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lewis m. grist, Proprietor. | |n Jniicpcttbcnl J'amilj ftepaper. Jfor % |romotion of tjjc political, Social, ^ricnlterai anil Commercial |iricrcsts of % Sontji. j TERMS?$3.00 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE. VOL. 25. YORKYILLE, S. C., THltRSDAY, JULY 17, 1879. ' INTO. 29. ?fte lellrr. AN ARROW ESCAPE. "It was during the Mexican war, when I 1 * was a sub. in a cavalry regiment, that I found myself on duty at Vera Cruz. Tempted by ' the mountains and the vicinity, the beautiful scenery, and, above all, the superb hunting, I sallied forth early one morning accompanied by no one save'my Newfoundland dog. "I was an ardent sportsman, my doublebarreled gun worked to a charm, and not until the deepening shades of evening accompanied by an unmistakable growl of thunder, did I give a thought to the flight of time or the importance of retracing my steps to the city. "It was about the time that the bloodthirsty and cowardly Canales had commanded that no quarter be granted to the hated Amerinans "I had not anticipated danger from the enemy, unless it might be in the shape of some small band of guerillas lurking amid the mountain gorge, actuated more by the hope of plunder than by patriotic motives. "I will not attempt to say how many thousand feet T was above the level of the sea, but FI found the elevation sufficient, eveu for the tried and practiced nerves of a seaman, had he been placed in my position.. "There is but little twilight in the tropics. The sun had disappeared in the fold of an immense cloud which was rapidly spreading itself over the entire heavens, while from its sable depths darted lurid sheets of lightning, followed by the increasing roar of thunder, which already found an echo through the mountain. "I did not fancy a wet jacket, and "whistling for my dog, an animal to which I was warmly attached, was on the point of retracing my steps down the rough mountain road, when the jingling of spurs and accoutrements, the trampliug of horses and the hoarse word of command was sufficient for me to draw back into a tall tuft of grass and Spanish bayonet growing beside me. "The dog crouched at my feet, prowling ominously, as if conscious of the danger his master was in ; aud faith, I did not much like the situation I found myself compelled to face. "A number of Mexican lancers were before me, preparing to bivouac for the night, and my retreat down the road was out of the question. "High, precipitous rocks hemmed me in on three sides through which the road I had traveled had been originally cut. The outlet was ijow in the possession of the lancers, while in front of me the steep side of the mountain, verging almost on to a precipice, sloped toward the city. "To remain where I was would be only to court death, a nameless fate, an unknown grave, for discovery was certain to follow when the sentinels should be posted. "Cautiously I examined the smooth sides of the precipice, covered here and there by a net work of vines clinging to the crevices and rifts in the rocks for its uncertain life. Further on I beheld a dark, irregular line disappearing in the murky depths below. I strained my eyes to the utmost, for the gloom of night and the mists of the storm, which threatened every moment to burst above my * head, enveloped all objects in darkness and uncertainty. "But for once fortune favored n.e, and I never laid claim to beiug a favorite of the fickle jade. The dark line proved to be a deep, dry gulley, the channel of some mountain stream long since dried up. "But how to reach the friendly cover? that was the question which puzzled me. "A sudden commotion among the gaylytrapped gentry behind me decided my course of action. They had kindled a small campfire, were about to cook their evening meal, and a dozen men?tall, strapping fellowswere radiating from the main body in different directions, to perform the duty of sentinels. "One in particular . was making for the friendly clump of wide-spreading limb3, in hopes, possibly, to partially escape the fierce gusts of wind and rain which had Degun 10 sweep about the mountain. "Dropping my fowling-piece and bidding my noble dog to shift for himself, I swung myself over the precipice, clinging to the network cf vines, which shook and complained beneath my weight. "The darkness had increased with astonishing rapidity, and as I swung over that rayless void, I found it impossible to pierce the gloom. I heard the short, sharp howl of my ^ dog as he darted off in search of me; then, amid the rush of the squall came the confused shouts of men, a straggling shot or two mingling with the crash of the heavy artillery rolling in the vast expanse above me. "Depending principally upon the strength and endurance of ray arms, I carefully and cautiously felt my way along the verge of the precipice, working in the direction cf the gully, which, once gained, promised to afford me the means of escape from the dangers which encompassed me. "Broad sheets of lightning lit up with dazzling distinctness the fearful scene, bringing -out every crevice and blade of grass; and once, when I had found a slight support for my feet, and was giving my aching arras a rest. I glanced above amid the yellow glare of the lightning and beheld the fierce, dark whiskered face of a Mexican peering over the brink, his eyes apparently fastened on me as I hung suspended and flattened against the cliff, but a few feet below him, while the electricity twisted and writhed, like tongues of infernal serpents, around the muzzle of his carbine. "It was a trying moment my friend ; a situation well calculated to inspire a feeling of terror in the heart of the