PILAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
* • * ——
Thursday Morning, November 4,1858.
ftlctftb IJottrj.
HARVEST FESTIVAL ODE.
BV J. G. WHITTIER.
Th i , Jay, one hundred years apo,
The wild grape by the river side,
And tasteless ground-nuts trailing low,
The table of the woods supplied.
Unknown the apples red and gold,
The blushing tint of peach and pear ;
The mirror of the powwow told
No tale of orchards ripe and rare.
Wild as the fruits he scorned to till.
The vales the idle Indian trod ;
Nor knew the glud, creative skill.
The joy of him who toils with God.
0. Painter of the fruits and flowers!
We thank Thee for Thy wise design
Whereby these human hands of ours
In Nature's garden work with Thine.
And thanks, that from our daily need
The joy of simple faith is born ;
That he who smites the summer weed,
May trust Thee for the autumn com.
Give fools their gold and knaves their power,
bet fortune's bubbles rise and fall ;
Who sows a field, or trains a flower ;
Or plants a tree, is more than all.
Fur he who blesses more is blest;
And God and man shall own his worth
Who toils to leave as his bequest
Au added beauty to the earth.
And. soon or late, to all that sow
The time of harvest shall be given ;
The flower shall bloom, the fruit shall grow
If not on earth, at last in heaven !
ilisnllantaas.
THI LAST VICTIM OF THE GAUNTLET.
An imperial rescript, bearing the Date of
the 20th August, 1854, and the signature of;
the Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, has i
abolished for evermore within the realms of the
whole Austrian empire that terrible chastise
ment—running the gauntlet. Terrible as it
was. indeed —a cruel aud barbarous remnant :
of those dark and dismal times calDd the mid
dle ages. 1 witnessed the last execution of !
this kind, and record it for the benefit of those
who still cling with a strange fondness even to
the worst legacies of by-gone centuries.
0u an autumn morning in the year 1851,
the garrison of the fortress of Theresienstadt,
on the Eger river, in Bohemia, was formed'in
a large square on the spacious place before the
residence of the commandant. In the middle j
cf the square, drawn up iu file, stood a com- I
piny of the rifle battalion, to which the delin
quent belonged. It was understood, each pri
vate (there were three hundred) being pro
vided with a switch, and placed at a small dis
tance from his next man. At the tenth stroke
of the clock the drums were beaten, and amidst
a silence deep and oppressive the prisoner was
marched into the square.
He was as line-looking a man as ever I have
et eyes upon—tall, powerful, and well formed.
His handsome features, to which a black mous
tache gave a bold and martial expression,shone
forth iu the full glow and vigor of manhood,
only they were of a deadly paleness.
11c was- a non-commissior.ed officer, and du
ring the last campaign in Italy, iu 1849, he
had distinguished himself in such a manner that
his superior officers had recommended him for
promotion. Austria is more generous than
England towards those that shed blood iu her
service, and he would have been maec a com
missioned officer long since—in spite of his
humble origin and his poverty—if it had not
been for a fatal impediment. This impediment
wns his own passionate temper ; he was a very
choleric man ; harsh and brutal towards his
inferiors, morose and stubborn towards his su
periors whenever they deemed it necessary to
check or rebuke him. He was hated by the
men to the utmost. There was not a private
in the whole battalion that hhd not vowed him
revenge. He had never made one friend, nor
did he care to have one. Strict in the per
formance of his military service—the most mi
nor duties of which he discharged with the ut
most exactness—he went his own way, proud,
reserved, solitary. Innumerable were the pun
ishments which he had brought upon the men;
for, however slight the offeuce might be, he
*as sure not to pass it over in sileuce.
His superior officers respected him for his
usefulness, his ability, and his exactitude, but
Hjey did not like him. The evident lack of
humanity m the man made him au object of
doubt rather than of love. Moreover there
tfas a yague rumor about his having once
struck at his own officer in a pell-mell caused
hy a band to hand encounter with the enemy.
