For the Agitator. WHA TIS LIFE. « TTLat la life mothersaid a fair haired girt, With oyo» of the softest blue; That in mid rammer day, bathe the heavona above* With its.arore.but delicate hoe. Is it not & fair stream and we glide on its breast, On current and ripples of nlr; Already I bosk in its magical light, And I know U must be very fair. M.r child thon art resting thy hopes upon, The mist that fleeth at day : 4 On tho rainbow wreath and ita heaven born tint, That posses forever away. Thy lot like mortality’s surely shall be, ( In the midst of and glare, But child. let thy armour be burnished and bright, Like the shield of tho Christian prayer. « jThal Is life mother said a manly boy, And his form grow statelier yet; While the pride of bis dark Uaxel eye was subdued, By the long silken lashes of jet Bo not friendship and truth lead us on by the hand ? Is not gold a prixe v. orthy to bear ! Bear mother believe mo, I’ll win thee a name, Thy sorrow clad brow shall yet wear. My child. In the turmoil and hurry of lift, Oft cometh a wearisome day Thon wilt find to tby pain tho dead ashes of strife, Are but thorns in thy perilous war Then courage my hoy ' for the angel of death, Oft wings his dark pinion this way: Bat at his approach the sorrows of Ufa, Flee forever and ercraway. Select iHtscellanih The Herring Pie. A TALE OF AMSTERDAM U was a cola winter's evening. The rich banker Breaker had drawn his easy chair close 'o me corner of the stove, and sat smok ing his long clay pipe wiih great complacen cy ; his intimate friend, Van Grote, emp'oy cd in exactly me same manner, occupied the opposite cornet. All was quiet in the house, for Breaker's wiie una children were gone to masked ball; ano, secure from fear of inter ruption, the two friends indulged in a conver sation. “ 1 cannoi think,’' said Van Grote, “ why vou should reiuse consent to the marriage. Berkenrode can give his daughter a good for tune, and you say that your son is desper ately in love with her ” “ I don't obiect lo it,” said Bronker. “Ii is rav wife wno will not hear of it.” 11 And what reason has she for refusing?” “jOne which 1 cannot tell you,” said his friend, sinking his voice “ Oh, a mysieiv ' Come out with it. You know I have always been frank and open jvith you, even given vou my opinion of your absurd jealousy oi your wife ” “Jealousy of my wile! Nonsense! Have i not iusi sent her to a masked hall’”' “ 1 don’t wonder you boast of it, Isho’d like to nave seen vou do as much when you were first marnec To be sure you had rea son lo look sharply after her, for she was the prettiest women in Amsterdam. Unfor tunately , she has become the better horse; ana you reiuse an advantageous match for vour son to gratify her caprice ” “ You are qune wrong, my friend, I never allow anv one lo be master here but myself; and in the present instance I cannot blame Clotilda. The secret of her refusal lies in a a herring c; “A herring pie”' exclaimed Van Grote, “ Yes, a herring pit. You may remember ii was a lavorne dish of mine, and that my wife could not endure even the smell of u.— Weil, during the hrst year of my marriage, I was a hule-<-a verv little —jealous of Clotil da. My silu%ion obliged me lo keep open housetaod among the young sparks who visi ted os, none gave me so much uneasiness as the handsome Colonel Berkenrode. The rep utation that ho had already acquired for gal lantry was enough to create alarm, and the marked attention' ne paid my wife convinced me it was well loundec What could 1 do? It was impossible to forbid him the house, for ne had it in his power to deprive me of the Government contracts: in other words, to rum me. Alter pondering deeply on the sub loci, 1 decided on doing nothing until the dan ger should become imminent; all that was necessary was to know bow things really stood, flovmg iusi purchased this house, 1 caused a secret close! to be made behind the stove nert. it commumcaled with my pri vate room, and (rom it I could overhear every thing that passed in this apartment without risk of being discovered. Thank God, I have bad no use for il these last twenty years, and indeed, 1 do not even know what has become of the key. Satisfied with this precaution, 1 did not hesitate to leave Clotilda when any of her admirers paid her a visit, though I promise vou (hat some of the gallant speeches made me wine “ Upon mv word.” inlerrupted his friend, " you showed a mosi commendable patience, in vour place. 1 should have contented my self wim forbidmg 'mv wife to receive his visit'- ” “ Tnere spoke the bachelor. As I didn’t warn to drive her headloug into his arms, I went a different wav tp work Day after uav was I forced to listen to thcinsiduous ar guments of the seducer. My wife—l must own she made a sloul defence—at one time ined ridicule, at another entreaty, to deter mm from the pursuit of her. He began to lose hope in proportion as [ gained it, till one oay he bethought himself of threatening to Wow out bis brains if she would not show mm some compassion. Moved at this proof of the strength of his passion, she burst into tears and pleaded that she was not free—in snort, she gave him to understand that 1 was me obstacle to his happiness. Berkeo rode was too well skilled in the art of seduc uon not io see that he had gained a point.