boldest. ' But whether it was the rain, which was falling in torrents and driving furiously before the gale, or the glare of the lightning, which prevented the lancer from discovering me, I am unable to say. -At all events, I escaped his no- j tine, the shot did not come. and. watching: my | chance in the fuss of the tempest I continued j my perilous course. "It seemed as if the flood gates of heaven ' had been opeued, and the scourging wind, j sweeping with terrible violence around the . mountain, disputed every inch of the way which I gained with the utmost difficulty, oftentimes threatening to tear me bodily from the oscillating ladder which had served me so well. "I had but little strength to spare when I | ^ at length found myself crouching in the muddy bottom of the old mountain gorge. "The earth yielded beneath my feet, sand ; and pebbles twirled by ; and rising above the crash of the elements I heard the increasing roar of some unknown torrent, as it. swelled and gathered force far above me. "Nerved on by the strength of despair, I rushed down the deep declivity, reckless as to where my feet might wander. Completely blinded between the mingled glare of the j lightning and the intense darkness that followed each flash, I stumbled on, feeling that every moment my steps were becoming more unsteady. * "The water was already up to my knees and rushing by with a force that made me grip desperately to whatever projection I could find along the side of the ravine. "The* inexorable waters yet rose faster, and the danger of the tempest grew wilder still. My strength and even my faculties were fail ing fast, my feet were lifted from beneath me, and quicker than thought I was rushing help lesaly along, enveloped amid the spray and foam of that maddening whirl. "I think I roust have lost myself for a mo ment, but waked, amid the darkness and roaring waters, nearly strangled to death, Another instant and I was whirled heavily against some yielding object. I rallied my strength for a final effort. The next flash revealed the wreck of a tree, with the roots still clinging tenaciously to the side of the bank. "I drew myself up out of the rush of the current, aud crawled to a firm foot-hold on the shelving bank of the torrent. "The cool rain revived me. The terrible strain upon my nervous system had robbed me to a great extent of the strength and vitality natural to my strong constitution. But ray power of endurance was great. I stumbled forward, feeling my way amid debris of fallen trees, pit-holes and huge rocks all scattered promiscuously about on the steep side of the mountain, until a faint glimmer of light streamed tremulously across my path. It was a welcome sight, and, prisoner or no prisoner, I made i}p my mind to risk life and liberty, and demand shelter from the storm, which still raged, but gave signs of abating. "I was unarmed; the only weapon I had sallied forth with had been abandoned on the edge of the precipice, previous to my attempting the perilous passage. I felt my heart beat faster as I neared the door of that tumble down ranche, which loomed up, a huge, shapeless mass, amid the gloom and solitude of that wild spot. "A moment's hesitation, and I knocked resolutely at the door. " ' Quxero xrive,' (who comes there ?) and I heard the click of a weapon. " 'I am an American,' I replied bitterly, in English; 'a United States officer, who has lost his way on the side of this cursed mountain.' "With a jerk the door was thrown back on its rusty hinges, revealing the figure of a man of brawny proportions, armed to the teeth, and of most villainous aspect. "He held a flaring torch on high, the uncertain light of which fell across his'scarred ITonnlxr on/1 /loll Kpr. anu otumiug v ica^g. axvvuij wuu uv??wV* ately he scanned the torn and tattered remains of my uniform, then, in a voice harsh and growling, he demanded : " 'What do you want here, and how many of you are there ?' "I replied in the best Spanish I could master, that I was alone, aod repeated my doleful story of being lost in the storm. "At that moment, to my surprise and astonishment, my faithful Newfoundland, who, by some keen instiuct of his nature had succeeded in scenting me, burst from the surrounding obscurity, testifying his joy by leap ing upon me and baying in his deep, powerful tones. "It was a welcome surprise to me. I felt that I had at least one friend upon whom I could rely in case of an emergency. "The man's appearance was indicative of a mixtured ferocity and cunning, while his eye, wild and unsettled, lit up with an expression I could not fathom, as he bade me enter. "Strange forebodings filled my heart as I gazed about the recesses of the hovel. -It was almost bare of furniture, save a table and two broken chairs. A fire blazed cheerily in the fire-place, before which were stretched three dark forms wrapped in tattered and greasy blankets. The gleam of fire-arms, as they lay piled in the corner, did not escape ray attention ; and you may depend I did not feel the easiest in my miud as I drew up before the fire, with my dog coiled at my feet. "In my exhausted state, despite the danger I felt lurking about me, I must have dropped off asleep, my head finding a support against a projection of the chimney. "The low monotonous hum of voices fell upon my ear, and cautiously reconnoitering from beneath the visor of my cap, I found that the three sleepers had Aroused themselves, and were in deep, earnest consultation with the man whom I had first accosted. "Straining my ears to the utmost, I could manage to catch occasional fragments of sentences as they dropped from the lips of the four comrades, who were as promising candidates for the gallows as