake. There's 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 sleeves OF
the shirt were out of the window; the tassel at
the end ofthe white night cap, nearly touched
the green pailings in front Of the house; and
had there been light enough 10 have seen, a
fpainter might have caught an attitude OF aDx-
iety, and face, or rather two faces, for by this
time there was a female peeping over Nuts
shoulder, beaming with the anticipation OF good
| fortune to come.
aWell." said Mackar, very deliberately, 81
4
lifthere was any mistake, you cannot say 1t
mo, certainly not" cried two voices from
the window, ;,
"You say your name is John Mutt, doyou.''
81 do"
"WelL then, all I have say is, may the deUi
crack you!"
The two heads were drawn in like lightning
from the rain; and, as the window was Slam
med down with violence that bespoke rage
and disappointment a loud horse laugh rose
upon the wind, and the lover OF practleal JOKES
turned on his heel to trudge'homeward tnrougt
the mist, as the good woman inside was going
in search of the finder box, TO enable ner Z
hunt up dry chemises, shirts and night caps.
/ The story was many years afterwards don'
into verse, after the manner OF Colman TN
Younger, by a clever student a, Harvard I'M
versity; but all that ri member OF the Poetr.
airs the two concluding lines:-
"And if your name be certainly John MUTT
@Why then, the devil crack you!"
One pleasant Sunday morning Mackay wen
to church by times, took his seat IN centra
pew, Just under the shadow of the pulpit, an
sat bolt upright with his arms extended VII
an apparent degree of unnatural rlgidIty dow
by his sides. He was presently surfounde
DIV ndlI a OOZGu lCAudlOSS AACdti eshA " 49,
were strangers to his person, and in little tim
: = the church was full to OVERLOOKING. The psalI
= was sung, the prayer was said. the sermon %
Iivercd in the preachers best style. de dive
:, particularly on the requirements OF the gre;
: Drecepts of brotherly love, upon the beauty
: universal benevolence; on the pleasure who
= arises not only from clothing the naked an
feeding the hungry, but from attention TO Il
" minute and graceful courtesies and charIti'
= of life, by which the thorny paths are softene
: and adorned. In the language of the critics.
: such matters, 'there was not a dry eye IN u
place; The appeal found its way to every hear
AN Mackay's immediate neiglibors we're sci
|. sibIy Affected; he wept with thems the
Y fears chased each other down his cheeks
But while every one was busy with their ha
n kerchieis, wiping away the water that the or
n. tor. like second Moses, had, by the strokes
his eloquence, caused 10 gush from their fin
hearts, Mack held his arms TIL ana stralg
:; while half glass of liquid suffused his lace.
y. He wriorIed fidgefed looked confused and