2
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.
Life Is a race wlicre some succeed,
"While others are beginning;
'TIs luck In some, In others speed,
That give an early winning;
lint If you chance to fall behind,
Ne'er slacken your endeavor.
Just keep this wholesome truth In mind
'"TIs better late than never !"
And if you keep ahead 'tis well,
But never trip your neighbor;
'TIs noble when you can excel
lly honest, patient labor;
Hut If you are outstlppcd at llrst,
Press on as bold as cvtr,
Itcnicmbcr, though you are surpassed,
" 'Tis better late than never !"
Ne'er labor for an Idle boast,
Or victory o'er another;
lint while you strive your uttermost,
Deal fairly with a brother.
Whate'er your station, do your best,
And hold your purpose ever;
And if you fail to do the rest,
" 'Tis better late than never!"
Choose well the path in which you run,
Succeed by noble bearing;
Then, though the last, when onco 'tis won.
Your crown Is worth the wearing.
Then never fret If left behind,
Nor slacken your endeavor;
But ever keep this truth In mind
"'Tis better late than never!"
THE BOLD SHOEMAKER.
A Revolutionary Incident of New York.
ONE night, in the middle of June,
1778, a couple of flat-bottomed
boats left the Jersey shore, from the bay
inside of Bcdlow's islnnd, and pulled, un
der cover of the darkness of the night,out
side of Governor's Isluud, for Gowannus,
Bay, on the Long Island shore. The
two boats contained twenty Jersey mili
tiamen, under the command of Captain
Marrincr. And who was Captain Marri
ncr? Marriner was a New York shoemaker,
who had been apprehended by order of
Mr. Mathews, Mayor of New York, soon
after the British entered the city. Ho
had been a noted whig, but for some pri
vate reason did not leave when the Amer
icans retreated, and on his arrest was
thrust into the Provost, where he was
treated with great inhumanity, lie con
trived to make his escape, swearing
vengeance against Mayor Mathews.
Having learned that Mr. Mathews occa
sionally stopped with his family over
night at Flatbush, Long Island, Marri
ner made up a party to carry him off
and this was bis object iu crossing New
York Bay at midnight.
Carefully avoiding the men-of-war at
anJior, the two boats pulled across, one
keeping directly in the wake of the oth
er, and they reached Gowannus . Bay
without notice or molestation. Drag
ging the boats up on the beach, it being
low water, Marriner, with fifteen men,
leaving the other five in charge of the
boats, struck across the hills for Flatbush.
His men wero all well armed, for there
were patrolling parties of British and
Hessians day and night, over most of
that part of Long Island ; and if fallen
in with they knew tho couscqucncesmust
be desperate on both sides.
Many of the officers who had been
taken at Fort Washington two years be
fore, were parolled on Long Island, and
were billctted on the farmers in and about
Flatbush. Among them were Colonels
Miles, Alice, Rawlins, Major Williams,
Captains Stewart, Poster, and others. A
Captain Flahaven, who was confined in
the Provost, at New York, with Marriner,
had also been quartered at Long Island.
Jacob Suydam was a Dutch Tory farm
er at Flatbush, and, for aught that we
kuow, some of his descendants still re
side there. lie was a well-meaning kind
of man, but loved more than all tho two
ilullars per week which was allowed him
for boarding such of the American offi
cers as, by order of the British coinmis
sionary, Loring, were quartered at his
house. Captain Graydon, in his interest
ing memoirs, has left some rather curious
particulars of his mode of living whilst
a prisoner at Jacob Suydams. For break
last they had a dish of weak bohca tea,
sweetened with a muddy substance called
sugar j bread half baked for fuel, owing
. to the neiCBiitics of the British army in
New York, was very scarce with a little
stale butter. For dinner, Graydon says
they had ot first a little boiled pickled
beef; but this being soon eat up, clippers
or claniB wero introduced in its stead,
with a few vegetables occasionally. At
supper they had "suppawn," with butter
milk, sweetened with molasses a meal
that at first ho could hardly stomach ; but
at length he came to like the suppawn,
buttermilk, and molasses better than his
breakfast or dinner. Suydam furnished
the best he could afford for the price in
those days, particularly as American offi
cers wero poor paymasters, for they sel
dom received any pay themselves.
