BY DAVID OVER.
From the Louisville Journal.
OTHER DAYS.
A dream of tbe past, confused aud dim,
Lust night was round my heart,
And I saw again the passing years
Like a visioo of iove depart;
But the stranger-star in its lofty sphere,
With its wing spread eastward bright and clear
Shone like the son in a brilliant tear.
In the midcight dream once more I saw
The friends of early days ;
Friends that I loved before I knew
Life's varied and shadowy ways ;
Friends whoso hearts were as real and true
To me as the sun to the far off blue,
Aud I loved this dream confused and dim
As I iove the notes of some half-heard hymn.
Aud I heard again tho signing of wind
As it signed long; long, ago,
When it passad through the yellow leaves in fall
Musical, soft and low ;
And the r*vea perched on the same dead limb
With giisr'ning eye and neck stretched slim,
is tbe same 1 saw there in those years
When Hope made rainbews o'er our tears.
It seems a long and weary path
To tread the kills of life.
To walk the varied vales of earth
With their pleasures and pain* aud strife;
But with pleasures now we fain look back,
To the Fast life's sunny and shady track 1 ,
And dreams of the Past make as sweet a spell
As tlie music oi waves or an ocean shell.
There are none 'hat bavc never felt the touch
Of sorrow's dark-hued wing,
And there are none but in dark hours
Will to some bright hope cling ;
And thus with sorrow, joy and strife,
We pass through the shade and shine of life
Til!, like the sun's last ray at even,
Our spirts pass to the far-off heaven.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF
WASHINGTON IRVING
AN ESS.4T
Head before (be Bedford Lyceum,
Jan. 11, 1860. *
BT r>R C. N. HICKOK.
CORRESPONDENCE.
BEDFORD, Jan. 17th, iS6O.
Dr. Hickok, Dear Sir :
The Bedford Lycum, through their committee,
request tbe favor of a copy of the essay, read by
you before that body, on the eveniDg of the 14th
inst., for publication, being satisfied, that to render
it as popular with the community 3s it is among
the members of said Lyceum, it is only necessary to
lay it before them.
Respectfully vours, &c.,
O. H. GAITHEE.
T. LYTT. LYON,
J. COMPIIER,
Committee.
BEDFORD. Jan.l7, 1860.
Gentlemen:
1 herewith send you the paper, you have honored
me by asking for,
Yours trulv,
C. N. HICKOK.
To O. 11. GatTUER, Esq.
Mr. T. L. LYON,
J. COMPHER, M. D.
1; was something to have seen rho "Father
of Lis country." It is from no weakness, of
intellect, neither is it evidence that ago has
pissed again into childhood, that the venerable
citizen—the relic of a bygone generation,
loves to repeat his oft told memory of the
"great ard good," and to tell with pride and
pleasure of the time when he taiked face to
face with Washington. It is an honest pride
and does honor to tho veteran patriot's heart.
The day has come, when be may deem him.
; 'f fortunate who has seen the "Father of his
4 ountry's literaturewhen be may no: bo
■bought weak nor vain, who rejoices in the
honor, that he has conversed with the great
analogy of our Washington—our Irving.
Wfa> so unfortunate, that he feels not the
rtdies for the heritage of glory, bequeathed in
common to Columbia's sons, by the great leader
of our Country's anus, in that strife which hum
bled oar haughty trans-atlantic foe? Shall he be
deemed less unfortunate, who sees not, nor ap
nreoiates, the honor every American shares, in
b.ing tbc countryman of bim, who in the Held
o( Literature, has conquered with his immortal
pen, and his written there in blazing charac
ters, the answer to tbe proud European ques
'too, "what great author has America produ
ced ?" Shall any one so dishouor himself as
to toy, 1 am not proud to be the coontrymau of
Washington Irving ?
