The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, January 04, 1881, Image 1

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VOL XV.
1NTISW BLOOMPIELED, lJiV., TUESDAY, JANUAKY 4, 1881..
N0.1.
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THE TIMES.
m Independent Family Newspaper,
If PUBLISH ID KVERT TUK9IUT BT
F. MORTIMER & CO.
TEllMH
INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
11.50 rill YICAR, POSTAfSE Fill'.!?,
so c rs. ion 6 TTIOKTIIS.
To subnrlhpr reMdlnn In this rounTr, where
we he no pmtni to pv. dlscouMt of 25 cents
(mm the ahnre terms will be made II payment Is
made In adrance.
V Advortislns rates furnished upon applied
Men.
gelctft PoetiV
JUST WHEN.
Just when the way is roughest, and the feet
are bruised and torn.
And the back oppressed with the burdens, so
long aud patiently borne,
We find that the path grows smoother, the
mountains and hills recede,
And there is rest And refreshment to meet this
hour of need.
Just when we feel the weakest in same dark
and desolate hour,
When the spirit of evil assails and lormcsls
with relentless power
Then suddenly strength is given and wo who
are lying low
Hare risen to fresher triumphs hare again
Conquered the foe.
Though closer the shadows gather, and weary
appears the way
That leadeth through clouds and darkness,
where shlneth the perfect day
Though the vessel in which we're sailing bears
close to a rocky coast,
We are sure of help when we need It Just
when we need it most.
And so we have but to trust to our Heavenly
Father's care,
Feeling our way in the darkness, by the light
of faith and prayer ;
v For we know that His heart is tended toward
all the children of men,
And our prayer He will surely answer, though
we know neither how nor when.
THE KING'S REVENGE.
IN the mall town of Kustrin, not far
from tbe capital, lived an old, disa
bled soldier, lie had served during the
Seven Years' War in a Hunters' Volun
teer Battalion, and had lost a leg in the
battle of Ilosbaeh, for which he received
a badge of honor, but nothing else; for,
as is well known, these volunteers were
allowed no pensions, but many of them
had received a small office, and a few,
eminent places.
Our poor soldier, who lived in tnisera.
ble quarters, had asked again and again
fo an office, but in vain. His petition
remained unnoticed. He finally went
to Berlin himself, in order to beg a good
office in person, and had tried to lay his
petition before the king, but without
success.
His patience was completely exhaust
ed, and one morning there appeared on
the palace wall a large placard, in which
the king and government were attacked
in the severest manner.
Naturally, this placard was promptly
removed by the police, and every means
taken to discover the guilty person.
As, however, in spite of all their efforts,
they were unsuccessful in this, they
turned to the king, as a last resort, with
the request that he should offer a reward
to "the one who should discover the
author of the libel.
At first Frederick the Great, who was
always very indifferent to such matters,
would bear nothing of it; but was
finally persuaded to offer a reward of
thirty thalers for this purpose.
Meanwhile, the old soldier had return
ed to his home, and had heard nothing
of what had been going on in the capital
until some time afterwards there fell
into his hands an old newspaper con
taining tbe above mentioned advertise
ment. He kept this paper, put on his
old Hunters' uniform, and immediately
set out on foot for Berlin.
Having arrived there, he at once
sought an audience with the king,
which, under the pretext that be came
in regard to the libellous placard, and
would speak only with the king, was
actually granted him.
Frederick the Great sat in bit council
chamber at his writing desk, and ap
peared to he in not a very good humor.
He left his visitor unuotleed for some
time. Kin ally he turned to him :
"Now, what do you want ?"
" Your Majesty, I came in regard to
that placard. It states in this puper
that a".
"Right. What do you know about
It V"
" But shall I receive the promised re
ward, your Majesty ?"
" If you are la condition to deliver up
the right man, certainly."
" Under all circumstances, whoever it
may be, your Majesty V"
" Zounds r Yes. Now, out with It !"
" Now, your Majesty, 1 myself have
this placard"
" Fellow, are you mad, or what Is the
matter with youV" cried Frederick,
springing up. " Do you know what you
will get for that?"
' I know it, your Majesty. I go to
Bpandau ; but, if only my family re
ceives the thirty thalers, then no matter
what becomes of me."
And he told him in a few words in
what condition he was, how he had
often petitioned for a position, how he
had in vain tried to see the king, how
in liia despair he had written this
placard, and how he had come here In
order to at least receive this reward.
While the old Hunter was speaking,
the king bad paced up and down the
room with long strides.
