'
vot. tv no. is. ; PORT ROYAL, S. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1874. I'ff.'SyaT
\/XJ A ? t W
The Cheerful Heart , i
' I
" The world io ever as we take it,
And life, dear child, is what we make it." ,
Thus spoke a graadam bent with care, 1
To little Mabel, flushed and fair.
But little Mabel took no heed that day ,
Of what she heard her grand&m say.
Tears after, when no more a child,
Her path in life seemed dark and wild.
Back to her heart the memory came
Of the quaint utterance of th6 dame: i
" The world, dear child, is as we take it,
And life, be sure, is what we make it."
She cleared her brow, and smiling tho
"'Tis even as the good soul taught!
. 'And half my woes thus quickly cured,
Tho other half may be endured." i
No more her heart its shadow wore;
She grew a little child once more.
A little child in love and trust,
% She took the world (as we. too, mnst)
I
In happy mood; and lo! it grew .
Brighter and brighter to her view.
r Mie m&uo 01 111o we, ivo, duuiuuj ,
A joy; and lo! all things were good. > '
And fair to her, as in Ood's sight, -7
When flret he said, " Let there be light."
HUSBAND OR CHILD ?
No other axe resounded through the
forest with such a clear and decided
ring as that wielded by Thomas ; none
other so sure of its aim, while raised
between the sky and its destined rest.
His voioe was the most cheerful and
his carol the merriest that reverborated
in the beautiful woodland that extended
through the Bhineland to the borders
of Holland.
Wherever his hands were employed,
the work was accomplished in half the
time. " The merry Thomas," the
"magnificent Thomas," the "industrious
Thomas," were the names given
him by the people far and wide, and
when he married and became the father
of a son he was jollier than ever. -
His wife seemed to partaKe or ms
spirit and his boy gave pronise of be.
coming just snoh a happwaoul. - The
whole neighborhoodjwera happ# in the
hannpriions life of-'this jdyous trio,
while"each derived a particular pleasure
in witnessing the feiicifcwof the other.
But suddenly the lightning flash of circumstances
penetrated this happy home.
One bright morning, axe in hand, he
stood beside a fallen trpe, while wife
and son stood/near, ready to gather the
% fragments, and they Were no meanehipe
that fell beneath Thomas' stroke.
High over his head the glittering
steel was raised, and, as his glance
noted the reflected ray of sunshine following
it, he shouted merrily, "Wife,
see'st thou my meteor? Hui! is it not
verily like the flash of one ?'' Bnt the
shining metal and its active meteoric
light did not disappear within the wood.
Glancing lightly over the bark, it entered
Thomas foot, and there was no
time for useless tears. The wife's
grieving heart did not vent itself in idle
lamentations, bnt questioned, how was
she to get her husband home ?
The other laborers naa noi arnvea.
Thomas was always the first at work, as
now he was also the first to regain his
cheerfulness to encourage wife aad
child in this trial. A spring near supplied
water te wash the wound that
proved to be severe, and the manly
^ Anton divested himself of his little
shirt to bind it up with.
^ This carefully done, Thomas set his
big white teeth firmly together, rose,
grasping with one hand the shoulder of
his boy, and supported on the other
side by his wife, he ordered, "March
quiok! the house is not such a long
way off, then all will be well."
Taking the shortest route home
obliged them to cross over a railroad
track. Although this was a forbidden
road for pedestrians," they considered it
the best in this emergency. But here
misfortune overwhelmed them in terrible
earnest.
At the first step the sufferer caught
his wounded foot in the rail, stumbled,
fell, throwing his little boy into the
middle of the road, breaking the little
fellow's leg.
A helpless, living mass, they lay
there, and before both could be rescued
from their perilous bed the steaming,
roaring monster of the road came
tearing down upon them, leaving their
boy a mangled, bleeding oorpse the
next instant before them.
Such was the story told by Thomas
and his wife to the horrified and sym
paunzing people.
But there must have been something
^ singular and mysterious connected with
this mournful event that remained untold?a
secret within their own hearts
for, spite of repeated endeavors to have
the story told again, they would always
answer, "You have heard it once,"
while a shudder of horror followed at
the remembrance.
I left no pains untried to ingratiate
myself in their favor and obtain their
confidence. Not only curiosity was ex- ;
cited, but Iliad a real psychological interest
iu the matter, and I acknowledge
just the least suspicion of something j
foul; a criminal secret, possibly an ac-1
cident, that required but little light to
lead these people back to happiness.
