The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, September 19, 1877, Image 1
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ABBEVILLE PRESS & BANNER
As.a+-~*r. t,m ?s.;?? - ,.. S.ss ^ ,^v/ "! s.
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BY HUGH WILSON. ABBEVILJ E, S. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1877. NO. 15. VOLUME XXY.
""" * ^ 1 3 ~ ?ATTA1.n/1 TtTI fll VO/1 /?lr\f.V> YES! I'FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Suppose. a
[He.] 8uppose,
Fade tie, that I, instead of keeping tryst j
With yon to-night, had staid away to doze, j
Or jail upon Miss Brant, or play at whistSuppose
? | j
['he.] 8nppoFe, ^
Ytvi had ? Think you I should have cared ? j f
Indeed, '
Ain't yon a bit concei don't take my rose? ! ,
A gift to me?from whom V Well, Joseph Mead, (
Suppose ?
[He.] Suppose I 1'
It ?? Then I'm to understand, Fadette? 1 ^
If I must read your words as plainest prose? j J1
My preneiioo matters not to you, and yet? j
Suppose. \8
[She.] Suppose ! e
Yoa are to understand me so ? You're freo ; [ fi
Do, if you wish ! And oh ! the river's fro::e ; c
What skating we shall have ! To-morrow we? j "
That's Jose? h
(He.] And Joso
Be banged. It seems to me, Miss Lowe, that \
fi you ; n
Are acting rather lightly; rumor goes i A
Th*t he?but since 1 seem to Ijpre, adieu!? j a
l_3ne.j nupyunc? j i
|He.l Suppose ],
Wc say good-night. i ?
f {She. J - Good-night, sir, and good-bye ! ' n
fTIe.] What does this moan, Fadette ? Are r
you ?
^|Sbo.] We'll close (]
This scene at once. My words are plain, sir, I h
Suppose? j ti
[He.] Compose
Yourself, Fadette. I jj
[She.] My name, sir, is Miss Lowe! j
[He.] Come, come, Fadette, do look beyond :
r j* fr> your nose,
And?
[She.] . Here's your ring, sir!
fHe.} I receive it, though
Suppose?
: g
[She.] Suppose | p
You do, air V?you? i r
[He.] Eaough, Miss Lowe; Farewell! ia
'Tis best; I've been deceived in yon, God j 8
knows! | C
Coquetto! ft heartless flirt! a fc'aughty belle j ^
Who chose? '
i "
[She.], Suppose ' : h
Oh ! let's part as frienda! I hate you- there ! | b
[lie ] F&dotte ! why, sweet, in tears! This j o
* _. eur^y. shows fl
You'll pardon me, a brute !
[She.] And Frank, we'll never i d
, Suppose. l)
. I a
We; ; ? 00>? {I
CHAPTER I. j a
" Dart, Maitland, Dart & Co." i f?
So the name stood upon the great j ^
brass plate ; and in these names had the ' u
business of the bank been ptudeutly and | ^
profitably conducted for as many years ' a
as the majority of the inhabitants of j ^
Hicrlvborongh oould recall. j ( ]
Trade panics had laid ".ate many !
another long-established Lrm ; bank- j Bf
ruptcy had swooped unexpectedly upon tl
many a house where wealth had seemed j jj
as limitless as here ; but the bank of t]
Messrs. Dart, Maitlaud, Dart & Co. held > t<
its head high above all treacherous: p,
waters, and stood unmoved and utterly ^
secure after the heaviest, gales had j 0
passed. - " t<
The name of the firm was a passport j
of trust and reliance, as well was a ^
prompt introduction to the first society p
of the country ; and the present repre- y
aentatives were these: Manrice D-irt, s
the senior partner, a handsome man of a
fifty-three years, who imagined the p
wishes, the weaknesses, and the hopes ! n
peculiar to other men, could not move I ^
tiim now ; and Walter Maitland, both in
appearance and manner, a strong con- ,
trast to his senior partner. Though but A
ten years younger, he looked nearer ^
thirty than forty, and tiie tranfcness ol
hie blue eyes, and the gay words so ?
prompt npon his lips, seemed doubly
frank and doubly gay, contrasted with ^
his senior's reticence and gravity. The ,
third partnar was one in name alone.
His father's death had left him a rich i F
share iu ihe bank, but his only inter-!
course with it was the polite periodical i ?
acknowledgment of its having swept j
away the debta. which were the worst [,
enemies he had had to fi</ht since he
entered the army. About the "Co."
there was, of course, that vagueness
which is inseparable from the cognomen. *
In the outer world it was supposed that1 3
an unlimited number of people had in- s
vested fheir savings or then- patrimony | *
on purpose to be considered "of the H
firm." But among the clerks only one \ ^
case was known with certainty. He was | 4
neither the oldest nor the most ex-1
perienced, though the most cheerful, j *
perhaps, and the most industrious. He |
had deposited iu the firm the sum which j *
his father, through a forty years' course | 1
of valued and profitable managership, i s
had accumulated to bequeath to him ; 3
and so, being enabled to draw what j
double! his salary as clerk. Tom Leslie j ]
looked upon himself as a partner of no 1
mean order, but built lofty castles for a j'
time when his name should stand upon '
the brass plate otherwise than as " Co." I *
Cheerfully and constantly he erecte I 1 1
these ediflccs; but to attempt to lay 13
their foundations on /(. rri firpia, cither j
by saving or speculating, never entered ' :
Tern's head. With hu mother?a little | '
old lady, as hopeful, and cheerful, and , 1
trustful as he was himulf?Tom lived in ]
a pretty white cottage 1 eyond the town ; j
and here he had flowers all the year ! i
round, and birds, tLat sang in the
gloomiest weather, and a piano on which 11
he was no mean performer. Andas;f
regularly as Saturday morning came
k around, Tom, taking his hat, would say, 1
in the most natural manner : 1
" I think we should like a couple of j t
the younger fellows out to dinner tomorrow?shouldn't
we, mother? Their ! (
salaries are not like mine; and things are i <
dear, you say."
