,f OJLIAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
Thursday Morning. November 7,1861.
Jhkctcb $ octal.
[From Hii|ier' Weekly.]
ON GUARD.
At nWnigbt. on my lonely beat,
\vsn shadows wrap the wood and lea,
A vision seem* =•>' view to greet
Of one at home that prays for me.
Xo rose* blow upon her cheek—
Her form is not a lover's dream-
Bat on her lace so fair and meek.
A host of holier beauties gleam.
For softly shines her silver hair,
A patient sinil*' is 011 her Im.e,
And the mild lustrous light of prayer
Around her sheds a moon-like grace.
She pray* for one that * far away—
The soldier in his h ily fight—
And begs that Heaven in mercy may
Protect ber boy and bless the Higlit.
Till, though the leagues lie far between,
This silent incense ot her heart
Steals o'er my soul with breath serene,
And we no longer are apart.
So guarding thus my lonely beat.
By shadowy wood and haunted lea,
Th.it vision scetnn my *\ve to meet
Ot her at home who prays lor me.
I VAMP CIMEKOK.
§tl f 11 c b (Dale.
Bachelor's Love Making.
Yt u would hnvtt know n it for a bachelor's
in, iht moment yon put your bead into the
r 1 uo, spicy wn-atbs of cigar smoke
.•rung tip to tlie blackens d ceiiiny newsp
ar-n tb r the table—Castile soup m the li v
roizecatd receive! lipptls on the mantle
tee. ami general confusion everywhere. And
I -t, M Tliombrouk—poor deluded mortal
Linoniv believed that his room was in the
[ a.ost perfect order. For hadn't he poked the
oiip'y champagne bottle* under the hed, and
soil die wood-la X to b> ar them company, and
: n:<r up his morning gown over the damp tow
els, and i iis.lt ri the ueh-bespriikh d heart h
with Ins l-est si.k Icanckefckit I ? He'd like to
see a room 111 In tier trim than thai—guessed
In- would .' And now In- wa mending himself
; JI. prparatoiy in gninjr to call upon tin- very
jret!test rI in N> w York Not that he was
, .rtnib Hiy fond of the needle, but when a lei
i'"s whole foot goes tliruugh the nor'heuat
■ • of Ins stocking, and there isn't a button on
. shirt, n's time to repair damages.
IN i.v, as Mi- I'lio! nl.rook's whole stock of
| r clients consisted of a lump of x, an en
' oils pair ol scis.-ors, and one needle, the
i-uicig did nut progress rapidly llis way of
I nun ging the button question, too, necessarily
M'uved some delay ; lie had t) cut all these
u-t-fil little appendages Iroin another shirt,
.id sew Ilieui on ; acd tlie iiext "V< •k, when
;.e.second siort was wanted, why it woswisy
• nigli to make the trans er again ! See what
it is to bea iiai-hidor ul genius ! It never tor
a moment occurred to him to buy a lew but
tons exit a.
" Buttons are not much trouble," said Mr.
To i n nil k to huiiself, as he wiped tin- pei'spi
ui.oii Iroiu Ids brow, '■ hut when it comes Jo
rout sleeves, what the mischief is a b liow to
U.I? I liavn't any black thread, either," and
lie Linked (iilorously at a small tear in his cl
one, Li-re some vie ousnaii iiad caught in the
toad. .otli. "A black pin may do for to
' if.!, Mini to motiow I'll send it t.) the tailor.
. - i.irt is, | ought to be married ; and so I
1 id, tl I only dared to ask Lilliun. Oh,
•fear! J know she wouldn't have me—and vet,
i ui uot so cer.aiu, citlu-r—if 1 could muster
coinage boldly to put the question ! But
•n sine lis I approach the dangerous qucs
my heart tails me And then, that pup
lf.Junes, with his curled mustache, and his
i* purled in tne middle—always hanging
' ami Lillian, and quoting uoetry to ber—if
: 'HI lia.e the privilege of kicking hiui across
- street I'd die happy ! lie isn't bashful,
" li' 1! 11 somebody would only invent a new
*• of |H)|i|iiug the question someway lli.it
'mil qiile so euiUui assiug !"
