The Cambria freeman. (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, June 24, 1869, Image 1

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. . JI'I'IKC, rd!tor and rubmiicr.
HH IS A FRKI3MAJI WHOM TIIJB TROTH MAKES AID ALL All 14 SLATES BBIIDB,
Tenus, 3 per year In advance.
VOLUME
EBENSBURG, PA., THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1869.
O.
NUMBER 22-
1809.
I a:: nuw prepared to offer
s l" n: i : i on i n i ucemexts
TU CASH l'tiliCITASEKii OK
111. SHU & CQFPER MSI,
blTMRR AT
WHOLESALE OH RETAIL.
rUiv.'x c aaists iii part of every virtoy of
TJ, SSaeet-Iron.
OJlTWl AND RRASS WARES,
U KI.l.EU AM) rr.AIN
EAUCL'-? AWS. BOILERS. Etc,
CO 'J. loVELS. 11 1 NT, LAMPS, OIL
CANS. I'OUSI'.FI'KNISIIING HAKD
WAKi: OF FVFKY KIND.
fptni'i Anti-Dust
III' ATI Nil and COOKING STOVES,
EXCELS! "; COOKING STOVES,
MiLLhi. TiaiiML'il and PARLOIt COOK
ING STOVES,
.V. ! .my Co--king Stove desired I will gt
v : .jU oi-.lt rft! tt ruanufactuier's plices.
(i i.i riv.-vu 1'lu.tfs a;.d Orates, tc , for r
j ( il hand f--r the Stovts I bdi ; others
will Li i Jei t; I when wanted. Particular
attention given to
Spcutiri, Valleys and Conductors,
cf wi lea will be made out of bc6t mato
I'V.i e:J put up by competent workmen.
Lr.n;p Corners, Wick aud Chimuoyg
WHtil LSAI.E Oli EETAIL.
1 w. uM cai! particular atteoti- u to tLe Llhl
li-el'-urn-r, with Gists G-i., for riving
:., .. i'.i' tiia.i ui.y other in uto. Also, the
lu - ti Burner, for OiuJe Oil.
fciTM'KKl'S SITTER I
J: ri-ctmnit-nJa itself.
KETTLES AND CAULDRONS
I of ail k.z.i ei-iitdutly uu Laud.
I
K( c.i tl UeLitiou given to
j Jjbb'.in Tin, Copper and Sheet-Iron.
t luwt-si p-iiwiblw rntco.
V n-ji.tAi; Mkuchixts List
j E.-.v ri-niy, Bui will be Lit un appiitatijij
t vr ia jeis.-u.
! II i-ii. ti.-eull ir.y o!J customer ind
iw.tuy lie a- - ucs tl.id Spiing, I rfcturti vuy
j iu,).-t hii.c-ie ti.uiik :'nr tho very liberal pa
tr-iiiiiifo I have nirea.ly received, inl will
t-:: :--avi.r t ihaaj all who may call, wLctL-
tr iJ,ey luy or hoL
T FRANCIS W. HAT.
JJitowti, 2f.irch 7,
- - -I - ,
f'HLAT 11i:dcctiont in Pmcxa 1
rJV CASH HLYEUS !
AT THE EBCXNBIRG
! Hfil IiE-li IIKMSUISC STORE.
i ilu un.Krtiitietl reHpccifully informs the
Cit:A-H6 of EbfUhburtr and the public trener
ally that he has maile a rcat reduction iu
I rU-ts to CASH liUYKHS. My ttock will
cji.M.t, in part, of C'jvkiuy, Parlor and Hcat
uij Stores, of the mutt pjpu!ar kinls ; Tin
vure f every uc-scriptiuu, of tuy own niun
tif.iUure; Hardware of all kiud, tuch as
L"i kf, Si-iews, Ilutt Hinges, Table- Iliiitres,
Mmtter Iliiisjce. Holt, Iron and Nailrt, Win
i! w GhusH, I'utly, Table Knives and Fork,
Cirvinjr Ki ives atnl Forks, Meat Cutter.
J ppi rATuT, J eu anJ l octet Kmvea in
y.iutt variety, Si-sor. Slitars, Puzors anJ
Strops As'-n, IJ.ttchett', Ilamnifrf, Boring
M.uiii;i.H, Auei. CJiiaiiele, I'Jant-8, Oon-pa--'n,
S-iiare, I'iitd, llaepe, Anvils, Vises,
U r.'i.-Jies, Pip, Panel ami Crof--i-Cut Saws.
C!i;iins fall kin-Is-. Shovel-, Spatien, .Scythes
r.,1 bi-atl.K, ILikes, Forks, leigh Peili.
