Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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rnrnrnimmmsm mmmmmmmmmmm i i i lewis m- grist, proprietor.| ak Jnitepcnknt Jftmtlj Utefospaper: Jfor f|c promotion of % [political, Social, Agricultural anb Commercial Interests of t|e Swtj}. |terms?$3.00 a year, iff advance. VOL. 17. YORKYILLE, S. C., THlJESLiAY, MARCH 9, 1871. ^??1Q A ~ ? ??: -r-????;??1 . Written for the Yorkville En(juirer. < ATLOWA.I BY MBS. M. A. EWART RIPLEY. ] I CHAPTER XVII. j CONCLUSION. The next two days, passed by Avlona and < Lee, in Columbia, were the happiest of their ] still so youthful lives. As they visited the i different objects of interest in the city, wan- ( dered through its beautiful gardens, or sat in < their room in the evening, the most perfect < confidence existed between them. The events i of the last year were discussed with a minute- ( ^^^-flcsswhicb testffied that they possessed very i retentive memories, or the events possessed 1 unusual interest to each of them. Lee sue- t ceeded, the morning after their conversation, s in obtaining a room, and gave Avlona and ? Rose undisturbed possession of theirs. \ Any one, who has ever visited our beauti- a ful city, will remember, with admiring delight, 1 the beauty of its situation ; its avenued streets, b the refinement and taste of its embowered t mansions, and the loveliness of its floral gar- d dens. Late as it was in the season, the air a ^^was still redolent with perfume, not only from the late roses and autumnal flowers, but from a the tropical plants of the open hot-houses. I They visited the arsenal; the college?en- h dowed by the munificence of the State gov- ti ernment, and the petted alma mater of Caro- p lina's noblest sons?wandering through its clas- h sic shades, visiting its library, and the halls of p its societies. Lee pointed with mingled pride p and pleasure to many a scene of youthful c frolic, and recalled the debates in which he a took so conspicuous a part. n The gardens, all private, but opened, by the e courteous kindness of their owners, not only to the strangers, but frequently to the resi- a dents of the city, who are trained by taste a and ftas/vnut.inn. from earliest childhood, in t< their love of flowers, were visited with an al- 1 most childish delight by Avlona. I She was constantly contrasting the elegant, r< tasteful mansions, with the solid structures t1 of Havana. There, the masonry might v readily be mistaken for some embryo fortifi- f< cation, destined to be cannon proof. The air q of rude grandeur throughout the Saracenic fi and Gothic style of their architecture; the is floors, stuccoed and tiled ; the frescoed walls ji and ceilings; the iron-barricaded windows? f< were in striking contrast to the graceful Co- ai rinthian and Ionic buildings, with their Gre- re cian porticoes, or airy galleries; their white pillars gleaming through the foliage of lofty tl Lebanon cedars, magndlias, "ftccacias, olives, n: . and gardenias, growing in such tropical lux- r( uriance as to lock each other in their embrace; p while, creeping among them, was the jessa- o mine, the honeysuckle, bignonia, wistaria, and c< | many others, twining their tendrils so closely, C Las bound them into fairy arbors, or -festooned h iwAhtffll Vn howftra. ^w The second evening of her arrivui, Afie -u; ceived a letter from her father, testifying to oi great anxiety respecting her, Concluding that tl however anxious she might have been at his ol rmn- arrival, still he hoped she had not suffer- j tl ^ ered inconvenience or embarrassment under Ysabel's protection. Don Mendoza had again r< been taken suddenly and alarmingly ill on tl the very eve of his departure, and his delay w had been occasioned by tlje impossibility of fi his leaving him. The attack was a tempora- h ry one, however, and he would meet Avlona n in Charleston the following day. He urged si her to be there without fail, as he had provi- 1 ded for her protection in case of a second dis- e appointment. u Lee accompanied Avlona and Rose to g Charleston, and placed the former under the J e care of her father, whom he found in the city a anxiously awaiting her. 1 Mr. D'Elormie was disposed to be a little 1 supercilious with Lee over the assumption of s the charge of his daughter, but was fiually conciliated by Lee's inflexible courtesy and j t unvarying good humor. s Lee made no attempt to see Avlona pri- < vately before she left, though he took an op- s portunity of telling her father that he inten- ] ded to urge his claims for the hand of his daughter. To this, Mr. D'Elormie replied ! cooly, that the urging would never reach her ears, as, in all probability, she would be the wife of Mendoza before he could again hear trom ner. Lee's expostulations were cut short by a courteous but dignified dismissal, and a touch of the hand ; and a lingering look was the only farewell granted to the young hearts that turned so fondly to each other. So they parted ; 'perhaps for years?perhaps forever,'said Lee, as he turned from the wharf from which the steamboat had just left. But true to his noble instincts, he would nurse no skeleton of buried hopes in his heart. Life?active, useful, teeming with responsibility?was before him ; and those who saw him enter the arena cf strife, girded for the conflict, eager in zeal, matchless in debate, thought that fame?that last infirmity of noble minds?had left no room in his heart for softer emotions. UCCaSlOIialljr, nl iaro mtorv*hl<J, tip hoard of I Avlona, and through Mendoza. He had opened a correspondence with him immediately after his return from Cuba, and in his replies there was always a sentence or two in relation to her. So a twelve-month sped, when he received a very pressing invitation from the Don to visit him. ' The invitation had not to be repeated to be accepted ; and after sending a letter as avant courier, he sailed for the sunny shores of Cuba. His heart was full of joyful anticipations. He drew pleasure from everything; and even when the vessel ran hard and fast on a coral rock, while guided through the tortuous channels of the Florida Keefs, there was ample excitement in seeing the boats of more than fifty sturdy, athletic men push, from their wrecking sloops, and with broneed faces and arms, as they sat on the low thwarts of theii vessels, gaze on the seamen as they heavec on^ slmvlv drew the vessel into deej HHB|B LUC lauiu Mitv* M.V... , waters. When night set