ever I care to meet again under like circumstances. "The howl and rush of the gale had ceased, but the occasional patter of rain drops from the leaves anrl roof of the ranche proved that the storm had but recently passed away. " 'Do you notice the glitter of those buttons?' remarked one of the four. "'Curse the buttons!' broke in another, fiercely; 'of what value are they? It's the glitter of gold I like to see; and we have already wasted too much valuable time. I for one say kill hira. If the Yankee dog had a dozen lives they should all be forfeited. He has come here masked; he shall not depart so easily.' "'Hush, Juan; you are too hasty. The question is, will it pay to dispose of hira ourselves and share the plunder, or take him to Canales? He might comedown handsome. Suppose the fellow should prove to be an officer of importance?' " 'Bah ! You talk like a fool. Do you not see that he is too young to have gained importance. As for Canales, carrajo! you will gel nothing for your pains from him. "All this I heard distinctly and much more which it is unnecessary to repeat. That my life was doomed was beyond all doubt, but I was not disposed to make a vacancy in the corps without a struggle, and, especially undergoing what I had escaping from the lancers. "I felt the blood coursing through my veins with renewed vigor as I looked the situation square in the face. My brain grew clearer as the imminence of the peril I was in grew more apparent. "The dying embers of the fire emitted fitful gleams which fell across the arras of the scoundrels piled promiscuously together in the corner of the ranche. "At that moment, and as I was casting wistful glances at a carbine, the beetle-browed rascal who had lighted me into the gdrden glided across the floor, slipping a stout bar across tne noor. " 'Now boys, finish the job, and then share alike,' were the words I heard. "Every nerve in my body jarred; the blood rushed back to my heart as the decisive moment arrived. Up to that time I had not stirred or changed my position, leading the scoundrels to count upon an easy victory no doubt. The odds were fearfully against me, and as the four turned their wolfish eyes in my direction, the clear, ringing notes of a bugle came rising and falling, filling the air with its melody. "A wild cry of joy burst involuntarily from my lips, a thrill of hope pervaded ray whole being, as I listened. It came from my owu gallant lads?a detachment sent out, in all probability, in search for their missing officer. "My four friends had paused, with their hands on their murderous knives, undecided how to act. They turned, for an instant, to ward the door, leaving me to take advantage of their stupidity. "When they again confronted me, I was in possession of the coveted comer with a rifle to my shoulder, looking them grimly in the face, while my dog, his hair bristling with rage, stood bravely beside me, displaying his white fangs to the enraged gaze of the greasy four. , " 'Knife him, lads, before they are atop of i us. Put him out of sight, or we'll all swing,' 1 I but not one of them stirred. "That dark, death-dealing rifle barrel had a wonderful tranquilizing effect. < " 'Curses on ye?' shouted the leader, foaming with rage, as be dashed forward, knife in 1 hand. 'Are you all afraid of the Yankee! 1 I let him in here, and this knife shall give i him permission to leave.' j i "Perhaps the villain expected to shake my i nerves, and cause me to throw away my shot, e but I never felt firmer, more determined, in i i my life. 1 "On he came brandishing his knife, closely c followed by his adherents, i "I covered his left-breast with the sight of t the weapon, and with the report, the scoun- r drel fell headlong to the floor. " \ "Charging through the smoke, the remain ing three rushed upon me, but were met by t the dog, who buried his teeth in the flesh of ? one of them. t "I remember striking out with my clubbed t rifle, of parrying rapid thrusts, and cheering on the dog, when by some means, in the 1 melee, a horn or canister of powder must t have fallen amid the red-hot embers of the i fire. t "It exploded with tremendous violence, f blowing off the roof of the house, rending the f walls asunder, and hurling me to one side a half suffocated and nearly insensible. 1 "When I fully realize what was passing about me, my own troops were removing the 1 debris of the ranche from my limbs, and the t Newfoundland licking my face. e "It was as I supposed, a party sent out in a search of my unfortunate self; and they were returning from a bootless search, when the a report of a rifle followed by an explosion and r the glare of flames attracted their attention, t "Of course ray friend; we made short work of the three miscreants whom we "dragged v from the burning wreck. They howled vig- J '? ^ ~ W?nn r?/?f fn Ko 1 orousiy jor mercy, uui uini* noo nun w . thought of in their case. A swing from the nearest bough terminated their career, and I f rode back to Vera Cruz, with my mind firmly made up that, during the remainder of t the campaign, nothing should ever tempt me o to wander alone among the hills of Mexico in s quest of game." A TIMELY SHOT. In the year 1810, the English sloop-of-war (' Canton, after cruising successfully against r the vessels of the French, lay anchored off Calcutta. ^ Soon after the anchor was down, a fine ' young sailor, named Henry Melton, a man of v refinement and education, who however, had ' shipped as a foremast hand, made application ' to the captain for permission to go ashore to visit his old mother, who anticipating the ves- F 8el's arrival at her present port, had sailed in d a trading vessel all the way from England to Calcutta for the sake of peeing her son. v Too ill to go aboard, she had sent word to ^ Henry on her arrival, begging him to come to her; Old Captain Knowles, of the vessel, was a v strict disciplinarian. Although his beautiful 0 daughter Sylveen, a girl of eighteen, who had joined her father at a Spanish port, where c she had been staying with her brother, besought her stern parent to grant the sailor's ^ request, yet it was decidedly refused. 