'Tis said that when Irving was three or four
years of age, bis nurse was one day walking
with Lim, on a street in New York, when she
saw Washington, then in the zenith of his glory
p<ss them and enter the shop of au artizan.—
She cooid nut resist the wish that the great
Washington should see the child. She waited
at the door until be was passing out when she
"aid to bitn "your honor this little hoy is called
lor you," Washington paused, and asked his
name p then with solemnity, such as be
longed only to bim, he laid bis band upou the
air Laid of the child, and said, "may God
A Weekly Paper, Devoted to Literature, Politics, the Arts, Sciences, Agriculture, &c., &c—Terms: Que Dollar and Fifty Cents in Advance.
Almighty bless the lad." Washington's bless
ing ! What an inheritance ! And who shall
say that the good man's benediction, followed
not tho toy—the youth—the niau ? Who so
sceptical as to hazard the opinion, that the
benison uttered by bim from whose lips never
passed a trifling word, was not interwoven in
the after life of the h ppy child, and passed
into the fabric of his destiny, as the warp
interlaces with the woof?— Who, but lie whose
Almighty blessing, was invoked upon the hoy,
can tell how that blessing like a guardian
angel, all anseen, led tho career of the future
man , a career, glorious in the world of letters
—in the universe of high and noble thought,
as tho caieer of the great tuau for whom ho was
named, was sublime and glorious, in the world
of arms—iu the uuiverso of great and mighty
deeds? Wbo, but Itt who sees the end from
the beginning, could have foreseen now those
great stars, in their country's tirmanont, would,
though set in different fields of glory, shine,
the Blessed, with a lustre, so much the coun
terpart of the Blessing? How gloriously pure
-their light!— Washington, the Hero of many
Miles ; unstained with one drop of biood in
wautonooss spilt—Washington, the statesman,
the ruler ; yet guiltless of tho statesman's and
the ruler's ambitions and crimes and intrigues.
I Well might the bard of Britain and of Greece,
j himself alas, a mighty meteor, flashing, but
with baleful light exclaim,
e
"Where may tbe wearied eye repose
When gazing on the great,
Where neither guilty glory glows,
Nor despicable state,
Tea, one, the first, the last, the bast,
TheCincinnatns of the west,
Whom eovy dated not hate,
Bequeathed the name of Washington,
To make man blush, there was but one."
Well merited was tire tribute, ami how ap
propriately eould it be paraphrased to spp'y to
•Irving, the author of many books. Who, that
has gathered garlands from the fields of secular
literature for more thau a half century;, can
produce a record so unstained by toy unwhole
some (bought, a is his. Pure as his own life
were his writing#; not one thought—-did either
of bis many volumes contain, that dying, he
could have wished unwritten. No covcrtapology
for vice; no cavil at truth; no scoff at virtue;
oo dangerous opinion; no pernicious, demoral
izing sentiment, found auihorship in biin. Oth
ers have penned great thoughts; but how often
are their great thoughts coupled with the baae ?
Others have written beautiful things, but haw
often are their beautiful things, stained and
shadowed by conceptions of hi-leous deformity?
Full many there are who have written, and the
world in lrenzy of admiration, has fallen down
to worship at tho shrine of their transcendent
genius; but of hew few of them cau it he said,
"the pearls they gathered from the deeps of the
unbounded ocean flood of mitia," were pure, as
brilliant? From the "Bard of Avon's" pen,
not always flowed au nncorrupted stream. The
muse of Ayr, not always brought in puri'y, hor
strains to him, who struck immortal notes on
Scotia's lyre. The Larp of hitn, who waked
the plantive melody of Erio, and sang the
impassioned lays of Persia and of Araby the
Blest, was notalwuys tuned to virtue; sndoven
the King of minstrelsy and of rcmauee—tbe
sage of Abbotsford. regretted, dying, that some
things be had written could not be recalled.
Not so with the author of the "Sketch
Book." He was great io genius; but it was
tbo simplicity and purity of bis character,
more rbiu bis genius, that drew around hiiu at
alt times a Lost of loving frieuds. It was the
imparution cf that pure and simple character,
that gave to his writings thoir greatest charm.
