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VOL. XIII.
NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA.' TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1870.
NO. 40.
T
THE TIMES.
An Independent Family Newspaper,
18 PUBLISHED BVBRT TUBSDAT BT
F. MORTIMER & CO.
8 UBSUK1PTION 1'lllUK.
(WITHIN THB COURTT.)
One Year jl 2S
8lx Mouths, 78
(OUT Or THB COUNTY.)
One Year, (Pontage Included) II BO
Six Mouths, (Postage Included) 85
Invariably In Advance I
V Advertising rates furnished upon appll
eatlon.
OH, DEATH t
Take thy shadow from my threshold.
Oh thou dweller In the night)
Standing right across my doorway,
'Bhnttln out the morning light.
Thou hast been here In the autumn,
And hast taken all thy sheaves,
It Is not time to gather
The blossoms and the leaves.
Oh, press not In so closely
To the baby at my breast,
Wouldst thou take the tender nursling
From the shelter of its nest 1
Oh, child, he Is no playmate
For such a oue as thee)
He smiles, and stretches toward hlm
What can the baby see 1
Ah 1 close behind the shadow
lie sees the angols wait,
And wide the leaves unfolding
Of that pretty heavenly gate,
And he seeth one who beckoneth,
Poor heart, couldst thou but see
These golden gates unfolding
And thy lost ones waiting thee.
Yet colder falls the twilight,
And the children crouch behind,
As the garments past them rustling
Sweep like the winter wind.
But the baby smiles and watcheth.
And when the night grows dim
There will bean empty cradle
And a breaking heart for him.
THE DEFEATED TORIES.
IN THE year 1777 Philadelphia was in
the bands of Howe nnd his Inhu
man soldiery, while the fields of Bran
dywlne gave the American people an
evidence of British humanity.
The people of Pennsylvania and Del
aware were at the mercy of their foes.
Bands of Hessian dragoons scouted the
vicinity of Philadelphia for miles
around, and committed acts that would
have disgraced a vandal.
On the evening of a delightful au
tumn day a group of boys, ranging In
age from twelve to seventeen years,were
gathered together on the steps of a ten
antless store-house In the village of
Newark, Delaware. The town seemed
lonely, and with the exception of the
youthful band referred to, not a human
being met the eye. All men capable of
bearing arms had left their homes to
join the army of Washington, on the
Schuylkill. '
A young lad of sixteen stood on a
barrel and was giving an account of the
battle of Brandywlne. James Wilson,
the orator, was a boy enthusiastic. In
his love for the American cause, and
possessed of no little intelligence. His
blue eyes and flaxen hair gave him an
effeminate appearance, but beneath his
homespun Jacket throbbed a heart that
never shrank before an obstacle.
His father was commander of the Del
aware troops and his mother was dead.
The boy concluded his narrative, and
was lamenting that he could not Join the
army.
" I am not old enough," said he, " but
had I a musket, I would not stand idle
here, with my hands uselessly by mv
side."
" Are there no guns Of any description
In the village V" asked a listening
youth.
"No. I have spent nearly a week
trying to find one, but my efforts have
been of no avail. I strangely suspect
that Torry LlvingBton has several In his
house, but as he permits no one to tress
pass on his land, I am unable to say
positively."
" Why not take a party and search the
house?" asked Frank Howard. "He
has no one to assist him except his cow
ardly sou Georgeand I can thrash him
as easy as that," and the boy snapped
his fingers to imply the readiness with
which he could trounce old Livingston's
son.
James Wilson's blue eyes sparkled
with Joy.
" If there are any three boys in this
company who will help me, I will search
old Livingston's house this night. All
who are willing to go, Just step forward
three paces."
Every boy In the crowd Btepped for
ward without a moment's hesitation.
James' eyes flashed like twin stars.
" Now, boys, by the dead of Bunker
Hill, I will search old Livingston's real,
dence, though death stands in my
path!"
With a firm tread and the utmost si
lence the young heroes took up their
line of march for old Livingston's. Liv
ingston had long been suspected of har
boring British spIeB, and his former la
borers reported that he had kept up a
regular correspondence with the British
commander. At all events he was re
garded as a dangerous man. His house
was situated a short distance from White
Clay creek, on the Bide of a Bteep hill,
surrounded on all sides by tall trees. It
was just such a place as one might sup
pose suitable for the plotting of treason.
At the time James Wilson and his lit
tle band left the deserted store-house in
the village of Newark, dUBk had given
place unto the darker shades of night.