8 The consequence was that Henry Melton, v who had finally learned that his mother was not expected to live, -deserted on a certain 8 dark night, in a boat in which he went ashore from the war-vessel, as one of the crew, for provisions. The young man was just in time to receive 1' ' ? ' 1 i * i _ e his mother's last Messing, ana <o ciose ner ? eyes in death. He had with him a sum of * money; a part of this he took to an English ^ merchant of whom his mother had hired her 8 lodgings, and from whom he obtained a promise that the remains of his parent should be F decently buried. With the cash he had left, he purchased a small pistol, which he loaded with powder and ball, and concealed in a se- ^ cret pocket of his jacket. e The instrument was one of the best of its ' kind. Herbert, in his prosperous days, had 9 taken lessons of a celebrated professor of pistol practice, who had not only taught him to always hit his mark, but also how to choose a ? good weapon. He knew he would be arrested, and be condemned either to a flogging with the fear- a ful "cat-o'-nine-tails," or to death, for his de- sertion. < Should the sentence against him prove ( to be punishment with the lash, he now had means of avoiding it. Sooner than suffer the disgrace of a flogging, he would shoot himself through the head with his pistol. I He resolved to endeavor to avoid capture e until his mother was buried, that he might at c least have the satisfaction of seeing that cold t form deposited in a fit resting-place. v He therefore struck far out into the coun- ? try, and finally concealed himself in a pav- a ern. . ? Toward night the next day, who should f pass his retreat but the captain and his daugh- t ter, who had been out all day accompanied t by guides, for a stroll. \ Unfortunately for Henry, there was with s the party a small dog, which soon discover- p ing the young man, set up a loud barking. l The captain, with his Hindoo guides, at- a tracted to the cave by the noise, saw the \ sailor. 9 "Ha!" exclaimed the old commander. "So "! here we are! Arrest him, guides! He is 1 one of my men?a deserter !" fc Melton soon was a prisoner. f "How far are we from the city?" inquired i Captain Knowles of one of the guides. i "Six miles," was the response. c "Then we will pitch our tents in that plain 1 yonder, and encamp for the night. Keep a f good watch over the prisoner, guides." a "Oh, papa," pleaded Sylveen, with tears in c her beautiful blue eyes, "let hira go." 1 "Humph !" growled the captain. "A pret- t ty navy we'd have of it if we took the advice t of women. No, ma'am, that man must not a go. He has deserted in time of war. He d will be shot." a The tents were soon pitched by some of the t guides, who carried canvas and blankets. 1 Though much fatigued, yet Sylveen could e not sleep for thinking of the prisoner. I His calm, handsome face, showing neither " fear nor bravado, when her father had men- a tioned his destined fate, haunted her mind. s Through a crevice in the tent she could c , now see him standing composed and cheerful- t : looking, out there in the clear moonlight, c amongst his dusky guards. g i At last the young girl dropped to sleep, t | At dawn she was waked by a strange feeling j" , /-.nnrouuinn itl Ilflr nhest. | ( . A thrill of horror went through her frame. I Motionless?speechless with fear?she lay, at ? sight of a hideous-looking serpent coiled upon s her breast! i The monster was about four feet long, its folds wound up in three rings, in the centre v ; of which was its head, slightly elevated, its v two glittering eyes turned full upon her face, ' ' its forked tongue moving hack and forth with r lightning rapidity in its half opened mouth ! r The body was of a dark color, and had the e > appearance of being covered all over with sli- t my-looking spots or scales. Under the thro&t ' were two stringy appendages hanging like ] ! miniature hammocks to that part of the crea- \ i ture, and adding to the uncouth aspect of the ] i reptile. e i Sylveen had heard descriptions enough of ] ' this fearful pest of India to realize at a glance 1 that her horrible visitor was the terrible co- p Wa decapello?one of the most venomous of ;he serpent tribe. What could she do? - . The slightest cry?the feeblest movement >n her part?would insure her destruction. The creature had its gaze upon her, and ;he moment she should stir it would doubtless hrust its horrible head against her face or ieck and make her feel the fatal bite of its joisonous fangs! Scarcely daring to breathe she lay, keeping sven hereye-lids steady, while a cold peropi* ation bathed her brow, and her heart beat oud and fast with a wild terror that almost leprived her of conciousness. Meanwhile, outside the tent she could hear he voices of her father and the guides, as they noved to and fro, ignorant of her perilous jositiod. Would they never come ? Vainly she lisened for her father's approaching footstep. Several times she saw his shadow cross the hreshold of the tent, and once she beheld his irni; but he did not enter. Suddenly the serpent elevated his head ligher than before. The beating of her heart, he heaving of her breast, which she could lot suppress, had projbably roused the creaure to action. Slowly the head was thrush orward, then its slimy