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BY JAS. CLARK.
MT MOTHER'S VOICES
My Mother's voice ! how does it creep
In cadence on my lonely hours,
Like healing sent on wings of sleep,
Or dew upon the unconscious flowers
I might forget her melting prayer
While pleasure's pulses madly fly,
But in this still, unbroken air,
Her gentle tones come stealing by—
And years of sin and manhood flee,
And leave me at my mother's knee.
Front the .War of Life,' of Mayne need,
THE GUTASTICUTIS.
MAJOR TWANG'S STORY.
Mine gentlemen is also a travelling
story, and though not so new as that of
our mend Laurens, it is perhaps equal
ly as true.
I was journeying to the city of \Nash•
ihgton to company with a friend, a
Georgian buy, Ince myself. We went,
is thousands have gone before and since,
to try our luck at office hunting. You
are well aware that the road trim Geor
gia to Washington passed through the
Palmetto State, a State distinguished for
the fertility of its soil, as welt as for the
wealth, chivalry and intelligence of her
sons. Here the Major winked knowing
ly at the company with one eye, while
he kept the other fixed on the South
Carolinian. I thought myself a smart
traveller, young then; compared with
my companion t was green as a pine.—
He was naturally sharp as a briar, and
experience had polished his wits to the
keenness of a cambric needle. His
name was Cobb, 11 illey Cobb, a live
Yankee.
We started from home on a capital of
three hundred dollars. It was all that
we could rake together. But we had a
couple of stout Lieorgian ponies ; and
this we concluded, would be enough to
put us through to Washington and back.
If we're stumped said Cobb, we can
sell the cattle.
Unfortunately, before entering the Pal
metto State it was our luck to pass
through the town of Augusta, on the
Georgia side. Augusta has always been
considered a brisk little place. W e found
it so. Not being in a hurry, we agreed
to stay over night and the next day.—
We lad fallen in with some very agree
able acquaintances. We got to playing
—tit first a nine•penuy poker—then a
quarter dollar loo—then brag, and
finally our Augusta !fiends introduced
us to the interesting gutne of faro. s. e
played all night, and by day-break had
deposited our three hundred dollars in
the bank, where it stayed !
`What is to be done'{' said I
'l'm thinking,' said Cobb.
'Seli the ponies and start backl' said 1.
'No such thing,' sharply responded
Cobb.
'What better can we dot' asked I.
'What have you in your saddlebags V
inquired 013 friend, without heeding my
last interrogatory.
'A shirt, a pair of pistols, a plug of
tobacco, and a bowie,' was my reply...
•
'We must sell the bowie first,' said
Cobb, 'it will pay our tavern bill, and
get us out of this infernal hole.'
'And what next—on to Washington'!'
I inquired,
'Of course, said Cobb, 'we would look
wise turning back--we would certainly
be the standing joke of the county,' ad
ded he.
'But can we travel without funds V
said I.
'That we will have to find out,' said
Cobb, with a look as cheerful and happy
as if he had relays of horses all along
the road to Washington, and his bill
paid at every tavern along the route.
'1 have an acquaintance,' continued he,
at the end of the first stage from here,
we can stay all night with him ; that
won't cost anything ; beyond that we
must trust to the hospitality of the far
mers ; I think we can get through South
Carolina and Virginia handsomely ; .the
danger is, we may stick in the tar—we
must travel through the turpentine State
on the proceeds of your pistols but let
us dispose of your bowie and get out of
this sharper's nest.'
As Cobb was my senior, and in my
estimation a great genius, I of course
acquiesced. He sold the bowie-knife to
one of our gambling friends for six dol
lars, the tavern was liquidated, leaving
a few shillings in our joint purse, and
with this we took the road through to
South Carolina.
At the end of the first day we stopped
with Cobb's friend, and were hospitably
entertained. Cobb felt a strong inclina
tion to borrow from him, but he could
not bring himself to confess the cause
of our necessity. He had a high idea
of his travelling talents, and did not wish
to acknowledge he had been outwitted
by the Augusta sharpers. +% e' left his
friend's house therefore, after an excel
lent breakfast, our horses well fed and
curried, but without an increase of our
finances. On the contrary, we had giv-
en a quarter to the darkey who had sad.:
tiled our hdrses.
