G
adnic.§ zan2o
TOWANDA.:
n m o rninn, %unmet 11, 1852.
:-:;rlritrr linttrg.
Fmm the lifmton Lem/cr.
THE NEW ARISTOCRACY.
%!le eneC eoul , l 'only show
The sign` of noble birth,
AO men of rank were years rgo
The great one.; of-the earth.
Tnr , it just the crowd should shrink,
•IlFrare The cap and gown ;
The , t h o rzht it wrong the poor should think,
hod ncht to keep them down.
Those were the days when books were things
The People" could not touch ;
Made for the use of lords and kings, I
Ana only meant for such.
To work the 1000.1. to till the soil,
To ell( the costly gem--
To tread e round of daily toil.
WOO :h e
guil enough for them.
Ti m e rr3s when just to read and write
Wm thought a wondrous deal, write
Here
those who wake with the morning light
Te earn their daily meal.
The :Ilan a more submissive slave,
The less his head-piece knew ;
Ard so the inwis !rum habit gave
The.; larch right to the few.
cr ka 1 , the light of truth
Ft‘r , ad.ng far and wide,
In:: which tills the English youth,
,liatne our ancient pride.
alone can wield the sword,
! ; ..pc j of wealth and rank i --
IL ;,...nu may face a lord
thousands in the bank.
m.l 'hose of high degree,
F twcre wrong to do;
T. r. men as rich can be,
.I,) , te as noble t o o.
T. 7.,11 , may act a gayer part,
‘l, h works for bread
y. : iwrchance, a warmer heart,
.I,. , !p'''ups a clearer head.
Ta n _neti•e not for "the good old times,"
13 , 1.i1t! a brighter dos'!
in c au.es of oar fither's crimes
Are wearing fast away.
ft.c.re tilt , Pen, the Press, the:Rail,
Must old opinions fall;
T! , :ugh , y project cannot
fail—
TUea ail it one and all !
HE - MONOMANIAC
RECOLLECTIONS OF A POUCE OFFICER.
raviii2 in London in 1831, I took lodgings at
ilenshawe'.s, in Mile-End Road, riot far from
?: , .;rl;; , itze gate. My inducement to do so was
1. 3 • the cheapness and neatness of the aecommo
on, anl part:y that the landlord's maternal on
a a Mr. Oxley, was slightly known to me.—
• IZenflawe 1 knew by reputation only, he
11.2 Voik,zhire ten or ele% en years before,
'even that knowledge was slight and vague. I
:lead tha' a tragical event had cast a deep
...ocv over Ii alter 'life ; that he had been for
e monlhs the inmate of a private lunatic wry
actl that 5. (ale persons believed his brain
ever thoroughly recovered its originally heal
actiun. lit this opinion both my wife and my
,: vert soon concurred : and yet I am not sure
tr.t venal,' have given a satisfactory reasmi for
lie was, it is true, usually kind and
ir,:te, even to the verge of simplicity, but his gen
-1; mode of expressing himself, and conducting
iness, was quite coherent and sensible; although,
lite of his resigned cheerfulness of tone and of
Intl, it wag at times' quite evident that whatever
e mental him he had received, it had left a rank
:, pe;Laps remorseful, sting behind. A small,
! , ,.eleriited portrait in his sitting room suggested
. pr.-..cinre of the nature of the calamity which
.nlen Inm It was that of a fair, mill-eyed
~:::;wnnl an, bin of a pensive, almost mourn-
C :nt irnipt.4, ai if the coming event, briefly
I tiht hand corner of the
L. a,:na,!y during lite and health, cast
inn_ liLtliUW over her. That oriefrecord
Iftrqreaves, born 1804 ; drown- .
N., ,'..rret allusion to the picture ever
in m) hearing, although, for being
e :o , :e'ller of Yorkshire scenes and times
~ c ame excellent friends. Stit!, there
from time to time, significant in
' . d.flicult to place in evidence, that
e had not been wholly quenched,
and glowed beneath the habit
:l.sl which concealed it from the 'care
casual nkerver. Exciting circumstances,
al'er my arrival in the metropolis,
e 1,0).1'0(1 those brief wild Fparkles into
lIM
tt , and consumingflame.
•
, o t.