The simplicity of grace at meals, as
shown by Jacob Suydam, was quite prim
itive, and we believe it still exists among
tho Dutch farmers, who have not entire
ly forgotten the customs of their ances
tors. On sitting down to his meals hon
est Jacob would cock his head on ono
side, clap his hands together, shut his
eyes, and remain in this silent attitude for
about a minute. This was his grace over
meals in which singular mauncr those
around joined in if they chose.
Jacob's house, or rather houses, for it
was a cluster of them built at different
periods, had in front a piazza which ex
tended tho whole length of the building.
This part of the house was occupied by
Thopylact Bache and family, a merchant
of New York, who remained attached to
tho royal cause. The dwelling in which
Mr. Matthews, the Mayor of New York,
resided occasionally, was nearly opposite
that of Suydam. On the night of Mar
rincr's landing, the only persons at Suy
dam's, with exception of the family, were
Captain Forrest, of Slice's regiment, tak
eu at Fort Washington, Major Moncrieff,
of the British army, (father of the some
what notorious Mrs. Coghlan), und Mr.
Bacho, of New York, and his family.
I have remarked that it was a June even
ing. The day had' been hot and sultry,
but now a cool breeze played along the
piazza ; and although the hour was lato,
Captain Forrest Major Moncrieff, and
Mr. Bache, with his wife, were enjoying
the calm beaty of the night.
" 1 tell you what it is, Forrest, my
boy," said Major Moncrieff, a fine, bold
specimen of a British veteran " you had
better abandon the side of Congress. It
is no use contending with the troops of
his majesty; your Congress and Wash
ington have now been trying the game
for three years iu vain, and they must
soon give in. So join us iu time, my
boy."
" Why, major," replied Forrest, " for
tho same reasons I might urge you to
join mi cause the cause of tho people.
King George the Third, the most power
ful monarch on tho globe, with the lar
gest army nay, armies ever seen on
this continent, has in vain endeavored,
during the three years you speak of to
conquer Congress and Washington, but
it is not now as near it as he was the first
year. So coujo over to us, major! Come
over to us!" This was in a tone of rail-
ery.
" You forget, Forrost, that tho bull
dog worries before- he kills," remarked
Mr. Baclie, joiumg in the conversation.
" Aye, and sometimes tire3 himself to
death in so doing, I am told," replied tho
American officer. " I have been a
prisoner two years, and shall probably re
main so one or twoycars longcr,if joining
the royal cause is to be my only chance of
obtaining my freedom."
" What stubborn men you rebel officers
are!"' said a female voice from a corner of
the piazza. " A short time ago I heard
that handsome Marylander, Major Wil
liams, whose fine appearance has captiva
ted most of our New York belles declare
he would not marry a lady, were Bhc beau
tiful as Venus, and had the dower of a
princess unless she was a whig."
" Probably he would not have said so,
had Mrs. Bache boon single," answered
Forrest, with the gallantry of an officer.
" Keally, I must give you continental
gentlemen the meed both of gallantry
and compliment," was the reply of tho
lady.
, Suydam's negro, Hans, who had been
probably attending some frolic of his sa
ble race at a neighboring farm house,
came aloug tho road singing : 1
De relKils, da Is gone to pieces,
Washington hab lost his breeches;
In do Congress no more speeches
Yah, yali, yah!
Croat King George he hang do boobies.
De debbil tako do Yankee Doodles
Yah, yah, yah I
Yah, yah ! he hab 'em all,
. Forest burst into a laugh as he heard
tho negro's song, in which the party on
tho piazza could not help but joiu, it was
sung in such a comio negro way. It was
one verse of a song which somo jovial
British officer had put together for the
negroes on Long Isluud, and was much
sung by them when at work. Hans con
tinued his song, though it was evident
he was well under the influence of liquor :
Nlgga, royal come from Guinea,
When he little pickaninny;
Dam for rebel he beglnny
Yah, yah, yah t
Washington he berry bad man,
Debbil take 'cm such a mad man
Yah yah, yah!