— tie raven, cursed me as the cause of his misery, and ined to obtain a promise from ncr in case she should become a widow. She stopped him peremptorily ; but I never do d an eye that night; and Clotilda, though she did not know I watched her, was as uneasy as myself. On the following day a circum siance occurred that increased her agitation. While at breakfast a message came from the cook asking to see me alone. I desired him to come in (asl was not in the habit of inter fering in domestic affairs,) and communicate Ins business in ray wife’s presence. When me man entered he was as pale as a ghost, and scarcely seemed to know what be was about. At last he told me he had received a. Package containing a small bottle, three Hundred guilders, and a note, in which he Wns requested to put the contents of the.for mcr m’° the first herring pie he should pre pare for me lie was assured he might do COBB, STURROCK & CO., YOL. 3. so without fear, as the contents of the bottle were quite harmless, and would give a deli* cious flavor to the pie. An additional reward was promised ifhe complied with the request and kept bis own counsel. The honest fellow, who was much attached to me, said he was convinced there must be something wrong in the affair, and should not be happy till the bottle and money were out of his hands, ( poured a few drops of the liquid on a lump of sugar and gave it my wife’s lap*dog. It fell into convulsions and died in a few minutes. The case was now plain—there had been an attempt to poison me. Never shall I forget Clotilda’s pale face, as she threw herself weeping into my arms. ‘Poison! A murder!’ she exclaimed, clasping me as if to shield me from danger. ‘ Merciful Heaven, protect us both I’ 1 consoled her with the assurance that I was thankful to my unknown enemy, who was the means of showing me how much she loved me. EDITH. “ That day Berkenrode came at the usual hour; but in vain did I take my seat in my hiding-place,he was not admitted. 1 afterwards found that she had sent him a teller, threat ening, if ever he came again, her husband should be informed of all that had passed,— He made several attempts lo soften he resolu tion, but to no purpose, and a year afterwards he married. No acquaintance has ever ex isted between the families, and now you know why my wife refuses her consent to our son’s marriage with the daughter of Ber kenrode.” “ I cannot blame her,” said Van Grote.— “ Who would have thought that Berkenrode, a soldier, a man of honor, could have been capable of such a rascally deed ?” “ Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Bronker, “ and do you really think it was the General who sent the poison?” “ Why, who else ?” “ Myself, to be sure. The whole was my own contrivance, and it cost me three hun dred guilders in a present to my cook; but I saved my wife and got rid of her troublesome lap-dog at the same time.” “ Do you know, Bronker, I think it was rather shabby trick to leave Berkenrode under such an imputation; and now that your son’s happiness depends on your wife being undeceived—” “ I am aware of all that, but to undeceive her now is not so easy as you think. How can I expect her to disbelieve a circumstance in which for the last twenty years she has put implicit failh ?” He was interrupted by the_ entrance of Vrow Bronker; her cheeks were flushed, and she was saluted by Van Gro'c rather stffty. “ What, not at the ball, Clotilda?” nskepl hor husband. r “ No, 1 had a bad headache,” she replied, and Maurice had promised lo lake charge of his sisters. But I have come to tell you that I have been thinking over his marriage with Mina Berkenrode, and altered my mind on the subject. In short, I shall withdraw my opposition lo the match.” The friends looked at each other in aston ishmeni. By-the-by,” she continued, “ here is a key I found some lime ago. 1 think it must belong to you. 1 ' “ Wqll, Clotilda,” said'her husband, striv ing to hide his confusion as he took the key, “ this is good news about the marriage—” “ Suppose you and your friend celebrate it by a supper. Thete is a herring pie in the house, aud you need not fear that it is pois oned.” She left the room. Bronker looked fool ish, and Van Grote rubbed his hands, as he exclaimed.: “ Caught ip your own trap 1 He who digs a pit for his enemy shall tall into it himself.” “ Nevertheless,” replied Bronker, “ I think I have got well out of mine.” Lost His Obation.