How appropriate that he should be compared
to Washington; How deserving of Lis name;
How worthy of his blessing; and how beauti
ful, and still how wonderful, that after a long
career of lienor, {to which ho was, providen
tially, by early reverses directed) honor not
only tn Lis own land, but world-wide; ho
should close that career, by linking their two
immortal names together, and crown his own
fame by recording that of tbe ilius'rious man,
whoso name ha bore; and as if to carry the
analogy beyond the limit of time, like Wash
ington he laid aii his trophies upon the altar
of a living faith, and died as he had lived, a
"Christian gentleman."
But I have digressed from the intention of
this paper. Personal recollections are apt to
savor too much of the first person singular:
Tbe Ego and meus, are geueraliy offensively
predominant; yet how otberwiso can they be
written ? I'll make tbo venture, for I have
seen; 1 have talked with Washington Irving.
I ueed not tell, how the generous humor of
Diedrick Knickerbocker charmed me; (they who
have read him appreciatively will understand
me,) nor how 1 pored over tbe " Sketch Book,"
uutil its author had won my boy heart; (for a
boy I first read it, and I'm a boy again when I
read it now, and 1 loved Lira for bis fuu first
(fuu's the big gate to a boy's heart) and then
for bis pathos) nor how 1 dreamed in the dream
laud of " Sleepy Hollow ," sympathized with,
and laughed at lchabod Crane— imagined each
thunder shower, that "old Hendrick Hudson aufi
his jolly crew," wero again at their game of
nine pins: ilejoioed at the escape, poor, hen
pecked Rips Van Winkle's long nap, gave him,
from the tongue of his termagant wife.—Wept
at the heart melting story ot the 44 Widow and
her son;" nor how my mirthful and my martial
spirit ran mad races with each other, at toe re
cital of the valarous deeds of Hard Koppig
Prtet end Rising the bold, at the "battle of the
Mauhattoes:—nor how I waudered in imagina
tion amid the enchantments of the Alhambra.
Enough to say, I felt as every one feels, who
cau read his genial, noble heart, mirrored in his
; books; —I know huu in spirit, but 1 long wish
ed to see the man, and tuy wish wis grati
fied.
During a few days, io tbe early part of July,
eighteen hundred and fift j-eigbt, I was
cf a kind New York friend, whose country seat
BEDFORD. PA., FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1860
lies adjacent to Irving'* Sunnyside. Tho gen
tleman to whom I allude, was an intimate as
sociate of Mr. Irving'*, since one of his pall
bearers. On Sunday, July fourth, I accompa
nied the family of my friend to servico at their
place of worship, Christ's Church, Tarrytowo,
of which both he and Mr. Irving were vestry
men. After the conclusion of the Order of
Morning prayer, the venerable rector announc
ed a collection for the poor; and as the vestry
men were waiting on the congregation, tor their
contribution*, the son of my friend directed my
attention to one of them, and whispered, "that
is Mr. Irving." My eye followed hiui, as he
passed up the aisle and laid the day's gifts,
witbiu tbe chancel, and turned to go to his pew.
I was disappointed; not in the faee; it was the
same handsome, intellectual, thought-beaming
countenance, I bad seen in nis portraits, taken
in bis manhood's prime; though older, and I
thought, touched with a shade of sadness. But
my fancy had given him a tail, imposing form,
wLcreas be was not ahoveluedium height, slight
ly bent, and somewhat iuclioed to corpulency;
and his mein was not as I had deemed it, ma
jestic; but humble, though dignified, and 1
thought beneath the stained light of the sacred
place, full of reverence.