True, their saTaries were not likehis, but ;
theu h? would not have the small, bright11
house, nor the small, bright mother, de-1 <
nied any comfort he could think of. and 1 '
bo there was never one penny of Tom's '
salary left when the year was up. 1
nr twice Mrs. Leslie would in- i 1
i ruefully whei e her. son picked up j 1
^leuinnerless clerks wliom he delighted ' ]
to bring home to supper?or, as he al- ; '
ways called it: " to a little music." But
her genial hospitality was, after all, [ i
as prompt as his, and so, though she <
kept the accounts, there was, as I said, j 1
never a penrfV of Tom's salary left when '
the year was up. |'
file thinks that that ?400 a year of j i
his is a king's revenue," thought Mrs. j
Leslie, one Saturday morning, watching
her son cross the road, drop his gift into ;
the expectant hand of the crossing i <
sweeper, and turn at the corner to nod j J
. te her.y ' " He_jwill soon expect me to :
adopt a few young men whose salaries 11
Vis -
ire less than his own. If he had but inlerited
his father's saving nature !"
She tried to regret this dolefully, but
,fter all she could not help the warmth
>f perfect satisfaction filling her eyes.
Even his practical father had rejoiced
hat his nature was his mother's from
he time that nature began to assert itelf
in little Tom?"Little Tom " then
ohis parents; "Little Tom Leslie"aferward
among his school-fellows, "Litle
Leslie " now among his fellow-clerks.
On this nartieular Satunlav mominc.
s he walked to th.e bank, Tom loitered a
ittle in one street?a quiet street of
landsome private houses, before one of ,
rhich stood a couple of cabs piled with
loxes. Tom waited long enough to be
ure that the cabs bore nothing but lug- (
age. Then he walked briskly on, and,
ntering the bank excitedly, told his ;
sllow-cierks of the arrival of the <
olonel's household; and for fully five \
linutes forgot, in his excitement, to add ,
.is genial invitation for the morrow.
When the coming of the regiment had
>een discussed, and Tom's pleasant in- ,
itation accepted, he turned to his desk,
ot to loiter again throughout the day. (
lU hour afterward, Mr. Dart drove up, ,
nd witli a quiet "good morning,"
assed through the bank to his own pri- ]
ate room. Here presently Mr. Mait- ]
md joined him, and, standing before
ne nre, uiscusseu vanuuu uuiuh lu iu wu (
ews?among them, of coxiree, the ar- ]
ival of the regiment.
"Colonel Conyngham has only one (
aughter. We must help to introduce
er. Young Dart, having once belonged ,
o the regiment, gives it, as it were, a (
laim upon us." ,
" The colonel's daughter will need but ,
ittle introduction," remarked Maurice ]
)art, quietly.
i
CHAPTER n. j
" Dart, Maitland, Dart & Co." *
The names stood unaltered on the 1
Teat plate; yet?except the sleeping .
artner, away in India now?each one
epresented by that sign was perfectly 1
ware tnat a great alteration una uoeu
to wine in himself ever since Colonel
Jonyngham and his daughter had been
iving in Highborongh. The strong bank 1
alls no longer limited his hope and amition.
Beyond them stood revealed a E
ome of love, and ease, and sunshine, ,
rightly possible, and in this future the .
nly mission of the good old bank was to 1
iruish the home with luxury. . .
It was a winter night. The bnnk win- *
ows were bolted and barred, the great 1
ooks were locked in the trusty safes, ^
ud the manager was asleep up stairs, :
ith the blunderbuss beside his bed. 1
!ut in his brilliantly-lighted drawing- 3
x>m at home, the senior partner sat
lone?a 6triking-lookiug man in his I
rening dress, with the hot-house flowers 8
iding in his coat. The room had been c.
lied with guests up to this time, but J
ow Mr. Dart sat alone before the fire,
uried in a thought which deepened 8
linnte by minute, until the door was
pened, and Walter Maitland re-entered *
le room he had lately left. *
' i couia not neip coming uacK, nu lid,
beginning hurriedly to speak, as if 1
10 words forced themselves from him T
l his nervous haste. " There is one
ling about which I must speak to you *
>night?about which I have wanted to J
peak to you a long time. I feel "?he J
as leaning against the chimney-piece *
pposite his friend, and looking with in- ,
mse ecru tiny into his quiet face?" that *
have been dreaming a dream which a
rord of yours could at this moment dis- 1
el. Teil me if a greater kindness than 1
our silence, though the kindness is 1
are to be the motive of that. Tell me
t once, Dart. It cannot be very *
ileaaant to you to see my anxiety. You .
re far too good a fellow to feel pleasure '
a that." *
"What am I to tell you?" inquired j
laurice Dart, without meeting his com- j
lanion's eyes.
" Surely, you know. I said to myself
rhen I met Isabel here in your house ,
o-night, I would find out if my fears
rere well grounded; and if I could not
liscover. I would ask you for the truth ,
>efore I left. Dart, end this wearing bus- (
icnso on me. It has been growing j
hrougli all these months side by side ^
rith my love, and has become unbeara- i
)leatlast."
Maurice raised his head now, and met j
lis companion's anxious, questioning
yes. j
"I am glad you have spoken, Mait- ,
and," he said. " I have guessed at
rour anxiety, while I have felt my own,
ind I hatfb often wished to vbreak the
lilence we have held oh this one point. ,
fancied you had something to tell me.
! fancied so but now when I saw you reinter
the room."
"Indeed, no," exclaimed Walter, with
lis usual frankness. " I wish to Heaven 1
L had. I wish I dared to say that Isabel
lad given me encouragement enongh to
nake me even hope. And I could not
?k her to?to love me whilo I felt that
rou knew how useless it would be."
" I do not know," returned Dart?his
rords sounding very slowly after Waler's
eagerness, yet all his self-command
ailing to hide their new ring of hope.
1 Isabel has never heard a word of love
rom iiie. She is gentle and kind, and
filing always; but I cannot read be,-ond."
" To me, too, she is bright and pleas
int always," put in Maitland, restlessly, !
'and I can discover nothing more. I;
fancied you could put me out of one
:)hase of this uncertainty."
"And vou are very giad to find I caniot,"
said the elder partner.
And then their eyes met, with a smile
which was strangely wistful for such
itrong and manly faces.
"Dart," paid Mr. Maitland, "you are j
;he elder man?the richer?the better, j
x?o. You shall speak first. Do it as
joou as you can."
" Seuiority has no claim in such a case f
is this," said the senior partner. " We ;
;an wait."
