lIItGEO. W. BOWMAN NEW SERIES. Select (Joetry. GOD'S WAYS. Oh! it is bant to work for Goii, To rise and take his part I'pon the battle tield of earth, Anil not sometimes loss heart. He hides himself so wnndrously, As though there were 110 God ; He is hast seen when all the powers Of ill are most abroad. Or He deserts us at the hour The fight is almost lost ; And seems to leave s to ourselves Just when we need him most. HI masters good; good seems to change To ill with greatest ease; And, worst of all, the good with good Is at cro-s purposes. It is not so; hut so it looks : And we 10-e rourage then ; And doubts will come if God bath kept His promises to men. Ah! God is other than we think ; His ways are far above, Far above rea-on's heights, and reached Only by child-like love. The look, the fashion of God's ways I.ove's life long study are; She ran be bold, and guess, and act, When reason would not dare. She has a prudence of her own; Her step is firm and free, Yer there is cautious science, too, In her simplicity. Workman of God! O lose not heart, , But learn what God is like ; And in the darkest battle-field Thou shall know where to strike. Oh. blessed is be to whom is given The instinct that can tell That God is on the field when he Is most invisible! And blessed is he who ran divine Where real right doth lie, And dares to take the side that seems Wrong to man's blindfold eye ! Oh. learn to scorn the ways of men ! Oh. learn to love with God ! For Jesus won the world through shame, And beckons thee his road. God's glory is a^niTnsuTtTilng, Mn-t strange in all irs ways, And of all things on earth, least like What men agree to praue. Muse on His justice, downcast soul, Muse and take better heart ; Back with thine angel to the field; Good luck shall crown thy part ! God's justice is a bed where we Our anxious hearts may lay. And, weary with ourselves, may sleep Our discontent away. From the New York Ledger. THE (iIME IT CARDS. BY MEEL LEE. "The darkies am mine," said the gamester, striking his fist upon the table ; "show 'em up, and iet us see what they look like." The young planter, who had lost, sent one j ' ol the boat servants below for John and Helen. The passengers awaited for the appearance of the servants, in silence, Fur a lung time ; but they came not. The servant had informed them of the change of owners, and they dread ed to see their new master. They were attach- 1 ed to the young planter and his wife, arid did not like to leave them : be-ide thev had children of their own at home; and what was to become of them ? The winner began to wax impatient at the delay, and exclaimed. "Come Danton ; huriv up the niggers. They i must move quicker that) this when I send for em or they'll never know what hurt 'em." The young planter's aristocratic face flushed crimson at this rude and brutal exclamation, hut lie made no replv. He was about to send another servant for John and Helen, when his purpose was stayed by the appearance of Mrs. ' Danton. Her husband had been gaming, and I she had been weeping, ever since the boat left j Cincinnati; and we were now far down the Mississippi. No wonder, then, that she was pale and wan, and that her eves looked as though they had been nearly wept away : but she was exquisitely lovely, nevertheless. Although many years have passed since that evening, I can see the sorrow stricken young wife now, as she glided up to the table and looked her husband in the eve. He could not ; hear up under her gaze. He lost all their tno- j Hey, and in a fit of desperation had also staked and lost the two slaves. Laying her little hand upon his arm, she said : "Is it true, Charles, that vou have lost John and Helen ?" Her husband made no reply ; he could not even look up. Hie passengers were now fast gathering j round, and the scene wasgrouing painful. My , lather (whocame North to fetch me from school, j and was taking the longest possible way home); was holding me by the hand, and T knew, bv the tightening of his grasp, that he was becom ing much excited. As Danton did not seem inclined to answer ; his wife's question; the gamster roughly said : " J es, ma'am; John and Helen are mine ; and want to see 'em, quick." Danton sprang to his feet, and stooping across he table, hissed in the very teeth of the game- | ster: "Villain ! don't you presume to speak to my i wife again." The look with which this menace was ac companied was perfectly blasting, and made the swarthy and pitted lace of the gamster fair ly turned while. How inconsistent is man ! That accomplish ed and high-born husband could deliberately jeopardize the property and corrode the happi ness ol his