Still it was not dark ; the new moon was
shining brightly through the clouds,and
every object was perfectly distinguish
able. The boys walked firmly forward,
maintaining solemn silence. At length
they gained the bed of the creek, and
slowly following the Winding path, soon
came to a little low bridge which crossed
a shallow rivulet leading into White
Clay creek, and James ordered them to
halt.
"Let Frank Howard and I reconnolter
the premises first, to see whether any
danger Is to be apprehended. All the
rest stand here till we return. Make no
noise and keep a constant watch."
James and Frank silently departed
and were soon lost In the thick woods
through which the path ran. Scarcely
were they gone from their companions
ere the quick ear of Wilson detected a
noise.
" Hist I" said he to Frank.as he pulled
him behind a glgantlo beech tree. Pres
ently George Livingston came in sight.
James darted from his covert and tight
ly grasped the boy by the neck.
The cowardly youth trembled like a
reed.
" Speak one word," whispered his
captor, "and I'll toss you into the
creek.
The Tory's son, struck dumb with
fright, found himself in the midst of the
whole group of boy heroes, with the
vise-like grasp of James and Frank on
either arm.
"Now," said James, "answer me
promptly and truly, or I'll make your
position uncomfortable. Do you hear V
Who are In your father's house at this
moment V
'I I can not tell,' stammered the half
dead boy.
" You shall or or"
" Spare me, and I'll tell you every,
thing. When I left the house there was
no one there but our family and Major
Bradstone."
" Who Is he V" asked James.
" I don't know I don't indeed."
" Tell I " threatened Frank.
" He is captain of the Yorkshire dra
goons." The blue eyes of James glistened with
joy, and he soon gained from the Tory's
son a revelation which stamped his
father a traitor of the most appalling
character. He discovered that old Liv
ingston not only kept up a regular cor
respondence with the British command,
but that he had so plotted in his traitor
ous designs that the little village of New
ark was to be burned to ashes, and its
women and children exposed to the pit
iless foe. The old Tory was to receive
as compensation the land on which the
village stood, and an annual pension
from the British government.
But stranger than all, the plot was to
be consummated on the very night the
Tory's son had been captured, while he
was going on an errand to a neighbor's
house, two miles distant. The little
baud of heroes learned, too, that the
British troops had secured their horses
in Livingston's stable, and intended to
descend the creek In a large boat. There
were twenty of them beside their cap
tain. Major Bradstone, the leader of the
band, was In temper and heart a thor
ough demon, and scrupled not In his
cruelty to destroy the slumbering infant
or the sick wife.
Not a few In that band trembled for a
widowed mother or a defenseless sister.
Home were for departing Immediately ;
but James Wilson still retained bis grasp
on the Tory's son, and ordered all to be
silent. The prisoner was bound hand
and foot, a thick handkerchief tied over
his mouth to prevent his calling for
assistance, and a stout cord fastened to a
tree. All hope of escape forsook George
Livingston.
Wilson motioned his little baud to fol
low him, and In a few moments they
stood on the top of a high precipice
which overhung White Clay creek.
"Now, boys," said Wilson, "the
narrative we have Just heard is true,and
as we have no muskets or ammunition,
weuust make the best of the occasion.
The British band will pass this spot In
their boats, and as we have an hour to
work, let us busy ourselves In rolling
some of these large rocks to the edge of
the precipice, and when the' red coats
pass below, let us sink them to the bot
tom." Each boy set at work, and In an In
credible short space of time nine huge
rocks, each half a ton In weight, were
balanoed on the edge of the precipice.
The creek at this point was not more
than twenty feet wide, and was directly
overhung by the mass of rock upon
which our heroes stood.
If the British descended the creek,
they would certainly pass this spot, and
if they passed it, then death was their
certain fate. In about an hour the
quick ear of Wilson detected the meas
ured beat of muffled oars. t
" They are coming," he whispered ;
" let no one drop his rock till I give the
word, and then at once."
Peeping cautiously over the cliff.Jomes
saw the Tory boat slowly but surely ap
proaching. An ofllcer stood on the bow,
guiding their oarsmen by orders,and the
epaulets on his shoulders told that he
was the identical fiend, Major Brad
stone. " Don't drop till I give the order,"
whispered Wilson.
When the boat was about twenty feet
from the rock, the boy Jeader fell securely
behind his stone defense and shouted :
"Who goes there?"
