• . .." • • ._..... SAMUEL WRIGHT, Editor and Proprietor VOLUME XXIX, NUMBER 24.1 PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING Offlce in Northern Central Railroad Ccm patty's Building,north-trest corner front and 'Walnut streets. Terms of Subscription. Like Copy perannum.if paidin advance, • *. if aoi paid within three monthsfromeommemecnientof the year, 2 00 -a, 4=l,om:tog ea, clory-- No subscription received fora time than air , mouths; and no paper will be iii4coniinued until all ,isarearagenare paid, unless at the optional the pub iishe r. 11:7"loney may beremitted by mail a ithepublish er's risk. . . Rates of Advertising square [6 lines) one week, three weeks. each thln;equentinsertion, J o [l.2lines] one week. sU three weeks, 1 00 eaellaulliequentinsertion. 'Largeracivertisernentstn proportion. A liberaldiscount will be anode to quarterly, ball yearly or yearlyadverkisers,who are strictly confiued o their business. tufty. Little Jerry the Miller. Beneath the bill you may sec the Mil:, Of wamng wood and crumbling stone, The wheel is dripping and clattering still, But Jerry, the miller, is (lend and gone. Year after year, early and late; Alike in simmer and winter weather, sae . paekes) the stones and calked the gate, 4nd will susd miller grew old together. Se.r.rylr —lima+ all the same— They loved him Iveli who called bun so, lend whether he'd ever another llama Nobody ever seemed to know. 'twas "Little Jerry, come grind my ryci'l And "Little Jerry, come grind my wheat," And "Little Jerry: , wits still the cry, From matron bold and maiden sweet. 'wat "Little Jerry," on every tongue, -.1.114 thus thu simple truth WAS told; Jerzy was little when he was oung; And Jerry was little when he was old. taut „what 1.12. Size Isc chanced ;o luck, `That leery made up in being strong; I've seen a sack upon his hack As thick as the nutter, and gate so long. Always bu=y, and always niers?, Always doing Ws very hest, ,tk notable wag was Little Jerry, Who uttered well his attituCidgiesd— 'When. will you grind my corn, I su)" `lSay," quotls Jelry, "you needn't scold, Just leave your grist fur half a day. .%nd never feur but you'll be toffedl" flow Jerry lived is known to fume. But how he died there's none may know; One autumn day the rumor came— " The brook and Jerry are very low." and then %teas whispered utourstfullr. The leech hail come, and he Wll4 dead; And all the Itesglihar. flocked to kce:— .Puor Little Jett) r woe all they t.tcd Tl,ey luid I iiiii iu Lis earthly hea— ths miller's coat los only shroud— ''Dust a dust'. the parson said, And all the people wept aloud. he bad 'llllllll[d the deadly 6111, And not a grain Mover-toll Had ever dropped Into his bin, To weigh upon hi' parting soul. Beneath the hill there stands the mill, Of wasting wood and crumbling stone; The wheel is dripping and cluttering still, Buslerry, the miller, iu dead and gone. gthrtixTit,s. The Profits of a Holiday Finding himself in possession of a holiday, Samson Brown betook himself by rail to a village not many miles distant front Lon don. He inquired at the station whether there were return tickets that commanded a period of three or four days; but, receiving an answer in the negative, he paid his second-class fare down, entered the carriage, and sighed to think how his liabilities would be renewed when, his holiday ex pired, he once snore sought the great me tropolis. He submitted, however, to Fate, and was soon absorbed in his favorite paper. When, startled in the midst of ono of the most interesting articles in the Economist, by a harsh shout, announcing the arrival of the train at the desired station, Samson Brown alighted front the carriage, his first thought was to stroll about the village, and ascertain the nature of the accommodations presented. All he knew about the village was this: it stood a very little way down in the page of the month's Bradshaw (which be bad borrowed from a friend), and con sequently it could be reached at a very small expense. The object that first struck his eye as he roamed through the village, was a neat white-washed cottage. 