" I can wait no longer," put in the '
fonnger man, impatiently. " Anything
will be better than this suspense. Why
jn earth should wo wait? Isabel knows
is both thoroughly now. She knows
we are both old for this love of ours to
t)e anything but deeply earnest. She j
knows enough of us and of our positions
to make her decision easy to her. So '
let us knoT/ the worst, or?best. lou ;
Lave the right to speak first."
"I will not take it," said Mr. Dart, ;
speaking more quickly than he had yet
ilone. "Let us write. Let ns write?:
together."
A few minutes silence, while Walter j
thought thiR over?leaning his head on
fchfl nrm which rested on the chimney
piece.
" Let that be decided," urged Maurice, j
" We will write to-morrow. Let her re-!
;eive the two letters together, that ehe !
may think of us both together. Promise |
me that your letter shall be ready for j
to-morrow's post."
f?3j?? r
chapxeil in.
The fire roared aud cracked cheerily
in the private rooia at the bank, but
neither of the partners had arrived.
"I never knew him bo late," remarked
Tom Leslie, as if finishing aloud
a puzzling conjecture.
"Who?" Old Dart?"
"Mr. Dart?yes."
" Leslie feels it incumbent upon him
to uphold the dignity of his partners,"
put in another clerk. "His breast
swells proudly with a fellow-feeling."
" What an idle set you are this morning
!" remarked Tom, turning from his
desk with a quick, kindly smile which
mn/lp his facfl ho nleasant to look xipon.
'1 As soon as I senior partner I shall
give you all a sweeping dismissal."
The listeners laughed, enjoying the
absufdity of the idea ; and one or two
questioned him, with mock anxiety, as
to the treat he intended to stand them
on the occasion.
Through all the laughter Tom pursued
his work, and Dart noticed this when he
entered the bank, and though it was but
very curtly he answered Tom's quiet
greeting, jet before he reached the inner
ioor he turned and spoke to him.
" Cool outside, Leslie. Keep up good
fires." "It is hard," he muttered to
himself, "to pass him without a word."
Then Mr. Dart let the spring door
3lose behind him, and, sitting down in
his office chair, leaned on one arm only
?as very calm men do when they aro ill
it ease, as well as tired.
He was sitting so, looking moodily
lown into the fire, when Mr. Maitland
entered the room. The senior partner
lid not turn to greet him, and even
tvhen Walter stood upon the rug beside
lim he did not venture to meet his eyes.
" Maurice," began the younger man,
'I suppose I may congratulate you. It
8 rather hard, yet no one ought to do
t so heartily as I?I, -who know what a i
jood fellow you are and what?what a
vife yi-u have won."
A glance of surprise into his friend's
'ace, and theu Mr. Dart spoke in a few
vords, as was his custom :
" She has refused me, Maitland."
" Refused you !"
Walter repeated the wori's, though
lot incredulously. Only truth, lie
trrairflifo/1 flmm on
who*j cuuxu unro nui^uwu w*wu ?.?v? i
ladly.
" She has refused me, too," ho said, i
' She has never cared for me but as a ;
riend?simply and only as a friend."
"In a few kind words to me," snid i
tfr. Dart, without lookiug up, "she
old me she had given her love elsewhere.
I was trying, when you came in,
o prepare myself to tell you, c I rejoice
n your happiness, Maitland,'and now
'ou?you come and say the same to me." i
Buried in one long, snd thought, the |
jartners in the good old firm sat in their .
ileut room, while the work and pleasure
>f the world went on without. But the <
lay's duties had to be gone through, and 1
hese were not the men to shun them j
elfishly. \
"I suppose we had better settle with
jeslie about his holiday," remarked Mr. i
kfaitland that afternoon, sending to sum- j
qou Tom to the partners' room. "He i
r-*11 IrtOA ATTAVTT rtll /"if CJ11 TY? TTi AT if Vl Ck I
tlil IURO CfCi ? v* uuuiiuu* m mv [
raits longer." ]
"He should not have postponed his ]
loliday; he had his choice. Well, Leslie, 1
plien do yon wish to start ?" inquired ]
he senior partner, when Tom entered .
he room. ]
" You said about the middle of Octo- 1
>er, and this js the twentieth." 3
"Thank yon, Mr. Dart, but if it \
vould make no difference, I would (
ather take my holiday from the twenty- i
linth." 1
"Then it is to be hoped you are ,
joing on a visit," remarked Walter j
tfaitland, pleasantly; "for November
lays are not the pleasantest for a ]
ourist."
" I am not going on a tour, sir." Tom (
lesitated only a moment; then both of
lis listeners were conscious of a new
;arnestness in his,voice: 1
"I should like to tell you, gentlemen, '
vhy I want my holiday then. The twenty- ,
linth is to be my wedding-day."
Mr. Dart returned quietly to his
rmMtivKv Aft* ?rr*cft frnm Iiih
seat and moved to the fire, turning his
jock to Tom. Before the eyes of both
;he partners there hovered a face which
uad led them, too, to dream of a possible
wedding-day?dreams from which they
liad so lately been awakened.
It would be hard, with these memories (
rising back, to talk to their favorite clerk
:>f his good fortune; yet it was not in
Walter Maitland's nature to let any sel- (
fish feeling prevent him.
"Indeed, Leslie," he said, "I am
surprised; but very glad, of course, to
hear it. I prognosticate every happiness
for your wife. Of course I cannot do so
for you until I know who she is."
" You know her well, gentlemen," said
Tom, flushing. "Her father, Colonel ,
Conyngham, is my mother's cousin. We
have rarely visited them, except when
they were alone, because?at my mother's
cottage, of course?we could not
entertain their guests. "We have always
been?as old friends and relatives should
hp.! and I have alwavs loved Isabel.
But it was necessary for us to wait a little.
Though it would be difficult for you
to realize the fact, gentlemen, a marriage
is an expensive debt"?
" You can go, Leslie," remarked Mr.
Dart, without raising his head. *
" And the holiday, sir ?"
"Take your holiday when you choose;
only don't make such a fuss about it."
"And is there nothing more you intended
to pay to me, Mr. Maitland ?" inquired
Tom.
"I should say," remarked Walter,
with a jealous anger in his eyes, " it is
an irreparable mistake you are making
to marry on your own income, unless
you had chosen a wife in your own position
and used to such a life as your
mother's."
" My mother's life was such a life as
Isabel j, at Isabel's age," said Tom, and
for a moment his face was really handsome
in its flush of honest pride; "and
Isabel has known what my mother's life
is for many a year past. Would I marry
her under any false pretenses ?"
