1
Ii?F. SCIIWEIEIt,
THE COITSTITUTIOH-THE TUTIOl-AID THE ESPOBCEMEITT OF TEE LAWS.
Editor and Pi-opriet or.
VOL. XXXII.
MIFFIJN1WN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENXA., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY G, 1878.
NO. 6.
firm?
in hi
-A POOR RULE THAT DOESN'T WORK
BOTH WATS."
"Cams bck. come back to me, Charlie
Come to the old elm-tree ;
T na only a jest your lore to teat.
To ree if von loved but me.
I o not care for them, Charlie
For Willie, or hob, or Ed,
Or sny one ; tsaa onlr for fan.
For no one else could I wed."
Tbas ung a bonnie maiden.
With a tear in her bright brown eye.
And a look of care in ber face eo fair.
And a voice twixt a laugn and a cry.
But down by the brook, in the meadow,
S' rolls a f rm that she known full well ;
And a lady fair, with golden hair.
Is with him Home city belle.
Down in 'he fragrant grasses
Sinks the maid, with a smothered moan ;
"Ah. me !" she sobs, -how my heart throbs
To be left alone alone."
-Why these tears, my Kitty ?"
Siart.ng. her Charlie the saw.
Twaa only a jest your lore to test.
And that a my new a ster- n-law."
And nnuer the drooping brandies.
Where none but the wild b rda saw.
She smiled through her tears and whispered her
fern re.
And I leesrd Charlie a aister-in-law.
A Game or Hearts.
Morton Levyllian looked into bis
companion's face and wondered if she
really possessed a lieart ! Or was she
only as liad been said a creature of
intellect, one who required not, and
wished not, the niost precious of all
life's blessing love. Rather a difficult
question ! and her beautiful, queenly
countenance, with its lustrous brown
eyes and delicately chiseled features,
did not serve to satisfy his doubts.
He was accustomed to be a favorite
among the gentler sex. Wealthy, in
tellectual, and handsome, he was very
naturally appropriated by iiiamruveriug
mammas and marriagable daughters,
t iara Vane was unlike the women with
whom he had been thrown in contact.
Although among, she was not one of
them, and her indifference hurt him
more than he cared to confess, even to
himself. So this evening, as they wan
dered together through the brilliantly
illuminated rooms of a fashionable de
votee, he asked carelessly, albeit his
eves rested searvhiuglv ujmjii her face:
"Miss Vane, do you believe in love?"
Mie laughed, anil although her dusky
cheek crimsoned a little, displayed not
the slightest iliseoiiiHsure as she an
swered. 'Xo at least not as you do.'
That sentence implied a certain
amount of something that the gentle
man scarcely liked. How should she
know whether their beliefs were simi
lar? "Indeed:" he commented, somewhat
drily, "Would it be impertinent iu me
to inquire what your belief really is?"
She bit her lip.
"I make no pretensions to under
standing any one's ideas upon this or
any other subject letter than they
themselves do. I only know that my
own opinion of love is very different
from the latter-day sentiment which is
now dignitied by that name."
He smiled provokingly.
"So is mine. We agree thus far, at
any rate. Perhaps were we to comiare
notes the similarity would exist still
further."
"Scarcely probable," she answered,
calmly. "Iiut it is not an interesting
topic, and as it is of no consequeucc
whether we consider it in the same light
or no, I proiiose we discuss some other
subject."
Of course after that the conversation
was changed.
"Confound it! what's the use?" he
murmured, sadly, that night or rather
that morniiig after returning home.
"Here I am, fairjy bewitched after a
woman who, if report seaks truly, is
not capable of feeling a particle of af
fection for any man, and who has de
monstrated beyond peradventure her
utter indifference to me. - Iu love with
an iceberg ! That's what's the matter !
But I swear I won't make a fool of my
self any longer ! She can go her way,
and I'll go mine !"
Whether this resolution would have
been kept or no, is a question that must
forever remain unsettled, as the next
day Miss Vane had left town gone, no
one knew where; to remain, notit: knew
how long.
But we, being wiser than the majori
ty of folks, may follow her away from
the crowded metropolis to a beautiful
country seat, down in Kent, where,dis
gusted alike with the world and herself,
she had sought refuge for the summer
months with heryoung married friend,
Mary ThursLon.
"Now, Clara," said this young lady,
as they sat together, some few evenings
after Miss Vane's arrival, "of course
you know how glad I am to have you
here, and all that sort of thing; but
what in the world possessed you to
come? For, when I saw you last, you
gave me no encouragement to hojie for
this visit."
"Well, Marr, to tell the truth, I
hadn't the slightest idea of paying it
two weeks ago; but "
"But what?" eagerly asked her com
panion. "You were not involved In
mv love affair, were you? I heard
something of a serious kind of flirtation
you wero having with somendoy. It
didn't become too serious did it?
"Yes, it did !" answered her guest
impetuously, startled out of her usual
retivenoe by that strange longing for
sympathy, which sometimes seizes the
proudest of us. "I became acquainted
with a man endowed with extraordi
nary gifts of mind and person, and I
undertook to teach him a lesson. But,
alas, for human volition ! I learned the
lesson!"
"Ioe8 he know it?" interrupted her
friend anxiously.
"Know it?" she repeated in scorn
"Xo! nor never will! And that is the
reason I have come to you so unexpect
edly."
The conversation was here put to an
end by the entrance of Captain Thurs
ton. .
