Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-04-06
Big Rrinale.


In Nashville, many years ago, there resided a
gentleman of great hospitality, large fortune, and
though uneducated, possessed of hard-knot sense.
Col. w. had been elected to the Legislature and
had been also judge of the county court.
His elevation, however, had made him some-
what pompous, and he became very fond of using
big words. On his farm he had very large and
mischievous OK, called :. Big Brindle,' which fre-
quently broke down his neighbors' fences and
committed other depredations much to the Colo
nel's annoyance.
One morning after breakfast, in presence of
some gentlemen who had staid with him over
night, and who were on their way to town, he
called his overseer and said to him..
&c Mr.. Allen, desire you to impound Big Brin-
die, in order that may hear no more animadver-
sions on his eternal depredations."
Allen bowed and walked off, sorely puzzled to
know what the Colonel meant. So after Col.
w. left for town, he went to his wife and asked
her what Col. w. meant by telling him to ''im-
pound'' the OK. 80 ri
"Why," said she, "the Colonel meant OF ell
you to put him in a pen." w
Allen went to perform the feat, for it was no
inconsderable one, as the animal was very wild
and vicious, and after good deal of trouble and
vexation, he succeeded
"Well," said he, wiping the perspiration from
his brow and soliloquizing, "this is impounding,
is it! Now l am dead sure the old Colonel will
ask if impounded Big Brindle, and FIJI bet Ipuz-
zle him as bad as he did me.n 5
The next day the Colonel gave dinner party,
and as he was not aristocratic, Allen, the over
seer, sat down with the company. After the Sec
ond or third glass was discussed, the Colonel
turned to the overseer and said:
Eh, Mr.. Allen, did you impound Big Brin-
die, sr!'' l
Allen Strengthened himself, and looking around
at the company, said A
eyes, did, sir, but the old Brindle trans
cended the impannel of the impound and scatter
Sophisticated all over the equanimity the forest"
The company burst into an inordinate fit of
laughter, while the Colonel's face Redeemed with
discomfeiture. .sE
"What do you mean by that, sir!" said he.
"Why, mean, Colonel,'' said Allen, " that
Old Brindle being prognosticated with ali idea of
the cholera, ripped and tared, snorted and paved
ulTt JuulPcu Iuo ICHCc, tuCh " tnC -WoouS, Aiu
would not be impounded no howl"
This was too much: the company roared again,
in which the Colonel was forced to join, and in
the midst of the laughter Allen left the table,
saying to himself as he went, "I reckon the Col.
won't ask me to impound any more oxen."
FESTIVAL OF LIFE.-Life is ball room, who's
guests are constantly pouring in at the front door,
and out at the back door, without apparent dimun-
itions of the number within, who neither gay
nor more miserable on account of the perpetual
entrance and exit of the two thresholds of Time
and Eternity and whoever looks into the dali room
in ages to come, will find its youth still as buoyant,
as graceful and as beautiful ever, just as happy
and unconcerned as if Death had never occurred
and never would occur upon earth! oh, Life! the
fascinating disguise with which Youth invests thee
is thy precious amulet, it is their hands tnat en-
circle thy blooming fields with those gorgeous cur
tains which veil from the eye of consciousness
the rough scenery that lies beyond-ts retreating
storms its portentous clouds, lts mourhiul reuo-
spect. and its painful feature!
nIFBecause man has bad wife, it does not
follow that his marriage is either unprohtableor
wholly unhappy. Socrates made bad wife
fetch him philosophy; and certainly with bad
wife we are in fine school to learn resignation.
It is in the matrimonial as it is IN the state
lotteries; there are some very profitable blanks
and it is for YOU, o reader, to judge whether you
have not drawn one OF them.
aAT 81 fear," said country minister to his
flock, sswhen explained to you in my last chari-
ty sermon, that philanthropy was the love OF our
species, you must have understood me to say sge-
Gle, which may account for the smallness OF the
colIection.''