', , i;awe was in fair circumstances—that
• • - come, derived from funded property alone,
y -3) a year ; but his habits were close,
IniQerly. Ills personal appearance
• a• ;:emlernanly, but he kept no servant.
t came once a day to arrange his
t,, per form other household work, and
• p.l, very simply, at a coffee-house or
• • • ll.t the exception of a sittiug
to. was occupied by lodgers. Amongst
•-•a pal'', weakly-looking young man of
• la. lie was suffering from
- diiea-e induced, I was in
,s careless lolly in remaining in his
a tPr having assisted, during the .krreat
,.-1 a: mgl,t at a iarge fire at a coach-fagtory
e %%a^ in gold and silver lace-work—billlion
',.t•to•ts :tn' so'en ; and as he had a good con-
tt 1.11 , -ereral e,t-end . establishments, his
io be a thriving one—so rnuclf so
tt , u4i,y employed several assistants of &Mb
"t's llc occupied the'first floor, and a workshop
.e of the garden. His wife, a pretty-fentnr
e -iortord, graceful young woman, of not
`tart two or three-and twenty, was, they told
dattider of a schoolmaster, and certainly
Ltemly and carefully nurtured. They
11.1 one ;
a sprightly, curly haired, bright-eyed
=
~
;,, , ,
~
:. ; 1 . ~,.
..„ =, ... , 7 :., .:,, - ', 1
. ~. —— . —..,. .
. .
i. ~._.
p .. ...- : :::
.. .
... , ~.
I , t
• .
. .. Lf
.
. . .
.. :,,r, ..1 . , ::: .. ,
e.. . V f'.. ...
. E
• , ,
, ,
,•
. .‘,..„....,
,
..
~. ..,..I.,1"
. ~.
.... ~.:),
" , .. ... •t 1
. . .
....:
- - 5
0
. .
. .
boy, nearly four year, Old. , The wife, Ellen Ir
win, was reputed to be a first rate hand,at eorneof
the lighter parts of bet hcisband's huskiest.; and
her aorta to lighten his toil, and compensate by
increased exertion for his daily diminishing capaci
ty for labor, were unwearying and incessant. Nev.
er havell seen a more gentle, thoughtful tenderness
than was displayed by that young wile towards het
suffering, and sometimes not quite evenly-temper
ed partner, who, however, let me add, appeared to
reciprocate truthlully her affection—all the morcsso
perhaps, that he knew their time together upon
earth was already shrunk to a brief span. In my
opinion, Ellen Irwin was a handsome, even an el
egant young person ; this, hoviever, is in some de
gree a matter of taste. But no one could deny that
gentle Kindness, the beaming compassion, that irra
diated her features as she tended the last sinking
invalid, rendered her at such times absolutely beau
tiful—angclind her, to use an-Tex - premien of my
wife's, with whom she war a prime favorite. I
was self-debating for about the twentieth time one
evening where it was I had formerly sen her, with
that sad mournful look of hers; for seen her I was
sure I had, and not long since either.' It was late;
I had just returned home ; my wife was in the
sick-room, and I had entered it with two or three
oranges. ‘, Oh, now I remember ;" I suddenly
exclaimed, just above my breath; ,4 the picture in
Mr. Renshawe's room ! What a remarkable coin
cidence!"
A low, chuckling laugh, close at my elbow,
caused me to turn quickly towards the door. Just
within the threshold stood Mr. Benshawe, looking
like a white•stone-image rather than a living man,
but for the fierce sparkling of his strangely gleam
ing eyes, and the mocking, triumphant curl of his
lips. " You, too, have at last obsemed it, then!"
he muttered, faintly echoing the under-icne in
which I spoke: I have known the truth for many,
weeks. The manner, the expression, not the words
quite started me. At the same moment, a cry of
women rang through the room, and I immediately
seized Mr Renshawe by the arm, and drew him
forcibly away, for there was that in hiscountenance
which should not meet the eye of a dying man.
" What were y'on saying ? What truth have you
known for weeks ?" I asked, as soon as we had
reached his sitting room.
Before he could
, answer, another wailing sound
ascended from the sick-room. Lightning leaped
from Renshawe's lustrous, dilated eyes, and the
exulting laugh again, but louder, burst from his
lips : " Ha! ha !" he fiercely exclaimed ; I
know that cry ! It is Death's !—Death's ! Thrice
blessed Death, whom I have so often ignorantly
cursed ! But that," he added qnickly and peering
sharply in my lace; " was when, as you know,
people said"—and he ground his teeth with rage--
" people said I was crazed—mad."