'of the ornamental species, with all tho shutters closed. In front of the domicile was a neglected gar ,don. Strolling further on, Sampson Brown oh served that there was scarcely such a thing as an occupied messuage or a tenement in the place; yet there were houses infinitely worse situated and.worse lo . oking than this deserted dwelling. Asa stimulus to thought lie rubbed his chin, and its touch reminded him that he was as yet unshaven. He had therefore a pretext for calling on the village barber; and, placing himself under the care of that distinguished artist, he put several ,questions relative to the mystery that now occupied his mind. The barber stated all lie knew about the matter in a confidential tone, that was highly flattering to Samson Brown. For a ton pun' note, he would not have said as much to the beet friend he had ever known, but lie poured it all forth gratuitously into the ear of Samson Brown, whom he had never before seea in his lite, and whose counte nance expressed nothing but unmitigated astuteness. According to the information of the corn munitive shaver, the cottage in question was troubled. People had been invited to live there for nothing, and even on those very reasonable terms, had Leen unable to re main, in consequcnee of the strange noises that abounded in every room, more especially the first floor back. Doors opened without visible cause, and shut with excessive audibility. Crockery and glass had a strange neck of rattling and jingling on the tables, and on the stairs might be heard the rustling of that peculiarly stiff silk, which is never worn now-a-days, but was much in vogue among wicked old ladies in the last century. Armed with these formidable facts, Samson Brown proceeded to the office of the village house-agent, which was situated in the High street, and after the shortest possible preface, asked what was the rent of the avoided cottage. The sum required by the agent was ridiculously small, when tested by the appearance of the domicile; but it was perfectly exorbitant compared with the stun proposed, in his turn, by Samson Brown. EMI Ell The agent affected indignant surprise, but was quailed in a moment by the pier cing glance with which Samson Brown eyed him, when he said: "Well, small as my offer may be, it is better than nothing, and you know very well that, even at the rate of nothing per annum, more than one person has refused to occupy those auspicious premises. Don't smile! you are perfectly s.ware that the cottage has the reputation of being troubled —that's the expression—troubled!" Here the agent exclaimed with hie well affected meaning: "I should very much like to know who dares to propagate such a malicious rumor." "As every one in the village hassufficient courage for that exploit—though not suffi cient to live in your house—your wish may be casily gratified," replied Samson Brown, with the most profound coolness. "lVell," observed the agent in a concilia tory tone of voice, "I admit that there are many foolish people lOreabouts, and foolish people often indulge in foolishsuperstitions; but men of sense, my dear sir-711On of the world—like you and me—" "Stop a moment," said Samson Brown; "don't put you and me together, You and I see the matter from precisely oppo.s:te points of view. You want to get as much as you can for the cottage, and therefore you disbelieve the report that it is haunted; I want to give you as little as I can, and therefore am a firm believer in supernatural influences." This logic was too much for the agent, and in a few seconds Samson Brown had signed au agreement by virtue of which, on his own terms, he obtained possession of the cottage, together with sundry shabby articles of furniture, which, probably left by the last frightened tenant, still lingered in the deserted rooms. At about a quarter before midnight, Samson Brown was sitting alone in the dreaded first floor back of the cottage, re galing himself with a glass of tolerably strong brandy and water, and inhaling the fragrance of a mild cigar. A small loaf and half a dutch cheese stood upon the rickety table against which he sat; also, a pewter pint-pot, carefully covered with a small plate, These articles had been brought in by Samson Brown with his own hand, when ho took possession, for there was not chess-monger's assistant or pot-boy who would have approached the door of the troubled house. His mind was once more absorbed in the Economist, which he read through the fumes that gracefully curled about his well-defined nose. As the hour of midnight approached, the plate began to clatter terribly on the top of the pcwter•pot. Sampson Brown, roused from his studies, quietly removed the noisy utensil, placed it on a soft piece of liaise, which rendered abortive every attempt to clatter, and was once more deep in the Revenue Returns. Presently the door of the room opened with a creak and closed with a bang. Samson Brown rose from his scat, turned the key, and resumed his re flections on the proceeds of