Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-04-02

TIE LEARNEnpIa
tch Founded ON Dir.c,

Sed element was travelling Snowman of the
olden time He ran the gauntlet Of the busi.
ness, commencing with a cage of rattle snake ee.
6oa-constrictor and q monkey, with which he
followed circus. 1t was worth double the
price OF admission to hear Ned i'm front of his
little tent, lecturing to a crowd of gaming coup-
uymen upon the merits of his show" He kept
with the circus for years-in fact until old age
put quletus to his living euriosities be
sold their hides to taxidermist, and turned
Ils attention to something else. The last time
L saw him, he was exhibiting learned mis-
set of Italian fantoceini, and .swalIoW;nes %, =
sword sixteen inches long In his career he
Sas subjected to all the vicissitudes of stroll
ling yagabond. One day he was on the ton
round OF success, disbursing his money in q
country 6ar-room with the liberality of wes-
tern hog og-drover-next day he was '.fistter than
founder. Ned, however was a genuine
philosopher, and could suffer '' the slings and
arrows OF outrageous fortune" to q eopsde rable
extent before he would take up arms against
sea Of troubles" but when he did 30. be in
Narlaoie worked his way out. as he was full of
stratagem and invention -. - -
In the summer of lSl, he made an unsuccess-
ful country excursion with collection of fgur, s
IN wax, representing General jackson. Nano-
leon BonaParte, Queen yictOria, Wansley and
GIBBS the pirates, Colonel johnson killing
Ieeumseh, Pocahontas saving the life of CAP
tain John Smith, Black Hawk and yarious
other prominent and distinguished individuals
VINO had figured on the pages Of history. The
business had not been so very bad, but Ned b sd
got married in the spring which augmented
his expenses considerable, for he was fond of his
wife, who was really a besutiful and dutiful lit
Tie woman, and upon whom he layished money
unsparingly- He reached the city late in the
fall, and determined, ss was his custom 10 Law.
by during the winter months; but how TO do so
was what just then puzzled Ned Clement. He,
had very little money, and used to maintain
that, however well a man might flourish on a
small supply Of ''rhino' in the country il would
not onSSlrte in the city. No, sin; n man in the
city " mhOut sPOndulics was like unto eat in
Ierdl;lOn without claws, This was a very figu-
natlve, bat nevertheless forrible observation.
Ned had only one resort left-and that was to
cell has wax figures, or .'Statteary large as life
and twict rs material, - and start out with some
thing new IN the spring. lie sold his figures
and to pretty good advantage too; there were
plenty OF showmen eager TO get them, for they
never failed 10 pay whenever they were exhib-
tied for the first time. Ned did not part with
them with regret either for to tell the tru tn
his route required new show-an entire change
OF Programme-hisp patrons having become tired
OF the everlasting sameIess Of the figures
Well, with purse full of money, Ned and
his wife lived in clover but he always had an
eye single to business. While looking around
r Tor nOvelties for the next campaign. he fell in
with Frenchman who was = fat and from
whom he purchased the faHt0ecint for mere
tribe For fifty cents and . gin cocktail -
superannuated old Snowman learned him how
TO push long, smooth blade down his trachea,
which was set down as the remark able feat of
- swallowing a sword" This was SO much for
next summers Operations-but there yss still
better luck in store for Ned.
One day, while walking on the outskirts of
the city, his attention was attracted to three
Irish children playing with pig, before a ho-
tel. Not only was the pig peculiar looking
pig. but il played and frisked about with the
children like young kitten. 1t answered 10
the name of Molly" and when any of the
children called il by name it trotted along
like an obedient and well-trained dog The
Oldest Of the boys noticing that Ned was ad-
miring the pig. made her stand up on her hind
legs, and drink water from lineup Ned
had an idea Here was novelty. A trained
pig who could beat that! He went right into
the house and asked the womsn-fOr there was
no man abOGt-if she would sell her pig!
''Is it Molly ye manel Sure an she's
house pig-a pet-an' it would break the child
hers hearts intirely to part wild her, for they
have raised her, and scblep wild her since she
was no bigger nor rat. But it's killed she
must be when she old enough. ''---
III give you ten dollars for her. said
Ned, " and for that amount you can buy full
grown hog.
By this time The children had gathered into
the house, and as soon as they understood the
nature OF the man proposition, they protested
v.
This only made Ned the more eager to bay,
and he determined not TO leave without the
pig, even if she cost him fifty dollars. The wo-
man finally agreed to sell the porker for ten
dollars, if Ned would compromise with her
children lie took then up town a short dis
tanee and purchased for each Of the BOYS
roundabout and cap, and for the little girl a
eheckered flannel dress, and n nice bonnet
and pair of shoes for each of them !; and they
agreed to let Molly 20. Ned went back, paid
the woman the money, and carried the pig
home in triumph He explained to his little
wife what an extraordinary animal he had Sc
cured. and how he could train her to be tre-
mendOus card in the country. The wife was
incredulous, but she always made il point to
let him have his own way.
Ned built q nice pen IN one corner of the
kitchen, and commenced subjecting Molly to
very severe lessons, at the rate of five or six q
day, always rewarding her by petting and
giving her a feed of buttermilk and potatoes
(her fsvorite dish,) when she understood him
and executed his commands. but invariably
switching her when she would not learn, or
when she behaved refractory BY these means
she took kindly 10 him, and il was not long
before she understood him well, and Obeyed
him 50 tacitly. that it really seemed as if she
was governed by season, instead of mere in
stinct BY spring she was most thoroughly
trained, when Ned purchased a horse and
wagon, l0sded up his stock and fixtures, to-
gether with his wife, and struck for the inte-
Ti0r Of Pennsylvania
For time his success was passing fair, and
he made money; but he dribbled Il all away
with his usual eItravag Ince inI high living,
expensive dresses for his little wife, hashy
clothing for himself, and whisky for the
crowd +" At length, however, he got bad
streak, and it elung to him for long time. lie
got into the Gerinan counties Of the State Just
in the midst of harvest, when everybody wa.
hurried from the dawn of day till nightfall at
rrbi bi..h m W IN
10 bed regardless of any such attractions as
learned pigs. Ned worried along in the hopes
vi a better time coming, although he not
making expenses. To add TO his msfOrtunes,
he upset his wagon one day. by which accident
MS wife was So badly bruised that he had to
leave her in charge Of physician in the next
village, while he made a circuit of several viii
lagos, to which he had already forwarded bills
fOT performances at stated periods.
One hne summer morning, Ned's neat wagon
msde its entire into the ancient village of Log
town, IA per bills Of the day. followed by q