'A letter for you, Marv. From Mor
ton, I fancy," he said, carelessly toss
ing it into her lap.
The quick blood rushed Into Clara's
face. Even the name caused her heart
to nutter strangely; but neither of her
friends noticed her agitation both be
ing engrossed iu their missives.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Mrs. Mary, half
unconsciously.
Clara and her husband looked up in
surprise. Her face was glowing joy-
iuiiy, albeit her eyes were full of
tears.
'What's the matter?" they asked in
a breath.
"Oh, nothing much!" she replied.
"Only I'm so glad. Clara, I never
knew that you were acquainted with
my half-brother, Morton Levyllian."
Poor t lara ! Her face, even to the
roots of her hair, was scarlet; but 6he
made no reply, and her friend contin
ued, remorselessly, "He is coming to
pay us a visit, and we may expect iiitu
every moment,"
All the color fled swiftly from Clara's
cheek.
"Now, don't be a goose !" whispered
Mary, softly. "Just read this."
So Clara read as follows :
"My Dear Sistkr I am sick of the
'Great metropolis.' sick of life, and sick
of myself; am fast becoming, in fact, a
misauthroite sick of everything. So,
to improve this woeful condition of af
fairs, shall start to-night tor your sweet
pretty country home. For the la.-t few
months, I have made a fool of myself
by falling in love, and that is a very
serious business for a man of my pecu
liar temperament, 1 can assure you.
Iid you, during vour visit here, ever
know a Miss Clara Vane? I was in
France at the time, vuu remember.
Well, we have beeu indulging iu what
Oaine Grundy would call 'a pleasant
flirtation,' and. tor the first time in his
life, your brother professes himself con
quered. People say she has no heart.
lhat I don't believe. It is utterlv im
possible so glorious a woman should be
minus that most feminine appendage.
Iiut, one thing is certain, she has no
heart for me, and that has left me
without a heart for anything else.
(Please don't think this is intended for
a pun I am iu anything but a punning
humor.) as you know J. am not m the
habit of proclaiming my miseries, and
hate pity above all things. Burn this
as soon as read, keep all information
contained herein to yourself, and don't
say 'woman to me white 1 remain.
Lovingly, your brother, Moktox."
Even as Clara read, a tall figure;
darkened the doorway.
"Oh, Morton !" shouted his sister.
joyfully advancing with outstretched
hands.
After greeting the husband and wife.
the new comer glanced questionably j
over at the silent lady standing in the
shadow of the room.
"Clara, here is my brother," said M rs.
Thurston, smiling. "I believe, howev
er, you are already acquainted with one
another."
Thus urged, Clara advanced.
"Miss Vane! and here!" said the
gentleman, in amazement. Then, re
covering himself, "Excuse me, but this
meeting was so utterly tinexMcted,
that I "and here his glance fell upon
the letter which she still held.
"Mary gave it to me," she stammered
explainingly, interpreting aright his
mute, astonished look.
He smiled. Some way, her embar-
assment put him very much more at
ease.
"She did? Well, what do you think
of it?"
She looked round for assistance from
some quarter: but husband and wife
had left the room. So, very unwilling
ly, she answered :
"I don't know."
"You don't? Well," endeavoring to
look into the eyes which so pertina
ciously sought the floor, "are you sorry
forme?"
No," very low; and the next mo
ment "icy Clara Vane" was clasped
close in a pair of mauly arms, from
which she made not the slightest mo
tion to extricate herself.
An Old Kentucky Duel.
A duel was fought at Soap Island, in
Bridgeport, in 1830. The participants
were Shelton and Kingsbury. Shelton
thought it was real; Kingsbury knew
it to be a joke. The guns were loaded
with soft soap. Shelton won the first
Are, banged away and dropped behind
a log. Kingsbury walked up, put the
muzzle of the gun against the head of
Shelton and pulled the trigger. Such
a looking man was never seen. Soft
soap covered his head entirely. In the
agony of despair Shelton reached up,
got a handful of the soap and exclaim
ed: "Oh. my poor brains! my poor
brains !" Realizing the hoax, he sprang
up and chased Kingsbury off the island
with rocks, swearing all the while like
a sailor. Shelton afterward enlisted In
Sam. Houstan's war, and made a good
soldier. Coming back from Texas, he
passed through Hardinsville w ith his
gun on his shoulder. One of his old
friends cried out "Halt!" He did so.
'Present arms !" He presented. "Make
ready !" lie did so. "Take aim !" lie
aimed. "Fire!" He wheeled, fired
right at the fellow, the bullet just miss
ed his head, went through the door and
dropped on the floor inside. Shelton
took to his heels.
I,n the civil war he made a brave sol
dier, was unflinching in his attention
to duty, and died like a soldier at Mis
sionary Ridge.
Aw Irish Jury.
A n Irish Jury has had the audacity to
assess a woman for damages done to a
man's heart. Mr. Egan, a linen draper's
assistant, of Roserea, was Jilted by a
winsome young lady of 35; and, alter
hearing the sad story of a lover's woes
from his own lips, the generous jury
awarded him $1,250 as damages, so that
the consolation afforded him is of a very
solid kind. The lady coolly admitted
promise to marry the plaintiff, but
pleaded that she was not very mucn in
love, and that she "declined to be
dictated to" during the courtship.
Is Friday aa I'nlnrky Day?