Si:oe Iiu.st, Ves. Wax Pristlea, Clothes
Viint-i-b, Cii'iii-1 Stones, Patent Molasses
1 McaMircrf, Luiober Sticks, llorte
-N.iiit, Ih-r.-e Siioe, Cast Steel. Kifles, Shot
'Him, UfTi.iverH, i'it(.li?, Carlriilgef, Fow-ut-r.
C-rf, I,ad, &c, O-hl Stove Plate?,
'iratca a;,- Fire Bricks, Well and Cistern
lYiIli!; :1 T i . 1 'ri-lkin.r. 1T;ivisv mill Ci. 7.
I I'-----fid! kinl; WwJrnaud Willow Ware
'i ptut v-A.'iety ; Carbon Oil and Oil Lamps,
1 Oil, Lavvl Oil. LiDseed Oil, Lubricating
Ii -fin, Tar, GlaKWare. PaiLtis, Yarnith
'it j..-i;t;iie. Alcohol. &c.
FAMILY GROCERIES,
fl,L" "T ' ''a Coffee, Sugars, Mulaes, byr-
'!! '" Sl ices. Dried FpMrbfpj T)rii1 A fir,Ic
$ Lth, lb miny, Crackers, Ilice and Pearl
I -i'ley; s,,aps, Caudles; TOBACCO and
hoc, Dusting. Varnisi). Stove. Cl.itbes and
Tooth brushes, nil kinds and sitea ; Bed
---r-.s and Manilla Popea, and many other
1
j r - . w ... ji taiD IVI V.IOU.
v'rLuuse Scouting made, painted and rut
I r 7 ,itlC8 u,r A liberal discount
r"-.e to country dealers baying Tinware
I wu.-.toale. GEO. UUJNTLEY
.usourg. let), 8. 1867.-tf.
Q-EORGE W. YKAGER,
leaaU and Retail Daler In
HEATING AND COOK STOVES
OF EVERY DESRHli'Tirtv'
OF IIIS 0W3 MANUFACTURE,
And GENERAL JOBBER in SPOUTING
4U overwork his W
jVirginia Street, near Caroline Street,
Th only dealer in tU c;t
ell tha renowned "B ARl pv? lhe rlbt 10
complete and satisfactory'
istyre ever intn)duCei
to the public.
Stock Iue. . PiiICES
SAiisf actio;: ui-akant.
&)c odrs grpHrtnunf.
DEATH.
BY BET. A. J. EYA3T.
Oat of tho shadow of sadness,
Into the sunshine of gladness,
Into the liht of the blest ;
Out of the land very dreary,
Out of the world of the weary.
Into the raptura ol rest.
Out of to day's sin and sorrovr.
Into a blissful to-morrow,
Into a day without ghom ;
Out of a land filled with sighing
Land of the dead and the dying
Into a laud without tomb.
Out of a life of commotion,
Tempest-swept oft aa tlu ocran,
Daik, with the wreck drifting o'tr j
Into a l.md calm nud quiet ;
.Never a storm conieth uigh it;
"evtr wreck on it shore.
Out of tho land iu whose powers
PeriU and fa do ;1 the fl..wr
Out of the laud of decay
Into the K.Icn, where fairest
Of fiowrcu, swei tent uud rarest ;
JNTever bhall wither away.
Out of the world tf the wailir.f ,
Thronged with the anguuhed and ailing.
Out of the world of tho a ad ;
Into tho wi-r'.J that rejoices
World of bright vision a;.d volcea, .
Iu'.o the world of the glad.
Out cf a life ever lornful.
Out of a land very mournful,
Where in bleak exile wa roam ;
Into a j -y-land nbove us
Where there' a Futlier to love as
Iuto "our Home tweet Home.''
Sales, Sftitrjjts, ntcbofts, c.
Gymnastics la tho Adlrcadacks.
l'or nearly two niles we crept throucb
the damp and chilly for, up the Marion
river, heaiiog nothing to interrupt the pro
found biiencu t-ave the occasional plunge
of a uiuckrat or the fputter of a frog seat
ing along the buifice of the water. But
all of a Fudden, w hen heart and hope be
gan to fail, tome distance ahead of us we
heard tha well known Bounds, k-pp!ueb.
k-pplueh, and knew that a deer, and a
large one too, was making for the (shore.
Mere our adventure began. I signalled
Martin, by a desperute ''hitch" on the
thwart, to run the boat at full ppeed to
ward the bound. He did. The light
shell ebot through (be fog, and when in
swift career struck tha bank, bow on.
Martin was tremendous at the paddle,
and a little more force would have divided
that marsh Iroua side to side ; as it was,
the thin, latb-Iike bout was buried a third
of her length iu the bogs and marsh
grass.
With much struggle, and several up-pret-sed
but euoesiive exclamations from
Martin, we extricated tho boat from the
meadow, and shoved out into deep water.