Oir in ro gave his black, glossy curls an
fl'r tiru-h, surveyed himself critically in the
D'tv, a: if Hit ii, Willi a deep Mgll, Set for ill 10
11 on the ah ntical Lillian 11 tymoud, resolv
is lit had done a thousand times before,
tbat if—(leiltap—may be—"
Oh, the tiashfuiiieSS of bachelors !
NVtien Mark Tiiorubrook arrived within the
"anij a jneiincts of old Mrs. Raymond's
Dondsoiiie parlor., velvet carpeted, chandelteieii
U| 't gold ami or nolo, and crowded up to the
' *• doors with tho.-e churming knicknaeks
Only a woman's taste provides, Miss Lily
oj > at Louie" in a bewildering pink merino
) *>\ rdgtd around the pearly shoulders, and
* ".vie roe twisted io among the rip
waves of her soft brown hair. She nev
took.-xi half so (Hetty ; and, thank Pfovi
■Joiies wasn't on baud, for once in his
but, what wus almost as bad, Lily's j
*as the e—a tall, slender, black eyed
* w.di arch hps, and cheeks as red as a
L.'A-itrge" apple. (J, how Tnombrook wish-
J 1,11 M'ss l-Ntlier Allen was at the bottom
L-il *v-a, or anywhere else except ill
particular parlor. And then her eyes
*" sharp— be hadn't been doing the ngt ee
u, ort- than tour in I miles and a ball, when
b arine, .Mr. Tltornbrook—pray excuse
"''"l what upon eui tu u tlie mailer ot with
elbow >'
turned scarlet. The traitorous black
N M (i ehtl te( j ltl4
u ;|ly u cootpou id Iracture in my coat, Miss
I ~'' sait ' >ie ' feeling as though his face
( du Uie Jmy 0 ( a |j u ||j y[ r Raymond's
L*' together. " You kuow wc
r " uol b exempt from
" Hold tip your arm, sir, and I'll set it all
right in a moment," said Esther, instautune
ou-ly producing from a secret recess in the
fold.* of her dress, a thimble and needle, thread
; ed with black silk, aud setting expertly to
work.
" There, now, consider yourself whole'"
" How skillful yon are," said Mark, admir
ingly, after he had thanked her sincerely
" But then you have so many nice little con
cerns to work with. I have only a needle and
some wax, besides my scissors."
" You onght to have a house-wife, Mr.
Thornbrook," said Miss Lilly, timidly lifting
up her long lashes in his direction. Lillian
could never speak to Mr Thornbrook without
a soft, little rosy shadow on her check.
" A what ? demanded Mark turning very
red.
" A house-wife "
" Yes," raid Mark, after a moment's awk
ward hesitation, " inv trtends have told me so
verv often, and—and I really think so myself,
you know But w hat sort of a oue would you
recommend, Mit-s Raymond?'
" Oh, any pretty little concern. I'll send
yon one tomorrow morning, if you'll accept of
it," she added, with the rosy light in ber
cbe. k* again.
" If—l'll accept —of it ! gasped Mark,feel
ing as if be were in an atim sphere of pearl
and gold, with two wings spionting out of his
broadcloth, on either side. And just as he
was opening his lips to assure Miss Lily that
he was ready to t ke the good gift to liis arms
then and there, without any unnecessary de
lay, the door opened, and in walked Jones.
Mark was not at all cannibalistic in bis pro
pensities, but just then he could have eaten
Jones up with uncommon pleasure And there
the tellow su, pulling bis long mustaclies, and
talking the must insipid twaddle —sat and sat,
until Mark ro>e in despair to go. Even then,
lie had no opportunity to exchange a private
word with Lily.
" You'd —you'll not forget—"
"Oil, I'll te sure to remember," said she,
smilingly, and half wondering at the ui.usual
pressure be gave her hand. Ladies often do
provide their bachelor friends so."
Mark went home, the happiest individual
that ever trod a New York pavement. Indeed
so great was his leiieity that he indulged in
vaitoil* gymnastic capers, indicative ol bliss,
uiid only paused at the gruff caution of a po
liceman, who torgol his own courting days—
"Come, young man, what are you about?"
" \V as there ever a more delicate way of
assuring me of her favorable consideration !■—
Was there there ever a more feminine admis
sion of Iter sentiments / Ot course she will
come bersell—au angel, breathing air from
l'urndise — and 1 .slutl tell tier of tliy love !
A hdnse-wife —oh ! the delicious words!