customs and excise. The clock of the village struck twelve, with a dreary solemnity that would have awed every other occupant of that dismal, scantily-furnished room; but Samson Brown was pondering over the probability of an increase of the income tax. However, at the final struke of twelve, a rustling of stiff silk caused Samson Brown to suspect that he was not alone. Raising his eyes from the fascinating paper, he per ceived a short female figure, in an old fashioned dress, bustling about the room, and apparently unconscious of his presence, until, suddenly turning round, it fixed upon him two glassy eyes. Then, darting for ward, it planted two pointed elbows on the table, and rested upon two skinny hands one of the most evil feces that was, ever beheld. Never were earthly wickedness and spectral repulsiveness more aptly com bined. Nevertheless, with this most hideous countenance thrust into his countenance; with those eves of glass pointed against his eves; with that smile of indescribable malig nity forced upon his vision, Sanisbn Brown simply said: "Well, madam?" The countennoce remained whew it Wag without moving a muscle—the eyes were still fixed beyond the power of twinkling— the smile was stereotyped, and Sampon Brown, after a pause of a few seconds, re iterated: "NO ENTERTAINMENT IS SO CHEAP AntEADING, NOR ANY PLEASURE SO LASTING." COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA, SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 1858: "Well, madam?" A strange expression came over the lior ' rible features; and its meaning was ditined in a moment by Samson Brown. The'ghost had been used to scare all the world with a mere rustle of its silken robe. Now here was a man who could return its stare With another stare far more piercing. The eye of glass had met the eye of a hawk. Raising her face from her hands and her elbows from the table, tho ill-looking old hag moved towards the empty grate, and began to scratch the wall above the chim ney-place, uttering at the same time a low, wailing sound, which was the more horrible from being accompanied by no correspond ing effect, which was again expressionless, and completely corpse-like. Samson Brown stepped up to the old lady and examined the wall over her head, stooping for that purpose till his chin almost rested upon her antiquated cap. "Ha! I see." said Ile, "that spruce piece of paper has been pasted on after the rest —allow me"—and taking hold of a loose corner of the paper he pulled it off, thus disclosing a small aperture in the wall, at ' the sight of which the ghost, rushing from the hearth, - flew about the room with the most frantic gestures, till at last, apparently exhausted, it squatted down in a corner, repeating the low wailing noise. "Compose yourself madam," said Sam son Brown, and taking from the recess a miniature portrait and a piece of folded paper tied up with narrow green ribbon, he placed them on the table at which he re sumed his seat. The miniature represented a lovely girl of about twenty years of age, with her hair dressed after a hundred years back. While Samson Brown was examining it with all the admiration of which his mind was capa ble, the ugly old ghost rose from the corner and pointed its forefinger with great ear nestness, first at the picture, and then nt the pit of its own stomach. As Samson Brown had a friend who often allowed him a seat in his opera box gratis, ho was rather an adept in the language of the ballet. "Do you mean," said he, "that this is a portrait of yourself in your youthful days'" The ghost nodded. "Men," said Samson Brown, "you mint have nltmed confoundedly as you advanced in years. The expression assumed by the ghost ou the occasion of this remark was certainly ungenial. Every feature was distorted with rage, the glassy eyes looked like fed coals, the skinny right hand took a sweeping gesture, and fur a moment Samson Brown felt as if he had placed his head in a violent draught. He received a spectral box on the ear. "I see," lie observed, "the cuffs of a ghost, like hard words, break no bones." Laying aside the portrait he un tied and open ed. the folded. paper, when the worst spelling and the worst handwriting. he had ever seen were revealed to his astonished eyes. Every crime that could possibly bo perpetrated by mortal, in transmitting his thoughts to pa per with the aid of a pen, was apparent in that vile manuscript. There were adject ives beginning with capitals, and a little "1" to denote the first person; and the verb "to write" commenced with an "r," while cer