We bad heard nothing from the deer since
he left the river. Thinking that possibly
lie might have 6lopped, after gaining the
bunk, to look back, as deer often do, I
rose fclowly in the boat, turned up the
jack, und peered anxiously into the fog.
The strong reflector bored a lane through
the fleecy 11103 for pome fifty feet, per
haps ; even at that diaianee objects min
gled grotesquely through the fog. At the
uxtreme end of the opening, I detected a
bright, diamond-like spark. What was
it? I turned the jack up, and I turned
it down. I lowered myself until uiv eyes
looked along the. line of the glass. I rais
ed myself on tiptoe. Nothing more could
be seen.
'It may be the eye of a deer, and it
may be only a drop of water, or a wet
leaf," said I to myself. Still it looked
gamy. I concluded to launch a bullet tt
it anyway. Vhi?peiing to Martin to
steady the boat, I nunk my eye well down
into the sights, and, holding for the gleam
amid the marsh grats, fired. The smoke,
mingling heavily with the fog, made all
murky before me, while the explosion,
striking against the hills on either side,
started a dozen reverberations, so that we
could neither see nor hear what was the
result of the shot. After waiting in si
lence a few moments, hoping to hear the
deer "kick," without any such happy re
sult, 1 told Martin I would go ashore to
load, and see -what I had shot at. lie
paddled forward, and seizing the tall grass,
while ho forced the boat in. against the
bank with his p3ddle, I clambered up.
Being carious to see what had deceived
me, I strode off into the marsh some forty
feet, and turning up the jack, lo and be
hold a dead deer lay at my feet I "Mar
tin," shouted I, "hero the deer ia, dead
as a tick I
The d IP' exclaimed tho guido from
the fog.
"What did yon say !" again I shout
ed. "I said I didn't believe it," returned
Martin, soberly.
"Paddle your canoo up here, then, yoa
old sceptic, and see for yourself," I re
joined, taking the deer by the ear and
dragging him to the bank. 'ilere he is,
and a monster too." Martin did as di
rected. "Well," exclaimed he, aa he unbent his
gaunt form from the curve into which two
hours of paddling had bent and cramped
it, and straightened himself to hi3 full
height, until his eye rested upon the buck,
"well, Mr. Murray, you arc the firet
man I ever saw draw a line bead in such
a ni-;ht like this, standing in the bow of
a fcwranac boat, at the twinkle of a deer'a
eye, and kill. That jack of yours is a
big thing, and no mistake." By the time
he had finished, the boat had drifted off
into the river, for tha current was quite
strong at that point, and I was alone.
I was just lifting a cap to the tube of the
recharged barrel, when I felt a movement
at my feet, and casting my eyes down
ward, I saw that the deer was in the act
of getting up 1 The ball, as we after
wards discovered, had glanced along the
front of the ehull, barely creasing the
skin. It had touched the bono slightly,
and stunned him 60 that he dropped ; but
beyond this it had not hurt him in the
leaet. Qjick as thought I put my foot
against h:s shoulder and pushed him over.
"Mai tin," I cried, "this deer t-sn't dead ;
he's trying to get up t What shuli I do Vf
"Not dead !" exclaimed he, sboutin"
from the mi-idle of the river through the !
dense fog.
"No, he isn't dead ; far from it. He j
is mighty lively, and getting more and '.
more so," I returned, now having my
hands full to keep the doer down. Come
out and help me. What fchull I do V
"Get hold of his hind leg ; ITi be with
you in a minute," was the answer.
I did as directed. I laid hold of his
left hiud leg, just above the fetlocks, and
eprang to my feet.
Header, did you ever seiza a pig by
the hind leg T If so, multiply that pi
by ten ; for every twitch ha gives count j
six ; latli a big lantern to your Lead ;
fancy yourself standing alone on a swam
py uiurt-b in a dark, fogy night, with a
nfle io your left hand, and being twitched
among the bogs and in and out of musk
rat holes, until your whole system seems
on the point of aparation which shall send
you in a thousand infinitesmal parts in all
directions, like fragments of an exploding
buzz wheel, and you have my appearance
and feeliDgs as I was jerked about that
night amid the mire and marsh grass, as
I clung to the leg of that deer.
Now, when I fasten to anything, I al
ways expect to hold on, This was my
determination, when I put my fingers
round that buck's leg. I have a tremen
dous grip my father had before me.
With his hands at a two-inch auger hola
in the head of a barrel, I have seen him
clutch, now with his right, now with bis
left hand, twenty-two house rats as they
came darting oat to escape the stick with
which I was stirring them up, and dash
them dead upon the floor, w ithout getting
a siogle bite ; and everybody knows that
a rat, in full bolt, comes cut of a barrel
like a Hash of lighning. I fully expected
to maintain the family prtstije for grip, I
did. I ttuck to that deer with all my pow
er, arm and will. I felt it to be a sort of
personal contest between him and myself.