"H'ni, h'm," he growled, as if to
himself, "that is certainly bad. In any
case, another unpardonable negligence
But," said be, pausing in front of the
soldier, "you did not need to do that.
You could have tried once more, and
you must have obtained a bearing. It
certainly cannot be altered now. You
must go to gpandau, and immediate
ly." "But my wife shall receive the thirty
thalers V" cried the soldier, bursting
into tears.
" She shall have it," said the king;
"but prepare yourself to go to Spandau.
I will give you a letter to the command
ant," added he, in milder tone, aud im
mediately seated himself to write the
letter; but first he struck a little silver
bell which stood on his desk, aud turn
ing again to the soldier, said in the pres
ence of the servant who had promptly
entered : " You have a long journey
before you, and will be very hungry.
Go into the kitchen, and let them give
you something to eat."
The old corporal was led into the
royal kitchen, and entertained. When
lie re entered the royal apartment, the
king had finished his letter, which he
handed to him, saying, "You have come
here from Kustrin on foot V"
" I have, your Majesty."
",The'n you can also go on foot from
here to Spandau. The country has, no
money to order an extra post for such
people, the less that already thirty
thalers have been spent on you."
" My family shall receive the money",
your Majesty V"
"That is already attended to," an
swered the king, nodding, and added
with threatening voice, "See to it that
you go to Spandau, for otherwise"
With a heavy heart the old man bad
entered the palace, with a heavy heart
he stood again on the street. He bad
hoped, perhaps, to liui favor with the
king, But to Spandiu. I It rang con
tinually in bis ears. What should be
now do t Should he really go to prison,
or should be try to escape t But how
far could be go with bis wooden leg?
And then the lastwords of the king said
to him only too plainly that, in that
case, it would be still worse for him ; for
then the thirty thalers would be lost,
and all have been in vain. Should
be at least first inform bis wife, who
had no suspicion of tbe whole occur
rence? But he could not bring his
heart to witness tue grief thjs would
cause bar, so be decided without delay
to struggle on to Spandau. His family
were now provided for, for the Immedi
ate present; and what should follow lay
in God's bands.
Arrived at Bpandau, be immediately
bad himself announced to the command
ant, and found some consolation in rec
ognizing in him his old sergeant. He
could not help drawing a comparison
between him and himself. While be,
the severely wounded, almost perishing
from want and distress, stood here now
prisoner, tbe other bad already occu
pied this lucrative place some year.
The commandant was also highly
delighted to see his biave old comrade
again.
" But how In the world did you come
here V" asked lie.
" I am your prisoner."
. " My prls-on-er! It is not possible.
How does that happen V"
" I am indeed. See for yourself."
He handed the commandant the letter
from the king, and related his story.
" H'm, h'm," said the commandant.
"That Is strange. 'Old Fritz' Isn't
usually so severe. But," continued be,
laying down the letter, which he bad
looked at on all sides, " If that is really
so, let us first have a glass for old friend
ship's sake."
They seated themselves, drank several
glasses of wine, and related some of their
war experiences. The old prisoner had
almost forgotten bis condition, when,
finally, the royal letter occurred to the
commandant. "Now we will see what
the old man writes," said be, while be
opened the letter and read. Then he
banded it to his old comrade, saying :
" Yes, that is something different. You
are not prisoner, but commandant, tbe
new commandant of Spandau."
And so it was. The great king had
nobly revenged himself. The man who
bad been guilty of wrong to royalty he
had made, instead of prisoner, com
mandant of the fortress of Spandau ;
and the old commandant, who had often
requested it, he placed on the retired
list.
The new commandant had scarcely
become conscious of his good fortune,
when a servant entered the room and
announced a woman with three children,
who wished urgently to speak to the
commandant.
"Now," said the old commandant to
the new, "it is yours to command
whether you will allow them or not."
'' Do as you will," said he. "As yet
no one knows of tbe change."
Immediately, the woman rushed weep
ing into the room, aud threw herself at
thafeet of the cripple.
" O father," cried she, "that for the
sake of these few, miserable thalers you
should make us so unhappy 1"
It took a long time to quiet her and
convince her of the conditlou of affairs.
And then she, in her turn, told bow
a messenger brought her thirty thalers,
with an order from the king to take the
money and use it to go immediately to
Spandau, bow then she had heard for
the first time of the connection with the
placard affair, and bow she had now
come to share the fate of her husband.
And she lay on his breast, and a ray
of the golden, setting sun fell upon the
happiest people ever surrounded by the
walls of Spandau.