Jbe report neycr took a clear shape, the officer
having been killed during the engagement, aud
fke gossipings of a few wounded soldiers bav
ing been much to incoherent and contradictory
to lead to a formal investigation of the matter;
besides it was at the victory of Novarra. He
had greatly distinguished himself, and old
hield Marshall liadetsky had, with his own
hands, affixed the golden medal on his breast.
The rumor, however, together with the know
ledge of his harsh and violent temper, caused
his name to be erased from the list of those
that were recommended for higher promo
tion.
hen this incident was made known to him
he became eveu more sullen, mere rigid, more
cr uel than ever ; but always, a* it was well un
derstood, for the benefit of the service, the
lightest demands of which he performed with
l h same immutable strictness as he cuforced
"'era to be done by others.
A few weeks previous to the dreadful pun
'shmerit which he had now to undergo he was
punting guard in the outworks with some
tweuty or twenty-five men of his own company.
'• a chilly, rainy uight; aud when the
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
aentry was relieved they were glad to stretch
themselves—wet as they were—upon the floor
near the large stove in the middle of the gnard
room. The floor not being very clean, (floors
seldom are in these localities,) and the white
uniforms being wet, it was no wonder that the
dirt adhered to them with a tenacity that de
fied all exertions to rub it off, when the wear
ers were roused by this Serjeant to prepare for
standing guard once more. The more they
tried to rub their clothes clean the more sturd
ily he lent a helping hand to their endeavors
by an application of the sad equipment of every
Austrian non-commissioued officer—the stick.
Whilst he was fully at work, cutting away at
the men with a powerful arm, the door open
ed, and the officer on duty entered the guard
room.
" Attention!" commanded the Serjeant; and,
saluting his superior, made the usual report
that nothing worth remarking had happened.
The officer, a young ensign, fresh from the
military school, and almost a boy, took no no
tice of this important news, but asked the Ser
jeant in a brisk and somewhat impetuous man
ner. " What he was agaiu striking the men
for ?"
The serjeant, already much annoyed at this
interference, gave a surly and uuwilling an
swer ; and, when the young officer rebuked
him, in a severe and somewhat haughty man
ner, the violent aud passiouate man, losing all
self-control, lifted up his baud aguinst his of
ficer.
It is but one fatal moment, quick as light
ning. The uplifted hand never descended ; it
was caught by a dozen powerful arms. He
was felled to the gronnd and disarmed. Half
an hour afterwards he found himself in irous
in the casements.
Lifting the arm against a superior is consid
ered a capital crime. In this case it had been
committed while both parties were on duty,
aud the Austrian military laws are the very
last in the world to be trifled with. The fol
lowing day he was tried by court-martial, and
sentenced to be shot. When the sentence was
forwarded to the competent authority for rati
fication, it happened to be the superior's anni
versary day ; capital punishment was commu
ted, the criminal had to run the gauntlet.
A cruel act of grace was this commutation!
When the first sentence had been read over to
him, he had been cold and impassable ; not a
muscle of bis proud face stirred. He did uot
fear death ; he had looked it in the face many
a time without flinching, and to die in the open
air pierced by a dozen balls—a soldier's death
—what should he care much for that ? But
when he was informed that lie had to run the
gauntlet twice through his company, after hav
ing been previously degraded, he trembled for
the first time in his life. He knew of many a
soldier who had run the gauntlet thrice through
a whole battalion, and not been the worse for
it after all ; he knew of some who had even
married afterwards, and brought up families of
children ; he was fully aware that the issue of
this terrible torture depended entirely upon
the dispositions of the men. Dreadful reflec
tion ! Above all, he thought of the shame,
the dishonor—and his proud heart was well
nigh giving way.