Nevertheless, I was perfectly willing at
any time to let go. I had undertaken thejob
at the request of another, and ready to sur
render it instantly upon demand. I shout
ed to Martin to get out of that boat mighty
quick if he wanted to take his deer home,
for I shouldn't hold on to him much long
er. It took me about two minutes to de
liver that sentence. It was literally jerk
ed out of me, word by word. Never did
I labor under greater embarrassment in
expressing myself. In the meanwhile
Martin was meeting with dillicuty. The
hank of the river was steep, and the light
ced-ir shell, with only himself in it, was
out of all balauce, and hard to manage.
It may be that his very ptron,T desire
to get on that meadow where I was hold- !
mg his deer for him operated to cenfuse
I and embarrass his movements ! He would
propel the boat at full ppeed toward the
bank, then jump for the bow ; but his
motion forward would release the boat
from the mud, and when he reached the
bow the boat would be half way across
the river again. Now Martin is a man
of great patience. He is not by any
means a profane person. He had always
shown great respect for the cloth.
Everybody will see that his position
was a very trying one. Three several
times, as he afterwards informed me, did
he drive that boat into the bank, and three
several times, when he got to the bow,
that boat was in the middle of the river.
At last Martin's patiece gave way, and
out of the fog came to my cars ejacula
tions of disgust, and such strong exple
tives as are found only in choice old Eng
lish, and howla of rage and disappoint
ment that none but a guido could utter
in like circumstances.
But human endurance has a limit. I
was fast reaching a condition of mind
when family pride and transmitted pow
ers of resolution fail. What did I care
for my father' exploit with the rats at
the two-inch auger hole? What did the
family grip amount to after all? I was
fast losing (sight of the connection suchvan
itiessustained to me. I was undergoing a
rapid change in many respects of body
as well as mind 1 When I got hold of that
deer's leg I was mentally full of pluck and
hope ; my hunting coat, of Irish cordu
roy, was whole and tightly buttoned.
Now, mentally, I was demoralized ;
every button was gone from the coat and
the right sleeve hung disconnected with
the body of tho garments. The jack had
been jerked from my head, and lay a rod
off in the marsh grass, I could hold on
no longer. I would make one moro ef
fort, one morn appeal. I did. "Martin,"
fcaid I, "aren't you ever going to get out
of that boat?"
The heavy thug of tho boat against the
bank, an explosive and spluttering noise
which sounded very much like the word
"damn" spoken from between shut teeth,
a splash, a scramble, and then I caught
sight of the gaunt form of Martin, paddlo
in hand and hunting knife fbctween hs
teeth, loping along toward me, through
the tall, rank grass. But, alaa, it was
too late. Tho auspicous moment had
parsed. My fingers one by one loosened
their help, and the deer, gathering all his
strength with a terrific elevation with his
feet, sent me reeling backward, just as
Martin, doubled up in a heap, was about
to light on his back. lie missed tho back,
but as good luck would have it, even
while tho buck was in the air tha deer
going up as Martiu came down the
fingers of the guide closed with a full and
desperate grip upon his tail.
Quick as a flash I recovered mysolf
from tho bogs, replaced the jack, which
fortunately had not been extinguished,
upon my head, and stood an interested
spectator of tha proceedings. Now ev
erybody knows how wild deer can jump
when frightened; and the buck, with
Martin fastened to his tail, was thoroughly
roused. Tha firtt leap straightened the
poor fellow out like a lath, but it did not
bhake him from his hold.
If the reader has ever seen a small boy
hanging to the tail-board of a wagon,
wLou the horse was at full speed, he can
form a faint idea of Martin's appearance
as the deer tore like a whirlwind throu2h
the tall grass.
Blinded and bewildered by tho light,
frensied with fear, the buck, as doer often
will, instead of leading oh", kept raciug up
and down juht within the border of light
m add by the jack, and occasionally mak
ing a bolt directly for it.
My position was unique. I was the
Bole spectator of a series of gymnastic
evolutions truly original. Small aa the
audience was, the performers were in
earnest. Had there been a thousand
spectators, the actors could not have laid
themselves out with greater energy. No
applause could have got another inch of
jump out of the buck, or another inch of
horizontal position out of Mai tin. When
ever, at long intervals, his feet did touch
the ground, it was only to leave for an
other and a higher :crial nlunge. Now
and then the buck would take a short
stretch into the fg and darkness, only to
reappear w ith the same inevitable attach
ment of arms and legs streaming behind.
Tha scene was too ludicrous to hi endured
in silence.