Wonder what neighborhood st.c would like
me to engage a residence in—how soon it
would be best to lumu the day ? Oh, if 1
should awake, and hud It alia blissful dream!'
Early the next morning, Mr. Thornbrook
set briskly to work, "righting up tilings."—
How lie swept and (lusted and scoured—how
Ihe dust tlew fioin pillow to po*t —how the
room was aired to get the tobacco smoke
and sprinkled with cologne, and beautified gen
trallv. And at length, when the dust was
swept into the corner, and covered by a eare
les-ly (?) thrown newspaper, he lound the win
dow glas.-. murky, and polished it with such a
Vengeance luat his fiat, handkerchief and all •
went through, sorely damaging the liaud, and
necessitating the uiigracetul accessary of an (
old nut to keep out the wintry blast for the
lime being. However, even tills mishap didn't
long damp his spirits for was not Llv com
ing ?
Long and wearily he wated, yet no tinkle
of the bed gave warning of iier approach.—
" It's all la-r sweet feuiiniue modesty," tho't
he, and he was content.
At length there was a peal below, and
Mark's heart jumped into his mouth, beating
like a reveille drum. lie rushed to the door,
but—there was no oue but a little grinning
black boy, with a box.
"Mis* Riyuioud's compliments, and here's
the house-wite, sir."
" Tne house-wife, you little imp of Erebus."
" Yes, sir, in de box, all right !"
Mark slunk back in to his room, and open
ed the box, half expecting to see a full dressed
voting lady issue from it, a la Arabian Nights
i, ul |,o —a was only a little blue velvet book,
aud lied up with gold cord, and full of odd
compartments in azure silk, containing tapes,
needles, scissors, silk, thimble, and all the nice
little work table accessories !
" And she calls this a kuu.tr. idfr." groaned
Mark, in int ffatde bitterness ol spirit, at the
downfall of ins bright visions. " But I won't
be put off so !"
Desperation gave him courage, and off he
hied so the Raymond mansion, determined to
settle the matter il there were forty Joneses
and Esthers there
But Lilhau was alone, singing at her ern
bro.dery in the sunshiny window cuseinuut.
" Dear me, Mr. Thornbrook, is there any
thing the matter ?"
Perhaps it was the shadow from the splen
did crimson cactus plumes tu the window that
gave her cheeks such a delicate glow—per
(j U p S —hut we have no right to speculate.
•• Yts." And maik sat down by her side,
and took the trembling, flutieiing baud. ' You
sent me a house wile, this morning !"
" Wasn't it rigbt V faltered Lillian.
" it wasn't the kind 1 wanted, at all.
" Not the kind yon wanted "
"No ; 1 preler a live one, and I cnie to
see it pin wouldn't cliuh e it. I want one
v\ 1111 brow II hair and eyes—soiuelhiu.i, in short.
Miss Lillian, just your pattern. Can't I have
II { "
Ltlv turned white, and then red—smiled,
and then burst into tears —and tried to draw
away her hand, but Mark held it fast.
" No, no, dear Ldy ; first tell me if I can
have the treasure I ak for?"
•' Yes, ' said she, with the prettiest confu
sion in tlie world ; and then, instead of releas
ing the cative hand, the unreasonable tellow
took possession of the other ooe, too. Bat, as
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. 0. GOODRICH.
Lily did uot object, we suppose that it was all
right.
And this was the odd pa'h by which Mark
Thornbrook diverged froin the walk of old
bachelorhood, and stepped into the respectable
ranks of matrimony.
WHAT IS IN THE BEDROOM. —If two persons
are to occupy a bedroom during a night let
them step opou weighing scales as they retire,
and then again in the morning, and they will
lind their actual weight is at least a pound less
in the morning. Frequently there will be a
loss of two or more pounds, and the average
loss thoughout tne year will be more than one
pound. That is, during the night there is a
loss of a pound of matter gone from their bod
ies, partly from the lungs ami partly through
the pores of the skin. The escaped material is
carbonic acid, and decayed animal matter, or
poisonous exhalalious. This is diffused through
the air in part,and in pat t absorbed by the bed
clot hes. If a single ounce of wood or cottou
be burned in a room, it will so completely sat
urate the air with smoke that one can hardly
breathe, though there can only be one ounce
of foreign mutter in the air. If an ounce of
cotton be burned every hour during the night,
the air will be continually saturated with smoke
unless there be an open door or window tor it
to escape. Now the sixteen ounces of smoke,
thus formed, is far less poisonous than the six
teen ounces of exhalations from the lungs and
bodies of t he two persons who have lost a pound
in weight during the eight hours of sleeping,
for while the dry smoke is mainly tak -n into
the lungs, the damp oders from the laxly are
absorbed both into the lungs and into the pores
of the whole body.