- i presume, men, mat luiss vjonyngham
knows the extent of your income ?"
asked Maitland, with compressed lips;
" or have you, in your foolery, been
representing yourself as a partner in this
bank ? Her eyes are open to the folly
of what she iB doing, eh ?"
" She knows everything, sir," rejoined
Tom, bis eyes much, puzzled, and a little
angry; "and she does not call it folly."
"You can go."
The clerk left the room, closing the
door quietly behind him.
" They must have had harrassing letters,"
he said to himself, trying to account
for the partners' impatience.
"They have a good deal of anxiety
which wo subordinates are spared."
And thinking this he took his Beat and
wrote away more diligently than ever,
while his fellow-clerks wondered over
his mood.
" Leslie ought to go."
Those were the words which at last
broke the silence of the room which Tom
had left.
"Yes."
Then the day'B work, went on to its
close, and the partners, separating on
the bank steps, went their several ways
thinking very longingly of one to whom
both had been faithful. This was the
first night for many months which either
had spent without these bright, vague
dreams of *hat his home might be with
Isabel at its head; and their hearts were
filled with resentment against the winner
of the prize which they had coveted.
"You knew this morning that she was
to marry some oue else; why should
your thoughts be harder, now that you
know who has won her?" So a voice
seemed arguing with them, but below
nil onrynr tlmnftlitjl cnrorpfl HTV
"J>- "ub*J """"O o~
" For him to be tbe one to gain her?
he a paid servant in the bank !"
CHAPTER IV.
When Mr. Dart reached the bank next
morning, -worn and harrassed after his
sleepless night, be found that Maitland,
contrary to his usual custom, had arrived
before him. Though the two friends
greeted each other as usual, most
unusual silence settled presently upon
them both. Eventually the senior partner,
making au effort, remarked on the
coldness of the weather, and his companion,
putting down a letter which he
held, answered leisurely. But his
plea-ant blue eyes were restless and
rather dim, and the moment the answer
was given the silence wrapped them both
at once.
For an hour the office clock had ticked
a solo in the quietness, when Walter
Maitland rose slowly from his chair,
with the Times unfolded in his hand,
and, letting the paper fall, came and
Btood upon the rug beside his friend,
who had just re-entered from the bank.
Very gently he laid his hand upon his
senior's shoulder.
"Dart, old friend ! I want to speak a
few words to you in great earnestness.
Since we met yesterday morning, I have
grown to feel quite certain of one thing
?quite. The time has not in reality
been very long, but it seemed so, anil
gave me plenty of opportunity for
thought; and what I have grown to feel
so 6ure of is this : I shnll never marry
now."
" Nor I," replied Maurice, meaning it
as men do not often mean the phrase,
though they utter it as firmly.
" I?fancied not. Now wo are both
wealthy men, Dart," continued Walter,
bravely and gently, "and this wealth
we offered a day or two ago, to Isabel
Conyngham. . You guess what I am
goiug to say ? Shall she benefit by our
?love for her?"
The senior partner looked up sl'v jly,
questioning. A thought which . tad
UI?V? rtll ^ *1. A
uet3il mm Ckix JUigui iiiuuu v r?
full meaning of these words quite plain
bo him.
"Yes, I see you have felt this," rammed
Walter, quietly, " just as I have
Felt it. I see that my words only came
is an ending to your thought. I understand
how it put it self to you. Leslie
lias invested all his father's savings?all
bis patrimony, as one may say?in our
bank, and spends his whole days here
most conscientiously, most trustwo* iLily.
A.11 he draws for this cannot keep a
house which we?you and I?like to picture
as Isabel's home. And then his
mother has to be" provided for. You
tliink, Dart, that it would not hurt us,
md could not make any difference to
Captain Dart, who has no voice in any
bank matters?if Lesbe had power to
3raw what would keep them more com
fortably. In short?in short, old fellow!
pou would make him equal partner with
_ _ tf
me.
"With ourselves," said Mr. Dart,
shortly?"with ourselves, you mean?
If we were all equal partners "?
"Let ub discuss it this afternoon.
Think it over till then, Maurice " put in
Walter, feeling that the senior partner
should have time to make his decision ;
" we will talk it over again."
The discussion was duly held that
afternoon, in the partner's private room;
then Tom was summoned to hear the
result of it. Though not a long interview,
it was one impossible to describe
?for how could any words show the
utter failure of Mr. Dart's efforts to
maintain his grave reserve through Tom's
extravagant, boyish, humble, proud,
ridiculous gratitude ? Or describe Walter
Maitland's persistent (though always
disregarded) assurance that, as Mr. Dart
had decided to make this arrangement,
he was very glad to accede to it ? And,
after that interview who could repeat
the limitless promises Tom made to bis
fellow clerks when be told tbem of bis
marriage ? Or tell bow he reached home
in half his usual time, and put his arms
around his mother, with his eyes full
of tears?just as if he had been thirteen
instead of thirty ?
But, above all, who could describe
Isabel's mute, wondering gratitude to
the two men she had given such pain ?
"I am very, very grateful Tom," she
said, appealing to him with tears thick
upon her lashes ^ "but I would rather
not talk about it?yet. Let me have
time to think of it."
Quick to understand her wish, and
delicate in carrying it out, Tom left
Isabel, delighted that his news had
moved her bo, yet wondering over it a
little, too?because the secret of the
partners was so safe in the keeping of
the girl whom they had?not unworthily
loved. But hardest of all would it be to
describe how brilliantly before Tom's
eyes that night there came a vision of
that identical brass plate, which really
met him face to face, when, after his
"holidays,"he first reached the heavy,
familiar doors of the Highborouph bank
? 'Dart, Maitland, Dart & Leislie."
" Co." was no more.
m
A Relic of Antictam.
After the battle of Antietam, F. B.
Reynolds, of Company F, Eighth O.
V. I., from Clyde, Ohio, was reported
among the missing. Nothing was ever
heard from him, and his friends gave
him up for dead. Recently a man in
SVinrnfiVmror M<1 whn is Hnmetliinc of
o> . ~
tin amateur antiquarian, and is getting
up a museum of relics of the Indian and
other periods, had Drougnt do mm u
pocket looking-glass, which had been
found in the grave of an unknown
soldier on the battle-field of Autietam.