Some people will persist in demon
strating Friday aa unlucky, notwith
standing that it is the date of some of
the most Important and most fortunate
occurrences on record of human trans
actions. Let us see. On Friday,
August 21st, 1492, Columbus sailed oi:
his great voyage of discovery. On Fri
dry, October 12ih. 1495, he first dis
covered land. On Friday January 14th,
1493, he sailed on his return to Spain,
which, if he had not reached in safety,
the happy resalt might never have been
known which led to he settlement of
this vast continent. On Friday March
15th, 1495 be arrived at Palog in safety.
On Friday, Xovember 22d, 1493, he
arrived at Ilispaniola, on his second
voyage to America. On Friday, June
13th, 1494, he, though unknown to him
self, discovered the continent of Amer
ica. On Friday, March 5ih, 1496, Henry
VIII., of England, gave to John Cabot
his commission, which led to the dis
covery of Xorth America. This is the
first American State paper iu England.
On Friday, September 7th, 1505, was
founded St. Augustine, Florida, the old
est town in the United States by more
than forty years. On Friday, Xovem
ber 10th, 1020, the Mayflower, with the
P lgrinis, made the harbor of Province
town ; and on the same day they signed
that august compact, the forerunner of
the Federal constitution. On Friday,
February 22d, 1732 George Washing
ton, the Father of American freedom
was born. Ou Friday, June 10th, 1775
Bunker Hill was seized and fortified.
On Friday, October 7th, 1777, the sur
render of Saratoga, was made which
had such power and influence in in
ducing France to declare for our cause.
Ou Friday, September 22d, 17S0, the
treason of Arnold was laid bare, which
saved us from destruction. Ou Friday,
October 19:h, 17S1, the surrender at
Yorktown, the crowning glory of the
American rnns, occurred, Oil Friday,
June 7th, 177G. the motion In Congress
was made by John Adams, and seconded
by Richard Henry Lee, that the United
Colon ies were, and of right ought to be
free and independent. Thus we see
that, Friday is not so bad a day, after
all.
The Mormon Bible.
Major Gilbert of Palmyra, Missouri
gives the following account of the get
ting up of the Mormon bible : One pleas
ant day in the Summer of 1829 Hiram
Smith, Joe's brother, came to the office
to negotiate for the printing of a book.
The arrangements were completed.
Five thousant copies of the book were
to lie printed for $3,0- A well-to-do
fanner named Martin Harris, living in
the neighborhood, agreed to liecome Se
curity for the payment of the money,
and the work was at once put iu Iniud.
Major Gilbert set up all the tj ' of the
book, except some 20 or 30 pages, and
did nearly all the press-work. It was
all worked off on a hand-press.. The
copy was brought to the office by Hiram
Smith. It was written on foolscap
paXT, in a good, clear hand. The hand
writing was Oliver Cowdery's. There
was not a punctuation mark in the
whole manuscript. The sentences were
all run in without capitals or other
marks to designate where one lett off
and another began, and it was no easy
task to straighten out the stuff. Major
Gilbert, perceiving that large portions
were stolen verbatim from the Bible,
used to have a copy of that book on his
desk to aid him in deciphering the man
uscript and putting in the punctuation
marks. At first Smith used to come to
the office every morning with just
enough manuscript to last througl) the
day. But it was so much lnither to put
in the punctuations that Gilbert said :
Bring me around a quantity of copy at
a time, and I can go through it and fix
it up in the evenings, and so get along
faster with it." Smith replied : "This
is pretty important business, young
man, and I don't know as we can trust
this manuscript in your possession."
Filially his scruples were overcome, and
he consented to the arrangement. Then
he would bring around a quire of pajier,
or 48 pages, at a time, and this would
last several days. When the matter
had been set, all the copy was carefully
taken away again by Smith. It took
eight months to set up the book and run
it -through the press. Major Gilbert
was not much interested in the book;
he though it rather dry and prosy, and
to this day has never thought it wortli
his while to read it a second time. Of
course, nobody then dreamed that the
"Book of Mormon" was destined to
achieve the notority which it has
gained, or that it was to cut such a fig
ure in the history of this country. It
did not find a very ready sale at the out
set, and Harris, who had mortgaged his
farm to pay the printer's bill, was
cleaned out financially. He was an
intimate friend of the Smiths, and af
terwards became an adherent to the
doctrines they taught, lie did not fol
low them Westward, however, but re
mained near his own home, where he
died two years ago. With this book as
the basis of his teaching, Joe Smith be
gan to preach, and soon formed a con
gregation of followers in Palmyra and
the neigh boring village of Manchester,
where the Smiths resided. A year
later, he, with thirty of his followers,
removed to Kirtland, Ohio. His sub
sequent history is well known. There
were nine children in the Smith family.
