The New Hampshire Gazette

"Beware, of Wolves in sheep's clothing."

Mr. Editor—In order to put the inhabitants of our towns and villages on their guard against manifesting too much friendship towards those wandering pedagogues, who are daily prowling around us, and whose grand aim is to filch our pockets, I send you a description of a personage taken from the Haverhill Gazette. If I mistake not, the hero of the tale here given, with his eye askant, is one and the same person who figured for a short time at Hampton, in this state, about two years since, and afterwards decamped, leaving unsettled balances to the tune of from $50 to $60, which under the mask of piety, he succeeded in "diddling" out of some of the worthy inhabitants of that place. Here comes the picture from real life.

"Raising the wind." A late Philadelphia paper cautions the public against a certain Jeremy Diddler, ycleped CYRUS GRIFFIN, who formerly infested these regions. Said Cyrus, it appears, journeyed up the river Schuylkill to Reading, Penn. sunk the tailor, and turned Teacher of Music, School Master, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, to the great edification and accomplishment of his pupils; and finding his credit good, he diddled a few unsuspecting people out of a variety of suits of clothes, and decamped without paying for them, to the great astonishment of the honest, but too credulous natives. Said Cyrus, with dark eyes, looking over his nose, wended his way on his "dark" career to the City of Benevolence; when—awful to relate—the hand of death pressed heavily upon him, and he was compelled "to give up the ghost," as the following obituary notice, written by himself, will satisfactorily prove: DIED yesterday morning, very suddenly, Mr. CYRUS GRIFFIN, recently of Reading, in this State, and formerly of Massachusetts. Though but a few days with us, still the evidence of piety and christian resignation, manifested in the hour of dissolution, bear testimony that his soul now rests in Heaven."

"Alas! Poor Yorick!"

As it is possible that he forgot to add one of his beautiful poetic effusions by way of an epitaph, I will for the want of a better one, offer the following:—

Here lies a tailor who came by his death,
Not for the want of cabbage, but for the want of breath.

This reminds me of a piece of villainy that was practised a few years since in the town of B—, in a neighboring state, by another personage of the same grade and standing with the foregoing quizzical genius, and which bears so strong a resemblance to the above account, that I cannot forbear noticing it at this time.

He was a young man of respectable appearance and easy address, although on a closer inspection the same dark look was discovered. His first business was to obtain a school, which he accomplished, and continued some months in this employment. In this time he succeeded so far in gaining the confidence and esteem of the inhabitants of B—, that there was scarcely a store keeper in the town, but had his name placed on the Dr. side of his ledger. Thus was he gliding smoothly on, in the full tide of popularity; when (as he stated) the sudden intelligence was received that a parent was very ill, who resided in a distant state, and his presence was immediately requested. He accordingly departed with the expectation of returning in a few weeks. But alas and alack! but two short weeks had elapsed when intelligence was received that he had gone to that "bourne from whence no traveller returns." According to the account in the paper which first proclaimed the solemn tidings, he died very suddenly while travelling homewards to visit a sick parent. All this was taken for granted by his too credulous and unsuspicious friends in B—, and measures were now taken, to ascertain what was left for "bail bonds" when lo! on taking an inventory of his things it appeared, that nothing remained to settle accounts, but a few old duds. he having taken all the moveable articles, such as "new suits," loose change, &c. with him, in order to keep up the dignity on the road. This led some to suspect, that he had not arrived at so snug quarters as they at first were willing to believe; and some considerable enquiry was made respecting him, but all to no effect. Nothing was heard of him until something like a year had elapsed, when according to an account given in a southern paper it appeared. that Richard was himself again, and had taken lodgings within the iron bound walls of a prison in that quarter of the country, from whence he had been out on parole about 18 months. His creditors in B—, were now left with the comforting consolation, that all things are transitory here below.

Whether the next intelligence which we receive from our knight of the yard stick, will inform us, that he has found the same convenient place, and is resting from his labors, time only will determine, But I do hope, Mr. Editor, that the accounts we are almost daily noticing in the papers of these depredators on society will serve as a warning. Let us frown on them at once when they appear within our borders, and encourage our own native merit, which is too much neglected, then and not till then will the evil cease.

ALONZO.