The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-03-30
Volume XII.
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE YANKEE AND THE DUELIsT.

be 0Oar0erS III the same tavern. i nc j an
kee was a shrewG man. as Yankees generally
are. but nevertheless, honest, good-n atured,
peaceable, and witha, fond ola joke /; but even
wher joking he was accustomed 10 maintain
grave and even dry countenance, as if his
face were made OF wood. His age might be
twenty eight-he was by profession school
master, and his name was Jededlah Bate
man.
know not whence the duelist came-IIe
seemed to have been hanging for a number Of
years about the villages on The frontier living
by his wits a card-player and land specu
lator. He was proud. Overbearing, and ma
liciOus; had been doubly arrogant and as
Stunning since he had been victorious in no
less than three duels. Once he had Grip
pied, twice he had killed his man; making
by these exploits two widows. and five
children fatherless. Such was his fame as a
duelist, that it was thought to be little less
than suicide for man not perfectly expert
with the pistol TO meet him in the field Of
honor, these sort of murderers call the
place where they shoot one another.
In dress and nauner he was flop and
swag eerer. His red, busliy whiskers, almost
met on his chin; his shirt ruffes were long
aud projecting; his cravat was stuffed with
padding until il almost buried his chin; aud
his bel-crowned hat was tilted over his left
eyebrow when he walked or rather struued
along the street, swinging and Pumping
Gown his cane at every step; and whereso-
ever he went, he overlooked everybody, and
expected the way 10 be cleared for him BY
biz h aud low. He considered himself jusii-
fed in lurding il over all who were about him
because he was the most formidable maI in
town.
If any pc acefuI, worthy man did not cover
at his presence, he was sure to resent the sup
posed indigniiy by sneers and insults. Many
were the pompous Sbes and bomhasic wit
ticisms thai he discharged from day 10 day al
the schOolmaster,-Jedediah Ba;eman, who
did not humble himself like dog before the
high and mighty Maj Dashwel Birkerton.
as the duelist STYLED himself He protested
20 have borne IL Majors commission in the
army. and boasicd Of his exploits in Gen.
WayHc's expedition against he Indians
Some people doubted whether he had been
in that expedition at all, because he gave
Some erroneous accounts of the marches and
battles bur they doubted only IN their
hearts. for who dared 10 insinuatc The suspic
ion of fasehood 10 The Majors terrible self;
Majors tongue might err. but his pistol was
nevertheless true. Who would have tho'I
of all. have the hdrdihood TO retort the
snccrs and insults of this hero of the pistol
lie bore several of these attacks with the nj
most cOmposure. Not muscle Of his face
changed its habiIual fixedness; not drop Of
blood more or less colorcd his cheek Meth
/ or word nor look indicated the slightest feel
ing Of the bulIy's satire. He charged the
artillery of his wit with still heavier loads OF
r rurbd phrases. 10 express his contempt iO'
,, the school master. Siillthe Yankee winkeG
not, he only began, with The sobcrest ant
most unicelng gravity TO utter some repair
, tees. DIS dry and grating rs The sands o
Arabia. YET so perfectly from open insult. al
to increase the duelist's pride without fur
nishing him prcleXt 10 take offence. But
the natural nialgniiy Of his temper was 81
II cmbitiered by the school masters morriiyine
c Indifference and icy wit, Thai he began 10 in
= suit him ourageOusly on all occasions, will
u the obvious intention of provoking a deadly
quarrel with him. Still The Yankee persc
lie vcred in his imperturablc GOODNESS, ant
= replied only hy jokes and scarcasmS of NOR
l stony and iudigestible hardness. The bully
ie rage became unbounded, and The Yankee
friends saw that the affair would soon com,
81 TO personal violence. But their kind cndcav
; ors we've in vain 10 persuade Jsdediab Il
sooihe the buy's case. 'lfy you mortify hi
IS p,ide Any further said they, he will assault
ynu and you will have to let him beat yol
&c with his cane or shoot YOU with his pistol.
y" i shall let him do neither, | guess, said Ih'
, Yankee.
How will you prevent him J!
L " u will see when the lime comes wa
the reply.
'e In the evening, at supper, the dueliSt ii
usual, begun TO utter something designed II
provoke the Yankee. At first Jededa
. gave no heed. To make the attack more dI
rect. The bully proceeded to, as he had ofIel
: done, aud as iops aud anticipates mostly do
, to express his coutemp, Of schoo-masters, o
=. pedagogues. as he and other fops used Il
u call Them. Seeing that Jeddedah paid NJ
" VI attention, he addressed him superciliouSly il
VI these words
&c Come, sir. Pedagosue. you are silent
VI be so condcscendinS as to illustrate you
~ profession by informing how many idea
u, you have basIiuadoed into the postcriors O
" your boys. io-dayl'
/ Not one SIR said Jeddediah, the boy
Ill do not carry their ideas in their posteriors
however they may have done in your boyis
days.
The duCe, do you say so, Mr.. Pedag ogue
why do you apply your birchen instrumen
az with such impetuaslty to that part OF thei
he cOrporeal system p Come, your philosoph
us neal reasons, Mr.. Pedagogue.'
SO \ ou shall he satisfied sir. apply III
~ D'rchen to that part because it is the base o
&C the system; all the baser elements seli
81 down into IT, snch as sloth pride, insolence
~ MI manners, ant whatever else may tend {,
St make man proud without virtue boastfu
u; without merit; pompous without dignity
NJ aud quarrelsome without reason. Therefore
We | apply the remedy to the base, in order Z,
oil expel such baseness from its seat in the ave
&c Iem.'
y; Tie bully was so foiled by this answer
ca that foi some moments he showed his ras
Ut only by his fierce looks. Then setting h;
IS, arms akimho. he said, You are coward
&c pedasogue to attack boys in that coward
Y way. never knew a pedagogue who va
- not tyrant among his children, and f.
~ ~ internal coward among men, He interla
ue ded this speech with one of the oaths con
t. monty used by bullies and blacksuards &C
ding these words IL had a pedacosue