The case was made of laurel, and on the
inside contained Mr. Reynolds' name nnd
former residence. The gentleman immediately
communicated with the postmaster
at Clyde, and sent the relic home
to the frionds of the deceased, accompanied
by a very feeling letter.
There is no absurdity in approving as
"well as condemning the same individual;
for as few people are always in the
right, bo on the other hand it is improbable
they should be always in the wrong.
KING JOHN OF ETHluriA.
Hketch or an Afrlcnn King's Splendor the
Outshines the Arnblan NI?hts--A Bai
baric Banqneu
[From the London Spoctator],
Kin g John of Ethiopia is a strikin,
and picturesque personage. As Kasss
Prince of Tigre, claiming equal descen
with Theodoras from King Solomon, h
figured largely in the Blue books whic
formed an exceedingly interesting bti
little read history of the events whic]
preceded the Abyssinian expedition; an
that impression is deepened by the at
count gi/en by Mr. de Cosson?who, L
company with the late Gen. Kirkham
visited King John at his camp, near God
dar, the ancient capital of Abyssinia, r
1873?of the king and his surroundinge
The country, its people, their wives, am
their faithr are not-like any of the Afri
can types in other portions of the con
linent. They remind us of the Old Tee
tament Scriptures; the whole picture i
like that of the tribes and the feuu
which we find in the book of Genesi
and the books of the Kings. Long be
fore the king is reached, the travgle
hears tales of him?his strength, hi
wisdom, and his prowess in war. A
Axum, the former capital of Tigre, h
is shown the great monolith, sevent;
feet high, and told how Kassa used i
cast his heavy spear over it?a groat fea
to do with an ordinary lance?and stil
practises this exercise when he comes t
Axum. There is little disposition f>
"forward" a traveler, the disposition t
tVioir mnnfrv fppA from thfi fllranctf
being as 6trong as ever in the Abjssians
but the king promises bis help and pro
tection to all who shall be properl;
recommended to him by the French con
sul at Massowah, and the reluctance o
intervening personages has to give waj
When Mr. de Cosson had taken pos
session oi bis tent, near the monarch'
enclosure, the king sent him two jar
full oi' a dreadful thinkable called tedge
fifty " breads," an antelope's horn ful
of salt and pepper, and a live cow,whicl
was killed and cut up before his eyes, am
the meat piled up inpide the tent. Hi
subsequently visited the house of Mur
cher, one of the king's interpreters
which waB, like all the Abyssian houses
constructed of wood and branches, am
there he saw a pretty sight, that of Mur
cher's horse forming one of the famil;
circle. The beautiful, intelligent anima
was lodged in a little thatched stall open
ing into the house, his neck adorne<
with a handsome chain, his food am
drink given him at regular intervals in i
clean earthen dish, the corn being ib<
Rama an that of which the householi
bread was made; he was regarded as i
cherished frieiid and comrade. After thi
civilities of the king's interpreters, cam*
the good offices of the king's cook, win
sent the honored guest four dishes o
curry. The king's cook, who also act
as taster, is a great personage; he mus
be a priest, must have always led an irre
proachable life, and is never permittee
to marry.
Next day at dawn came one of thi
officers "Likamanguas," splendidly
dressed in a robe of flowered silk, witl
an India muslin kuarie, and silver
mounlfed pistols in his sash, to inquiri
after'&e traveler's health in hismajesty'i
name. He was one of those who havi
the privilege of wearing the Bame dres
as his sovereign, and the dangerous dis
tinction of going into battle similarly
armed, so that the royal person may no
be distinguished. Early in the after
noon came Maderakal, another interpre
ter, attended by an esquire, bearing thi
royal sword and shield, to conduct thi
stranger to the king's banqueting ball
Drums and trumpets sounded; a salute
was fired from a battery of brass howit
zers as the guest entered the wooden
rush-roofed building, of oblong form am
vast extent, with a double colonnade o
tree trunks Hading to the center, where
on a divan, raised high and draped witl
purple velvet,sat King John of Ethiopia
cross-legged, a pair of English rifles
cocked and loaded, resting on the cush
ions to left and right of him, and hi:
slippers of soli*, silver filagree on thi
carpet-before him. By his side was i
beautiful sword, with a sheath of velve
and enamel; on his head the great tripli
crown of Ethiopia flashed with gold ant
jewels; his robe was a cloth of silver
and over his brows hung a long veil o
crimson silk, worn under the crown an<
falling in heavy folds round the face
1 1 : 1, 1 -rrrr.
j.lie uaiuanu opicuuui ui mau oucud no
perfect in every respect. Here are Mr
de Cosson's words, which fall, he says
far short of his impressions: "On eithe:
side of the throne stood two gigantii
ennuchs, clad in shirts of purple an<
green silk, and holding drawn sabres
A swarthy guard of honor, dressed witl
equal magnificence,* stood also witl
drawn sabres, behind; while all aroun<
crowded the great officers of stale an<
noted warriors, in long robes of silk ant
velvet of every color, the sc irlet scab
bards of their swords gleaming with gol<
and silver filagree, and their neck
adorned with the skins of the lion an<
black panther. The air shook with th<
wild notes of tho trumpets and the rol
of the drums."
