bottled that very year, that glorious action was fought atween the Constitution and the Guerriere.  Perhaps the whole world could’nt shew such a brilliant whippin as that was.  It was a splendid deed, that’s a fact.  The British can whip the whole airth, and we can whip the British.  It was a bright promise for our young eagle; a noble bird that, too; great strenth, great courage, and surpassing sagacity.

Well, he went down to the cellar, and brought up a bottle, with a stick tied to its neck, and day and date to it, like lye-bills on the trees in Squire Hendrick’s garden.  I like to see them are cobwebs, says he, as he brushed ’em off, they are like grey hairs in an old man’s head, they indicate venerable old age.  As he uncorked it, says he, I guess Sam, this will warm your gizzard, my boy; I guess our great nation may be stumped to produce more eleganter liquor than this here.  Its the dandy, that’s a fact.  That, said he, a smackin his lips, and lookin at its sparklin top, and layin back his head, and tippin off a horn mug brim full of it—­that, said he, and his eyes twinkled agin, for it was plaguy strong, that is the produce of my own orchard.  Well, I said, minister, says I, I never see you a swiggin it out of that are horn mug, that I don’t think of one of your texts.  What’s that, Sam, says he? for you always had a most a special memory when you was a boy; why says I, “that the horn of the righteous man shall be exalted,” I guess that’s what they mean by “exalten the horn,” aint it?  Lord if ever you was to New OrLEENS, and seed a black thunder cloud rise right up and cover the whole sky in a it, you’d a thought of it if you had seed his face.  It looked as dark as Egypt.  For shame, says he, Sam, that’s ondecent; and let me tell you that a man that jokes on such subjects, shews both a lack of wit and sense too.  I like mirth, you know I do, for its only the Pharisees and hypocrites that wear long faces, but then mirth must be innocent to please me; and when I see a man make merry with serious things, I set him down as a lost sheep.  That comes of your speculatin to Lowell; and, I vow, them factorin towns will corrupt our youth of both sexes, and become hotbeds of iniquity.  Evil communications endamnify good manners, as sure as rates; one scabby sheep will infect a whole flock—­vice is as catchin as that nasty disease the Scotch have, it’s got by shakin hands, and both eend in the same way—­in brimstone.  I approbate domestic factories, but nothin further for us.  It don’t suit us or our institutions.  A republic is only calculated for an enlightened and vartuous people, and folks chiefly in the farmin line.  That is an innocent and a happy vocation.  Agriculture was ordained by Him as made us, for our chief occupation.