touch was on her lesh?it lay nestled on her white throat! In t few moments she would probably feel its lorrid fangs! Just then her father looked in the tent. Je saw the serpent at once?at. once realized he peril of the child. *An involuntary cry scaped him. The Hindoo guides were soon it his side. They looked hopelessly at their muskets ;nd their knives. They could neither cut lor shoot the serpent, lying so closely against he girl, without, mortally wounding her. For them to attempt to seize the creature pith the hand must also prove fatal to the roung woman. The moment they touched it, t would bite her throat. What was to be done ? How was the ser>ent to be removed ? Not one of them could think of any plan, and he old captain wrung his hands in silent agmy, believing that tne fate of bis child was ealed. Suddenly Henry Melton made his appear,nce at the door of the tent. The guides and the captain, in their terj>i lation and alarm, had forgotten him. ile night have escaped, had heso*wished. The moment he beheld Sylveen's situation lis eyes gleamed with a cold steady glitter. The girl lay on her back, her right side tocards the door of the tent. In this position ler throat, with the head of the serpent nesting upon it was distinctly revealed. Henry raised his left arm, as a sign to the tarty to make no noise. With his right he Irew his pistol. "Hold 1" whispered the captain, seizing his crist. "If you fire at that serpent you will ;ill my child!" "I will save her," answered Melton. "My God ! I cannot risk it! Your bullet rill fail?it must fail, with the serpent right" n her!" "I have no fear, sir!" answered Melton, almly. He looked so confident that the captain, who lad heard that he was a crack shot from ome of the midshipmen aboard, let go his rrist. Then kneeling, Henry leveled his pistol traight at the serpent's head, wh ich still resed on the girl's throat! There was a moment of fearful suspense. The guides shook their heads solemnly, beeiving that the young woihan's doom was ealed; and the captain was about seizing lenry's arm again, when a fiery streak of lame leaped from the pistol, followed by a harp-ringing peal! Pale as death, the captain now rushed to lick up bis daughter. tj ?:i?,i xieuijr giiiiicu* The serpent lay dead on the ground, its lead crushed by the bullet, which bad not ven grazed the throat of Sylveen ! "He has saved you ?" cried the old captain, training the girl to his bosom. "Yes, papal Oh, papa, now save him, . ^ i>> 00! The captain did so. Henry was pardoned or his temporary desertion. In the course of time he became au officer, nd married Sylveen. grading. JUDAH P. BENJAMEN. "I was fifty-six years of age when I came to 1/ondon." So said proudly one of the most xtraordinary men of the present age, as I onversed with him in his chamber in Lamb tuildings in the Temple. Need I say that it pas Judah Philip Benjamin, ex-United States senator from Louisiana, ex-Attorney Gener,1, ex-Secretary of War and ex-Secretary of State of the Confederate States, and now the oreraost Queen's counsel in London. Was here ever a career more remarkable than his ? Although fifty-six years of Mr. Benjanin's life were passed in the United States/it eeraB that he was bom an Englishman. His >arents, he told me, were natives of the little Bland of Nevis?and not of Santo Domingo, is has often been asserted?in the British iVest Indies, and he was born on a British hip en voyage to America. After a course at fale College he practiced at the New Orleans lar until 1852, when he was elected United Itates Senator. From 1852 to 1860 he was a >rominent member of the Senate, finally leavug that body after a personal "declaration of ndependence" on the floor of the Senate hamber to join the secession movement. In February, 1861, he became sucessfully Conederate Attorney General, Secretary of War nrt Rpr>rpf?rv nf State. Ii> 1866. at the close if the civil war, Mr. Benjamin crossed the Atlantic and "sought fresh fields and pastures lew" for the employment of bis legal abiliies. He is now sixty-eight years of age? ind a young man at that. Very seldom, inleed, does one meet a man who, having almoet ittained the scriptural three score years and en, looks and acts like a man of forty. Mr. Benjamin is the best preserved man I have ver seen with the exception of the late Lord 5almerston, of whom somebody said he had 'a genius for keeping young." Close to the incient Temple Church?wherein are buried 0 many doughty Knights Templar with legs xossed, to prove that they bore i;he cross in he Crusades?comfortably seated in elegant hambers, I found Mr. Benjamin. In En;land a solicitor has an "office," but barrisers never descend beneath the dignity of 'chambers." I have visited many suites of hambers in the four Jmns of Court?the In ler Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln's lpn md Gray's Inn?but I had never previously een any as cosy and pleasant as those of the \nglo-American Queen's Counsel. Rarely have I met a smile so genial as that vhich welcomed me from the little gentleman vhom Abraham Lincoln considered the smartest" of all the Richmond Revolutionay Junta. Mr. Benjamin's physique is emilently Southern, of that jolly, well-fed South'rn type which so nearly resembles the tradiional John Bull?refined and "high-toned." 