—ln the political strug gle of 1848, two delegates from D , New Hampshire—a lawyer and a tailor— started on their mission to the capital of that Slate together, in a wagon. The tailor was quite as ardent a politician as his companion, lalbeil he was not so profound, but what he acked in black learning and logic he made up in abundant flow of winds, set speeches, snatches of political orations, &c., which he had picked up at different caucuses, and which his retentive memory hoarded up, ready to be delivered on fitting occasion o . They had not proceeded lar on their journey when Mt. Broadcloth asked his companion if ho intended to make a speech, and receiv ing an affirmative answer, told him he should like to hear it if it was “ cut and dried.” Accordingly our limb or the law delivered himself of ihe speech—the labor of more than one long night—to our “ snapper of ri fles,” who, after applauding it much’and crit icising it a little, desired the lawyer to go through with it again, which was complied with. After discussing freely its merits and chances for improvement in delivery more especially, Ihe man of measure actually pre vailed on the speechtfler to go through with it again ; then complimented the victim by telling him * it was now perfect and couldn’t be bettered.’ - Immediately they arrived at Concord they repaired to the chamber of the Convention, which had just organized. Our man of cloth watched the chance, and before his compan ion could say—“ Mr. Speaker,” he anticipa ted him, got the floor, and to the surprise and astonishment of his friends in general and his companion .in particular, recited , the whole speech as he caught it on the journey from ihe.unsuspeciiDg lawyer’s lips, verba tim ft literatim, and coolly look amidst thunders of applause. A Pbintbb once described a clever clergy*, man as a “ full-leaded article with a white line after it.’’ THE Btbotta to tot Bpttnsiow ot tpc am at .ffmsom ,-nto tljt sjprtart at ©caUtjg atttavnt WELLSBOROUGH, TIOGA COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY MORNING. JANUARY 1. 1857. AGITATOR. 11 TUB AGITATION OP THOUGHT IS THE BEGINNING OP WISDOM," eommimicatiantf. Setter from Minnesota Jerritorv, Zuhbsa, Minnesota Ter. Dec. 1, 1856. Fbiend Cobb:—l am thankful to hear from you every week, as I am pretty sure to do through the Agitator ; and as I have oc casion to write to you on business I thought it might be acceptable to some of your pat rons to get a few words respecting the prog ress and improvement of the country around me. Very little more lhan two years have elapsed since I came lo Southern Minnesota. It was then a vast, and almost unbroken wil derness, through which I traveled one hund red and fifty miles in one direction and saw but six human habitations. In traveling ov er thirty miles north, and nearly fifty miles south of this line, I found the country about as thinly populated ; and the tract of coun try now comprised in 01 instead county, (24 miles north and south by 30 miles east and west,) then contained less than for'y white inhabitants. It now boasts a population of more than twelve thousand souls ! * In July, 1854, Rochester, in this county, bad neither shanty nor tent wherein to shel ter man; it has now 320 acres regularly laid out in lots, streets, alleys and squares, with ten dry-goods stores and groceries, lour ho tels as large as Wellsboro boasts, with some smaller establishments of the accommodating kind, where daily stages are running from Dubuque in lowa to St. Paul, and mail car ried three limes weekly each way. In town are six mechanics’ shops of various kinds, four physicians without patients, and lawyers and preachers in such abundance above the wants of the place that they And it necessary to resort to manual labor for support. In ad dition, Rochester has a population of over six hundred persons, besides, in this county we have.., our Oronoco, Durango, Marion, Highforest, Prescott, &e., containing from 30 to 150 inhabitants 'each, all aspiring to become cities. Our experience in Agriculture proves sat isfactorily that we have bettered our condi tion much by our journey West of the Miss issippi. The past summer has been the first that we have seen crops growing on land of second plowing. It has shown us corn from 12 to 15 feet in hight, yielding, in some ca ses, 80 bushels per acre without hoeing. Small grain and roots pay largely for the labor bestowed upon them. I have raised carrots of which some grew to the length of two feet, and several weighed four and a half pounds each. Comfortable frame buildings ere rapidly going up, and the country, is fill ins up with wise men aud women from the East, who bring wun unm i -.c.-n capital in a new country—energy and per severance. Truly, GEO. HUYLER. [We hope to hear from Mr. Huyler often. Every familiar voice from the Great West finds attentive listeners here ; and the bund* reds who will doubtless seek homes in the West the coming year from this region, will profit by the inlormation. Ed.] Farmers. “ Agriculture is the healthy and most useful employment of Man.” These words of the illustrious Father- of our Country t who was himself a living ex emplification of the truth of the above noble sentiment. Most of the eminent men of his day agreed with him in practice—most of them now agree with him in precept. Tilling the soil in all ages has been the subject of inhumerable eloquent addresses, and orators never fail to fcive the ploughboy now and then a puff. Washington was sincere when he uttered the above sentence, and he devoted the latter portion of his life