Joe was then about 23 years of age. He
was a lazy, good-for-nothing lout,
chiefly noted for his capacity to hang
around a corner grocery and punish
poor whisky. He had good physioal
strength, but he never put it to any use
in the way of mowing grass or sawing
wood. He could wrestle pretty well,
but was not given to exerting his mus
cles in any practical way. He had evi
dently made up his mind that there was
an easier way of getting a living than
by honest industry. He was the dis
coverer of a magic stone which he used
to carry around in his hat. Holding it
carefully laid in the bottom of his hat,
he would bring his eye to bear on it
at an angle of about 45 degrees and
forthwith discover the whereabouts of
hidden treasures. He would draw a
circle on the ground and say to the awe
struck bystanders : "Pig deep enough
within this circle and you will find a
pot of gold." But he never dug him
self. He had a good share of the risiug
generation of Palmyra out digging in
the suburbs, and to this day traces of
the pits thus dug are pointed out to
curious visitors. As he claimed to be
the author of the "Book of Mormon,
bis story was that by the aid of his
wonderful stone, he foil nil gold plates
on which were inscribed, the writings
iu hieroglyphics. He translated them
by means of a pair of magic spectacles
which the Lord delivered to him at the
same time that the golden tablets were
turned up. But nobody but John him
self ever saw- the golden tablets or the
far-seeing spectacles. He dictated the
book, concealed behind a curtain, and
it was wiitten dowu by Cowdery. This
course seemes to be rendered necessary
by the fact that Joe did not know how
to write. Otherwise the book might
have gone to the printer in the hand
writing of Old Mormon himself. It is
now pretty well established that the
"Book of Mormon" was written in 1812
by the Rev. Solomon Spalding of Ohio
as a popular romance. He could not
find anyone to print it. The manu
script was sent to Pittsburg, where it
lay in a printing office for several
years. Spalding was never able to
raise the money to secure the printing
of the story, and after his death, in 1824,
it was returned to his wife. By some
means, exactly how is not known, it
'ell into the hands of one Sidney Rig-
dom, who, with Joe Smith, concocted
the scheme by which it was subsequent
ly brought out as the work of Smith.
The dealings with the outside world in
resiect to it were manipulated bv Hiram
Smith, an elder brother of Joe.
A Witch
In the beautiful town of Glastonbury
Connecticut, the following remarkable
event occurred in 1753. In March of
that year one Julius Perry went out
with his dogs to hunt, In the deaths
of the forest he discovered (as he alleg
ed) an old gray fox, and his dogs gave
chase. Alter chasing the fox upward
of two miles, the animal was holed.
When Mr. Perry came up he iieard a
strange noise over the other side of the
hole, and, going to the spot, he there
found Juliana Cox lying and panting
for breath. Her left shoulder was'
bleeding and had on it the murks of the
dogs teeth. This was just the spot ou
the gray fox's shoulder, where the dogs
had siezed him. Upon this testimony
Miss Cox, a maiden lady of 44, was
brought to trial for the offense ot being
a witch. On her arraigi.uient she plead
ed not guilty, and it was determined
that a committee of selectmen should
examine her person for witch-marks, in
order to introduce confirmatory proofs
against her. She was, therefore re
manded to prison. The following per
sons were appointed on the committee:
Eben Brewer, Alexas Jones, and Sam
uel Cutworth. These men proceedci
at once to the prison, and, stripping
Miss Cox, they began their examination
For a time exceeding an hour they
could find no marks, and Miss Cox sub
mitted to their examination with tears
and sobs, Finally, when they had
pricked many places on hei body with
out success, she confessed to two marks
one a little below the right hip, and
one on the lift arm. The committee
now became satisfied that these were
true marks, as the flesh thereon was
discolored in a slight degree. They
thereupon made their report to the
Court appointed to hear the trial. This
evidence confirming that of Mr. Perry
was thought to be conclusive, and ou
tne 3 d of April the trial took place.
It was thought unnecessary to resort to
further tests, and Miss Cox was found
guilty of witchcraft on the evidence
already quoted, and sentenced to be
hanged. Strange noises and demons
haunted the jail at Hartford up to the
time that her execution took place
which was on the 7th of April, at i
o'clock in the morning. There was a
large concourse of men and women
attending the execution, and, and al
though she declared that she was unjust
ly accused, and that she confessed to the
witch-marks to stop the pain of being
pricked so cruelly by the committeemen
yet every person present believed her
to be a true witch, and in league with
the devil. She further declared that
Julius Perry accused her wrongfully,
She said she was in the forest gathering
herbs, and that Julius Perry came along
and would have his will of her; that she
constantly refusing, he set his dog upon
her, and the animal bit her shoulder,
and that he, fearing to be detected in
his bad act, had laid the charge of
witchcraft against her. This she said
under the gallows. Whereupon a
shout was made among the people to
"burn the witch," as hanging was too
easy a death for so foul a stumpetof the
devil." While the people went to fetch
wood to burn her, the Sheriff hung her
up, so that she died on the gallow s be
fore the wood could be brought.
Food in England
It Is well known that England's food
producing power is very smsll compared
with other conn tries, and were it not
for her large Imports the state of things
might be serious, Mr. Mechi speaking
at an agricultural meeting said that
there were 4G,000,000 acres in that coun
try and 32,000,000 inhabitants, and only
45 per cent, of those 32.000,000 were fed
with British food, and the 60 per cent.
would be without their bread, and a
good deal of their meat, butter and
cheese but for foreign imports. This
was not a creditable state of things, for
there was no doubt that if a larger
amount of capital and intelligence were
Invested in the land enough would by
grown to feed the people without ane
foreign imports.
I should entertain a mean opinion of
mvself. if all men. or the most part.
praised and admired me ; it would prove
me to be somewhat like them. Sad and
sorrowful is it to stand near enough
for them to see ns wholly ; for them to
come up to us and walk around ns
leisurely and idly, and pat us when
they are tired and going on.
The Mexicans.
The average Mexican is a being of
little progress, and, like his close neigh
bor, the Indian, presents pretty much
the same aspect as half a century ago.
