The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-03-21
SAM SLICK IN ENGLAND,
HOOKS. "A N D Ely ES.

.NT n. si-ftta
After our return from dinnerto day,
Mr.. Slick said, esquire what did you
think Of our host?" I = 'o''s. -
i saaiid-aI thought be was aremark-
ABLY well informed man, and good
talker, although he talked rather louder
than was agreeable"
asThat feller," said he, ais nothin' but
cussed Hook, and they are critters
thatit ought 10 be lawful to kick TO the
north eend Of creation, wherever you
meet 'enl, as it is to kick a dog, an 1n.
gian, or nigger."
"a Hook" | said; spray what is
thatf' am
"aDid you never hear Of a hookw' he
replied; and upon my answering In the
negative, he said -.sWeIl,. p'raps. you
haSte, for / believe hooks and eyes is
tarm ofmy own; they are to be found
altover the world but there are more
on 'em TO England, p'raps, than any
other part Of the globe Almost. | got
that wrinkle, about hooks and eyes,,
when I was Just one and twenty, from
a,gal, and since then find it goes thro'
alfnatur'. There are Tory hooks, and
Wing hooks, and Radical hooks, and
Reber hooks, and SO on, and they are
all so mean it tante easy to tell which
is fhe dirtiest or mcanest of 'em. But
I'll tell YOU the first thing sot me to
considerin' about hooks and eyes, and
then you will see what grand lesson
it is. .''
81 was always shockin' fond Of gun
min. and p'raps to this day there amt
no one in all SlickvilIe as good at shot.
or bullet as I be. Any created thing
my gun got Sight Of was struck dead
afore il knew what was the matter Of
it. Well, about five miles or SO from
our house, there was two most grand
duck-ponds, where the blue winged
duck and the teal used to come, and
these ponds was on the farm of Squire
Foley. Sometimes, in the wild-tow
season, | used to goover there and stay
at the Squire's three or four days at a
time, and grand sporti had too, | can
tell you. Well, the Squire had but one
child, and she was darter, and the
most beautiful critter that ever trod in
shoe-leather. Onion county couldn't
ditto her no where, nor Connecticut
notlier. 1t would take away your
breath a'lnost to look at her, she was So
handsome. Well, in course, Twas away
all day and didn't see much Of Lucy,
except at feedn' times and at night,
round the fire. Well, what does Lucy
do, but say she should like to see how
ducks was shot, and that she would go
with me some day, and look on. Well,
we went the matter Of three different
mornil's, tho not hard runnin', and sot
dawn in the spruce thickets, thai run
out in little points into the ponds, Which
made grand screens for shootin' from,
at the birds. But old Marin Foley
Oh! nothin' ever escapes woman;--
old Marin observed whenever Lucy
was with me, never shot no birds, for
we did nothin' but talk, and that fright
ened 'em away; and she didn't half like
this watchin' forwild ducks so faraway
fromhome. So, sais she, land women
know how to find excuses, beautiful it
comes natural to 'em,) 'so,' sais she.
sLucy. dear, you mustn't 60 a-gunnin'
no more. The dew is on the grass so
airly in the mornin', and The bushes is
wet and you are delicate yourself;y our
great grandmother, on your fathers
side, died of consumption, and you'll
catch your death a-cold, and besides.
sais she, 'if you must go,5go with some
one that knows how to shoot, for you
never brought home any birds yeti
Lucy who was as proud as Lucifer, un-
dcrstood the hint at once, and was
shockin'vext, but she wouldn't let on
she cared to 60 with me, and that,it was
Young Squire Slick she wanted to see,
and not the ducks. sSo,' sais she, q was
n thinkin' so too, Ma; for my part, |
can't see what pleasure there can be
settin' for hours shiverin' under wet
bush list to shoot duck. I shan't 60
no more Well, next mornin' 3arter
this talk, jist as ! was ready to start
away, down comes Lucy TO the keep
in'-roorn, with both arms behind her
head, a-fxen' Of the hooks and eyes
.Man alive sails she ARE you here yet
II thought you was off a gunnin' an
hour ago; who'd thought you was
hereraBsGunning' saIs !, sLucy my gun
MIN is over; shan't go no more no W,
/ shall go home; iagree with you; shiv-
erin alone undera wet bush for hours
Is no fun ;'but if Lucy was there 49,
Get OUT sais she, don't talk nonsense,
Sam, and Just fasten the upper hook
and eye Of my frock, will youY She
t,rnad r6ut,d her back to me. = Well. 4