Yah, yah, he hab 'cm all !
Cicneral Howe, he berry brave boy
Washington, him am a knave boy;
Cot eh and flog him like a slave boy
Yah, yah, yah!
How do red-coats make 'em run!
Kill de rebels cbery
Hans did not have on opportunity to
finish the last line, for a hand was placed
over his mouth, whilst an athletic gripe
seized him by the throat, and a stern
voice, in a low tone, but audible to those
on the piazza, exclaimed :
" You black scoundrel, if you sing an
other verse of that infernal song, or
breathe a syllable, I'll cut out your tongue
you thick-skulled son of the devil !"
The parties on the piazza heard this
distinctly, but the night was too dark to
perceive anything on the road. Half a
minute, however, sufficed to explain the
affair. Five or six men appeared on the
piazza, completely armed, the leader ex
claiming in the same low, but distinct
tone :
" You are all my prisoners ! Remain
quiet and you shall suffer no harm ; raise
tho least alarm, and I will shoot whoever
attempts it. Is there any American offi
cer here '("
It was Marriner.
'Yes," said Forest I am one."
" Good !" said Marriner. You. shall
have a chance to sec the continental camp
again. But where is Captain Flahaven '(
1 must save him This is Jacob Suydam's
house, is it not?"
"You are too late to save Flahaven, I
am sorry to say. lie was taken from his
parole yesterday, and carried to the city."
" How unfortunate ! To release him was
one of my principal objects. We were
comrades in misfortune in that cursed
Provost prison in New York. Who are
these people V
Forrest briefly told him who they were,
and Marriner replied that the lady could
go to her chamber unmolested, but if she
made the least alarm her husband would
be the sufferer. lie placed a guard
of three men over Mr. Bache and Major
Moncrieff, and observed to Forrest
"As you belong to the continental regu
lars, captain, I suppose you are rather
above becoming a party to my exploits.
Remain here, if you please, my destina
tion is Mr. Mathews' house. That gen
tleman I understand is at home; and if I
get hold of him, he shall pay for the treat
ment I received at his hands."
Marriner and his party immediately
went across tho road and surrounded the
house of Mathews, the Mayor of New
York. The doors wero all closed and
fastened, and it became necessary to
DrcaK open tne principal entrance an
act which took some time and made some
noise.
Mathews, who was really in the house,
but in bed, was aroused by his wife, and
cautiously looking out, perceived at onco
that it was a rebel party, and that escape
was impossible. Fortunately for himself
he was not perceived.
" I have but one course to pursue,"
said ho to his wife. "Give me a blanket
I have no time to dross myself: the roof
is fiat, and tho party will not think of
searching for me there.. Call up tho ser
vants, while I ascend, and bid them say
I left for tho city at dusk last night."
Seizing a blanket, ho crawled out of
au old-fashioned dormer window, which
was some d'tauce from tho gutter, and
made his way on to the roof. Mrs.
Mathew's had hardly time to call in the
servants and give them their orders before
Marriner and his party entered the house.
Previous to their so doing, she had the
precaution to thrust her husband's clothes
out of the window on to the gutter be
yond sight.
" Your servant, madam," said Marriner,
as he had entered the room, whero was
Mrs. Matthews iu her night dress, sur
rounded by two or three affrighted do
mestics. '' I come for Your husba nd
tell me where ho is. 1 assure you uo
harm shall happen to you."
" My husbaud is in tho city, I hope."
Marriticr's eye glanced over tho apart
ment and towards the bed.
"He was here madam."
"Very true yesterday."
" Search the house, men, but disturb
nothing."