tain rights that had been violated were spelled wright, with a "w." Even Samson Brown could not avoid something like a sen sation of awe when he saw how many sins against every law of grammar, orthography and caligrapby, had been committed within the confined space of a single sheet of paper. "Good heavens, what a fist:" be exclaimed. Then addressing the ghost, who hid re turned sulkily into the corner, he said, "Is this your handwriting, madam?" The ghost nodded. "Did you learn writing at school?" The ghost nodded. "And your parents paid the schooling bills regularly?" The ghost nodded. "Then," said Samson Brown, "if ghosts aro condemned to walk the earth on account of wrongs committed in their lifetime, I think you must very often meet the ghost of your writing-master." The spectre not condescending to notice this brilliant sally, Samson Brown devoted his energies to the interpretation of the strange hieroglyphics. With an acuteness that would have 'done honor to the reader of a roll of papyrus, he at last succeeded in eliciting the facts that one "Margot(Stubbs" had defrauded one "John Joanes" of moneys to the amount of one thousand pounds, and, oscillating between uneasiness at the thought of possessing ill-gotten treasure and unwil lingness to part with a sum so considerable, had hidden the latter beneath a stone in the coal cellar. The operations of conscience had likewise prompted Margot to draw up a written confession of her guilt, and to place it where, in all human probability, it would never be found. The thought that after death she would wander about as an ugly ghost, and with her own hand indicate the spot where the paper was concealed, had clearly never entered the mind of Marget Stubbs. "Madaml'said Samson Brown, "eb? Oh: you aro there, are you?" ho continued, ob serving that the ghost had shifted into another corner. "Madam, I infer from the ill-written rigmarole I hare just waded through, and from the impressive manner in which you revealed to me the place of its concealment, that yon are the person de scribed as Marget Stubbs?" The ghost bowed. "I should spell Stubbs with two b's my self, but everybody understands his own business best. It appears then that you de- I fronded one John Jones—with whose name, kmust observe, you take strange liberties— to the tune of one thousand pounds?" The ghost began to toss its arms about, with every sign of the wildest agony. "Now, my dear creature, pray compose yourself, or we shall never get on at all," said Samson Brown. "Listen to me, and let us perfectly understand each other.— From what I have read about ghosts in gen eral, and reasoning by analogy, I arrive at the conclusion that, till your affair with John Jones, his executors, administrators, or assigns, is made completely straight, you are compelled to walk about these premises every midnight." The face of the ghost was distorted by a malicious grin. "I perfectly understand the meaning of that expression. Although, as I said before, you are compelled to walk these premises, you feel a sort of wicked pleasure in fright ening other people." The ghost placed its hand before its eyes. "But you do not frighten me at all—mark that! 'You do not frighten me in the least. In fact, I find your society rather agreeable than otherwise. I never saw a ghost before; therefore your apparition has, at least, the charm of novelty." Tho ghost began to assume an appearance of anxiety. "Therefore, you perceive, if you expect that I am going to bother myself with look ing after John Jones merely for the sake of procuring a cessation of ycur visits, you are very much mistaken. As long as lam ten ant of his house," he added, with a smile of something like gallantry, "there shall al ways be a corner at your service." ..The ghost was completely puzzled. It not only looked cadaverous—it looked stupid. "Consequently," continued the relentless Samson Brown, "if you wish to bring these little freaks to a termination, it is your own pleasure, not mine, that you are consulting. So, conic," ho went on, giving his hand a sudden slap on the table, "to make a long matter short, what will you allow me per cent. to wind up this affair with the Joneses?" Tho female figure glided slowly up and down the room for a few seconds, with its , right forefinger pressed against its emetic:id. When this movement had ceased, it held up its right hand with all its fingers distended. "Five per cent, fur a special transaction I like this!" exclaimed Samson Brown, per fectly comprehending the sign; "ridiculous! I'll see you and the Joneses—" A short voluntary cough prevented the confliction of the sentence. 