to Agricultural pursuits, thus practically carying into effect the oft-quoted motto. But in my opinion, by those that call them selves “ the better class,” farming is looked on as a low calling and beneath the dignity (if “ well bred gentlemen.” Although writers may praise the *• occupation”—-although stump orators may eulogise it—although the Collegian may give it a place'in his besl'pro ductibns, yet, notwithstanding all these things, the more elevated portion of the humau race look with contempt upon the low'and degraded calling oPthe farmer ! Nothing is more common than for a graduate of College to leave school and come back home and give his old friends a cut and dried oration upon the nobleness of farming, but you could not shockhis feelings morelhan toasklhim to milk the cows, or to teed the pigs. The idea would be shockingly disgusting to his highly culti vated nature. Give him a scythe some hot day in July with the Themomeler at 90 deg., and'ksk him to mow twelve hours for seven ty-five cents, or to cradle three or four acres of grain for a day’s work, and just watch his countenance about that time. It would be well to have a celling bottle on hand-, for the thought of such horible things might tem porarily deprive him ol bis senses. Although he has spent days in preparing his address on this subject, yet he could not en'ertain the idea of performing a part of the farmers la borious duties, without a Shudder. Poor fel low, he lik the theory of farming, but ab hors (he practice; and leaves school to prac tice some honorable profession. Perhaps to run a one horse law office; with a brother graduate, and thus passes through life with the United States Senate always just-five years-in the future I Honors' are always crowding themselves thick upon binw'in imagination, and of course he expects the coming historians to do him justice, and to place his name in capital letters, among the list of noble and self sacrificing reformers that have goqe before him and that unborn millions will yet rise up and call’him blessed 3 '■ Happy fellow! he is to be envied ; and has made a wise choice in turning from the ploughboy in disgust. Ilia a notorious fact, that the Farmers form the great portion of the inhabitants of this country—that they form the bulwark and strength of the natio'b—that it is this class that feed the world and were it not for them, miny .of our codfish aristocrats, would go to bed supperless—that they are the backbone of society, and were they struck out ofex/stence, the world would present a very different as pect lhan it does now. Notwithstanding this, farmers, in these latter days are scarcely ever taken from their “ healthy” calling, to take a part in the affairs of their country. Public opinion will allow them to dig and delve—to spend their lives beneath the scorch ing rays of a summer sun ; but they must be debarred from all participation in the affairs of their country. Such is the prevailing cus tom. In these enlightened times, a farmer would be considered insane if he would have the audacity to ask to be sent to the Stale Legislature. Yes he would be looked upon as an idiot if he would ask for any 1 thing higher than a town supervisorship. Now is this right? Because a man helps feed and clothe the world, should he be debarred from partici pating in all things (hat custom calls honora ble.? But such is the cose, and it is folly to deny it. Look at our Congress, and how many far mers will you find there? Look at our Stale Legislatures and tell me how many of the “useful” class you find there? How many of the “ healthy” race have been appointed foreign ministers, or have held high offices ? It is not because the farmers are ignorant and wholly unacquainted with our Ibrm of Gov ernment, for no class of men in this nation possesses more general intelligence than does this. Custom, to-day, reserves all places of honor and profit for those that have a pro fession. The'more “ elevated classes” furn ish office seekres, and the farmers furnish voters. Now this is not rigjii, and as one of the “ useful” class, 1 protest against the prevailing custom; and now how shall pub lic opinion be changed in order to have our farmers represented in our places of trust ? Like every thing else, the reform must begin with those that would be benefilled by (he change. “ Hereditary bondmen I know ye not who would free, himself must strike the blow I” Yes the change 'should begin with the “ healthy" class, and they should make themselves “ useful” in laboring for their own rights. I know full well, that the position I now occupy, is in opposition to long established usage, and no doubt will have a couple of tame elephants sent down upon me, by the man what put his hair in papers.— Bul I Dide my ume. PRANK “We can’t all have things alike. Nor you haven’t got such a dress as this, but my mother could make me one, nor I can’t have one like yours.” So I heard a little girl of five years old say, a few days since, looking wishfully,meanwhile from’her own homespun flannel to a muslin-de-laine, worn by the young lady she was addressing. I could see that she was trying hard to be contented, though she could appreciate very well the difference in the garments she was compar ing. 1 thereupon fell to wondering if 1 tried as reasonably to be content with my condi -lion to offset what I consider disadvantages, against what are as palpable advantages. 