It is not necessary to explain how I
brought it about; suffice it is to say
that one day, in presence of her hus-;
band, Frau Thomas unburdened her!
sadly oppressed heart to me in this 1
wise:
"After the birth of our child I was a
great deal happier, and loved Thomas
better than ever when he was at my
side, but I oould also enjoy his absence, |
and not watch window and door con
stantly if he chanced to remain away !
longer than usual. I used to tease him |
frequently and say: 'Somebody is wel- i
come to steal yon, now I've got my :
baby.' He would lauch at me then, ;
^ saying: ' Well, if yon have no further
ft use for me, all right,' and playfully {
P leave the room as if in dreadful anger,
and bang the door. But 1 knew he was
only in fun, and laughed as if I did not
care. Nevertheless, my heart grew sad
and was disturbed until his face again
i
appeared at the door, and he would the die
laugh at me with those great white teeth fully t
ind say: 'Husband or child, whioh?' think c
Then I quickly replied: ' Husband, oh! you no
the husband!' * suffere
" But it was so queer, for just as soon yourse'
as he was with me again, my spirit for ed, am
teasingreturned and I would say : "Of
'I think it is the child, after all.' me so,
"Then he would take the boy from he Jet
my breast and dance him joyfully up " N<
and down, and say, ' You are right!' secret,
" Then he would give me a good kiss, unjust,
and thus our little innocent 'jars' were You dt
ever quarrels, and ended in perfect had be
contentment." yonrse
Bhe gazed for a moment silently Jbe- ty reg
fnr? her. while Thomas sat nodding his p^\y?
head silently.
" You see," she continued, "it is in him
necessary to tell you all this. If it his lift
does seem foreign to the real subject, you.
it belongs to it, lor it became a matter "Tru]
of most heartrending thoughts to us ter tha
afterward. This question asked in joke Frequ<
became a frightful fact." when 1
The woman was so overcome she Ioould
could scarcely continue, and her eyes done s
turned a mute appeal for help toward The '
her husband, but he only shook his barroai
head mournfully, making a motion with peared
his hand as if to bid her speak on, look- hersell
ing into her eyes lovingly, as if to cheer fifing h
her. It w
" Well, the story we told at the time now, a
of the accident was true in every par- the m
ticular, up to our arrival at the railroad thing 1
track. There it was a little different, I lei
and we hesitated in giving the exact happir
manner of the horrid occurrence. Wo anothc
have neve* fully understood ourselves tried :
why. It would have been better, I thequ
think, if we had not made a secret of
it; much of this weary shadow that has
clouded our lives would have worn away,
had we talked it over with another per- Whi
son. That is why we give you our confldence
now, hoping an intelligent, \
right-minded man like yourself will ad- mft?e
vise and judge if I have erred. where
"It happened thus: As my Anton Piles (
and I led father toward the track I im- about
agined I heard the locomotive, but I ,'
oould see nothing, as a heavy fog lay emt,er
on the ground, and I supposed that the handle
monster was far away from us, and the out th
moments were precious. My poor tributi
Thomas was suffering terribly, saying ,
his foot was burning like caustic, and about
it was onlv a step and we would be over, m
and had Thomas not had the misfor- f? .81
tune to stumble, we would have crossed ir? .
safely. Ihmnl
" They both lay in the middle of the
road, Anton to the right of me and 5? Pre'
Thomas to the left, and in that instant 1
their startled cry and the shrieking roar 1 8^KK
of the iron monster fell on my ear, and, f? y,
through the dense fog I.saw his bum- .f1
ing, greedy eye" fastened on my dear J?1100#
onejgwhile the fiery sparks were thick- . 6
ly Scattered about, as if hell itself |.D& nP
had been opened to devour them. form, (
" Oh ! if I live a thousand years, the JJ?.
horror of that moment will remain, as I ,
? - - * ... near tl
realized I could save one 01 mem, oniy ot^er ,
one ! 1.1 n_,
"All! sir! human nature may be tu?"P
subject to a million different distress- ^ a
ing heartaches and mental struggles, 0.n.7,a
but heap them all into a lifetime, it is cmm
as nothing compared to what I endured !^nar ]
in a few seconds. ?
"I have often wondered since how it y?n?8
was possible the mind oould compre- ruBne0
hend so much while subject to such in- 1??.
tolerable suffering and fright, as now, uuea
thought after thought flashed through screccJ
my brain in so short a time. heart 1
" My mother-heart yearned for my rjte
child, and I seemed to grasp it, while grGi
the hand of God Himself seemed to WOrahi
hold me toward Thomas. I thought,
was he not thine before the child ? Did cannot
you not swear at the altar never to for- ?n(jian
sake him ? It seemed, then, as I loved i)Urnfc
him best; he was more useful on earth. jjiey tj
Then I thought, oh! horrible raven eiCgPt
mother! to desert your child ! But ?reage
the thing was upon us. I heard men's fy Ket
voices warning through the mist. It i
was as if they tried to stop it, but ^ers
failed. It cut the darkness and rushed jiave' (
toward us; with one bound I turned 8ajj
from my child,grasped for myhusband, unrep<
and, with the strenghth of a giantess, jn
raised him off the track, turned, but
the awful monster had passed, leaving
me the crushed remains of my oliild."