wife, hour alter hour, day alter day, and night alter night; but he could not bear that the man whom lie had chosen for a com panion should even so much as speak to her. "Yes, Mary; John and Helen are lost," lie said at last, as he let the gamester from under his gaze ;—"they are lust, and it can't be help ed now ; so don't let us have a scene aliout it." "I sha.'l not let them go," said Mary, firmly ; "and I will have a scene about it. I did not say a word about the money , but now that you have played them away—On, Charles!" and she leaned her head on her husband's breast. "Ah! here they come!" said the gamester, as John and Helen approached. John was a powerful and fine looking mulat to; his face indicating unusual intelligence and kind heaitedness. Helen was much whiter than her husband, and remarkably handsome. The gamester's evii-eyes gleamed as he surveyed her, arid turning to a savage looking man near him, he aid : "I'll sell you John, in the morning, Ham mond ; but Helen I snail keep—at least ior a lew days." "I'm agreeable," said the slave trader, lor such he uas; "but I'd like the gal as soon as possible." A look of indignation ran around the group at this brutal colloquy. My father's grasp grew tighter still : and encouraged thereby, f whisper ed to him to buy John and Helen himself; but he shook his head, and motioned me to keep si lent.. "J tell you, I shall not let them go," repeat ed Mrs. Danton, addressing the stranger ; "they were brought up in my mother's family ; beside, they have children at home, from whom it would be cruel to seperate them." The gamster and slave trader exchanged sneers at Mrs. Canton's sentimental reasons for not letting the slaves go, and her husband said : "It can't be helped now, Mary ; let us go to our room," "O, Missus! don't go and leab me wid dat man," shrieked Helen ; "I shall die, or jump overboard. O, don't leab your own true Hel en, who sabed your life when you fell in de by -GO."* "I shall not leave you, Helen. D Aiot be alarmed ; I " "Rrrs de-Lord Fsr tiofinterrupted Helen ; • I knows we're safe, now ; kase yvr alleis does je* what vou says you will." "1 think it's about time this nonsense was stopped," said the gamester, rising from the ta ble. "You acknowledge, Danton, tfiat these niggers are mv property: consequently, they are mine, and I have a right to do what I please with 'em ; no bill of sale is necessary between gentlemen. And now, you niggers, just come along with me, and don't make a fuss, or I'll have you Hogged and put in irons." The scene now became truly exciting. John drew Helen to his side, arid clenched his teeth and fist, while their \oung mistress stood close in front, as it with her feeble arm she would protect them from the clutches of the gamester. I was wild with excitement, and begged my father either to buy the slaves or shoot the game ster— I did not care which. A bloody fieht seemed inevitable; when a young New Englan der, who had been very quiet during the whole trip, elbowed his way to the table, and asked the gamester at what sum he valued the slaves. '•Two thousand dollars," said he ; "do you want to buy ?" "1 have only a thousand dollars," the young man answered; "I will give you that for them." "No sir: but T'l! stake Vin against your thou sand dollars, and play you a game of poker lor tile pile." "I don't understand the game," said the New Englander. "What game do vou play !" "I have plaved a few games at all-lours, but I never gambled for a cent in my life." "Well ; I'll play you a game of all-fours, then, if you like, and stake the niggers against vour thousand dollars." To the surprise of every one present, the young man accepted the challenge, called for a new pack ofcards, staked his thousand dollars, and the game commenced : the gamester hav ing the first deal. As the company drew more closely around the table, it seemed as though a watchmaker's shop were in our midst, so distinctly we heard the ticking of the watches. The first hand the New Englander made three to the gamester's one, at which a buzz of pleasure ran round the group. The second hand the gamester made three, and his oppo nent nothing : the third hand they each made two, which left the New Englander two to go, while the gamester had but one, and it was his turn to beg. This was a great advantage, and everybody seemed to give up the thousand dol lars as lost. The New Englander dealt the cards with a steady hand, however, and turned up the jack of hearts, which placed him even with his an tagonist : but when he raised his cards I saw that he had not a single trump in his hand and his adversary was hesitating whether to "stand" or "beg ;" if the former, the game was his to a certainty ; if the latter, there would be another chance for the slaves. After drumming on the back of his cards a short time, he looked at the New Englander, to see if he could determine by his manner what it was best to do : but the ; young Hunker hill met Ins gaze without flinch ing : and there they sat for a long time gazing j into each other's eyes. j "Run the cards," said the gamester, at last. I could have hugged the man for his mis take. Hunker Hill again dealt, ami the queen of spades was turned. Every lu art stood still as the cards were for the last time lifted. "They are mine!" shouted the New En- i glander—"or rattier, they are vours, madam," i said he, in a milder tone, to Mrs. Danton, as he ; threw down the ace of spades. The beautiful and impetuous Southron threw ; her arms around the winner's neck, and three j defening cheers (in which even the slavehof- j tier joined,) told the satisfaction of the audi ence. Many years alter I again met the New En- i glander on the Mississippi, and claimed his as- j quaintance, on the score ol having been one of ; the most enthusiastic partizans on the night df I the well remembered triumph. He had pros- : pered in business and become rich ; and j making his auual pilgrimage to the family j hearthstone—a stone which has more poteijt i charms Fir good, than that at which kneel Mi- j homedan devotees in the city of their prophet, j He said he had never touched a card since that j memorable game ; that the thousand dollars If then risked, was the sum total of his savings fijr manv toilsome years ; but that he staked it, anil played the game, with a perfect conviction 41 sUCCess. Danton had sought him out, and kept up t'tii j acquaintance ever since ; arid Mrs. Datrloi j could now travel the world over with her huj- I hand without fear, for he had forsworn gumitu ! from that never-to-be-forgotten night. Mia von : the name which the Southern rn- ; groes give to every stream or body of wa ter. "i t'AVT SET IT CP." BV F. 11. BTACFFEII. While seated with the editor of a Philadei j phia paper, a pretty little fellow, with an intc4 j lectual forehead, and dark, spiritual-looking; black-eyes, came into the office. In one haul he held a composing stick, with some half , it is so touching !*' and| the littie fellow hurst right into tears. "If fills, me right up. Mv eves swim so with tears that j I can't see the type. O, sir indeed 1 can't set it up." "Very well then." said the editor, wit's. %' kind smile, "hand it over to Morgan ; here is something else." "That is a nobie little lellov," said my friend, turning to m< alter the lad went out. "lie is apt and intelligent bevond his years. lie pro-I tnises to be one of the most rapid compositors a- ! bout thp establishment. His little sister, i j sweet child of six summers, used to come in thf! office and watch him as he worked. Ther i were orphan chiidien. ami the hands all loved them dearlv. A Fortnight ago the little guf i died, and her hi .ther has taken it very hard.—- , Something about an incident that he wassettinr ' tip brought his sister to memory, and caused this emotion." Mv friend gave me a long, interesting history of the boy, until I detected a tear coursing rluu o my cheek. Ah, he was ind-ed a noble fellow ! lie was j a little hero—one of those whose daily sucrifi- ! CPS no world may ever write in imperishable j light—the ashes of whose consumed heart, none j may ever gather as a holy relic. His soul I hat wanted but the touch of circumstance to stand j mighty and beautiful befoie the world. No one could measure the grandeur of that lad's spirit, as he struggled upward through sorrow and ad- . versity plucking from his child's heart with j more than a chile's strength, the poisoned ar- j rows of the world's scorn warning with a ho- [ ly faith and love the sensitive spirit chilled by : the world's icy touch ! Power of Woman in Turkey. A man meeting a woman in the street, turns j his head from her, as if it were forbidden lo look j orv her. They seem to detest an impudent wo- j man—to shun and avoid her. Any one, there- ; fore, among the christians, who may have dis- ; cussions or altercations with Turks, il he has a j woman of spirit or virago lor his wife, set her j to revile and brow-beat them, and by these j means not (infrequently gains his point. The highest disgrace and shame would attend a Turk ! who should rashly lilt his hand against a wo- j man ; all he can venture to do, is to treat her with harsh and contemptuous words, or to march i off. The sex lav such stress on this privilege ! that they are frequently apt to indulge their j passion to excess, to be most unreasonable in j their claims, and violent and irregular in the j pursuit of them. Tliav will importune, tease ' and insult a judge on the bench, or even the j Vizier at his divan. The officers of justice do not know how to resent their turbulence; and ; it is a general observation, that to gt rid of j them, they often let them gain their cause. — i Sir (ieorge LurpeuVs Turkey. BEAUTIFUL AND TRUE.