Need more be said to show the importance of
hav.ng bedrooms well ventilated and of tho
roughly airing the sheets, coverlids and mat
trasses, in the morning before putting up in the
form of a neatly made bed ? Perhaps the worst
of all bedroom evils is the feather bed—butuc
cording to the notion of SOIUP, if it is old and
dirty it is so much the better—if it was slept on
by a great grandmother, and has absorbed the
exhalations of the body, the disease and de
composition of three generations, it is a capita)
bed. A grand mistake. Being an insulation
against the free circulation of the electric forces
of the system, and being a body of constantly
decaying animal matter, a feather bed is the
worst of all couches to sleep upon. A person
of good health and vigorous constitution will
never rise from one without feeling aw eakness
which takes hoars to recover from. The mois
ture and vitality of the system has been ab
sorbed without being replaced by an equal
amount of life capital ; and particularly when
the room is poorly ventilated will tlie destruc
tive and noufe....it. s influences of the feather
bed be felt. Our advice is, to discontinue their
use entirely.
TnE FUR TRADE. —The trade in furs genera!
iy commences about the first of October, and
at picse.it the business is quite brisk among the
numerous dealers throughout the city. Mink
sable and Siberian squirrel furs are those most
in demand, and arc considered most fashion
able. Although the demand for this class of
furs is vi-rv great, vet, ow inir to the great sup
ply and the facility with which they arc obtain
ed, the prices arc moderate. The best quali'v
of mink sable is found in Maine; it is also pro
cured in the Hudson Bay regions, the North
west, aud found iti small quantities in this
State
The most expensive of all furs is the Russian
sable, which st il from sooo to $2,500 per set.
This quality ol far is very scarce, and, besides,
their exportation from Russia has been pro
hibited by the Emperor. Those that reach
this country are smuggled away The Hudson
Bay sable is also quite scarce aud expensive,
bt-inir sold as high as SIOO to SOOO per set.
The opossum and inu-krat furs abound in
| great quantities and are easilv obtained.—
Fitch is but little in demand, although a few
j years since it w-as much songht after. Buff tlo
| skins are obtained in Minnesota, Dakota, Ne
i br. ska, Kansas, and northern Texas. Each
! year this animal becomes scarcer, and before
j many years they will doubtless be extinct.—
j The animals at shot by the Indians and ot h
| ers, who sell the skins to traders. The bides
1 are worth from three to twelve dollars a piece.
Tlie finest skin* are greatly in demand bv mil
itary officers, who use tliem instead of blankets
for which they ate found far superior.
Most of the heaver skins bought by the deal
ers in Philadelphia are shipped by them to
England, where they are used extensively for
i cloak linings. This animal is found among the
rocky mountains, and in the British Domin
ions, and does not, as many suppose, decrease
! each year, altnough, it is said, they push far
ther West. The quantity of beaver skins ob
tained tli is year is equally us great as has been
procured for several years back. Very few
, ate now found about Lake Superior, where a
• lew years since they were found in great uuui
' hers.
The retailers of the largest cities resort to
numerous tricks by which they can dye fursof
u common quality, and give them the appear
ance of those more rare. The (trice of all furs
varies according to their shades of color, aud
their scarcity.
QUERY —If four dogs with sixteen legs can
catch forty n;ue rabbits with eighty seven legs,
in forty four minutes, how many legs must the
same rabbits have to get away from eight dogs
i with thirty-two legs, in seventeen minutes and
a half ?
Solution—Add together the legs of the rab
-1 bits and the tails of the dogs' and divide the
amount by three big dogs, 'his saves four
bushels of barks and thirteen pound* of hair,
i Take the fractions of the rabbits,and six inches
of snow, aud multiply by a dog tight. r l lien
divide by u man with a doubled barreled shot
gun, and a piece of fresh beef. Multiply by
I half as many legs as three times a less number
of rabbits would have had, and divide by one
third of the time it would take for the rabbits
to get away from the dogs, less seventeen and
a halt minutes. The result depends upon the
size of tbe dogs.