She stopped short, as if sundenly In t]
frozen in body and soul. Her husband few tja
trembled in every limb, clutching at ,
his beard as if it oould steadv him. I (leciae
sat a speechless witness of this fearful Probal
grief. % My sympathy had no words; my grew c
eyes must havo told them how deeply ^
I entered with them into this touching . .
history. maklQl
Thomas recovered himself first, tate o:
Going to his wife he tenderly placed his from t
arm nrnnnrt her She started with the t a -.
magnetic touch, looked up ?t him? and
then at me, as if waiting for me to pass '
judgment. aQd01
I oould only take her hand between 80n di
my own and say: same (
4 Poor, poor mother ! Noble woman ! about
Righteous wife !' ?* ljJe
At this, her eyes beamed as if sud- aged <
denly relieved of a dark vail; a flush of him, a
gen nine happiness covered her face; the family
whole countenance of the woman jrbere
changed from a sluggish horror to an having
incomparable relief. istratc
Thomas stretched his hand toward posing
me; his eyes flashing with joy, his j vancec
head erected with manly pride, and for I Court
the first time in years his broad shining nature
teeth appeared through a smile once himsel
more. 8011 8 J
44 God reward your kind heart and the wi;
good words, sir," she cried. 14 It seems thougl
since hearing you as if we dared be hap- aol? h<
py again!" passed
She embraced her husband, looked mothe:
lovingly up to him, and softly asked: 10 the
"Doyou think so, Thomas?" which
"Just so, just so, wife." He could Court,
scarcely articulate the words for the
emotion that conquered him now. Hot 1
tears fell on his wife's hands and face; Sam
she, too, sobbed and wept with him. 0f tjje
They were the first tears. None were *
shed during that horrible time.
" You see what it was that changed Coope)
mc so, all these years, sir. The ques- For so
tion constantly appeared before me: been g
Have you not committed, an unpardon- he con
able sin against your own flesh and cold, 8
blood ? I could flud no rest. My peace two da
was gone forever, and I told Thomas ting iu
never, again would I dare become a o'clock
mother " a lettt
A deep blush mantled her face and to it, a
she paused. I thought here was the was de
time to advise and restore harmofly to of the
t ;
%
tressed family. I said reproach0
her : "You appear only.to
if yourself, Fran Thomas. Do E
t suppose your husband has'also
d all those years the same as
If ?" She tooled at me astonish1
rather abashed, replied : F
course he was miserable to see a
but, as he could not help me, (
me alone." %r .
>w, Frau Thomas, we have the
and that is where yon have been "
, and wronged your husband, t
lily exhibited regret that his life c
en saved at ao great a sacrifice to f
If. It left him in more unoertain- r
arding your love for him, and t
u blame him if he did not think
t too dearly bought ? It was noble t
not to reproach you for saving j
> at the cost of the one dearer to ^
Is it not so, Thomas ?" 1
ly, you have read.'my feelings bet- c
,n I oould have explained them. ^
ently my hsart seemed to break i
[ realized what you have said, but ]
I not blame her, wheu she had (
o muoh for me." ,
woman's face was a study. Em- (
Bment, regret, perplexity?all ap- y
- until for verv shame she oast ?
: upon her husband's breast, begis
pardon.
as his tarn to be embarrassed
nd it was really touching to'see
an acj as if he had done sOtnerery
foolish.
t them confident in their future
less, and so it proved. Ia time
>r child cam# to bless the sorelymother's
heart, "but' n^Ver again
estion, "-Husband or child 1
Banning Upon Fire;
le I stood quietly looking about
iys Nicholas Pike, a rush was
to the centre of the grounds,
a large crowd soon assembled.
>f wood were burning, whioh in
an hour, beeame a bed of live
b. Two nude men, having longid
rakes, were engaged in getting <
e unburnt pieces oi wocd and disng
the embers over a square of
twenty-five feet. An ezoayation 1
ade on one side about a foot deep '
t square, in close proximity to 1
d of embers, and filled with water. 1
g this raking several persons were 1
3d in dashing water over, the men 1
rent their being scorched by the *
vhich was intolerable, even where '
1. Everything being pronounced j
by the priest who superintended 1
tole, music was heard in the dis- (
and a procession moved along
issy plain, preceded by men bear- 1
on their shoulders a small plat- 2
>n which was an image, dressed ]
ian costume, loaded with jewelry. ;
came ou in silence and halted
le burning mass. Presently an- (
jimilar procession advanced from !
posite side and faced the first. ]
, given signal an old man with
cloth around his loins, bearing a
in his arms, stepped into the '
and walked unflinchingly across 1
owing bed of embers. Three '
men followed, and then a dozen 1
I in and ran across, stopping for
ent to cool their feet in a trench .
with water. The contortionB,
liing and yelling of these latter
errible, and I turned away sick at j
rom the sight. This port of the
called thinnery, or walking upon j
ft seems to me literally the old
p of Moloch revived, and anymore
heathenish and devilish I
; imagine. Strange to say, the
s persist that they do not get
For at least a month previously
ndergo severe tests, taking little
rice and milk; do not even touch
or animal food ; pray incessantthe
priest's blessings, and then
'earlessly over the burning emThey
say it is only those who .
