The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-11-09

I4HV' iS. " my .hS tliOhS his llShu DHck an
raises his clenched fists, and if they do nc
atonce. run like scalded cats from the prin
tcipalities he protects, he is down upo
70 them with his one, two, three. Our Jack
u indeed, makes short work oft, Still he j
naturally good-tempered, though as hi
:. dear old doing mother says: HE AXE
y after his poor father.wbo was a little hast
ct times, but it was soon over His school
master had a way of givinghis head a kin,
5 of hopeless shake whenever he alluded 4
Our Jack, though he would sometime
add: He's good heart--a noble-heartet
Had. but d sad, sad Ounce He was III,
umpire in all boyish games, and in feats 0
skill had strength stood unriYalled; and W.
be TO those who tried to cheat their lessee
l companions at marbles, buttons, or pitch
and -toos, in. The presence Of Our Jack, fol
his jacket.sleeyes. were furled up in a mo
ment whenever there was wrong 10 re
dress! - = " ..i} ? a,,,', - ~ 2 as5lo -
Our Jacks greasest. falt was a, love oI
water: as his mother used to say 'Hc
Ought to have been born a fish, for he i
always dabbling in it, making boats of ey-
erything he can lay his hands on the in
slant my. backs, turneds He. has swum
my boots, my bonnet; and my bread-pan;
tried how much, sugar my basin would
carry, and sunk it; served my tea and cof-
fee eanisters the same, Pye many and
many time found nv cups and saucers,
and dishes, at the bottom Of the water-butt,
and my mustard and pepper box sunk in
/ the pail; while, il. there was shower of
rain, he would send every morsel of fire.
wood, every cork in the house, and indeed
everything that would swim, into the gut
ter, and down the street, and shout and clap
his hands like one demented, if his little
ships, as he used to call them, beat his big
tones, Our Jack had his boyish admirers,
who were evereager to accompany him to
swim his boats, and wade into ponds to
fetch them back when. they were becalned
in the middle or did not blow to shore;and
among these were one or two of rather. bad
character. If a stray hen had laid in the
fields, they would take the eggs, and now
and then go to. the, lenght Of robbing an
orchard. One ill-starred hour they per-
suaded Our Jackto joinia the depreciation,
and he-consented to keep watch within the
orchard gate, while they made booty ofthe
owners choicest golden pippins. Ifthe
proprietor came, Jack was TO whistle, aud
keep him on a run round the trees until his
Eyagabond companions escaped through a
gap in the hedge. The owner came, and
Our Jack was captured;he was promised
hntb or,lon ord ,.o,,ord ;f H. ,,,o,,lJ r.:,,,
up the names Of his accomplices, but Jack
would noa so, with smart box of the ear,
and a threat that he should be transported,
1.-THE culpriL was dismissed. That threat
decided the fate of Our Jack; on the follow.
ling morning he was missing. He had
written down his crime on.a slate in his
large ungainly sehool-boy hand. and, left it
on the table, praying for his mothers and
the farmers forgiveness. and spromisingsin
future to be a good had, and begging of her
ITO pray for him while away. Round spot
on the letters showed where the tears had
4 fallen while he wrote. .gua3 ~. ,sszas,' + gst
| Another day came, and closing her cot
Etage shutter, and leaving the key under the
l door, the ad-hearted mother set out in her
weather-stained scarlet cloak 10 search for.
Our Jack. She made her way toward the
little seaport, inquiring at almost every
cottage and toll.ga.e she pissed, and of
nearly every traveller she metz but no one
had seen him. At length she met the yills
1age, carrier returning. Jack had ridden
part ofthe wayswith him; he had gone to
sea. The carrier knew the captain who
had taken him; the ship sailed that very
morning; he had shaken hands with Our
Jack as he went on board The carrier
made no mention Of the half crown he had
given the boy, nor how we'll he had treated
him on the road. So the dear old woman
Returned, and sat down by her solitary
cottage hearth to bemoan the loss of Our
Jack. The farmer whose orchard he had
| thelped to rob was one Of the first who called
to comfort her, and he expressed his regret
that he had used threat whiciihe intenl-
cd to execute, as'he fearedit had driven
him away. But her constant comforter
was the joiner's pretty little daughter,who
| lived opposite, and who was always quar-
Ireling and fighting with. Our Jack, run
fning insqnealing whenever he pursued her,
and running after-him again the instant his.
back was turnedon her! She seemedas if
Isherould not bear him, and yet was never
happy unless when teasing him. She had
been the cause Of his, fighting both her
brothers, whom be always thrashed.. He
had tumbled her among her fathers chips,
rolled her in hissaw dust,spoiled her froeks
with paintj emptied the glue pot on her
hair, been beaten by her father, E'scolded
by her mother, and. yet there 1.-The little
maiden was beside, the widow, shedding
tears of sympathywhen she saw her weep
ing for the Joss Of Onr Jack. 4 q ,s5asJ5 s.
Time wore away; the joincr's daughter
grew tallerand prettier; thewidow became
resigned; but excepting a few ,trifing pres
enS, and short letter or two which had
Ebeen,l left az the inn where the village car /
rier put up his mother received no fur
Ither tidings of ourJack, nor had he been
more than onco'sto the little seaport from
which lie frstembarked, q sa,.,'7s- ~ v
Three years elapsed, and there camea,
longer letter, withah order to draw a sum
df money every six mouths at the bankers.
in the market town. He had got q, berth.
on board H.rM.S. something or other
the schoolmsstersaid Vulcan, the clergy.
man Vnltare, the little tailor, read Kaliant;,
but OurJaek wrotesuch strange 'scrawm-
ing hand as his dear mother called It..