When Mr. de Cosson reached thi
throne and bowed, King John shool
hands with him, and bade him welcome
Then the whole company seated them
selves on the carpets (some which ou:
queen had sent to Kassa, Prince of Tigra)
? J xi ?i. 1
UL1U LUG arrival >ytva ui opcuim iu
tereBt. It was that of Ras Warenia, win
had raled over nil Amhara as an abso
lute prince until subdued by King John
He presented a most striking figure a
he walked up the center of the hall, i
riflle in one hand and a richly ornament
ed shield in the other. The conquerec
Ras, tall, stout, very handsome, wore t
splendid tippet of black panther skin
enriched with clasps and bosses of gol<
filigree, which the king had just givej
him; a robe of the riehest silk; on hii
right wrist a silver-gilt gauntlet, studdc<
with gems?an especial mark of tin
king's favor; a splendid sword, and hii
carefully plaited hair was covered witl
' a thin piece of white muslin, attache<
j by a golden pin. His feet, like those o
I all present, were bare. Among the wilt
I and snlenilid crowd was a veteran war
rior, the oldest of the king's persona
attendants, whose ninety years had no
j dimmed the fire in his dark eyes no:
j bowed the gaunt, tali figure, almost a
! straight as the silver matchlock in hii
j hand, whose gray beard mingled with thi
tAwny mane of the lion's skin throw]
' over his shoulder, and whose locks weri
! bound with a silver crown. It is diffi
! cult to imagine this splendid assemblag
sitting about the throne of the king, wh<
is a great soldier, a just judge, and i
powerful ruler; of distinguished and re
fined appearance, a fine horseman, i
mastor of all athletic exercises; alik
learned and practical in his religion, in
! terr-sted in other countries, and unques
tionably the ablest prince who has beei
i allotted to his own; and after an Arabia]
i Night-like incident?i. e., the passing o
I a long line of slaves bearing on thei
I licuuo uaoacio wtwi^u
j containing flat cakes called "tef," of
^ i of which they deposit one before each
'* of the principal guests?all the effect of
the beautiful and poetical scene being
dispersed by the following proceedings,
g Meanwhile several cows had been
i, slaughtered on the threshold of the hall,
it and large hunks of the raw and smoking
e meat were placed on the baskets, the
h stranger guest being first Served. Two
t attendants then went round, one dish
tributing knives from a case he carried
d at his side, and the other offering an
!- antelope's horn full of mixed salt and
a red pepper, for us to season the meat
i, with. All the company then set to, and
t- began to devour the raw cow's flesh with
a. the greatest avidity." This barbaric
i. banquet, -with all its accessories of silken
:1 robes, beautiful weapons, delicate
i- fabrics, rich gems, dark, handsome faces
i- with gleaming eyes and teeth, and braidi
ed hair, the scene a camp, and the guests
r fierce warriors, a conquered chieftain,
s and an English officer, is a combination
s whereon to exercise the liveliest fancy.
i- m
r Words of Wisdom.
8
fc That thou mayeet injure no man, dove-like be,
e And serpent-like, that none may injure thee.
y Choose your friend early because
o life is short.
J Of all the paths that lead to a woman's
* love, pity is the straightest.
? History makes haste to record great
deeds, but often neglects good ones.
r Prefer loss before unjust gain; for
, that brings grief but once, this forever.
Provision is the foundation of hospiY
tality, and thrift is the fuel of magnifl
cence.
f What is becoming is honest, and
whatever is honest, must always be be
coming.
8 The flights of the human mind are not
8 from enjoyment to enjoyment, but from
j hope to hope.
I nPWa ron/Io nt ronanfancB nrfl anwn in
j youth by pleasure, but the harvest is
e reaped in age and pain.
Frequent disappointments teach us to
, mistrust our own inclinations, and
, shrink eeen from vows our hearts may
1 prompt.
Happiness is in taste and no tin things;
V and it is by having what we love that we
1 are happy, not by having what others
- find agreeable.
* There is in every human countenance
* either a history or a prophecy, which
a must sadden, or at least soften, every re?
fleeting observer.
j The world is all title page; there is no
B contents; the world is all face; the man
c who Bhows his heart is hooted for his
} nudities, and scorned.
rm . -f ? -J
I me uiru ui wisuum ura iuw auu
9 his food UDder hedges; the eagle himself
t would be starved if he always soared
. aloft and against the sun.
1 Too qmch attention cannot be bestowed
on that important, yet much
8 neglected branch of learning?the knowl7
edge of man's ignorance.
1 The reasonableness of a project ought
to be its foundation; and hope, the ladB
der only which conducts the architect to
? the heights of the building,
g Meekness and courtesy will always
recommend the first address, but soon
r fall and nauseate, unless they are assoj.
dated with more sprightly qualities.
It. often depends on a trifle, not more
. than the toss up of a penny, whether a
9 msn should raise himself to riches and
3 honor, or pine away in misery and want
. till he dies.
a It is a secret known to few, yet of no
- small use in the conduct of life, that
, when you fail into a man's conversa1
tion, the first thing you should consider
f is, whether he has a greater inclination to
, hear you, or that you should hear him.
1 The love of display which results
* in vulgar ostentation is the result of
? selfishness, of a desire to excite the
* envy of others rather than the wish to
3 share benefits with them?an effort to
3 appear great, without striving to be
* great in reality.
01 A man's first difficulties begin when
, I he is able to do as he likes. So long as
i a man ia struggling with obstacles, he
1 has an excuse for failure or short-coming,
, but when fortune removes them all, and
gives him the power of doing as he
' thinks best, then comes the trial.
Whatever expands the affections or enlarges
the sphere of our sympathies,
r whatever makes us feel our relations to
B the universe and all that it inherits, in
I time and eternity, to the great and
beneficent cause of all, mustunquestionj
ably refine our nature and elevate us in
j the scale of being.
1 Cast an eye into me gay worm;
1 what see we for the most part but a set
1 of querulous, emaciated, fantastical
- bpings, worn out in the keen pursuit of
I pleasure?creatures that know, own,
s condemn, deplore, yet still pursue their
1 own infelicity?the decayed monuments
9 of error, the thin remaius of what is
1 called delight.
? ?,
I That Awful Bat.
There may be people into whose bed
room windows bats have not flown this
r summer, the summer before, and all
, the other summers as far buck as they
- can remember; Imtwe doubt it. We
3 doubt, further, that there be people
- who, when the bat arrives, have not
. risen in their night garments of sums
mer style, and turning high the gas
i pursued that bat with pillow and canes
- and even chairs, arousing the family in
1 terror of assnssius and giving the mun
i on the other side of the street, who is
, up with the toothache, a strong surtpi1j
cion that Kirkbride 1ms established a
l j branch asylum in their house. Bats
s ' have been knocked down under these
I; circumstances ; also have shins been
s smashed and shins skinned ; but man,
s: iu the end, has been victorious over the
i ; bat?never. If.he picks him up with
1 ! bis fingers he lets him go again lmmef1
diately. If he picks him up between
I j two sticks, and drops mm out one
- window the bat soars into the air and
1! flies in at another. The bat cannot be
t j persuaded to go away. He can't take a
r ; iiint. Let him alone and he'll go homa
a j and carry, etc. Tbe but, th^y say, is
s I good for eating the night bugs which
9: are always so much interested in what
II one is writing about. But whether the
o | buss were made so long before the bat,
-1 and increased so much ahead of him
a that he hasn't had a fair show, or his ap3
petite is not powerful, there are plenty
a of bugs yet to transact business. Let
* j the bat look at the sparrow and; how
a ' nobly he fulfilled his- contract with ree
j gurd to the measuring worm. The
- | sparrow, too, is an excellent bird, with
- only one bad habit, that of getting up
i! too early in the morning, while the bat
! ... i n?,i
II j is UU1LCLUU Yt I 111 DYCIJ nxvauuMwuoj Uiiu
f doesn't get up early only because he
r I doesn't go to bed .?Philadelphia Press.
