_ hg Fuse. . For the Watchman. OLD LETTERS. BY JOHN P. MITCHELL. The treasuries of human love, oa fodey of Ye Dest, as e grave of vanishe es and joys Tos beautiful to last; op 2 As monuments which mark the sod That wraps a loved one’s clay, Old letters tell of by-gone hours ‘Whose light has fled away. Buch time-stained age reveals a hope, Or marks a thought of gloom, And speaks ead mem’ries to the heart, Like voices from the tomb ; As wizards oall the sleeping dead From out the dark domain, 01d letters speak to by-gone hours And call on: back again. When daylight fades, the shadows point Where morning’e light was flung; Bo, jetters pds us to the past When life and love were young; When glcomy hours their sadness bring, And teach the soul to sigh, The letters of the loved will speak Of joys which never die. We turn the hallowed pages o'er, And from the shadow steals A hand which draws the veil aside And all the past reveals; A hand to force the lock of time And swing the pond’rous gate, And wrench the secrets of the past From out the grasp of fate. ® * * * * A package here, bound ‘round with black, Recalls the ‘vanished joys, When he ine dng, and I, Were thoughtless, happy boys. Beneath the Country’s flag he fought, Her honor to defend, And now he fills a so!dier’s grave,—~ My first, my best-loved friend. And often, asI view the lines Traced by the camp-fire’s gleam, And know that noble heart is laid By old Potomac’s stream, The dreary past is draped in black, Tts shadows draw more near, And, trom the fountain of the heart, Welle up a scalding tear. Another package here, which tells Of sorrow, death and woe, ‘Of love and hope, sent from above, . To perish here below ; The star that rose in gplendor once, Went down in darkest gloom, Whenin my Mary’s eye appeared “dhe shadows of the tomb. “The soul which breathes from out this page, To happier gcenes has flown, "While I. amid the world’s cold hearts, Must wander on alone ; The hand which delicately wrought These words cf hope and iove, Is tuning now an angel's harp In brighter worlds above. And here is one of later date, ¢ Alas ! it too brings pain And tells of longings of the heart As deep as life—but vain ; A bubble on the sea of time Whirled downward by the tide; For she who penned these lines to me Now seeks another's side. And here are letters, too, from friends ‘Who ne’er shall greet me more, Until with them I stand uvom The Jordon’s further shore; *Tisgweet to see the thoughts they penned, The hopes of by-gone hours ; When Roses grew without a thorn And life was filled with flowers . 11 fold these wizards all away, Which ’waken from the tomb ‘The shadows of departed joys, To fill my soul with gloom ; Life’s pleasures transisnt ars at baz, And all are doomed to die, 5 Baxoept the hope of fad:less bliss In endless worlds on high. ‘Howanp, Pa., Nov. 5th, 1833. SWiscellangons, A MINNESOTA LAWSUIT. In the semi-rural district of Winona, forty miles North of thiscity, on the Minnesota gide of the Mississippi river, livesy among -geveral other people, a jolly good fellow of 4 justice of the peace, whose ideas of mat- ters are much like the current of a deep riv- er. Once started it was hard to them, On a fair day last week, after the 10x12 law «dispensatory had been swept and the chairs get in & short row ogamnst the side of the office, and sundry whipped quids of tobacco and mutilated cigar stubs had been kicked ander the stove, there was a wooden step on the stairs and a vigorous knock at the door. : «Cowme in,” said the justice, as he settled into a legal look befitting a man of law, duly elected to dispense the favors of the blind goddess, . A stout woman entered. She had on a short woolen dress—wooden-soled shoes— sported red cheeks, black hair and eyes that snapped like the lock of a shot-gun. In a Portugese accent, and in the worst possible English, she said : ins “You law man ?? #Yes, madam ; be seated.” 4‘iVant paper. Want pager to take man.” Just then a stout French half breed enter- od the room. He was unable to speak half a dozen words, and looked either scared or bashful. The judge saw at once that there was a8 marrisge to come off, and said to the sroman, who stood with compressed lips watching the justice and the door. “Want paper to take this man ?’ “Yes, want paper. Me teach him. (Nice woman, thought the justice.) Ife no goed man, M> take him so quick as can,” “Ail right, my covies—£ix you inthe jerk of a lamb’s tail” said the justice, as he turned to the man and said: “You koow this woman--can you take her?” The man shook his head and muttered un- intelligible words. ‘Ah, I see. Can't talk English, = Well, never mind.’ He ran into the street, invited a few friends up stairs, and on returning With them said to the woman : ‘You want to take this man for better or for worse ¥ — ‘Yes, me wani to take him—me pay.’ ¢All right!” Then turning to the man who stood trembling— “You take this woman for better or for |p worse, and promise to keep her, &c.’ ‘Umph!’ and several nods of the head. “Then, in the name of the law, and by virtue of the authority in me vested, I pro- nounce you man and wife !” And he stepped forward before the wom- an could say a word, and kissed her red lips. Slap: came her hand in his face, and she clutched his hair. The new husband jumped in to take the woman away, and to protect her, as the justice supposed, when, in self- preservation, she hit him a rap on the nose, The woman pitched into the new husband, who in turn, pitched into her, and for about five minutes there was a general hustling, and a display of legs, garters and—-things— decidedly astonishing. At last the parties were separated, when the man and woman took another turn at each other, the blood and hair flying in all directions. Down came the stove, over went the table, clatter went the chairs, and into the street like mad went the justice with a black eye, and the bosom of his shirt look~ ing like a warranty deed covered with red seals. A crowd rushed up stairs and found the man and woman lying on the floor hugging each other like young bruins, their arms and legs mixed up worse than tomatto vines, the woman on, tcp ! The newly married couple were separated when, through the aid of two interpreters, it was discovered that the night before, the parties, occupying adjoining shanties in the lower part of the town, had got into a quar- rel over a stove pipe, which was claimed by both, and from words they had come to blows. Each party had hastcued to the Jjustice’s office in the morning for a war- rant for the other, with the result as above stated. The last news from there was that the parties had gone in seaich of another justice to unmarry them, while the genial cause of their terrible squabble was ‘‘set- ting up the boys’ and bathing his bunged eye with whisky: For an aciual fact, 1t is the richest within our knowledge.—L% Crosse Democrat. “JOHN SMITHS.” John Smith—plain John Smith-~is not very high sounding , it does not suggest an aristocracy ; it is not the name of any he- rces in die-away novels ; and yet it is good strong and honest. Transferred to other languages it seems to climb the ladder of respectability. Thus in Latin, it is Johan- nes Smithus : the Ttalian smoothes it off in- to Giovanni Smithi ; the Spaniards render it Juan Smithus ; the Dutchman adopts it as Hans Schmidt ; the French flatten it out into Jan Smeet ; and the Russian sneezes and barks Jonloff Smittowaki. When John Smith gets in the lea trade in Canton, he be- comes John Shimmit ; if he clambers about Mount Ilecla, the Icelanders say he is Jahne Smithson ; if he trades among the Tuscaroras, he become Ton Qua Smittia ; in Poland he ig known as Ivan Schmittiweiski; should he wander among the Welsh moun. tains, they talk of Jibon Schmidd ; when he goes to Mexico, he is booked as Joati F’Smith : if of classic turn he lingers among Greek ruins he turns to "Ton Smikton ; and in Turkey he is utterly disguised as Yo® Seef, ! ren Al a. Taree ImporTANT THINGS.—Three things to love—courage, gentleness and affection. Three things to admire— Intellectual pow- er, dignity and gracefulness. ' Three things to hate—cruelty, arrogance and ingratitude. Three things to delight in—beauty, frank- ness and freedom. ? Three things to wish for—health, friends and a cheerful spirit. Three things to pray for —faith, peace, and purity of heart. Three things to like—cordiality, good hu- mor and mirthfulness. Three things to avoid—idleness, loquaci- ty and flippant jesting. Three things to cultivate—good books, good manners aud good morals. Three things to conter.d for—honor, coun- try and friends, Three things to govern—temper, impulse and tongue. —— A et. Goop For THE CONTRACTORS.—This war, everybody is willing to admit, is bearing very heavily on the great mass cf the peo- ple, but there is one class who do not care how long it lasts. We mean the contract- ors. They are making fortunes out of it, and the longer it continues the more money will find its way into their pockets, It re- minds us of the old story of the two boys with their pup. Having had a pup presen- ted to them, they brought him home and determined to have him trained. They bro’t the old man into the room and had him on bis knees to help give their pup a training. Directly the dog saw the old man he struck for him and got him by the nose, The big boy said to the little one : “Why don’t you eall him off ?” “I know it is pretty bad for the old man,” the little boy arswered, “but it is the making of the pup.” So it 18 pretty bad for old Uncle Sam, but it is the making of the contract pups of the ad- ministration. — I —————— Bay The gon of Mayor Opdike, who was recently conscripted, but was too sick to go to war, has so far recvered as to be able to get married, and now believes him self capable of bearing arms without the sligtess difficulty, ros A HARD HIT. The wife of a Democratic soldier sends the following to the Editor of the Pittsburg ost : «1 have just cut from a Republican pa- per the two following items, which show at a glance the difference between & soldier's family and that of the office holder ; ‘ To TAR CHARITABLE. —Mrs. J ——, of In- diana borough, Penna., whose husband was killed in battle, and who has by her la- bor supported a fawily of small children, is now prostrated on a sick bed ; and she and the poor orphans of the soldier are utterly penniless and suffering for the commonest nacessaries of life. Contributions from the charitable ean. be sent to Mrs. D. Stannard, Indiana, Pennsyl- vania, who has kindly censented to take charge of and properly apply all monies re- ceived by her.’ ¢ SuPERB SAWL,— Stewart, the celebrated importer of dry-goods, has now in his store a magnificent shawl imported by him at a cost of threeghousand dollars, expressly for Miss Kate Chase, daughter of Hon. 8. P. Chase, our distinguished Secretary of the Treasury. It is said that the young lady’s whole outfit in ali respects corresponds with this costly article of dress.’ “I am the wife of a Democratic soldier who volunteered at a time when the Admin- istration pretended that the war was for the Union ; and although he was promised one month’s pay in advance, and his monthly wages regularly, yet for over seven long months he never received a dollar, Mr. Sec- retary Chase being too busily engaged in the rise and fall of stocks, to pay any atten- tion to the wants of the poor soldiers—tho’ he did take care that the officers of the reg- iment (140th Pa,) should get their pay while the men starved, During these seven long dreary months, while Mr. Chase got rich enough to buy a three thousand dollar shawl, I, at the wash tub of my Republican neighbors, managed to earn a bare subsistence for myself and the helpless family. of the neglected and starved Democratic soldier, Out of my hard earnings I have saved the enclosed trifle, which T request you to send to Mrs. Stannard for the use of Mrs. J—. It is only a trifle, but if each of my Repub- ted in the ranks of the army, who daily ride past my humble home to visit their League meetings, and who uniformly denounce my husband and all who think with him, as traitors and copperheads, will eontribute as much in proportion to their ability as I have done, while it may not enable poor Mrs J. te buy a three thousand dollar shawl for each of her daughters, if will certainly save her and her little soldier orphans from star- vation ; if Mr. Chase should again find it necessary to keep stocks and gold going up and down long enough for him to bag in the operation a three thousand dollar shawl for another daughter. It should not be forgotten that few years ago this same Secretary Chase, who is now a /millionatre, was a poor school teacher in Washington. It is nota bad business to be one of Lincoln’s big officers, and it must be remembered that this big officer is not in a hurry to end the war. A SOLDIER'S WIFE. SHODDY. We are informed by the shoddy newspa- pers of New York that cash is plenty in that monied capitol of the United States. It is said that the theatres, opera houses and oth- er places of amusement were never 50 num- erous, nor so well patronized as now ; that the first class hotels and boarding houses are crammed and jammed full of guests,that six thousand private carriages are to be seen on a single afternoon on the ‘drive’ of the beautiful park, and that the wealthy ladies sport thirty thousand doilar shawls. We are informed that army contracts, and spec- ulations in stocks, bonds, bank notes and gold, in muslins and in sugar, in dry goods cotton, afd groceries ;in powder lead and and iron. have enriched the sharp-sighted and the enterprising. Such i3 one side of the picture ; the comparatively few are enriched whilst the many about whom nothing is said are impoverished. But all this prosperity, this pom: and show, and other evidences of wealth, all are ‘shoddy. Contracts, stock, bonds, carriages shawls. theatres are alike, shoddy and all the value that is in them, “will fade away like the baseless fabric of a vi- sion.” But will the fact of this hot hous prosper- ity in New York and other eastern cities— where speculators and manufacturers have been gorged with the plunderers of this war —wi1ll all this compensate the many for the evils and privations to which they are sub. jected will it comfort the widows and or- phans, will it heal the wounded and maimed soldiers; will it ‘bring back peace, union and happiness to fhis bleeding, distracted coun- try, will 1t make the poor hail the draft with delight — Council Bluffs Bugle. R&S Master, this girl keeps a sayin’ I'm a thief : “What does she say that you have sto- len?’ ’ ‘She says that T stole her character.” At this juncture a little girl jumped up and said—*I geth he did—T geth he did — for T theen him behind the thcool house a eatin’ thumthing.” ; tr IMPORTANT QUeRY.