The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-02-02

omnipoteni weapon. DR. Forbes, a gentle
man celebrated for bis meanness and dii
honesty, feeced Eyhraim cut Of few do
lars, by taking dlshonorable advantage {
him. Now, il so happened that one rain
Iempesiuods night, IN The spring Of "a
year, when the roads were deep mire, tina
gentleman raped at the door Of Docto
Forbes, -requesiiSsnhis immediate n,ten
dance 90 friend Of The doctors, who wa
lying IN e.. five miles distant, declarin,
that tho family would receive no olhe
physician. Let the physician make al
haste, or the patient dies before his arri
yal!' we're the concluding words, as lh'
messenger closed the door.
] The physician arose, hurried on hi
clothes, mounted hissgorse, aud dashed on
amid tie awful storm, urging bis s,eed alon,
Of most rapid rate. Ga arriving be rap
ped .afahc door, An was sien, within. =
lroppcd again. No answer. VIDA
could be the RECON- a third lime b.
shook the door With tremendous fury.
Who's there r. was The surly inquiry
"Duclor Forbes"
What are you after, this terrible
nightF' asked lhe master Of the house g.
be opened tho door fun upon bin.
81 am sent for. llow's this. Why
word was lelt at my house, nn hour ago
that you were living IN iii p
Never was better IN my life = replied
The farmer.
"th, then, hang tina, Ephraim Pip.
kin lie il The scoundrel who has deceiy-
cd me The doctor mounted his horse
like madmau, resolving vengeance and
birthstone, on bis fearful way home. As
there was 10 proof thai Ephriam was the
man." although no doubt existed that such
vas the fact, the whole thing passed OF, and
finally became one of the best ifadllIogary
stories Of The village.
Not many months after lhe above affair,
The doctor lost "a avori,o horse, after q
short illness, for which his master had pre-
scrIbed. iie drew hiu of some distance
from the village, aud resigned him 10 the
brds ofIhe aIf. Ouihe following morning the
doctor arose, and throwing up his window,
behcld hls deceased sccd, clad 10 harness,
and standing before the door, attached TO
the gig which he had shlrled along for SO
many years. "Goud Heaven J" exclaimed
the doctor, wild with astonishUcni; the
dead is uscu" Away be flew TO the
street. Il was the same, but alas without
life. Eptfaim Pipkul' vas the only cx.
eIama:lon. The public understood II all.
There was no evidence but the joke was
laughed at Tor weeks.
Reader did you ever lear of the Uni
ycfsal Band y IN lie village Of Ephralm's
nativity aud residence, such band -four
ished, aud our hero was captain thereof
1. Was termed the " uiycrsal Band" be.
cause !, was oreu 10 all, without reference
10 musical or any other qualification.
This baud numbered about an hundred. -
Their instruments were, tin pans, pot lids,
dinner horns, cracked bells, drums aud
flies aud thousand unique vehicles ofnoise;
IN brief 4" MUSICAL instruments and tha, Of
all sorts" Yes, Ephrlim vas captain
At midnight, beneath the brsh, moon,
when all was still aud solemn, tho band
marched through the streets, and serenaded
the people. Windows few up and night
capped heads acre thrust forth 10 listen 10
the divine melody. Rphraim marched at
the head, y ,lh firm step, fol- Of stateliuess
and dignity, striking two cymbolic pc, lids
together, 10 perfect harmony, leading the
union OF sounds IN his rear. lnpassive and
soical he suffered uothlog 10 divert his at
tention. +" HIS march was onward. -
Dogs, reused from their dreams, might
bark ; cats snail; cows below horses
snort yet the uaiversa Baud moved on.
II was enough tina, the whole people we're
Up aud listening. No one wished to sleep
on such an occasion; ard venture 10 say,
tina, If there is man living who knew +
phEaim Pipkn, he win frs, think Of him as
the Captain Of the Unl,ersal Band.
Ephrain Plpkin was an old man when
he died. Hts hght went out gradually
waxing DINNER aud DINNER each day, TN
til the shadows Of death settled around him
His bead was full Of Wit and his face full OF
humor To the hast. Il WAS not in the power
Of fate to depress him, He was above her
arrows. All the void vas a stage " &c
HIM aud he PLAYED his part well, even &c
his las, exit. Poverty might pinch, sick
ness assail, scandal dcrdc; it was all tbs
sa ne TO Ephra,m. He was too much of 1
philosopher TO care straw for them. Ill
kicked the whole catalogue of miserie
from him, as he would mad dog. " As {
man hinketh, so is be-" was Epbraim'
creed, drawn from the best OF books.
Ephraim left no property for posierii.
to quarrel about. He had seen the foil
Of il, He had seen "atfec,ionate an
" dut(ul children of deceased parent
break open the will on the funeral doy, an
iinht like cats and dogs, during their natl
raj lives, about dollars and cents He Ina
seen families split, brothers curse brother
and sisters war with sisters; aud oil Il
money He had seen tho protligacy of tt
f, sous, intemperanco and gambling, and ev'
7 ~ other vice. Altho' childless, the greed
: werld might contend for his smallest pi
y lance; and Ephraim blessed his stars III
:, he died poor
IS Our philosopher was never torment,