Miss Maria Itoop'a 'Answer by Telegraph
tq the Ofler ol a Heart and Hand.
The New8 of St. John, N. B., tells
the following interesting story of a recent
matrimonial engagement that -was
brought to a happy climax by telegraph:
Miss Maria Roop, author of a series
of pleasing New York letters that appeared
in the News some months ago
under the title A "Glimpses of
Gotham," was married in Boston on
Saturday last. Capt. Roop, a distant
relative who sails an English ship,
visited Mr. John Roop's a few weeks ago
fc* "DftirtMflliAHA XT Q on/1
UJLZ lilt) Wtfcjr w x oiixouuiuj mi f uuu
met his fate in the person of the young
lady -who is now his wife. - He 'came,
saw and was conquered. He returned
to New York and began to load for Java,
but sang " Her ' her sweet smile haunts
me still," and whistled "The girl I left
behind me." Would she marry him
and go on that long and lonely voyage to
the East ?
He wrote to her, and proposed that
she meet him in Boston the next week,
marry him, and sail for Java. His boat
was on the shore and his bark was on the
sea, or loading at the wharf, and she
must decide at once. The letter was received
in the morning, and had not been
read more than half a dozen times (such
letters require a great deal of reading,
it seems), when a dispatch arrived to the
followiHg effect: "Please answer my
letter by telegraph?yes or no." Any
&iri can promptly say yes or no to the
offer of a hand and heart, but when such
an offer is doupled with a three days'
notice of marriage and a sea voyage to
the East Indies, the case requires a little
more consideration. So she took
time to consider, and added strength to
the saying that the woman who considers
is lost, for when the afternoon of the
same day brought her another dispatch,
which was simply "Yes or no?" che
went to the telegraph office and wrote
" Yes " on a blank. The operator knowing
nothing of the vast importance of
that monosyllable message, placed it on
file for transportation, and the most
anxious man in' New York was soon
made happy by its reception. The lady
left here on Friday morning last and
met and married the captain at the residence
of a relative in Boston. Their
wedding tour will be a long one?around
the world, but not in eighty days.
The Chinese Joss and Temple.
A traveler writes : We enter a temple
whose outside is adorned with gilding
and lacquer, and quaint designs of birds,
animals and unreal monsters. They
have a religion of some sort, a Wang
_*_n: l
tieng (a very juseiugcui/ vjmucoc mm
whom I am acquainted) assured me, with
churches and endowments as in England;
that is to say, they have the system, but
not the faith. I had supposed all along
that the curiously constructed temples,
sacred io Joss, had more or less of a
religious character abouV"fheip?,bnt I
was now undeceived. My habit-on passing
these edifices was to call in and see
what was going on, and one day found
out that Joss was uothing more than a
fortune-teller, after the manner of the
Oracle of Delphos. When inside the
temple we see the figure of Joss placed
on high, with ornaments of peacocks'
feathers, whilst long streamers of colored
ribbons, pictures and flowers; presents
of tea, oil or opium; lighted tapers in
colored wax; joss sticks burning slowly
and sending their perfume around;
h^aps of joss paper smouldering in trays :
bamboo boxes with bundles of small
sticks, on one end of which are inscribed
certain qabalistic characters, surround
the figure. At certain hours in the
morning the temple becomes sacred It
is the hour of divination. Any one now
about to undertake a journey or mako
a purchase, and desirous of knowing if
he will arrive in safety or make a profitable
investment, comes to Joss. He
pays his obeisance by profoundly bowing
and salaaming; then lights a certain
number of matches or tapers and*makes
a present. After a while, when it thought
Joss is conciliated, the suppliant takes a
box of marked sticks, and, after shaking
them about, selects half a dozen, and passes
them to the priest or Sheong-to (son of
heaven) in attendance, who refers to the
book of mysteries and. there reads the
will of Joss. If he is warned of misfortune
he forbears the journey or declines
the bargain, and waits for a # more
fortunate day. If Joss advises otherwise,
and a good profit the result, the happy
merchant makes a substantial present.
Joss is, therefore, as will be seen, a
fortune-toller and nothing more, and
I ftiionnff.fi in nnlv n. sensible, cunninc
? ? J - , w
fellow, who prefers to live by the credulity
of his neighbor rather than by the
labor of his hands.
One Form of Rudeness.
A flagrant breach of politeness, and
one which is most annoying to refined
and sensitive people, is the very general
practice of one's conversation. The impunity
with which this is done has degraded
rational, conversation, which ought
to be the greatest charm of social intercourse,
into a proving farce. A mau or
wbmau who has anything to say that is
worth saying, desires to say it in his or
her own way; and those who have brains
to appreciate it, will be equally desirous
of hearing it without interruption. Yet
it is a common thing for a parlor conversation
to partake more of the babble of
Babel, than a conversation among rational
beings, who are supposed to know and
i nnnrpfiiate what each othes says. One
, begins to relate an incident, and before
he has finished two sentences, some parrot
in fine clothes chimes in with her senseloss
gabble, breaking the thread of dis course,
and compelling the narrator to
i begin again, or abandon the attempt to
j instruct or entertain.
This is the grossest impoliteness ; it is
j asjcoramon an occurrence as conversation
j itself. It is not much to say, that nine
out of every ten people who indulge in
this habit are incapable of carrying on a
rational conversation on any useful topic,
and indulge in these breaches of etiquette
by way of covering their retreat and
hiding their ignorance.
We suggest to young people?and old
j ones, too, for that matter?that here is a
j promising field for social Yeforin. Never
! interrupt a, conversation by interjecting
: remarks, however appropriate and witty
| they m&y seem. All sensible people
| -will respeca you, and conclude that you
| have good sense, and know how to use it
j to the best advantage.