On the evening previous to the punishment,
the second rifle battalion of Khcrenhuller in
fantry would have been unfit for service ; the
men were drunk. They had got up a carousal
in joy and honor of the coming day. But in
the morning they were sober enough. The
drums ceased to beat as soon as the prisoner
had arrived in the middle of the square ; his
escort fell back. He stood alone near the
right wing of the company. There was a dead
silence ; not a respiration was to be heard from
all the thousands gathered on the spot. The
commanding officer read the sentence over to
him for the second time. This done he exhort
ed the men according to custom, to dispeuse
with all feelings of compassion ; and to do
their duty conformably to the law. The col
ouel went through this part of the formality in
a quick hurried inuDner ; as if he were unwill
ing to perform it. So he was ; he knew but
too well that, in this instauce, there was no
need whatever of exhortation. These prelimi
naries being over, the prisoner was delivered
into the hands of the provost.
When the latter tore off from his uniform
the golden lace and galloons—the marks of his
military rank—throwing them, together with
the gold medal, at his feet, the fuce of the un
fortunate man became purple, and his dark
eyes flashed fire, when he was stripped of his
coat and shirt, and placed at the entry of the
terrible street through which he had to pass,
he became pale again. Two soldiers went
ahead of him ; they marched backward with
their bayonets presented to bis breast, so as t
force him to keep measure to a drum which
brought up the rear. The drum was muffled ;
its slow aud dismal beats sounded like the mu
sic of a funeral procession.
When he received the first stroke his fea
tures assumed an expression of pain, and his
firm-set lips quivered slightly. This was, how
ever, the only sign of sensation. Crossing his
arms over his breast and pressing his teeth
close together, his proud face remained hence
forth immovable. His merciless enemies en
joyed but an incomplete triumph after all; they
might slash his body in pieces, but his proud
and indomitable spirit they could not break.
The blows descended with fearful violence up
on him. After the first dozen blood came ;
but never did he utter one single exclamation
of pain ; never—not even with a look—did he
implore for mercy. An expression of scorn and
disdain was deeply set on his face, as pale as
death. When be had reached at last the left
wing of the company, his lacerated back pre
sented a frightful appearance. Even his most
exasperated enemies might well have been sat
isfied now ; if it had but been possible, the
commanding officer himself would have inter
ceded in his behalf ; but this was not even to
be thought of ; the law must have its course.
Tbey faced him right about ; be had to make
the same way back again.
There was oue formality connected with
this punishment which was a cruel, barbarous
and shameful mockery ; the delinquent had to
thauk his executioners for his tortures.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'HEARA GOODRICH.
" REFFIARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
When the victim had arrived at the file
leader of the right wing of his company, and
the dreadful execution was over at last, he
threw one last, long look, full of contempt, at
his tormentors. Then he was seen staggering
like a drunken man toward a commanding of
ficer. His eyes, swollen with blood, beamed
with unnatural brightness, his respiration was
short and painful ; touching his head with his
right hand, in token of the military salute, he
said in a voice that came out of his throat with
a rattling sound, but that was nevertheless dis
tinctly audible all over the place: "I have to
thank your honor for this exquisite punish
ment," and fell down dead.
Is THIS TRUE ? —There is a proverb that " a
father can more easily maintain six children,
than six children one father." Is this true ?
Has the ingratitude of children passed into a
proverb? Luther relates this story:
There was once a father who gave up every
thing to his children, his house, his fields, and
his goods, and expected that for this his chil
dren would support him. But after he had
been some time with his son, the latter grew
tired of him, and said to him, " Father, I have
had a son born to me to-night, aud there,
where your arm chair stands, the cradle must
ccme ; will you not perhaps go to my brother,
who has a larger room ?" After he had been
some time with the second son he also grew
tired of him, aud said, " Father, you like a
warm room, and that hurts my head. Won't
you go to my brother, the baker ?" The father
went, and after he had been some time with
the third son, he also found him burdensome,
and said to him, " Father, the people run in
and out here all day, as if it were a pigeon
house, and you cannot have your noon-day
sleep ; would you not be better off at my sister
Kate's near the town wall ?" The old man
remarked how the wind blew, and said to him
self, " Yes, I will go and try it with my daugh
ter. Women have softer hearts " But after
he had spent some time with his daughter, she
grew weary of him, aud said she was always
so fearful when her father went to church or
anywhere else, and was obliged to descend the
steep stairs; and at her sister Elizabeth's there
was no stairs to descend, as she lived on the
ground floor. For the sake of peace the old
man assented, and went to his other daughter.