—Tn a late article of j Frazer's this brief but beautiful pas- j sage occurs: "Education does not commence j with the alphabet. It begins with a mother's look—with a father's smile of approbation or a j sign of reproof—with a sister's gentle pressure J of the hand, or a brother's noble act of forbear- 1 nnce—with hnndfull? of flowers in green and j daisy meadow—with bird's nests admired but } not touched—with creeping ants and almost j imperceptible emmets—with humming bees and glass behivej—with pleasant walks in shade lanes —and with thoughts directed in sweet and kindlv tones, and words to mature to acted be nevolence, to deeds of virtue and to the sense of all good, God, himself." Freedom of Thought and Opinion. BEDFORD, PA. FRIDAY MORNING, Dec. 21, 1855. Romance of Real Lifer The Chicago Times relates a storv. the in cidents of which are said to he real, in a smail i town in the interior of Ohio, lived a beautilul young woman, whose father dying, willed her the whole of a large fortune, which she was to j j inherit when twenty-one years of age, on con j dition that she should remain single until that j j time. She obeyed the injunction for some j j years, but her young affections became at length, i i and some three years previous to the expiration i j of the time mentioned in the will, the prey of i j an artful man, of showy address, who removed I Irom another place, and took up his residence j ' in the village where the young heiress resided, ! for the purpose of faying siege to her heart.— : I He succeeded too well, and under pretence that : : he was wealthy himself, arid did not require ! the young woman's fortune in order to live in j : ease and elegance, induced her to consent to a | secret marriage. The wary fortune-hunter had ! j been duped by his own urgency in pursuit of; i the large property which the young arid credu lous woman was supposed to inherit uncondi- j I tionaily on coming to the age prescribed. He made known the marriage, and at once was un deceived by the guardian of the lady, who an- ; nounced to him that the fortune was 10.-t to him ! and his wife forever, as by the terms of the will : j the marriage of the daughter gave the property jto another branch of the family. Maddened by j i the destruction of his hopes, the rascal denoun- ! ced his wife for deception, although she had I endeavored to make him understand the real facts, and, as she fell fainting, he left the house j and the village. Years afterwards the aban- j doned bride received a letter fiorn Iwr husband, j who had learned that she had become possessrd j of the property designed for her by her father, j on the annulment of the marriage, and trusting to her retaining a lingering affection for him, hoped that he might still gain the prize that he coveted. He had not misjudged the strength of the young woman's affection. She responded to the letter, offering to unite her Fate with his, and saying that she could now give him the in heritance that iiad caused them so much trou ble. In order that her guardian and family should not know of her conduct, she sent tile i letter to the office by a servant girl who took ! with her a little girl as a companion, and allow- j ed her to carry the letter. The child, attract- : ed by the bright color of the stamp, removed it, j and the letter deposited in the office, was sent j to the dead letter office at Washington. She, of course, received no reply. Hut, a mouth la- , ter her guardian received a newspaper from ! Chicago, containing a political speech, which j a friend in that city desired him to read. He | laid down the paper, and the lady took it.