St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-10-10


The path has long been rude and thorn
growing:
And in the chant the heart shall henccsort
raise
The choral word u Going :" ever .1;oiny.'
&C. Gardner, in n. Y. Ledger
AT THE CROSS KEYS.
An Interesting Story of the Revo
lutionary War Times
Innkeeper Van Buren,, aproncd to tn,
chin. leaned against the framework o
the open door. and lazily launched :
ring of tobacco smoke on the oalmy MI
of the September evening. Good wifi,
Van Buren, reclined against the op
positc side of the door, glad to get !
mouthful of the cool breeze, for the DAY
had been sultry. Jacobus passed L
and fro, between the bar and the trees
with tankards of f-o:hy brown ale
taking good heed not to tread on the
toes of bis master and mistress; pot
boys positions were not going a-beg
ging in FlatbuSh town in the year O,
grace seventeen hundred and eighty.
vue.
The inn-keeper was in the act oi
'haping another ring. when q loud
burst of laughter from the trees caused
him to turn his head so suddenly that
the smoke was elected in shapcless
cloud.
The Cross Keys" said he, ''has
never known livelier company"
THAT fat pirate" replied the wife,
''would make Quaker Taught"
LAY. it's a merry rascal, and right
welcome to all the liquor it can gulp.
But remember. my dear, it is the dumb
host that draws the most ale. Let the
congress and the king fight out their
own battles"
Folk say" remarked his helpmeet,
Howe has written to King George
that we Long Islanders are ready to
take the oath of allegiance. I amt
ready to take such an oath, Joris"
bah! you're not Long Islander;
you're woman. AS for me, am too
old to fight on either side, SO I'll live in
peace, with my customer for my king. :"
This English major certainly do
bring us plenty of business. Joris-"
''Oh. Shelton knows on which side
his toast is buttered: he quarters the
American prisoners in this neighbor-
hood, and boards at the Cross Keys
himself free of charge"
And you allow him per cent on the
prisoners ale, don't you. Joris?"
Mrs Van Buren," replied her lord,
CURLY, that's state secret"
In the modern warfare of civilized
nations the parole, as it existed in the
tit2e Of our revolution, finds scant
recognition; it has gone out with the
slow match and the boarding pike. It
was customary then for large numbers
of prisoners of war to be given the
freedom of q certain district, their
word of honor being accepted that they
would not attempt to rejoin their
friends until given permission to do so
by the terms of q mutual ''cxchanGe."
Generally these prisoners were At
tended by a single officer; and in the
pregnant period of the revolution the
life of prisoner of war with the Ger
tain shameful exceptions blotting the
pages of Britain's history was by no
means devoid of pleasurable incident
Much has been written regarding the
whaleboat privatcersmen of those
days, and, perhaps, considerably more
to their disparagement than circum-
stances justify. They were but the
natural offspring of unnatural con-
ditions. OF these rangers none achieved
a wider reputation than Capt Mariner.
An old record tells us he was . man
of eccentric character, witty and in
genious. and Astounding in anecdotes"
A careful perusal of such of his re-
markable adventures rs are preserved
in the chronicles of his time enables
us to form a good idea of his person
atty. He was as short ~ = Dutch
skipper; so fat that the ransacking of
stolen Gle thes chests formed no part of
his piratical amusementS, and his face
might be hkened to a copper-colored
moon in a state of general volcanic
eruption. The hollow tone Of his voice
led to the pleasantly that 'thc captain |
had swallowed q northeaster and was
peddling it out in cupfuls."
1t was indeed jovial party that sat |
at the long table beneath the maple
trees
0efCuCCs kCiSACuACus NASC<A OaACs Il
capt Mariner, for q song"
A score of tankards beat . tattoo on |
the board as the captain arose and
bowed, first to the major (who sat.
few PAGES from the head Of
the table,, then to his audience. TAX
ing the average and speaking relative
IL. Capt Mariner was not half seas
over" although certain premonitory
winks conferred upon his opposites IS
he rose ito oblige" were given with .
vim that ill consorted with perfect so
briefly. In voice husky with porter
or emotion he announced The Yankee
sword. and proceeded to sing the fol-
lowing, to the air Of an old sea song:
Hurrah. hurrahi for the Yankee svoedi
In Heaven IL was made:
II flashes bright in Freedoms light;
Hurrah coe the patriot blade!
The tyrant from his castle sees
Its Giimmering afar.
And toddles about
Ana totaclss about.
And toadlss about With shskia9 hAesos
fes Ne ysskee sxosa-lHfftAl