The Highest A magic boat I saw afloat On the stormy sea of life; With pure bright brow, a child at the prow Steered through thc raging strife. And 'mid the storm, that cherub form Saug clearly, ceasing never: "Bright hope will sail through the fiercest gale On the sea of life forever," The boat sped on; the day was gone; Dark clouds that child surrounded; Yet Uko a star it /?hone afar As it ever onward bounded. And higher grown, its altered tone Sang firmly, faltering never: "Faitn steers aright, through the blackest night, Qn the sea of life forever." Through perils dark, that magic bark To its Hoavonlv haven bounded; And tho child, full-grown, like an angel shone, Its brow with a crown surrounded. And high it sung, with seraph tongue, Its music ceasing never: 'tlove shining bright is the highest light On the sea of life forever." BOB O' LINK. It waa noon in summer. The earth lay breathless in the heat, /with its thousand tongues in wood and field j too faint for their accustomed low, I mysterious speech, The Long Island j shore, white and crescented, bared its j bosom like Danae to the golden em- j braces of the sun. Un the meadows, ; the heavy-crested grass with nodding : heads beat time to the sweet wash of ! waves upon the beach. Yellow spires ! of the golden-rod pierced the air like steeples. The tulip-tree, robed like a priest in fcreal green, held up to Hea- \ ven with branching arms a thousand I golden chalices. Far away across the I Sound lay the Connecticut shore, j trembling through mist, while behind ! me, from the green recesses of a de serted garden, the oriole poured forth i its monotone of sorrow. | As I sauntered down the little path that led from the old house where I . was boarding for the summer, to my favorite haunt by the ser-shore, with clouds of insects springing from the fass like a living spray at every step , took, I suddenly heard the saucy notes of that low comedian of birds- ' the Bob o' Link. As I have always had a friendly feeling towards this or? nithological farceur, I set to work to 1 obtain an interview with him. I was not long in discovering his where? abouts. He was sitting on the stump of u rail, chatting vehemently, and us well as I understood his language, impudently; presenting his feathers, cocking his head on one side, as if he had a passion for seeing nature up? side down, and shaking his wings as though he contemplated an immediate migration to the coast of Africa. About every half minute or so, he would suddenly leave his perch, and, flying a little distance, flop into the lopg meadow grass, whence instantly would proceed a most astounding ' vocal effort, after which he would re? appear and resume his rail in triumph. ' His frequent journeys to the same spot led me to suspect that he had some private interest in that quarter -a nest, or a young bride, perhaps, and that he was, in fact, passing his j honey-moon; so I walked toward the ; Elace in which I saw him disappear ist, determined to be a witness of his domestic bliss. It seemed to me that a human head was lying alone and bodiless in the deep sea green of grass that surround? ed me. A beautiful youth's head, blonde and spiritual, looking up at me with a 'calm, unfrightened look, : while resting close to its pale, round? ed cheek, hushed and rather astonish? ed by my appearance, sat Master Bob 1 o' Link. * The head, however, was not without a body. The long bending grass met: over the form, leaving exposed only the pale, beautiful face, which looked I like an exquisite Venetian picture framed in gold and green. * 'Good morning, sir,fc said the youth, .m a sweet voice, as I bent over him, looking, I suppose, a little bewildered | at this sudden apparition, and fond- : ling, at the same time, Master Bob o' j Link, with slender fingers. "Good ' morning, sir." ''Goodmorning," I answered; "you seem to be taking things quietly here. " He gave a. sudden glance downward toward his feet, and a sad smile flick: ered over his hps. "I am obliged to take things quiet? ly," he said. "Ah, an invafid. I suppose? I am sorry." "lam paralyzed, sir." No words can paint the tone of utter despair in which he made this terrible statement. If you have ever spoken with a man, who had spent twenty years in solitary confinement, you Avili nave noticed the unearthly calm of hi6 voice, the low monotone of sound, *h& loneliness of accent. Well, this ! i lad's voice aounded so. He talked like one slut out of life. I made a place for m/seif in the grass and sat down besi* him. . "I was attracted by yonrbird, I said, "J thought he had a nest here, and BO folfowed him. I trust I am not iptruding." "Not at all, sir; I am glad to have some one to speak to. As for Bol^ he has/a nest here, but it's in my heart. He is tile only