The desperate expression of Martin's
face, as he swung round and jerked about,
was. enough to made a monk explode with
laughter while doing penance. I rested
my hands on either knee, and laughed
until tears run down my checks. The
merriment was all on my eida. Martin
was sileut as death, save when the buck,
in some extraordinary and desperate loap,
twiicbed a grunt out of him. DetweCn
my paroxysms, I exhorted him, it was my
time to exhort.
"Martin," I shouted, "hang on ; that's
your deer, I quit all claim to him. Hang
on, I say. iS ve his tail, anyhow."
Whether Martin appreciated the ad
vice, whether he exactlv saw where the
"laugh came in,
I cannot say, and he j
could not explain
Still I am led to think
that it was to him no trilling aflair, but a
matter which moved him profoundly.
At last the knife was jerked from his
teeth, either because of tho violence of
exertions or because he had inadvertently
loosed his grasp on it. Be this as it may,
Martin's mouth was at last opened, and
out of it wore projected soma of the most
extraordinary expressions I ever heard.
His sentences were singularly detached.
Even his words weru widely separated,
but brought out with groat emphasis. Hi
averaged about one word to a jump. If
another got partially out, it was suddenly
and ruthlessly snapped otf in mid utter
ance. The result of his elfotts to express
himself reached my ear3 very much iu this
shape.
J iimp will you be e d d I've
GOT you I I'll hold-d ok till
your tail comes off! .Tumpp-jt be
D-D-DAMNED I've got yoU-U-U.
When the contest would havo ended,
what would have been the result had it
continued, whether the buck or tho guide
would have come olT winner, it is not easy
to say. Nor is it necessary to speculate,
for the close was speedily reached, and in
an unlooked-for manner. The deer had
led off sorae dozen jumps out of the circle
of light, and I was beginniug to think that
he had shaken himself loose from his
enemy, when all at onco be emerged from
the fog with Martin still streaming behind
him, and made straight for the river.
Never did I seo a buck vault higher or
project himself farther in successive leaps.
The Saranaccr was too much put to it to
nrticulata a word ; only a series of grunts,
as he was twitched along, revealed the
state of his pent wp feelings.
Past me the deer flashed like a fea
thered shaft, heading directly for the
bank.
"Hang on, Martin," I screamed, so
bered by the thought that he would save
him yet if he could only retain his grip.
"Hang to him like death 1"
He did. Never did my admiration go
out more strongly toward a man than it
did toward Martin, a3 red in the face,
and usable to relieve himself by a single
expression, ho went tearing along at a
frightful rate, in fall bolt for tha rirar.
Not one man -in fifty could have kept
his single handed grip, jerked at the close
of such a struggle as the Saranacer had
passed through, and twitched mercilessly
as he was now being through the bog
grass and over the uneven ground. But
the guide's blood was up, and nothing
could loosen his clutch. The buck reached
the bank, and gathering himself up for a
dc.apcrato leap, he flung his body into the
air. I saw a pair of widely-separated
legs swing wildly upward, and the red
face of Martin, Lead downward, aud re
versed, so as to be turned directly toward
me by the summersault ho was turning,
disappeared like a waning rocket iu the
fog overhanging the rivor. Once in the
water, the buck was no match for his foe.
I honied to the edge of the bank.
Beneath me, and half across tho river, a
desperate struggle was going on. Martin
had found his voice, wu tieing it as if to
make up for lost time. In a moment a
gurgling sound reached my cars, and I
knew the deer'i head was under water ;
and shortly, in antwer to my hail, tha
guide appeared, dragging tho buck behind
him. The tiecr was drowned and qutto
dead. iJrawing my knifo across the still
warm throat, we bled him well, and wait
ing for Martin to rest himself a moment,
(did him down into the boat and laid him
at full length along the bottom. Taking
our places at either end, and, lifting our
paddles, wo turned our faces campward.
TXIC UEROLtLOFLAEiC ERIE.