He is swarthy and morose; his dark
colored skin in many instances might
make him pass for a Louisiana mulatto;
hestill wears the tradiiional long-shank
ed spurs, and his broad-briuiuieu
sombrero, with its silver ornaments
if its owner is rich enough to have them
can be distinguished almost at the
distance of half-a-mile. Whether en
gaged in the stock business or not. La
Mexicano usually carries coiled around
the horns of his saddle the universal
lasso, which serves for " staking out"
his grass pony, catching a wild steer in
his swift flight across the plains, or
choking an American traveller with a
fine horse or a belt full of gold, as the
latter rides through the thick and
high chappar-i on either side of the
river.
The roughness of his visage is iu
strong contrast with the real beauty ol
the ladies of Mexico. For symmetry
of form, grace of manner, long, flawing
raven hair, and the lovely darkness of
their large dreamy eyes, the Mexican
women, and indeed Spanish ladies
everywhere, have long been celebrated.
The Seuorita of Laredo, of Tamaullpas,
and of Mexico generally, is a really
beautiful being, and throwing all po
etical notions aside, combines as many
of the real elements of loveliness and
the attractions of feature and form as
the women of any race on this little
planet. Her magnificent black eyes are
a clear offset to the expressive blue
orbs of Anglo-Saxon ladies, or the
flashing and handsome optics of her
Texas sisters. It may be said of the
lad!esofMfxicothat,unlike their fathers,
husbands and brothers, they are gener
ally adepts in treachery but make faith
ful wives, and whenever occasion has
arisen have always treated Americans
with a noble.iess and generosity that
enhanced their loveliness.
Laredo, now the proposed terminus
of a narrow-gauge road from Houston,
and the end of a continuous line from
St Louis direct to the Mexican frontier
which will undoubtedly soon be built
is the trading station for a Urge ex
tent of the great stock-raising country
in South Texas and below the River
Nueces. A short distance aliove the
town is Fort Mcintosh, containing a
L'nited States garrison, while there is a
Mexican coiuiuandcry also across the
river and nearly opjiosite.
Northward and to and across the
Nueces is one of the grandest grazing
countries on the globe. Millions of
cattle, horses and sheep roam over graz
ing wastes, which, to the traveller,
appear broad and boundless as the sea
and the amount of capital now Invested
in these species of property is really
immense. The great cattle kings of
South Texas have acquired almost a
national notoriety. Some of them own
hundreds of thousands of head. In
fact, stock raising is the leading and
almost the only business of account
followed in the Nueces region, the
climate being too dry for farming,
It need be matter of little wonder,
therefore. If the Incursions of marauders
from tbe Mexican side of the Rio Grande
have been a source of great vexatiou, as
well as loss, to the cattle-drovers on
this side. Mexican thieves have in
numberless instances, raided into
Texan territory, and boldly, and in
broad daylight, leisurely driven herds
of horses and cattle belonging to Amer
ican citizens across into Mexico, where
the idea of recapture was laughed at.
Moreover, the Mexican authorities and
military commanders on the frontier,
while pretending to desire a stop put to
uch nefarious proceedings, have recent
ly encouraged their Mexican brethren
In the wholesale stealages that have,
from time to time, taken place.
Cats and Boarders.
As we entered the edge of the town
(Hamilton, Bermuda Islands) that Sun
day afternoon, we stopped at a cottage
togetadrinkot water. The proprietor,
a middle aged man with a good face,
asked us to sit down and rest. His
dame brought chairs, and we grouped
ourselves in the shade of the trees by
the door. Mr. Smith that was not his
name, but it will answer questioned
us about ourselves and our country,
and we answered him truthfully, as a
general thing, and questioned him in
return. It was all very simple, anil
pleasant, and sociable. Rural, too; for
there was pig and a small donkey and
a hen anchored out, close at hand, by
cords to their legs, on a spot that pur
ported to be grassy. Presently a woman
passed along and although she coldly
said nothing she changed the drift of
our talk. Said Smith :
She didn't look this way, you notic
ed f Well, she is our next neighbor on
one side, and there's another family
that's our next neighbors on the other
side; but there's a general coolness all
around now. and we don't speak. let
these three families, one generation and
another, have lived there side by side
as friendly as weavers for 150 years, till
about a year ago."
" Why, what calamity could have
been powerful enough to break up so
old a friendship.
Well, it was too bad, but it couldn't
be helped. It happened like this
About a year or more ago the rats got
to pestering my place a good deal, and
I set up a steel trap in the back yard,
Both of these neighbors run consider
able to cats, and so I warned them about
the trap, because their cats were pretty
sociable around here nights, and they
might get into trouble without my In
tending it. Well, they shut up their
cats for a while, but you know how it
is with people; they got careless, and
sure enough one night tbe trap took
Mrs. Jones' principal tomcat into camp,
and finished him up. Iu the morning
Mrs. Jones comes here with the corpse
in ber arms, and cries and takes on the
same as if it was a child.' It was a cat
by the name of Yelverton Hector V.
Yelverton a troublesome old rip with
no more principle than a Injun, though
you couldn't make her believe It. I
said all a man could to comfort her,
but no, nothing would do but I must
pay for him. Finally, I said I wasn't
investing in cats now as much as I was
and with that she walked off iu a bad,
carrying the remains with her. That
closed our intercourse with the Joneses.
Mrs. Jones joined another church and
took ber tribe with her. She said she
would not allow fellowship with as
sassins. Well, by and by comes Mrs.