When next I saw him, it was in a different
scene, on the evening of the fifth there was a
festive gatheiing, and a display of fire works,
at the villa of a New York merchant, resideut
iu tho neighborhood. The scene was oue of
gaiety and of grandeur. The palace, (for it is
a regal edifice,) stands on a high elevation,
over looking the Hudson. The lawn in front
secured a peifect feu dt joie and in ail direc
tions for many miles, on either side of the river
for hours, the night was illuminated by rockets
and other pygrotecnic displays,sent off from the
towns and villages and country scats, and to
one unacoustomed to such scenes, it ecciiioJ tbe
enchantment of fairy land. It was here i nad
the honor of beiug presented to Mr. Irving.—
He was surrounded upon all sides, the centre
of attraction to in my anxious to couverse with
him, and I did little else but look and listen;
but, it was something worth, to look and listen
there. 1 shall long remember it, neither shall
1 sood forget his warm shake of the baud, aDd
his cordial good night, as we parted from hitu
to go home.
.The next day I visited scenes made classic
ground by the touch of his magic pen—tire
place of Andre's capture; Sleepy Hollo#;
The old dutch church, with its gruve yard and
quaiut epitaphs ; —Roamed over the hills, and
bathed in the Tappan Zee, and towards even
ing of the next, with a friend, strolled over to
Sunnysidc. As we approached tho antique
edifice, we observed through the opeo window,
that tbe family were at dinner ; so wo continu
ed our walk, though the grounds, and on to the
adjoining grounds, of Mr. txnnDell and whiied
away a half hour, looking at the objects of in
terest—tbe beautiful vistas ; th 6 rustic bridges,
the grotesque statues, the mtuiature lake-, the
uiiujtc waterfalls; and returning, found Mr.
Irving with his brother and the ladies of his
household—his neices, sitting iu the open air ou
the veranda mid beneath the trees. Mr. Irving
roso to meet us, and in reply to a remark, that
we had taken the liberty of trespassing upon
bis domain, he said "all, even strangers, feel at
liberty to corns here, then oertaioly we should
make our friends welcome." Knowing how
precious wis his time, and how persecuted ho
was with admiring visitors, wo tarried but a
iittle wltilo in comiuou placed conversation,
making no reference to the fact, that he btd
even written a book, for my frieud knew, id I
had heard, how such allusions annoyed bin..
After bidding tho family good evening, we
lingered oo the lawn, to take a last look at the
beautiful Tappan Zoo, spread out beneath the
setting summer's sun, like a lake of luMteu
gold :—ooco more looked at the old mansion of
Suunyside (immortalized by its great owner as
■'Wolfert's Roost") with its quaint battlements,
and ivy, covered roofs; its arched portal and
ancient weathercock ; (the same that of yore
graced the old "Stadt Haus" at Albany) stop
ped to view the oid English park gateway with
its vine covered stone pillars, taking from it as
a memento of my visit, a leaf of a scion of the
Abbotsford Ivy, brought by Irving from Eng
land; and we were beyond the precincts made
sacred by the residence and touch of one of
America's greatest sous, —oertaiuly her greatest
author.
It is past, but I shall not be (bought weak
nor vaiD, by those who appreciate the groat
genius, and great heart of Irving, that I have
dwelt with pleasure on the houor 1 enjoyed, in
having pressed his band, and listened to his
voice. That hand is cold ; that voice is bush
ed iu death ; but that voice will never bo silent
while tauie lasts—that hand has inscribed his
among
"The bright, immortal names
That were not born to die*"
While his own Hudson rolls its mighty tide
to the oceau, Lis memory must live ; He dies
to earth, but it is to add another star to the
bright galaxy of those, who have reached forth
and seized an immortality.
Tbe cattle of Deacon Johnston's neighbors
kept getting into his pasture. The pasture
was bad enough for the deacou's cattle, and
was mighty poor f :ed for other people's, when
they sought to share it. Doaooa Johnson had
tried, with his hired man, to keep them out,
and couldn't, and at last Fat said, with a
scratch of hie head:
"I'll tell you, Mr. Johnston, how you can
be after getting shut of thim beggarly cows
that couio here tbaviug their feed."