1 have not a palatial residence, like those 1 have lately seen in'the city, but I dwell in a comfortable house, that answers all the pur poses of my life equally well, and if I have not so fine a carriage as rich people ride in I have health to walk when I wish to go abroad, and to enjoy what blessings are bestowed upon me. And if I have not enjoyed all the ad vantages of school and education 1 have de sired lam, in turn, free from some of the responsibility and care that a'tends those more highly favored ones. So I went on musing, till I wished some of’my disconten ted friends could hear little Sarah put down the risings of, discontent so nobly, and afier resolving to taken lesson thereupon myself, thought I would try to tell it for the benefit of any who may be comparing themselves with those they thlhk more highly favored. For Tlie Agitator. For the Agitator. The Importance of a well-spent Life. A life well-spent is of rare occurrence; notwithstanding which, it is of the greatest importance. Every moment of time wasted in idle pursuits, will bring remorse and stand registered against us in the great Ledger, un til (he great day, unless' the transgressor re pents, and it is blotted out by (he Atonement. Alas I how the victim of dissipation and even the moral idler will tremble in view of their misspent past! Time well-spent, is a jewel of price, and the angel-watcher will not forget to record it. In the improvement of time jve possess a conscience Void 61*' offence, and win the approbation of (he wise and good; nor these alone j we shall have the approbation of the King of Kings aud-a wel come to the House not made with hands, eternal in the’heavens. Life is hut ’ll passing moment—a smile, a tear, and all is over. Progress depends not upon the length of life,' but upon how wpil we improve obr time und talents. ■ That pie pares us for life, and therefore for death. Chatham Valley. . ANNA. , Dig your potatoes when the ground is dry, and be careful in handling them hot to bruise them. When you hole them, be careful to cover well with straw. For Tho Agitator. Contentment. BT HELAME. PUBLISHERS & PROPRIETORS. The Spirit of Kindness. As we cast our eyes over our fair domain, earth, how much do we see of the goodness and love of our creator. The whispering of the breeze, the sighing of the zephyr, the murmuring of the gentle stream as it runs along its quiet bed, all conspire to show how much the goodness of God is shown in every moving thing ; the sun as he sets in all his splendor, and covers the heavens with his golden beams, the breeze as it plays among the trees, all whisper the same answer— “ Love.’’ But how sad it is lo look abroad among the human creatures that God bos made, and see how little of the true spirit of kindness is shown to each other. How much of human woe and suffering there is in the world, and how much of it might be allevia ted if man would but sympathise in his fellow man’s woes. Go to the criminal in his darkened cell re proach him for.his crimes; show him. the long train of evil consequences which must inevitably follow his ruinous course and he will answer you in sullen looks, with no feelings of remorse whatever ; but speak in gentleness, and what a change ! —The har dened criminal who has not wept for years, would bow h>s head and weep. Speak to him of his now sainted mother, gone to share the portion of the redeemed in Heaven ; carry him in the arms of the remembrance back to the days of his childhood, when she knelt beside his little bed and poured out her prayer for the salvation of her darling boy lb him to whom she had dedicated him while yet a child and tear will steal down the cheek of one who, perhaps, had not wept for years. I Gentle words will soflen the hearts of those whoso consciences have long been seared by crime or deep affliction. It was not the “ whirlwind” that moved the hardened crim inal to tears, but the “still small voice” of affection. Thus we see how much of the happiness earth’s millions is derived from the true spirit of kindness, a spirit which we all may exercise. May we in future try to ex ercise this lovely spirit, and thus make the society in which we live happier and better. Slavery in Kansas. The whole scope and aim of the Repeal of the Missouri Compromise was to extend sla very and create more Northern Slave Slates out of territory from which tho curse was excluded by the Missouri restriction. After pursuing that object steadily even to coun lenacing Border Ruffianism in Kansas and in the United States Senate on the eve of a Presidential election, when every manly feeling at the north would naturally be sup posed to array itself in opposition to the party and its candidate, what reason is there for supposing that the advocates of slavery will stop nu,r *„