Tho dark, stormy close of November,
1S.31, found many vessels on Lake Erie,
but the fortunes of one alone- have special
interest for us. About that titno tho
Schooner Conductor, owned by John
McLeod ot the Provincial Parliament, a
resident of Amhersburg, at the mouth of
tha Detroit River, entered the lako from
that river, bound for Port Dalhousie, at
the mouth of the Welland Canal. She
was heavily loaded with grain. Her
crew consisted of Captain Hacket, High
lander by birth, and a skilful and experi
enced navigator and six sailors. At
night-fall, shortly alter leaving the head
of the lake, one of those terrific storms,
with which the late autumnal navigators
of thai "Sea of tho Woods" are all too
familiar, overtook them. The weather
was intensely cold for the season ; tha air
was filled with snow and sleet ; the chilled
water made ice rapidly, cncounteiing the
schooner, and loading down her decks and
rigging. As tho gale increased, tho tops
of the waves were fchorn off by the fierce
blasts, clouding tho whole atmosphere
with frozen spray, or what tho sailors call
"hpoondrift," rendering it impossible to
pee any object a few rods distant. Driv
ing helplessly before tho wind, yet iu tho
direction of its place of destination, the
schooner sped through the darkness. At
last, near midnight, running closer than
her crew supposed to the Canadian Shore,
pho struck on tho outer bar ott" Long Point
Island, beat heavily across it, and sunk in
tho deepest water between it and tha in
nr bar. Tho hull was entirely sub
merged, the waves rolling in heavily, and
dashing over the rigging, to which the
crew betook lhcniMlves. Lashed there,
numb with cold, dreachcl by tha pitiless
waves and scourged by tho pitiless wind,
they waited for morning. Tho tlow
dreadful hours wore away, and at length
the dubious and doubtful gray of a inoi n
ing tempest succeeded to tho utter dark
ness of night,
Abigail Becker chanced at that time lo
be in her hut with none but her young
children. ILr husband was absent on
the Canada shore, and eho was left the
sole adult occupant of the inland save tho
light-keeper at its lower end, some fifteen
miles otf. Looking out at daylight on tho
beach in front of her door, she saw the
shattered boat of tho Conductor, cast
upon the waves. ILr experience of storm
and disaster on that dangerous coast
needed nothing moro to convince her that
Botncwhero in. her neighborhood hum mi
lite had been, or still wa?, in peril. Sho
followed tho southwesterly tread of tho
island for a little distance, and peering
through tho gloom of the stormy morning,
discerned the epar3 of tho sunken schoon
er, with what seemed to be human forms
clinging to tho rigging. Tho heart of tho
strong woman sunk within her as sha
gazed upon thoso helpless felknv-crca-turcs,
no near, yet so unapproachable.
Sho had no boat and none could have
lived on that wild water. After a mo
ment's reflection bIio went back to her
dwelling, put her smaller children in
charge of the eldest, to.ok with her an iron
kettle, tin teapot, and some matches, and
returned to tho beach nt the nearest point
to tho vessel ; and gathering up tha logs
aud drift wood always abundant on tho
coast, kindled a great lire, and, constantly
walking back and forth between it and the
water, strove to intimate to the sufferers
that they were at least not beyoud human
sympathy. As the wrecked sailors look
ed shoreward, and saw through the thick
haze of snow and sleet, the red light of tho
fire, and the tall figure of tho woman walk
ing to and fro before it, A faint hopo took
the place of utter despair, which had
prompted them to let go their hold and
drop into sec thing waters that opened and
closed about them like the jaws of death.
But the day wore on, bringing no abate
ment to the storm that tore through the
frail spars, aud .clutched and tossed them
as it passed, and drenched them with ico
cold ppray, a pitiless, unreleut'iBg horror
of sight, sound and touch 1 At last tho
deepening gloom to! I them that night was
approaching, ami night under such circum
stances was death.
All day long Abigail Becker has fed
her fire, and sought to induco tho sailors
by signals for even her strong voice
could not reach them to throw therni
selves into tho aurf, and trust to Proti
denca and her for Buceor. In anticipa
tion of this she Lad her kettle toiLug
over the drift wood, and her tea realy
made for restoring warmth and lifo to tho
half frozen furvivors. But either they
did not understand her, or tho chance of
rescue seemed too small to iuducc theiu to
abandon their temporary safety of tho
wreck. Tuey clung to it with thrj damper
ate instinct of life brought faco to face
with death. Just at nightfall there was a
slight break in the West; a rod light glared
across the thick air, as if fur one iuntant
the eyo of the storm looked out upn tho
rum it had wrought, and closed agaiu
under lids of cloud. Taking advuntugo
of this, the solitary watcher ashoro mada
one more effort. Sho waded out into the
water, every drop of which, as it struck
tho beach, becamu a particle of ice, and
stretching out and drawing in her arm,
invited, by her gestures, tho sailors to
throw thetmelvea into the water, and
Mrivo to reach her. Captain Hacket un
derstood her. He called to bis mate in
Iho ringing of tho other mast ; "It is our
laft chanco. I will try. If I live, fol
low me ; if I drown stay where you arel"
With a great cflort ho got off his etifTly
frozen overcoat, paused for ono moment
in silent commendation of his soul to God,
and throwing himself iuto tho waves,
struck for the shore. Abigail Becker.
breunt-deep, in the Burf awaited him. Ha
wus almost within her reach when tho
undertow swept him back. By a mighty
effort ho caught hold of him, bore him in
her strong arms out of tho water, and
laying him down by her fire, warmed his
chilled blood by cautious draughts of
warm tea. Tho mate, who had watched
tha rescue, now followed, and the captain,
partially restored, insisted upon aiding
him. As tho former ncared tho shore,
the recoiling water baflled him. Captain
Hacket caught hold of him, but tho un
dertow swept them both away, locked in
each other's arms. The brave woman
plunged after them, and with the strength
of a giantess, bore them, clinging to each
other, to tho shore, and up to tho fire.