in, the passengers gatherec round the table, with books and cards,' whili Lee, on deck,t looking eagerly forward, th< . vessel going at the rate of seven knots ai hour, in water so smooth that a tumbler filler to tbe brim would hardly have spilled its cor tents, listened to the leadsman's song as h cried, "By-the-deep-two," and after a short ir terval, "A quar-ter-less-two," then deepenin to three fathoms as a gusty Northerner burst on it, it scudded before the blast. The sea became rougher as they left the soundings and passed from its milky water into the clear blue of the gulf stream. But merrily rocked on "the glad waters of the dark blue seathe prospect of soon entering the harbor dispelled all thought of suffering, and ihe power of the Sea God rapidly diminished, js they came in sight of the destined haven. As no vessel was permitted to enter the port luring the night, the beautiful panorama of Havana and its harbor, presented a picture, n the early dawn, not surpassed by even that >f Naples and its celebrated bay. The hills, ;overed with luxuriant verdure; the grey tow5rs and massive buildings, in strong contrast vith the brilliant garb that nature wears unler the tropics; the trees, laden with fruit ind the fields, covered with flowers?seemed ike a scene of enchantment from the leafless rees and bare fields which he had left. The < +?n vicitirtn Av-vm tVinrnncrh WftVfifi of the UUUUU UdUCIblV/U 1IVUI vt*v **!?? ;ulf stream to the still waters of the harbor eas also like a work of magic; and anchoring ;mid a large fleet of vessels from every nation, learing the hum of mingled voices from the tusy city, the merry ringing of the numerous ells, the braying of trumpets, and rattling of Irums from the battlements of the Cabanas, .11 burst on the ears in pleasing confusion. Laying aside all republican self-importance, nd conforming strictly to the regulations, uee found as much courtesy and more true ospitality, than he had met in any othercounry. Patiently awaiting the examination of assports and custom house duties, hesmiled as e assisted the officer to throw his carefully acked clothes into perfect confusion, anticiated his movements, and insured, by his inomparable good humor, as much politeness s if he had been one of their own Dons, and ot an "Inglesis," or "Judios," (Jew) a genral appellation given to all foreigners. Having reached his hotel as evening dvanced, he seated himself on the balcony nd feasted his eyes on a scene which brought d mind all he had read of in oriental lands, 'he fountains, the statues, the music of the 'laza de Armas, the intense verdure, the long aads thronged with volantes, occupied by .vo or three ladies?it being the height of ulgarity for a Spanish lady to be seen on )ot?their transieut smile to a* passing ac- a uaintance, or the prolonged waving ot their r in?their only token of recognition?tire polled Spaniard, and the rude African in close j lxtaposition?all conspired in making him e :el as if he had stepped into a new world, c ad among a new people, with nothing to re- t lind him of home and what he had left. s A volante was in attendance to take him to r le estate of Mendoza, and the following mor- 1 ing, at the early hour for which the Cuban is Jtnarkable, he commenced his journey. The s aseos, the suburbs, and the beautiful garden c f Tacon, were all soon passed, and the open c juntry, in all its loveliness, burst on the view. s overed by well-stocked farms, surrounded by ^ edges of aloes, or the square-trimmed lime, r ?,JS.7iiffl.slm.tf .^1?^ k' i* the honey-comb coral rock, which abounds iroughout the country, enclosing whole acres I] f luscious, fragrant pines, he fully enjoyed c le beauties of the novel landscape. t Now, passing by fields of plantains, sur- ] minded on every side by valued treasures of ^ lie hot-house, springing from the rich soil, not ^ dth the sickly look of pampered care, but a resh and vigorous, tended by nature's skillful ( and, he was soon beyond the immediate eighborhood of the city, and its farms were t upplied by extensive sugar and coffee estates. { .'he royal palm, queen of the forest, met the ( ye on every side. The whole country was ( nder high cultivation, forming one immense ^ ;arden; and as his eye roamed over the wide ^ xpanse, and reveled in the beauties which hill ,nd dale, woodland and field" presented, his , leart was insensibly filled with the desire to lave her by his side, who could so fully an- j wer his eager hopes and ardeut imaginations. The sun had almost set when he approached j he completion of his journey; but the laud- ( scape was even more beautiful it the soft light >f the declining day. The eait wind had subsided into a perfect calm, ana an air of j peaceful quiet hung over the whole laud. | Even the fringed foliage of the pilras was . motionless, and drooped pendent fromthe long and gracefully arched stems. Surrounding objects were mellowed by the increasing shades. In the distance, ad was becoming' indistinct, save the giant C3yba, whose wide-spread foliage, raised in mil-air, was visible above the gloom below. Star tfter star now rapidly appeared ; for here no tvilight forms the imperceptible link betwon night and day, and the whole firmament w$ soon blazing witfi a thousand lamps. The volante stopped, at length, before an eastern looking palace. The porch to it meas-, ured one hundred and fifty feet, and its wide,1 smooth pavement was protected by a high, terraced roof, supported on eleven arches and pillars. Between the large windows, which were guarded by iron bars, the walls were haudsomely decorated with landscapes in fresco, giving the front an airy and romantic appearance. The building was an oblftig square, the sides, two hundred feet in length, with walls twenty-eight feet in height, forming a singlo story. This was enclosed within a 'beautiful garden filled with shrubbery, with fountains and statues, and a sniall, but rapid stream of water traversed it. With all its grandeur, it had a look of desolation to Lee, with its irongrated windows, like prisons. He was received with the utmost cordiality by the master of the mansion and treated with the courteous hospitality, which, although attentive in observing all his wants, left him perfectly free to follow hia own inclinations Several days passed in sight-seeing and visi ting the neighboring families. These excursions were generally taken be i fore sun rise, in a volante, accompanied by hi host; while on his return, such a breakfas as one gets only in Cuba, awaited him?th 1 delicious salads and fruits forming the mos p important item" on the Epicurean" bill of fare 1 In mingling with the different classes c > Cuban society, Lee was forcibly struck wit their peculiar characteristics. 