Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, January 01, 1845, Image 1
1 - 73`Da3aDa.401 ?~ ~G To My Wife. 61 .11.41 1 BOLTON 1101316.1150 N thee ; is pale with many cares, g trots. is overcast ; L byl,fair face a shadow wears ,„„eteltv of sorrows past; bath thy tongbe for me'; 6trksoe'er my lot may bo l iar comfort, love, to thee, eautiful, my wife ! ,centre eyes are not so bright i oihen I wooed thee first; . ".!'they have the same sweet light long my heart bath nurst i - ,v have the same enchanting beam cliarm'd me in love's early dream, sull.with joy on me they stream, ly beautiful, my wife,!. :n 4 without looks dark and cola, 0 voices change th4r. tone, ; pet me as they did of oltb IkA I am not lone ; my love, are aye the same, ~ l oaks and deeds thy Faith proclaim ; •Agli all should scorn thou would'st not My beautiful, my wife!. , [blame, 51:a30w comes across my heart Ail orerclouds my. fate .:eifer I think thou mey'st depart And leave me desolate ; - :r 3s. the wretch who treads alone , an gloomy pith in wilds unknown,l 'ch shouldl be if thou wert gone, My beautiful, my wife ! thou wert dead the flowers might spring, But I should , heed them not . le merry birds might soar and sing, ['key could not cheer my lot. ;.fore me. dark despair would rise id spread a pall o'er earth and skies iliae no more thy loving eyes, My beauaul, my wife !' these deaf eyes hare shone through tears, But never looked unkind, m shattered hopes and troubled years • S;:ll closer seem to bind 2p pure and trusting heart to mine. lifer thyself did'st thou repine, all thy hu4nd's grief was thine. lip beautiful, my rife ! Shen; at the eventide, I see f.; children throng around, .;,id know the love of them and thee, spirit still is bound eartli, despite of every care eel my soul can do and dare a-s thou my, lot dolt share, Ily beautiful: my wife ! The Angel's Visits, 111 iUS. S. I . HALE .12 earth was at rest, and the evening air tieeto'd like breath of the evening sleeping ; Cal the stars stole forth like fancies fair, ,iat come in / the light;of the mother's prayer, When love is her vigils keeping. B.:t the mother felt in her trembling breast, That the Angel's presence was o'er her, she . shook with a /nameless fear distressed, thutved like a reed by the dews oppressed, T. guard the dear babe before her. clouds gathered dark as the funeral pall, The midnight winds were sighing, hi the mother's tears like the rain-drops fall, hath heard the soft tone of the Angel's call, And she knows that her babe is dying. "he sus is bright in the,Qaing sky, •he when s its first smite was given; .3,1 the Angel soars to his home on high, 7, 111 e filth. reveals to the mother's eye That he bears her sweet child to Heaven. Melody. I= yon bright stars which gem the night Be each a blissful &Welling sphere, Where kindred spirits re-unite • Whom Death has trim asunder here: Ilast sweet it were at once to die, And leave this blighted orb afar ! and soul to Cleave the sky, And soar away from star to start ! how dark, how drear, how lone Would seem the brightest world of bliss, wanderingthrough each radiant zone, W e failed to find the loved of this ? `there no more the ties shall twine, Which Death's cold hand alone can sever, .th! then those stars in mockery shine More hateful, as they shine for ever! • ea:loot be—each hope and fear, - That lights the eye . or clouds the brow, Proclaims thereis a - happier sphere Than this bleak world that holds ns now! i lers is a voice which Sorrow hears, When heavtest weighs Life's galling chain ; 161 r Heaven that - whispers dry thy tears — The pure in heartfhall meet again." 1 . •: 4 , :' • . ; . tu ; i A , ,-,, , .9 • 9 ' - ... _ _ • •,... .. . _ .. .. .• i 1 .• ~ ... ...., . _. . . • A Shark Story. EY THE LATE WM. P. RAWES T ESQ. . . We copy from, the NeW York Spirit of the Times, the following' really_good fish story :" • Well, gentlemen, I'll go ahead, if you say so. 