" What can you mean by this wild talk, my dear
friend ?'' I replied in as unconcerned and quieting
a tone as] could immediately assume. " Come,
sit down : I Ismsasking:the meaning of your strange
words below, just now."
" The meaning of my words ? You know as
well as I do. Look there."
"At the painting ? Well r
it You have seen the original," he went on with
the same excited tone and gestures. "It crossed
me like a flash of lightning. Still, it is strange she
does not know me. It is sure she does not !—But
I am changed, no doubt—sadly changed !" he ad•
ded, dejectedly, as he looked in the mirror.
" Can you mean;that I have seen Laura Hargreave
here ?" f stammered, thoroughly bewildered—she
who was drowned ten or eleven years ago.
'• To be su-e—to be sure! It was so believed
I admit, by everybody by myself, and the belief
drove me mad ! And yet I now remember, when
at times I was calm—When the pale face blind
staring eyes; and dripping hair, ceased for awhile
to-pursue and haunt me, the low, sweet voice and
gentle face came back, and I knew she lived,
though all denied it. Rut look, it is her very im
age!" he added fiercely, his glaring eyes flashing
from th portrait to m,y taco alternately."
Whose image 3"
44 Whose ima4e ! Why, Mrs. Irwin's, to be sure
You yourself admitted it now."
I was so confoundeil;'that for several minutes I
remained stupidly and silently staring at the man.
At length I said : " Well, there is a likeness,
though not so great as I imagined—"
"It is fa'se!" he broke i 7 furiously. "It is her
very self.' 4
( 4 We'll talk of that to-morrow. Yon are4,Ler
excited, and must go to bed. I hear Dr. Garland's
voice below ; he shall come to you."
"No—no—no !" he almost screamed. " Send
me no doctors-1 hate doctors ! But I'll go to bed
—since—since you wish it. But no doctors f—not
for the world !" As he spoke he shrank cowering
ly backwards out of the room', his wavering, un
quiet eyes fixed upon mine as long as we remain
ed within view of each other. A moment after
wards I heard him dart into his chamber, and bolt
and double lock the door.
It was plain that lunacy, but partially subdued,
had resumed its former mastery over the unfortu
nate gentleman. But what an extraordinary delu
sion! I took, a candle, and examined the picture
with renewed curiosity. It certainly bore a strong
resemblance to Mrs. Irwin ; the brown curling hair
the pensive eyes, the pale fairness of comple x ion,
were the same ; but it was scarcely more girlish,
more youthful, than the young wron was now,
and the original, had she lived, would have been
by this time approaching to thirty years of ago !
I went softly down stairs, and found, as 1 feared,
that George Irwin was gone. My wife came weep•
ing out of the death-ehamber, accompanied by Dr.
Garland, to whom I forthwith related what had just
taken place. lie listened with attention and inter.
est ; and after some sage observations Upon the
strange fancies which now and then take" possess
ion of the minds of monomaniacs, agreed to see
Mr. Itenshawe at ten the next morning. ) was
not required trim) duty tiil eleven ; and if it
,were
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT TOWANDA;i BRADARD, COUNTY, PA., BY
. B...OIIEARA 600DRICIL
MESI!Mi!IMII!1
F.SCAILDLEISS OF DENUlietiliON PROM ANY QUA rite
in the physician's opinion desirable, i was to . write
at once to the patient's uncle, Mr. Oxley.
Mr. Itenshame was, I beard, stirring before sev
en o'clock, and the charwoman informed me that
he hail fatten his breakfast as usual and appeared
to be in cheerful, almost high spitits. The physi
cian was punctual. I tapped at the sitting-room
door,- and was desired to come in. Mr. Renshavre
was seated at a table with some papers before him .
evidently determined to feel cool and indifferent—
Ile could•not, however, repress a start of surprise,
almost of terror, at the sight of the physician, and
a paleness, followed by a hectic flush, pasted
quickly over his countenance. 1 observed, too, that
the portrait was turned with its face towards the
wall.
