The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1845-04-24

: is wicked, and men became shipbuiders
j Let me here advise the reader ofone O
5 my bcsetting faults. am now and thel
+ apt TO give up the thread ola narrative
that may run after some buteryA,
thought starting up before me: however
II the reader have patience, he will fine
that always return to my story. IfhC
have not, let him make clear the his
} tory and utility ofthe Pyramids, and a
} once lay down the ieathcry tale before
him. am conscious Of this infrmity O.
falling intoid!e chit-chat. Consider, how
ever,the preIudices of my early education
. Consider the time Of life at which | was
taken to court-consider the society a.
midst which passed my whitost days,
and you will pardon the small-talk of this
my forlorn, ragged, mortified old age.
However, to begin the history of my
adventures in merry, miserable England:
i found myself the property of the
third mate of the Jupiter, who had pur-
chased me, with other of my companions,
of kaficr, for twist Of a pig-tail; my
new master rejoicing himself exceedingly
at the cultivated intellect which enabled
him to trick the savage. lie never, |
am certain, felt SO much of an EngIisman
as when he had fobbed the Hottentot.-
Jack Llpscomb, for so was my new mas
ter named, combined in his nature-at
least so he hought-all the courage of
the sailor, with the prudence and foresight
Of the experienced merchant. With this
belief he had the deepest contempt for
every man of eyory nation, save of Eng
land. He believed that the blessings of
arithmetic were wholly confined to his
own beloved country and her darling sons
hence, in his small traffic with Chinese,
Malay and Hottentot, he would insist that
two and two made seven, five and seven
fifteen or twenty, as he might feel it
convenient to arrange the figures. In
word, he considered every foreigner to
be produced by benevolent nature for this
one purposc--to bcstow profit and pleas
ure on a ireeborn Briton. 1t was this
consciousness of superiority that made
him vote himself honest Jack Lipscomb'
"a man as was above lie, and didn't
care who knew it. He'd no deceit in
HIM, not he: no-hc never did nothing
that he need hide from nobody 1t was
doubtless, this fine principle that induced
the ingenious sailor to pack myself and
some sixteen companions between his
shirt and jacket ere he quilted the Docks
Doubtless, there was no need Of such an
arrangement, no other than the whim, the
caprice of honest Jack Lipscomb.
On leaving the Docks, Jack took his |
way TOWARDS the Minorics; and in a short
time smote the hospitablc door of an an
cient Hebrew, known among his people as
Shadrach Jacobs, and still more Gamll-
larry recognized by his intimatcs as old
Fluffy. Shadrach was dealer in the
pomps and vanitics of life, turning the
honest penny by such commodities, and
still bcncyoIently deploring their exis-
tence, He would employ an hour, per-
suading poor wcnch that earrings of
very questionable metal were of the
purest ore, pocket the girls quarters
wages for the small commercial deceit,
and then sigh for the promised innocence
the pure felicity Of the New Jevusalum.-
This was the tradesman who, for the past
four voyages, had purchased the merchan-
die of honest, knowing Jack Lispcomb.
Veil! iii isn't Mr. Lispcomb-if |
didn't dream on you last night-Ifl dind't
dream you was come home, captain,
don't never believe me, that's ALP Such
was the sautalion ofthe Hebrew dealer,
as Jack stood revealed at the doorstep,
This way, Mr. Lispcomb--this yay;' and
old Fluffy Au,tercd down the passage, and
mounted the narrow staircase, shaking at
least twenty years from his heels, with
the expectation ofsudden gain Jack
was speedily conducted into the Jews
room, crammcd and Uttered as it was with
exotic produce. Shells, feathers, birds,
bamboo-sticks, Indian hammocks, war
swords, canoe paddles, with haIfa-dozen
screaming parrots and macaws, enriched
the commercial sanctuary of the Hebrew.
IF didn't dream you was captain, Mr.
repeated the Jew as Jack
dropped himself upon chair.
'Captain!' cried Jack, affecting a con-
tempt for such vain dignity.
well, then, first-mate, said the Jew,
as though his dream comprehended even
the second rank.
UGH cried Jack, "a pretty lirst-riate
we've got--yes, good 'un, he is-just
knows bowsprit from umbrella, and
that's all.
Bless me! vcll!' sighed the Jew, and
then rubbing his hands, he turned him
elftowards Jack, and with an affected
look of anxiety, said, In course, Mr.
you comes back second''
4 tell you what old Fluffy said Jack
stung by the feeling of unrewarded per-
sonal merit, 4 tell you what-l'm just
what | was-honest Jack Lipscomb-
third mate of the Juplter,-and Id like
you to show me more straight lorwarder
honcster, ceverer iellow!'
'Ha! it would DO good to my eyes to
see him as could said Shadrach; and
then, in tone of sympathy, only third
this is world, to be suren
Having thus delivered himself, Mr. Jacobs
nroceedcd to the first business of his life.