Brown's turn, she that went by here a
minute ago. She had a disgraceful
old yellow cat that she thought as much
of as if he was twins, aud one n'ght he
tried that trap on bis neck, and it fitted
him so, and was so sort of satisfactory
that he laid down and curled up and
stayed with It. Such was the end of Sir
John Baldwin.
" Was that the name of the eat?"
" The sauie. There's cats around here
with names that would surprise you.
Maria (to his wife) what was that cat's
name that eat a keg of ratsbane by mis
take over at Hooper's and started home
and got struck by lightning and took
the blind staggers and fell iu the well
and was most drowned before they could
fish him out?"
"That was that colored Deacon Jack-
sou's cat. I only remember the last
end of his name, which was To Be Or
Not To Be That Is The Question Jack-
n."
" Sho ! that ain't the one. That's the
one that eat up an entire box of Seiulltz
powders, cud then hadn't any more
judgment than to go at.d take a drink.
He was considered to be a great loss,
but I never could see it. Well, no
matter about the names. Mrs. Brown
wanted to be reasonable, but Mrs.
Jones wouldn't let her. She put ber
up to g'ing to law for damages. So to
Ixw she went, and had the face to claim
seven shillings and sixpence. It made
a great stir. All the neighbors went
to court. Everybody took sides. It got
hotter and hotter, and broke up all the
friendships for 300 yards around friend
ships that had lasted for generations
and generations.
Well, I proved by eleven witnesses
that the cat was of a Jo character and
very ornery, and waru't worth a can
celed postage stamp, any way, taking
the average of cats here; but I lost the
case. What could I expect? The sys
tem is all wrong here, aud is bound to
make revolution and bloodshed some
day. You see, they give the magistrate
a poor I'ttle starvation salary, and then
turn him loose ou the public to gouge for
fee and costs to live ou. What is the
natural result? Why, he never looks
into the justice of a case uever once.
All he looks at is which client has got
the money. So this one piled tbe fees
and costs and everything on to me. I
could pay specie, don't you see? and he
knew mighty well that if he put the
verdict on to Mrs. Brown, where it be
longed, he'd have to take his swag in
currency.
"Currency? Why, has Bermuda a
currency?"
"Yes onions. And they were forty
per cent, discount, too, then, because
the season bad been over as much as
three mouths. So I lost my case. I
had to pay for that cat. But the gener
al trouble the cat made was the worst
thing about. Broke up so much good
leeling. The neighbors dun t speak to
each other now. Mrs. Brown had
named a child after me. but she changed
its name right away. She is a Baptist.
Well, in the course of baptizing it over
again, it got drowned. I was hoping
we might get to be friendly again some
time or other, but of course this drown
ing the child knocked that all out of the
question. It would have saveo a worm
of heart-break and ill blood if she had
named it dry."
I knew by the sigh that this was hon
est. All this trouble and all this de
struction of confidence iu the purity of
tbe bench on account of a seven-shilling
lawsuit about a cat ! Somehow, it seem
ed to "size" the country.
At this point we observed that an
English flag had just been raised at half
mast on a building a hundred yards
away. I and my friends were busy in
an instant trying to imagine whose
des'b. among the island dignitaries,
could command such a mark ot respect
as tuis. Then a shudder shook them
and me at the same moment, and I knew
that we had jum tied to one and the same
conclusion: "The governor has gone
to England; It is for the British admir
al!" At this moment Mr. Smith noticed
the flag. He said with emotion :
"That's on a boarding house. I
judge there's a boarder dead."
A dozen other nags within view went
to half-mast.
"It's a boarder sure, said Smith.
" But would tliev half-mast the flags
here for a boarder Mr. Smith?"
"Why, certainly they woutd, if be
was dead."
That seemed to size the country
again.
A Lady in a Smoking- Car.
Lovely woman has asserted her in
alienable right to ride in a smoking car
and enjoy her cigar like a man. Not
long ago, a lady, well-dressed and not
particularly coarse-looking, got on the
river train, between St. Paul and Has
tings and marched into the smoking
car. A gentleman courteously sug
gested that she might find it unpleasant
to ride in the gentlemen's car. "How
selfish these men are," was tbe retort.
"They never want a lady to enjoy what
they (.o taemselves." Then seating
herself at her ease by an open window,
she drew from a neat little case a cigar,
and soon was puffing away with a tran
quil expression on her face. A man
who had been drinking considerable
beer sat down beside her, rolled up his
coat sleeves, bit off the end of a cigar,
and asked him for a light. She gave him
a match, and interested herself in the
scenery. Her fellow traveler now
sought to entertain her with a few re
marks on the weather, brands of cigars,
business prospects and other matters.
Lovely woman fell back in good order
upon her dignity. "You are getting
impertinent, sir. It is none of your
business where I am from or where I
am going. I have the same right to sit
here that you have, and if you don't
behave yourself I shall speak to the
conductor."
Anecdotes of Dogs.
Many curious traits are exhibited by
dogs, showing tbe highest order of in
stinct. If not of reason. Teleslus relates
the following fact of his own dog, to
which he was an eye witness: The
animal had been worried by another of
greater strength ; when he returned to
his home It was observed that he ab
stained from half the quantity of the
food regularly given him, forming a
kind of store of his savings. After
some days he went out, brought back
with him several dogs of the neighbor
hood, aud feasted tbem upon his hoard
of food. This singular proceeding at
tracted his master's attention, who,
closely watching the result, observed
that they all went out together. Fol
lowing them he found they proceeded
by several streets to the outskirts of the
town, where the leader singled out a
large dog, which was immediately set
upon by all his guests, and very severely
punished.