A thorough search took placo in the
house, but no discovery of tho fugitive
was made. In tho meantime an alarm
had takcu place. Guns were firing at a
dittance, and somo of the neighbors had
dispatched an cxpressto Brooklyn for
troops. " ,
Marrincr, finding ttfat Mathews, his
chief object, had.aecaped, ordered his
men to cross over to Suydam's. Here he
ordered Bacho and Moncrieff to go with
him to his boats as prisoners, Captain
Forrest rejoicing of course in his own
good fortune. Ho had been a prisoner
two years, and now he was about to be
free again. The party of soldiers made
their way as fast as possible to their boats,
from which they had been absent obout
two hours, and alarm guns were rapidly
firing in all directions.
It was fortunate for them that they
did make haste, for the five soldiers left
in charge of tho two boats hearing the
guns fired, supposed Marriner and his men
had been taken, and made off as quick as
possible in one of tho boats, for fear of
being captured themselves. Justus Mar
rincr and his party with their prisoners
reached the beach, the tide had ascended
high enough to float the remaining boat,
and she was about going adrift. Getting
on board, they pulled for the Jersey
shore and reached it in safety, where Mar
riner dispatched his prisoners with Cap
tain Forrest to head-quarters. Tradition
states that Major Moncrieff bore his cap
ture with a soldier's fortitude, but poor
Mr. Bache was overwhelmed with grief,
which was only allayed when ho was re
leased, by Washington's orders, on parole.
Jake's Blind Horse.
IOIt twenty-three years, old Jake
. Willard has cultivated the soil of
Baldwin county, Va., aud drew therefrom
a support for himself and wife. He was
childless. Not long ago Jake left the
house in search of a missiug cow. II is
route led him through an old, worn out
patch of clay land, of about six ucrc3 in
extent, in the center of which was a well
twenty or thirty feet deep, that at some
time probably had furnished the inhabi
tants of a ruined house near by with
water. In passing this spot, an ill wind
lifted Jake's hat from his head, and
maliciously wafted it to the edge of the
well, and in it tumbled.
Now Jake had always practiced
economy, and ho immediately set about
recovering the hat. He ran to the well
and finding it was dry at the bottom, he
uncoiled the rope which he had brought
along for tho purpose of capturing the
cow, and after several attempts to catch
tho hat with a noose, he concluded to
save time by going down into tho well
himself. To accomplish this, he made
fast one cud of the ropo to a stump, near
by, aud was quickly on his way down the
well.
It is a fact, of which Jake was no less
obvious than tho reader thereof, that Ned
Wells was in the ruined building afore
said, and that an old blind horse with a
bel 1 on his neck, who had been turned
out to die, was lazily grazing within a
short distanco of tho well.
Tho devil himself, or some other wick
ed spirit, put it into Ned's craneum to
have a bit of fun ; so he quietly slipped
up to tho old horse, and unbuckling tho
bell-strap, approached tho well with a
slow and measured " ling-a-ling, when
J ake cried : "Oh,my ! that old blind horse !
he's cumin this way sure,
ain t
here !
got uo
more sense than to rail in
Whoa!
Ball ! Whoa !"
But the continued approach of the
" ling-a-Iing" said just as plain as words
that Ball wouldn't whoa. Besides, Jake
was at the bottom resting, before trying
to " shin it up tho rope."
"What shall I do?" he said, "the
old horse would be a-top of me before
I can say Jack Robisou. Whoa! whoa !''
Just then Ned drew up to the edge of
the well, and with his foot kicked a little
dirt into it.
"Oh, Lord" exclaimed Jake, falling
upon his kuees, " I'm gouo now! whoa!
"Now I lay me down to sleep" w-h-o-a,
Ball ! I pray the Lord uiy soul to"
w-h-o-a, now! whoa! Oh, Lord, have mer
cy on me.' "
Ned could hold iu no longer, and fear
ing tlmt J ako might suffer from his
fright, he revealed himself.
Then he made tracks ! Juke was at the
top of tho well iu " double quick," and
his wrath was well, it cau better be
imagined than described; aud if ho
learns who wrote this well, this will
probably bo the last you'll ever get from
me.
