LETTER LXIX.
In which Cousin Nabby describes her visit to Mr Maelzel's
Congregation of Moskow.
Portland, October 22, 1833.
To Cousin Sally Downing, up in Downingville, in the care of
Uncle Joshua, Post Master.
Dear Cousin: — I got here about noon yesterday,
muddy and wet enough. Such dreadful muddy roads
for the time of year, seems to me there never was before.
Butter fetches a grand price. They would n't
offer but eighteen cents at first, but soon as they come
to see it and taste of it, they give me twenty cents right
off for all of yours and mine, and never said a word. —
So much for keeping a neat churn and clean milk-pans.
The yarn and footins sold pretty well too, but I wont
stop to tell you about that till I get back.
I'm going to stop here with ant Sally till next week,
and I want you to come down if you can any way in the
world, for here's a sight here that would make you
jump higher than the cat's back if you should see it.
I'll jest tell you a little about it. When I got here
yesterday, I found ant Sally all in a flutter about going
to see the congregation of Moskow. She said she was
going to carry the children, and nothing would do but I
must go too. She said it would n't cost but two and
thrippence, and she would pay it rather than not have
me go, for she should n't mind the pay, as all that was
paid that evening would be given to the societies what
takes care of little orphan children and carries wood
to poor freezing widows. When she said that, I felt as
though I should be willing to give two pounds of butter
myself. So we all fixed and off we went up to Union
Hall about seven o'clock.
I cant stop to tell you much about the sights I see
there, but you must come and see 'em without fail. I
dont know but they 've nigh upon scared me out of a
year's growth; they showed us first a little feller they
called a fidler. I dont know what he was made of but
he acted jest as though he was alive. He was n't more
than a foot long, and he sot down in a chair as pretty as
a little man. And somebody played some music to him
and that sot him all of a didder, and he made his little
fiddle stick fly so I did n't know but he would shake his
arm off. Then they brought out a little doll baby; a
sweet looking little creature, dressed up as neat as a
pink. And they brought it along up to us, and as true
as you are alive it spoke right out and said ma-ma. I
could n't hardly believe my own ears at first, but it said
ma-ma again, and pa-pa, more than twenty times.
Then they sot a couple of little fellers up on a rope,
and they went to hopping and jumping and dancing
about, and whirling over and over round the rope, till I
thought they would fall and break their necks more than
fifty times. The prettiest one would sit up so straight,
and turn his head round and look at us, and hold his
hands out to us, that I told ant Sally I knew he was
alive and I'd go and take the dear little creature down
before he fell and killed himself. But she held on to
me and declared I should n't go, for he had n't any more
life in him than an ax handle; but I cant hardly believe
it now.
Then they said they would show us the Congregation
of Moskow. And presently I begun to hear a racket
and drums and fifes agoing, and bells a dinging, and by
and by they pulled away some great curtains, that hung
clear across the Hall, and there was a sight that beat
all I ever see before. I jumped and was going to run
for the door at first, for I thought Portland was all afire;
but ant Sally held on to me till I got pacified a little, and
then I sot down.
And, there, I must say it was the grandest sight that
ever I did see. A thousand buildings and meeting
houses all in a light flame, and the fire and smoke
rolling up to the clouds, and thousands and thousands
of soldiers marching and riding through the streets, and
the drums and the fifes and the bugles and the bells and
the guns; O Sally, you must come and see it, if you
have to come afoot and alone as the gal went to be married.
The man says in the papers he aint agoing to
keep it here only till next Friday night; but I'll coax
him as hard as I can to stay till next week, so you can
have a chance to see it. In haste your loving Cousin,