The five sailors followed in succession, aud
were rescued in tho Baino war.
A few days after, Captain Hacket and
his crew weio taken off Long Point by a
pissing vessel, and Abigail Becker re
sumed her daily duties without dreaming
that she had done anything extraordinary
enough tJ win for her tho wdrld's notice.
In her struggle every day for food and
warmth for her children, sho had no leisure
for the indulgence of self congratulation.
Like the woman of scripture, she had only
"dono what fcho could," in tho terrible
exigency that had broken tho dreary
monotony of her life. From the AtlaiUic
JfjnL'ily.
W OX DUtS Ol' 3 ATI? 11 E.
TUB TKATHI.IXU ANT OF AFK1CA.
Taul Da Cl.aillu iu Irs "Wild Lifu Under
the Eqaator," ivts tho following account
of the wonderful traveling r.nt of Africa :
'Of all tha auU which inhabit tha reji-ns
I have explored, the &iufct dreaded of all i
tho bashikouay : it U very abundant, and is
tho most Voracious creature I have ever met.
It is the dread of all living animals, from
tho elephant and tho leopard down to tho
smallest insect. No wonder that the animal
and insect world flies hefotd them! These
ants, so fur as 1 have been ablo to observe,
do not build a house or nest of any kiud ;
they wander thou;hout th year, aud bccia
never to have any rest. They am en the
inarch day and night. I never saw them
carry anything avay ; they devour eveiy
thiug on iho t-pot. It is their habit to march
through the forest iu a long. n-i'tiLr hue,
just as soldiers would do, arid with quite as
much order aud regularity. The line ia about
two inches broad, and often several miles in
length. All along this line are hrger ants,
who act as cflieers, btan-lin outsida of the
ranks, and keeping this singular army a
order. These officers stand generally with
their heads faciDg their subordinates." Thry
remain thus until their (--quads have parsed,
and then join them, while others taka their
places. The number of a larfc army is so
great that I should not even dare to enter
into a calculation. I have seen on contin
ual line passing at good speed a particular
place for twelve hours. It was hunrise when
I saw them, and it wa only a littla befor6
sunset that their numbers began todinv.ui&h.
An hour before the cud of the column
came, it was not so compact, and I could
6C0 that theto were the stragglers ; and
many cf theso were of a smaller b!zi : they
were erideutly tired. When I saw them in
the morning I did not know how long since
this vast army had begun its march. This
was the largest column I ever saw. You
may imagine how many millions on millions
thero must have been. I have seen tmallur
columns on the march, but it generally re
quired several hours for tbem to pass.
"Strauge as this may teem, the-e ants can
not bear tho heat of the'suu, heace they eouid
not be found in a country where the forests
are scarce. If they come to a place where
there aro no trees to shelter them from tho
sun, they immediately build underground
tunnels, through which the whole army
passess in columns to the forest beyond. The
tunnels are four or five feet uuder ground,
and are only used during the heat of the
day. I have noticed that these open spaces
are often passed by them during the night
to the foret.t beyoud. I suppose that these
underground tui.nela must, be numerous; I
do net see how otherwise the anta could pro
tect thein;.!vtii naiast tho heavy iaiu3. I
have nevnr seen them lying droWLe.
after a storm, heuce. they must know, when
a utorm is coming, how to disappear; aud
generally afua a heavy rain these armies ar
mora numerous iu the forest, for they prob
ably coma in quest of food, of which tr:-v
have been diprivd during their bubteraneult
marches.
"They always attack with a fury whic'r
passes description. Where the soil is can iy
none of them can la Luud. When thoy per
hungry the loDg file spreads and scatter
itclt through tho forest iu a fruut liuo : hov
the order reaches from one extremity to the
ether is surprising. Then they attru K
and devour all that comes within their reaet.
with a fury and voracity quite astouibhin
Th elephant aud gorilla lly before this ia
tack ; tiie leoyaid dUappear from his dtn :
the black aieu run away for their lives; t i
who would dare to stand still bef. re such a
army ? Iu a very abort time any eneajy
would be yverpowerod, aud I am sure h.
two or three hours nothing would be kit cf
the opposition. Antelopes which I hav
killed have been stripped of every Lit of
flesh within that time. At times when they
Lave spread themselves, they do not advame
with rapidity, but Bcem to 50 ia a rambling
sort of way. It is said that now and then e.
maa is put to death in the following man
ner : Ho is tied to tree that is Iu the path
cf this army. What a terrible death it
must bo! Kvery animal that lives on th
liae of their march is pursued, and, though
their instinct seems to indicate the coiuing
danger, many are caught. Iu an incredibla
short space cf timo the mouse, the ibsect,
and many email animals are overwhelmed,
killad, tatea, and their skeletons only re
main. A WOJIDKEFCL FIX) WEB.
