Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1856-11-20
FREEHOLD N ], THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 90 1856

4
agination OF the reader. | wendell mi
way slowly to the stream, thinking of nv
dream and various other things. Divest
ing myselfof my clothes, in | plunged
bathed, swan, splashed and founderee
about for half an hour, until day had fair
/ " set in.
The people aoout the farm were up and
about, and then / thought it time to dress
| went to the spot where deposited ny
clothing, but instead of finding every ar
ticle there as had left them, and as had
reason to expect, nothing but my hat
boets shirt and coat remained. Heav
ens Here was dilemma. [ looked al
around, faithfully aud diligently, but the
missing articles could not be found
=" Where could they have gone to ?"
asked myself. Ha ha chuckled aloud
|consoling myself with the thought thai
Charley was plaStiag g oaf-a practical joke
At that instant | east my eyes up the road
in the direction of the house. Horrors
Right in the middle Of the road, and but
short distance from the house, discoy,
cred a huge Newfoundland dog-a gigan.
tic, shaggy brute, the pet Of Mary and the
rest of the girls, sporting with what I rec.
ognized as my black cashmere pants, and
other portions Of my apparel.
The dog had followed me to the spot
unobserved. Oh, how the thieving brute
enjoyed himself-tossing high into the all
my pants, shaking my under shirt, and APP
parently making merry over the perplex
ing predicament his righteousness had
placed me in. WhaaEHsery was in i
i feared to go into the road to recover
my clothes, lest my rather immodest APP
pearance might shock some Of the female
folks, who could not fail to see me if ]
did 50, from the windows of the house.
Here, Ponte PontoW l called out
but Ponto didn't come.
| whistled, eeaxedzzSsss sade all sorts
oS gestsFvs Ss5s..s sfII:Ea.s,,ss sucir cases
but Ponto was Needless Of them all. As
if in unbounded ecstasies- at me very lu
dicrous predicament, and apparently ex-
ulting over the trick he had served me, he
went to work with increased liveliness
tossing my clothes high into the air.
Taking my fine cashmere in his huge
paws, he would run towards me. as if in
obedience to my call, but before he got
half way to where | stood he would halt
suddenly, snuff the earth, bark and dart
back again like lightning, carrying my
pants in his jaws, tossing them high up
in the air again, and catching them, shake
them in manner that appeared as if he
really enjoyed the sport.
None but one in the same position that
| was placed, can properly appreciate my
feelings at that time. What to do, ]
could not possibly conceive. Every mo-
ment expected to see Charley and some
of his female cousns-and probably Ma
ry, too-issue from the house in search OF
me, as had beeR absent long enough to
excite surprises We'll, finally came to
conclusion tobut on what portion Of my
apparel the thieving dog had left me-
This portion. as / said before, consisted
of coat, shirt. pair Of boots and hat
"a scanty supply, certainly, for modest
man as was, to appear before bevy Of
females, as | momentarily expected for
was positive that-my absence would soon
be inquired into.
| first drew on my boots, then my linen
and next my coat. 1t was dress coat
too, made in the height of fashion, with
narrow tails, which served only to hide a
very small portion Of my nudity
Thus ludicrously attired, | waited patient
ly, but anxiously, the appearance of some
person from the house, to whom | could
make known my misfortune, and thus gel
relieved from my very unpleasant predic
ament. | waited and waited. and began
to tire of waiting, and still nobody came
Voices I distinctly heard in the distance
merry voices and ringing laughter gree
ted me as sat despondingly contempla
ting the probable announcement of my
contretemps. The sound Of voices grad
ually grew nearer and nearer; the laugh
ter became more audible; now | hearC
the sweet, musical voice of Mary; thel
Charley's hearty and joyous laugh broke
! in, interspersed with the more witchine
and dutcet laughter Of females. How
ionged to be with them. What fear anC
anxiety | suffered as nearer and nearer
the voices came.
Again Hooked in the direction of The
house, with the hope that | might Set
some Of the male members. But sucf
was not my luck looked again, stand
ing ON tip-toe, and straining my eyes til
they seemed to be fairly bursting from
their seekers. Hope thus dawned in thu
distance Charles, my friend Charley,
distinctly saw emerge from the garden
Einto the road. laughed aloud ant
danced with joy. saw a speedy releas,
from my awakened predicament and bles
sed the fate that sent it. Butdisappoint
Ement- and alsappointment-sdo
stared me in the face, for looking a sec
ond time, saw half dozen girls Mary
her sisters and cousins blowing, Xix,
young fawns, in the wake of Charley
footsteps.
An agile feetness in their limbs
A tint Of morning their brows;
Their postures full of grlish whfms.
Down the road they bounded, ike
drove If frirhfpned daar crvinr ont II