'Here's •the story. .. It is true, upon my honor, from beginning to end—every word- of it. I once crossed over to Faulkner's Island, to fish for tautnugs, as the north-side peo ple call black fish, on the reefs hard by inthe Long Island Sound. Tim Titus, (who died of the dropsy down at Shin -necoc's point, last spring,) lived there then. Tim was a right good fellow, only he drank rather too mud,. ' 4 It was during the latter part of July; the sharks and dog-fish had begun to spoil sport. When Tim told me abotit the sharks,' resolved 'to go prepared to entertain these aquatic savages with all becoming attention and regard, if there should chance to be any interlop ing about our fishing ground. So we riggedd - a sett' of extra large hooks, and shipped some ropeyarn and steel-chain, an axe, a couple . of clubs, and an old harpoon, in addition to our ordinary equipments;and Off we started. We throwed out our anchor at half ebb tide, and took some thumping large fish : two of them weighed thirteen pounds 1 —so you may judge. The reef where we lay was about a half mile from the island, and perhapi a mile from the Connecticut shore. We floated there very quietly. throwing out and hauling in, until the 'breaking of my line, with a sudden and severe jerk, informed me that the sea attorneys were in waiting, down stairs ; and we accordingly pre pared to give them a retainer. A salt :pork cloak upon one of our magnum hooks, forthwith engaged one of the gentlemen in our service. We got him alongside, and by dint of piercing, and thrusting, and banging, we accom plished a most merry and exciting mur der.: We had business enough of the kind to keep us employed until near low water. By this time, the sharks had all cleared out, and the black fish were biting _again ; the rock began to maker.its appearance above the water ; and in a little while it, ;hard bald head was entirely dry. Tim now proposed to set me out upon the rock, while he rowed, ashore to get the jug, which, strange to say, we had left at the. house. I asssented to this proposition—first, because I began to feel the effects' of the sun upon my tongue, and needed something to take, by the way of medi cine ;` and secondly, because the rock was a favorite spot for a rod and reel, and famous for luck : so I took my traps and a box of bait, and jumped upon my new station. Tim made for the island. 4. Not many men would willingly have been left upon a little barren reef, that was covered by every flow of the tide, in_the midst of a waste of waters, at such - al distanee from the shore, even with .an assurance from a companion more to be - depended upon than mine to return immediately and be by to take him off. But, some how or other, the excitement of my sport was so high, and the romance of the situatton was so delightful, that I thought of nothing else 'but the prospect of my fun, and the contemplation of the novelty and beauty of , the scene. It was a mild,. pleasant afternoon, harvest-time. The sky was clear and pure. The deep blue sound, heaving all around me, was studded with craft of all • deicriptions and dimensions, from the dipping sail boat to the rolling merchantman, sink ing and rising sea-birds sporting with their white wings in the surge.— The grain and grass on the neighboring Carnes were gold and green.; and grace fully they bent obeisance to . a gently breathing southwester/ Further off, the high upland, and the distant coast, gave a dim relief to the prominent fea tures of the lanscape, and seemed the rich but dusky frame of a brilliant fairy picture. Then, how still it was ! not a sound could be heard, except the oc casional rustling of my oivn motion, and the water beating against the sides, or gurgling in the fissures of the rock, or except now and then the cry of a solitary i saucy gull : who :would come out: of his way in the firmament, to see what I was doing without a boat„all alone, in the middle of the sound; arid who would hover, and cry, and, chatter, - : and make two or,three circling sweeps_ and dashes at me; and then, after hav ing 'satisfied his curiosity, 'glide away in search of some Other-food to scream at. rock,and gave.myielf up to the luxury I -soon becathe.half.indolent, and qUite indifferent about . fishing; so ~I stretched myself at full length tipult the Regardless of Denunciatiaa trans any quarter .