By a strong effort, Mr. Renshaw° regained his
simulated composure, and in reply to Dr. Garland's
professional inquiry, as to the state of his health,
said with a forced laugh : " My friend Waters has,
suppose, been amusing you with the absurd eta
ry that made him stare so last night. It is exceed.
ingly droll, I must say, although many persons, oth
erwise acute enough, cannot, except upon reflec
tion, comprehend a jest. There was John Rem.
ble the tragedian for instance who--"
" Never mind John Kemble, my dear sir," in
terrupted Dr. Garland. " Do, pray, tell us the sto
ry over again. I love an amusing jest."
Mr. Renshawe hesitated for an instant, and glen
said with reserve, almost of dignity and manner
" Ido not know sir,"—his face, by the way, was
determinedly averted trom the cool, searching
gaze , of the physician—" I do not know, sir, that I
am obliged to find you in amusement; and as
your presence hero was not incited I shall be oblig
ed by your leaving the room as quickly as may
be."
" Certainly—certainly, sir. I am exceedingly
sorry to have intruded—but I am sure you will per
mit me to have a peep at this wonderful portrait."
Renshawe sprang impulsively forward to prevent
the doctor reaching it. Ile was too late; and Dr.
Garland turning sharply, round with the painting in
his hand, literally transfixed him in an attitude of
surprise and consternation. Like the Ancient Ma
riner, he held him by his glittering eye, but the
spell was not an enduring one. "Truly,' remark
ed Dr. Garland; as he found the kind of mesmeric
influence he had exerted beginning to fail, " not so
vcry bad a chance iesemblance, especially about
the eyes and mouth—"
"This is very extraordinary condnct, broke in
Mr. Renshawe, and I must again request that you
will both leave the room."
It was useless to persist, and we almost immedi
ately went away. " Your impression, Mr. Waters,"
said the physician, as he was leaving the house,
" is, I dare say, the true one ; but he is on his guard
now, and it will be prudent to wait for a fresh out
break before acting decisively—more especially as
the hallucination appears to be quite a harmless
one."
This was not, I thought, quite so sure, but of
course I acquiesced, as in duty bound; and matters
went on pretty much as 'usual for seven or eight
weeks, - except that Mr. Renshawe manifested much
aversion towards myself personally, and at last
served me with a written notice to quit at the end
of the term previously stipulated for. There was
still some time to that ; and in the meanwhile, I
caused a strict watch to be set, as far as was practi
cable, without exciting observation, upon our land
lords words and acts.
Ellen Irwin's first tumult of grief subsided, the
next and pressing question related to tier own and
infant's son subsistence. An elderly man, Of the
came of Tomlins, was engaged as foreman ; and it
wag hoped that the business might still be carried
on with sufficient profit. Mr: Renshawe's manner,
though at times indicative of considerable nervous
irritabili'y, was kind and respectful to the young
widow ; and I began to hope that the delusion he
had for awhile labored under had finally passed
sway.
The hope was a fallacious one. We were sitting
at tea'on a Sunday evening,, when Mrs. Irwin, pale
and trembling with fright and nervous agitation
came hastily in with her little boy in her hand. I
correctly divined what had occurred. In reply to
my hurried questionin', the astounded young ma
tron told me, in substance, that witliiri the last two
or three days Mr. Renshawe's strange behavior and
disjointed talk had both bewildered and alarmed
her. He vaguely inlimateil that she, Ellen Irwin,
was really Laura somebody else—that she had kept
company wi:h hlm, Mr. Renshawe, in Yorkshire,
before she knew poor George—with many other
strange things he muttered rather than spoke out;
and especially that it was owing to her son remind
ing her continually of his father, that she pretended
not to have known'lilr. Renshawe twelve or thir
teen years ago. "In short," added the young wo
man, with tears and blushes, "ho is utterly crazed,
for he asked me just now to marry him—which f
would nor do for the Indies—aril is gone away in a
passion to find a paper that will prove, he says,
that I am that other Laura something."
There was something so ludicrous in all this,
however vexatious and insulting under the circum
stances—the recent death of the husband, and the
young widow's unprotected state—that neither of
its could forbear laughing at the conelpsion of Mrs.
Irwin's . story. It struck me, too, that Renshawe
had conceived a real and ardent passion for the very
comely and interesting person before us—Gist
prompted, no doubt, by her accidental likeness .to
the portrait ; and that some mental flaw or other
caused him to confound her with the Laura who
had in early life excited the same emotion in his
I mind.