thing on earth that loves me." "You take too sad a view of life, jny friend. Your calamity ia-great, no doubt, but still-" "Ah, sir! it's all well enough to talk so when you have limbs, and health, and freedom. When you can work and go out into life and tread the earth with the full consciousness of being. But when, ever since you can remember, you have been but tin; moiety of a man, utterly helpless, ut? terly dependent, an infant without an infant's happy unconsciousness! But what's the use of my talking to you in this viay? Here, Bob, show the gen? tleman your tricks." Bob, on this summons, left his post by the lad's cheek, where he had re? mained perfectly still, taking an in? ventory of my person with his round bright eyes, ami apparently measuring me for a suit of clothes, and suddenly flew into the air, where he summer saul ted ?nd pirouetted, and affected ti lose the use of his wings and tumbi? from an appalling height, invariably recovering himself before he reaehec the ground, after which he gravely ali upon his master's breast and thrus his little bill affectionately between hi lips. ' 'You have tamed your bird won derfully," I said to the boy. "It has been my amusement duriiij many solitary hours," he answered with a feeble smile. .'How is it that you have been lei so solitary?" I asked. "You live ii the neighborhood?" "In that house up yonder, jus peeping from behind that clump ? maples," and he pointed, as he spoke toward a respectable farm house. "And you have friends-a family? "Ah, sir! they are kind ?mough t me; but they must be very tired c me by this time." "Come," said I, encouragingly, lay ing my hand on his shoulder, "conn tell me all about yourself, I'm a goo listener; besides, I am interested i you. Bob hore looks as if he Wi anxious for a story. This is a ?'harn ing nook that we are in, so I'll ju light a cigar, and do you talk." The free and easy manner I assumt seemed to surprise him. He glan? shyly at me out of his large blue eye as if suspicious of my sincerity; thc he heaved a little sigh, stroked Bol feathers, as if to assure himself of tl presence of at least one friend, ;u saying, "As you please," commence "I am eighteen," he said; "y? would not think it, for I know I lo? younger than I am. Confinement ai suffering have made my complexi? pale and transparent, and thc sun ai the winds that harden other mei skins and age their featuaes, have h but little to do w ith me. Ever sino can remember, I have been paralys in the lower limbs. For years, I 1 upon an inclined plane of board, loc ing up at the ceiling with a mind ve nearly as blank as the white plastei gazed at. My father, died when I n a mere infant, and there was no o left in the house but mother und Cc sin Alice." "Cousin Alice," I said; "who she?" His eyes wandered timidly towt the house behind the maples, as if expected some apparition to start fri thence on the very instant. "Cousin Alice," he repeated vag ly; "well, she's-Cousin Alice." "Excessively explanatory," I sa laughing, "ls Cousin Alice younj "My age." "Ls she pretty?" One deep, reproachful look of th large blue eyes told me all. Poor : low, there he lay maimed, uscl? passing his days and evenings in presence of some beautiful creat whom he could never hope to possi but loving her with all that cone trated intensity which belongs to passions of the deformed. He seemed to know what was p ing in my mind, for, without a w from me, he continued: "She is engaged to Ralph Farn? who lives down yonder. She is A fond of him, and he of her. I they who bring me down betvs them to this place every fine, day; I sit here with Bob while they gc and pick nuts, and-and-." I And here the picture was too m for him, and the poor fellow burst ? tears. I No wonder. To have his mi? tune paraded, through neces [ before the woman he loved-1< WIMWIMIIHHII.Ill. lil I- _",M. carried about like a piece of furniture by her and his rival. How often that poor heart must have been smitten bitterly! How ofteh those crippled limbs thrilled with agony! I took his hand in mine but did not say a word. There are times when consolation is cruel. It was better than all words to let him feel, by the pressure of my hand, that he had found a friend. We sat this way for soiue time, until I was aroused from a painful reverie into which I had fallen by a long, black shadow, being pro? jected across the spot in which wc were sitting. I looked tip and saw a tall, handsome young man, Arith I bronzed cheeks and curly chestnut I hair, on whose arni was hanging an exceedingly lovely young girl, whose face was a perfect treasury of archness and innocence. They looked rather surprised at seeing me, but I explained how it was that I came to be there, and they seemed satisfied. ' 'Harry, isn't it