A watch dog that was habitually
chained to his kennei found that his
collar was large enough to allow him to
withdraw his head from it whenever he
chose to do so. Reflecting, however,
that if he should attempt any such prac
tice when his master or keeper were
about they might so tighten his collar
as to prevent its repetition, he always
refrained from the manoeuvre during
the day, but availed himself of the
privilege by night, roaming about the
neighboring fields that were stocked
with sheep and lambs, some of which
on sundry occasions be wounded or
killed. Bearing on his mouth the marks
of his misdeeds he would go to a neigh
boring stream to wash off the blood,
having done which he would return to
his kennel, aud, slipping his head tuto
bis collar, lie down on his bed as though
be had been there all night.
Mr. Jesse gives the following anecdote
of remarkable sagacity in a dog belong
ing to a farmer in Lincolnshire: If
any well dressed person goes into the
farm yard during the day the dog takes
no notice. If, however, a beggar enter
the premises the dog instantly goes to
him, gently lays hold of his stick or
clothes and quietly leads him to the
door of the dwelling house, aud sees
him safe off the premises under similar
precautions. But in the night the faith
ful animal will apprehend all persons
alike, aud never release a gentle grasp
until bidden by his master or mistress.
The latter has a sister living on an ad
joining farm. In order to make a short
cut between the two houses a single
plank was thrown across a deep brooK.
The wife of the owner of the dog con
stantly aud fearlessly intrusts her little
children to bis care when on a visit to
their auut. The animal halts the little
group of children when he comes to the
narrow bridge, and conducts them over
one by one, always taking firm hold of
the child's garments behind, and when
he has safely escorted one child he re
turns for another. He then awaits their
return and conveys them home in a
similar manner.
At Woolwich Theatreduring the per
formance of "Jesse Vere," in the third
act, in which a terrific combat takes
place between a mother aud two assas
sins for the possession of her child, a
large Newfoundland dog that had man
aged to get into the pit along with his
owner (an engineer of a steamship),
leaped over the beads of the musicians
in the orchestra and flew to the rescue,
aud seizing one of the ruffians dragged
him to the floor. The dog was with
difficulty removed and dragged off the
stage. He had been accustomed to the
company of children aud had on many
occasions evinced strong proofs of affec
tion. The mimic life on the theatre
stage had all the appearance of reality
to the noble brute and he hastened to
exhibit the promptings of his kindly
instincts.
Famous Men and Tianrs.
I early went to hear Webster. I
heard him in 1835, when iu Washington
for the first time ou my way North. I
was delighted to see ami hear him. He
spoke very slowly, without eiimhasis or
gestures. I was entertained by bis
talk, but did not suppose he was mak
ing a set speech, and saw nothing in it
that marked the orator. I was surprised
when the papers here heralded this
sjieech as Mr. Webster's great speech ou
the finances aud to find itso regarded in
New York and elsewheie. The oratiou
is published in Mr. Everett's collection
of 'great speeches. These facts set my
mind to thinking what is it that makes
an orator. When I was at college there
were half a dozen lads belonging to the
Phi Kappa Society who could have
beaten that speech, to use a Georgian
expression, "all hollow" in eloquence.
I heard Mr. Monroe more than once.
He never entered on anything except
in a conversational tone. He never
gesticulated and used ouly plain and
simple language, but Ms speech was so
logical aud intimately connected as to
require close thought to keep up with
him. So, too, with Mr. Clay. Doubt
less in his early days he was declama
tory. I never heard him in the Semite
until 1850. He was then slow in his
delivery, clear and perspicuous in his
language, but there was no declama
tion; but occasionally he would give
evidence of how great he was when the
internal fires were aroused. Webster
was also occasionally excited, and when
so, he was as the ocean tempest stirred
to iu lowest depths. I have come to
the conclusion, from my experience in
Washington, that bare elocution does
not make an orator, but the palm is
given to the men who control the
minds of others. I much doubt if Cicero
or Demosthenes, the most gifted elocu
tionists, captivated the crowd by sound
only. This would be as music, a
charming combination of sounds. The
opera ceases, and there is no trace or
idea left; no mental emotion remains.
But the men that speak to multitudes
and shape public opinion, these are the
real historical orators.
When I reached Washington in 1843,
in addition to the great leaders I have
before named, there was a number of
other distinguished men of this class I
have menticned still living. Among
them was the great Andrew Jackson,
Silas Wright, of New York, ga iant in
those days; Lewis Cass, Badger, and
Mangun, of North Carolina; Reverdy
Johnson, of Maryland, James Bucha
nan, William C. Rivers, William
Archer, of Virginia; John Tyler, of
Virginia; McDuffie, of South Carolina;
Drumgoole, of Virginia; John J. Crit
tenden, Berrien anil Colquitt, of Geor
gia: Dixon II. Lewis, of Alabama;
Clayton, of Iielaware; William K.
King, of Alabama; John Bayard, Jas.