eaten forbidden food (especially J
h), got drunk, or committed some j
?nted sin, who get burnt.?Rami
the Land of the Apnanayterxp. J
An Interesting Cose.
lie Supreme Court in Missouri, a i
ys ago, an interesting case was J
d on appeal. It originated in the j
to Court of St. Louie connty, and <
>ut of exceptions made to items 1
le administrator's account in
g the final settlement of the es- J
f one John Walsh. Jt appears j
he record that John Walsh died |
;n 4 and 5 o'clock in the after- '
August 1, 18GG; that he had a wife ,
ie son who survived him; that the ,
ied between 9 and 10 o'clock the ,
evening, and that the wife died :
one hour afterward. At the time ,
death of John Walsh his father,
over seventy years, resided with j
nd after the death of his son and |
desired to return to Canadn, (
ho had formerly resided, but <
* mAono artnliA/l fn fliA O/lmitl.
I UV UiCttUD| W WMV
r for assistance. The latter, sup;
him to be one of the heirs, adl
him 8200, for which the Probate
refused to allow credit. It was
I that the father should suppose
f an heir when his son and his
rife and child were all dead; but
fe having been the survivor, al
i but a few minutes, became the
iir, and through her the estate
1 to her heirs, consisting cf her
r, brothers,and sisters, according
decision of the Probate Judge,
was sustained in the Supreme
e Late Judge Samuel Nelson,
uel Nelson, late Associate Justice
United States Supreme Court,
suddenly at his residence is
rstown, New York, of apoplexy,
me months past his health has
ood, but a week before his death
lplained of havin#? taken a slight I
md was confined to his room till
,ys before his death. While s it- (
i his chair, between one. and two .
listening to Mrs. Nelson read 1
r, he made an inquiry in regard I
md thenrwithont ff^word or Bigh,
ad. Jndga Nelson left the ben<5h
United States Oonrt in 1872. 1
.? , H 4<* ,
Far Western Amusements.
low Two Mn Robbed a Store and Db
' poifB M Six Vllltort.
Messrs. Bryant k Chandler are th<
>roprietors of a small oountry grocer
,nd dry goods store, located sonth o
Irand River and a few miles south o
he village of Westpoint, Missouri
Phe store is a decent frame building a
he cross roads, about half a mile eas
if the Kansas stage line. It was jus
s the shades of evening had cast i
jloom over thd prairies in the vicinity
hat two strangers rode up to the store
They were voung men, evidently be
ween' 24 ana 28 years of age, one i
air-complexioned man, wearing ligh
vhiskers ; the other, rather younger
lad dark hair, and sported a moustachi
md beard a la imperial. The eldes
Tore a brown ohinohilla overooat; th<
roungest were a soldier's overcoat
3oth had their foreheads ooncealed b;
tnmmnn hlno.k felt hftts. Mr. BrVSn
v&s alone in the store, the evening wa
sold and rather dark, the nearest housi
vaa several hundred yards away. Tin
;wo young men entered the store am
valked up to the stove to warm them
lelves. They entered into a pleasan
ind gossipy conversation with Mr. Bry
int, and appeared to be acquainte*
vith the country. They asked to se<
nme woolen scarfs, and finally seleote(
>ne and paid for it and turned to thi
itove. Mr. Bryant proceeded with hi
rarious duties in the store, all the tim
teeping up a careless and jovial con
rersation with the two good-lookinj
roung men.
Mr. Bryant turned from his shelves
vhere he had been busily engage*
itraightening up for the night, when hi
:ound his face in very nuoomfortabl
proximity to two large revolvers, whil
he smiling countenances of the tw<
imiable young men had assumed i
rery business-like aspect.
" Mr. Bryant, we want all your avail
ible cash. We must have it or tak
tomething you value still more dear
3o shell out without noise or delay."
" Bdt I will not submit "
" Yes you will," replied the robbers
ind in another second the new woolei
icarf just purchased was over hi
nouth, and his arms were soon seourel;
pinioned. His eyes were then shade*
rith a new shawl, and the two robber
prooepded to rifle the store. They firs
iecured the cash, amounting to abou
1400; then they proceeded to selec
inch articles of merchandise as suite*
heir fancy, manifesting both taste am
liscrimination in their selections.
While these gay and festive youth
vera engaged in this questionable busi
less, an ohiiarmer just dropped in t
iass away a long evening and talk ove
;he news around the cross-road store
riie young men received him courte
jusly, and took care of him as speedil
is possible by gagging and blindfold
ing him, and emptying his pockets o
lis wallet, his knife, several pieces o
:wine, a buckle, and a few uailB an*
iome papers. He was escorted to
seat beside Bryant, there to silentl;
study and wonder what next was to be
fall nim.
