The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-03

probable as not that he would have re-
ceivsd piece of plate; but this he could
by no means do. The restraint he had
put upon his disreputable nature for half
year could be no longer maintained.
He cast his slough of respectabilitv, and
came out, harlequin-like, when you least
expected it, in his own proper colors at
once.
My watch, my wife's watch. the cooks
watch, Bob's silver mug, given to him by
his godfathers and godmothers on his
baptism, -GUss- Opal-Fing, left to him by
his great.aunt-everything of value, in
short, which he could possibly get lent to
him upon ary prrtext by anybody, Mr..
Donaldson Adams had pAwned at the Va
rious country towns within radius Of
sixteen miles from the rectory. He was
rate account of the respective places where
each of these articles was to be found, and
TO leave it upon my study-table, when he
departed at three o'clock on o certain
morning, after having received his quar-
ter's salary overnight 1t would wiring
my heart to recapitulate the many crimes
Of that abOminnble young man. 1t is
sufficient to state, that in him nOurished
serpent of the worst description in my
bosom, and that he took advantage Of
that situation to pick my pocket Of a very
considerable sum. There was nothing
true in the account he had given Of him
self in answer to our advertisement, ex-
cept his statement OF his university career,
which was one-half correct; the dishOn-
orable part, containing an expulsion and
other matters, he kept religiously to him
,.,ss,s ,-...,t 4Ee Nep>; ms 'D<sS la1z'
gave" as the poet sings and, am sorry
to say, recommends an addition. He GER
tainly was, however, an admirable scholar,
and taught my three boys Of thirteen,
fourteen and fifteen years old, respective
", to make the neatest cigarettes ever
saw, and to smoke them.
Our advertisement was answered many
times after that without our getting suited.
Mr.. Adams had, among other wickedness-
es, caused a domestic rupture between
myself and my wife. She had the hardi-
hood to observe, with reference to that
young persnn, that what had occurred
was all my doing; that she herself-she
even went to that length-bad seen how
things would be from the beginning; and
that ''ought to have known"
Good" replied l "in future, mad
am, you shall chonse the tutor yourself.
( Like that well. known political noble
man who has been said 10 be ready to
! undertake the superintendent Of any de-
! pArtment Of war or science at ten minutes
notice, my wife is impressed with full
sense Of her universal fitness, and she ac'
cepted the post upon the instant. She
examined the different candidates who
presented themselves at the rectory, as
teachers of the young idea, just as she
was accustomed to interrOgate the appli-
cants for her houSemaid's situations,
namely, with her hands behind her, and
with an expression Of cOuntenance at once
suspicious and patronizing; it was long,
therefore, before each party came to
terms Mr.. Joseph Buttamuth, a washed
out individual of whity-brown complex
ior, and with unreliable knees, was at last
the lucky man. He was so young that
he was not only whiSkerlesS, but had moi
even the down which gives the promise
of whiskerS; he could not be said to walk
so accurately as to shambie; he termed
his future pupils, to their great merri.
ment, "the boy th," and when | asked
him if he had ever taught boys before, he
answered "Yeth thir."
Nevertheless, it is but right TO say that
Mr.. Buttamuth fulfilled all the tutOrial
duties that were required Of him; 1t was
not in the bond that he should be a con
versatile companion to me, as well as q
teacher to my children still, after Mt
Donaldson Adams, poor Bu'tamuth did
certainly seem a most unintcIesting com
panion after the ladies' had left the dinner
table, and not the less SO, perhaps, that
he had been chosen by my better half
However, he was harmless. Our charac
ter and our watches in his hands were
safe at least. He never came down Ia
breakfast with black eye in the morning
and the excuse that he had the misfor'
tune to sleep on his fist. He was sim
plicity and guilelesSness personitied. FOI
example, speaking to him one day on his
chances of promotion in the church, foI
which profession he was steadily qualify
ing, | made use of the expression, ell
YOU play your cards well, you may be a
bishop" :" to which the unsophisticated
young fellow rejoined: "Ah, thir, buI
the misfortune is that Td0n't kno,o hOat
to play Cardiff" Photography was his
only Joy. lie took my own likeness from
every point Of view, in canOnicals and ir
dishabille, on glass and on paper. Hs
took my wife and daughter, and the three
"boyth," and the servants, full length and
half length, full face and in profile, ihdi
Yi60aNy and in groups. Ny daughter
| Georgiana was Instructed by him in thi,
detachable art. Fool that was, to think
that all was colIodiOn and innocence, in
stead of being design and camera obscura
One dav-a capital day for phOtographing
what he called in his absurd jargOn.
white day." but which | do not consider
"a white day." by any means-while he
was taking a negative" of my daughter
he proposed to her at the same time, AND
she gave him an affirmative. The whole
thing, as Mr.. Buttamuth had the effrOnte
rv to tell ME afterwards, was almost " 81
multaneous" (anOther Of his ridiculous
terms); everything was then settled, ex
cept the asking the consent Of her parents
the drying process, l suppose-whict
they put off till after their wedding. Mr.
and Mrs. Buttamuth are now trying, iT
Westmoreland curacy, the problem of Q
frugal marriage on ESQ per annum; and
they have already, to enhance the expert
ment, a couple of baby boyth."
--<~~eN
A JUDGE and counsellor being upon in
different terms, and client Of the coun
seIlor making. his appearance at the bal
with his jaw terribly swelled, the Judge
remarked: "Mr. =, this client Of yours
would make an excellent counsellor he's
4 all jaw, which raised roar Of laughter
against the counsellor. On silence being
restored, the counsellor Feplied:-" Ny
Lord. I think he would make q bettei
Judge, for his jaw is al on one side." the
iretort turned the laugh agaipstths judge
and from that time the two were on ex'
! cellent terms. a .''s