—When Lincoln Abo- litionism uses up the last man and the Jast dollar. the query arises, what is to become of the bondholder? lican neighbors whos family is unrepresen- |' A SCENE ON THE ROR DER. A gentleman fies that whilst passing through Andrew county a few days 230, he heprd a voice thst sounded hike & bugle, ‘merrily singing : ¢Ra’ly round the flag, boys, Rally once again !” On turning the corner of a road he dis covered a woman weeping, with a child in her arms, Near by was 2 boy who was loading on a wagon that bad a pair of cows attached to it, tho last remnant of furniture that had been snatched from the flames of a handsome dweiling house the night before. The httle boy kept singing : “We're marching to the field, boys, We're msrehing to the field, Shouting the battle cry of freedom.” On srrivingeat the place, the gentleman “inquired, ‘ how did this accident happen ?”’ The hoy replied : * ¢ Accident h—11! Some men come from Kansas last night and burned dad’s house. They said he was a rebel, and it 15 a d—d lie. He has been for the Union all the time,”” And again the boy sang— The Union forever ! rah, boys, ‘rah [” The gentleman still more interested, said: «Don’t you really know what they burn- ed the house for 2” «Burnt it to restore the Union, I reckon, or because our folks owned & nigger once.— Dad 1s in the militia, and this is what he gets for it.” «Have you no oxen to hitch your wagon to 2” ‘Stole ’em last night.” ¢“What has become of your horses ?” “Ask Jim Lane ; I reckon him or some of his strikers have got them ported before this into Kansas.” *¢ But,” said the stranger, ‘‘they have to get passes to take stock over the river,” “Mr. you are not up to the way they do things in these parts, All these Kansas fel- lows want is a skiff and a rope. But per- haps you may be ene of them chaps your- self, looking around for a chance.” To hear what this fellow would answer, our friend said; “Yes, my son, I am really from Kansas, but I am not locking for plander. If you have lost your stock why don’t.you go over the river and hunt it up ?’ « No use,” said the boy; “old Jake down there, lost his horse and went over there after him and they put him in jail ‘cause they said he was hunting niggers. — They tell me that you fellows have stolen two negro regiments, and the way the hor ses have left these parts I expect ycu have taken a dozen of them. But I don’t care a d——n; our folks are going to Illinois, and I'm going with the soldiers.” The boy passed on and commenced sing- ing : . “Down with the traitors, And up with the stars! For we'll rally round the flag, boys. —8t. Joseph Herald. Se SE A Prophecy—Ir. Chase. Ina private letter, written the other day, Mr. Vallandigham says : » I observe that Mr. Chase is making him- self merry over my exile and defeat. Well, that is allright, too, But I remember when a few years ago, the pame of Salmon P. Chase was the synonym of everything odi- ous and vile; and when he was one of the leaders of a party not numbering in the whole United States one-tenth part as many asthe votes which I received in Ohio, at the late election, and poor and humble enough to be content with the crumbs which fell from the colored people’s table at the Baker street chapel. My friend Mr. Jas. Brooks, rem mbers, also, when he rescued Mr. Chase from the violence of a mob in Dayton, and Jed him, all trembling, by the arm to a place of safety. Now Salmon P: Chase is high in wealth and position, clothed in purple and fiue linen, and faring sumptu- ously every day, while I am suhject of his scoffs as an exile. But I shall live to see the time when Mr, Chase will be rent to pieces by the whirlwind which he has con. tributed so much to raise, and wade the victim of the very mob hefore which he now triumphs and exuits, as did Belshazzer at his feast, and’'when “Uncle Abe’s pardon” will be of as little value to save him as one of “Uncle Abe’s vulger jests’ 1 may have to ‘‘watch and wait” for the time, but it will come, and I shall then be at home and in honor. Let him and his friends laugh now,” —Cincinati Enquirer. 7 A school ma’am in a district school was examining a class in orthography. (Spell and define floweret,” she said. «F-l-0-w-e-r-e-t, floweret--a little flower.’ went off a tow-head mn a perfect shriek, ‘Wavelet.’ ‘W-a-v-e-l-e-t, wavelet —a little wave, was the prompt return, ‘Bullet.’ (B-u-1-l-e-t, bullet—a little—bull,’ shouted urchin number three, who was innocence personfiied. — ee nie TrAT man was deeply, nay, terribly in earnest, whose coat of arms was a pickaxe and under it the motto—'‘Either I will find a way, I will make one.’ : Ax editor says that a friend of his car- ries hig sense of honor so far as to spend all of his {'me in perfeet idleness, because he does not like even to take advantage of time. THE LAST HOURS OF JOHN J. CRIT. TENDER. The Louisville Journcl says that Johan J. rittenden spent in that city the greater part of the frotnight preceeding his death, and every friend who visited him at all on public affairs, can bear witness to hig ex- ceeding anxiety that the President should at once second the victories of our arms. by an proclamation of amnesty or by some!act of like effect, but it is not generally known, thai, prompted by his absorbing anxiety on the subject, liz had resolved to ad- dress a private letter fo the President urging him without delay to take this step. Yet such is the fact, as is well known to a number of the friends of Mr. Crittanden, including the writer of this article. In res. ponse to a. very kind message from Mr- Crittenden, wc called upoa him the evening. before Le left for his home in Frauk‘or',when ha introduced the subject of his resolution privately to address the President concern- ing a proclamation of am nsty, spoke of the deep interest he felt in the adoption of such a measure, in this hour of military triumph; declared his firm conviction that, more than all other agencies besides it would serve to bring the war to a speedy close, and at the same time pave the way to an early and permanent re-establishment of the Govern ment in the hearts of the people ; avowed his gratification at the reported discussion of a proclamation of anmesty 1u the Cabinet and dwelt with a mournful emphasis on the physical prostration which prevented Lim from immediately addressing the President concerning the subject. He added, however that he was on the eve of returning to his home, with the resolution to perform this task assoon as he sheuldget a little st ength Such were the feading ideas ‘expressed by the iliustrious patriot during the interview. On the following morning he returned to his home, where a few days afterwards, in the complete possessin of his faculties,and noth- mg wanting to his pure ard beautiful fame, hesank full orbed in his grave, The views we have cited .above constite- ted the dying council of the illustrous and lamented patriot to the chiel magistrate of his country, in this crisis of her existence. We in all respectfulness and in all solerm- ty,commend the counsel to that high officer. Death, in arresting its utterance, has but consecrated and enobled it. THE SOLDIERS ATHOME. The Admini: tration were at first ashamed of their course in picking out soldiers from the army, and sending them home to vote. When they first tried it. last spring, in the case of the Conneticut clection, they deni- ed the charge with much indignation, but now they no longer disguise the fact. it is estimated that no less than 2,000 men were sent_home withina few days previous to our State election. The city seemed n- undated with them. They poured into it by every tram, until it seemed as it New York was half soldiers. As a general thing, all allowed that they came howe under the promise to vote the alolition, or so called Union ticket. Scores of them would make, affidavit to this effect, were they not afrail of punishment when they got back into rhe army for doing so. Tew of them dared to disobey orders, for they were watched, and if they did not vote as required, they would be reported by the Loyal Leaguers. Is it not a splendid coun'ry, where an Adminis- tration uses the army to perpetuate their own pewer, and force men in their employ to vote as they dictate? Who shall say that we ought not to give such an Adminis- tration “more men’ and ‘more money ;’’ in fact, inyigorate and sustain them to the fnl- lest extent # Away with thetrmtor whosays that Abe Lincoln ought not to have all the power he asks for.— New York Day Book. i — Trex axp Now,—Before this dreadful civil war, which would never have taken place had not fanaticism reared its blondy head and usurped the government of the nation we had peaceand prosperity at home and abroad. We were respected among the nations of the earth. We had an undisturbed commerce through- out the world. No foreign nation dared to tread upon our borders, We had the perfect {freedom of habeas cor- rus. We had free speech and free press. Wo had no Provost Marshals or bas- tiles. We had no shoddy contractors or venal Governors. Weghad no arbitrary arrests. We hud no banishment for opinion’s sake, We had no overwhelming national debt. We had no oppressive tariffs, for the sake of Eastern manutacturers. We ha no government tax, nor army of tax collectors. - We had no large standing army. We had plenty of gold and silver. We had cheap living, We had Union and prosperity every- where. We had not our fathers, brother and sons slain in battle. Tn fine, we had our liber- ties—what have we now but the ballot box?— Detroit Free Press, [= He who carries musical compositions in his pocket, puts on airs whenever he goes out, pas What is the largest’ jewel in the world? ‘I'he Emeral Isle. [= Children are our idols through whom pea. The long head ie never headlong. the heart ascends to Heaven. HOV’ SAL DISGRACED THE FAMILY. 4 traveler in the State of Illinois some years ago came to a lone log hut on the prairie near Cairo, and there halted, Ile went into the house. It was & wretched affair—an empty packing box for a table, winle two or three chairs and disagrseable stools graced the reception rocm, the dark walls of which were further ornamented with a display ofZin ware, and a broizen shell article or two. The women was cry- ing mn the corner,