The New Hampshire Gazette

The following neat hit at Congress on the subject of the Compensation Law, as well as the Petition of the Striped Bunting, heretofore published, are undoubtedly from the pen of Selleck Osborn, who is now in Wilmington. From the Delaware Watchman.

The Mice in the Meal Cask.
A FABLE FOR GROWN CHILDREN.

There was a huge meal cask on Capitol Hill,
Which Jonathan's Millers* were striving to fill;
And the poor starving children of soldiers were there,
Presenting their trenchers in hopes of a share:
The Millers ground hard, but so great was the call,
That as fast as they brought it, 'twas seiz'd on by all;
The Mice claim'd a share, though the barrel was low;
But mice have, when hungry, few scruples, you know.

A mouse of known energy played pioneer.
And gnaw'd at the cask without mercy or fear;
He soon made his way, but his size being small
Some squeezing it took to gain entrance for all.
Full high was the feasting, I trow, on that day,
But transient—they soon heard a terrible fray;
Soon Jonathan's voice warn'd the feasters to fly.
And his mouser (the Press) was heard mewing hard by.

Too full to creep back without leisure to gnaw
They found it a difficult job to withdraw;
One proposed to disgorge, to be leaner and brisker,
But at this each indignantly turn'd up his whisker.
At length, with an effort impell'd by despair,
Disregarding the havoc of hide and of hair,
They got off, with much struggling, though bruis'd to a jelly,
And punish'd the skin for the sins of the belly!

A veteran rat, who, from under a stone,
Had seen, and been much entertain'd by the fun,
Call'd out, as they ran, "Think, ere next time you venture,
If the full can retreat where the empty scarce enter."

* Uncle Sam's Collectors.

Its motion to refund overplus received under the Compensation Law.