" R.EBARDLESB O* DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
WAR SKETCHES BY A NORTHERN RANGER.
A SCOCT S ADVENTURE.
We had reached the eutrance of a narrow
pass which led through some rugged hills. Our
party was small, but its members were deter
mined men, none of whom were novices in
scenes of danger. We marched in silence, that
was broken only by the murmured whispers of
the men, the crTos and fluttering of birds, or
the quick plunge of some small animal thro'
the thick foliage, wbieh, from the very edge of
the path we were pursuing, spread amid lofty
trees thinly scattered on the hill.
Day was near its closet We were distant
some miles from the camp. The enemy might
be in posaission of the defile in overwhelming
numbers. It was determined that we should
keep in compact order until we had got well
beyond the eutrance of the pass, when, as it
becomes more obstructed or tortuous, we should
taking advantage of every bush, rock or ine
quality, advance singly, ready for the foes and
reckless of his numbers.
The foliage became thicker as we advanced,
and evening fell. On our right was a dense
thicket, which we reached after having lost
sight of the entrance to the defile in our rear
This thicket reached from the foot of the gorge
to its summit. Each step became firmer, but
more cautious. There was no whispering now,
and every breath was guarded. We were far
in the glen—on one side gray rocks, lofty trees,
flowering plants aud creepers in wild profusion
spreading over the abrupt sides of dark fantas
tic hills, brnken at intervals by huge chasms
that gleamed wildly in the rays of the declin
ing sun—ou the otherside the impenetrable
thicket was buried in gloom.
Still steadily and stealthily advancing, each
man, with his rifle grasped easily in his hand,
glancing quickly to the right and It ft, with un
wearied energy crept along the glen. Aw his
tle, quick and clear, sent its wild sound thrill
ing through every heart and ear. All was
breathless suspense That was uo bird's cry.
No throat but a human one ever gave out a
note so threatening. " What was it passed
in a still, rapid whisper among us. "Goeril
les !" " ilusli !" We listened long and breath
li-ssly, and wanly peered on every side. Not
a mail of us visible but to his fellows. Crouch
ed, with our very beaits beating, on the earth,
covered by the friendly bush, we lay for many
minutes in the hope ol hearing the whistle re
lieatbd All was as still as though the spot
had never known its wild solitude brok"n by
the foot of man or disturbed by bis passions,
liis schemes or his ambition.
Still nu lintcciiiJ, tmfc m n n | n fnrtKor
sound was heard. Why was there no other
signal ? Was it som-i solitary wanderer, who
scut that shrill cry forth through the stillness
(in mere wantoness) and with uo other motive
than that of breaking its monotony. Not so.
There was a significance in that sound that
breathed war and defiance as plainly as if it
had come from the blast of a trumpet. "Up
and nioviug, men came, in low tones, from
the lips o! the sergeant iu command. " Let
'u;u try it again."
Our march was resumed as before ; but we
stepped more stealthily, listened with painful
attention and glared on every side with the
intensity of blood-hounds. The defile took an
aceute turn to the right, and on the left was
a naked space, extending tor some yards, de
void of all verdure, but the gray moss clinging
round the gray rocks.
We bega-, hastily, to cross this uncovered
space, w hen there was a report of many pieces,
whilst red flushes from rocks and bushes in the
front gleamed savagely and suddenly upon us.
For a moment we were staggered. Then with
a shout we rushed forward to unearth the am
bushed foe. Again the fire was repealed, with
the muzzles of their rifles within a few feet of
our faces. I gazed round for an instant, alter
discharging my piece at oue fellow, and with
my bayonet trausfixing another to the soft
sandy rock, against winch he fell, and perceiv
ed none of my party by my side. But the
thick smoke and rapidly falling darkness that
now ruled, iu conjunction with yells, shots and
groans, the surrounding glen, made ail iuvisi
ble beyond the length of the arm.
At that instant I felt asuddeti pang ; a diz
ziness, a blackness, like death, come over me ;
I clutched wildly at the sulphurous air, reeled
and fell.