Laughable as the matter was in one sense, there
was—and the fair widow had noticed it as well as
myse;l—a serious, menacing expression in the
man's eye not to be trifled with; and at her earnest
l iegnest we accompanied her to her own apartment,
to which Renshaw° threatened soon to return.—
We 1,1.1 not been a minute in the room when his
hurtled f:ite.ps was hea:d approachinr!, and Mrs. Wa-
tent and (,stepped hastily into an adjoining ,closet,
where. we could hear and panly see all that passed.
Renetawe's speech trembled with fervency and an
ger Is he broke at once into the subject with, which
his disordered brain was reeling.
You will not dare to say wilt you that you do
not remember this song—that these pencil marks in
the margin were not made by you thirteen years
ago?" he menacingly ejaculated.
" I know nothing about the song, Mr. Renshawe,"
rejoined the young woman, with more spirit than
she might have exhibited but for my near presence.
"It is really such nonsense. Thiiteen years ago l
was only about nine years of age."
" You persist, then, unfeeling woman, in this
cruet deception ! After alt, too, that I have suffer.
ed ; the days of gloom, the nights of horror, since
that tearful moment when I beheld you dragged, a
lifeless corpse from the water, and they told me
you were dead !"
" Dead ! Gracious goodness, Mr. Renshawe, don't
go on in this shocking way ! I was never dragged
out of a pond, nor supposed to be dead—never !
You quite frighten one."
" Then you and 1, your sister, and that thrice-ac
cused Bedford, did pot, on the 7th of August, 1821,
go for a sail on the piece of water at Lowfield, and
the skill was not, in the deadly, sudden, jealous strife
between him and me, accidentally upset 1 But 1
know how it is ; it is this brat, and the memories
he recalls, that—"
"Mrs. Irwin screamed, and I stepped sharply
into the room. The grasp of the lunatic was on the
child's throat. I loosed it somewhat roughly, throw
ing him oil - with a force that brought him to the
ground. lie rose quickly, glared at me with a ti
ger-like ferocity, and then darted out of the room.
The affair had become serious, and the same night
posted a letter to Yorkshire, informing Mr. Ox
ley of what had occurred, and suggesting the pro
priety of his immediately coming to London. Mea
sures were also taken for securing Mrs. Irwin and
her son from molestation.
But the cunning of lunacy is not easily baffled.—
On returning home the fourth evening alter the des
patch of my letter, I found the house and immedi
ate neighborhood in the wildest confusion. My
own wife was in hysterics. Mrs. Irwin, I was told
by half-a-dozen tongues at once, was dying ; and .
the frightful cause of all was, that little George Ir
win, a favorite with everybody, bad in some unac
countable manner fallen into the river Lea, and
been drowned. This, at least, was the general con•
viction, although the river had been dragged to no
purpose—the poor child's black beaver hat and
feather having been discovered floated to the bank,
a considerable way down the stream. The body,
it was thought had been carried out into the Thames
by the force of the current.
A terrible suspicion glanced norms my mind,—
" Where is Mr. Renshawe 7" I asked. Nobody
knew. Be had not been seen since tive o'clock
about the time, I soon tacertained, that the child
was missed. I had the house cleared, as quickly
as possible, of the numerous gossips that crowded
it, and then sought a conference with. Dr. Garland,
who was with Mrs. Irwin. The distracted mother
had, I found, been profusely bled and cupped, and
it was hoped that brain fever which bad been ap
prehended, would not ensue. The physician's sus
picions pointed the same way as mine; but he de.
dined committing himself to any advice, and f was
left to act according to my own discretion. I was
new to such matters at that time—unlortunately so,
as it proved, or the affair might have had t less
painful issue.