"And how shall we do that tiling, Pat?"
"Why, sir, whin they git in agin, just let
[ us go and put up the tinces "and kape them in,
j and my word fur it, they'll all starve to death
I in a week, sir /"
From the .V. Y. Sunday Times.
The *!are Wife, or the Sudden Due),
At the close of the Mexican war, the city of
Browttsyille, on the Tex in bank of the Rio
Grand river, and immediately opposito to Mat
amoras, sprung op suddenly, as if by magic,
and developed the full growth of an urban
community within the courso of a few months.
This singular flow of emigration and rapid ad
vancement in business was the result of this
living spirit of American enterprise, the com
mercial-passion of a restless people, eager
alike for glory and gain.
Among the many adventurer* who swarmed
to tho Rio Grand in the first prime of its
golden promise, was a young lawyer, one Wil
liam Parks, recently from South Carolina.—
Although descended from an an ancient line
of ancestors, and bearing io bis veins the
blood of tho Revolution, and having received
a classics! education, yet bis father's vices
having squandered an iiumenso fortune, the
son was left poor, to tight the fiercest battle of
life, relying altogether o his own resources,
without hope of uid or comfort from kindred
or friends. Nature had endowed him with a
ban borne person, excellent judguieut and true I
courage.
On nfriviog at his new sphere of action, j
youug Parks encountered an unexpected diffi
culty. He discovered that there was very
little lucrative business transacted in the court,
and this had already Fallen into the hands ( ot
a few advocates, who managed adroitly to mo
nopolise every case of the smallest importance.
It was evidently impossible to sit down and
patiently wait uotii matters would mend by
tbe doubtful evolutions of time or chance.—
The price of board and lodging were dear,
and ins wardrobe needed renovation even be
!>r he was permitted to appear in the fornm
at all. In this crisis of his fate, he conceive 1
a plan thai looked in tb light of reason wild
aud visionary. He sold off his books at auc
tion, and with tbe proceeds opened a gafden,
within a mile of the city, for supplying, the
market with vegetables, whiffi h.pffcnej at
that period to be extremely scarce, as the na
tives of the soil wanted both the will and the
wisdom to (urn the rich alluvial of the' Soil to
any account. As the experiment flourished,
and Mexican labor was very cheap, the Ax-a-t
--torney urged bis operations still further, atid
tlie Amis gardes soon expanded sate a field.—
To sum up the general result in a single sen
tence, the end of three years found him uot
enly independent, but wealthy.
Having .-.massed sufficient fortuue *o satisfy
bis desires, he thought of selling out, and re
turning agaiu to tbe profession which ho had
been forced to abandon, when an incident oc
curred to change his purpose. A family by
the name of Garcia, assumed to he of Fpaui.>i
Origin, arrived iu Brownsville, from New Or
' 'cans. 'J'hey were apparently in affluent cir
i outuatanoes, intelligent, polished ia their uiati
! ut-rs, and remarkably handsome in their per
sons. They were all dark featured, as is Com
monly the fact with the race from which they
claimed their descent, indeed, they made it a
matter of boast that a slight tincMic,; of Moor
ish blood colored the current in tio.ir veins.—
Wealth possesses a golden key to unlock the
most exclusive doors, and beauty has the force
of fire to uielt the hardest heart —so that tho
new addition to the society of the Rio Grande,
a s one might well imagine, caused tbe utmost
enthusiasm, and was hailed as an era in the
bistorv of frontier life.