When I recovered my senses, I discovered
that I was lyiug on my side, bleeding slightly
from a flesh wound in the thigh. I had bled
profusely, before recovering, lor I was satur
ated iu half-congealed gore. Raising myself
on my elbow, 1 looked round for my compan
ions. The moon was shiuuig with all the soft
ness of her beauty ou the soot. 1 counted five
bodies lying within a compass of almost as
many yards. 1 endeavored to discover their
uuiforuis, but could not at that distance. 1
rose slowly, and, with much difficulty, reached
the nearest. lie was dead, with a blue hole
in the centre of his forehead, through which
the bullet had passed, and tne blood still slow
ly oozed. 1 crawled to the next oue ; he, too,
was past all earthly aid. So ou to the third,
fourth and filth. The bullet bad done its full
wotk on all. These had been, a few hours be
fore, my comrades, eager to deal destruction
upou foes, and careless of the fate that met
them. I was the sixth and last of the party.
But where was tiie enemy, or what had been
the enemy 1 I heard uo sound, aud the moon
light falling directly upou the dead men, and
gray, weird like rocks, produced au affect that
was sickeuing and horrible. I remembered
the man I had slain. I searched for his body
but it was gone. I searched for others of the
enemy, but all had disappeared.
There was no dead lett on tlie battle-ground
but the five fallen scouts. Yet, that others
had perished there, was obvious from the blood
lying in iittle pools among the rocks, behind
which the ambushed foe had lurked aud pour
ed upou his deadly fire.
My wound began to bleed afreash, which
brought a tamtoess upon me and I sank to the
I earth. A burning thirst was consuming me,
and I groaned in agony.
! After a little while I made another eff irf to
' rise, but failed ; and then falling back, as
calmly us possible, I yielded to my fate. I tho't
of past days, when, iu early youth, no cry for
blood had yet awakened that inherent feroci'y
that larks unseen in the heart of man.nnti! the
fearful scent rouses as it does the blood hounds
and it springs forth with a swiftness that ap
pals and u strength that desolates.
A CACTURE.
My reverie was broken by the sound of voi
ces. Then came that of approaching footsteps,
As it drew nearer a new life seemed to quiver
through iny veins, like a Iresh gush of virgin
spring. The most snvago foe, to whom the
torture of a captive were, with an unapproach
able delight, advancing upon me with the me
naces of a demoniac, would at that moment
been welcome a an angel of light in compar
ison to the loneliness—the woe ot thnt dismal
glen, and its bloody and nnburied dead.
In a few moments a dozen armed men were
on the spot, leaning upon their rifles and gnz
ing round upon the dead. Some stooped and
examined the body with careless scrutiny; oth
ers merely stirred theru with the foot,or tnrned
them over tlie muzzles ol their guns, with the
brutal indifference bloodshed engenders in
the heart.
"They're dead. Let them rot?" said one
who appeared to tie the lender of the party.
'* Not ail dead," I replied.
Had a voice actually issued from tlie tomb,
as mine undoubtedly seemed to do, its effect
would not have been much more startling
Each man, for an instant, seemed changed in
to a statue. Tbeu the whole group made a
simultaneous movement toward me.
" That's the fellow that bayonettcd Ike,"
exclaimed one of them, cocking his revolver
and thrusting the muzzle between my teeth.
In another instant I should have been in
eternity, but for the sudden jerking back of
my would be destroyer's arm by one o f his
comrades, who calmly remarked : " If he's got
through the rougli work he had awhile ago,
we'll not kill the poor devil now." With a
muttered curse the ruffiin replaced liis weapon
in liis belt and withdrew. "Where are you
hurt ?" inquired he whose interference had jqst
saved me ; " can't yer get up?" I told him I
had been shot in the hip, and was dying of
thirst. Here he called a member of the party
to him, and taking from his hand a canteen, j
poured some of its contents—brandy and water 1
my throat. My wound had entirely
stopped bleeding, but my whole ride was stiff
anil painful. With much difficulty I rose to
my feet,and by the aid of two of my cap tors, for
such they were, managed to move along with
the rest of the band, through what appeared aiu
iu * i.v iovu>..:. r r~ **■ •• ~Vl" l' utu
to that I had hitherto traversed iu the com
pany of those who had fallen, and whom I was
now leaving behind rne forever.