Tom line and I remained up, waiting for the re.
turn of Mr. Renshavre; and as the long, slow hours
limped past, the night silence only broken by the
dull moaning and occasional spasmodic screams of
poor Mrs. Irwin, I grew very much :excited. The
prolonged absence of Mr. Rensbawe confirmed my
impressions of his guilt, and f deternined to tax
him with it, and take him into custody the instant
he appeared. It was two in the morning before ho
did so;, and the nervous fumbling, for full ten min
utes, with hislatch-key, betnre he could open the
door, quite prepared me for the spectral like aspect
he presented on entering. Ile had met somebody,
it afterwards appeared, outside, who had assured
hinr that the mother of the child was either dead or
dying. He never drank, I . knew, bat he staggered
as if intoxicated ; and after lie had with difficulty
reached the head of the stairs, in my reply to my
question as to where he had been, be could only
stutter with white trembling lips ;
" It—it—cannot be—be true—that Lau—that
Mrs, Irwin is—dying r
" Quite true, Mr. Renshawe," I very imprudent:
ly replied, and in much too loud a tone, for we
were but a few paces from Mrs. Irwin's bedroom
door. " And it, as I suspect, the child had been
drowned by you, you will have before long two
murders on your head "
A choking, bubbling noise came from the wretch
ed man's throat, and his shaking angers vainly
strove to loosen his neck-tie. At the same moment
I heard a noise, as of struggling, in the bedroom,
and the nurse's voice is eager remonstrance. lin
sternly made a movement towards Mr. Renshawe,
with a view to loosen his cravat—his features be
ing frightfully convulsed, and to get him out Of the
way as quickly as possible, for I guessed what was
about to happen—when he mistaking my intention,
started back, turned halt round, and found himself
confronted by Mrs. Irwin, her pale features and
white night dress dabbled with blood, in conse-
quence of a partial disturbance of the bandages in
struggling with the nurse—a terrifying, ghastly
sight evert to me; to him utterly overwhelming,
and scarcely needing her frenzied execrations on
the murderer of her child to deprive him utterly al
all remaining sense and strength. He suddenly
reeled, threw his arms wildly in the air, anll before
I could stretch forth my hand to save himatpeay.
ily backwards from the edge of the sffibte stairs
where he was standing to the bottom. Tomlin!
and 1 hastened whir assistance, lifted him up, and
as we did so a jet of blood austral from his mouth.
EMI
He had otherwise received a terrible, wound near
the right temple, from which the life-stream issued
copiously.
We got him to bed.' Dr. Garland and a neigh
hering surgeon wrp soup with os, an,prompt reme
dies were applied. It was a fruitless labor. Day
bad scarcely dawned before we heard from the
pby
sician's lips that life with him was swiftly ebbing
to its ChM*. He was perfectly conscious and col
lected. Happily there was no stain of murder on
his soul; he had merely enticed the child away,
and placed him, under an ingenious pretence, with
an acquaintance at Canden-Town ; and by this time
both he and his mother were standing, awe struck
and weeping, by Henry Renshawe's deathbed
He had thrown the child's hat into the river, and
his motive in Thus acting appeared to have been a
double one. In the first place, because he thought
the boy's likeness to his father was the chief obsta
cle to Mrs. Irwin's toleration of his addresses; and
next, to bribe her into oompliarce by a promise to
restore her son. But he could not be deemed ac
countable for his actions. "I think," he murmur
ed brokenly, " that the delusipn was partly self
cherished, or of the Evil One. I observed the like
ness long before, but it was not till the--the hus
band was dying, the idea fastened itself upon my
aching brain, and grew there. But the world is
passing ; forgive me—Ellen—Laura... l
He was dead !
PAT AT TEO Post OFFICE —A dandified looking
chap, who was waiting for the mail to arrive at the
post-office, took his seat in a rhair and stuck his
feet on the window sill. Presently Patrick mime
from Squire Lewis's letters. Pat 49*ed tobacco ;
and as he too had to wait, he began spitting his
nice round the floor.
" I say, you fellow," said thedandy, " alr;—ah—
what the d—l makes you spit so, eh !"
Tobacey, yer honor," said Pat, with a merry
twinkle in the corner of his eye.
" Ah, possibly," said the dandy, in a rather
drawling manner; " but don't you see you hare
made the prae.e into a regular, hog-pen !"
Paddy tinned round, and looling, the dandy di
rectly in the face, replied—
" Be my sowl, yer honor, if it is a hog-pen yer
Making yourself at home, any way."
The ace' was stooling upon the dandy. He
bounded from his chair, and throwing a ferocious
look at the grinning Hibernian, he strode out of the
room, muttering as he went, that "the vulgawity
of these dem faweigners was quite pwepostertnis."