— ■ Her jeye glanced first at the marriages, and,! there stie saw the announcement oHfie "marriage'" of her former husband. She fell to the floor 111 j a swoon, and lingered onlv a few days, when . she died —the victim of unscrupulous avarice, j A Rati Habit. "Oh, mother, I am tired to death?" said Jane Mills, as she threw herself into a chair : on her return from school. " Tired to death !' : repeated her mother slow- j ly. _ j "Yes, mother, I am ; almost, 1 mean," she ad- j ded. ! "No, mv daughter, not even almost," said Mrs. Mil is. "Well, at anv rate," continued Jane, "I ; would not walk from here to school again to day, j tor anything in the world !" "Oh, yes, you would, my dear," said her mother gently. "No, mother, I am sure I would not; I am ! certain nothing would tempt me. "But I am nearly certain you could be in -1 duced to go without any urging," answered ber ! : mother. "Well, mother, try me, and see if anything j ' could make me willing to go.'' "Suppose," said Airs. Mills, "1 should ofler > ;to take vou to the panorama this afternoon'? I i j expect to visit it." "Do vou, mother ?" said Jane, with great an- j j imation. "May Igo ? You promised to take j | me when you went." "I intended to have done so," replied her ! mother : but the place where it is exhibited is a j verv long way beyond your school." "I am quite rested now, dear mother," said i j Jane. "I would not fail of going for ail the i ; world ! Why do you smile, mother." "To think what an inconsistent little daugh- I i ter J have." "What do you mean by inconsistent, mo- j i (her ?" "Why, when a little gi r ] says, one minute, ; that she would not walk a particular distance : tor anything in the world, and in the next min- i i ute savs she would not fail of walking still far ther for all the world, she not only talks incon sistently, but foolishly. It :s a very bad habit j i to use sncii expressions. "Yesterday, when you came home from school, you said you were almost frightened out of your life; and when I inquired as to the : cause of your alarm, you replied that you had ; met as many as a thousand cross dogs on your j | wav from school. Now, my daughter, I wish , j you to break yourself of this bad habit. V\ lien i i you are tired, or hungry, or frightened, use the | simple words to express your meaning. For in ; stance, you may be tired, or exceedingly tired! ! or you may be alarmed, or frightened, or terri ! fod "From this time let your lips speak the thing j vou mean. The Bible says, Let your yea be j yea, and jour nay nay ;' and adds, that 'what- I soever is more than these cometh of evil-'— i Will you trv to remember what I have been saying, and strive to correct this fault, my dear : child ?" said Mrs. Mills. j "Yes, dear mother," replied Jane, "for I know it is wrong, and I feel ashamed and sorry for it. "Well, my dear," added her mother, "im l prove! And now you may g~t ready to go with me to see the panorama."— Teacher's Of fering. Always do ll'bai is Right. The truly great are those who always do what is right. To be withheld from acting wisely-and conscientiously, by motives of tem porary jiolicy or fear, is to behave like a traitor to the principles of justice. A man should | think less of what may be said of his conduct at j fhe time, than of the verdict that may be pro j nounced a few years in advance. It is by sac i riticing principle to expediency, that character jis lost; and character lost is with difficulty re ! gained. Besides the fisrt decline from right I leads to others. It is like the start in sliding i down hill. But there is a worse feature than even in succumbing to bareness, meanness, or wrong. Habit soon drills the moral perception, so that j in time men come to perpetualp, with a morse pang, acts at which originally they would have j been astounded. "Is thy servant a dog that he j should do this thing?" is the indignant exclam ! ation of many a person who eventually commits j the deed he abhorred. Arnold's treason grew jup in his mind by slow degrees, nurtured by i extravagance, and supposed neglect. Washing ton, always being rigidly correct, left behind a name that will never cease to be reverenced.— ; To say merely that 'honesty is the best policy," i and thus appeal to the selfish part of nature, is j a poor way to educate men to do right consci i entiuusly. Better the nobler aud higher ground that right should be done for right's sake.— j Ulg*. A HUSBAND SOLD FOR s.oo.—The Cleve j latid Plaindeaier tells the following ; "A lady passed through here a few days since in hot pursuit of her husband, who had been smitten wit!) a smart attack of "passional attraction," and had lan away with another wo mon from Wyoming county, N. Y., to Loran county. She took a brace of officers from this ci'v, and went to Ehnyra. The gentleman stiul.'irig the approach of danger, left his money with a nephew to effect a diversion with the ; enemy, and took the cars for the South. On j reflection, he suspected the honesty of his neph ! ew, and took the next train back to look after his money. Here be encountered the pursuing i party, and negotiations were opened. It resul ted in the lady's selling out ail her right, title and good will, in and to her husband, and his j purchasing a dishonorable peace for five hundred ; dollars. The lady returned to Wyoming with-y ! out a husband, but with a pocket full of rocks. A FASHION ABLE CHURCH IN NEW YORK.