'Nobody will call you a Yankee, "any way," 1 remarked, whep pp Japghed ppclsajp he wps xicn what he pow is?an Englishman, The English bar is always very polite to foreign;rs seeking.to practice in the English courts. Beranger and other great French advocates mve frequently been allowed to appear in pecial oases. Hence, when Mr. Benjamin came to London, it was a matter of course that he should be admitted to the bar without haviDg to "eat his dinners" or pass any examination. "Do you think," said I, "that the fact of your coming from America has hindered your progress at the English bar?" "Not at all," said he, "except that I should have been made a Queen's counsel several years earlier if some of tb$ powers that be had not imagined that to honor me might not l)e regarded as friendly by the government at Washington." I assured Mr. Benjamin that in this era of peace and good feeling the people of the North were rather proud than otherwise to see an American lawyer winning his way at a bar which, from^Bacon to Brougham, and from .Brougham to Uenjamin, had always been the most illustrious in the world. "Americans of every part of the Union would," I remarked, "rejoice to see you elevated to the judicial Bench." "That will never be," said Mr. Benjamin. "And why not ?" I ventured to ask. "Because," Said he, "I couldn't afford to be a judge. I couldn't sacrifice my income at the bar for the comparatively small salary of a seat on the Bench." From other sources I learn that Mr. Benjamin is making at least $150,000 a year, while as a judge he %oufd <5tfiy>Sceive about 825,000. Evidently it would be a heavy loss for him to give up five-sixths of his income for the privilege of being knighted and the honor of being addressed as "My Lud."?London Cor. of the Philadelphia Timet. JUDGE ALDBICH wfTHE LYNCHING. In his charge to the grand jury of Greenville county, last week, Judge Aldrich made the following reference to the recent lynching of Moore, in Spartanburg county: Your attention, by the proclamation of the Governor, the strictures of the press, and your near proximity to the scene of the tragedy, has been directed to the sudden and condign punishment inflicted by an outraged community on the human fiend, who violated and murdered the poor girl, whose guileless innocence and trusting confidence in the manhood of her pwple, should have been her surest protection. No wonder that these enraged men of Spartanburg pursued the monster to swift and sudden' death, on the very spot where he had shucked humanity and violated the laws of hospitality and society. ? - T L T l am not one to excuse i^yncn .uaw, uur will you. It is always dangerous and generally wrong, for a people to pass by the temple of justice and inflict summary punishment. But sometimes human nature will, and must assert its dignity and defend the virtue and chastity of woman. Outraged humanity will not and can not wait for the slow, uncertain process of the law's delay. It too often happens,'that by ingenious use of the instrumentalities that hedge around the accused, he escapes the just punishment of "his crime. It sometimes occurs, that even when juries are brought to the point of conviction, the appeal tribunals on some technical quibble, not af< fecting the merits of the case in the slightest degree, balk justice and send the culprit back for a new trial. Hence, society becomes impatient, and now and then manifests this imfatience by taking the law in its own hands. say, this is always dangerous. It is manifestly wrong when done in secret, when the Belf-constituted avengers of the law band themselves together in oath-bound societies and administer, what they call justice, but is simple vengeance, not in the light of day but in the darkness of night, concealing their persons in frightful disguises. We had enough of that in the Ku Kiux reign, condemned by good men everywhere, and which, I trust, will never again be enacted in this State. "But when Dishonor stalks to our hearths, Law ceases and Murder takes the Angel shape of Justice." And so it was when Moore paid the penalty of his double crime, rape and murder. Every father, husband and brother was aroused to frenzy by the brutal outrage on that poor, innocent, unprotected girl. Instantly, with no masks on their faces, but openly, in the broad light of day, God's sun shining in their eyes, these fathers, husbands and brothers brought the cruel monster to the very spot where he had ravished her, and there, while her desecrated person was mantled in the blush of shame, murdered her in cold blood; there they erected the gibbet, and dealt out to him swift justice. It was not law, but who will dare to call it murder? 4 . ABOUT SLEEP. * Although sleep is a natural and involuntary state, it may be greatly prompted by maintaining a good state of health, by daily open air exercise, or by riding or sailing with the face exposed to tbe air; by having the stomach free from a heavy meal or any indigestible substance, and by the mind being undisturbed with cares. Over-fatigue?indulgence in food or driok beyond what nature requires, want of proper exercise and mental disquietude, are all causes of sleeplessness. Breathing in a confined or overheated apartment is also not an unusual cause of broken slumber. The temperature most suitable for sleep is about sixty degrees, which gives the sensation of neither heat nor cold, and admits of a moderate amount of bed clothing being used. The best posture for sleep is to lie on the right or left side, with the arras crossed over the breast in front, and the head well up on the pillow. The mouth should be shut, so that the breathing may be carried on exclusively through the nose. Some persons acquire a habit of sleeping with the mouth open, whkh causes the grotesque and offensive action of snoring. Going to sleep while lying on the back should be avoided, as > besides inducing*the sleeper to snore, it is apt to cause disturbing dreams. When lying down to sleep, the mind should be as composed a* possible. Thinking ought to be guarded against, as productive of wakefulness. Those who, from