Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1844-12-28

fashionable young sprigs of Governor
Lubbersen's time were pretty much as
they are now, and worshiped gold all
most as devoutly as they did them
selves. Howbeit, the little damscl,
whose name was Lockee; which means
Rachel--seemed all along nightly in
clined to spark til little with Rocloff,
and often walked with him by moon
light in the Maiden's Valley. But,
from the time the blind fiddler first
made his appearance, her head and
heart, like every thing else in New
Amsterdam, seemed turned upside
down. When Roelof sometimes ask
ed her in the most modest and beseem-
ing manner to take walk with him in
the Maiden's Valley, she answered by
asking him if he had heard the old
blind fiddler, the inimitable, unsurpass-
able, and immortal blind fiddler, and
then she would strike up "Molly put
the kittle on" to the utter discomft-
ure ofpoor Roclofl who thought to him
self, g Der tcufcl take the old blind
fiddler and Molly, and the kittlc TO
boot !" Then would he leave her, and
pass whole days in bordering OH the
most advisable means ofrescuing poor
Lockce from what he believed was a
most diabolical enchantment.
| He tried several mcthodes, which,
as they all failed, are not worth the
trouble Of speciying,and often fell into
all but despair at his frequent disap-
pointments. But, being by nature
pcrsevciing, not to say obstinate, he
would rally again, under the combined
influence Of love and patriotism. to res
cue his beloved Lockcc and his fell
low citizens from the unaccountablc
thraldom Of the old blind fiddler. Roc
loft, it is true, was not much Of phi
losopher-they being rather scarce at
that time in New Amstcrdam--bnt he
had studied little under the greatest
lof philosophers, experience, and frc-
quently observed that one Of the best
modes Of driving out one im6rmity,
was to substitute another in its place,
lust as the doctors used 10 do in the de-
plorable ages Of ignorance, before they
knew any thing Of animal chemistry,
: and the seven sciences. lie was aware
that among tho better, sort, namely,
fashionable people, there was little, If
any, genuine feeling, and much less
enthusiasm, for what they all run ritter
with such childish avidity; that,in fact,
it was nothing but that propensity to
imitation which causes flock ofshccp
to follow the bell-wcther, or geese 10
dogc in passing under gate in imi-
tation Of the old gander, or Of turkeys
to strut and gobbk when the old gen.
tleman feels II ..ned to become con-
lspicuous on tie approch Of stranger.
Following up this theory, he at diff
fcrent times introduccda puppct-show,
a famous slight.ofband man, a giant
seven feet and half high, dwarf on
y twcnty-six inches, an over.grown in
FAINT, weighing four hundred pounds a,
skeleton of a man all skin and bones,
a mummy, a mermaid, sheep with
two heads and snake with two tails,
besides several other extraordinary
productions of nature. Bnt he found
that the fashionable people Of New
Amsterdam, had little or no taste for
, nature, either in its beauty or deiormi-
ty, and continued true their Allegiance
to the old blind fiddler, who stillrcigncd
: supreme, while Lockce, continued en-
! chanted.
As n l.st resort, he resolved to apply
TO Governor Lubbersen-whow was his
5 uncle by the mothers side-for the in
: terposition Of his authority in order to
, expel this diabolical minstrel, as a com
mon disturbcr Of the peace Of the city.
The worthy governor signilied his ac-
} quiesccnce, and forth-with directed the
attendance of his black boy, whose Of
fee ii was to summon the members Of
) the city council. But that locel varlet
sent him word that as soon as he had
finished playing Molly put the kettle
, on" he would come, and not before.
Whcreupon, the worthy governor.
Justly incenscd at this insult to his au-
thority, Selling his gold headed crab
stick, knottcd like the backbone of a
stcrgcon, did incontincntly sally forth,
and finding this refractory mental with
bis ivory teeth displayed in all their
glory, playing desperately on jews
harp, aimed so well directed blow,
that he knocked the instrument fairly