But after sometime she too was tired of him,
and told him by a third person that her house
near the water was too damp for a man who
suffered from the gout, and her sister the grave
digger's wife at St. Johns, had much drier
lodgings. The old man himself thought she
was right, and went outside of the gate to his
youngest daughter Helen. But after he had
been three days with her, her little son said to
his grandfather, " Mother said yesterday to
cousin Elizabeth that there was no better
chamber for him than father digs,'' These
words broke the old man's heart so that he
sauk back in his chair and died.
THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. —The Ex
ecutive Committee of this Society have put
forth a touching appeal for funds. The circu
lar says :
"We inay not conceal from the friends of
the Society that the deficiency of contributions
in the first five months of the current year as
compared with the lust year, amounts to $15,-
000 ; and that unless relief be speedily afford
ed, we must turn awav from opening doors of
usefulness, and even forsake vast fields of labor
upon which wc have already entered."
The Ohio state Journal says that this state
of things was foreseen by the opposers of the
policy adopted by the Society last Spring. It
was then said that its expedient of silence in
regard to the moral duties growing out of sla
very would bring leanness upon the Society,
and prediction is verified. The urgent appeal
of the committee for relief will hardly lie re
garded with much favor. Earnest Christians
do uot care to pay cash to uphold an organiza
tion which strains at a gnat—fulminates Tracts
against dancing—but swallows the camel, Sla
very. It can publish Tracts urging upon
masters to give to their servants that which is
just and equal. The master is rich and power
ful, the servant is poor and despised, and the
Tract Society sides with the former. If the
Society is really desirous of opening the doors
of usefulness, let it abandon its craven policy
and we doubt not relief will be speedily afford
ed Until it does this, it has no right to ex
pect anything but "deficiency of contributions."
DANCING THEIR RAGS OFF. —Two unsophis
ticated country lasses visited Niblo's, in New
York, dnring the ballet season. When the
short-skirted, gossamcr-clad nymphs made their
appearance on the stage, they became restless
and fidgetty.
44 O, Annie 1" exclaimed one, solo voice.
44 Well, Mary."
44 It isn't nice. I don't like it."
44 Hush, the folks will notice you."
44 I don't care ; it isn't nice, and I wonder
aunt brought us to such a place."
44 Hush, Mary, the folks will laugh at you."
After one or two lliugs and a pirouette, the
blushing Mary said ;
"O Annie, let's go ; it isn't nice, aud I don't
feel comfortable."
"Do hush, Mary," replied the sister, whose
own fate was scarlet though it wore an air of
determination; "it's the first time I ever was at
a theater, and I suppose it will be the last, so
I'm just going stay if they dance every rag off
their backs ?"
FII'NC.ER PROCF.—BOSWFI.I,, the biographer
and v.'orsbipper of Dr. Johnson, observing to
the latter that there was no instance of a
beggar dying for want in the streets of Scot
land—" I believe, sir, you are very right," says
Johnson, " but this does not arise from the
want of beggars, but the iraposibility of starv
ing a Scotchman."
PRENTICE, of the Louisville Jownal, thus
hits the present fashion of low neck dresses.—
He says : " it is supposed that angels do uot
wear dresses. Our fashionable ladies arc
getting more and more angelic every year."
[From The London Journal.]
The Haunted Road-side Inn.
Robert, an innkeeper in a small, flourishing
town on the Upper Rhine, had become rich
through the custom which his honse had for
many years enjoyed. All at once, however, at
fell off ; for travellers who had been iu the
habit of putting up there, either avoided the
place altogether, or preferred the inferior ac
commodations of another inn. Of the cause of
this decline of his trade lie could not long re
main ignorant. The fact was, that this house
was haunted by a ghost ; and what traveler,
weary with his journey would like to have
his rest broken at night by the pranks of a
spectre ?