A Pleasant Steamboat Reminiscence.
CAPT; ST. CLAIIt THOMASSEN,
who died the other day, used to be
commauder of oue of the great Missis
sippi steamers, and was fond' of relating
the incident's of a journey made on bis
boat by the famous prima donna from
New Orleans to Louisville. His story
runs as follows :
" When we were fairly on our way up
the river, one of the ladles -she was a
great belle in her day, the daughter of a
senator, aud afterwards a wife of one of
our foreign ministers came to me and
asked whether it were really true that
Miss Llnd meant to keep her stateroom
all the way to Memphis.
" ' Of course not.'sald I. ' Everybody
comes to dinner on my boat.'
" Then I went to Barnum Barnum,
the showman who was managing Miss
Lind.
" ' Barnum,' said I, ' is Miss Llnd get
ting ready for dinner ?'
" Barnum looked surprised.
" ' Why no,' said he, ' Miss Llnd eats
her meals in her room.'
"' Not on my boat,' said I ; for you
seel didu't want to disappoint the ladies.
Well, Barnum and I argued this
awhile, and then I agreed to talk to Miss
Lind myself about it. I knocked at the
door of ber stateroom'.
" The pleasantest voice I ever heard
said, ' Come in.'
" ' Miss Lind,' jiuid I, ' I am the cap
tain of this boat. There are twenty
ladies on board ladles of the first station
in America whom I had brought any
where from 00 to 600 miles down to
New Orleans to bear and see you. They
couldn't get even to tbe door of your
concert, room for the crowd. So they
took passage on my boat again with no
other hope than just to see you. Tbey
didn't mean to be rude neither do I ;
but I do hope you will satisfy them and
not seclude yourself all this long trip.'
"'My dear capitalne,' said she, as
pleasantly as could be, ' I don't mean to
bide myself. Why should I? But what
would you have me do ?'
"' Come and sit at my right hand at
dinuer,' said I. ' It's nearly time for
the bell to ring.'
" Wis ze greatest pleasure,' said the
great lady, and when dinuer was ready
she came out of her state room smiling,
and bowed to everybody in the ladles'
cabin, and sat down by my side.
" ' Will you not do me ze honalre to
Introduce me to ze ladies V she said, and
I introduced her to all the lady passen
gers that were at my table all the ladies
mind you. It was the most pleasant
dinner I ever bad. After dinner the
tables were cleared away, and Miss Llnd
sat down on the sofa at the end of the'
cabin. I went forward to where Bar
num was sitting, near the clerk's office.
" Barnum,' I said, won't Miss Llnd
sing something for the ladies V
" ' Captain,' said he, turning on me,
' are you gone raving mad V Miss Llnd
sing In a public place like this ! Why,
man you make me laugh ! Miss Llnd
gets a thousand dollars for every song
she sings. Perhaps you've got a thou
sand dollars about you to spare. Oiler
her that, and then'
" ' All right, Barnum,' said I, we'll
see.'
" Well, then, I went into the pantry
and got my nigger band together. There
was one likely young boy among 'em
who had such a voice as you never heard.
I was younger then, considerably than I
am now, but I could never hear that boy
sing o.ne of bis old plantation' songs
without tbe tears coming into my eyes.
But I thought I would try him first. So
one of the boys kept time ou the banjo,
and the fellow sang over his song. It
was about a yellow girt who had been
sold off into slavery from her Louisiana
home into Georgia. I always thought
the boy made it up himself. I never
heard the music or the words before or
since. The words didn't exactly rhyme;
nor the music wasn't such as you bear
In. the opera, but I knew it would do.
So I got the boys together in the cabin,
and after they had played a while the
boy sang his song. Miss Llnd listened
from first to last, and there were tears in
bur eyes, too, when it was through. I
don't exactly know how it was, but five
minutes afterward she was at the piano
and sang first the musio of that song as
well as she could remember it, and then
Bong after song of her own. And not
only that.evening either, but every even
ing that she was on the boat. Tbe
pianist of her troupe played too, and the
other members of the company sang
and played, and my ladies alto, and
such concerts there never were in all
America before or since."
A Bonnet Museum.