'
There was one member of this eoutely bousc-
I hold who immediately became an especial fa
i vorite in the community, and drew tho adrni
, ring attention of every observer by the powers
'of her unspeakable loveliness. May Garcia
; was one of those rare combinations of gracc
: ful form, luminous features, and spiritual ex
: pression, that resembles the faultless ideas of
' imagination, or the radiant pictures of perfec
tion which glitter ia tho bright dreams of early
< youth, rather than tho shapes of flesh ar.d
! blood that breathed common air and mingled
with the things of earth. Her small, regular
| exquisite face, revealed a complexiou some-
I what dark in its tiuts, but literally translucent,
where the warm blood could be seen spreading
I its rich, rosy suffusion-like unfading blush of
uuiden modesty. Iler eyes of the deepest
; jot, appeared to swim in a sea of light—wild,
waving and mixed with liquid fire, lier long,
j dark bair flowed freely arouud a bust and bos
! otn of indescribable symmetry. Bother voice
I possessed Ibe most marvellous fascination of
all. It was clear, silvery and ringing, with a
gontlo cadence in its tone, at the fall of each
i sentence, like the lisping murmur of soft wiDds
■ among the pine lop 9.
Females of any description were scarce in
, the community, and this beautiful creature, who
seemed to have dropped from the clouds, before
the end of six mouths, had refused half a hun
. drcd offers. However the little boy called Cu
, pid, who searches out every fair form as a mark
i for his flaming arrows, found this beautiful one
! at last.
In company with a number of young persons
she paid a visit of mere curiosity to the famous
flower garden, and fell in love, at first sight,
with the handsome proprietor, who responded
to her affection with equal ardor. The fruits
of their union within three years were a son
and a daughter, who, as a matter of oourse,
became tlje idols of their fond mother and father
—for it sceius to he-trgeneral, if not psycholo
gies! law thafchuman parents love thair children
in proportion to their passionate tenderness for
eaeb other. A charming white cottage w8
tLeir home in the flower garden, and the busi
ness of the bappy agriculturist prospered mere
than ever, so that with the addition of the am
ple fortune brongbt iuto matffiinpnial partner
ship by bis beautiful companion he might well
be considered, for that country a niau ot
wealth.
, One bright morning of mid summer, upon his
return from a neighboring city, the gardener
was astonished to find bis lovely wife in a par
oxysm of tears, and evincing other tokens of
the utmost terror and anguish. But all his cn
troaties failed to eliott aoy explanation from his
lips, except the assurance that she felt oppress
ed with the dark fore shadowing of some un
known aDd mysterious but dreadful danger.—
However, after she became a degree more tran
quil, having an affair of importance to arrange,
he went to town.
On hi j arrival he was accosted in tho street
by a person he did (jiot recollect to have seen
before. The stranger was a man of middle age, j
with coarse, sinister* features, gleaming black ■
eyes, raven hair streaked with silver, and a ;
massive form revealing the appearance of her-■
culean strength and agility. He was dressed
in rich black cloth, cut in the latest fashion,
aud profusely disfigured, rather than adorned,
with gems and precious ornaments. A huge
golden seal, caclosiug a costly stone, dangled i
from iiis heavy watch chain, which lie twirled j
incessantly with his fiugers. He spoke with a
loud, brusque tone. "Mr. Parka—they say
that is your name— allow me to introduce my
self. lam 001. Powers, of New Ui leans, and t
have visited Texas iu search of runaway slaves. 1
I am told that you harbor cheui."
"Y'ou have been misinformed," replied tbe
gardener, sternly. "Theie is not a slave or
even a colored person on my plant ition,"
"No, sir, lam not mistaken. The wodisd
that yu call your wife is a slave, aud was
actually born iu my kitchen. Here is a bill of
sale, containing the names of her father and
tcother, for whose bodies I paid down tbreo
thousand dollars. Tkere, you behold the se!
of tbe recorder's court!"
I'iie other reeled as if bo had beeu struck a
terrible blow with an ifon hammer, and gasped
out—
"Merciful God! it cannot be so. This man
must he insane, or I am dreaming!"
"if you doubt my word," said he, twirling
his watch chain angrily, "yonder comes old
Judge Rise, who is familiar with the circumj
stances, and can prove every item of my asser
tions."
