Nature and Human Nature

he doctor and I lighted our cigars, and

the cause of morality, and predispose men to ridicule the very appearance of that which is so justly entitled to their respect, a sober, righteous, and godl

ot to do it again, or my name is not Sam Slick. I will make that goney a caution to sinners, I know. He has ofte

ur, I brought out the box containin' my sketchin' fixins, and opening

r enemies, for you couldn't take in a savage for any length of time, no how you could fix it, but that his pale face might not a

ios, curling well upwards, across his cheeks to his ears, and laid on the paint in a manner to resist the utmost efforts of soap and water. Each eye was adorned with an enormous circ

aver. The evangelical trader awoke amid the general bustle of th

t him, and then put himself in a posture of defenc

ons of the last evening, and had resumed his usual sanctimoniouslyfied manner

uld not trust his eyes,

re for heaven's sake, is sh

over, saying, "Oh, oh, that man will be the death of me." The girls nearly went into hysterics, and Cutler, though evidently not approving of the practical joke, as only fit for military life

y one who retained my gravity, "thee oug

nd it does not become a professing man like you to jeer and

id, for he had seen him before on the prairies. He was a Kentucky villain, a forger, a tief, a Yankee spy sent to excite the Indians against the English. He knew his f

hters, who stood aghast at the fearful resemblance h

im. "That man of Satan I never saw before yesterday, when I entered his house, where there was fiddling and dancing, and serving the devil. Truly my head beca

sleep, and placed his mark upon thee--the mark

again approached the glass and again retreated with a look of unspeakable despair, groaning like a thousand sinners, and swelled out about the head and throat like a startled blauzer-sna

age of the horse-stealer, and who knoweth whom else thou resemblest

said, "never

isguise of religion; secondly, thee were disguised in liquor; and third

"dod drot it, it is a just punishment. I knock under, I holler, I give in, have mercy on

in't pretty at no time, though I wouldn't be too hard on a man for only gettin' hold of the right eend of the rope in a bargain. I have done it myself. Or puttin' the leak into a consaited critter sometimes for fun. But

oul--I'll be d--d if I don't.

ou will be d--d if you don't, that's a fact. But th

ch as to say, "how good we are, ain't we," as sin said when the devil was rebukin' of him. The fact is

y quick, and at it again. I will compound something that will take out your false hair, for I don't think it will be easy to shave it off. It all came of pretence. What in the world was the reason you couldn't walk quietly into the cantecoi, where people were enjoying themselves, and either join them, or if you had scruples, keep them to yourself and sit by. Nobody would have molested you. Nothing but cant led you to join temperance societies. A man ought to be able to use, not abuse liquor, but

rd such a figure as this, I'd rather die fust, I'd never hear the last of it

." That warn't necessary at all, but I said it to punish him. "And when I come back,

uldn't you--" but I turned a

lor Beaver. Peter borrowed an extra horse and waggon, and drove his young

road is full of stumps, and very rough, and I like the arrangem

into a wood-road, in which stones, hillocks, and roots of trees

e Doctor, "if not, I think

advisable," said I. "

he woods, I find it an encumbrance. In addition to my other

tell you. The more you do know, the more folks are afeared to be able to tell you something new. It flatters their vanity, and it's a harmless piece of politeness, as well as good policy to listen; for who the plague will attend to you if you won't condescend to hear them? Con

unn's "

de of the skin of the slain animal, into which a portion of melted fat is poured. The whole being then strongly pressed, and sewed up in bags, constitutes the

wouldn't it. Well, Doctor," sais I, "that's a wrinkle, ain't it? But w

stol, of capital workmanship, and well mounted. "I prefer this, it answers every purpose: and is easy to carry. There are no wolves here, and bears never attack you, unless molested, so that the gun-barrel is not needed as a club; and if Bruin once ge

, in a general way, I don't calculate to throw away my lead. It's scarce in the woods. S

as wink fired, and hit i

be taken up that way. And so sure as I boast of a thing, I slip out of

d he (thinking I had missed i

to it, "I intended to send your ball further in; but I guess I have only turned it

e, at any rate. You are a better shot than I am; and that's what I have never

they ain't to be found everywhere in our great country, I enjoy it with all my heart. I enter into it as keen as a hound, and I don't care to have the Clockmaker run rigs on. A man's life often depends on his shot, and he ought to be afraid of

ble. They talked of the skirts of the forest, the capes of the Hudson, laughing in their sleeve, giving a fellow a bastin, having a stitch in the side, cuffing a fe

ractise in secret every morning and evening at pistol-shooting for an hour or two, until he was a shade more than perfection itself. Well, one day he was out with a party of them same coons, and they began to

d fellow. Tom, fetch the goose to press it when it's done. Dick, cabbage a b

is he, 'I'l

y bit, that had a hole in the centre, and putting in it a sm

d them. 'Now,' said he, 'gentlemen, the way to stitch a buttonhole, is to put balls all round that button, in a close ring

now, gentlemen,' said he, 'I have stood your shots for many a long day, turn about is fair play. The first man that cracks a joke