time to come home?" said the young girl. "Ralph and I I are come for you. j "Thank you, Alice; but I'd like to stay au hour longer. The day is so ? bright and sunny that it is a shame to i be in doors. You don't want to go I home yet?" and he looked at Ralph as j he. said this with a bitter expression ? of countenance that, perhaps, I alone i observed, but which seemed to say: j "It will give you an hour more to wander together. Of course you j don't want to go home." I "Well, as you please, Harry. Ralph and I will go off to the pond in the ? cedar grove, and come back in about ; an hour. But I say, Harry, look here, j isn't this pretty?" and as she spSO, Pens. Ink, Paper, Pencils and Envelopes, Candles, Kerosene Lamps, Cheese, Sardines, Mackerel, Pepper, Spice, Cooki"g Soda. Sugar, Lemons, Segars and Tobacco, Pickles, Celery Sauce. Raisins, Gum Drops, Chocolate Cream, Lubin's Extract, Yandia, bobbi's Extract Lemon. Pocket Knives, Hair Brushes, Tooth Brushes. Combs. . A general Stock of DRY GOODS, consist? ing, in part, as follows: Black Broadcloath, Fancy Cassimeres, Plain and Black Alpacas, Calicoes, Plaid Dress (roods. Mull Muslin, Jaconet Cambric. Irish Linen, Paper Cambric, L. C. Handkerchiefs. Huckaback Towels, Bleached Jean Drawers, Merino Undershirts, Suspenders, White Cotton Hose, Brown Half Hose, Neck Ties, Barege and Tissue Veils, Belt Ribbons, Bonnet Ribbons, Skirt Braid. And a complete assortment of ai Leif s in this line, all of which will bc sold low st Aug 8 JACKSON'S; Fe b ii .. tb ;.. Iiy 1*c Provisional Governor or ttu Stute of Sont li ?m ol i nu. A PROCLAMATION! WHEREAS His Excellency President Johnson lia? issued his proclama? tion, appointing mc (Benjamin P. Pcrrv) Provisional Governor in und for the Stato "of South Carolina, ?r;th power to proscribe such rules and rctjulatU'im a*m:?y ne ntccs sary aud proper for convening a Convention of thc State, composed of delegate* to bo chosen by that portion ol' th? people of said State who aro.loyal to the United Status, for tho purpose ol' altering or amending-the Constitution thereof; and with authority to . ex.erci.se within the limits of thc State a'*? the powell necessary and proper to enable such loyal people to reatore said State to ita constitutional relations to the Federal Gov cruniciit, and to present such a Republican form of State Government as will entitle thc State to the guarantee of the United States therefor, mid its people to protection by the United States against invasion, insurrection and domestic violence. Sow, therefore, in obedience to the pro? clamation of bia Excellency Andrew John sou, President of tho United .".tatos, 1, REN JAM EN F. PERRY, Provisional Gover? nor of tho Stut.o of South Carolina, for tho purpose of organizing a Provisional Gov? ernment in South Carolina, reforming the State Constitution and restoring civil au? thority ni said State under tho Constitution aud laws of thc United States, do hereby proclaim and declare that all f?vil officers iii South Carolina, who were in office when tho Civil Government of tho State wa? suspend? ed, in May last, (except those arrested or under prosecution fer treason,) shall, on taking the oath of allegiance proscribed ia the President's-Amnesty Proclamation of ?"the 2ath day of Slay, 1S65, resume the I duties of their olli-cs and continue to dis I charge them under thc Provisional Govern? ment till further appointments are made. And I do farther, proclaim, dec?an and make known, that it ia the duty ot all loyal citizens of thc State of South Carolina to promptly go forward and take- thc oath of allegiance to tho L'nited States, before some magistrate or military ofliccr of thc Federal Government, who maybe qualified for ad ministering oaths; and auch aro horeb', authorized to giv . certified copies th? retif j to the parsons respectively by whom they j wore made. And such magistrates or i officers are hereby required to transmit lin? originals of such oaths, at as early a day as may be convenient, to tho Department of State, in the city of Washington, D. C. i And I do lui thor proclaim, declare and make known, that the Manager.-- of Elec? tions throughout the State ol' South Caroli : na will hold an election for members of a i State Convention, At their respective pre? cincts, on the FIRST MONDAY IN SEP? TEMBER NEXT, according to the laws of Soutli Carolina in force before the secession of the St;.'c; and that each I lection Di. ! trie-tin tho State shall clout aa many rn?iu 1 hers of vin- Convention as the said i>i.?trict baa members of the House of Roptenenta , tives the basis of representation being population and taxation. This will give ; one hundred and twenty-four members to '. ibo Convention- a number sofiiciontiy large i lo represent everv p