Tlie individual alluded to, who had a
member of tbe New Orleans bar for mauy years,
confirmed the stranger's story in al! its partic
ulars.
It would be imposaibie fo give the faintest
TTeaojf' Ito ifttWilY'tfwbie Agony depictured in
the countenance of Mr. Parks, as the astound
ing troth, with its horrible consequences, burst
up-m his soul, like a flash of lurid lightning.—
He turned pile a* death and staggered, as if
about to fall to tbe earth; but, by a great effort:
he wrestled for a minute or more with his grief,
aud, conquering, became evi-leotly calm, but
still pallid as a piece of white paper.
"Why bas this matter been kept a secret so
long?" the gardener demanded iu tones of ter
rible meaning. "Was it a cunniog device to
wiu gold out of iiuui.n te- rs and the blood of
iunoeect hearts 1 "
The Colonel, laughing with delight at the re
membrance of his craff, boldiy avowed his own
infamy.
"Yes," he said, "I was smart. I noted how
beautiful tbe slave.; were; 1 determined to make
it pay to the highest figure. I had them well
educated, aud made them, poor fools, think they
were free. Under this impression they remov
ed to tho Rio Grande. I gave them money,
which ibey have increased, wi'.h more tbaa com
pound inierest, and now I havoeome to get my
pay for ail my trouble.'*
And the unblushing villain twirled his watch
chain joyously.
"How much do you expect mo to pay for my
wife aud children?" inquired Parks, with an
awful smile.
"1 must havo ten thousand dollars, besides
the return of hei fortuue, aiuouutiug to as much
more!" answered the Colonel, with the most
business-like coolness.
"Scouudrel,coward, thief, assassin! you shall
never own one cent from the earnings of my
years of toil!" exclaimed Parks, in a voice ot
uncontrollable fury.
"Mind what you sy, for 1 wili have bloody
satisfaction for every insulting word you em
ploy," said the Colonel, growing white with
rage.
"Then take it now?" shouted Parks, striking
the other with such force in tbe face that he
rolled on the ground.
But Powers suddenly regained bis feet, and
wiping the crimson streams from his mouth and
nose, vociferated—
"l claim motla satisfaction ou this veiv
spot"'
"Yes, you shall have it—here !" replied the
gardner, in a vuice that resembled the wrathful
yell ola deuion.
Some accommodating bystanders, who had
collected around the scene, proffered their
services as seconds, and the terms of the duel
were immediately arranged. It was settled
that the two principals should each be armed
with a pistol, and assuming their stations tweu
ty yards apart, at the signal might stand or
advance and fire, which they pleased.
At the word, Parks moved calmly and stead
ily, with moderate steps, towards his enemy.—
The latter remained fixed as a marble statue in
his position, with his arm elevated firmly, tiud
his dark eye gleamed through the sights with
deadly aim at his mortal tuaik. \y,hen the
other arrived at the distance of ten paces, the
pistol pointed at his heart, exploded with a
loud roar. But lie faltered not—paused not
shauged not his tturuh. Tha bullet had hit
a stiver coin,which happened to be in the pocket
of his vest, and that alone had saved bis life.
He never stopped until bo was withiu three
feet of his foe, when for the first time raising
his weapon, blew out the Colonel's brains.
Parks, with his family, and ail the Garcias,
tha next day removed into Mexico whero they
yet reside.
VOL. 33, NO. 5.
SCHOOL HATTERS.
SATURDAY TEACHING.
Walls of brass resist Dot
A noble in. 1 ertiking*nor can vjce
Haise any bulwark to make good a placa
Where virtue seeks to outer. — Fletcher.
"Saturday Teaching'?" Yes, Saturday
Teaching. lam loth to resume it. Jt is not
the first time that I have felt my best feelings
revolt at it. It soon shall be thß last time!
Saturday Teaching! "Flee from the wrath to
come," and shun it, as the evil and misguided
wretch shuns justice ! "Flee from the wrath
to come," for come it must, if Saturday Teach
ing is persisted iu. Dot us see !