This business was scarcely conclude!
when two other farmers strolled int
tho store. They were weloomed by th
bandits and seized upon as legitimat
prey. One of this last couple mani
fested his desire to go home by startipi
without leave. He ran a short dis
tance down the road, and was thei
stopped by the persuasivo influence o
i pistol ball in his hip. He oame bad
under escort. He and his companioi
were seated upon the counter with tli
jther two and their pockets rifled. Tw<
more men straggled in separately, on
}f them an Irishman. These were sud
jessfully captured and pinioned, an<
six men were ranged in a row, helpless
ind unoertain as to their future fate.
The robbers having secured the bi
lence and security of all their visitors
pressed into service a little boy win
"just dropped in," and who was em
ployed in and about the store. Wit!
lis assistance they proceeded to " g<
through " the store, manifesting tash
md discretion in their selection of good
ind trinkets. They took an abundau
supply of cigars, tobacco, and whisky
fitted themselves out with new gloves
handkerchiefs, shirts, &o. During thi
operation they discovered a school-mas
ter to be among their prisoners. Th
youngest took occasion to lecture liir
upon the immorality of being out lat
it nights, and its tendency to promot
bad habits, and advised him never t
50 abroad late again. Tho Irishma:
was upbraided with being so poor as t
have only " forty cints " in his pockets
which they averred was not enough t
pay for the rope to bind him with. Th
wounded man was examined, and pre
n annoafl r\r*f 1 \n,11 r? /Ir> *v? a/*a>1 mm ?**.i
made to stand up with tho others.
Having satisfied their cupidity am
placed themselves outside of a respects
ble amount of whisky, they then pre
?eeded to arrange for their departnre
rhe prisoners were escorted outside th
store and ranged in a line facing th
road ; the boy was pinioned and blind
folded like the others and placod wit!
them. The thieves then led up thci
liorses, and a third horse which ha
been ridden there by one of the cap
tured farmers. The oldest of the thieve
then addressed the prisoners:
"I want you gentlemen to stand pei
fectly still until my partner is out o
light. I will Btay here with yon awhile
rhe first man that raises a noise or al
tempts to get away I will shoot his hea
)ff. You must wait here perfectly sti!
[or two hours, if you don't I'll mak
neat of you."
One of the th ieves had already d<
parted with the 1-d horse. The last on
valked stealthily away some distance
ind soon afterward was heard gallopin
iway in the direc ion of the State line
rhe boy managed to get himself loos
rrom his bonds, and soon had the ret
)f the prisoners loose. Bat the b?l
hieves were far out of sight and lieai
DBAs
soon as daylight dawned number
>f indignant eitizens were out on trail
rhe outlaws were trailed into the India
territory. It is thonght that they wil
>e overtaken. . ' '
Female post-office clerks are bein,
argely employed at the South.
t :* . ?' - t
Mi First Loaf or Bread.
Early in the spring of '61,1 was en'
gaged in mining in El Dorado county,
B California, near a little town called Volcanoville,
situated on the Middle Fork
7 9
j of the American river. My partner in
j the claim was an old man from Massachusetts,
named Bobert WeBton, faj,
miliarly called by everybody " Uncle
Bob"?a forty-niner, and a very good
kind of a man, but whose weakness it
I was to have an inordinate love of
y "seven-up for the drinks," to which he
. yielded whenever he had accumulated
- a little dust. We cabined together in
* a log cabin adjacent to our claim. Unt
cie Bob was a good man to cabin with
I ?always agreeable and pleasant, and
9 willing to do his share of the chores
t incident to keeping house. He would
9 sweep out, get in the firewood, and fry
meat, but would never attempt to bake
7 bread?the latter feat transcending the
t range of his culinary accomplishments.
3 As for myself, I knew nothing whatever
9 of the science of cookery, but, unlike
a TTnnlfl Bnh. I was not afraid to "try it
1 a lick, hit or miss." The first week we
- cabined together we used crackers,
t from old Sax's store in Volcanoville ;
- but, on Saturday morning, yielding to
1 Uncle Bob's persuasions, I determined
0 to try to make some bread.
1 We had an old cook-stove and a tin
0 reflector in our cabin, but neither of
s these suited exactly. I wanted to bake
b enough bread in one batch to last us a
- week, so I selected and cleaned out an
? old Dutch oven of about one bushel
capacity in whioh to try my experiment.