"Come with roe, sir; co&e ! A flower
very large and beautiful, wonderful!" ex
claimed a Malay, who drew the attention of
Dr. Arnold to a flower remarkable alike for
its euorrnous sizo and its anomalous struc
ture aud habit. And the surprise of the
Malay was nothing to that cf Dr. Arnotd
and his companions. Sir Stanford and Lady
Raffles, when, following their native attend
ant, they saw among the bushes cf a juoglu
a flower arrarantlv snrinsinff out of tl.
ground, without either stem or leaf, and
measuring ai loasi a jar.l in diamoter. The
fii st news of this remarkable discovery cre
ated a great amount of curiosity in Europe,
and no papers ever read at the Linnaeau
Society can be compared, for tho inter
they excited, with those in which the illus
trious Kobsrt Brown described this wonder
of tho vegetable world. The most striking
feature io the Baffleaia is its enormous size;
indeed, it is tho largest, and most mag
nificent flower in the world. It U com
posed of five roundish leaves of petals, each,
a foot across, of a biick-red color, but cov
ered with mscrHrous Inejjular yellowish
swellings.
The petals surrounded a large cup nearly
a foot wide, the margin of which bears that
esmens ; and this cup is filled with a fleshy
juico, the upper surface of which id covered
w th turved prrjections.l ke m'n'ature caw 'a
horns. Tho cup when freed from its eon
tents, would hold about twelve pints of
water. The flower weighs fifteen pounds.
It is very thick : the petals bclnj from ona
to three quarters of an inch in thickness.
A flower of such dimensions and weight
might bo expected to bo a treasure to the
perfumer ; but alas ! its odor is like that
of tainted beef. Dr. Arnold supposed tha6
even tho fiias that swartnvd over tho flower
when he discovered it, wet 0 deceived by tho
smell, and were depositing their eggs in it
thick dij,c, taking it for a pieca of carrion!
Another cause of wonder to tho little band
of explorers who discovered it, was that they
could find no leaves connected with it. It
sprang from a small, lrafieaa, creeping stem,
about &i thick as two fingers. Now.aplani
without leavts Is like an animal without a
stomach ; for the leaves are to tho planU
what the stomach is to tha animal; they
separate from the air what is neaded for tho
growth of the plant.
There aie, however, strange plants which
are actually lealkss, makiug up for thia
want by using the leaves of others. Such
plants are called parasiUs, because thy
f'ed on tho nutritive juices cf others.
Thrusting their roots into th living tissnes
of other plants, instead of int. tho earth,
they appropriate tha prepared I'aaI of tbe.-
plants, and at onco apply it f r their own
purposes, for the production of stem, flower
or fruit. Tho gigantic IihCl?eia belongs to
this class. Without a vestige of foliage, it
rises at once from tho long, sltader stems of
ono of the wild vines of Sumatra innnertva
climbers, which ar attached like cables to
the large trees of the forest. The buds posh
through the bark like liLtle hofti.r, runtin.
uing to grow until they have the aspect o
large closed cabbages, and in about ihrea
months after their first appearance the flow
er i-xpands. It remains hut a short time
iu perfection, soon beginning to rot, leaving
oidy the central disc, which btcota a large,
rough fruit, filled with m.iltitudts cf small
6eoda. Wvrll of Wonders.
"Trr me a ballad, Udye fayre, my ladye,
a ballad typ ;" and ye man ha twirled ye
black mountacho. that covered his upper lip.
She lays aside her 'broderi for hys love
6ha stryves to win aud to a weird-like ayr
the ladye fayre attunes her mandolyu. I
do not care for a wild romance of ye days of
old," says he, "but rather I'd hear, if my
ladye please, gotno touching tnelodie." A nd
over ye ladye's musyc book ye gallant nol
dier leans, while 6ho sings with a sweet aud
angel voice, "Captain Jynka of je Horse
Marynes."
It is Mid that if a dog is taken in its in
fancy and held for a quarter of an hour with
its head under water, it will never be affect
ed with hydrophobia, even if bitten by a mad
dog. This is a certain preventative, and we
hopo tho owners of all "pups" will tiy it
at once.
Thi Fourth of July falling on Sunday
this year, the 6th is by statute a legal holi
day. Bank paper falling duo cu the 4th
must be paid on the 3d, and paper due OQ
the 5th is payable ou the Cth.
York, Maine, claims the most ancient
iiidiciAl rnrorila in thi conn trr an
- uabiokea file fros 1032 to thapreBeal tim-
!