4gaia did the ghost glide up and down the room, sad when it stopped once more, both its hands wcile held up, with the fingers wildly distended. "Ten!" cried Samson Brown. "Ten per cent. on a thousand pounds is a round hen dred. Make your mind easy, Mrs. or Miss Stubbs, whichever you are. if the money be really in the cellar, and the representa tives of Jones are reasonably come-at-able, this business shall be settled to the satisfac tion of everybody." No sooner had he uttered these words than the ghost vanished. How it wont, Samson Brown neither knew nor cared.— He tried to resume his study of the Econo mist, but even statistics had lust their power of producing an excitement, and, after a few preliminary words, he fell. asleep in his chair. Sleep did not occasion any loss of time. Dreams in a haunted house arc of more than ordinary value; and things of more than ordinary value were not likely to be overlooked by Samson Brown. He fancied ho was in an adjacent ills ge, at the shop of one Jonathan Jones,"a barber by profession, to whose somewhat unskilful hand he had entrusted his chin. The shaver cut him not unfrequently; but, strange to say, while something like blood was apparent on the razor, not a single drop issued from the wound. When lie woke in the morning, Samson Brown proceeded straight to the coal cellar; where, after some little rumaging, lie found the one thousand pounds mentioned in the ill-written document. It wri9 a curious ag gregate of notes, gold, silver and copper, and was not to to counted without some little trouble. Samson Brawn, however, as certainedthat it was all right, and allowed it to glide gently along the paint of his hand into his breeches pocket, which be buttoned up with a great deal of deliberation and an air of intense satisfaction. If any of our readers have been pleased to fancy that Samson Brown was so much a lover of gait], that he had no sense of right or wrong, we Leg to correct them in their erroneous opinion. A more vulgar scamp would have gone off with the thousand pounds in his pocket, and left the shade of Mrs. Stubbs to trouble the cottage till the end of time. But Samson Brown would as soon have committed a forgery, as have been guilty of an aot so manifestly paltry. He therefore went to the village indicated in his dream; and after sundry inquiries, actually found a barber's shop tenanted by one Jonathan Jones. To the respectability of Jones, report bore indifferent testimony. A partiality to beer seemed to be among his leading propensities; and this peculiarity, it was said, strongly militated against that manipulative skill which isso essential to the barber's vnation. However, several of the older informants when they bad detailed sundry disreputable facts in connection with Jones, shook their , heads with exceeding, gravity; and said that if everybody had its rights, Jones would have been a very differ ent person from what Jones was. If re port were true, this would have been highly desirable. Entering the dirty and disorder ly shop, Samson Brown perceived an indi vidual still dirtier and still more disorderly, one of these ungainly, sottish figures, that seem never to be intoxicated and never sober; always have red noses, and always wear seedy coats. The individual in ques tion was seated in a corner, with a short pipe in his mouth, the very perfection of those bad trades-folk who make a point of looking at every customer as if he was an intruder. "Come to be shaved?" said the individual in a foggy voice. For the first time, probably, in his life, Samson Brown shuddered. The idea of trusting a precious chin to the foul compound of dulness and malignity that stood before him! There was an awkward pause. Samson Brown turned his eye to the shop window, as the only ehoppy thing about the place, hoping to find some small article of which ho might make a purchase. Vain endea vor. Rapidly passing in review a miserable assortment of glass eases and pasteboard boxes, et idently containing the fragments of a business ruined years ago, he plainly saw that there was literally nothing to buy. Ills only course, therefore, was to jump into the middle of his subject. "What was the name of your parental grand-father?" asked Samson BroWn. "You're another!" growled the barber. "Pardon me," said Samson Brown, "I don't quite perceive the force of your obser vation. I asked you wifat was the name of your grandfather, on the father's side." "Very well; what was the name of yours?" was the respondent growl. Through this uncouth question Samson Brown could almost fancy he heard the voice of a tempting demon, urging him to walk off with the money, and leave the surly barber encumbered with his wrongs, as a punishment for his bad rammors. However, he resolutely conquered the fiend; and with every show of good temper, resumed the conversation. 