We were now fairly en route ; tray
eliing through, to both of us, a completd
terra incognita. . .
That nightwe stopped at what ap
peared to be a planter's house;
a snug
establishment ; I do not know what Cobb
told the owner as we were preparing to
leave in the morning, but I heard him
remark somewhat jeeringly, as we got
into our saddles, 'it ain't usual for folks
to travel through these parts withou t
money.'
'Rather inhospitable,' whispered I as
we rode off:
'lts rather inhospitable,' said Cobb,
'especially for South Carolina—howev
er, he's an exception I guess.'
And he was an exception, for the next
place we stopped at, they turned to and
blacicguarded us outright, calling us im
postors, and suspicious Yankees, and the
next after that, the landlord, for the
house was a tavern, threatened to levy
upon our saddlebags, which he certain
ly would have done, but Cobb told him
very significantly that they contained
only a pair of pistols, and they were
loaded and might go off. As if to as
sure him that he spoke the truth, drew
out the pistols & handed one of them to
me, then cocking his own, he tolc , the
landlord he might have the saddle bags
now, as they were empty.
But Cobb was six feet two, with a
pair of fierce black whiskers, and an eye
as black as coal, and the landlord con
cluded to let the bags hang where they
were, so we leaped in our saddles and
rode off'.
-This will never do, Harry,' said Cobb
as we jogged leizurely along.
'Never,' said I.
'We must hit on some plan to raise
the wind,' continued he.
'1 wish we could,' said I.
'Think,' said he.
try,' said 1, and I commenced tur
ning over in my mind every plan I could
think of, that would be likely to relieve
us from our present difficulty.
But raising the wind by the mere pro
zi-.'ss of thought, is an achievement which
has puzzled sharper intellects than mine,
and I was abandoning the twentieth pro
ject, when Cobb, who was riding ahead,
suddenly checked his horse, and wheel.
ed around in the saddle with a trium
phant gesture shouted out—
'Harry--1 have it !'
'Good,' said I.
'l've treed the varmint,' continued he.
'You have said I.
'Like a knife,' said he.
Win glad of it,' said I, 'but how V
'Never mind, tell you all to-night ;
I've not got the thing straightened out
yet, How far do you suppose we are
from ColumbiaV inquired he.
. .
'About twenty miles 1 should think,'
answered I. 'We have come five, and
they said twenty-five miles from the
tavern.'
_
'Well, then, ride slowly,' said he.—
We must not reach Columbia before
dark ; what sized place is 41'
havn't an idea,'
' replied f; it ought
to be a good chunk of a place though--
it is the State Capital.'
'So it is—you're right—it'l do,' said
he ; and we rode on in silence ; he buried
in profound meditation, evidently matu
ring his planF.t, atidldying of curiosity
to know them.
About a half hour after dark we en
tered the town, and rode up the street—
Cobb looked inquiringly at the different
stores as we passed.
`Here's the thing!' ejaculated lie, pul
ling up in front of a shoe shop, and get ,
ting off his horse.
He entered the shop, I could see by
his gesticulations to the owner of the
establishment, that he was in the mid
dle of the story. All that I could hear
was the following. 'After you have
made the hole,
you may nail on the lid,
and paint the letters upon it—here they
are.' Saying this he took a scrap of pa
paper and, writing some words upon it,
handed it to the store keeper.
.I'll send a dray for it in half an hour,'
continued he, as he paid for the box; and
bidding the man good night, he came
out, mounted his horse, and wo contin
ued our way to the principal hotel,
where we drew up and dismounted.
.I'll be back in an hour, Harry, said
he, throwing me his bridle ; in the mean
time, take your supper, and engage a
anug room, and wait for me. Don't re
gister till 1 come—l'll tend to it.'