K. Polk, Martin Van Buren and Mer
rick, of Maryland ; Thomas Richie,
Horace Greeley, Francis P. Blair and
many others. Now into the House
came for the first time a shoal of meu
who have since made their impress,
whether for good or evil, upon this
country's history. There was Stephen
A. Douglas, of Illinois; Howell Cobb,
of Georgia. Douglas and Cobb before
the session was over were considered
rival aspirants for the Presidency. This
recalls to my mind an anecdote : Iu 1850
the Georgia delegation stopped on
its way to the Cincinnati Convention;
James Garduer was at their head.
Toombs gave theiu a dinner. Breck
inridge, iHiuglas, Cobb, Lwiton, Ste
phens and myself were invited,
and were present. When the company
had all left except those named, Mr.
Gardner filled u, a glass and said.
"Here's a health to all of you," aud
turning to Messrs. Iotiglass, Cobb and
others standing in a circle around him,
he said, "And here's hoping that you
may each live to be President of the
United States," Douglas immediately
said to Cobb, "That is a long life to you
Cobb!"
Cobb was something of a w ag and
being fond of a joke, it is remarkable
that he w as so sensitive w hen the sub
ject of one. McFaddeu was a favorite
uaine with him, and he made it famous
in Washington, as "Tom Collins" has
recently been rendered famous. The
hack-drivers there always knew every
body in town that is, if you would ask
them to drive you to such and such a
place, they always say, "Yes; yes, sir,"
etc. Well, Cobb in the evening walked
up to a company of hack-drivers, and
asked them if any of them could drive
him to'Mr. McFadden's. All sang out,
"Yes, sir; yes, sir," and Cobb hopied
into one of them the finest one and
was soon closed ill, and off rolled the
hack. After awhile the hackmau
asked, -'Where was it you wanted logo
to?" To Mr. McFadden's," answered
Cobb. "What street does he live on?
asked the hackman. "I don't know,"
said Cobb; "you told me you could carry
me there, and von .(." So round
about tow u he got a good ride, looking
out for Mr. McFaddeu.
Hale was fond of a quiet joke, and
the agitation recently -going on in the
Senate, called to mind a w aggish reply
of his to Mr. Clay. The latter ap
proached Mr. Hale during the discus
sion of his great compromise measures,
and urged him to quit his opposition.
Mr. Clay said : "Hale, this agitatiou
is wrong; it is mischievous, am! will
have a disastrous effect tipou the coun
try. Besides, there is nothing in it."
Mr. Hale replied : "Nothing in it. You
are mistaken, Mr. Clay, I think there is
great deal in it. This agitation, a
you call it, sent me to the l'nited States
Senate. IK you think there is nothing
in that?"
After Clay's defeat for the Presidency
by Mr. Polk, he addressed a large colo
nization meeting at the Capital. The
pressure to bear him was immense.
Sheppard, of North Carolina, who was
more waggish than Clayish, snapping! v
reinarked that Clay could get more men
to run after him to hear him sfieak, and
fewer to vote for lam than any other
man in America.
The most scholirly man in the Con
gress of 1843, except, perhaps. Mr.
Adams, was l.eorge P. Marsh, ot er
niont He was an exquisite writer, and
was so thoroughly posted on all sub
jects upon w hich he arose to steak.
that he was sure to lie listened to at
tentively, though he had no oratorical
pretensions whatever. He was subse
quently Minister to Turkey and to Italy.
He still lives in the full vigor of intel
lect, as is evinced by his recent contri
butions to Johnsons new Encyclopedia
John J. Hardin was a brilliant mem
ber of the House. He was a whole
souled, elegant fellow, and died a death
that became him, so heroic was it, at
Buena Vista. The Illinois delegation
was very strong, and louglas, Hardin
and the rest kept up a furious debate in
the House nearly all the time. A dis
pute arose among the members as to
how the name of that State should be
pronounced. Mr. Campbell, of South
Carolina, insisted the proper pronunci
ation was lie Xui.tr, and referred the
matter to John Quincy Adams. The
venerable man quoted "Virgil"' to the
effect "that it w as not for him to settle
such disputes," and added, "but from
the demonstrations in that hall, he
thought the Stale should be called .1
M 'ii.tr.
Wild Animal in India.
According to an Indian newspaper
21,391 persons and 48,234 head of cattle
were killed by wild animals and snakes
in British India during 1875. Astothe
destruction of human life, we learn that
wolves had a bad pre-eminence among
the animals, for they killed 1.061 per
sons, in the year, while tigers killed,
but 828. The N. W. provinces avenged
the loss of 721 human lives bv killing
2,525 wolves. Leopards slew 204 hu
man beings, and 3,512 of these animals
were slain, the reward being about rs.
35 per head. Bears slew 84 persons,
and 1,181 of this class of wild animals
were slain, though the average reward
was onlv rs. 4 per head. Hyenas slew
68 human beings, and 1.3SK of the tribe
were killed, the reward being about rs.
3 per bead. But wild beasts commit
small havoc as compared with the loss
sustained by snakes. In the year under
notice these reptiles killed 17,070 of our
fellow beings. On the othersideof the
account we find that 270.185 snakes were
killed. The reward offered for the de
struction of snakes amounted for all In
dia to but rs. 16,548. As to tbe loss that
the country sustained of cattle, we find
that 3,100 deaths were attributed to
snake bite, and 45,008 to wild animals.
Madras has an unenviable pre-eminence,
for it sustained a loss of 4,31 lit
cattle from leopards, in addition to 44
human beings, and they paid in reward
for killing leopards only rs. 16,680. The
N. W. provinces following Madras with
the loss of 3,0:13 cattle from leopards.