The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-10-16

we donned our dissecting clothes and putting
| the package for the widow in a coat pocket,
hung it up in prominent place, go it could be
found readily. Telling the family we should
not be back until late, and making as much
| noise as possible with our feet, so as to assure
her we were going, we left the house as If for
the college.
We went no further, however than to the
1'ea"eet coffee house, Thore by the time we had
| smoked a cigar, We judged sufficient time had
elapsed for the widow to commence researches
Returning to the boarding-house, we pulled
off our boots and noiselessly ascended the out
side steps, the door at the head of which we had
left open. There was passage leading from
1t 70 the door Of our room, which we had left
closed but now perceived to be ajar. Silently,
as doctor speaking of the patients ne has lost,
we approached it, and, on peeping in, TO our
great qualification found every thing working
as we had desired. The widow had got the
package out, and was occupied in viewing It at
tentiyely from all sides, and studying the char
acter Of the knots Of the ligatures embracing it,
so she could restore everything to its original
condition, when her curiosity was satisfied as to
its contents. Having impressed its shape and
peculiarity of tie, well upon her mind, she pro-
ceeded TO take of the first cover, which was
soon done, when q similar envelope met her eye;
this after undergoing the same scrutiny, was
removed, when yet another met her gaze; this
detached and still the kernel was unreached;
some six or eight were taken of, and at length
she came to the last, the oil-skin. Poor old
lady. she has long been where the curiosity of
life never penetrates, and the grandest and most
awful mystery Of our nature is revealed yet,
I see her now, as the last envelope of the mys-
terioUs package was reached, and when a CLEAN
of satisfaction shot like an erysipelatous blush
over her anxious face, as she saw the consumma-
ton of her long expectancy approaching
There she stood, with spectacles buried so deep
ly meath her brows as almost to appear por-
ton Of her visage; neck-not Of apoplectic pro-
portions-elongated to its utmost capacity; lips
from which the ruby of youth had departed
wide misunderstanding what our swampy lands
are famous for-big guns and old snags in fact,
the embodiment of women in her hour of curl
osity. Holding the package in one hand and
the end of the oil-cloth in the other, she COM
menced uurolling it slowly, for fear some pecu-
iarity Of its arrangement might escape; her
back was towards the door, which we had near
ly opened awide, and anziously waiting the de-
aouemeat; it came at last,-and never shall I
forget the expression of that old woman's face
as the last roll was unbound
Ay, but she was a frm-nerved woman. If
metempsychosis be true doctrine, her spirit
must have once animated, in the chivalrous
times steel-clad knight of the doughtiest
mould. She did not faint-did not vent
scream-but gazed upon its awfulness in silence
as if her eyes were rivetRd to it forever.
We fcl, completely mortified to think that our
well-laid scheme had failed-that we had failed
to terrify her; when, to perfect our chagrin,
she broke into a low laugh. We strobe into the
room, determined to express in words what our
deeds had evidently failed to convey; when, ere
she had become fully aware of our presence, we
noticed her laughter was becoming hysterical.
We spoke to her-shook her by the ssssYtler-
but still she laughed on increasing in Sefemence
and intensity. 1t began To excite attention in
the lower apartment-& and even in the street;
and soon loud knocks and wondering exclama-
tons began to alarm US for the consequences of
our participation. We strove to take the fearful
object from her. but she chung to it with the te-
nacity of madness, or young doctor to his first
scientific opinion. ''She is gone demcnted."
we exclaimed; eve had better be leaving -
when a rush up the steps and through the pas
sage cut off our retreat, and told Us the daugh-
ters and crowd were coming; but still the old
lady laughed on fercer, faster, shriller than be-
fore. In rushed the crowd-a full charge for
the room impelled by the ramrod Of curiosity
but ere they had time TO discover the cause OF
the commotion, or make a demonstration, the
widow ceased her laughter, and putting on an
expression of supreme contempt, cooly re-
marked e Ezcuse me, gentlemen, if 1 have
caused you any Inconvenience by my unusual
conduct was just smiling aloud to think what
fools these students made of themselves when
they tried to scare me with dead nigger's face,
when had slept with drunken husband for
twenty years.o The crowd mizzled and we,
too, reckon, between that time and the next up
heoying of the sun.-Beaaey.
ssNo man" said Mrs. Partington, 'was bette
| able to judge of pork, than my poor dear Lus-
band was; when he was living poor man, he
knew what good hogs were, for he had beer
brought up among em from his childhood"
1t is said of the French ladies, that their fond
ness for effect runs to such excess that widows
who have lost their husbands practise attitudes