In a moment the oarsmen ceased row
ing, and gazed with astonishment about
them. The Impetus which the boat had
acquired caused it to drift slowly be
neath the rook, and the leader cried :
" Cut loose, in the name of liberty 1"
Each boy pushed his rock at that In
stant, and as as if with one impulse the
glgantlo stones fell. A loud shriek from
the dark waters told how the plan suc
ceeded, and as the boys again looked
over the rocks nothing was seen but a
few pieces of wood.
The boat burst In pieces, and the occu
pants found a grave at the bottom of
White Clay creek. A cry of victory
burst from the joyous lips of the youth
ful patriots, and it was echoed along in
solemn grandeur.
." Now for our prisoner 1" exclaimed
Frank Howard, bounding ahead; but
what was the astonishment of the boys
to find that, in his efforts to get free,
George Livingston had been caught by
the fatal cord and choked to death.
There was no time for repining ; the
traitor and his son bad met their de
served doom, and there was no one to
mourn their loss.
" Such be the end of America's foes
forever I" said James Wilson.
Old Livingston's house was searched,
and, to the surprise of every one, not
only guns, but three brass field pieces,
several barrels of powder, and an abun
dance of balls were found . in the
Tory'e cellar.
The military stores found here were
given over fo the- American troops, and
found a Joyous welcome at headquar
ters. - Had not the British party been so
signally defeated along the banks of
White Clay creek, the town of Newark,
and the whole Northern part of the
State of Delaware, would have been
overrun by predatory bands of British
soldiers.
James Wilson and Frank Howard
both joined the army of Greene, and
served with dlstlctlon in the Southern
campaign. Frank fell In the memora
ble battle of Eutaw Spring bewailed
by all who knew him. James lost a
leg at the siege of Yorktown, and re
tired to his native village, but mortifica
tion ensued, and he expired with the
ever to be remembered words on his
hps:
" Cut loose, In the name of liberty I"
The village of Newark still stands.and
has become a town of celebrity. The
scene of the defeat of the British by tbe
boy patriots is still pointed out, and is a
sacred spot In the annals of Newark.
Brother Gardner on Family Government.
T AS' night, jlst as de ole woman
JLl was grlndin' up de butcher-knife
to cut her corns, dar cum a knock on de
doali," begin the President of the Lime
Kllh Club as Paradise Hall grew quiet.
" It was de ole man Mosber, an' I could
see right awiry dat he didn't feel In
whoopln' speerlts. I reckon you all
knows beam hard workln' an'' honest.
Well, he was ober dar to see about his
son Hunyadus. Dat Hunyadus am a
powerful bad boy, an' I knows It, an' de
ole man he sat down an' tole me dat de
day had arrove when be could no longer
control de boy. Yes, he sot dar on de
alge of de wood axe an' cried like a chile
'cause dat Hunyadus had come home
an' cussed aroun', an' axed for money,
an' he clar'd he'd bust de hull family or
hev it. I axed him how ole de boy was,
an' he wiped his nose an' he wiped his
nose an' he said sixteen. I axed him
how much de boy weighed, an' he look
ed up at de cellin' an' said about a
hundred an' twenty. Den I pushed de
tea-kettle furder back on de stove an' I
went for de ole man like a steamboat
'sploshun. De ideah of a boy like dat
runnin' de house made me mad all de
wap up an' down, an' I tole Mosher if
he didn't go hum an' flop dat Hunya
dus outer his butes an' den mop him
aroun' till he cried quits, dat he mus'
nebber darken my gate agin. He got
up an' he went, an' I was clus behind
him. Dat boy was still in de house,
bluffin' de ole woman aroun' and kick
in dd dog under de stove, an' de oppor
tunity was all dat could be axed fur.
De ole man den bounced in, waltzed up
tode wayward chile, and de way he
made de fur fly tickled me all ober.
When I left de winder Hunyadus was
wlpln' de tears away wid one ban' an'
eatin' cold pancakes wid de odder, an'
de old man had such a smile as I hevn't
seen on his face for ober seven years."
After the applause had subsided the
President continued : " Treat your boys
kindly an' like a good fadder shud, but
when a son. gits de big-head an' emag
Ines dat he can run de caboose widout
help from de ole folks, an' dat he am
master ob his days an' nights, sot right
down on him like a bag of sand fallln'
from de roof-top ! Let him know who
runs de cabin an' who brings in de
purvishuns."
A Pottstown Llllputlan.
THERE is now living near Pottstown
in this State a young lady, Miss
Eliza Scbwenk by name, who, though
30 years of age, yet is but three feet one
inch in height and weighs only forty
pounds. Her father is a well-to-do far
mer and has three other children one
son and two daughters all of full size,
as are also both of tbe little lady's par
ents and all her relations. It is, how
ever, in no sense a case of deformity.