—Carpel Br g.
As ANECDOTO AND • GOOD Oise —,We an.] in the
" Courts of Europe at the close of the last Century,"
by Henry Swinburne, just published in London,
the following illustration of American manners :
"An English officer, Cul A—, was traveling
in a stage coach to New York, and was extremely
annoyed by a free and enlightened citizen's per
petual spitting across him , out of the window. He
bore it patiently for some time, till at last he ven
tured to remonstrate, when the other said.
" Why, Colonel, I estimate yonere poking fun
at me—Libel I do. Now, I'm not agoing to chaw
my own bilge water, not for no man; besides, you
need not look so thundering big. Why, I've par
deed all my life, and could spit through the eye of
a needle without touching the steel—let alone such
a great saliva box at that there WI -.dim?'
Cul. A— retnained tranquil fur some time ; at
last his anger got up, and he spat bang in his com
panion's face, exclaiming—.
" I beg you a thousand pardons, squire, but I've
not practiced as much as you have. No doubt by
the time we reach New York, I shall be as great a
dabster as you are."
The other rubbed his eye, and rern4irted bouche
close.
THE Sms.—The unusual spectacle is now pre
sented of all the visible Planets being above the
horizon early in the night ; and they are so distrib
uted as to mark the line of the piptic, or the plane
of their own and the Earth's orbits, with distinct
ness. With Venus in the West, said lobe more
fiant al present than at any time with!n the last ten
years, and Jupiter with the usual splendor in the
East, with the " letter lights" Mars and Saturn be
tween them, the arrangement of the planetary orbs
affords an interesting view to all who take pleasure
in such contemplations. Mars now appears much
reduced in size and brilliancy, on account of the
relative position of himself and the Earth in their
respective orbits, but still retains his ruddy glow,—
The pale white light cf Saturn snakes him appear
like a star of the second magnitude. These, with
the fine constellations of the Scorpion, Lyra, and
the Great Bear, all visible at presi*t, make the
contemplation of the "starry heavens" interesting
and instructive.
F.xcr.ssyrs: MonvsTr.--Disraeli tells us ot a man
of letters, of England, who had passed his life in
constant study ; and it war observed that he had
written several folio volumes, which his modest
fears would not permit him to evpose to the eye
even of his critical friends. He promised to leave
his labors to posterity ; and he seemed sometimes,
with a glow on his countenance, to exult that 'they
would not be unworthy of their accep'ance. At his
dew!), his sensibility took the alarm; he had the
folios brought,to his be.l ; no one could open them,
for they were closely locked. At the sight' of his
favorite and mysterious labors, he winced ; he
seemed disturbed in his mind, while he felt at every
moment his strength decaying.. Suddenly he rais
ed his feeble hands by an eflort of firm resolve,
burnt his papers, and smiled as the greedy Vulcan
licked up every page. ,Zhe ia4k exhausted hi• re
maining strength, and he soon alter expired.-,-Cham
bers' Journal.
The or oldest inhabitant" is a man who has known
the Mississippi river ever since it was a small
creek,
=I
hiend.the'pthit itaiabotitifie
late CDV. Dakio,.he related a little !meditate which
is so characteristic of the man that we cannot retrain
from repeating it, tho Ugh we think something of the
same kitulyias told bytere of, : mu comapouilents
during the Mexican war.
Tho Colonel co:trio:ruled one of the
_six regji
menu of votunteers wriraisc 1 in Kis Stale,
alter the battle el Pato Alto' amt Plesace de la Palma
and which joined - Gen. Taylor's zraiy speedily.—
The Colonel was an! old ;very Strict
and capable, and in a short time his regiment excit
ed the admiration of veteran regular officers, by !her
ease-end precision With •whith it drilled and raq
- • ' • .
nittlVied , .
One morning the regiment were drawn rip and
the men Were standing at case, after a variety of
marches and charges and eootutiong when the Col.
took it into his head to put their discipline to a
strong test. The regiment au thrmin into a square
to receive cavalry. The commander rode off a feat
hundred yards, and then wheeling his horse, came
down sword in hand, at a fierce gallop straight at
his men. He trd his steed /armed air imposing
object, for he war a big man, and his steed was a
big horse, and neither appeared to fear the glittering
and bristling array of bayonets against which they
were rushing. The men 'stood the charge very
welt until the horse and his rider were Within a feW
feet; then they broke right and left in confusion,
and opened a broad passage for the "cavalry" into
their ranks.