4 "Was your grandfather's name John Jones?" "If you guess again, you'll guess wrong," was the periphrastic answer. "In a pecuniary respect your grandfather was Leiter off than yourself?" The besotted individual did not know about that. He knowed that he himgelf Paid his way; and that, if other people, who wore fine coats, always did the same, things would go on much better than they After a few moments' pause, Samson Brown abruptly exclaimed: "Mr. Jones, would you like nine hundred pounds?" As this was a question that only admit. ted of one answer, Jonathan Jones made no answer at all. "Would you like to hare nine hundred pounds?" repeated Samson Brown. "Be cause, if you would, I will give it to you— ROW .1D "Give me nine hundred pounds--now." Come, come, a joke's all very "There is no joke in the matter. The discovery has been made that a thousand pounds is due to you from the estate of a certain party deceased, and the discoverer claims one hundred pounds as the reward of his zeal and integrity. So you have only to sign the receipt and take the money," and ho presented a small document duly stamped. From a state of dogged stupidity, Jones had passed into a state of dogged shrewd ness, lie seemed more ready for informa tion than for ready cash. "Who's this here Mrs. Stubs, this here thing talks shout?" he growled forth. "Sign my dear sir, without troubling yourself to ask questions," said Samson Brown, imploringly. "Well, but one likes to know what one is about; and then it seems I'm only to have nine hundred pounds; and I'm to sign for n thousand. The other hundred is for the hagont you say? Are you the hagent? Be cause, if you are, I think you have taken care of yourself, anyhow." "No matter who is the agent, and who is not. Tho hundred pounds in question is agreed to by Mrs. Stubbs." "That Mother Stubbs seems very free with other peoples money," growled Jones. "And I say," he continued, with increasing acumen, "if Mother Stubbs is dead, how can she agree to anything!" Fur the infinitesimal fraction of a second Samson Brown felt embarrassed; but im mediately recovering himself, he said: "Mr. Jonathan Jones, my time is valun. ble. Sign that paper without asking any questions, and I put nine hundred pounds in hard money on that table. Ask one single question more, I walk out of your shop, and you'll never hear of the nine hundred pounds as long as you lire." "There!" cried Samson Brown, after counting out the money, which he placed on the table. —There, you!" gruffly replied Jones, us he flung the signed receipt across the table to Samson Brown. Samsnn Brown retired, and betook bim- $1,50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE; $2,00 IF NOT IN ADVANCE self to his troubled house. Jonathan Jones, having secured hie newly acquired fortun under lock and key, sauntered to the near est tap, where he expended a penny in the purchase of half-a-pint of beer. During the whole day he was observed to repeat this process at intervals much shorter than usual. 11:MIMEM!=!:!!!I At ten minutes before midnight, Mr. Samson. Brown, who was sitting alone in the room where he had first made acquain tance with the late Mrs. Stubbs, heard the now familiar rustle of stiff silk, and imme diately afterwards the ghost was visible, with something like animosity expressed_in his countenance. "Ila?" exclaimed Samson Brown, in a cheerful tooc; "I knew this business con cerned you more than nie; for hero you are ten minutes before your time. Will this be sufficient?" he continued, presenting the re ceipt. The ghost extended its hand, apparently closed its thumb and finger on the document and then SWUM! Brown was alone. The receipt was gone; the ghost was gone.— Whether it had departed by chimney, chink, or key-hole; whether it had ascended or de scended, he could not tell. Ile only knew that he was alone, and that his hundred pounds were still safe in his pocket. He had slapped his pocket by a sort of instinct at the moment the spectre vanished. is * e r* On the following morning, Samson Brown was aroused from a refreshing slumber by a loud knocking at his dour. Of course he opened it himself; and perceived the agent of whom lie had taken thehouse. His safe egress from the terrible domicile on the previous day,and his bold return to it in the evening, had been observed by several of his neighbors, end had become the talk of the village. The terrors of the house had consequently fallen ninety per cent., and its value had risen in the same proportion.