-4-Goir.Tza. UCAAI&IML,EI 1231LMIFOIRID WIRT% 2410,9 I'IMULE= astQ, , of looking and thinking. The divine exercise -soon put me fast asleep. dreamen` away a couple of hours, and longer might have dreatied,.but for a tired fish-hawk, who chime to make my head his .resting-plate, and who waked and started me to,my feet, "" Where 'is Tim Titus ?" I•mut terektb myself, as I strained my eyes over the now darkened. water. But none was near me to answer that inter esting question, and nothing was to be seen of either Tim or his boat. "He should have been here long ere this," thought I, " and he promised faithfully not to stay loner—could he have- for gotten ? or has he paid too much devo tion to the jug?" " I began to feel uneagy, for the tide was rising fast,' and soon' Would cover the top of the rock, and high water mark was at least A foot above my head. I buttoned up my coat, for either the coming coolness of the evening, or else illy' (*rowing apprehensions, had set me trembling and chattering most painfully. I braced my nerves, and set my teeth, and tried to ham " Begone dull care," keeping time with my fists upon my thighs. But - what music ! what Mel ancholy merriment ! • I started and shuddered at the doleful sound of my own yoke. .1 am not naturally a cow ard ; but I should - like to know the man who would not in such a situation be alarmed. It is a cruet death to die, to be merely drowned, and to go through the ordinary common places - of suffoca tion ; but to see your depth gradually rising to your eyes, to feel the, water rising, inch by inch, upon your shiver ing- sides, and to anticipate the certain lycoming, chbking struggle for your last breath, when, with' the gurgling sound • of an overdowing brook taking a new direction., -the cold brine pours into mouth, ears, and noistrils, usurp ing the seat and avenues of health and life, and with gradual flow,.stifling, ' smothering, suffocating !—it were bet ter to die a thousand common deaths. .".rhis is one of the instances, in which, it must be admitted; salt water is not a pleasant subject of contempla tion. However', the rock was not yet covered, and hope, blessed hope, stuck faithfully by we. 'Co beguile, if possi ble, the weary ,time, I put on a bait, and threw out for fish. I was sooner suc cessful than I could paye wished to be, for hardly had my line struck the wa ter,,before the hook was swallowed, and my rod was be . itt with the dead hard pull of a twelve feet shark. I let him run about fifty yards, and Then reeled up. He appeared not at all alarmed, and I could scarcely feel him pull upon my fine hair line. Ile fol lowed the pull gently and 'unresistingly, came to the rock, laid his nose upon its side, and looked up into my face, not as if utterly unconcerned, but with a sort of quizzical impudence, as though he perfectly understood the precarious nature of, my. situation. The conduct of my captive renewed and increased my alarm. And well it might; for a tide was now running over a corner of a rock behind me, and a small stream rushed through a cleft, or fissure, by my side, and formed a puddle at my very feet. .H:oroke my hook outof the monster's mouth, and leaned t)pon my rod for support. 4. Where, is. Tim Titus !" I cried aloud.• Curse on the drunken vaga bond ! will he never come ?" 4• My ejaculation did no good. No Timothy appeared. It became evident that I Must prepare for drowning, or for action. The reef was completely covered, and the water was - above the soles of my feet. I was not much of a swimmer, and as to ever reaching the island, I could not even hope for that. However; there. was. no alternative, and I tried to encourage myself, by reflect ing that. necessity was the mother of, invention, and that •desperation will sometimes insure success. Besides, too, I considered and to - 9k comfort from the thought that I would wan for Tim, so long as I had a foothold; and then commit myself to the uncertain strength of ,my-arms and legs for salvation. So I turned my bait-box upside down, and mounting upon that, endeavored to comfort my spirits, and to be courage ous, but submissive to my Tate. I thought of death, • and what it might bring with it, and I tried to repent_ of my multiplied "iniquities of . My almost wasted life: but 1 found that was no place for a' simierto settle his accounts.. Wretched soul ! pray d could not. • TheAvater \had. not got above •my alleles, when to my inexpressible joy, I saw - a sloop bending down tßwards me, with the evident intention -oMpick ing up. No utancan itnagine . w hat were the sensations of gratitude, which fille'd illy :bosom at that moment. • • yards of the .r.gAf.' t "..When .she gotcwithin , a hundred. sung Out to the man. at the itp„Mid lie by, and lower the Wet . ; 'but t.cv . amazement, I could , get no .reply: nor notice of my request. - I entreated. there, .for, the love of heaven, to take me .off ; ,and I pro mised I know nOt, what .rewards, that were entirely beyond my power of be stowal. But the brutal wretch ofi cap - - tain, muttering something to the:effect of " that he hadn't time to stop," and giving me the kind and sensible advice to pull off my coat and . swim ashore, put the helm hard (town, and away bore the sloop on the other tack. " Heartless - villain !"