Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-11-14

lien SAID the stranger, Just so
Just so !"
The IRE Frightened up at tina, moment,
and enabled me to obtain good view OF
my visitor. He was Of q perfect brim-
stone hue. he might have been taken for
gigantic yellow bird. His boots were
yellow his trowsers were yellow his
coat, yes, and crayat were yellow his
hair, whiskers, eye. brows and skin were
yellow in fine, he was all yellow, from
Top TO toe, except his coal black eyes
Such eyes never saw Before in my life,
and hope never TO see again. Instead OF
sparkling as black eyes generally do, the
iris of each seemed to have no glistening
corner in front, bat appeared rather TO be
the circuar mouth Of deep cave, in
which darkness alone was visible. look
ed into those terrible eyes, and felt that
the owner could be no other than Satan
himself. AZ that instant light flashed
10 in the depths of their dark recesses !;
and while | gaze5 more inlently. dis
tinclly saw in those gloomy cayerns two
miniature pictures of hell
Al length the stranger spake: "Weis,
see we know each other; and you pro-
badly can guess my business with you
tonight, as you are a Yankee"
"To tempt me, suppose" said |.
"Why, not exactly that" said he; al
come to make bargain with you that's
all and intend to be perfectly fair -
For value received | expect you to rem
4 Yaa ca-ut,a aotYivatap, ~
"Tbat sounds we'll, said /; "but what
is the value | am TO receive, and the ser
vice | am to renderl"
"The value is n good sound leg and
health as long as you live. The service
is, to gamble three hours each day thro'
life instead of wheeling wheel barrow
for the same length Of time. Certainly
these are better terms than you had any
right to expect; especially are they so,
considering that. shall insure you sue
cess in oil your gambling speculaions.
"But," said |, 81 wish 10 live respecta-
bly, in the world, and 10 win the regard
Of my fellow citizens. connot do this,
be prolessed gambler"
"Pooh! poohl' growled the man in gel
low; 81 am asionished at you: you are
not the man | took you for; you ore
perfect green horn. There are more
ways Of gambling than by venturing mo-
ney on games Of chance. Gambling in
stocks, man! gamble in breadstuffsi gam
BILE in (uel! You can be deacon of the
church, fyou please, and do these things,
without petiIling your character as a
Christian or man of honor. | wall fur.
nish you with largo capital with which
TO commence business, and willguarOntee
success in all your commercial enterpri-
ses; and the more extensive they are the
more successful they shall be-
In the back part Of the easy chair in
which sat, lay small B bic, gift from
my mother; remembered it at his mo-
ment, and recolectug also the many $40.
ries which had heard OF the DEVILS be-
ing ba fled by The Holy Book, determin.
ed TO play him trick. Not bearing in
mind the old proverb, ale who would sup
with the devil should use long spoon"
and foolishly hoping 'to dance without
paying the piper" | opened the negotia.
lion thus:
"Well, old gentleman, suppose you
make trial OF your skill? | DO not be-
lieve you can give me good sound leg, |
and should like to have that poigt estab
lshed before conclude bargain with |
you: if you can, frankly acknowledge |
it will be great temtailon to me. IT, |
after few minutes trial of my restored |
physical powers, should refuse to ac-
cede to your terms, you could, undoubt- |
eddy, cause me to return to my former
"To be sure | couldr quoth my da-
bolcal visitor; "aud have not the slight.
est objection to CRAFTY you. Therenow!
move your leg, and see whether it is not |
perfectly well and strong"
hesitated, for there was an eagerness /
in the manner OF Satan, glow, as Of an.
triumph, in has horrible eyes,
which startled me. and caused me topause
and reflect felt that had only to viii
myself to take one step, to be restored |
to physical soundness. revolved my
scheme in my mind; there seemed to be |
no aaw in it; and at last. overcome by |
a sudden impulse, | moved my leg. II
lifted il up, put il down, | drew it to-
ward me, and then extending it sudden.
~, kicked the opposite chair against the
Devils shins with such force that he roar
ed out Justify, in real or pretended pain, /
and stopped 20 rub the injured parts, cast
ing at me glance ofmalignant joy, which |
WAS hardly noticed at the time, though |
afterwards wildly recalled; for al that
moment | seized my Bible, jumped up, |
and after daEcing round the room two or
three times, to make sure Of my entire
restoration, ran up to the Devil and thrus,
the Holy Book in bis face, expecting Of
course the results which are said invaria. |
bly, to follow such proceeding. A howl |
IN my ears, aud birthstone stencil IN my I
nostrlS, were all that imagined would |
be left Of his Satanic Majesty in one in.
slant after that operation. Have nor |
read 80 thousand tmesP thought |, as I
| put the book 10 bis nose.
"Yes, you have" answered Satan
aloud, rising at the same time with a
grin on his coun,enance, and
Knocking the Bible into the fartherest
corner Of The room; Eyes, you have; bnt
these stories were all lies, got u? al my
order, aud published to bamboozle such
green-horns as you, Who would tam OBJ