— Feeling, under these altered circumstances, that he had let the house far too cheap, the agent called on Samson Brown, with his , cheque-book in his pocket, to induce him to rescind his contract. On the afternoon of that day, Samson Brown returned to London, in a second-class carriage, bearing in. his pocket the hundred pounds found in the cellar, and an addition al fifty received from the house-agent as a consideration fur canceling the agreement. How he spent his wonderful holiday is only known to his most confidential friends; but it is generally remarked that his opinions on two particular subjects are not the same as they were a few years ago. No one in the world Was more opposed to superstition; never was man more severely iu favor of sticking to business than Samson Brown. But now he his occasionnlly heard to re mark, that a holiday now and then is a very goad thing, if people know how to make use of it; and that, as a belief in ghosts, there is a good deal to be said in its favor. Jim Franklin and the "Falling Stars." The meteoric shower that fell on the night of the 13th of November, 1853, exhibited a scene long to be remembered by all who witnessed it. To the enlightened and well informed it was grand, awful, sublime; but to the ignorant and superstitious, over whelnfing and terrific. Such a countless number of meteors never fell from the empyrean in so short a space of time before or since, the theories of liumbolt and Captain Twining to the con trary notwithstanding. A few weeks after this grand display of fire-works, Jim Franklin, or "Uncle Jim," as be was most generally called, was seen holibling about on crutches, his lower ex tremities covered with a superabundance of red flannel. Jim's early educational ad vantage bad been very limited. his learn ing from books and schools was contracted to the acquisitions of a few mouths, by a mind not at all inclined to study. But be had prospered in the world, and by raising cotton in the flatwoods of Elbert, whore he lived, had accumulated a snug fortune. Ile was a general favorite in his neighborhood, and but for a slight habit of indulging sometimes too much in the "ardent," might be termed au unlearned, shrewd, exemplary Ela3 Jim was sitting with a number of gen tlemen in the Petersburg Inn, his feet nicely adjusted in another chair, with his crutches across his lap, when some one inquired why he was working himself in shafts? Where upon he exclaimed: "You see we had nt our house, the other night, a small sprinkle of what we honestly took to•he the 'day of judgment.' It turned out we were slightly mistaken; but I assure you, if I'm any judge of small mutters, it was a right good counterfeit of that great day, when they say there is to be a general smash up. Many a one of us for a while, thought it was the genewine coin, and, as the masons would say 'conducted ourselves accordingly.' I tuck the wrong Ante at the start, they say, 'Man purpose., and God exposes:' this may or may not be good Scriptur; at the latter end of my sperience I would call it good sense. "I was suddenly wakened outin a sound sleep, not by Gabriel's horn, bat a noise mighty nigh so loud if not beam so fur; wife, children, and nigzers were screaming and hollerin Oats day of judgement was come, the stare wer all fallin, the world was Lurning or I sprung up and looked at the Learens; never peed such proceden- [WHOLE NITMBER, 1,481. 1 cies thar before! Thar being no mountains !and rocks convenient to call on to hide me, II tuck a bee-line with the average ingine speed for the well, which I would say is ninety-two feet deep in the clear. It's the deepest hole in the ground I knowed any thing about. When I got thar I found Bob and Sam, two of my nigger boys, on a I quondary which of the two elements to chose. Bob, a bright molatter was for water; Sam, an ()umbra African, was for turning Sallymany, and facia the music. ( Says 1, 'Boys, clear the tract:, and take hold of that windles, and let me down into the bowels of the yeth as soon as the natur of the case will admit of; the outside is get ting unwholesome, sure!"fhen, without bat, coat, vest, pants, stockings, or shoes, I got in the bucket and started; they hadn't turned the windless twice round when -I hollered to 'em