. I mixed enough dough to fill the oven
1 level full; putting into the mass a little
0 of everything I had ever hoard of being
0 put into bread?a little saleratus, a lit0
tie oream of tartar, salt, hop juice, half
o a dozen boiled potatoes, ami probably
a some other ingredients which I do not
not exactly remember now. Filling the
- oven with the dough, I put the lid on
0 and set it away to rise, and we went out
to work on the claim, to clean up the
past week's run. When we came in at
noon, on lifting the lid of the oven I
, perceived that the dough, instead of
a rising as I had expected it to, had snnk
0 about two inches. Not wishing it to
7 sink any lower, I raised a fire and fixed
1 it at that pont. When the loaf was
s cooked enough I turned it out, and a
t fine looking lot of bread it was.
t Leaving the loaf lying on the table,
t whioh Btood against the window, and
1 through which the sun shone all day
3 long, we shut up the cabin and went
over to Georgetown to dispose of some
s dust and get a square meal or two at a
- hotel.. We did not return to our cabin
o till past noou on Monday, and we were
r pretty well tired out and hungry when
?. wo got there, the truthfulness of which
>- can be attested by any one who has
y ever walked the trail from Georgetown
- to Volcanoville. As we ncared the
f house, Uncle Bob remarked that
f " Thank fortune we had oceans of good
1 bread." Uncle Bob's frying-pan soon
a commenced popping and snapping
y pretty lively, and I laid the table, and
> taking a common table-knife, I essayed
to cat off some slices of bread; but
3 imagine my surprise when on drawing
a the knife across the loaf I perceived
e that it did not even make a mark on its
e crust, whilst the edge of the knife was
- ourled over ftom hilt to point Throw?
ing the " cheap John" knife contemptu
ously aside, I drew from its scabbard a
a very fine Bowie knife, blade of Damasf
ens steel,with solid silver handle, munh
k valued as a gift from an absent friend,
a and I went for that loaf of bread. The
e encounter was short, sharp, and decie
sive?the Damascus blade snapping off
e close to the handle, and the loaf of
i- bread falling on the floor, badly mash3
ing mv toes. Enraged beyond enduri,
ance, I seized a good Collins axe whioh
lay in a corner of the cabin, and dealt
!- the loaf a tremendous blow. The axe
, partly glanced on the loaf, breaking out
o the steel slick and Bmooth, and the loaf
rebounding with terrific violence
h against the low clapboard roof, knocked
3 a hole through it, and rolled down the
e hill into the thicket of scrubby manzans
ita bushes which lined the sides of the
t ravine. We did not try to recover thot
-- loaf, but I next tried mv hand on
i, "slapjacks," wliicli wo could cut, and
a did eat.
i- But the strangest part of the history
e of that loaf of bread is yet to be told,
a In the winter of 'GO, just about eight
e years after the loaf of bread disappeared
e in the manzanita bushes, two men,
o named Fred Haws and Jim McCusick,
a (the latter at present State Senatorfrom
o El Dorado county) being rather short
i, of spondulicks, were informed by an
o old resident of that part of the county,
e that the ravine of which I have spoken
> had paid ten dollars per day per hand
s for gulching up to a certain place a
little below the old cabin which Uncle
[] Bob and myself had occupied in days
i- gone by, but had paid nothing above
>- that point. His inference was that the
>. ravine cut a lead running at right
e angles with it, and that a prospect cut
c in its side at that point would develop
i- morepay. Haws and McCusick accordli
ingly turned on a good Bluice head of
r water, and-went to w?rk, and soon came
d across what they supposed to be a large
?- and very heavy washed gravelstone?a
s certain indication of rich pay in those
mines. Laying tho stone asido for fu -
turo inspection, Haws and McCusick
f went to work with renewed hone, and
>. did find n very snug snm of gold?more
t- than sufficient to pay water, and grub
d bills, and wages.
11 But the lead soon gave out, and they
e had leisure to inspect the belongings
of their defnnct claim. The peculiar
j- shape ol that particular gravelstone ate
tracted their attention. It was much
5, heavier than any substance which either
g of them had ever handled before, and
?. they were amazed to find their most
e pertinacious attempts to pick it resulted
it only in rnin to the pick?one of Sullid
van's best make, genuine cast steel, and
- exquisitely tempered. They had found
a wonderful curiosity. Henry Sliuger s
land steeped it inforty-iod whisky, and
I. as liiH whisky was known to contain a
n very large percentage of aquafortis, he
11 was very much surprised to take the
stone out just as he put it in, except,
perhaps, a trifle cleaner, and he offered
g its lncky possessors fifty dollars for it,
whioh offer they indignantly refused.
Killpatrick, who kept the oppoaitio
store in Yolcanoyiile (a town not bi
enough to deoently support one store
and who was engaged in a little gam
of " freeze-out with Slingerland, b<
came alarmed lest Slingerland shonl
obtain the stone for an attraction ft
his store, and thereby torn the scale <
trade against him, and he bid seventy
five dollars for the wonder. Bejectiu
these offers to purchase, Haws and Id
Onsick carried the stone over to Georgi
town to an assay, r, who tried on it a
the acids known in the laboratory <
the chemist; none of which, howeve
gave satisfactory results, and he wi
unable to olossify it either as metal <
metalloid, and gave as his opinion thi
the substanoe was an eerolite which ha
fallen in some antediluvian age, an
had got mixed up with the glacii
detritus, from which it was extracted b
Haws and MoGusick.
