Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-07-21
MisteIIauaous.
The Yankee PedIar.


| in the town of W, in New jersey was
I" death on pedlars," and wouldn't allow one to
come within gun shot of him if he could help it.
1t so happened that one Nat. Tucker, Yam
kee pedlar of the most incorrigible kind, in dry
goods, clocks, and other notions" CHANGED that
way, and having heard of the aversion of the
Squire to itinerants of this class, he looked up-
on him as fair game, and determined to "sell'
some of his wares and the old man at the same
time. Accordingly the first house he drew up
at on entering the town was the house of the
Squire. 1t was at the close of warm day in
July, and the old man sat complacently smok-
ting his pipe under the porch of his house. AS
Nat approached him with clock under his arm
and dozen of salrer spoons in his hand the
old man majestcally waved him off, at the
same time exclaimng "Clear out /! Don't
you come in here-I don't want any o. your
tribe round me | know you p oval, |
mus low, Squire" said Nat, good naturedly,
that you've got the advantage of me, for |
don't know you, and | guess your neighbors
don't nuther, for they telPd me you was good
Christian, and never turned hungry man away
from your door" The GOODNESS and self-pos-
session of Nat caused the Squire to pause, for
he was wholesouled, hospitable man, and he
began to think he might be mistaken in Mats
true character. AT length he inquired, look
ing the visitor steadily in the face, Answer
me one question-ant you pedlar 2" "Ped-
lar be derned no." said Nat. "Then what
are you bringn' them things in the house for ?"
querled the old man, pointing to the articles
which Nat was carrying. oval, the fact is,"
| replied Nat, " don't much like to leave these
silver spunes in my wagon, for somebody might
make love to m, and as for this ere clock,
couldn't afford to lose it, no how, for it's iiSt
one O the greatest clocks out | want bowl
| OF bread and milk nation bad, and if you'll ac-
commodate me III thank ye, and if you won't,
III hev to go further, and if anybody axes my
opinion of yew, in course I'll tell 'em how good
you are to strangers" This settled the mat
ter and Nat was invitedi in. The Squires wife
was out, but the old man soon placed bowl
OF pure milk and some white bread before Nat,
who laying aside the Old fashioned spoon
which the old man brought him, supplied its
place with one OF his own, and proceeded to
! &" go in as though he had tasted for month
| When he had about half finished his meal
Nat remarked, as he paused to turn his spoon
over and eye 1t admlrlngly-" how much bet
ter milk tastes outn new silver spune, than it
does out'n old one - " Yes | spoSe it does"
replied the Squire, who had all along been eye
ing the remainder of the set, and wishing he
was the possessOr of them, that he might as
tonlSh the old lady (whO by the way was given
| to strong-mlndednesS that is, wearing the
| breecheS) on her return. got them ere
spunes very cheap" remarked Nat again, as he
swallowed large mouthful of the "lacteal,"
q and Eve no doubt my Nance III be delighted
with 'em." spose You wouldn't care about
partin' with EN-, would your asked the Squire
hestatingly oval, no, | don't keer much
| about II" answered Nat, but, seein' it's you
| mought and 1 gesss there's some more of the
same sort left, which kin git before l 60 hum
Tell you what III deu, Squire-if you'll give
me them ere spunes O yourn and seventy-fve
cents to butte, jest to pay me for my trouble,
they're yours" Done !" said the Squire, and
Immediately he was put into possession of doz-
en- plated spoons, for which he exchanged q
dozen solid, old fashioned silver ones and the
boot" Nat seemed to regret his bargain and
showed no disposition to take the old spoons
which the Squire laid in a bunch before him,
when the latter fearing he might alter his mind
and demand his property back again, left the
room for the purpose of slowing them snugly
away.
A broad grin passed over Mats face as the
old man disappeared, and rising from his seat
he approached one of those solid old fashioned
English clocks, specimens of which may yet
occasionally be met with, which occupied a
position in one corner of the room. Opening
the door, Nat carefully cut the cords which
sustained the weights, so that the slightest jar
would be sure to part them, and then thrust
ing his knife up underneath the face of the
clock, he clipped all the cOgs but one from one
of the wheels, closed the case again. and had
but just taken his seat when the Squire enter
ed "Tell you what, Squire" said Nat, as
suming a frghtful expression of countenance,
| begin to feel bad-'fraid Pm goin' to have
one O. them drafted fits which takes me down
sometimes. Yes, there it comes !" he yelled,
and Immediately after he jumped from his chair
high enough almost to touch the ceiling, and
came down upon the floor with a force which
shook the house to its foundation. Bang
bang y went the weights in the old clock, and
" rick rick rick click click ! snap snap"
went the wheels, till the Squire was fairly
dumb-foundered, and knew not which to attend
to first, the old clock or Nat, who lay writhing
upon the floor. The scene did not last long
however for Nat very speedily recovered and
then the Squire alluded to the noise which the
clock had made Nat examined it, and pro-
nounced it worn out He told the Squire he
had better either make a rat-trap of it, or sell
it to the first secondhand furniture man that
came along. Then he incidentally and quite
careessly mentioned his own clock, and COM
pairing it with the Squires, pointed out the
new improvements, especially the alarm" ar
rangement, at all of which the old man was
consumedly tickled, and the upshot was that
the clocks changed owners as the spoons had
done previously, Nat receiving the old clock
worth about twenty-five dollars, for ten-shil
ling article. Nat now thought it about time
to travel, and accordingly departed. he slowed
the old clock, together with the Squire's spoons,
carefully away IN the bottom Of bis wagon, out
Il 81 esi r4n k-t lad o,nna fay