to slip the britching and let me slide. No sooner said than dune, when I whirled cur-lush nigh onto three feet into the water. No man could have made the trip sooner, ceptin' he had fallen in, and he'd had to tuck a far start at that! "About the time the water settled round me, and I was kivered all but my head I felt fire-proof and calculated they'd have to ' burn low to git me! Now they say a man in a deep well in the day time, can see stars. I allow them is fixed stars. The ones I saw from that well that night was travelers, certain! Besides, if there was any fixed stars that night I never seed em. Some said they watched the morning star, and as long ns that stuck they had hope. "I made the boys draw me up several times, to see how things war coming on; but when one of them big blazing meters would dart toward me, I would whirl down to the length of my cable. I soon found I had gone beyant what was comfortable; I got tired of playing bull-frogleft the water and felt like taking the fire, no matter in what quantity or what form! I'll jus say right here, if any man should have hydrofohy agin fire, and will put himself through my pirformances in that well and ain't cured, his disease is too deep for hydropathy. 1 put on dry clothes tuck a stew of whiskey and red peper, but too lute—the rumaties had mc! So in bracing agia fire I got busted on water! "I wa'nt the only man excited on that occasion by a long jump. Aly neighbour, Sam Stuart, cum over the next morning, and axed me how I stood the racket? He looked solemn as a preacher; said his dwelling had never been a house of prayer before, but if they didn't make up for lost time he was no judge o"ligous excises. Its said he and his crowd prayed nigh onto four hours, they beam the clock strike three times while they were on their knees. He said, the fact was, they exhausted the argu- ment, and he got up, and hadn't another word to say if. the day of judgement had come. And I'm thinking I'd cum out bet ter if I'd relied on faith and prayer instead of sich work as I did!" In this opinion the company concurred, and laughed long and loud at his narrative. When the noise of their mirth had ceased, some one remarked to Jim if he had been as smart and philosophical as one of his an cestors, Benjamin Franklin he would not have been at all alarmed, and could have ' explained it. "I have Imams of him before," said: "he war the fellow who could 'go out, when dangerous clouds were surging by, pull lightning out 'cm, sample it, bless you! and carry the keenest home, and put it 'way in bottles to speriment with. But he done this in the broad day time when he war wide awake, which n man should be when he handles that article. But wake him up at midnight outen a deep sleep make the racket around him which were turned loose about me, and let bins see all them stars a falling. If he will set to ciphering out causes, and forget consequences, he is no kin to me! Now there is Franklin and Solomon, and the other apostles the scriptures speak I of, war smart in their day; but they would be nowiser with our people and thar fizens. I was at Augusta t'other day and seed a railroad engine and train come a dashing in. Suppose old man Solomon hind seen the like of that come snorting, tearing, thunder ing by him, what do you think would ce his performances? The way he'd run into his temple, and clans to the door, lay low, say nothing, would be a caution to his big faol ily. Now Franklin, he mout give it thun der, as he dealt in the article; but Solomon, not having the whar with, would make him self sense. The old gentleman never thought of rich things. Now John on Patterson's Island, dreamed of - sich, or something like onto them. If Solomon's dreams had tuck this direction, it would lative turned hie pro rerts and revelations; and might have con fused the Scripture." Some gentleman here asked Jim where Patterson's Island was?— "It's none of my look out. I kalculate it's a tine place for dreaming: whether good for cotton, I don't know; but I would advise its owners to keep it hid out, lest the Anglo Saxon specie mout take a liking to it. and claim it. in working up to their manifest destiny!" 1121 Here a voice from without informed Jim his buggy was ready; when, by the aid of his shafts, he worked himself out of the room, a.mid.tt the hearty cheers and farewell of his friends. res-To converse with the spirits—lay a fire cent piece on the table at a grog shop, and they'll show themselves quicker than you can may beans.
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