As might naturally be expected, tt
fame of this wonderful stone in tine
reached San Francisco, and after bein
exhibited a while in a glass case in Sa
Alden's drug store, in Georgetown,
was finally gobbled up, and is now c
exhibition in Woodward's Garden
San Franoisco, labeled with the histoi
of its discovery, and a wise disqnisitic
on its undoubted meteoric origin t
the celebrated Professor Clarence Kinj
Vagaries of Fashion.
The newest waterproof cloaks are ci
in the redingote stylo and have a smo
cape.
Overskirts have gone almost entire
out of fashion, and are now-a-days se
dom seen.
? ... ... Lt.
In Paris the ladies are wearing on
and soarlet ho:e, striped respectful
with white and black.
Necklaces of gold coin are new, all
bracelets. They are very unique at
exceedingly handsome.
Brides have altogether given up whi
satin for their wedding dress, and ha'
substituted tulle and silk.
West Point earrings are the newet
They are made of the gilt buttons woi
by the natty little cadets.
Feather trimming becomes more fas
ionable as the winter advances, especi?
ly on velvet costumes.
Sealskin is the most fashionable fi
of the season. It is considerably chea
or this season owing to the panic.
Colored silk scarfs are worn by tl
ladies this winter, and as a rule are ve:
becoming to the demoiselles.
Brown tinted wedding cards ha
been introduced this season, but wi
anything but encouraging success.
Miss Davenport and Miss Jewett,
the Fifth Avenue Theatre, are exbibi
ing some magnificent Parisian toilets.
A lady appeared at a wedding rece
tion lately in a dress of eight differe
and distinct shades of green.
Roman scarf sashes are imported
many new and beautiful styles, and a
made much wider than heretofore.
Ruffles continue the popular mo<
of trimming dresses both for the hou
and street. Bmall ruffles are preforre
Velvet muffs lined with silk or sat
"x'1 twjm TOi'rin hnw? of ribbon on eith
sido are very fashionable.
There is very little demand for cor
now-a-days, and except for children it
going out of fashion.
Coronet braids are in vogue agai
They only serve to elevate the bonnet
the period a little more.
Worth is said to have prepared a co
tnme for Miss Nellie Grant, in whi<
she will appear on New Year's Day.
Gray felt hats, ornamented by a si
gle gray feather, are worn by the ladi
of Paris this winter.
For evening dresses corn colon
silk is coming in favor again. It is mo
elegant trimmed with black velvet.
A bunch of mosA roses on a bit
white lace is the fashionable breakfa
cap of the period.
A ladv was recently married in
dross of point applique over whi
corded silk.
Going Down with the Ship,
" That descent into the depths of tl
sea with the sinking ship," says a pa
senger on board the Ville du Havi
" was an awfnl experience, and oneth
fell to the lot of more tlianthree-fourt
of those who were saved. I was stan
ing by the side of the vessel, certa
that she was rapidly going down, ai
that there was no hope of being save
I would not have given ten cents f
my chance of life. If anybody had bei
on the point of discharging a revolv
to blow one's brains out, I could n
have felt more certain of death. \
urifVi fho ah in. T do not fc
lieve anybody, however well ho mig
have been able to awim, could ha
helped doing that. She made an awf
vortex in the water. It seemed to car
all of us along with her. Nothing con
have saved you except holding flrmlv 1
some piece of wreck or a life-belt; ai
most of those on board, I am sure, ne
er even came on deck. I cannot s
whether the ship heeled over or n
when below the water, but she seem
to me to sink straight."
Frolicsome.
Just such weather as this, thinks t
Danbury News, instils new life a:
animation in a man, and is npt to ma
him frolicsome. It stimulates him
racing, jumping up and down, clappi
his hands, and feeling good general!
It so stimulated one of our merchai
on Friday evening, and led him to ]
vitehis wife to catch him before
| got around to the back stoop. ]
I started on a smart run, and she be
down after him at a creditable spe<
He tore aroond the corner very mnch
earnest, and stepping on a piece of i<
swung from his foothold and w<
careening across ten feet of froz
ground, and brought up with consid
, able force against a pear tree?a n
variety, we believe. It was a gen
i spectacle to see the fond wife pour
on him and hear her gleeful shouts
victory as he struggled madly to I
feet and besought her "not to maki
darn fool of herself." 0,[ , sr
n Items of Interest*1 '
? Buffalo meat is selling for four cents
? a pound in Greeley, Colorado.
9. A searching investigation is to be
d made in regard to the Ville da Havs^
)r disaster.
j. a mistake' which cost $5,000 was
g made in casting an enormous gun.
c The Iowa State Grangers have pre?*
pared an address on transportation, to
U be laid before the State Legislature.
' A rumor is prevailing among the
' Piute Indians that the Government intends
to remove them to other quarters.
t The Indians declare they will die flght,
ing rather than leave their present resj
ervation.
al Women are said to have stronger at,y
tachments than men. It it evinoedin
little things. A man is often attaohed
ie to an old hat; but did you ever know of
16 a woman having an attachment for an
,g old bonnet ?
m Troy workingmen are asking themit
selvee whether the long strike in the
in iron mills has paid. Twelve hundred
* A
8, men were oat 01 employment suiuium
ry and fall, and they lost nearly $60,000 a
>n month in wage*.
