Smyrna times., 1857-09-02
TIE FORGE OF IMAGINATION,
OR PETER SWEIGHOFFER'S ADVEN-
TURE WITH A SNAKE.

!
descent, and accent too, as his speech will indi-
cate. Old Sweghoffer had once served as a
member of the Legislature, and was, therefore,
no fool " and as he had also long commanded
u volunteer corps Of rustic militia, he should
hardly be supposed inclined to cowardicc. His
son Peter, was an only son, srapping lad OF
seventeen; and upon old Peter and young Pc
ter devolved the principal cares and tolls Of the
old gentleman's farm, now and then assisted by
the old gentleman's bouncing daughtersSfor it
is very common in that State to see the women
and girls at work in the ields--and upon extra
occasions, by some hired hands.
J Well, one warm day in haying time, old Pc
ter and young Peter were hard at it in the
meadow, when the old man drops his scytho
and baws out
"Oh mine goit, Peter"
"WhGt's tie nattcr, iadGer !" answers the
son, straightcnisg up and looking at his sire.
'Oh! mine Cot, Peter - again cried the old
felloyA
"Dunder" echoes young Peter, hurrying up
! TO the old man.
"Oh! mine Got, ter shnake pite me in mine
leg"
II anything in particular was capable Of
frightening young Peter, it was snakes; for he
had once nearly crippled himself for life, by
trampIing upon a crooked stick.whlch clampcd
his ankle, and 50 Mortified the young man, that
he liked TO have fallen through himself
At the mention of snake, young Peter fell
back as nimbly as Il wire drawer, lud bawlcd
out in turn
e" Whre ish der shnake -
"Up mine rowais, Pe-ter-Oh--"
son! mine Gotl' echo9s Young Peter.
+" kill i'm, fader, kill i'm -
mo no, he kill me, Petcr-come come
quick git of mine trowss!''
But young Peters cowardice overcame his
flial affection, while his fears lent strength to
his legs, and he started like scared locomo-
tive, to call the bury old Dutchman, who was
in distant part Of the field, to give the old
man u lift with the snqke.
Old JAKE, the farmers assistant came bound
ing along, as soon as he hearl the news, and
passing along the fence where Peter and his
boy had hung their " linsey woolsey" vests,
Jake grabbed one Of the garments aud hurried
to old Peters assistance, who managed TO keep
OF his pins, although he Was quaking and trem-
bling just like all aspen leaf in June gale of
wind.
"Oh mine Gott Come, come quick, Jacob!
He pite me all to pieces-here, up mine leg"
Old Jake was not particularly sensitive to
fear, but few people, young or old, dead to
alarm when "pizenous rePtyle" is about
Glthering up the stiff dry stalks of stalwart
weed, old Jake told the boss to stund steady,
and he would at least, stun the snake by rap
or two, if he did not kill it stone dead /; and the
old man Peter, less 10th to have his legs broken
thun to be bitten to death by a snake, desgna-
ted the spot to strike, and old Jnkc let him have
it. The first blow broke the weed and knocked
old Sweighoticr off his trotters, ard into hay
cock--kcrbun!
"Oh!" roOred old Peter, "you proke mine
leg, and te tam shnake ish gone -
"Eare! ware ~ Cries old Jake moving brisk
ly about and scanning very narrowly the ground
he stood upon.
"Never mind i'm, Jacob; help me up. I'll
go home"
"Put on your vest, den--hore it ish' said
the old crout-eater, gathering up his loss, and
trying to get the garment on his lumpy back.
The moment old Peter made the effort, he grew
livid in the face--his hair stood on end, " like
the quls upon the frightful porcupine "--as
Mrs. Partington observed-he shivered, he
shook, his teeth cbattered and.his knees knock
ed staccato accompaniment. !;
"Oh, Jacob, carry me home I'm dead as
nits !"
"Vat, ish dere anodder shnake in your trow-
sis 2"
"No; look, I'm all Swelt up. Mine vhest
won't go on mine pack! Oh, mine Gott! Oh,
mine Gott!"
"Donder and blixen - cried old Jake, as he
took the same conclusion, and with might and
main, lugged and carried the old man some
quarter or ha.f mile to the house.
Young Peter had skinned it for home, just at
this stage of the dire proceedings and SO alarm
ed the girls, that they were in high state,
when they saw the approach of their old dad
and his assistant.
Old man Peter was carried in, and soon be-
gan to die as natural as life, when in came the
old lady, in great hustle, and wanted to know
what was going on.
Old Peter, in the last agony of weakness,
opened his eyes and feebly pointed to his leg.
The old woman Immediately ripped up his pan
falcons, and out fell small thistle top, and at
the same time, considerable of scratch was
made visible.
"Call dis a shnake! Bah ~ says the old wo-
man.
"oh! but Pm Pizcned to death, Molly see,