— If"Fany Feru" did riot write the following, ' we r the best remedy. The friend who had just received a note from another ladv, in quiring the way to make pickles. In confusion, the lady who inquired about the pickles, re ceived the remedy fir the measles, and the anxious mother of the children rend the follow ing : —-'Scald them three or four times in very hot vinegar, and spirnkie them well with salt ; and in a few days they will be cured." A WOMAN SWIMMING THE MISSISSIPPI.— Loyd's forthcoming Steamboat Directory gives a thrilling instance of the necessity for woman know ing how to swim. When the ill-fated Ben Sberrod was in flames on the Mississippi river, and the lady passengers who had thrown themselves into t!;.* water were drowning around the boot, the wife ef Captain Castleman jnmped into the river, with her infant in her arms, and sw am ashore, a distance of half a mile, being the only woman saved out of six teen. Slit had learned to swim when a girl. FROM THE BRIDAL CHAMBER TO THE GRAVE. —Tiie Boston Mail says that three weeks since Sabbath evening last, a seafaring man named Field was married to a voung lady at South and immediately ieft for sea. Oir-Myn /fay the young bride was buried, she having been attacked with typhoid fever on Friday, of which she died in a few hours. A BEAUTJFLL THOUGHT.—"When I gaze in to the filers, they look down upon me with pity from their serene and silent spaces, like eyes giistening with tears over the little lot of man. Thousands of generations, all as noisy as our own have been swallowed by time, and there remains no record of (hem any more, yet Arc turns and Orian, Sirius and Pleiades are still shining in their courses, clear and young as when the Shepard first noted them from the plains of Shinar I What shadews we are, and what shadows we pursue!"— Carlyle. CHILDREN DESERTED.—On the last trip of the steamer Chicago from this city to Citi., a couple of children, a boy and a girl, ten and twelve years of age respectively, were placed in charge o| Captain Shunk by a gentleman who said lie was going to Cincinnati by railroad, and would reclaim the children at that place. The Chicago arrived in Cincinnati, but there was no claimant for the children. Capt. S. concluded to retain them on boaid until his return from Louisville whence he was bound. He did so but still found no one to father the children.— Tht* supposition of course is that the juveniles iwiv- been deserted by their unnatural parent. ' They are bright, intelligent children, and un less claimed soon, they will be adopted into res pectable families—two have already volunteer ed, the one to take the hoy and the other the girl. MILITARY STATE CONVENTION.—It is pro posed to hold a military convention is Harris burg on the third Monday in January next.— The object in view is the improvement of the volunteer system, to accomplish which it is proposed to obtain the enactment of a law pro viding that companies hereafter organized shall consist of at least sixty, rank and file—fixing the militia fine at two dollars—the payment of all militia expenses from the fund thus raised in each county—providing penalties for evading assessment of militia lax—a certificate of mem bership in a volunteer company to entitle the holder to a credit ol two dollars on his Slate tax. LLPMT will be gratifying to our Democratic readers to observe tile prominent position which Berks county occupies at Washington, in the peison of her able Representative, Hon. J. Clancy Jones. The admirable resolution offer ed by him in the Congressional caucus last Sat urday evening, was unanimously adopted, with every token of approval. We agree with the Penn&ylvanwn , that "nothing which has occui red for a long time has given more satisfaction to the sterling Democracy of Pennsylvania, than this fearless avowal of national doctrines on the pait of the Democratic party in Congress, and we are glad to see that a Pennsylvanian was selected as the one to present this eloquent dec laration, to a meeting of the representatives of the Democracy of the Union." [LP" A horse dealer, who lately effected a sale, was offered a bottle of porter to confess the animal's failings. The bottle was drank, and then he said the horse had but two faults.— When turned loose in the field, h- was "bad to catch," and he "was of no use when caught." Base all y our actions ii|>on a principle of right; preserve your integrity of character; ami induing this never reckon the cost. VOL XXIK NO. 17.