Sigisraund, a distant relative, who had an eye
on the fair Ilosina, the onlv daughter of the
host, had of late years been frequently at this
house, either on visits to the family, or when
traveling upon business, lie was accustomed
always to sleep in the same room in the upper
story; and there lie was destined to make the
discovery, so unlucky to his kinsman, that the
honse was haunted.
One night,when all the family had retired to
bed, and where in their first sleep. Sigismund
was aroused by the spectre. Almost beside him
self with terror, lie rushed out in his shirt,
ready to break his neck down stairs, he called
up the master of the house. It was not with
out great difficulty that Robert could draw
from him au explanation respecting the nature
of the circumstance which had thrown him into
such vehement alarm. Ilaviug at length some
what recovered from the fright occasioned by
the apparation, he gave the landlord the fol
lowing account.
" I was fast asleep, when a white, death like
figure opened my door, which I had locked be
fore 1 went to bed. The noise awoke me. The
spectre had a bunch of keys in one hand, and
iu the other a lamp which gave but a feeble
light. It walked past my bed, paced the room
several times, then set the lamp down on the
table, aud slipped into bed with me. I endea
vored to cry out, but could not. Fear and
horror paralyzed my senses. God knows how j
I got out of bed without falling a prey to the
hideous apparation !"
The trembling Robert awoke his people,and
after maturely considering the pros and COBS, lie
ventured, in their company, and well armed, to
approach the haunted chamber, lie found the
door fast. Sigismund,as far as he could recol- j
lect, had pulled it after him, that the ghost
mitrlit have less chance to overtake him in his
flight. As lie had taken out the key of the
door after locking it when lie went to bed,and
laid it on the table that stood by his bedside.it
was found necessary to bring the master-key
before they could gain admission. This was
accordingly done ; and all eyes looked round
for the spectre, but in vain—it was gone. Si
gismund, However, durst not resume possession !
of his deserted bed tor the remainder of the i
night.
Robert could not tell what to think of the
story of his kinsman. He was too well ae
qnianted with his character to suspect that he
was playing off a hoax ; lie knew, too, that he
was not a greater coward than himself ; he
had, therefore, no just cause to doubt the ac
raoy of his statement. At the same time, lie ■
was vexed when he reflected that the spectre
might think fit to return ; his house would, in
consequence, get a bad name, and his business
might be ruined In spite, then, of his exces
sive fear of ghosts, as there was a possibility of
delusion, he deemed it incumbent on him to in
vestigate the matter more closely. To this end
he repaired, the following night, accompanied
by I'etcr, the most trusty of his people, well
armed to the haunted chamber. He assigned
to I'eter, the post of danger and honor by the
door, while he himself took possession of an
easy chair, at the remotest corner of the room.
The great house lantern containing a lighted
candle, was placed on the table.
Long did they thus wait in vain for the visit
of the spectre. Both of them found it difficult
to keep their eyes open, and nothing but the
supposed danger of their enterprise furnished
them with usual powers of vigilance. Sleep,
nevertheless,began toexercise its despotic sway
over the landlord. He could not help nodding
and it was but now and then, and with incohe
rent words, that, he answered the observations
addressed to him by Peter. The latter, mean
while, heard, as lie thought, something coming
up stairs, and imagined that he could distin
guish soft steps. The effect on his sleepy senses
was powerful and instantaneous. lie gave his
master notice of the impending attack. Sleep,
however, had complete power over the laud
lord ; and, under these circumstances, Peter
deemed himself justified in leaving his post and
arousing his master,by no very gentle shake, to
the conflict. Both, trembling, drew their cut
lasses, and took post behind the arm-chair.—
The spectre was already at the door, and the
hunch of keys which it carried rattled like
chains. The door opened, and the figure of a
living corpse presented itself. It was covered
from head to foot by a white shroud, walked
twice around the room, and then glided,with a
deep sigh, into the bed.