>7 The tobacoo crop of Oonnectiont of
the present yerr, though less in quantity
than in previous years, owing to the
smaller area devoted to the cultivation
of the plant, is fully equal in quality to
the famous crop of 1864.
This manifesto was recently posted
in the streets of a Down East town:
Y " To all whom it may ooncern: This is
'** to certify that I have failed; my creditors
may go and hang themselves.
ie ,?tficRox."
'7 A California Judge has decided that
a woman who has lived with a man for
so twenty years and been by him acid
knowfedged as his wife, can claim a
homestead out of his estate, oven in
te the absence of any marriage ceremony,
re An Oregon pioneer asserts that an
acre of the beaver dam lands of Washit
ington county, in that State, is worth
rn ten acres of the best prairie, that from
8250 to $500 per acre are the usual
h. profits on raising onions; $50 to $80 on
j. hay; and $75 to $100 on grain. It
is a vast deposit of pure vegetable
mould, with its fertility increas ed by
ar irrigation from a stratum of water
P- nndftrlvinff. and not far kbelow the
surface of?the soil.
ie David U. Kimball, of Charlestown7
Mass., strangled his wife, cut his stepdaughter's
throat, and oommittcd sui,
re cide. Kimball was fifty years old, and
tlx had been married about two years. His
step-daughter was seventeen years of
of age, and the murdered wife was about
it- forty yean old. Kinjballwas % blacksmith,
employed at the navy yard, and
kept a few boarders. He had the repuIlt
tation of being an industrious and
sober man. A brother of Kimball committed
suicide somo years ago, and inln
sanity is said to be in the family.
A Michigan veteran of the Mexican
war gives an interesting incident in the
le life ef Iturbide. the son of Mexico's
86 first emperor. At the battle of Hua- o
mantla, on the 10th of October, 1847, a
in Mexican officer in major's uniform made er
himself oonspiouous bv his valor. After
striking down four or five Americans he
al was at length hemmed in where two
is buildings met at right angles. Six or
seven Americans surrounded him, and
Q he could easily have been killed, but
0f they wished to take him alive. It was
only, however, when his sword was
shivered in pieces that he surrendered,
remarking, in good English, that the
son of Iturbide was not ashamed to
give up to such brave men. This Iturn
bide died about a year ago.
es
, Merciful Justice.
3d
st The widow Crepin was a washerwoman
at Vanvcs (Department of the Seine),
of Her husband had died during the Com8t
mune; she had but one child left of
ten, a boy six years of age. These
te losses had reduced her to a state of
nervous depression. She was constantly
in dread of losing her employment,
and, indeed, having been seized with
lio illness, ran into debt, and, at length,
was told by her landlord, to whom she
owed three quarters rent, that she must
e? leave her lodging. She then resolved
at to pat an end to her own life and that
bs of her child ; and, having dressed herri
self and the little boy in their best
ciouies, nguieu iiww
l" coal, lay down with the child and awaitod
death. The little fellow died in the
middle of the night, bnt the mother
or could not die. When she found that
Pn she was alone in the world, she lit moro
ej; charcoal and now felt confident of approaching
releaee : but hour after hour
*e passed by, and she still lived. She
'e* kept tho neighbors away on the plea of
illness for thirty-six hours after tho
v" child's death, and then, worn out by the
111 horror of her position, let them in, and
fy showed them the corpse of her son. Tho
ld unhappy woman was tried for the murl,7
dcr of the child, but the jury were so
ad overcome with pity for her sufferings,
IV" that, forgetful of their raiaon d'etre,
they acquitted her, in absolute disj
regard of the potent fact that she had
0(1 taken her son's life. This verdict is
described by a French journal as
"merciful justice."
ke Damp Clothing.
a(j If the clothes which cover tho body
are damp, the moisture which they conto
tain has a tendency to evaporate by the
ng heat communicated to it by the body.
!y. Tho heat absorbed in the evaporation
its of the moisture oontained in clothes
in- must be in part supplied by the body,
he and will have a tendency to reduce the
ET- 1 Ola in an undue
ae uuiipcntvuic u? wu ~?j ? .?
>re degree, and thereby to prodnoe oold.
:d. The effeot of violent labor or exeroise
in is to cause tho body to generate beat
se, much faster than it. would do in a state
*nt of rest. Heuoe ire see how, when
en clothes have been rendered wet by rain
er- or by perspiration, the taking of eold
ew may be avoided by keeping the body in
ial a state of exercise or labor nntil the
tee elothes can be changed, which in every
of case shoald be dohe aS quickly iplf^poc[lis
sible, particularly nnderawthng, as
s a stockings, vasts and shirts; if not then- ^ *
raatism will sooner or later set in. "
> A
~ r
''''''