1 The higher classes are either from Old Spaii 3 or from travel and intercourse with other pe< e pie, have had their feelings and manners in i bued with a foreign element. 1 The tone of this society is eminently arist i- cratic, and certain circles are very exclusiv e As Lee mingled with this, he could readi t- account for the hauteur which had so cha g acterized Avlona. There is also a elannj: feeling amongst them, which presents an insuperable bar to anything like a general social spirit. But wealth breaks down the barriers of distaut classes, and the millionaire ranges at will. Kind feeling is, however, predominant; and although society lacks the' elegant simplicity found in the old families of riomlino vot hp fmind it. nnuspaaincr mai)V ' Jvw ? ? r? o j channs. Another fact which struck Lee was the total absence of all prudery amongst the women. Their freedom of spOfoh, and freedom of action, would be very reprehensible, did not their simple habits and innocence of evil save them from many temptations; and as he again thought of Avlona, he felt "to the pure, all things are pure." Another character might have pleasantly dreampt away months in this land, in which even Nature typifies the "dolce far niente" of life; but his temperament was too active, too energetic, for such passive pleasures. He had scrupqlously refrained from mentioning Avlona's name to his host; but now he felt that even a sensitive courtesy should no longsr be a bar to prevent his seeing her, and determining that another day should not pass, without an effort on his part to obtain tidings i of her, he waited a fitting Opportunity, to approach a subject so near his heart Mendoza, however, anticipated him; for , that evening he told him he wished him to i take an extended drivp ith him the next morning. i Lee's heart bounded. It needed no words j to tell him he was going to see Avlona. Long oefore sunrise he was in waiting. Entering j ;he volante with his host, after a drive of sev- ] sral miles, they turned into the most lovely ] oad he had yet traversed. Perfectly level j md straight for about four leagues, it was i i u ? i ?A: 1: mirieu uu cuuu siuc uy a uuukiuuuuo nuc ui all palms, planted in double rows, within a ; ledge of lime trees, and occasionally inter- ] ningled with the light, hairy foliage of the j lativepine, contrasting prettily with the heavy i trches over them. ] The whole ground was cultivated in coffee; < ind the estates were separated only by low- ] rimmed lime hedges and alleys of palm, ] vhile the entrance to each from the road was | >y a a avenue of the same trees, through which { vere seen the mansions of the planters, their 1 itore-houses and out-buildings forming so j nany miniature villages. At one point two roads met at right angles, f ind the interminable broad alleys that stretchid out, bordered by square lime hedges and g jrowded lines of majestic Corinthian columns, i heir white shafts lost in continuous highpruug arches of the richest green, presented t nore magnificent vistas than he had ever be- ( leld in France or Italy. \ At length they reached an avenue more crupulously neat than the others. Alleys of 1 range trees intersected the grounds, and rows i f plantains were growing between the coffee 1 hrubs. The name ove? the gate indicated 1 hey had reached D'Elorraie's, and an old ne- .? ;ro man, answering to the name of porter, is- i ^dJfromJth^f?(jge which neened fmm )?<> v A rapid drive brought them in sight of a < arge quadrangular building, built around a 1 :entral square. The main entrance was 1 hrough a lofty arch to the square which was 1 aid out in multiplied walks, with a cool foun- * ain in the middle, while the beds, adorned 1 vith flowers of every variety, formed an excenive garden, on which the extensive, airy 1 :orridors looked down. . ( It was with some trepidation Lee awaited ] ,he appearance of Avlona, after being usher}d into the cool and lofty apartment which 1 jpened into the outer corridor, from whence i ;ould be heard the soft falling of the foun- f ain, and into whicl^ the perfume of a thousand < lowers floated ip on the morning air. Mendoza, during the ride, had said simply: ; 'We will visit D'Elorraie this morningand j Lee's silent assent was all that had passed on the subject gf the visit. 1 There was much in the room to remind 1 him of the girl he loved. He recognized some 3f the pictures on the wall, as ones they had admired and discussed together; the guitar, with Its long, blue ribbon resting against the muslin-curtained window, was familiar; and a garden hat, with a pair of gloves near, upon which rested a rose, and a sprig of geraniurp, freshly gathered, all spoke eloquently. The folding doors which communicated with the different apartments, were open, and Lee glanced down an elegant suite, furnished with exquisite taste as drawing rooms.! None but a woman's hand could have so , artistically arranged; and none but a woman's taste could have blended arrangement so harmoniously. But a few moments elapsed ere Mr. D'Elormie entered. He received Mendoza with a warm cordiality, in striking contrast with the surprised manner and strained courtesy acorded to Lee. It was evident he was unpreP red for the visit; and when Mendoza almst immediately requested a private intervi<y, it was with a chilling apology he passed froi^Lee, as he followed his friend into the adj??ing apar(;ment? Letcould hear the business-like tones of Mendoa, decided and imperative, in earnest discussiv^ met by D'Elormie's brief and haughty eplies. As the voices grew louder, and the fceakers alternately advanced and receded fr^ each other, in the excitement of , the altercaon, Lee distinguished Avlona's name more yan once. Although he would S have given n,ch to hear the subject of such | animated deb.ej h# arose and went out into . | the corridor. Valking in a direction from, j the apartment hich contained the speakers, he went on, scanty daring to hope he might ( obtain a glimpse * Avlona. Traversing the entire length of tL corridor, he passed up the other side of th gquare, the rooms of which, opening like he others, presented a lighter and more air appearance. 