Glad to see the coast thus far clear, Robert
seized the lantern, and made a precipitate re
treat clown stairs—not only leaving his arms in
the possession of the enemy, but in his haste,
dashed the lantern with such force against the
balusters, that it was shattered to pieces.
Peter, who at first appearance of the
spectre, had squeezed his eyes together, and in
his fright commended hissonl to all the saints,
Imd meanwhile suuk on the floor behind the
arm-chair, lie saw nothing,heard but litttle of
what was passing about him, and awaited his
senses—only served to increase his stupefac
tion.
Robert hurried to his bed, without undress
ing, and covered himself over,head and ears,in
the clothes ; so low had his courage fallen after
its late excitement. Xext morning, at a very
early hour, he called up his servants and family,
and eagerly inquired how poor Peter was ; hut
no one had seen or heard anything of him since
the preceding night.
The cheering light of day, which dispels fear,
acd restores, eourugt to the faint heart, ewe
more raised Robert's spirits. Accompanied by
bis people, he went in search of his lost atten
dant,to the place where lie had left him. Peter,
probably fatigued and exhausted with terror,
had sunk into the arms of his kind deliverer,
sleep—and lay snoring, at full length, on the
floor behind the arm-chair. His good natnred
master rejoiced sincerely at this sight ; for he
was sorely afraid lest the spectre had carried
oil' the popr fellow.
The adventure of the night, was soon known
to all the towns-folk. The more sensible of
them laughed heartily at the landlord's absurd
conduct, and called him a stupid, superstitous,
chicken-hearted coward. This language soon
reached his ears, and vexed him to such a de
gree that he repaired immediately to the bur
gomaster of the town to make affidavit of the
particulars of the affair. At the same time,
he requested the magistrate to take measures
for ascertaining the reality of the apparation ;
for in no other way could he retrive his lost
honor iu the estimation of the incredulous
public.
The magistrate complied with his request,and
the towu sergeant was sent for, with four cour
ageous fellows, to pass the next night in the
haunted chamber Whether the spirit deemed
its opponents,nt this instance, too formidable,or
whether it had actually decamped, so much is
certain, that it did not see fit to show itself to
the party that was anxious for its appearance.
The men repaired to their post the two succeed
ing nights, but the obstinate ghost was not to
be seen.
Robert had thus put himself to a useless ex
pense ; and, if he had previously been the talk
of the whole town, he now became the butt of
general ridicule.
It was not long before Sigismund, in com
pany with a friend again passed through the
place. He was informed that the spectre,
which had once given him sueli appalling evi
dence of Its existence, had since terrified the
landlord and Peter almost out of their lives,and
resolved not to sleep any more at his kins
man's house. The courteous solicitation of the
fair Ilosina, however, had greater influence
over him ; he could uot refuse her invitation,
and ventured once more to lodge under the
same roof with her : but only on the express
condition that he should not lie iu the haunted
chamber.
His friend and fellow traveler was of a dif
ferent way of thinking. Desirous of nu inter
view with a ghost, he insisted on having a bed
prepared for him iu the very room which the
spirit had been accustomed to visit. The
landlord was not a little gratified to think
that he had at last met with a person will
ing to avenge, as he termed it, the honor of
his house.
Sigismund's friend took his measures with
coolness and deliberation. He placed on the
table by his bed, a brace of loaded pistols, pro
vided himself with a couple of candles, in ad
tion the night lamp, went to lied unconcerned,
slept soundly, and awoke the next morning
without hearing or seeiug anything of a spirit.
He did not fail to impress upon the mind
of his companion the silliness of the fear of
apparatious, and begged of him, as a friend, to
bear him company the following night, that he
might not appear a coward iu the eyes of his
R: sin a.
