Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-11-26
MISCELLANEOUS.
Peter Brush,
THE GREAT Used Up.
ny E c. NEAL.

y " w NNSGcl'hthNf niIh ihh
things appear 10 do their uimost TO keep them
so. November, the season of detection, when
pride itself loses lis imperious port when
ambition gives place 10 melancholy; when
beauty hardly takes the trouble to look into
the glass, and when existence Golis its rain
bow hues, and wears an aspect Of such dull,
commonplace reality, that hope leaves the
world for a temporary excursion, and those
who cannot do without her inspiring presence,
borrow the aid OF pistols, cords, and chemi-
Gals, and send themselves on a longer jour
ney, expecting to find her by the way-a sea-
son when the hair will not stay in curl when
the walls weep dewy drops, TO the great dei-
riment of paper-hangings, and Of every spe-
cies Of coloring with which they are adorned (;
when the b~anisters distil liquids, any thing
but beneficial to white gloves when nature
fills the ponds, and when embarrassing
is the only species of amusement at all popu-
lar among housekeepers.
Ii was on the worst Of nights in that worst
Of seasons. The atmosphere was in a condi-
ton Of which it is difficult TO speak with re-
spect, much as we may be disposed to ap-
plaud The doings of nature. 1t was damp,
ftggy, and drizzling; to sum up its imper-
fecllons in a sonorous and descriptive epithet,
it was "'orTid muggy weather." The air
a''h 'cH NV way hlO III W uilttg
folds, and extracted the starch from his shirt
collar and from the bosom of his dickey, with
rs much rapidly as it robbed his spirits OF
their elasticity, and melted the sugar of self
comPlacency from his mind. The street
lamps emitted a ghasily white glare, and
were so hemmed in with vapory w~reaths, that
their best efforts could no, project a raw of
light three feet from the burner. Gloom was
UNIVERSAL, and any change, even 10 the heat
Of Africa, or to the frosts of the arctic circle.
would, in comparison, have been delightful.
The pigs tails no longer waved in graceful
SInuoslties; while the tail of each nirht.roy-
Ing, hectoring bulldog ceased fdunting to-
ward the clouds, a banner Of wrath and def
ance to punier creatures, and hung down
dropping and detected, an emblem Of a heart
little disposed 10 quarrel and offence. The
ofnamentals Of the brute creation being thus
below par, it was moi surprising that men,
with cares on their shoulders and rappedness
in their trousers, should likewise be more
melancholy than on occasions of a brighter
character. Every one at all subject 10 the
"skiey Influences" who has had trouble
enough to tear his clothes, and TO teach him
that the staple Of this mundane existence is
not exclusively made up of fun, has felt that
philosophy is but a barometrical affair, and
that he who is proof against sorrow when the
air is clear and bracing, may be very mise
rable wretch, with no greater cause, when The
wind sits in another quarter.
Peter Brush Is a man Of this susceptible
class. His nervous system is Of the most
delicate organization, and responds to the
changes of the weather, as an Eolian harp
sings to the hlful swellings Of the breeze
Peter was abroad on tho night of which we
speak either because, unlike the Younger
Brutus, he had no Portia near 10 tell him that
such exposure was "not physical" and that
II was the part Of prudence to 90 to bed or
that, although aware of the dangers Of MAS
ma to a man of his constitution, he did not
happen al that precise moment to have access
to either house oil bed in his opinion, two
essential prerequisites TO COUGHING himself,
as he regarded 1t aIJreScO, on a cellar door,
not likely to answer any sanitary purpose
We incline ourselves 10 the opinion that he
was in the dilemma last mentioned, as it had
previously been the fate Of other great men.
But be that as it may, Mr.. Peter Brush was
in the street, as melancholy as an Embraced
drum, "a gib-ed cat, or a logged bear"
Seated upon the curb, 18th his feet across
the gutter, he placed his elbow on a stepping
stone, and like Juliet on The balcony, leaned
his head upon his hand-a hand that woulC
perhaps have been the better of a covering
though none would have been rash enough
TO volunteer TO be d glove upon it. H
was in a dllapidated condition-out at el
bows, out at knees, out Of pocket, out O
office, out of spirits, and out in the street.
an Z" out and outer" in every respect, and a
outre 4 mortal as ever the eye of man did res
upon. For some time, Mr.. Brush's reiec
lions had been silent. Following Hamlet
advice, he " gave them an understanding, bu
no tongue :" and he relieved himself at intel
walls by splitting f~orlornly into the kennel. A
length, suffering his locked hands TO fall be
tween his knees, and h%eaving a deep sigh
he spoke;-
"A long time ago, my ma used TO put o
her specs and say, : Peter, my son, put NJ
your trust in princes ! and from that day
this | haven't done any thing of the kind, b,
cause none on 'em ever wanted 10 borry noll
ing OF me and | never see a prince or a kin
but one or two, and they had been rotate
ont OF othce-to borry nothing of them.-
Princes. pooh Put not your trust in pol
ticianers-them's my sentiments. You mioI
jist as well try to hold an eel by the tail.
don't care which side they're on, for I've lrie
both, and ! know. Put not your trust in p
IlticlaneTs, or you'll get a hyst. -
"Ten years ago it came into my head tn
things weren't going on right; SO | prett
nearly gave myself up tee-totally to the GOO
of the republic. and left the shop to look OF
for itself. / was brimfull of patriotism, an
so uneasy in my mind for the salvation
freedom, couldn't work. ! tried to que:
G which side was going to win, and | stuck
1t like wax-sometimes | was acme sid
sometimes ! was a-t'other, and sometimes
straddled till the election was over, and can
up Jlst in time to jine the hurrah. 1t W;
good ! was after, and what good could | {
If ! wasn't on the 'lected sidel But, aft
all, 1t was never a bit of use. Whenever II
battle was over, no matter what side WI
sharing out the loaves and the fishes, and
stepped up, III be hanged if they didn't era
all they could into their W mouths, put the
aims over some, and grab all the rest wi
= their paws, and say, Go away, white ma
re you amt capable Capable! what's the re
son amt capablel I've got as extensive
throat as any of 'em, and | could swallo
the loaves and fishes without choking, if eaC
loaf was as big as a grindstone and each fl.
as big as a sturgeon. Give Peter a chanc