3 In one of these was^ted the object of his t search. Her back wa.turned to the door, I cJio wna hlisilv orrnnorinof 0 uuk "? J ~ agcu ?" to?b t flowers is several vases wjch 8t00d on a table 5 before her. lt' Lee's heart bounded; i cjjd not stop to h consider whether his preset there would be permiaable or otherwise ; ,t jn an instant his form had darkened thadr> She did not > I turn, bjt gave an order, as ii^ a servant, to bring water. i Lee cuickly disengaged his t0 which o-; the ring he had formerly givenier wa9 ate.! tached, md advancing quickly, ^h a playly fulness to which he had formerlyreqUeilt]y r- subjected her, bent above her ai dropped sh the chain in her lap. She threw up her head; an eager, warm lool on her face, and met his eloquent gaze, as, forgetting everything but her, he half knell as he clasped her in his arms. "I have come for you," he said, at length ; "and remember, I'm to have you, if all the patriarchs since the time of Abraham, stood to forbid it." She smiled, through happy, unshed tears, as she said: "Dictating as usual, before yon have had the courtesy to say even good morning." He stroked the cheek that nestled against him, as he replied: "Yes, and supreme dictator I will be in this case, though you seem to ignore that I have kissed you good morning at least twenty times in as many seconds." She laughed, and nestled closer as she enquired : "Why and how are you here ? Tell me all about it." He replied briefly and rapidly. "Go back, instantly," said she,^ rising in haste as he concluded; "my father may call '? . ? n i i lor you, ana you muse not do ionnu oere, "It makes no difference to me," replied Lee, coolly; "I expect to be found by your side pretty frequently from this time out, and the sooner all parties understand it, the better." She stood before him in her snow-white morning robe, looking half down in blushing embarrassment At length, with an arch smile, she said: "Is it possible you do not know how exceedingly improper it is to be seen in my room at this hour of the morning ?" Spite of himself, Lee blushed and stammered ; and before he was fairly conscious of bis movements, was retracing his steps whence be had come, and re-entered the parlor, just is Mendoza and. D'Elormie's confabulation was drawing to a close. "Lee!" said Mendoza, entering, followed by D'Elormie; "I have taxed your patience rather severely since you have been my guest, ind I thank you for the courtesy with which, pou have borne it. I am, however, going to Ax it still farther, and ask you to yield to a lecision, which my friend here, has made. His friendship for me will not permit him to -elinquish readily a desire that has grown with ;he life of his only child. He wishes to hold i few moments private conversation with her jefore he brings her here to decide between is." Lee's heart bounded ; but outwardly calm md self-possessed, he only bowed in reply. "If the decision is made in your favor," laid D'Elormie to Mendoza, "I am not forcing ipon you a bride ?" . . i ? ?-l:_ J Kf l :l: "Uercaimy xiol, repneu iucnuuai, oujmng it the tenacity with which he clung to his larling wish ; "but I will not accept an unfiling one." As D'Elormie left the room, he turned to Lee, saying; "I have my own way of bringng matters to a conclusion, my young friend. [ hope the manner is not offensive to you, but [ could not yield the child of my friend to .a itranger whose patience and constancy I had lot tested. Yo" have nobly sustained your 1 e.^i tatin nmd er^od e *w ho^y* itted to fill the duties of wife a!hd mother, and las proved ib her own behalf a filial affection ind dutiful patience, emulating your own vir;ues." Lee warmly grasped his hand while he ihanked him, saying that the virtues of his own generosity and magnanimity had far surpassed their inferior ones of passive obedience. "Not so, my friend," replied Mendoza; "my failing health teaches me the utter vanity of making new ties, and it is becoming and consistent that I should, for the remaining .years of my life, do all in my power to make others happy. Let me feel that I have conduced to yours and to her happiness, and you will gratify me with a far purer pleasure than taking a young and happy child, even though she should willingly accompany me, to the qdiet home of an old and failing man." Lee replied by gratefully hoping that many years should be spared to him, and that he might live long to witness the happiness which his kindness had created. Soon after, D'Elormie entered the room with Avlona. She had exchanged her morning robe for an exquisite Jndj$ muslin. The fleecy folds fell in graceful lines around her exquisite form. Her face was very pale, but the dark depths of her eyes were brilliant with varying emotions; and as she advanced gracefully, recognizing Mendoza, while a pink tinge suffused her cheek, as she greeted Lee, he thought he had never looked jit anything so purely, so spiritually lovely. After a few remarks, dictated only by courtesy, D'Elormie said: "My daughter, you know why we are here. I will say nothing more to you than I have already said. In him," said he, glancing at Mendoza, "you see your father's friend; and you know your father's wishes. In this gentleman," he continued, turning to Lee, "I recognize only a stranger, butone whom I esteem, and who has my kindest wishes, saving this_dearest one. Choose your future." "Her eye rested one instant on her father, a loving look, then a grateful glance at Mendoza, and ere a moment passed, she met Lee's eager glance as he bent forward, and hereyes softening to a look of tenderest love, she swiftly passed from her father's side and rested her hand on his arm, "She is mine ?" said Lee, questioningly, his face flushing warmly, and glancing from one to the other, as his hand clasped hers.* D'Elormie bit his lip and bowed. Mendoza said heartily: "Yes, and God bless you." ~ 1 * ? <1 1 1? 