Sigismund, sensible that his friend's exhorta
tions were well meant, plucked up a spirit, and
repaired with him, at bed time, to his former
chamber. All the inmates of the house had
retired to rest, and not a sound disturbed the
miduight silence. All at once, faint steps were
heard ascending the stairs and slowly approach
ing nearer and nearer to the room. The same
pale spectre, dressed in white, which had ter
rified him once before, again made its appear
ance. Sigismund, overwhelmed with horror,
uever thought of the pistols which lay near
the bed, but again sought safety iu flight,
leaving his frieud to cope, by himself, with the
ghost.
His fellow traveler, though not a little star
tled ; closely watched the apparation. It ap
proached him; and he could not help shudder
ing when he saw it prepare to get into bed
to him, he sprung out, and had a good mind
not only to quit that, but, like Sigismund, to
abandon the field also. On second thoughts,
however, he mustered courage, seized a piste 1
in one hand, and a candle in the other, drew
back a little, and thus awaited what was to
happen.
The ghost seemed to take no notice of its
armed antagonist, but so much the more closely
did he watch the apparation. He approached
nearer to the bed, on which the unwelcome
visitor lay most quietly, and scrutinized its
features. His terror gradually subdued, and
ceased to bewilder his senses. Heavens ! how
agreeably he was surprised, to recognize in the
slumbering figure the lovely Ilosina ! For tear
of disturbing the fair night walker, lie durst
not,though stronlgy tempted,steal a single kiss,
but softly quitted the room to call her parents
and his friend.
None of them,however,were in any hurry to
obey the summons. The jocose nmi confident
manner in which their guest spoke of his dis
covery, and a word which he whispered in the
ear of the landlady,induced the latter to follow
him alone to the haunted chamber, for the pur
pose of ascertaining the nature of the noctur
nal apparation.
Ashamed to be surpassed in courage by a
woman, Robert and Sigismund could not.there
fore, stay behind. They sneaked after the ad
vancc guard, and before they ventured to no
into the chamber, cautiously peeped in at the
door, while the mother's eyes had been forsoint
time fondly fixed on her darling. She knew
from former experience tlint Rosina had a pre
disposition to walking in her sleep,and she was
too thoroughly convinced of her virtue and in
nocence to attribute her being in such a situa
tion to any other cause thau that singular dis
order.
It was long before her timid spouse would
trust either the assurances of his better half or
his own senses ; till at last Rosina herself fur
nished evidence too strong to be resisted. She
quitted the bod with her eyes shut, took up the
night lamp, which had gone out, and walked
through the usiOisu.d vOnpjay,vho imuc '.ray
VOL. xrx. NO. 22.
for Iter, out of the room. They followed her in
silence, because tlicy iuid either not had suffi
cient presence of mind to awake her at first,or
because they wished to spare her the embar
rassment of so awkward a situation.
She found the way down stairs,without once
tiippiug, to her chamber. All retired again to
rest, uud Siirismuud, in particular, resumed the
place which his Kosina had occupied with very
different feelings from those with which he had
left it. The inference which lie drew in re
gard to her sentiments towards him, from her
behavior in the liveliest of all dreams could not
but be exceedingly flattering to him Nothing,
therefor*, could prevent him, next morning,
from making Kosina a formal offer of his hand,
and explaining to her parents his other views.
They had little to object, and the heart of
Itosina still less.
Thus the horrors and apprehensions of a sn
pernatura! visitation terminated in a most
joyous wedding, which was consummated in the
same chamber where the innocent Rosiua had
twice filled her lover with inexpressible
alarm.