—I shrieked out, in _the torture of, my. disappoint ment, may God reward your inhumani ty. The crew answered my prayer with a coarse. lOtid laugh ; and the cook asked me through a speaking trumpet; " if l wasn't afraid of catching cold,"—the black rascal "It now was time to strip ; for my knees felt the cool tide, and the wind dying away, left a heavy swell, that swayed and shook the box tiponphich I was mounted, so that I had occasion ally to stoop, and paddle with my hands against the water, in order to preserve my perpendicular. The setting sun sent-his almost horizontal streams of fire across the dark waters, making them gloomy and terrific by the con trast.of his amber and purple glories. Something glided by me in the ter, and then made a sudden halt. I, looked upon the black mass, and as my eyes ran along its dirk outline, I saw, with horror, that it was a shark—the identical monster out of whose mouth I had just broken my hook. He was fishing now for me, and was evidently only waiting for the — tides to rise high enough above the rock, to glut at once his hunger and .revenge. As the wa ter continued to mount above my knees, he seemed to g row more hungry and familiar. At l ast. he made a desperate dash, and approached within an inch of my legs, turned upon his back, and opened his huge jaws for an attack.— NV ith desperate strength, I thrust the end of my rod violently at his mouth ;' and the brass head, ringing against his teeth, threw him back into the deep current, and I lost sight him entirely. This, however, was but a momentary repulse ; for in the next minute he was close behind my back, and pulling at the skirts of my fustian coat, which hung dipping into the water. I leaned forward hastily, and endeavored to extricate myself from the dangerous grasp ; but the monster's teeth were:, too firmly set, and his immense strength nearly drew me over. So down new , my rod, and off went my jacket, de voted peace offerings to my voracious visitor. " In an instant the waves all round me were lashed into froth and foam. No sooner was my poor-old sporting friend drawn under the surface, than it was fought for by at least ,a dozen en-, ormous combatants! The battle raged upon every side. High black tins rush ed now here, now there, anti long, strong tails scattered sleet and froth, and the brine was thrown up in--jets, and eddied, and curled, and fell, and swelled, like a whirlpool in Heil-gate,. " Ofinci long duration, however, was `this fishy tourney. It seemed soon to be discovered that the prize - Contended for contained nothing edible but cheeSe and crackers, and no flesh ; and as its mutilated fragments rose to the surface, the waves subsided into their former smooth condition. Not till thee - did -I I experience the real terrors of my situa tion. As I looked around me •to see what had become of the robbers,; 1 counted one, two, three—yes, up to twelve successively, .of the largest sharks I ever saw, holing in a circle around me, like divergent rays, 'all mathematically equidistant from file rock, and from each other; each per fectly motionless, and _ with lOs gloat-- 1 ing, fiery eye, fixed full and fierce Up- Him me. Basilisks and rattle-snakes, how the fire, of = their steady eyes 'en tered into my heart ! I . was tliecentre of a circle, whose radii were sharks it Was theunsprung, of rather the un chewed gante. at which a pack of hun ting Sea-dogs Were making a dead . point! "There Was one' fellow that kept Within the - circumference of the circle: lie seemed to be a sort of captaitt or leader ;of, the band ; or, rather, heac ted as , the coroner' for the other twelvf of the inquisition,khat,' were surrniMned . to 'sit and eat up my body. .He glided round and' about, and every nosy and , then would stiip,?and' toticlt his nese against soine of his comrades,_ and seem= ed to consult,,or to giyeinstructiorts as to the time and mode ,4:kf operation.--= r~~ t .. .. 11E1 OceaSioniilly, he ' would seulF'billisielf towards ine, and examine the 'condition of my flesh, and,theilagain glide.baek, and rejoin flip troupe, aril flap his - tail, 1,1 and have anether confa ulation.. ,ir he old rascal had, no dou ') t, been mit - in the highways and byways, and collec ted this cOmpany -of his friends and kin-fish, and:invited thelm to supper.