The Plymouth weekly Democrat., 1869-07-01

don't take you nor no other old tramp for
nothin'! So deown with your rhino, or
clear eOut" "Waal, then," exclaimed the
old soldier, "you go to thunder with your
old skeow wont be beholden to you, or
anybody of your sort; for I'll Jest 90
reourd yer darned old river-see if 1
don'ti"
The terryman laughed at what he took
for an idle threat but some weeks later
he was sccosted at the ty-lauding by the
same red checked, roughly-clad old soldier,
who triumphantly exclaimed: "Waal,
haze been reouud yer old river and here
L am, In spite of you, old skinfint." 1t
proved that he had actually performed the
exploit OF following the Connecticut river
to its head-of going round it. in fact, with
no other incentive than the desire to show
himself independent of the ferryman.
On another occasion, he applied for the
loan of a scythe, at the house of neigh
Dor, who was bridge builder. "Pm
rsly sorry, Mr.. Lincoln" said the wife of
the mechanic, "that can't accommodate
ye; but my husband amt to hum, ye see.
and he says to me, Jest before he went
away: Betsy, says he, don't you lend
nothln' OF mine to nobody, not on no &C
count, while am gone So, Mr.. Lincoln,
ye see | can't let that scythe go, even to
yeou."
why, whereabouts is your husband,
marm?"
"Oh, he's way deoon in Pennsylvany
buildin' bridge"
"Waal, guess, if go deown to where
he's to work, and git his consent, yell lend
me that are scythe."
Sartin, Mr.. Lincoln. But man alive,
what on airth do you mean ? tell we he's
way down in Pennsylvany."
The old soldier laughed in his droll,
knowing way; then questioned her as to
the exact locality of her husbands bridge
building operations, and took his leave
That very afternoon he departed on one
of his grand tours" with only a change
of linen, tied in blue checked handker-
chief, swinging from stick over his
shoulder, and whistling cheerily as he left
the dull old town behind him.
About ten days or fortnight later he
appeared before the sstoushed mechanic
exclaiming: "Hullol Billins, will yeou
lend me yer scythe for spell? That are
wife of yourn won't let it go without yeou
say so. Got her pretty well under your
thumb, hain'tye? Or, mebbc she's afeared
to cut friendship tween her and me by
lendin' an edged tool"
Ten days later Mistress Billings was as
tonisbed to see her eccentric neighbor
appear, all dusty and travel-worn, at her
door, and to hear him say, quietly: eyes,
nam, your man says mag take that are
scythe; and its high time that leetle med
der of mine was moved"
1t was popularity ofthe old pensioner
that he could never be told any news
though himself great newsmonger. He
always prOfessed to know everything in
that line before his enterprising informer
He was once very neatly caught by a
waggiSh neighbOr, who suddenly opened
upon him with the startling intelligence
that whale had been caught in the She
tucket River, respectable stream running
through Windham. "Du tell, neoso.
When? Where is the critter?" he ex-
claimed, quite thrown off his guard. But
the next instant, dropping his look of
wonder and surprise, for his usual know
ing expression, he added: az heerd they
were arter him but didn't know they'd
cotched him yit."-Eastern Paper.