The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-03-05

| all the day long, and to end your days IN q poor
house The man who sat for this character was
named Samuel Lawson, and the remembrance OF
him has lasted longer and more distinctly tnan OF
the others in the memory OF those no" ilVing III
Oldtown. He vas a queer man, and the portrayal
of him is perfect. For many years he bad a
little tinker's shop near the church, where he did
odd Jobs when he felt like work" He was
always in the street, and standing on the corners.
chatting with everybody. He was beloved OF
the children, and would talk to them as they
passed by to school. He was rather tall and
lank, with a stopping posture, and had q queer
way of bobbing his head with a sudden jerk
when he went to speak. He was careless IN
dress and his house and family had n negiected
appearance. He had a curious manner OF hndlng
out everybody's business. As children were 60
ing along he would say: "Lordy massey, I'm
glad to see you children. How's your father!
What's he doing?" He always began every
thing with "Lordy massyi" When the boys
were out playing, Sam would be sure to be among
them, looking over the games, and keeping tally.
He was full of old hymns, and was delighted to
repeat them in an exceeding quaint way on all
possible occasions. He was a constant caller,
especially about meal time, and always had a
fund of news TO relate. But he died in the
Newton poor house at last, and his merry, care
less heart came to a lonely dependent old age.
He was over ninety when he died. Prof. Stowe
always had a great friendship for Sam, and often
went to see him during the last years of his life.
His wife Hepsy died several years before her hus-
band.
THE NEGRO AND INDIAN CHARACTERS.
Old Boston Foodah was an African worthy of
which something can be written. He was a dis
tinguished, tall negro, very polite, and full of
the graces of high breeding, and well known in
the village. The young folks used to think he
was of great consequence, and would pay him
much respect. He lived in a good house, and
had some means. lie had a little wife named
jimmy whom he always called He" in speak
ing of her to anybody. One Sunday at church,
Jimmy fell asleep and dreamed. Waking sud-
denly she started up, exclaiming in a loud voice,
"Oh where de Lordy | be-" This SO mortified
old Boston, that after service he called on the
Parson to explain things, saying, You see,
Parson, He had been out pulling fax on Satur-
day, and He was berry tired, and : He fell
asleep!" There was also Il young Boston, a
1.-THE, short youth, who WAS quite a negro dandy.
He was out playing one day when a boy, and
Jimmy came to the door of the house, and called
to him, " Bos'n! Bos'n come right in from dar,
standing out in the sun you'll be black as any
niger - There is nothing left of the house old
Boston occupied, and there are none of the family
living.
Primus King, the hog butcher, was another
negro character. He was rather cross and surly
though, and not the fhyorite old Boston was. He
was in great demand all the country round to
butcher hogs, and was really a genius at the
work. None of his descendants are living, and
his house has gone.
The Indian characters are of no particular
account. They were remnants of a once power
tribe, and were mostly vagabonds. Justice
Waban was the most important one, and the fol-
lowing true copy Of n warrant issued by him has
been preserved - You. you big constable, quick
you catch um jeremiah Ofscow, strong you hold
9m, safe you bring um afore me. Thomas
of these Oldtown Indians living in the village is
a woman of thirty-five, who is married to a white
man.
THE HoLYoKE FAMILY.
This was the family Of Prof. Calvin E. Stowe,
the Horace IIolyoke being none other than that
in his youth. His fathers character
is drawn rather strongly, for he was a baker in
stead of a teacher, and was not noted for his
strong devotion TO books. The mother is we'll
she died a few years ago in Hartford,
aged sc. Horace is well remembered in Oldtown
Is n queer boy and it is said Mrs. Stowe might
have published some anecdotes of her husbands
which would have been very taking,
Dut family pride prevented her. Horace loved
books, but had no system in reading. He was
peculiar in dress, and in many ways different
rom other boys. He liked to gather them around
lim and preach to them. He was a great mimic. :
He was apprenticed in n paper mill, but his
lunts helped him to acquire a liberal education,
working in the mill to obtain money.
father died in 1903, leaving no property,
he mother and the children going to the grand
ather's house to live. The little island near the
Jaw mill, where Horace studied, is shown to
strangers.
A PARTING GLANCE.
There are a few minor persons in the story 7
Who were actual residents of the village Major
Broad, an educated, well-to-do farmer, good look
ng and portly. and who always walked with a
,old- headed cane, and who made himself silly in
lis old age by marrying a young girl. Mump
Morse, the leader of the church choir, who re-
Diced in the Christian name of Henry Joe
'%teadman; Patty Sawin, who died last summer, 4
Lped T6- and OtherS that LITTLE mr. nothing ia u
about. They have all passed away, and
he place knows them no more forever.
Oldtown to-day is a pleasant spot, with it's
mug comfort and it's sociability. The old hotel
las yet its crowd of evening loungers, who dis ]
uss affairs. All day long its streets are quiet,
nd one can hear the murmur of the tiny water
all on the Charles River. 1t has its rich man
is patron saint it's beautiful girls in fashionable
ress, for Boston is only an hour away but it is
)ldtown still-the Oldtown " of the novelist,
18th a brighter garb and a more modern life
Press. j. w. NJ. .