So saying he disappeared down the
street.—
Agreeably to his instructions, 1 ate
supper, and heartily too, for we had not
tasted victuals r since morning; and was
shown to my room, where I waited pa
tiently for about two' hours. 1 was still
ignorant hoW the slipper was to be paid
for, when the door opened, and Cobb en
tered. A couple of darkiei NloWed . at
his heels carrying the box that I had
seen him purchase, upon tho lid of
HUNTINGDON, PA,, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1849,
which was painted in large bold letters,
Tbe Wonderful Guyasticinis!' and un.
derneath aft oblong hole or slit, newly
chiseled in the wood.
Cobb held in his hand a broad sheet
of paper. This as soon as the darkies
had gone out of the room, he spread out
upon the table and pointing to it, he tri•
umphantly exclaimed :
There—now Harry, that's the var
mint l'
What the d— is it 1' said I.
Read for yourself old fellow !'
I commenced reading,
THE WONDERFUL GUASTICU
TUS,
Caught in the wilds of Oregon, near the
boundary of 51 40
This was in large capitals. Then
followed the description in smaller let
ter.
' This remarkable animal hitherto un
known to naturalists, possesses all the
intelligence of the human, combined
with the ferocity of the tiger, and the
agility of the ourang outang ! He is of
a bright sky color, with eleven stripes
upon his body, and one more round his
nose, which makes the even dozen, and
not one of them alike I
In his rage he has been known to
carry Indians up to the tops of the high
est trees, and there leave them to per
ish with hunger, thirst, and cold! which
accounts satisfactorily for the uncivili
zed nature of the red man !
The highly intelectual citizens of
Columbia are respectfully informed that
this wonderful quadruped has arrived
among them, and will be exhibited this
evening at the Minerva room, at the
hour of eight o'clock. Admittance 25
cents.'
But,' said I my dear Willey,' now
fur the first, catching the idea of his
project, 'you do not intend—'
But I do tho', interupted he, and I
will—that's as certain as my name's
Willey Cobb, of the State of Connect
icut.'
But you don't think you can gull the
intelligent people 1'
Bah I inteligent people ; it is plain
Harry you dont know the world, said
he contemptu.ously.
And what do you expect me to do,' I
asked him.
'Nothing but to stay in the room to
morrow,' and see that nobody peeps into
that box !'
'But at night.'
At night you will stand at the door
—take the money. and when you hear
me groan and shake the chain, you will
run in behind the screen.'
I, begining to look upon the thing as
a joke, promised faithfully to follow his
instructions—not without some disa
greeable anticipations, that ho and I
would spend the following night in the
Columbia jail:
Next morning Cobb was up at an ear
ly hour, and after moaning pitiously,
and groaning in the most hideous and
frightful manner and talking at inter
vals into the box, be still, Gay! down
Guy, down ! Keep him down, the old
fellow! he left the r3om, bidding me
keep a sharp look out.
As soon as he had gone [ noticed con
siderable shuffling and whispering out
side the door, and presently a darkie
looked in and asked me if 1 wanted any
thing.
' Not any thing,' said I don't come
in !'
The darkie pulled back his head with
a look of terror, and pulled to the door.
Shortly after, the whispering re-com
menced and the door again opened,
This time it was the landlord of the ho
tel, whose curiosity had brought him up
to see the elephant.'
It's a fierce critter, that,' said he,
putting his head inside the door, but
still holding on to the handle.
' DreadfUi V said I.
'Could I not have a peep V inquired
he.
It's against the rules,' answered I
and besides, a stranger makes him sav
age.'
Oh, it does,' said he apologizingly.
Terrible,' said I
You'll have a good house, I think,'
said he, after a short pause.
'1 hope so,' said I.
"rhe bills are out, Mr. Van Amburg
was about putty early this morning.'
Mr. Van Amburg,' ejaculated I.
Yes, Mr. Van Amburg ; your part•
ner.
Oh—yes, Mr. Van Amburgmy part•
tier,' I chimed in as I saw that this must
be the nom de manager of my friend
Cobb— , but Mr. Van Amburg did not
put tip the bills himself 1'
I said this to cover the faux pasl had
made.
Oh no, of course not,' replied the
landlord—' he hired a boy.'