For *oinc time we followed this road,running
at the base of two declivities almost perpeti- j
dicular, w hose dizzy summits 1 could not scan,
and whose rugged sides of gray, at intervals j
were shining coldly beneath some stray gleam j
of moonlight, that, even in that cavernous pass, |
found its way and smiled atuid the gloom, iike
the good glance of a visiting angel.
Suddenly we emerged from this gloomy de- j
file, and found ourselves iu what appeared a!
most a level country. Here—where some
tents were pitched—we halted, aud I was a
prisoner in a guerrilla camp.
A week elapsed, aud I had recovered from
my wound. The chief of the party who had i
captured me offered tue my liberty, on condi- !
tiou that I gave my parole not to bear arms
against the rebels again daring twelve mouths j
This I hud sworn never to do iu the event of
my becoming a prisoner to the Confederate
army. I was equally resolved now to adhere
to iny oath.
From that moment I was closely guarded,
with the vigilance kuown but to 1111 angrj, foe.
No sleepy sentinel ever lounged with heavy j
limb unci weary eye, in mock watchfulness,near
the rugged couch whereon I lay. Bat sleep
ing or walking, some hawk-eyed watcher kept
guard by my side, marking ail my outgoings
aud incomings.
In that camp was another prisoner beside ;
myself, a miserable creature, apparently, only i
waiting the certain death that the caprice of a
merciless band would, in some unexpected mo- :
ruent, hurl upon his head, and whom nothiug '
but the same caprice permitted still to move |
upon the earth a living thing. This wretch
had been captured some days after I had, in
the act of roobing the dead ufter a skirmish.
llis crime, in the eye of a soldier, is a deadly 1
sin. lie is the pariah of his class. A vulture
too foul for an honest shot, from whose blood
the bright steel would receive a disgrace deeper
than its staiu. A thing too worthless to hang;
one whose loathsome life should be crushed out
suddenly, with stone or club,as a reptile should,
and the contaminated weapon then flung from :
the hand forever.
He cringed to his captors, and they drove
him from thctn with curses and kicks, and
when he fuvvued they spat upon liirn.
AN ESCAPE.
One night, after unwearied watchfulness and
ceaseless planning, I broke from the bondage
that held me. The night was cloudy and
threatened rain. I had heard enough from my
captors to know that a detachment of northern
troops was encamped to tiie eastward, within ,
five miles of us. This detach stent I resolved
to reach or die. From what 1 had learned
among the guerillas,l felt assured I could with
little difficulty find the encampment. After
crouching my way through and along the out
skirt of a thicket (that grew by the side of a
road, old and grass grown, running nearly east
and west) tor at least two miles, I merged
from it into the road, sweating and bleeding ; j
hatless, my clothes torn into - fragments, pant
iug and wearied. I had taken my bearings
from the few stars that glimmered through the
clouds, iu the unobseurred spot of the heavens,
and was about to start along the ro.id in an
easterly direction when a man leaped from the
thicket—and the thief of the battle field, the
plunderer of the dead, stood by niyside. "On,
on !" he exclaimed iu hoar-e and excited tones,
VOL. XXII. — jsr O. 23.
' pointing along (be road in the direction I was
1 a boot to take, " they're following." He shook
with fear, nd I pitied him. Disgust at his
presence too, was lessened by a sense of the
common danger. Before 1 could speak he dash
ed past ire along the road. I followed, and
! thus we fled for more than twenty minutes :
lie a little ahead cf tne during the whole time.'
We reached n narrow unfinished bridge,stretch
ing from high banks across a stream. Wobe
! gun to ores the bridge, but our progress was
much impeded and even endangered, as our
1 only stepping points were from beam to beam
and plank to plank, most of them loose and
, rotten and at uneven distances. The bridge
was supported by huge piles set in the river,
whose sullen waters we were able to distinguish
lur beneath us. Yet the river seemed shallow,
there, for white breakers curling nronnd the
incks we cor,ld detect u!-*o. Onward wewent.