v ?rvous irritability, are habitually bad sleepers, resort to various expedients to secure the blessing of repose. One of the most successful plans consists in mentally repeating a familiar poem or psalm, so as to alter the train of thought and lull the consciousness. It is a well ascertained fact that sleep begins at the extremities; that the feet sleop first and then the rest of the person. On this account, in order to fall asleep, we require not only to compose the thinking faculties, but to keep the feet still. The feet must also have an agreeable warmth. With a consciousness of this fact, the North American Indians and others who are in the habit of bivouacking in the open air when on distant expeditions, sleep with their feet toward a fire which they kindle for the purpose. Certain drugs act as au opiate aud j produce sleep when ordinary means fail; | but these should never be taken unless by i medical sanction. The practice of usipg J opiates is most detrimental to health, and, if j persevered in, is ruiqous to the constitution, j Coffee and other beverages act variously on different individuals. They exhilarate some, and others send to sleep. Tea usually acts as an exhilarant, by stimulating the nervous system, and should not be taken less than four hours before going to bed. I6T The postal department has recently is-1 sued a postal card which accompanies all registered letters, and will be a great convenience to business men. The card is addressed with the name of the sender of the money at the point from which the money is sent, and on the arrival of the registered package at its ! destination, it is receipted by the party who i receives the package and returned through the mail to the sender as his receipt. This avoids the necessity and expense of acknowlment of the receipt of a registered package. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.?Who i wrote that child's prayer? His work has 'p done more for humanity than all the creeds I of councils, or all the systems of divinity put v together. I fancy some gifted and loving fi mother composed it for her own darlings, not tl dreaming that for centuries it would be taught d by innumerable mothers to millions of children ; that indeed it would be transmitted from generation to generation, through all 1 revolutions, all political and social changes, 9 to the end of time. How many men and f women, brave boys and gentle girls to-day * date their first impressions, the first awakening j" of conscience, the first thought of God the * Gracious Guardian of His children on earth, r to that precious prayer? How many aged c men and matrons, sitting serenely in the j' o-nlden alow of life's cloudless evening, trace. \ 0 O-" " O' ' _ with gratitude to God, the promise and the ? potency of their characters and destinies to j3 the twilight worship of the bed-side when *( kneeliDg at their mother's kne$ they said that r prayer ? n Happy child whose mother solemnly and v tenderly teaches her little ones the simple, the P immortal words 1 * ? In the very impressive and touching ad- ^ dress of Judge Thomas Thoihson, to five 1 young men convicted of murder, he remarked that be pitied them ; and had thought that perhaps no tender mother shielded their in- * fant innocence, and taught them, kneeling at n her knee, that prayer, "Now I lay me down to *! sleep." I know not, said the Judge, "who * wrote that prayer, but I would rather be the " author of it than the 6nest poem in the world, ^ for it has shaped the destiny oftrillions of the ^ human race. Courts and codes of law may * pass away, but that prayer will endure to the end of time to bless mankind. * When listening to Judge Thomson's words, 1 was reminded of a touching, beautiful inci- ? dent in the last hours of the useful life of that ? noble and just man, Judge D. L. Wardlaw, 11 of Abbeville, S. C. The gAnd old Judge lay * on his death-bed. The family did not sup- " pose that his end was so near. In perfect peace he bade them good-night, saying that ^ lie thought he would sleep well. He seemed 0| to sleep sweetly, and only a little grand- j daughter sat in his chamber. The silence of the night in the old patriarch's room was softly broken by his voice, repeating the prayer aj of his infancy. As a little child, the learned e, and able jurist and statesmau, with bis hands ^ folded on his breast, said, "Now I lay me ^ down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; if I should die before I wake, I pray ^ the Lord my soul to take." k( The prayer concluded, he fell asleep and died before he awoke, and the Lord took his soul! "And Jesus called a little child unto ^ him and set him in the midst of them, and ^ said, 'Verily I say unto you, except ye be con- ^ verted and become as little children, ye shall ^ not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' ei Formation of Rocks.?Professor Chand- ^ ler, in a lecture at Hartford, Connecticut, re- . cently, said he would give one fact to show ll! how geologists determine when there has been ? an elevation belonging to this class. When there are fossiliverous rocks, we know, he said, that they rest upon older rocks, because we * know every rock of that period?because had they remained under they would have had P' sediment resting upon them. Because they are free from this we judge that they are older. And it is because of this distinction that we know that the .most ancient rocks of this country are north of the St. Lawrence river, and n( so on north, clear up to Behring's straits, there fc, we have the oldest rocks of our globe. These u rocks dip under the others. Set up a row of ^ bricks and then knock them over?and any p; child can tell you which went