'Certainly, that wns right,' I added.
Breakfast'll be ready in a minute—
ye'il come down 1'
.oh, of course.'
Cobb now returned, bringitig with
Film about six teat of a log akin, done
up in a paper. •
.
After repeating his groaning and
groWling ; descended to breakfast, Cobb
first locking the door, and putting the
key in his pocket.
We were evidently objects of intei
est at the breakfast table, Cobb calling
me Mr. Wolf, and I addressing him as •
Mr. Van Amburg. The servants wait
ed upon us with delighted attention.
After breakfast we returned to the
room, when Cobb went through the
groaning rehersal, and shortly after left
me.
This he repeated at intervals during
the day ; upon each succeeding occasion
louder, if possible, and more terrific
than before.
Night came on at length, and with
our box covered up in one of the land-
lord's quilts, we started for the Miner
va'Rooms.
These I found fitted up with a run
ning screen ; and brilliantly lighted with
candles. Cobb had the box and chain
behind the screen, while I remained at
the door to look after the Treasury.
We had no tickets, each one paying his
or her quarter; and passing in.
In a very short time the room was
filled with ladies, gentlemen and chil
dren—tradesmen with their wives—
merchants and their families—young
bucks and their sweethearts, and even
a number of the intelligent members of
the State Assembly. Expectation was
on tip-toe to see the wonderful Guyasti ,
tus !
Presently a low moaning was heard
behind the screen; then a groan and
the most piteous of whines. Down,
Guy, down ! still, dog, still 1 cried a
voice, in hoarse commanding accents.
'1 he chain is my cue, said I to myself
as I waited for the appointed signal.
The people had all arrived, and already
began to stamp and clap their hands,
and exhibit the usual symptoms of im
patience, crying out at intervals, the
Guyasticutus!
_
i - Bring him out, Mr. Showman—trot
him out.'
Let us see the savage varmint.'
At this the Guyasticutus growled fear
fully.
Give him a bone,' cried one.
Go it, old 54 40,' exclaimed another.
The whole or none,' shouted a third.
Fifty-four forty or fight,' cried a
fourth.
4 Rio it, old Guyasticus,' came from a
distant part of the room.
At this the audience became convul
sed with laughter. The groaniag now
became louder and more terrible, and
Cobb's voice was beard in hoarse ac
cents apostrophising the Guyasticutis.
Then commenced a struggle behind the
screen and the rattling of the chain.
This was tty cue, Putting on a look of
terror, as I had been instructed by Cobb,
I rushed up the open space between the
spectators and pushed in behind the
curtain. I stole a glance backwards as
I entered, and saw that the audience
hnd already caught the alarm.—Some of
the people bud risen to their feet —and
stood pale and trembling ! Behind the
screen, Cobb was running to and fro ;
scraping the sanded floor, tattling the
chain, and chiding some imaginary ob
ject in the most threatning accents. He
was in his shirt sleeves, and streams of
what appeared to be blood was stream
ing over his neck and bosom !
' Down, savage down,' cried he,
Boo•aoo-oom-svow, roared the Cues ,
ticutus.
'Oh, Mr. Wolf,' cried Cobb, seeing
me enter—' come here—for God's sake
help, or he'll be off.'
Hold on to him, shouted I hi a loud
voice—' hold on.'
Boo•oow-wow-avow groaned the G uy
astieutus.
, Help, help,' cried Cobb.
Hold on' s houted I
Rattle, rattle went the chain, Cobb
struggling for a moment ; then rushing
in front of the screen, and holding up
the chain, he shouted in a voice of thun
der.
`Save yourselves ge- tlemen! Save your
wives and children ! The Guyasticutus
is loose.'
Gentlemen,' said the Major,
more than I can do to describe the scene
that followed, in less than two minutes
the room was empty, and when Cobb
and myself reached the s treet, there was
not a soul, man, woman or child to be
seen. We hurried to the hotel and or
dered our horses saddled with all des•
patch, C. telling the landlord that the
Guyasticutus had taken to the field and
we must pursue him on horseback.