Of course the Col was wroth, and the way the
men and officers caught it, for a few moments, Was'
by no means agreeable to their feelings. " You
form a equate ! You repel cavalry ! Why what
would you have done if a thousand dragoons hatf
charged on you as I did'?"
" Well, just try us again, Col , and see if we
don't hurt your feelings f' cried a number of die.
comfitted volunteers The square was again forrr
ed ; oft rode the Col round he wheeledould here
he came again at fell speed rushing straight at the
bayotie's, and looked as if he would crush them
to powder under the charger's heels. The bayonets
wavered not, though the Norse game faster arid las-
I ter, and finally with a terrible bound, sprang at
the square. The square stood the shock, and the
next moment the horse was stretched on the ground
with a broken bayonet in his side, and his limbs
quivering in the death agony, whilelthe stout rider
lay, with his foot and knee caught, and himself on
able to rise. Not a man tnovetlthe square was
silent steady and unbroken. In another instant the
Colonel was on his feet. He replaced his sword
in the scabbard, looked gravely and cooly at thp
dead horse, and at the firm array of soldiers and'
then said in his usual quiet way—" Very well done
my boys—both the horse and the square did then'
duty. Now you'r ready for the lancers."
The men cheered—not a title.
Yuman HODIESPUN.— (1 When I lived in Maine,"
said Uncle Ezra, " I helped to break up a new
piece ol ground. We got the wood off in Winter,
and early in the Spring we begun plowing on't. It
was so eonsamed rocky that we had to get forty
yoke of oxerr to one plow—we did, faith; ant I
held that plow more'n a week I thought I should
die II e'en most killed me., I vow. Why. one
day I was hold's, and the plow hi! a stump which
measured nine feet and ri half through it, hard and
sound white oak. The plow split it, and I was go.
ing straight throngh it when I happened to think it
might snap together again, so I threw my feet out,
and had no sooner done this than it snapped togeth -
er, taking a smart hold of the seat ol my pantaloons.
Of course I was tight, but I held on the plow han
dles; and, though the teamsters did all they could,
that team or eighty oxen could not tear my panto
loons, nor cause me to let go my grip. Al last,
thought, after letting the cattle breathe, they gave
another strong pull altogether, and the old stump
came out about the quickest. It had monstrous
long roots too, let me tell you. My wife made the
cloth for them pantaloons, and I haven't worn any
other kind since." The only reply made to this
was: " I should have thought it would come hard
opon your suspenders?'
Q- THE following we consider quite neatly
said :—" 13e not too ready to pronounce what you
think, a bad youth will necessarily become a bad
man. Yonder sturdy oak may have grown from
an acorn that had been rejected by a hog !"
(--• Ow Mrs. Pilkins was reading the foreign
news by a late arrival, ((Cotten is declining !" ex
claimed the old lady. " J thought. as mnch
--the last thread I used was remarkably feeble.'
Never attempt to do anything that not right.—
Jost so sure as yob do, you will g,et in trouble. Sin
always brings sorrow sooner or later. II you even
suspect that anything is wicked, do rt not until you
are sure your suspicions are around-less.
Kr Soar. men devote themselves so exclusive•
ly to their business as to almost entirely neglect
their domestic and social relations. A gentleman
of this class having faiteil, was asked what ho in
tended to do. ,4 lam going home to get acquaint
ed with my wife and children," said he.
DEATH %T u Gnu=Fortm.—The wife of Mr.
John Davis : of Bohlen, NLISF , while suffering from
a severe toothache, induced her physician to let her
inhale chloroform, for the purpose at haring the
tooth extracted, when upon inhalation she expired
Mons persons tall out concerning the right
roadie heaven, than ever get to Ow end of their
Journey.
THRRE are two things +Mali cannot ha too short
—pie crust and communications for a newspaper,
Ba slow M forming intimate connexions; they
may Wing dishonor and misery.
CISME!
..~....:-~~rn~s~--: ; s..sq~ ~
-
IMSE
- • • 1,,
• •
- ' -
_
- •
.
Ell
i
r")
jai aAdak*
. ~'L ~~