The new era., 1860-05-24
$ c | &c b.
THE UNLUCKY PRESENT.
A TALE &.

"A LandfkSnlfe MINISTER, VINO OleQ
within the present century, was one Of
those unhappy persons, who, to use the
words of well-known Scottish adage,
can never see green cheese but their
cen reels He was eater mly corttous,
and that not only of nice articles Of food
but of many 9th r lhings which do not
generally excite the cupidily Of the hu-
man heart. The following story is in
corroboration of this assertion Being
on a visit one day at the house of one
OF his parlshloners, a poor lonely
widow, living in moorland part Of the
parish, he became fascinated by the
charms of a little cast-iron pot, which
happened at The time to be laying on the
hearth, full Of potatoes for the poor wo-
mans dinner, and that of her children
He had never in his life seen such a
nice little pot-it was a perfect conceit
OF thng-it was gem-no pot on
earth could match-it IN symmetry-it
was an object altogether perfectly love-
ly. taa
" Dear sake minister" said the
widow, quito overpowered by the rever-
end mans Communications of her pot,
GO il ye like the pot seae weeI as a" that
beg ye'll let me senl It to the manse
It's kink o Ora supe, fuous pot
wi'us; fisr we've a bigger ane, that we
use for ordinar, and that's mair convcn-
lent every way for US. Sac yen Just
take present OF I'll send it DER
the morn wi, jamie, when he gangs to
the sChule."
Z" Oh ~ said the minister, GO can by
no means permit you to be at SO much
trouble. Since you are so good as to
give me the pot, III just carry it home
with me in my hand Pm SO much ta-
ken with it, indeed, that | would really
prefer carrying it myself"
After much alteration between the
minister and the widow on this delicate
point of politeness, it was agreed that
he should carry home tine pot himself.
Off, then, he truged, bearing this cur
ious little culinary article, alternately
in his hand and under his arm. as SEEM
ed most convenient to him. Unfortuna-
tely, the day was warm, the way long,
and the minister, fat, so that he became
heartily tired of his burden before he
got halfway home. Under these dis
tressing circumstances, 1t struck him
that, if instead of carrying the pot awk-
wardly at one side of his person, he
were to carry ii on his head, the bur-
den would be greatly lightened the
principals Unnatural philosophy, which
~ l.. ,nf.x
him that when a load presses directly
and immediatly upon any object, It IS
far less onerous than when il hangs at
the remote and of Ieverr According
ly, doffing his hat which he resolved to
carry home in his hand, and having ap-
piled his handkerchief to his brpw, he
clspped the pot inverted fashion upon
his head, where as the reader may sup
pose, it figured much like Mambrlno's
helment upon the crazed capital of Don
Quixote, only great deal more magni-
ficent in shape and dimensions There
was at first much relief and much COM
fort in this new made Of carrying the
pot !; but make the result. The unfor-
tunate minister having taken a bypath
to escape observation, found himself,
when still good way from home, un-
der the necessity of leaping over ditch
which intercepted him in passing from
one field to another. He jumped but
surely. mo jump was ever taken so COM
pleteIy ~, or at least into, the dark as
this. The concussion given to his per-
sons in descending, caused the helinent
to become hood the pot slipped
down over his face, and resting with
the rim upon his neck, stuck fast there,
enclosing his whole head completely.
What was worst Of all, the nose. which
had permitted the pot to slip down over
it, withstood every desperate attempt,
on the wart Of its proprietor, to make
it slip back again the contracted part,
or neck, Of the patera, being Of such a
peculiar formation as to cling fast to
the base Of the nose, although it had
found no difficulty in gliding along its
hypotenuse. Was ever minister in a
worse plight Was there ever CON-
trstemps so unlucky Did ever any
man-did ever any minister, 90 sfSsctu-
ssfwua hnHaa aHnr