Her face is round, plump and pleasing,
and her figure is well proportioned and
symmetrical throughout. She has always
been blessed with good health, and until
she was. four years old grew like other
children, and had attained a stature of
thirty-seven Inches, but, like "Grand
father's Clock," she then "stopped
short, never to grow again." Since
then not an inch has been added to her
stature. She remains the little girl of
four or five years except that now her
face begins to show some signs of age
gradually creeping over it. So long as
she wore short dresses, which was until
about two years ago, she attracted but
little attention from strangers, as her
age was not suspected, but since she
has donned the robes of ladles of her
age, people stop to gaze after this Llllpu
tlan as they would after Tom Thumb
or Minnie Warren. She is an expert
with the needle, runs the sewing ma
chine (her father having one made to
order for her size) and does the family
sewing. Of late she has been doing the
shopping, and the story is told that she
recently dropped in at a dry-goods store
In Pottstown and began to make her
purchases of a new clerk, who, not
suspecting her age or means, and taking
her for a child, after measuring off piece
after piece, became uneasy lest he was
being duped by a little girl who did not
know what she was doing, and to ask
her to show him her money, to see if she
had money enough to pay for what she
bought. She told him she had enongh,
and the clerk has since learned that the
little girl is a desirable customer.
While she is modest and retiring in
her disposition and does not court
notoriety, yet she has nerve enough to
demand her rights. A short time ago,
being on a visit to Pottstown, she re
turned home In the evening train. Her
ticket was to Sanatoga Station, which is
near her father's house, but the conduc
tor neglected to stop the train and took
her along to Limerick. Here as it was
now dark, she refused to leave the car,
but Insisted that the conductor must
either run the train back to Sanatoga or
hire a carriage and send her back. The
conductor, seeing that he was "under
the hay," hired a carriage and sent the
little lady to her home.
Her father has often been asked to let
her travel with showman but has
always refused, as he does not, he says,
need the mouey. Indeed, Eliza does
not wish to go from home, and though
formerly she could be coaxed away for a
few days or a week to visit friends, of
late she becomes homesick if away from
home but a short time.
A Minister Wanted.
The following anecdote is old but
good, and many of the present genera
tion have not seen it :
The people in one of the out-parishes
of Virginia wrote to Dr. John Holt
Rice, who was then at the head of the
theological seminary in Prince Edward,
for a minister. They said they wanted
a man of first-rate talents, for they had
run down considerably, and needed
building up. They wanted one who would
write well, for some of the young people
were very nice about that matter. They
wanted one who could visit a good deal,
for their former minister had neglected
that, and they wanted to bring that up.
Thay wanted a man of very gentleman
ly deportment. And so they went on,
describing a perfect minister. The last
thing they mentioned was, they gave
their last minister $350 ; but if the Doc
tor would send them such a man as they
described, they would raise another fifty
dollars, making it four hundred dollars.
The Doctor sat right down and wrote
them a reply, telling them they had bet
ter forthwith make out a call for old
Dr. Dwlght, in heaven ; for he did not
know of any one in this world who
answered this description ; and as Dr.
Dwlght had been living bo long on
spiritual food, he might sot need bo
much for the body, and possibly might
live on $400. N. Y. Observer.
More Curious than Useful.
It is often desirable to know on what
day of the week a certain date falls.
We find a method suggested by a cor
respondent of the London Time, which
we publish for the curious rather than
for the practical :
The following old couplet, committed
to memory, affords an easy rule for as.
certain g without reference toan almanac
on what day of the month a day will
fall:
At Dover Dwell. Oeoryft Brown, Kftqufre,
Oood CliriaUftU Frfeuii, autl Utvid inar."
Explanation. Tbe couplet contains
twelve words, one for each month In
order, beginning in January. The ini
tial letter of each word corresponds
with the letter in the calendar for the
first of the month represented by the
word. The key to the use of the rule is
the knowledge for the Sunday letter Of
the year, which this year is E.
Example 1. On what day of the
week did March 18 fall this year t
Answer, D.the first letter of Dwells,'
stands for March 1. But D is the letter
or day before E that is, D, the 1st of
March, was a Saturday. The calcula
tion is Instantaneous that March 16 was
the third Saturday In the month.
Example 2. On what day of the week
did December 3 fall V F is December 1.
But F is the day after; E i.e., Mon
day, therefore December 3 will be on a
Weduesday.