The most trivial circumstances are able
! to put an end to our gratifications ; they
nre like beds of roses, where it is very,
unlikely all the leaves should be smooth,
! and even one that is doubled suffices to
i make us uncomfortable.
I ___
j There is nothing truer than physiogj
nomy, taken in connection with
mannei,
Profitable Corn Growing.
. The average yield of the corn^crop is
about twenty-seven bushels per acre
for the whole country. This includes
the large yield of the rich prairie States
where an average of forty to fifty bushels
per acre is usual. In the Eastern,
Middle and Southern States, the yield
is very lew and on the whole does not
surpass ,'ifreen bushels per acre. Yet
in isolated cases in these States many
good farmers produce seventy, eighty
or even one hundred bushels per acre,
and many ambitious farmers are trying
to reach a higher limit yet. Tliis^ not
at all impossible; it is not even improbable.
It is reasonable to go further and
say that the very high yifeld is not at all
difficult to attain. Indeed it is very
easy to figure out a crop of one hundred
bushels of shelled corn per acre, and
we do not think it much less easy to
reduce the figuring to practice. Thus ,
if we can grow three stalks to a hill,
with the hills three and a half feet apart,
we have 3,700 hills and 11,100 stalks
per acre. If every stalk should bear one
gooi ear there would ba 11,100 ears per
acre. One hundred good ears weighing
twelve ounces each would give one
bushel of shelled corn. Therefore this
crop would amount to 114 bushels per
acre. The only requisite for this pro- *
Stable crop then, is that we should
raise a variety of corn that produces no
barren stalks and that will carry one
good ear only upon every stalk. This
seems to be a very simple matter, but
many fanners would be surprised to
loam how small a proportion of stalks
in their fields carry even one ear.
We have been selecting seed, and by
all other means have been endeavoring
to grow corn that should produce two
good ears per stalk, and yet we have not
succeeded in growing any that will on
the average produce more than one^ear
To.1 every two stalks. With, the easy
powibility of reaching one hundred
bushels per aore if only fertile stalks
were grown, yet farmers look upon one
who talks of such a crop as too enthusiastic,
if not foolish. It seems nsthough
we had been all this time pursuing a
wrong idea, or following a wrong couise,
and neglecting the most palpable and
plain path to success. It is not to fertilize
oar ground so richly as to grow
luxuriant stalks with two or three ears
each in place of one; but to grow moderately
sized stalks, each having an ear
in place of those with none.'1
In passing through a' fair-looking
field of corn a number of stalks without
ears will always be seen. . It is .
these that dilute and lessen the value of
the crop. Can we get rid of these by
any means?. It is certainly onr. business
to do it if possible, just as we
should weed out of our yards hens
which lay no eggs, sor/s which produce
no litters, cows without calves or mlik,
and mares without foals; or cut out from
oar orchards trees that yield no fruit. As
no farmer would tolerate such worthless
stock so he should no^j^x^e
In his cornfield. Among oth< r manr useful
suggestions made by Dr. E. L.
Sturtevant, of Massachusetts, who is
one of our most" scientific and practical
farmers and agricultural investigators,
we owe to him an idea that we think
may be turned to the greatest advantage
in improving our corn crops. It is to
change the present character of this
grain by a course of selection and breeding
similar to that through which we .
have brought cur live stock to such a
high degree of profitable excellence. It
is simply to discontinue the growing of
barren stalks and prevent them from
fertilizing the seed of tue proline ones.
To do this, all those stalks which show
no sign of an ear or silk (which is
the female flower) when the tassel or
male flowers appear, should be topped
so as to deprive them of their powers of
reproduction, should be emasculated in
fact We should lose nothing by this,
because we should at least have the fodder,
which is all we should get under
any circumstances, but we should have
the very important advantage of fertilizing
the other plants with pollen from
prolific stalks. Hence, we might expect
in a very short time to so change
the character and habits of the corn as
to have every plant prolific and productive
of at least one ear. If in time we
could give the plant the habit of bearing
twin ears, or three, four or more;
and by the required system of fertilizing
the soil secure so vigorous, a growth
oh to mature these ears perfectly, then
what a gain should we have made. To
grow five acres of corn yielding 500
bushels would cost no more than it now
costs to grow five acres yielding one
hundred bushels, excepting the increased
labor of husking and storing the ears,
and only a fourth as much as it now
costs to grow the 500 bushels on
twenty acres. It is a very trite thing
to say that the greatest profit lies in
producing the greatest yield with the
least possible labor and expenso ; yet
fanners do not seem to look at it in that
way, or else they are contented with
very small profits, for it is plain to be
seen that the small crops grown do not '
pay any adequate prieo for the labor of
raising them. And so spend one's labor
in growing fifty barren corn-stalks out
of every hundred we grow, seems, unluestionnbly,
to be u very poor business.
We hope our readers will give
this matter the thought and attention it
deserves. -There is nothing to lose by
I - 1?1:--~ moona /if l'mnrnvinff r>ro
uuupblii^ IIUS2 UiV'?UO VI ?
posed, and there is a vast Rain possible
from it.?New York Times.
Household NoUe.
To Clean Paint.?Take one ounce of
pulverized borax, one pound oi sim.ll
pieces of best brown soap, and time
quarts of water. Let it simmer till the
h >ap is dissolve*!, stirring frequently.
Do not let it boil. Use a piece of old
flannel, and rinse off as soon as the paii t
is clean. Tliis mixture Ls also good for
washing clothes.
Waterproofing Cloth.?Imbue the
cloth on the wrong side with a solution
of isinglass, alum and soap, by means of
a brush. When dry, brush on the
wrong side against the grain, nnd th? n
go over with a brush dipped in wat< r.
This makes the cloth impervious (foi a
long time) to water, not air.
Waterproof Boots and Shoes.?
I r.mooo.lnil mioniril;' rtiaK fiicht OUUCeSI
UiiiOCC\l Vtl) vuv J Q . r
beeswax, six ounces; resin, one ounce.
Mix together.
Calico Made Transparent and Waterproof.?Take
six pints of pale linseed
oil, two ounces of sugnr of lead and
eight ounces of white resin ; the sugar
of lead must be ground with a small
quantity of it, and added to the remaintier;
the resin should be incorporated
, with the oil by means of a gentle heat.
The composition may then be laid on
calico, or any other such material, by
means of a brush.
There are ninety public und one hnnilr?'d
and eighty private banks in Gerjinny.