ealth; and the boss of the day said: 'Well, Street (afore that he

d joke at a tailor being only the ninth part of one. I

nour now, I didn't mean it. And I sa

ble to take his own part in the world; but my idea is we

n they really give me credit for what I don't deser

, you'll give me a stitch in my side. Well, that's better than being 'sew

ow, and it's a powerful weapon that; but

e hundred yards--though that is an immense distance. The gun has superseded them; but though superior in many respects, the other has some qualities that are invaluable. In skirmishing, or in surprising outposts, what an advantage it is to avoid the alarm and noise occasioned by firearms. All troops engaged in this service in addition to the rifle ought to have the bow and the quiver. What an advantage it would have been in the Caffre war, and how serviceable now in the Crimea. They are light to carry and quickly discharged. When we get to my house I will prove it to you. We will set up two targets, at one hundred yards, say. You shall fire from one to the other, and then stand as

uns, when he attacked Buonus Ayres; they'd have you up in 'Punch;' they'd draw you as Cupid going to war; they'd nickname you a Bow-street officer. Oh! they'd soon teach you what

don't alarm the herd; they don't know where the shaft comes from, and are as likely to look for it in the lake or in the wild grass as anywhere else. Let us try them together. But let us load with shot now. We shall come to the brook directly, and whe

"Do you fire to the right, and I will take the left." When the smoke from our simultaneous discharges

they are out of reach. I only spoke of the how as subordinate and auxiliary; but never as a substitute. Although I am not certain that, with our present manufacturing skill, metallic bows could not now be m

e did not hurry himself, bareheaded towards the bars in the pole fence. He was soon afterwards followed by a little old woman at a foot amble, or sort of broken trot, such as distinguishes a Naraganset pacer. She had a hat in her hand, which she hastily put on the man's head. But, as she had to jump up to do it, she effected it with a force tha

ontact. He was compelled at last to turn again on his pursuer, and expostulate with her in no gentle terms. I heard the words "mind your own business," or something of the kind, and the female voice more distinctly (women always have

took down the bars, and removed them a one side, when he drew himself bolt upright, near one of the posts, and placing his hand across his forehead, remained in that position, without uttering a word, till the waggons

aid the doctor to me, for the

in' of them

e replied. "Did you never see them before?" Of course

he begins at the top they get awfully tangled, and if he pulls the wrong way, the harder he hauls the tighter they get. Then he has to drag them all out of the way, so as to lead the horse through, and leave him standin' there till he

at afore, but you are right after all," and he laughe

your H

have a ga

much as to say, "Thank you for nothing, Sir. It's a pity you hadn't served under C

was so pleasant to see ladies there, for they were the first who had ever visited the doctor, and it was so kind of them to come so far, and she hoped they would often honour the place with their presence, if they could put up with their accommodation, for

ere. But that nothing should be wanting on his part, and so on. The housekeeper led the way to the apartments destined for the girls. Peter assisted the boy to unharness the horses, and the doctor showed Cutler and

nd he put down the pail, and r

seen a great deal of

cks were all ready. I had hit the right subject. "I ave gone throug

on you," I said. "That i

n the service of my king and country. I have three balls in me now, which the doctors couldn't extract, and nothin' but death will bring to the ligh

from his happearance and mountings. Instead of pursuing my course, as I ought to have done, Sir, I thought I'de make a dash at the rascal, and make prize of that are hanimal. So I drew my sword, raised myself in my saddle (for I was considered a first-rate swordsman, as most Hinglishmen hare who have been used to the

the ground, and then he galloped off as ard as he could go. When I got up, I took his elmet under my harm, and proceeded on my route. I was ashamed to tell the story straight, and I made the best tale I could of the scrimmage, and showed the elmet in token that it was a pretty rough fight. But t

they don't. It was a runnin' scrimmage, or handicap fight.' Yes, Sir, if it was hanywhere helse, wher

ppearance again, with the hat in

less of hisself as if he didn't mind whether I was left alone in the oulin' wilderness or not. Oh, Sir, if you heard the wild beastesis here at night, it's dreadful. It's worse than the wolves in the Pyreen, in Spain.

ther the gentleman. Oh, Sir," said he, "I have had to tell a cap of lies about that are s

ame to tell me br

imple contrivance of yours for raising wa

no invention of mine. I have no turn th

ual in America, I have never seen it in England, although the happy th

ects into the air with its point over the well. This beam is secured in the middle of the crotch of the upright post by an iron bolt, on which it moves, as on an axle. To the aerial end is attached a few links of a chain, that hold a long pole to which the bucket is fastened, and hangs over the well. The beam and its pendent apparatus

p with a jerk that upsets it, and wets her all over, which is very refreshing in hot weather, and if a child or a dog happens to be under the heavy end of the beam, it smashes it to death, which after all ain't no great matter, for there are plenty left to them who have too many and don't care for 'em. And then if it ain't well looked after and the post gets rotten at the bottom, on a stormy day i

things, I'll have it removed, it is a most dangerous thing, and I wouldn'

Honour for tha

ery picturesque, ain't they, how well they look

ith my old well-pole, oh, no, not for the world: Jackson, have an eye to it, see that it is all safe and st

re like tailors, one can cut a coat and do nothin' else, for he is an artist. The other can put the parts together, for he is a workman only. Now the doc