While our horses were being saddled,
we settled the landlord's bill out of the
newly acquired funds We then start
ed at a brisk pace, and did not stop un
til
we had put twenty miles between us
and the good city of Columbia. Then
we halted and counted our receipts,
itf
R oj , inritt/7-r
ez•
which amounted to—how much Capt. 1 A Legal Anecdote.
Cobb 1 ' Recently, ivhile attending a court
'Sixty-six dollars and
held at I-1 county, ivliere Judge S.
cents to:a figure, said a tall swarthy of
presided, a'very plain question was pre
fi
cer, who sat sortie Way down the table seventy-five.
seated for the decision of the court. It
to the Major's. right, whose dark, satu.
was argued elaborately an the wrolrg
rine countenance, would never have be
side, and when the opposite attorney (a
trayed him as the hero at the Major's
real Paddy, who hail just waded through
story. But it was he, indeed; and when
Blackstone and Chitty, so as to enable
the long and loud laughter had subsided
him to obtain a license,) rose to reply i
a dozen hands were ,stretched across the
he was stopped by his honor, who in
table and a dozen voices heard vocifer-
formed him that his opinion was made
ating—
:
up against him, that he waiild have no
' Capt. Cobb's health !—the health of
further argument. Paddy laid his hand
Capt. Cobb ! slowly upon a volume of Blackstone,
'And now the Major cried,' a voice. and opened where the leaf Was carefully
' The Major ! the Major ! repeated
turned down, and commenced reading
several voices at once.
the law directly in conflict with the opin‘
'The Major with three times three ! ion of the court.
"Stop sir," cried the jiidge i "I have
Nine dealning cheers were given for
the Major. decided the ease, and my mind is no
have any further argument in the case."
One more for the Guyasticutis! and a longer open to conviction, nor will I
cheer followed, mingled with shouts of
laughter.
"Oh," said the lawyer, "I did not in
tend to argue the point, nor did I expect
to convince your honor —I only wanted
to show the court what a blasted fool
old Blackstone was."
Such a shout of laughter as went up
from every part of the court-house, was
beyond the means of the sheriff or the
court to control for some minutes When
Paddy was fined a dollar for his slander
of Blackstone, and the court then ad
journed to liquor.
An Object in Life.
There be many shadows which men
are foolishly seeking to grasp—sub
stanceless things upon which they waste
the precious moments of existence—
place, and power, and distinction, and
wealth ! But what then 1 are these
things to be disregarded and despised 1
No ; neither the one nor the other; only
that they are not to be made the leading
objects dt your pursuit.
For there is no person a however hum
ble, who has not nn object in lile.—pity
It is in choosing so few raise their eyes
above the groveling things of sense ;
pity it is so few can elevate themselves
above self and selfish considerations, to
take a broader and more liberal view of
what becomes their manhood.
Believe me, young men, the less
thought you take for yourselves, for the
gratification of your own desires, and
appetites, and passions ; the more you
think about and labor for the good of
others; the happier will be your lot.—
Not that you are to neglect your own
concerns to meddle with the affairs of
others, (for there is no character more
despicable than a meddler;) but that
every one in his own sphere can, and
ought to add his mite, to swellthe com
mon good, to advance the common in
terests, and elevate the condition of his
race : the blacksmith at his anvil, the
carpenter at his bench, the farmer at
his plough—as well as the editor in his
sanctum, the philosopher in his labara.
tory, or the minister at the sacred desk.
Every work, or device, or knowledge ;
which makes better the condition of
man, is a step in advance in the true
path of all human effort.
So then, we say that the object in
life—the highest aim of every one of
you should be, each in his appropriate
sphere, to do all the good von can ; for
no man lives to himself alone.
All the energies and efforts both
of mind and body put forth for the ad•
vancement of merely selfish and person
al designs, are lost and wasted as to ef
fects upon human destiny. The results
live only with him who produces them,
and descend with him to the tomb.—
But efforts which are directed to a pro.
per end ; energies exerted in the cause
of humanity ; aspirations which have
escaped from the appropriate sphere of
selfishness—have a life within them
selves, and exert an influence after the
bodies of their authors have mingled
with their native dust.
