Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-04-07
NAT HARRISON;

or, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM HAMILTON.
"In early DAYS old Nat Harrison was elected
to the Legislature from this county," said an
old fellow, as we were all seated around the
stove, IN the little hotel at McLeensboro',
Hamilton county, Illinois.
cold Nat was regular old brick. He was
elected just because there was no one to run
against him. Our country was rather bad off
for intelligent people in those days. a few
days after old Nat had gone to Springfield, to
attend to the duties of his Office, happened
to be there also, on some business OF private
character, and thinking he would be glad to
hear from the folks at homo i concluded to
call on him at the Prairie House, and inquired
after his heath.''
'sI've been well, Tom,'' said he, ssbut got
awfuily scared the first night l staid in this
ere darned place."
sHow was that 20 inquired.
ssWell,' said Nat, ssI'l tell you all about it.
You see that fellow there behind the counter
the sfellers here call him the host-well, |
told him | wanted to see my bed, so I'd know
where to sleep when I'd come in after awhile.
He took me up stairs to little room, and said
/ could sleep there, and then he went down.
took good notice of thrown door, with
yaller streaks here and there-and white
yearthen lock handle. started down, think
in about this, and wouldn't look at no other
door, for fear I'd get 'em kinder mixed up in
my head, and then forget which was mine
- ABOUT Twelve O'CLOCK iIat Sit CdiHC III
with kind of half growin' hummin' in my
head, and the very first thing / found at the
top of the stairs my own identical door,
with the yaller streaks and white lock-handle.
Good says /, and in | lumbers. | walks up
to the bed, and what do you think Why, L
finds one of your long legged, black-whiskered
town fellers in it-fast asleep. l takes him by
the beard, rears him mp on his end, and gives
him short sarment-tells him to leave
quick as double triggers or I'll be cursed if l
wouldn't kick him down stairs-tcls him
don't want to do it nuthcr, for L am member
of the Legislature-the Representative from
Hamilton--but if / get to fighting he'd fud
me TO be full team. The fellow looked or
fully scared, and without saying word he got
up very humble like, and started for his dry
goods, which hung on chair mp in one corner.
| sot down the light and begun to undresS; /;
and says | to him, draw on them duds and tod
die from here, or I'll be cursed if I-turning
around at the same time to look fierce at him
I sees him comm at me with one OF the
drottest butcher knives in the world.
ssWell, thought I, Nat you've got yourself
in close place by Jingo and so we begun TO
lumber around the room like the very nation.
Here l went, and here he come. At last got
between him and the door, and out shot.
s.This beats all creation, said /, a Represen-
tative to the Legislature treated in this way
I went down stairs and told the fellow behind
the counter that some cuss was in my room.
ssNo, guess not, )" said he; ssperhaps there
is some mistake-your room is number eight
s.ThinEs |, perhaps theie may be some mis-
take and so | goes back. When got up to
the top of the stairs | began to count at the
first door, and on until had counted eight. l
found that they all looked just exactly alike.
| opened the eighth door and went in, feeling
certain that it was the one picked out for me.
4 candle burning on the table, by the light of
which l saw that some person was in the bed.
tI..gH.
l concluded TO crawl in with him and say moth
ing about it. In very short time was in
bed and ready to go to sleep. had not been
in bed long before the door opened, and
young man and woman came into the room
and took seats by the candle stand.
ssSomething else on hand, Nat, thought
| to myself, ssbut let EN- up.''
They looked very serious at first, but finally
it wore off, and they got to chatting very low
ingly, and to huggin' and kissen' little. L
was delighted with the performance, and
thought the feller in bed with me ought TO see
it and enjoy the fun too; so L whispered
| him
s.Say, Captain-old boss sjest look up.''
They both started up, like shocken' mill
had touched 'cm, and they seemed to be orful-
| " scared, till the gal said, sit was only the
wind blowing agin' the winder.'
| They soon got to huggin' and kissin' agin'
and as / could not rouse my friend L thought
| I'd Jest have little fun to myself.
s.Slips,'' says /, jest as they was a fetching
their lips together, and up they sprung like
| lightning and loped for the door; but as for
| tune would have it, the young feiler had drop
ped the key, and he couldn't git out.
s.Nevcr mind,' said [, sits fun for me as
we'll as you. l love to see sich things goin'
on.''
This seemed to scare 'em more than ever.
|. 1t was rich-too rich to enjoy alone, and so
| determined to wake uD nv bed feller; / slap
ped my hand on his chin-it was as cold as
ice s.Thunder and St. Louis, Nat" said |,
-ssyou're in bed with dead man. and with
out waiting to consider the matter | sprung
to the floor. The youngsters gave loud
sauall fetched agin' the closed door, and
/ pitched with 'em, which resulted in smashing
the darned thing open. Without waiting for
ceremony or formalities all bolted for the
stairs. Hearing the rdcket, the landlord who
occupied room still further back, came bolt
ing after US. Catching glimpse Of him
took him to be the dead man, and SO put all
the steam on, and ran close in the wake of the
lovers. L could not pass them, however, for
they were frightened out of their senses, hav-
ing no idea but was the deceased in close
pursuit. In this condition we all turned pro-
miscuously down stairs into the tar-room.
Snow let's go and take somethn', old
hoss,'' said Nat, ssbut don't say anything about
this when you get home, or Sally may be un
easy about me.''
Very true wa the remark of Camden thai
though he would not say that the English Ian
guage was as sacred as the Hebrew or as learn
ed as the Greek, yet it was as fluent as the
Latin, as courteous as the Spanish, as cour
like as the French, and as amorous as tn,
italian.
END oE THE FLORIDA WAR.-The lamp;
/ (Fla.) Peninsuiar of the 9Th inst says tha