1 J Scarcely waiting ior tne repiy, ne nan clasped her in his arms and kissed the head that fell on his shoulder. The tears were in Mendoza's eyes as he turned away, while D'Elormie tersely said: "Take her &nc} make her happy J" Lee erected himself proudly, then laughed a low laugh as his eyes met Avlona's. "You have given her to me, sir," said Lee, "may I not now make her legally mine ?" "How, when?" said D'Elormie, confusedly, "you do not mean?" fJ mean now, this da/, this very instant,' replied Lee 5 "J have served a probation oi two years, and I rebel against the ftirther de lay of one hour." ! Avlona's arm trembled as it rested-, and sh< I cast a half-frightened look at her father. | "I agree with Mr. Lee," said Mendoza, ad j vancing toward them ; "he has been sufficient | ly tried. The most important one of the par | ty looks as if she would not seriously object | and I do not see any reason why we shouh not send for your rector and let the banns be said before breakfast; for I confess, I, for ; ono, could eat with a much better appetite if ; the whole affair was concluded." j%. Lee's look was sufficient thanks, and when jthe bell summoned them to breakfast, be conducted his happy bride to the elegant repast j v Mendoza's unaffected pleasure over their happiness finally reconciled D'Elormie, although he declared that Avlona's beautiful " resignation to his wishes, and her filial obedience, did more than all else to conciliate him ; for had she met him with stubbornness and rebellion, she would long since have suffered the fjenalty of her disobedience. I' Mendoza laughingly declared that of all .his prosperous business transactions, this was me most happy as well as the most remunerate; for instead of gaining but one wife, he, 1^1, gained two children, whom he thought prove better to him than ten wives, j And truly they were so; for his declining their luxurious home; in JflKirlesWnf rfr whicn tney viea wnn euuu ume^ln showing him the duty and affection he WHfichly merited. -> ^The next morning the bridal party were on the road -to Havana, from whence they embarked to Charleston; and as Lee, seated on the deck of the rapidly sailing vessel, told jA.vlona of the warm hearts that awaited her IfKhe "City by the Sea,'"' and of the happy h?me which his love would give her, re&ting hlr head on his breast, she turned her eyes, beaming with loving tenderness to his, as she awweredl: "My home and my happiness is hifO!" _ THE END. lipopte. otitic Ekquuf.r containing the previous chapters of tjiji Story can he furnished to new suhscriheni.J |g]iscrilauf0us fading. ^ 'CIRCUS RIDERS. uTo become a good circus rider, it is necessary that the art should be practiced from childhood, in order that the performer may acquire the exquisite balance, as it is termed, or the trick of adapting the position of the person to the motion of the horse. Small children catch this faculty in an incredible olinrf finiA nnrl anon nnnie to feel almost as j much at ease while standing on the horse's back as ./hen on the ground ; while as they grow up in constant practice, each year as it passes gives them more and more confidence, and qn additional sense of security while exeI cuting the roost difficult feats. It is nearly j impossible for a full grown man or woman to' gain this balance; but to children reared in <the business, the movements required to maintain their equilibrium come as naturally as those of walking or running. The younger the child when he begins his lessons, the greater is the possibility of his acquiring a perfect balance. The training of children for the circus ring lis-not attended with anything like the danger that is generally supposed, as every precau-% iion is taken against accident. This is necesfegKjiat only / "1 motives of humanity, but *" rgilfl. *n<>Ugk-4*g*1 talis, lie becotneajfittiBMlIwfa ? 1 j^rdriy, anhl being in constant dread of injury, j is too tiraidt to wittingly attempt any difficult .feats, aq?d too much frightened to accomplish I them successfully if induced to make the attempt. When a child is first put upon a horse he has a belt around his waist, attached to which is a ring or loop. Through this ring a cord is passed, one end of which is fastened to the pommel of the pad, or broad saddle used by circus riders, while the other is held by the instructor, so that however often the pupil may miss his footing he- is prevented from falling to the ground. To accustom the pupil to the movements of the horse, he is first placed astride the animal's back, and practiced in that position until he can hold himself firmly and easily in his seat, without bouncing or swerving from aide to side, If the pupil is a girl, she is taught to ride with her feet hanging over the near side of the pad. The next step is to accustom the child to the movement of getting upon his feet while the horse is in motion, and then returning to the first position. This getting on and off the feet is kept up for a long time, until it can be ac? poraplisl^ed with ease and certainty. Then the pupil is taught to balance himself in different positions, to stand on one foot, and to leap. When the child has acquired sufficient skill and confidence, the safety cord is dis pensed with, and he is instructed how to leap from his horse to the ground, great pains being taken with this point in order that he may be able to save himself from injury in case of a stumble on the part of the animal he is riding, or a "miss" on his own. After this, tlTe course of instruction pursued depends altogether upon the ability of the teacher and the progress made by the pupil. Circus riders can well afford to stand a good many hard knocks during their apprenticeship, in consideration of the high salaries they receive after having learned their business and come of age. First-class riders get " ilflfftd ^uy ft Din $75 to $350 per week, and their expenses while traveling; but it must be a rider of extraordinary merit who can command over $100 per week, while almost anybody who can keep on his feet three times around the ring, can get from $40 to $60 per week, with traveling expenses, female yj: ders receiye from $30 to $250 per week, according to their ability and shrewdness in making an engagement. A good rider who has three or four smart children or apprentices can command a very large salary. Men r vtho throw somersaults over hofses are called leapers, and sometimes get as much as $75 per week for that act alone, doing no other performance. . * The First of the Credit System.?The ' * i n first occasion on whicn we near 01 an organized system of credit is when Joseph raort' gaged the cattle, lands and even the persons of all the Egyptian people, in order to pay for the corn he supplied them from State granaries. The end of the seven years' famine > found the Egyptians not only paupers, but bondsmen, sowing Pharaoh's corn on Pharaoh's land, and compelled to pay for the privif lege -of doing it, twenty per cent, of the crop to Pharaoh's treasury forever, without equity of redemption. The Egyptians had no preJ vious experience