If any one cherishes the idea that in
order to be a philanthropist it is neces
sary to strike out in a new path—to en
gage in some great and magnificent en
terprise, he errs widely from the truth.
Use may not be known beyond his own
circle of acquaintance, he may not be
appreciated beyond his own hearthstone,
and yet 'he'may have given his energies
seriously to the amelioration of the con
dition of his fellows--may be a true
philanthropist,—and God, who tryeth
the hearts and the reins of men, may
have called him to be, if not a
.greater,
at least the equal of a Howard.
For the deeds and professions which
appear greatest, and sound fondest in
the ears of Men, are not always the most
potent either for weal or wo ; and quiet
and unobtrusive efforts have done most
of all to elevate man from a dark night
of ignorance and barbarism to the- com
parative light of civilization in the nine
teenth century.
Here, then, is encouragement for all.
Ye who have thought your condition too
humble, or your field of effort too limi
ted ; ye, too, are called upon to devote
yourselves, your lives and your ener
gies to the common cause of humanity.
And God, who is just and bath loved us,
requires this of you,—not by the right
of his omnipotence, but because your
life is so blended with the common life
of humanity, that you cannot be truly
happy while humanity suffers. D.
VOL XIV, NO, 42
The French journals thus compare
the President of that Republic and our
own iti journeying amongst the people of
their respective countries:
While M. Bomapa, te, the veteran of
no battles that we are aware of loves to
bedeck himself with fancy uniforms, set
off with broad ribbands of the legion of
honor conferred on him in his cradel, and
surrounded by generals and aids-de
camp and high functionaries, and the
circumstance of a traveling prince, pas
ses reviews; is bespeoched by civil,
military ; and religious authorities; is
present at bull ; and assists at dinners of
ceremony ; General Taylor the conquer
or of Mexico, and soldier grown gray
in the service, clothed in modest garb,
prays that he may be spared all formal
and gotten-up receptions. He wishes
to be surrounded by the true people not
by that crowd of sycophants whose life
is spent in rendering homage to all the
men who sucessively arrive at power.—
He takes no suit along with him. His
son in-law and a single servant form
his whole cortege. Citizen, General, or
President, it is ever the same man—the
American Cincinnatus."
BEWARE OF BAD BOOKS.--' Why what
hum will books do me 1' The same
harm that personal intercourse would
with badmen. That n Man is known by
the company he keeys.' is an old pros? ,
erb ; but it is no more true than that a
man's character may be determined by
knowing what books he reads. If a
good book cannot be read without ma.
king one better, a bad book cannot be
read without makingone tvorse. s per.
son may be rained by reading a single vol.
niece Bad books are like ardent spirits;
they furnish neither aliment' nor med
icine;' they are poison.' Both intoxi
cate—one the mind, the other the body;
the thirst for each increases by being
fed, and is never satisfied ; both ruin—
one the intellect, the other the health,
and together the soul. The makers and
venders of each equally guilty, and
equally corruptors of the community;
and the safe guard against each is the
same—totul abstinence form all that in
toxicates the mind and body.
OIL SPRING.--A letter from Skitty
Hay's Town speaks of this remarkable
discovery in the Indian country--at the
falls in a beautiful stream near Fort
Washita—and says: The oil exudes
from the rock or cliff overhanging these
falls in drops of the size of a goose-quill
havinz the taste, smell and consistency
of British Oil. The oil and the water
with which it mingles, has, by drinking
and rubbing externally effected some of
the most astonishing cures of Chronic.
Rheumatism and Mercurial Affections
that has ever been known. Persons
have been carried there doubled up with
disease or emaciated to skeletons, com
ing away in a fery short time perfectly
cured.
WHAT is the state of morals in your
district 1' said along-faced reformer to
a farmer who recently visited his town.
'Pretty good,' replied the farmer.—
'Every body seems disposed to mind his
own business in our parts,' and he left
the reformer in a quandary.
, The prospect of heaven itself,' says an
English paper, would 'have no charm
for an American of the backwoods, if
he thought there was any place further
west.'