The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-14
FROM EARLvILLD.

be purely New England, was given on the even.
ing of tho 9th Of March, At Dupes's Hall. Owing
to tho bad weather, consequent thin attendance
it was repeated Monday evening. with like
success.
"Pork and beans, mush and milk, pumpkin
pies, corn bread and doughnuts" were served ~
per notice. by persons (33 in numbsr) represent
ing, in different styles, their idea of New Eng.
land family.
They may be e1cusable for not finding per-
sons suited to the different ages and stages of .
family so prolific At least twenty-five of the
members were dressed to represent youths bad
ding into man and womanhood. Parents grand
and great grand, maiden aunts and unclsa com.
prised the family. No representatives in the era
die nor at tho breast, and strange to say, the
apron-strings were all consistently long
am NO critic, but it seems to me our puritan
fathers were too fond Of sleep, ease and comfort,
and knew too well the laws of health, to make .
supper of pork and beans
Nush is purely "Hooser." Whoever heard Of
this edible in New England There they make
asty-puddiny. rye and Indian, and johnny cake,
instead Of "brown and Germ bread ;" doughnuts
were fried cakes, &c.
If those shaggy, grizzly heads and powdered
faces were proper representations Of puritan gen.
tility, have always had = wrong idea of those
venerable persons. had supposed them to b
clean faced, dignifed persons. whs commanded
the respect Of their acquaintance as well A. that
of the party now in power, and the youth Of
those days to be robust stalwart, modest appear.
ing children instead of the scrawney, scurvy,
clownish ours who personated the rising gener.
alton at that show
Jerusha, the maiden aunt, Rebecca, Prudence,
Robert and Jonathan, impressed me favorably
Their parts were quite as well played as any
have seen of the same character at mask balls or
public theatres.
Surprising that religious denomination would
not tempt one by placing before him IS bodily or
mental provender, that which was not conclusive
to health and comfort, partook of pork and
beans A few of the visions and dreams conse.
quent upon so palpablea violation Of physiology
here transcribe, that others may DO warned.
About the hour of midnight sought my cham.
ber-retired to rest-slept but to dream. Wis.
ions ran riot in my brain equal in volume If not
in weight to Bslshazzar's, few of which sub
nit for the Interpretation Of tae wise men of
Earlville.
l thought saw a gallant youth sally forth
with team and carriage in the dim twilight,
buoyant with expectations of a pleasant ride
with dairy maid, on their way to join "a throng
Of festive youths who are tripping "a. Robin.
sons Hall'O the light fantastic toe"
Darkness drew its mantle over the way of the
pleasure seekers. The road lies in q barren wood
"a stump arises as if by magic to dash their
carriage and nirth at once to earth, the charc.
ers escape, leaving their burden Of human freight
to grope their way in darkness in an uninhabi..
cd section.
After diligent search, the animals are found
entangled in the underground, hall mile from
the scene of disaster. With characteristic hero
ism they mount and proceed on horseback to a
friendly inn, where they procure conveyance,
number two, and go their way rejoicing.
No. 9 also proves unsound, ait.r drive of a,
mile and a half, and is abandoned for repairs.
Vehicle No q lumber wagon brought them in
safety to their destination, doubly assured that
patience and perseverance will accomplish all
things
Then ! saw constable Whose duty il is 10
preserve the peace and good order Of the eemmu.
nifty paying lads ten cents for each cow they
would drive to the pound This in violation Of
tho "Ysller Kivsred Literatoor- in such cases
made and provided.
Time goes back few weeks, when thought
saw young lady and an old man near the
small hours of another day, taking astronomical
observations at the southeast corner of tho M. E.
church.
The scene changes and behold late at night
business men" collecting their rent of widows
and others in Strengthened circumstances "be.
cause Of large family to provide for"
Methinks see the Good Templars extending
charity to the young man who has been unfor.
tunate and lost his stock of two winters trapping
on the frontier, and he, like the prodgal son, ex.
pending their bounty in riotous living, and at
the billiard table.
Visions Of q female taking rooms at hotel for
an evening, that her admirer may visit her un.
suspicloned by the curious, and managed by
family who object to Sunday evening callers. Of
females begging through the streets, not for bread
to feed iamishing children, but for subscriptions
to ten cent lotteries.
l also had vision Of young man from the
country walking in the height Of ecstacy with one
Of our clty bellies upon the r. r. track, "a favor
Ito 70 sortDfor an afternoop orornerade fka dar.