1 At Vicuna a manufacturer has
carried out the happy idea of printing
pockct-haudkcrcliiets with maps of the
tlic.it 10 of war. They have becu a great
success, every body wishing to poke his
nose iuto Alsace and Lorraine without
risk.
SUNDAY. READING.
The Highlander's Prayer.
1 Scotch Highlander, who served
jt. iu the first disastrous war with the
American colonics, was brought one
evening before his commanding officer,
charged with the capital offense of being
in direct communication with the enemy.
The charge could not well bo preferred
nt a more dangerous time. Only a few
weeks had elapsed since the execution of
Major Andre, and the indignation ot tho
British exasperated almost to madness by
the eveut, had not yet cooled down.
There, was, however, no proof against
the Highlander. He had been seen, iu
the gray of the twilight, stealing out from
a clump of underwood that bordered ou
one of the huge forests, which then cov
ered much the greater part of the L'nitcd
Provinces, aud which in tho immediate
neighborhood of the British, swarmed
with the troops of Washington. All the
rest was mere imagination and conjecture.
The poor man's defence was summed up
in a tew words, lie Had stolen away
from his fellows, he said, to spend a lew
hours in private prayer.
" Have you been in the habit of spend
ing hours in private prayer ?" sternly
asked the officer, himself a Scotchman
and a Presbyterian.
Tho Highlander replied in the affirma
tive.
" Then," said the other, drawing out
his watch, " never in your life had you
more need of prayer than now ; kneel
down, sir, and pray aloud, that wo may
all hear you.
The Highlander iu the expectatiou of
instant death, knelt down. His prayer
was that of oue long acquainted with the
appropriate language in which the Chris
tian addresses his God. It breathed of
imminent peril, and earnestly implored
the Divine interposition in the threatened
danger, the help of him who in times of
extremity is strong to deliver. It exhib
ited, iu short, a man who, thoroughly con
versant with the scheme of redemption,
and fully impressed with the necessity of
a personal interest in the advantages it
secures, had made the business ot salva-"
tion the work of many a solitary hour,
and had in consequence, acquired much
fluency in expressing all his various wants
as they occurred, and thoughts as they
arose.
" You may go, sir," said the officer, as
he concluded ; " you have, I dare say,
not been in correspondence with the
enemy to-night."
"His statement," ho continued, ad
dressing himself to the other officers, " is
I doubt not, perfectly correct. No one
could have prayed so without a long ap
prenticeship ; fellows who have not at
tended drill always get on ill at review.
Ihujh JUili r.
Frederick and his Pnge.
Frederick the Great, King of Prussia
oue day rung his bell, and nobody an
swering he opened his door and found
his page fast asleep in an elbow chair.
Ho advanced toward him, and was going
to wake him, when he perceived part of
a letter hanging out of his pocket. His
curiosity prompted him to kuow what it
was, and lie took it out and read it. As
he was a kind-hearted king, let us forgive
his doing what he had no right to do
without leave.
It was a letter from this young man's
mother, in which she thanked him for
having sent her a part of hjs wages to re
lieve her misery, and finished with telling
him that God would reward him for this
dutiful affection.
Tho King, after reading it, went back
softly into his chamber, took a bag full
of ducats, and slipped it, with tho letter,
into the page's pocket.
Returning to his chamber, ho rang the
bell so loudly that it awakened the pnge,
who instantly made his appearauce.
' You have had a sound-sleep," said
the king.
The page was at a loss how to excuse
himself, and putting his hand into his
pocket, to his utter astonishment he there
found a purse of ducats. He took it out,
turned pule, and looked at tho kiug, and
burst into tears without being able to ut
ter a single word. .
, " What is the matter '!"
" Ah sire," said the young man throw
ing himself on his knees, somebody
seeks my ruin. I know nothing of this
money which I have just found in my
pocket!"
"My young friend," said Frederick,.
"God often does great things for us ii
our sleep ; send that to your mother; s-i-luto
her on my part, and assure her that I
will take caro of both her and you."
Ufc
..,. - - -