— I must confess that, horribly as I felt, I could not help but think of a tea party of demure old maids, sitting in a Solenin circle, with their ,'skinny hands in - their laps; licking their, expedting lips, while hostess bustles about t l n the , important funetions of . her prep rations, ' Virith what an eye"have I seen such appur tenances oflumanity 4irvey the, loca tion and adjustment of some especial condiment, which is about to be sub mitted to criticism and 'consumption. , i f ~. My seneations be an to be now moat exquisite indee ; but I was .not attempt to describe them . I was nei ther hot nor cold, frightened nor corn, posed; hat I bad a c6mbination of all kinds of feelings andi emotions: The present, past future, heaven, earth, my father and mother, a little girl I knew once. and the sharks, were all confUsed -1 ly Imiked up together and swelled my crazed brain almos to bursting. I cried, and laughed, , and shouted and screamed forT4lllllll3B. In a fit of toUst, wise madness, Ilopened my broad bladed fishing tknife, and waved it around my head witl ' an air of defiance. As the tide contum; d to rise, my ex travagance of madness mounted. At oneitime, I became persuaded that my side waiters were i 'reasonable beings, who Might be talked into- mercy and humanity, if al botlyj could only hit up on the right text.' ,o I bowed, gesticu lated, threw out my hands, and talked to them as friends and i brothers, mem bers of my . family, cousins, uncles, aunts, people waiting to have their bills paid. I scolded them as my servants ; I abused them as duns.; I implored them as jurymen, Sitting on the ques tion of my life ; I cougratulated and flattered them as ,my comrades, upon some glorious enterprise ; I sang and ranted to them now as actor in a play house, and now al an elder in a camp meeting ; in one moment roaring— " 011 the cold, and flinty rock I will lay down my head— i and in the nest s;ingir.g out to my at -11 entive hearer's for singing, a hymn of r. Watts so admirably appropriate to the occasion : 1.. "On slippery rock' I see them stand, While fiery bilqews rolt:below." . , • " What said I ;--,,whatdid I not say ? Prose and-poetql, scripture and drama, romance andrattination—out it came. " Quandiu; Catalina, rostra patientia allutere?"-i-1 sung out to the old cap tain, to begin with—" My brave associ ates; partners old my toil "—so. ran the strain. "0n u l hich side soever I turn my eyes"—" Gentlemen of the iiity " —" I romo not here to steal away your. hearts "—" Yon are not wood, yOu are not stones but 'j—lioli l--,‘' Begin ye' tormentors, you tortures are vain " Good ; friends', sweet friends, let the stir you up to "any sudden flood "•••• " the angry flood that lashed her groan ingsides",—"Ladies and gentlemen" !, my very, nol4e and approved good T masters "----" 'vaunt !- and quit toy Sight.; let the earth hide ye"-'--." lie lightly on' his ,head, 0 earth ?'•'• 0 heaven mid elrth, that it should come to this !" 1 .--" LI e torrent roared, and we did buffet it With lusty sinews, .stem minglt aside, Foci oaring it with hearts of controversy "—" thee me sonic', drink, • Titattiay— ! " Drink, boys drink, and drown dull sorowl"—for liquor it• loth roWstichi comfort to the soul."— " Romans, coyntry men and lovers,hear e me for my ca se, and he silent - that ye may hear.'.'--,' Fellow-citizens, assem bled as we ar upon'tAts interesting op-' easion, nnprered with the truth and beauty";-- ,, ye' of beauty, faro the well "-.-" The, quality of mercy is not strained"--"plaga veritas et prevale bit "--4ruth Jis potent, amt , "--" most potent. ! grade, and reverend . Seig 7 niors"4- . • ' ePp, and I perceive you feel these ere gracieusltlyps.' " Oh s now you The dint 'of pit) Kind sonle, Our Cceser's ve Ha !.ha! I of most horrl of tlie.toirice- c ted jacket. e' In the got well up ;I while I wasf 'on= myi tint i cold , nose qi eriubbiug gg: iy and wo weep you when you behold ate wounded 1" ia!, and,l, broke out in a s t le laughter, as 1: thought I eat particles of, iny-laqera- tcan time, the watei . had rewards my stiouWer ; and shaking and vibrating :up• irtaiw t` the captain :of the Gar d ainst, my side. Desperate iliout any definite object.:'l , •• - ,f _ * i . - -•-- - tqw-=*-04:(ficocratittitit,eitesto struck a one of his-eyes, and by some itingularlortune, 'gait outAcleanfront the, socket.