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Article SCENES IN AMERICA . Page 1 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America .
SCENES IN AMERICA .
BY A NATIVE . Concluded from p . 239 . We rode on for a while , perfectly silent , along the narrow ' forest walled road ; ' Ball was excessively oppressed with his own reflections , and Burns and 1 hardly knew what would he the best method of relieving him . In
the course of our ride we made every possible effort to draw him into conversation , and to force him to think of the surrounding objects ; without success , however , for he listened vacantly , answered yes or no , and relapsed into his severe and gloomy silence . About a mile before we reached the house of the Magistrate , a young man , on a very spirited horse , emerged from the wood a few yards ahead of us ; he stopt at the mouth of the little path which had led him to the road until we rode up ; he had evidently heard of the business to be transacted at the Magistrate ' s that morningand was
, on his way to witness it , for he stared at Ball with that stupid sort of solemnity of countenance which most uneducated people think is necessarily to be worn on such occasions . Burns' vexation at the young man's maimer , and bis desire to prevent its having an unpleasant effect on Ball , induced him to speak rather rudely to our new companion . " What are you setting there on your prancing nag like a fool for ? " cried Burns to him in a thundering voice , that made the youth start . " Will your father be at Squire Buckley's too ? "
" i es , fair , " answered the young man not very audibly ; " he ' s there now , I expect , he started a good while before me . " " Well , then , " said Burns , "I'll tell you what , the best thing you can do , is just to ride on as fast as you please , and tell them we ' 11 be after you in a jiffy . " Away went the young man tit a brisk trot ahead of us . " I hate a fool , " continued Burns , " and above all , a young one like that fellow , that hardly knows how to curry a horse . I ' 11 tell you what , if there ' s a . parcel of numbskull boys at the Squire's , I'll turn them , every
rascal of them , out of the room , plague me if I don't . " " Oh , its no odds , Harry , " said Ball , with much less depression of manner , " I don ' t keer who's thcr' , or ef all the neighbourhood comes . " " Well , plague me if I don't then . I'll tell you what , I ' ve no notion of having a parcel of open-mouthed , pop-eyed blockheads about me when I ' ve got any thing to do . " " Well , well , " said Ball , " never mind this time , ef there ' s ever so many , I wouldn't like you in particular to find any fault about any body being ther ' . "
" Agreed : for I ' 11 tell you what , Peter , our meeting Dick Tompkins has made you a confounded sight less a blockhead than you have been till the way on the road , and may be if there ' s a grist of them at the Squire's , you'll get your senses hack , and behave like a man . " Ball looked steadily at Burns for a moment , as if deliberating what reply to make ; but then turned away his eyes without uttering a word . " Peter , " said Burns , with a kindness of manner that contrasted strangely with his coarse tones , and rough language , " Peter , if you think I 've not rat proper feeling about this business , I can tell von one thine ; , you ' ve lost
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scenes In America .
SCENES IN AMERICA .
BY A NATIVE . Concluded from p . 239 . We rode on for a while , perfectly silent , along the narrow ' forest walled road ; ' Ball was excessively oppressed with his own reflections , and Burns and 1 hardly knew what would he the best method of relieving him . In
the course of our ride we made every possible effort to draw him into conversation , and to force him to think of the surrounding objects ; without success , however , for he listened vacantly , answered yes or no , and relapsed into his severe and gloomy silence . About a mile before we reached the house of the Magistrate , a young man , on a very spirited horse , emerged from the wood a few yards ahead of us ; he stopt at the mouth of the little path which had led him to the road until we rode up ; he had evidently heard of the business to be transacted at the Magistrate ' s that morningand was
, on his way to witness it , for he stared at Ball with that stupid sort of solemnity of countenance which most uneducated people think is necessarily to be worn on such occasions . Burns' vexation at the young man's maimer , and bis desire to prevent its having an unpleasant effect on Ball , induced him to speak rather rudely to our new companion . " What are you setting there on your prancing nag like a fool for ? " cried Burns to him in a thundering voice , that made the youth start . " Will your father be at Squire Buckley's too ? "
" i es , fair , " answered the young man not very audibly ; " he ' s there now , I expect , he started a good while before me . " " Well , then , " said Burns , "I'll tell you what , the best thing you can do , is just to ride on as fast as you please , and tell them we ' 11 be after you in a jiffy . " Away went the young man tit a brisk trot ahead of us . " I hate a fool , " continued Burns , " and above all , a young one like that fellow , that hardly knows how to curry a horse . I ' 11 tell you what , if there ' s a . parcel of numbskull boys at the Squire's , I'll turn them , every
rascal of them , out of the room , plague me if I don't . " " Oh , its no odds , Harry , " said Ball , with much less depression of manner , " I don ' t keer who's thcr' , or ef all the neighbourhood comes . " " Well , plague me if I don't then . I'll tell you what , I ' ve no notion of having a parcel of open-mouthed , pop-eyed blockheads about me when I ' ve got any thing to do . " " Well , well , " said Ball , " never mind this time , ef there ' s ever so many , I wouldn't like you in particular to find any fault about any body being ther ' . "
" Agreed : for I ' 11 tell you what , Peter , our meeting Dick Tompkins has made you a confounded sight less a blockhead than you have been till the way on the road , and may be if there ' s a grist of them at the Squire's , you'll get your senses hack , and behave like a man . " Ball looked steadily at Burns for a moment , as if deliberating what reply to make ; but then turned away his eyes without uttering a word . " Peter , " said Burns , with a kindness of manner that contrasted strangely with his coarse tones , and rough language , " Peter , if you think I 've not rat proper feeling about this business , I can tell von one thine ; , you ' ve lost