The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-05-24
Prom tho n. Y. Observer.
REMINisCENoEs oPTHoMAs PAINE.
ny LAuHIE rom.

ny LAUHIE Topp.
Aner few DAYS znlaass.- ~ Washington,
NJ Paine returned TO New York and 6nd-
ing no other resting placs, was rcce we'd inta
the house Of William Carver. Carver and
were follow-orafAmen in the same workshop,
he forging horre-ahoe nails. making shin
gle nails Il whs in Caryer's house that, by
the movements Of Providence, I sat down be-
tween two of the most invoterate infdels that
ever beheld the light Of the sun. They we're
both mechanics, Carver blacksmith, Paine
a stay-maker. They we're both unleArned
men, but were Of strong MUD; for the Devil
having mndu human nature his study for six
thousand years, viii never employ fool
when he needs iourneyman, Carver, his
wife, aud Paine, having been inhabitants of
the same town 10 Englaad, at their aro-side,
he being present, learned his history from
hi. cra'llci and saw him in all his native de-
tf6rmity, aud traced him with my own eyes TO
his grave.
! Carver kept house on small scale on the
corner Of Thames aud Temple streets; at the
same time ho doctored horses, and mcndcd
their shoes. II was noised abroad that Mr.
Paine kept his head quarters in his domieile;.
small two story house frame building,whose
outside had neither seen whitewash nor
] paint brush since the surrender of Corn wal
| liz at Yorktown. Hundreds Of his old politi-
cal aud frce-thinking friends resorted hither
/ 20 meet him. witnessed some OF their in
/, tcrvicws; but oh, what CONSERVATION instead
Of the pale faced man of thirty-six, when he
wrote Eanasls't IsruSe,. they beheld an old
remnant Of mortality, drunk, bloated, and
half asleep. Very few of tho better sort ov-
er returned.
Mr. Paine was sensible OF his forbidding APP
pcapncc, and generally was very morose
when strangers were introduced An old la
dy from Scotland wished an introduction.
Wocntcrcd the roonl Said /, "Mr Paine,
this Is Mrs Bruce. from Scotland ascot
land" he repeated, "a country OF bigots and
fanatics" "Yes," said ], "but IT'S the only
country in Eurupe where every man IwoBass',
aud child ran read the Bible and write their
own uame" Our stay was short. When
VIC got on Fiic TavrmeHt,rr " hat rio yvu tisiHh
of Mr. Paine ?" inquired. al think no Is
tou (drunk,) but och man, she added, "what
an a,cfu' judgment looking face he's got.N
Ills chief companions were jouncymop
mechanics of the baser sort Ono evening
/ stcppel -intn- his Haanl--LIn LIn-MaA- -Setiing
forth the Bible 10 a dozen of these characters
aud painting il in the blacklist colors. When
he ceased, said, "Mr Paine, you have been
in Ireland aud Scotland lie had. ascot
land comparatively speakingis full OF Bibles;
every one reads il, and il is their chief school
book" This he conceded. They have very
few Bibles in ireland, and there are very few
who can read them, and those who can read
are prohibited by the priest from looking in
the Bible" This also was conceded. Now"
said |, mir Paine, If the Bible was bad
book, those who used il most would be tho
,corst members Qf society, but the contrary is
the fact, for while our jails, penitcntiarieS,
State prisons and aims houses aru 6llcttfro
Ireland, this day there is not Scotchman,or
woman in any OF them, and such was the fact
at that time" Observe, this was forty five
years ago. "Besidcs," continued, II SCI in
this room few OF my own sfoplnates. In
months past, when they read the Bible, they
went to church with their families. There
they rested from their labors OF the past
week. kept their children under their. eye,
rose early on Monday morning, aud entered
on the labors OF the week with a sound bead
and quiet conscience. And what arc they
now Having heard the lectures of blind
Palmer, and read your Age OF Reason. they
became frcc-thinkers; and IL they continue III
the same course they now are following, they
will soon be free drinkers also" "And whr.
AIRS they foiiowirg gga- said Pai,sc, Said I,
"Thoy now 20 TO the tavern on Sunday, sit
drinking, smoking, and talking politics, their
children in the streets or fields, learning ev-
crything that is wicked having spent fifty or
sixty cents, each one comes home late and
better than half drunk; he has a headache
NEST morning, and pcrLaryis unable to work
till ? p. NJ, thus losing a halfday's wages.
Disease and death soon follow, when his wi,i.
TOW and orphans urv sent tt, tiru aims t,,,,rssl
continued: "Mr Paine Hume, yourself,
and other ee-thinkers, all profess TO wri,o
for the good of society" He sssunied.4-
"Well," said |, (which is the most useful
member of society; he who spends his time
and money in the Iavursicaving his children
to grow up curse 10 the world or, tho man
who leads his children to church on Sunday,
keeps them IN sight through the DAY, and
thus preserves lhenl from The path Of tAp de-
stroyer, besides the saving of hts nancy,
and the preservation of his own
health ?" The clock in the ROOM stru.k ten