Amador weekly ledger., 1858-05-15
Scandal.
Now let il work. Mischief thou art afoot,
Take what course thou wilt

Now let IL work. Mischief thou art afOot
Take what course thou wilt"
In a neighboring village, whose inhabitants,
like the good people of Athens, were much
given to either tell or hear of some new
things" lived Squire p, facetious good
natured sort Of body, whose jokes are even
yet matter of Village Record, and have
been retold through various editions from TO-
lilo down to duodecmo.
Aunt Lzzy was Deacon Snipe's wife's sis
ter-a maiden lady of about fifty-she went
to all the meetings-kept regular account
of every birth, death and marriage, with
their datcs-doctored all the babies, and
knew every gard in the neighborhood-
showed all the young married women how to
make soap; and when they had bad luck
made every child in the house sit cross legged
until the luck was changed. In fine she was
kind of village factotum-spent her time in
going from house to house. grinding out
grist of slander to each, as occasion required,
but always concluded with 1.-The way of
transgressors is hard poor Mrs. A or b Gas
the case was) pity her from the bottom of
my heart" or some such very soothing refec-
ton. Aunt Lzzy was always fond of asking
strangers and others, without regard to time
or place, "the state of their minds how
they enjoyed their minds" &c. These ques-
tionS were generally followed by string of
scandal, which was calculated to destroy the
peace and happiness Of some of her best
neighbors and friends but she, like other
narrators of this kind, considered such intel
lectual murder as either establishing her own
fair reputation, or as the only mode of en-
tertaining the village, and thereby rendering
her society agreeable.
One warm summers afternoon, as the
Squire was sitting by his Office door, smoking
his pipe, Aunt Lizzy was passing by with
great speed, rumnating on the news of the
day, when the Squire brought her suddenly
to, as the sailors say, by
What's your hurry aunt Lizzy walk
in" The old lady, who never wanted a
second invitation, went into the Office, and
the following dialogue soon commenced:
"Well Squire p, have been thinking
this forenoon what useful man you might
be, if you'd only leave off your light conver-
satons, as the good book says, and become a
serious man-you might be an ornament to
both church and State as our minister says"
Why as to that, aunt Lizzy, cheerful
countenance consider as the best index Of
a grateful heart, and you know what the BIZ
BILE says on that subject when you fast, be
not as the hgpoerites of sad countenance !;
but anoint thy head and rash thy face
(aunt Lizzy began to feel for her pocket
handkerchief, for she was a taker of snuff
that thou appear NOT unto men too fast"
Now, there Squire, that's just what | told
you see how you have the Scripture at your
tongues end what useful man you might
be in our church, if you'd only be doer as
well as hearer of the word.p
"As to that, aunt Lizzy, do not see that
your professors as you call them, are whit
better than | am, in pirate. / respect a
sincere profession as much as any man but
| know enough of one of your church, whom
you think great deal of, to know that she IS
no better than she should be /"
At these nuendoes, aunt Lizzy's little
black eyes began to twinkle she sat down
beside the Squire, in order to speak in low
er tone-spread her handkerchief over her
lap. and began to tap the cover of her snuff
box in true style, and all things being in
readiness for regular sege of 'scandalum
magnatum she commenced fire
"Now, Squire, want to know what you
mean by one of our church F? know who
you mean-the trollope-I didn't like SO
many curls about her head, when she told
her experience
The Squire, finding curiosity was putting
bis boots on. ha6 no occasion TO add spurs