of Jews. Excepting Abraham, a quiet, inoffensive old patriarch, who - came to Egypt because he was hungry?and he got Pharaoh into trouble?they had never seen a Jew before. It is, therefore, highly ; probable that a remembrance of Joseph's fis1 cal policy whilst chancellor of their exchequer, contributed in no small degree to the severity with which they afterward ground down and oppressed the children of Israel. But the fact especially noticeable about the introduction of credit is this?bankruptcy and credit came in together; Joseph lfft Egypt a nation of bankrupts. And ever since that time, bound together by an indissoluble bond of union {bonds, in fact, of bills and promissory notes), those Siamese twins, bankruptcy and credit, have gone on thriving together, and will go on to thrive, until one of the twain gets his deathblow, it matters not which; then, the other will immediately die a natural death. # THE DEVELOPMENT OY GENIUS. The attempt has been made, from time to time, to detect some uniformity in the development of genius. So resolute was a writer ofthalfa century ago in his belief that he had found one trait common to authors, at least, that he assorted it confidently. It was that precocity is a sure sign of mature insignificance, aud that great geniuses have always been the dullest in the schools. Even of authors this is untrue. There are Kirke White, Walter Scott, Dryden, who in boyhood wrote the couplet, "The modest water, awed by power divine. Beheld its God, and blushed itself in wine." Isaac W atts, Pope, "a poet for the world at sixteen," Cowper, Syron, and a hostof others. On the other hand, there are many notable instances of youthful stupidity. La Fontaine "was a well disposed, hopeless dunceGoldsmith was a severe trial to his instructors; Coleridge was constantly subjected to the rod for his idlenessand thus the great names go on, some showing their gifts earlier, some later. In habits of composition, there is a like disparity. Walter Scott had much greater facility in his boyhood than in later life. There is a story of his crossing a stream with a friend, and their mutual agreed ment to write a number of verses on thesarae subject while the boat was being rowed to the further shore. When an hour had elapsed Scott had wrote six lines, and remarked to his friend he never could earn his living by writing poetry. Goldsmith deemed four lines a good day's work, and the "Deserted Village" occupied him some seven years. Goethe was an instance of quite another kind. His thoughts came in multitudes and he rushed to hi3 desk, where they were jotted down in very odd cljpracters, on paper of almost every description, sometimes illegible from his haste and his incorrigible scrawl. Dryden wrote the "Ode to St. Cecilia" without rising from his chair; it occupied him the whole of a night, and the morning found him trembling with exhaustion and almost speechless. Tasso, like Goethe, wrote upon impulse, and corrected so extensively that many of his manuscripts could not be deciphired without his own aid? a fault to which Pope was also absurdly subject. The latter interlined his proof sheets with remarks so copious that nobody could make out the. copy or the correction, and the whole matter was often to re-^et. Addison wrote fluently, but was v.ery 'scrupulous in coirectionLand Byron j&fejjgagrjito problem to tb? .prioGrl Petrarch read -ofwrote coiiamntfy, and, as a result, was at times insane. Lamartine is credited with a very eccentric and unlikely method of composition. He walked in his park, with pieces of paper and a pencil in his hand, and, on the coming of an idea, noted it on a scrap, which was at once thrown into a box. When ideas and scraps had sufficiently accumulated, his secretary, we are told, arranged them in any form he pleased for publication, and Lamartine did not read them for months after their issue. As great musicians have drawn their inspiration from listening to the strains of earlier masters, ?0 have authors always regaled their minds with the productions of admired models before begining any literary exercise, Bossuet read Homer; "X light my lamp at the sun," said he. Milton kept Euripides upon his table, and Gray read Spenser. That endless journey, the Fairy Queen, also inspired Cowley; and the Italian poets, especially Tasso and Petrarch, were imitators of countrymen of their own, whom they eclipsed into oblivion. MAHOGANY CUTTING. Of all occupations known to man, that of , the mahogany cutter is perhaps the wildest in its nature, and among the most systematic in its arrangements. When the cutter has fixed upon the valley of some river as the field of his operations, he makes a depot for storing provisions, and for securing and embarking the wood. Here he maintains a fleet of pitpans for carrying supplies and keeping up relations with the "works" proper, the sites of which are determined by the abundance of trees, their accessibility, and the means that exist "for feeding the cattle which it is necessary to use.in "trucking" the wood. To these points it is often necessary to drive the oxen through thfck and untracked forests, and to carry the chains and trucks, by the means of small boats, against strong currents, or over shallows and rapids, which are only surmounted with infinite labor. The site once definitely fixed upon, the next step is to ereot temporary dwellings for the men?a task of no great difficulty, as the only requisite is protection from the sun and rains, which is effected by a roof thatched with long grass from the swamps, or with "cahoon" leaves, on the branches of the thatch-palm. A hammock swung between two posts, two stones to support his kettle, and the hut of the cutter is both finished and furnished! The mahogany season, which lasts some months, commences in August of each year, it being the opinion of cutters that the wood is not so apt to split in falling, nor so likely to "check" in seasoning, as when cut from April to August, in what is called the "Spring." Furthermore, by commencing at this period, the cutter is enabled to get down his wood, and prepare it for trucking, by the setting in of the dry season. The laborers are divided into gangs or com* pauies of from twenty to fifty each, under the directions of a leader styled 'a captain,' who directs the men in his company, assigns them their rtailv tanks, and adds to Or deducts from their wages in proportion as they aw complish more or less than what is