Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-10-23
III UNI O r. o u S.
From the Clock Maker.
TAXING A SUkEW.

u lS MdHe so StraISnt, tHdt you Cdn sec
several miles Of it before you, which pro.
duccs an appearance Of interrinable
length, while the stunted growth Of the
spruce and birch trees bespeak cold,
thin soil, and invests the scene with o
melancholy and sterile aspect. Here
and there occurs little valley, with its
meandering stream, and verdant and fer.
tile intervals, which though possessing
nothing peculiar to distinguish it from
many others Of the same kind, strikes
the traveller as superior TO them all, from
the contrast TO the surrounding country.
One Of these secluded spots attracted
my attention, from the number and neat.
ness Of the buildings which its proprie-
tor, tanner and currier, had erected for
the purposes Of his tade. Mr.. Slick
said, he knew him, and no guessed it
was a pity he couldn't keep his vile in
as good order as he did his factory
They don't hitch their horses toge her
vel! at all. He is properly henpecked,
said he; he is afeerd to call his soul his
own, and he leads the life of dog; you
never seed the beat Of it, vow. Did
you ever see a rooster hatch brood of
chickens? No, said L. not that can re.
collect. Well. then have, said he, and
if he don't look like fool all the time
he is settin on the eggs, it's pity; no
soul could help !arfn to see him. Our
old niger, January Snow, had spite
agin one Of fathers roosters, seen that
he was coward, and wouldn't fight
He used to call him Dearborne, ar;er ouI
General that behaved SO ugly TO Cana.
da: and says he one day, guess you are
no better .han hen, you everlasting
old chicken.h hearted villain, and III
make yon larfn stock to all the poul.
try. I'll put trick on you you'll bear
in mind oil your born days. So he
catches old Dearborne, and pulls all the
feathers off his breast, and strips him as
naked as when he was born, from his
throat clean down to his tail, and then
takes bundle of nettles and gives him
a proper switchin that stung him, and
made him smart like mad: then he
warns some eggs and puts them in q
nest, and sets the old cock right tor
: Of 'em. Well, the warmth Of the egg'
felt good 10 the poor critters naked bel
ly, and kinder kept the i,chin Of the net
> ties down, and he was glad to bide wher'
he was. and whenever he was tired ent
got of, his skin felt so cold, he'd rul
risht back and squat down agin, anc
when his feathers began to grow and HI
got obstropolous, he got another tickli'
:. with the nettles, that made him return
, double quick to his location. In lit
tie time he larnt the trade ZEAL complete
Now, this John Porter, and there h
j, is on TIE bridge vow. never seed III
beat o. that, speak OF the old Saytin an
!, he's sure to appear;) we'll, he's just lik
old Dearborne only fit to hatch eggs
:, When he came to the bridge, Mr.. Slicl
re recognized an old acquaintance and Gus
l tomee. lie enquired after bark mil
u y he had smuggled from the States for him
. . and enlarged on the value OF such ms
3 chine, and the clcverness Of his couu
lrymen who invented such useful an
. profitable articles, and was recommend
y ing a new process of tanning, when
: female voice from the house was hear.
) vocilerating, 'lohn Porter come her
this minute Coming, my DEAR sal
the husband. Come here, say, direc
ly, why do you stand talking that yar
kee villain thcre?' The poor husban
g hung his head. looked silly, and bddin
II US good bye, returned slowly TO II
- house. As VIC drove on, Mr.. Slick SAT-
~ that was mel did that. Did what? sa
|. Thot was me that sent him back,
=, called him and not his wife. had tn
!. arc bestowment ever since was kn'
~ high or SO; I'm a rael complete hand
~ :. Ventriloquism; can take of any man
- voice ever heard 10 the very nines.-
If there was a law agin forgin that,
there is for handwri.in, | guess shou
have been hanged long ago. I've hi
s. high goes with it many tin,o, but
Dc plaguy dangefsome, and don't pract
IN it now but seldom.
- - had real about with that are eli
=, - zen's wife once, aud completely bro|
" ~, her in for him: she went as gentle as
=. =, circus horse for a space, but he let h
a az have her head again, and she's as b'
-. -. as ever now. III tell you how it was.
| was down to the Island a sell
k. clocks, and who should | meet but JoI
4. Porter; well. l traded with him for o.
nd part cash, part truck, and produce, al
m also put on on him that are bark m
Il. you heard me akin him sbout, and
n. was pretty considerable on in the ev
sd before we finished our trade. J car
i,h home along with him, and had the clo'
~. in the wagon to fix it up for him, and
re- show him how to regiIate 1t, Well,
on we neared the house, he began to f
ae and take on dreadful uneasy; says he
hope Jane won't be abed, cause if she
Try she'll act ugly, | do suppose. | h
at heerd tell Of her a(ors; how she used
,e. carry a stiff upper lip, and make h
ek and the bromstick we'll acquainted
o gether; and, says |, why do you put
led with her tantrums, I'd make fair di
III, sion Of the house with her, il it was n
he I'd take the inside and allocate her I
lhe outside Of it pretty quick, that's IA
ps, Well, when we came to the house, ths
was no light in it. and the poor crit
- looked so streaked and down in |
~" mouth, felt proper sorry for him.
TrYL L. AZ Al. Jnor sha m II