The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1847-09-09

WINS disappointed; aud old Mr. Slider, hi.
rivnl aud enemy, was put int. "!lice--wh
suffered the bridge to remain unrcpaired
with the ungenerous sarcasm. that a maG
who lived in such n shattered house, might
well cndesvor 10 ride over a ru,tcn bridge
There was mil;atia company, and m,
iather was expecting u be chosen Captair
especially as he had been in the Rcvolu.
,ionary army, and actually spoken 70 Gen
Washington. Aud al the age Of forty. lone
they chose him orderly sergeant, which Of.
flee my father refused, declaring, with
much splitting and suffering, tina. he would
never serve bis ungratctul country again
Thus closed his military honnrs; aud he
was reduced to the necessity of finding the
post Of virtue in private station.
have heard that the only way 10 cure
ambition, is to starve it To death; aud all
the world seemed to combine TO move my
fathers passion for that unwe!come mcdi-
cine. Once he had determined to have n
large party nj our house. and we dcsi-
red to get il up in our best style. We
had invited all the grandces of Bandlebor-
ough; Esquire Wilson, aud his once, cd
daughtcr--Nlrs. Butterfly, retired milincr
Mrs. Red'ose, jolly widow--Mr. Wall
flour, a broken merchant Capt. Cask-
ct, supposed to be pensioner on the king
OF Great Britain. We had rakcd aud
scrapcd, and twisted aud turned, 10 procure
all the money we could. My mother had
sold pickle mang"es-l was scnt to pick
up mushrooms in the great pasture-my
father disposed uf about two tons Of old salt
nay, the remaining wheel Of an old ox cart
all his pumpkins and turnips, aud abou,
half Of his Indian Corn--to make up the
sum d fifteen dollars, ihirt. seven and n
half cents, with which we were 10 shine
out, for one evening ut least, in all the pea
cock feathers with which ingenious power
~ could covcr its hidc-bound, trost-biticn,
hunger wasted frame. We sent Tor all the
glass we could beg or borrow; and MIR.
Planewell, tho carpenter, was summoned
To repair our front cute, set up the fence,
aud new lay the step bcIurc the front door,
but as there was very little prospect Of his
ever being paid, he could not come. Two
Of the legs Of our dining table were broken,
and was ordered to glue them; failing in
that, remember tied them together with
a piece Of fish-line, which was To he conceal
ed By the depending tablc-clo,h. The ia
blc-cloih itself was Of the finest damask.
though unluckiIy, there was n thin spo, in
the middle Of il almost verging To hole
but this could conceal by the mat on which
we laid the great dish in the centre. My
mother had spent the previous week in
preparation, keeping the whole house in
confusion; washing, securing, cleaning
adjusting the best chaisber, where the la
dies were 10 take Of their bonnets-. mcnding
the carpet, and polishing the shovel aud
tongs: and Unjust confess, considering her
means she put things in tolerable ORDER
An old decrepit negro woman, by the name
u Joicc, who Ind formerly waited on par-
ties, but was now nearly snpcrannuaicd,
was TO come and assist ms; it having been
stipulated that she should have the frag-
mcnts Of the feast f,r her pay. The cve-
ming came; the company assembled; our
old barn lantern, with one broken and three
cracked glasses, was hung in the entry for
an Introductory light; our turkey, our
chickens, our jellics, and our cards, were
prepared. Joice was busy, my mother was
directing, and all were happy. Blu. let no
man hereafter pronounce an evening bles-
scd, before the hour Of supper has closed.
Joicc had complained already that she wan
ted things to do it with; and on the narrow
table in the kitchen, she overturned lamp
and oiled the bottom Of the great dish, on
which the turkey was 10 be presented on
the supper table. 1t became slippery,
her fingers were slippery, and, and she was
half blind. As she came waddling into
the supper room, with the treasures Of her
cookery, she stumbled. aud struck the
poor spliced legs of the dining table. Nv
patchwork gave way; down went tho tn
bic, dishes and sauces on the ladies' gowns;
down went poor Joicc in the middle of them
and nv fish line was revealed; the torn
place in the table cloth was seen, torn still
more disastrously; my fnther aghasi, my
mother WINS in tears, and the whole compn-
ny was in confusion. My father, howev-
Or, tried to jump out Of the condition, like
cat cut Of o corner. plague take Mr..
Hardwood, our cabinci-makcr; | had just
ordered new table, bnt he never sends
home his work in time! In saying this,
can bear witness that my honored father
did not tell lie; he told just half the truth.
lie ordered table, and Mr.. Hardwood
hnd not sent il to rs in time; but then he
distinctly told my father tho rcason--and
TINT was, he should not send il until he set
tied Mt the old score.
oh poverty, poverty" said Cervsntcs,
"a man must have great share Of the
grace Of God, who con bring himself 10 be
rcrAocfcd - ith thee WIZ slosi lhoa, rhoose