supposed i to be a just day's work. Each has also one person connected with it who is called a hunter, whose duty it is to search the "bush" for trees proper to cut. His work, therefore commences somewhat earlier than that of the others, and as it involves activity and intelligence* he is paid much higher wages than the mere witters. His first movement is to cul hid way through the thickest of the woods to some elevated situation, where he climbs the tallest trees he finds, from which he minutely surveys the surrounding country. Around Belize the mahogany cutters are chiefly negroes, descendants of the slaves who were formerly employed there. But in Hon-1 duraa they are" principally ^Caribs, who, in activity and strength, are said to excel negroes ; they are also more intelligent and require less care and superintendence., Many of them go annually to Belize and hire themselves for the season, returning to their homes at its close. A Gallant Confederate.?We publish the following from the pen of General D. H. Hill, editor of the Sotrthem Home, Charlotte, North Carolina. An eye-witness says that the meeting between the General and Captain KANDOLPH was tOUCDIDg in U16 exireuie ; " Captain Lewie Randolph*?We werefiShocked to find at the depot in Charlotte,. this, famous scouTo? Lee's army, dying of consumption. He had been spending some time at Aiken, South Carolina, and was trying to reach his home in Virginia, to die there. I Captain Randolph is the great grandson of j President Jefferson, and nephew of General G. W. Randolph, late Confederate Secretary of War. He inherited the stalwart figure, the iron constitution, and the great physical strength of the Jeffereons. He always select ed the darkest, coldest, and most inclement nights for his visits to the enemy's camps. Many of his perilous adventures excelled the wildest incidents of fiction. General Lee gained from him much of that information which so often baffled and confused the enemy's plans. "One of the most terrible nights we remember to have known, Capt. Randolph crossed the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, and went into Burnside's lines. After a week's absence he come back with full knowledge of the strength, position and plans of the Federal General?him with the powerful field glass. Gen. Bradley T. Johnson men tioned in his report of second Manassas, tbat the Confederate line in the rail road cut got out of animuuition and fought the enemy with rocks. On this occasion Captain R. struck a man on the forehead, and killed him instantly. This was but one of his many marvellous feats of strength. To think of such a man dying with consumption ! The once gay, light-hearted, chivalrous athlete dying of consumption on a fail road train? dying, but talking sweetly of. his Saviour, and joyfully of his hopes of a blessed immortality." A Revolutionary Senate.?Thelndiana Senate, says an exchange, has been the scene of one of the most singular complications that ever took place in American politics. On the first day of the session, one or two of the Republican members being absent, and the members elect being being politically tied, the democrats took the opportunity to object to be sworn, bnt an appeal was taken, and the temporary Democratic majority carried it against the decision of the chair. When the absentee Republicans tardily arrived, they found themselves in a minority. The Lieutenant-Governor would not recognize the validity of the vote of the Senate refusing the oath of office to Mr. Burson, and that gentleman was sworn in. Ever since the vote referred to, the majority of the Senate have refused him participation in xhc votes of the body, but Governor Cumback has with equal persistency recognized his rights as a member. The process^which is repeated several times a day, is something as follows: The yeas and nays are called and Mr. Burson's name omitted, A Republican member rises and calls the attention of the chair to the fact of the omission, and Governor Cumback directs the Secretary to call Mr. Burson's name. Thereupon another member, a Democrat, takes the floor and raises the point of order that Mr. Bureon is not a member of the Sendte. The Chair overrules the point, but - on an appeal the Democrats overrule the Chair, and Mr. Burson's name is not called. The Secretary was chosen by the "revolutionary majority," as the Democrats are not inappropriately styled, and is of course willing to obey them. The Meanest Man.-?The Lewiston (Me.,) Journal thinks it has found the meanest man. A missionary traveling in Maine recently came to a wealthy man who greeted him with great heartiness. "Every man onght to do something for the Home Missionary cause," said the wealthy man. "I want you to visit every man in this parish?all can do something." "Glad to hear it," said the missionary, feeling that he had hit on a great heart and a great pocket. "I guess J will take your subscription now". "Well," said the rich friend of home missions, "I can just as well make my contribution now as any time. These are hard times, but every man should do his part. By the way, you needn't call on "my son?he's sick, and I'll give enough for him and me too." Visions of $100 greenhacks flitted before the eyes of the missionary, as the rich man drew his wallet He U nna* a tuvll'lp And hAIlAAth & 1UIUU1VU lb UTU 1V1 M TTMMVJ ^-V. ? ? pile of greenbacks finally unearthed a piece of paper and handed it to the missionary, saying, "God bless you." It was a ten cent script! Fifteen Great Mistakes.?It is a great mistake to set up our own standard of right and wrong, and judge people accordingly It is a great mistake to measure the enjoyment of others by our own ; to expect uniformity of opinion in this wodd; to look for judgment in youth; to endeavor to mould all dispositions alike; not to yield in immaterial trifles; to look for perfection in our own actions; to worry ourselves and others with what cannot be i jmedied; not to alleviate all that needs alleviation, as far as lies in our power; not to make allowance for the infirmities of others; to consider everything impossible which we cannot perform; to believe only what our finite minds can grasp; to expect to be able to understand everything. The greatest of all mistakes is, to live for time, when any moment may launch ue into eternity. Occupation.?What a glorious thing it is ' for the human heart! Those who work hard seldom yield to fended or real sorrow. When grief sits down, folds its hands, and mournfully feeds upon its own fears, weaving the dim > shadows that a little exertion might sweep i away into a funeral pall, the strong spirit was sborn of its migm, ami surruw uauucg ^ the master. When troubles flow upon you, dark and heavy, toil not with the waves, and wrestle not with the torrent; rather seek by occupation to divert the dark- waterr that threaten to overwhelm you into a thousand channels, which the duties of life always present. Before you dream of it, those waters will fertilize the present and give birth to fresh flowers, that will become pure and holy in the sunshine which penetrates to the path of duty in spite of every obstacle. Grief, after all, is but a selfish feeling, and most selfish , is the man who yields himself to the indulgence of any passion which brings*no jpy to his fellow-men. The Monk in Solitude.?I recollect .