The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1844-06-22
ISUI&IhlEAN NlAOUSo
From Sam Slick in England.
THE ELDER AND THE GRAVE
DIGGER.

Did ever ! tell you the story of the
"Elder. and the grave. digger1"
" Never" replied shut here we
are at our lodgings. Come in, and tell
il 10 me-"
WelI,' said he, L must have q
glass of mint julip fust, TO wash down
that ere disappointment about the mare
1t was dreadful 60 that. / is, lost a
thousand dollars by it,as slick as grease
But it's an excilin' thing is trotiin'
race, too. When you mount, hear the
word Start y and shout out G'lang =
and give the pass word"
Good heavens what yell he perpe-
trated again. pat both hands to my
ears, TO exclude the reverberalions Of it
from the walls.
Don't be skeered, Squire; don't be
skeered. We are alone now; there is
no mare 10 lose. Amt it pretty? Il
makes me feel all dandery and on wires
like"
" But the grave digger p said |.
=" Well, says he. 'lhe year afore !
knowed you, | was a-goin in the fall,
down TO Clare, about sixty miles below
Annapolis, 10 collect some debts due TO
me there from the French. And as
was ,joggin' on along the road, who
should | overlake but Elder Stephen
Grab, of Beechmeadows, mounted on
a considerable of clever-ookin' Llack
mare. The Elder was a pious man; a;
least he looked like one, and spoke like
one too. His face was as long as the
moral law, and pehaps an inch longer,
md as smooth as hone; and his voice
was SO soft and sweet, and his tongue
moved SO lily on its hinges, you'd a lho'l
you might trusted him with on,oId
gold, if you didn't care whether you
ever got it agn or no. He had bran
Iew hat on, with a brim that was none
pf,he smallest, TO keep the sun from
maxim his inner man wink, and his
5o-to-meeun' clothes on, and a pair OF
silver mounted spurs, and beautiful
white cravat, tied behind, so as TO have
10 bows 10 it, and look meek If ther,
was good man on airth, you'd a said
it was him. And he seemed TO feel it.
and know ii too, Tor there was a kind o.
ook o'lriumph about him. as if he had
conquered the Evil One, and was CON
siderable well satisfied with himself.
"H'are you,' sais + Elder, to-day?
Which way are you from -
From the General Christian Assem-
bly, said he, so Goose Creek w,
had 'most refreshin' time ont There
was a great 'oulpourin' OF the spirit
well, that's awful, sais ], 'oo.-
The magistrate oug1, 10 see TO that; il
amt right, when folks assemble that
way TO worship, 10 lie a-sellin' of rum,
and gin, and brandy, and spirits, is NJ
i don't mean thal, says he, 'aliho'
,'rhaps, there was too much of that wick
cd traffic too. mean the preachin'.
1t was very peeowerlul; there was ma
ny sIn1ers saved
+" guess there was plenty Of it, sai,
|, 'onleSs that ighboIhood has much
improved since | knowed it last
"lr'S a sweet thing sais he. 'Havt
you ever made professIon,' Mr.. Slic k?'
Z" Come, sais to myself, this is cut
i'm it rather too fat. | must put a stop
20 this. This amt subject for cover
cation with such a cheatin', canlin',
skunk as this is, Yes,
Sais | long ago. My profession is thai
Of clock maker, and | make no prelen
sion TO moth in else. But come, lel's
water our hosses here and liquor our
selves
And we dismounted, and gave 'em
DIT op TO wet their mouths.
"Now,' sails LA lakin oul of a pocke
pistol that | generally travelled with, j
think III take drop of grog;' and ar,
ter helpin' myself, | gives the silver
cover Of the flask a dip in the brook !
for clean rinse is better than dirty
wipe, any lime), and sais !, 'wll you
have little o. the e'outpourin of The spir.
il?' What do you say, EIder?'
"Thank you, says he, friend Slick.
| never touch liquor, il'S agin our rules,
"And he stopped down and filled NJ
with waler,and took a moulh(ul, g. then
maxim face like frog afore he goes
to sing, and swelin' his cheeks out like
a Scotch bogpper, he spit it all OUT