I was now in advance some dozen yards. All
before us, beyond twenty feet, was lost in
gl >oai j belaud, the : time darkness impenetra
ble at the same distance. Yet on we pressed
from one rotten, shaking timber to another
Suddenly loud shouts in the rear proclaimed
the pursuing r oo. These were followed by the
-harp ring of rifles, and a fearful shriek from
my companion I stopped and turned. He
called on me, for the " love of Heaven to help
him." 1 returned some little distance nnd
found him clinging, about a couple of feet
above the cross pieces, to a narrow iron bar
that ran from one of the piles to another, lie,
was struggling wildly. " How is it ?" I akerl
as I stooped to aid him. But I discovered my
assi-tance to be valueless, unless I could placo
my feet on the bar,and leaning with my breast
upon one of the timbers, and reach over both
hands and grasp him 1 y the collar. As I was
making this essay, the moon broke fully upon
us, and J met bis upturned pallid face. His
teeth were set. His bioodie-s lipsdrawn from
them with a rigidity that left them completely
bare. His eyes were starting from their sock
ets, and his form trembled so as to shake the
last hold to which he clung.
" One of their bullets," lie hissed between
his teeth, " has smashed my ankle. lam go
ing !" His hold relaxed, another terrible
shriek rang through the night air, and be fell
crushing among the jutting rocks below ; his
blood mingled with the pure element that ed
died around them.
I again pursued my way along the bridge
alone. Many a bullet whistled past me from
my inveterate but bewildered foes, and many
a narrow escape I ran of being hurled into the
dark river, or of impalement upon its half
concealed rocks. But one sneh death sufficed
for that night. A' length I reached the oth
fl BiUr, liiatiaiui vug vatiMMovvu. M*n t .
unabated speed, 1 pursued my way, until the
challenge of a sentinel stopped further pro
gress. I had reached one of the pickets of
the detachment for which I was bound—our
gallant northerners. 1 was safe, and a free
man again.
M 'KIUSAN'IA, September, 1861.
THE UTILITY OF REFUSE THINGS.— 'The pros
slate of potash is made in large quantities it
Cincinnati, from the hoofs, horns, and other re
;use of slaughtered grnnters. Cow-hair, taken
from the hides of tanneries, is employed for
making plastering mortar, to give it a fibrous
quality, Sawdust is sold for sprinkling the floors
of markets. It is a!-o used for packing ice
for shipping. The rags of old, wornout shirt
ing, calico dresses, and the waste cfcotton fac
tories, are employed to make the paper upon
which these lines ure priuted. Old ropes are
converted into fine note paper, and the waste
paper itself, which is picked up in the gutters
is again reconverted into broad, white sheets,
and thus do duty in revolving stages. The par
ings of skins and hides, and the ears of cows,
calves and sheep, are carefully collected and
converted into glue. The liner qualities of
gelatine are made from ivory raspings—tho
bones and tendons of animals. Bones convert
ed into charcoal by roasting in retorts are after
wards employed for purifying the white sugar
with which we sweaten our coffee, etc. The
ammonia obtained from tho distillation of coal
in making gas, is employed for saturating
orchil and cudbear, ir. making the beautiful
lilac colors that are dved on silk and fioe wool
en goods. C irbonic acid, obtained iu the dis
tillation of coal tar, is empioyed with other
acids to produce beautiful yellow on silk aud
wool.
TirrE TO THE LIFE—A school teacher in
Alabama had among her scholars one incor*
rigible little Miss, upon whom "moral sua
sion" seemed to have no effect. One day, out
of patience with some misdemeanor on tho
part of the child, she called ber up to the
desk mid expostulated with her on the impro
priety or her conduct, setting forth the enor
mity of her offences, oet. The little girl paid
little attention at first, but at length seemed
to realize her gui't more fully, and watching
her teacher closely, seemed to drink in every
word she said. The lady began to have
hope ; her instructions were evidently raak
iug an impression. At length she made a
slight pause—for breath, I suppose —when up
spoke the child, with the uttermost gravity—
" Why, Miss Susan, your upper jaw don't
move a bit !"
That was the end of the discourse.
PRECAUTION*. —As a clergyman was burying
a corpse, un Irish woman came and pulled hiui
by the sleeve in the middle of the service.
" Sir, sir, I wish to spake wid ve."
" Prithee, wait, woman, till 1 have done.' 1
" No, sir, I must spake to vou immediata
ly."
" Well, then, what is tho matter?''
" Why, sir, yon are burying a mao whodied
of tho small pox next to my poor husbaml, who
never had it."
A man's want of conversation general
ly arises from his supposing that his mind is
like Fortnnatns's purse, and will always furn
ish him withont his patting anything into it.