A LITTLE DIFFICVI.TV IN* THE WAY. —An
enterprising traveling agent for a well-known
Cleveland tomb stone manufactory lately
made a business visit to a small town in an ad
joining county. Hearing in the village that a
man in a remote part of the township had lost
his wife, he thought he would gound see him
and offer him consolation and a grave stone, 011
his usual reasonable terms. He started. The •
road was a frightful one, but the agent perse
vered and finally arrived at the bereaved man's
house. Bereaved man's lured girl told the
agent that tiie bereaved man was splitting fence
rails, " overn pastur, about two inilds." The
indefatigable agent hitched bis horse and start
ed for the "pastur." After falling into all
manner of mudho'es, scratching himself with
briars and tumbling over decayed logs, the
agent at length found the bereaved man. In
a subdued voice he asked the man if he had
lost his wife. The man said he had. The
agent was very sorry to hear of it and sympa
thized with the man very deeply in his great
affliction ; but death, he said, was an insatiate
archer, and shot down all, both of high and
low degree. Informed the man that " what
was his loss was her gain," and would be glad
to sell him a grave stone to mark the spot
where the one slept—marble or com
mon stone, as he chose, at prices defying com
petition. The bereaved man said there was
"a little difficulty in the wny." " Havn't von
lost your wife V inquired the agent. " Why,
yes I have," said the man, " but uo grave stnn
ain't necessary: yon see the cussed critter ain't
dead. She's scs>oted irith another man !" The
agent retired.— Cleveland Plaindtaler.
THE NEGRO AND A BEAR. —The following
good story of fca negro's fir-t meeting wi It a
bear is told by Colonel , who hud spe: t
some of his fortune and life in the woods of
Florida ; The colonel had a black fellow, a
good uatnred, happy creature, who. one morn
ing was strolling through the woods whistling
and roaring as he went, when suddenly he
spied an individu d as black as himself, with
much more wool. Dick looked at his new
friend, and the bear his ruiup) at his.—
Dick s eyes began to stick out a feet. " Who's
dat ?" cried Dick. " Who's dat ?" again cried
Dick, shaking all over. Bruiu began to ap
proach. Di< k pulled heels for the first tree
and the brar after him. Dick was upou the
cypress, and the bear scratching close after
him. Dick moved out on a limb, the bear fol
lowed—till the limb began to bend. " Now,
see here. Mister, if you come any farder, dis
limb break. Dere ! dere ! I told you so."—
As Dick had said, the limb broke, anJ down
e.une bear and nigger ! " Dere, you black imp,
! tole you so ; dis is all your fault. Ycr broke
your neck, and I'll just take yer to mas;a
Colonel."
IIF.AT FROM THE STARS. —It is a startling
fact, that if the earth were dependent alone
upon the sun for heat, it would not get enough
to make the existence of animal and vegetable
Ife upon its surface. It results from the re
searches of Pouillet, that the stars furnish heat
enough in the course of a year to melt a crust
of ice eight-five feet thick, almost as much aa
s supplied by the sun.
This may appear strange when we consider
how immeasurably small must be the amount
received from any one of these distaut bodies.
But the surprise vanishes, when we remember
that the whole firmament is so thickly sown
with stars, that in some places thousands are
crowded together within a space no greater
than that occupied by the full moou.— l)r.
Lardner.
A SLANDER REFFTEU.—A clergyman was
charged with violently having dragged his wife
from a revival meeting, and compelled her to
go home with him. The clergyman let the
stoty travel along until he had a good oppor
tunity to give it a broadside. On being charg
ed with the offence he replied as follows : "In
the first place I never have attempted to influ
ence my wife in Iter views, nor a choice of a
meeting. Secondly—my wife has not nttend
|ed any of the revival meetings in Lowell. In
j the third place—l have not even attended any
' of the meetings for any purpose whatever.—
I To conclude—neither my wife nor myself have
i hud any inclination for these meetings. Finally
I—l never had a wife."
flow IT FELT.—" A lady friend of ours says
the first time she was kissed she felt like a big
tub of roses swimming in honey, cologne,
and cranberries. She also felt as if something
was running through her nerves on feet of
diamonds, escorted by several little Cupids in
j Chariots, drawn by angels, shaded by honey
] suckles, and the whole spread with molted rain
, hows. Jerusalem ! what power there is iu a
full breasted kiss !"
A TAILOR, who in skating, fell through tbe
ice, declared that he would cever agaiu Ievo
a hot goose tor a cold dock.