"A bow always fcont, is never 5t for use."
Never was wisd>m and philosophy couched in
less words. The mind, like the muscular de
velopment of man, must have rest, must have
recreation, llow soon does the physical force
of youth become exhausted. The least possi
ble exertion, persisted in, incapacitates it, and
brings pain the most excruciating, to the ex
erted physical power. The mind partakes of
the same nature as tic body. When exerted
to any material extent, and the exertion main
tained, it becomes weak and dull, and the
matter which it is required to infuse, becomes
stale and insipid. Many persons experience
this doctrine so palpably, that they endeavor
to dispose of all metaphysical exertions, im
mediately after risiag in the morning, while
"tba head," as they assert, "is clear, and not
encumbered aud weakened by over taxation.
Put the pupil into a schoolroom on Monday
morning, continuo Lim six hours, which con
sumes almost the entire day, at least withiu
two or ibree hours of it, and these six hours,
in connection with the labor which he has to
perform, reduces the amount cf time allowed
for recreation within the slight cotnpess of one
aud a half hotrr3 per nay; let this system ba
practised until the close of the week, or Satur
day evening, and tLe tyhole anicuDt of time
allowed for recreation, would ba reduced to
nine, or In nine cut of efeby ten esses, to less
than uine hours.
There is not one man in fifty, but experi
ences in ore recreation than is allowed by our
system for the child. We know the playful
disposition of youth. It must have vent, no
one will pretend to deny this; and no oae will
pretend to dcCy that it is essential to health
ouJ happiness. Happiness should bo as much
consulte iID the pupil's behalf as health.—
Who will undertake to deny, that one week's
constant attendance in a school room will ex-
haust every f .cult?, and weaken the system to
such an extent as to miku a visible impression.
If this can be done iu one week, what conse
quences will be produced by a persistence in
this evil? Why, peor, weak, decrepid, emaci
ated creatures, that, under proper drill, might
be induced to crawl through a greased whistle,
are the result. But says a friend :o Saturday
teaching, "I am sure they have Sunday to
themselves." Bah! Sunday is the Lord's
Day, ond children with their parents attend
CLurch or Sabbath School, thus miking seven
days in a week at school. Sunday is not the
day to play at ball, catcher, aud the thousand
end one other ways which youth has invented
to pass life in the happiest mood. No wonder,
then,
''The whining schoolboy, with his satchel,
And shining morning face, creeps like snail
Unwillingly to school,"
Out cf fourteen days, the pupil has actual
ly only one day for recreation, the alternate
Saturday. Many other reasons might be given
on this subject, but I only desire to give one
more, and 1 shall no doubt dismiss tho sub
ject from all further consideration. Estab
lish the uo Saturday system, and ycur schools
will boast of a much more regular attendance,
for then ail such chorea as can be shifted un
til Siturday will bo postponed until that dread
day, and relieve the schools of the great
curse, iarcgular attendance, and allow, not tho
requisite time, but tuueh more tbau is now al
lowed for recreation an 1 healthy development.
J.R. Dur borrow.
WOODKCRY, Pu.
.REDUCTION OF THE STATE DEBT.
—The sale of the State Works has now fairly
exhibitoJ the wisdom of tho measure in the
condition of the Treasury. During the year
closing on the Ist of December last, the amount
of eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars of
State loans was purchased for tho sinking fund
and the Treasurer, Hon. Eli Slifcr, estimates
that the present year will witness a funher re
duction of tho debt to au amount exceeding one
million of dollars.
AUVIOM have bo.u received by Qerrit Smith's
friends that thai gentlemm continues to im
prove; and that as soon as his physicians deem
it prudent he will make a voyage to Europe,
and spend some time in travel and sight-seeing.
The difference between an oyster and a
chicken is, that one is best just oul of tbe
shell, and the Other isn't,