- - ,„The 'shark, darted sack In ..an. instaht h0p604 . "reason"carne in 'my - ,relief ; ':and it - tic-, citire'iltn'itre that - if I the Monster, Itnight'yet 'escape:: Ac cordingly I stood ready , :for the next iattack.. The loss .. pf an eye . not ;deem to. , effect. him much; for, .after .shaking his head - mice. or 'twice, .be Came - up to •we again Cand when he was - about hall an ineb.off, turned:upon , his back. This was thwcritical,mo ment. With more unacconntahle pre senee of mind, I laid hold Of; his 'nose with my left hand, and With'my right I .scooped out his remaining 'organ of vis- I He - operted• his big: mouth : and champed , his long '-teeth at me in !dee pair., But it was all over With him. I raised my tight foot and . gave'him a hard shove;•and he glided off into-skip water,; and wedt to the bottom:- : Well, getatlemeh, I suppolie.you!if think.it a hard story, but it is none the less a fact, that I served. every, remain ing one of those nineteen sharks inifie. same fashion.' They all came " -up to me, One by one, regularly and in-order; and 1 scooped 'their eyes,out, and..gave them a shove, and ditty', went off, into deep water, Just like so many lainbs.— By the time I had scooped out and blind eda Couple of dozen 'of them, they be gan to aeena so scarce.that I thought I Would swim for the island, and fight the rest for fun on the way ; but just theri Tim Titus hove in sight, and it had gOt to -be almost dark, and I concluded to get aboard and rest myself." - The inhuman, depraving and Unfit!, system-of - prison discipline - and 'that which, 'until recently, was practised in lunatic asylums, is giving . way, we are glad to perceive, all over the world. " Pine!, a benevolent French pysi clan, was the first to treat lunatics with bu t' slight restraint. When he resolved upon the experiment, there were more than three hundred - maniacs in the dun geons of Bicetre. Baying 'obtained permission of the commune, and ac companied by the notorious Couthon, :Niel entered upon his work.- On reaching the 'spot, his companion and himself were assailed with yells and vociferations of the most frightful char acter. COuthen.was appalled and re tired ; but the philanthropic Pined pur sued the object of his mission, and re solving to. rela# fifty of the afflicted in= mates, Comm heed with twelve of the most violent. "The first man Set at liberty. was an English captain who had been chained for forty years.. His keepers feared him. He had, killed one with a blow of his manacles. The kind hearted. physibian entered his cell unattended, and offered him liberty to walk abroad with only a waistcoat to confine his aril's. The madman consented. His Chains were removed and the door of his cell left open.- Many times he rais ed himself and . lell - back ; his limbs gave way, for they had been cramped in irons forty years. At length he gained the dour; and gazed With many exclama, lions of delight 4pon the scene, to him - - So novel. He was no more In bonds. and became contented, cheerful and happy. . Within a few days-Pine' liber ated fifty:three maniacs. The 'result was beyond his anticipations. Trau quility and harmony succeeded to tu mult and disorder, and• the most fero cious Maniacs became tractable. May the day,be hastened when this system shall be universally adopted." Christianity, like a cloud, goes wand erina over the world. Fearless in help nocence it is not abashed before princes, nor confounded by the wisdom of synods. Before it the blood-itainad :warrior sheathes his sword, and plueltS the lau rel from his brow, the midnight, mnrder ertariii from his , purpose' and like the heart:. smitten •ilisciples, goes - Out and weeps,bitterly: It . .brings liberty tri the captive,joy to the mioutner; freedom to the slave, repentance - and.forgiVeness_ to the dying. It also enters the hut of the poor inan„and' sits doWn with them and their-children, it.rnakes - thetri contente I in. lite midst of ptivations,.and leaves tiind - akeverlasting blessing. It walks through great cites anud all their pomp and splendor, their iMaginable prelleand their - unuterable 'misery, a' purifVing, en nobling; correcting, and redeeming angel: It is; alike the beautiful 'companion cf childhOod and . the comfortable associate 'of age. It ennobles the . noble, gives WistionOci the wise and new giaen . to lovely. • The patriot; the' priest; - poet the - ,elequent. man, all derive their sublithe • powerl from its- infltience.— „ I ■ BM -WO6 - 112Do 'The Work of Philanthropy. Christianity. MIIIII