SEVERAL years ago there died in
western Massachusetts a venerable
lady who for fifty years bad been pos
sessed with the singular whim of pre
serving and making a kind of museum
of comparative fashions out of ber old
bonnets. Beginning with the one she
had worn as a blooming bride, she never
stopped till she bad bung up at the end
of the line the last that had crowned her
snow-white head. Young people for
tunate enough to be admitted to the
huge attic ou pegs around which wus
suspended this chronological attestation
of the mutability of human taste aud
caprice would go into fits 'of laugh
ter over the spectacle. How their grand
fathers could have ever married their
grandmothers, when the latter made
such frights of themselves, seemed past
comprehension. The startled imagina
tion felt itself confronted with an ante
diluvian epoch, in which such terrific
inegartheria and pterodactyles of bon
nets prevailed that the wonder was how
the most undaunted of men could have
ever dared to venture a marriage-proposal
to any face that would ensconce
itself under such nodding horrors. So
are the young in the pride of to-day ever
tempted to'ruake sport of their grand
mothers ; grandmothers, perhaps, who,
In tbe flush of their prime, could have
done an execution from out under their
sugar scoops with their spirited eyes and
blooming cheeks that would have left
their presumptuous rldlculers of to-day
nowhere In the race.
A Story of Ticonderoga.
N THE middle bt the last century
the chief of the Campbells of In-
verawe had beet) given an entertain
ment at his castle on the banks of the
Awe. The party had broken up and
Campbell was left alone. He was roused
by a violent knocking at tbe gate, and
was surprised at the appearance of one
of his guests, with torn garments and
dishevelled hair, demanding admission.
" I have killed a man and I am pursued
by enemies. I beseech you to let me in.
Swear upon your dirk swear by Ben
Cruachan that you will not betray me.'
Campbell swore, and placed the fugi
tive in a secret place In the house.
Presently there was a second knocking
at the gate. It was a party of bis guests
who said, 'Your cousin Donald has
been killed ; where Is the murderer 1"
At this announcement . Campbell re
membered the great oath which he bad
sworn, gave an evasive answer, and
sent off the pursuers in a wrong direc
tion. He then went to the fugitive and
said :
" You have killed my oouslu Donald.
I cannot keep you here."
The murderer appealed to his oath,
and persuaded Campbell to let him stay
for tbe night. Campbell did so, and re
tired to rest. In the visions of the night
tbe blood-stained Donald appeared to
blm with these words : 'In verawe, In
verawe, blood has been shed ; shield not
the murderer.' In the morning Camp
bell went to his guest, aud told him that
any further shelter was impossible. He
took him however, to a cave in Ben
Cruachan, and there left him. The
night again closed in, and Campbell
again slept, and again the blood-stained
Donald appeared. 'Inverawe, Inver
awe, blood has been shed. Shield not
the murderer."' On the morning he
went to the cave on the mountain, and
tbe murderer had fled. Again at night
he slept, and again the blood-stained
Donald rose before him, and said: 'In
verawe, Inverawe, blood has been shed.
We shall not meet again till we meet at
Ticonderoga.' He woke in the morning,
and behold, It was a dream. But the
fitnriT et 1 1 ft trlnla d r.nn-i It... .I..,nl1
him, and he often told it among bis
kinsman, asking always what the ghost
could mean bv this mvarnrinna wnnl nf
their final rendezvous.
" In 1758 there broke out the French
and English war in America, which
after many rebuffs ended in the conquest
of Quebec by General Wolfe. Campbell,
of Inverawe, went out with the Black
Watch, the Forty-second Highland Reg.
iment, afterward so famous. There on
the eve of an engagement the general
came to the officers and said : 'We had
better not tell Campbell the name of the
fortress which we are to attack to-morrow.
It is Ticonderoga; let us call it
Fort George.' The assault took place
in the morning. Campbell was mor
tally wounded. These were bis last
words, 'General, you have deceived me;
I have seen him again. This is Ticon
deroga.' "
How to Become a Lawyer.
A day or two ago, when a young man
entered a Detroit lawyer's office to study
law, the practitioner sat down beside
him and said :
Now, see here, I have no time to fool
away, and if you don't pan out well I
won't keep you here thirty days. i)o
you want to make a good lawyer ?"
"Yes sir."
" Well, now listen. Be polite to old
people, because they have cash. Be
good to the boys, because they are grow
ing up to a cash basis. Work in with
reporters aud get pufl-.. Go to church
for tbe sake of example Don't fool any
time away on poetry, and don't even
look at a girl until you can plead a case.
If you follow these instructions you will
succeed. If you cau not, go and learn to
be a doctor and kill your best friends."
VW moment's work on clay tells
more than an hour's labor on brick.
So work on the hearts should be done
before they harden. During the flnt
six or eight years of child-life mothers
have chief sway, and this is 'the time to.
make the deepest aud mostenduring im
pression on the youthful mind.