* _ pleasant story, told by a pious minister, about a monk of former days. He resolved to leave # his monasteiy, on the ground that he thereto? frequently met with causes of nnd wnn hntrnjrnfl infn nngnf rjtfntfinr Accordingly hj retired into the desert, in the tLof anKtnrio orniiM ptiftKlft liirn to serve "WJAi Vlinv OVUVUUV - , . ? . God with an easier mind. One day his pitch* er happened to upset, and, when lifted up, fell a second time, which kindled bis anger to such a pitch that he dashed it to the ground and broke it into a thousand pieces. When he came to himself, he said; "I now see that I cannot be at peace, even in solitude, and that the fault lies not in others, but in my* self." He then returned to the monasteiy, and, after many strenuous efforts, succeeded in subduing his passions, not by flight, but by self-denial. f ' ? .o.'tij tin! Everybody Knows Us.?Some say that it is no use for them to advertise, that they have been in one place of business all their ; lives, and everybody knows them. Such people seem to forget to take into consideration-, that our country is increasing in'population nearly forty per cent in every ten years, and no matter how old the place may be, there are constant changes taking place; some move to other parts, and strangers take their places. In this age of the world, unless the name of a business Arm is kept constantly before the public, some new Arms may start up, and by liberally advertising, in a very short time take the places of the older ones, and the latter rust out, as it were, and are forgotten. No man ever lost money by judiciously advertising. # f. Reading the News.?A wag was request* ed by an old lady to read the newspaper for her. He took it up and read as follows: "Last night, yesterday morning, about one o'clock iu the afternoon, before breakfast, a hungry boy, about forty years old, bought a big custard for a levy, and threw it through a brick wall nine feet thick, and jumping over it, broke his right ankle off above his left, knee, and fell into a dry mill-pond and was drowned. About forty yedrs after that, on the same day, an old cat had nine turkey gobblers ; a high wind blew Yankee Doodle on a I waa talking to his aunt Peter." Whereupon - the old lady, taking a long breath, exclaimed: "Da tell!" Don't Stand Still.?If you do you will be run over. Motion, action, progress; these are the words which now fill the vaults of heaven with their stirring demands, and make human hearts pulsate with a strong bound. Advance or stand aside, do not block up the way and hinder the career of others; there is too much to do now to allow of inaction anywhere or in any one. There is something for all to do; the world is becoming more aricT .more known; wider in magnitude- -closer in interf>v?j^gre loving and more eventful than of old. "^tn^^Jjeeds of daring; not on the ensanguined fieldTn^t^^h^ms and terrors ; not in blood, and tears, andgl?JDa?>41Uf in the leaping, vivifying, exhilarating impuP^^-^. ses of a better souL Reader?are you doing your part of this work? * I ^ | I?* The best and safest tooth-wash in the world is tepid water. There is not a toothpowder in existence nor a tooth-wash that does not inflict a physical injury to the teeth and promote. their decay. Each dentist has a powder of his own, which he sells at a thousand per cent, profit, which he may honestly imagine will do a positive good without any injury whatever; but be is mistaken. The teeth were never intended to be pearly white. Every intelligent dentist knows that the whiter the teeth are, the sooner and more cer tainly they will decay; he also knows that those teeth are the soundest, last the longest and are the most useful which have a yellowish tint: then why provide powders to take off this yellowish surface??Dr. Hall. Mind Your Own Business.?To tell a man to his face to mind his own business, would be considered about equal to knocking him down. And yet is one of the simplest rulest of conduct, and the most useful that mankind can adopt in their intercourse with each other. There is a great deal of Paul Pry spirit in the human heart, or wonderful inquisitiveness in regard to the personal and private affairs of friends and neighbors. This spirit makes more mischief in the community than almost any other cause, and creates more malice, envy and jealousy than can be overcome in a century. Let every man mind his own business, and there will not be half the trouble in the world that there is at present. Riches.?The man with good firm health s rich. So is the man with a clear conscience. So is the parent of vigorous, happy children. So is the clergyman whose coat the little children of his parish pluck, as he passes them at their play. So is that wife who has the whole heart of a good husband. So is the maiden whose horizon is not bounded by the "coming man," but who has a purpose in life, whether 1 she ever met him or not So is the young I man who, laying his hand on his heart, can I say, "I have treated every woman X saw as I | should wish my sister treated by other men." I So is the little child who goes to sleep with a I kiss on its lips, and for whose waking a kind I blessing awaits. I 96P The cleanest city in the world is Broch, in, I Holland, which no horse or carriage has ever been permitted to enter, and where everything I is kept with the most scrupulous neatness. Before entering many of the houses you are I required to remove your Bhoes. It is said I that even the Emperor of Russia was com- B pelled to comply with this custom on. his re- fl | cent visit to that place. H