over last That i9 the way these rocks lie?the oldest dipping ^ under the newer ones, v Hence the earbonifer- jj: ous rocks hid under the Silurian. Take the n northern portion of the State of New York? jE its fossil rocks belong to the ol<Mormations. c] As you go north the older they are. So we ^ have forty-live thousand feet of fossiliverous ^ rocks already under survey?or about ten w miles if they were all put upon a perpendicu- d, lar line. Professor Dana says it would take ]] fifty million years to form these rocks. From u the time organic life began in the sea to the a, time of man, at least fifty million years. a] passed; and before that time all the granite had to be formed?so you might add another ^ fifty million years previous to this. These are not speculations. Why? Be- w cause we must remember that the machinery which manufactures the rocks is now in operation. From what is known of the Upper in Tertiary formation, the last where you find fossil man, the lapse of the cycles can be ]j judged correctly. This indicates how long cl these rocks were in formation. sc (j, Origin of the "Star Spangled Ban- fa ner."?The bombardment of Baltimore com- b; menced at eight o'clock on the morning of ci September 13,1814, and continued twenty- hi four hours. The garrison at Fort McHenry ai saw the flag of truce carried, during the bom- fr bard men t, by the small boat in which Francis a< Scott Key visited the British fleet to obtain cc La ralaoca af Lis fn'and Dr. Beanes. of Prince ff George county, Maryland, who had been made m a prisoner of war and was on board of one of a( the ships, where he was detained until the di firing had ceased. On the cessation of the pj bombardment Mr Key was permitted to leave the enemy's ships and was rowed to the fort, bearing with hira the song of the "Star Span- b< gled Banner," which he had composed during re the watches of the night. Soon after he land- qi ed, the rough draft of the verses, as he had vj just written them down on the back of a let- a? ter while coming ashore in the rowboat, were si handed around aod some of the garrison made ct copies of them. Judge Nicholson, the captain of the artillery company, and Mr. Key ss had married sisters, and the Judge seems to cs have been the first person to whom the au- ai thor showed the verses. The same night, at as his hotel in Baltimore, Mr. Key wrote out a li' fair copy of the verses as they now stand, and ai the next day gave a copy to Judge Nicholson, ai who had the song published, and it was Bung in publicly, for the first time, shortly afterward as in the Holiday Street Theatre. Col. Cohen at was very distinct in his remembrance that the vi song was copied by some of the soldiers at the fort, and no doubt it was shown to Judge Nicholson there.?Baltimore Sun. ki ?.-*- St Presence of Mind.?A Bushman, who it. encountered a lion, outwitted the animal in A a very curious way. The huge animal met pi hira when a long way from home. Assured T1 that he had his victim completely in his pow- A er, he began to sport and dally with him with hi a feline jocosity, The lion would appear at lo a point in the road and leap back again into wl the jungle, to reappear again a little further ci; on. But the Bushman did not lose his pres eoce of mind, and presently bit upon a plan by which to outwit his foe. Aware that the of brute was ahead of hira, he dodged to the sti right. When the lion discovered that the man ra had suddenly disappeared, he was a good ce deal perplexed. He roared with mortifica- eg tion; then he espied the Bushman peeping as at him over the grass. The Bushman at once su changed his position, while the lion stood ir- tn resolute in the path, following with his eyes ch the shitting black man. In another moment the little man rustled the reeds, vanished, I and showed himself at another'point. This at was unexpected and disconcerting. The pi great brute was at 6rst confused, and then to alarmed. It evidently began to dawn upon fr him that he had mistaken the position of be matters, and that he was the bunted party, la The Bushman whQ c]earty recogpiaed what ht pas passing in bis enemv's mind, did not >ause to let the lion recover his startled wits, le began to steal gradually toward the foe, pho, now in a complete state of doubt and ear, fairly turned tail and decamped, leaving be plucky and ingenious little Bushman aaster of the situation?as he deserved to be. A Social Contretemps in North Caroina.?On the 3rd day of this month, the . uiet little town of Hendersonville, N. C., ras thrown in a flutter of excitement over a ocial sensation, which, on that day, came to ight, involving some prominent people. On larch 5, J. H. Carter, of New York, maried Miss Josephine Bond, of Henderson ounty. Several months before the wedding, be gentleman, perhaps 40 years of age, plain* j clad, bnt evidently a man of education and ulture, arrived in Henderaonville, secured oard, and for some time after his arrival sd quite a retired life. Though extremely eticent as to his personal affaire, he was evertheless courteous and polite, and coneraed with ease and fluency to those town eople who approached him. He was unoubtedly a man of the world, traveled exsnsively both in Europe and America and ras a brilliant and accomplished convereaionalist. He represented himself to be a naive of New York and a master mechanic, 'hose health had necessitated a change of dilate. Carter died sometime after the mariage. It turned out he had a wife in New rork, who came to Hendenonville, had the' ody exhumed, looked, at it and had it taken ) New York, and now the astounding fact ranspires that Carter was not Carter, but William H. Wheatly, an ex millionaire of Irooklyn, a fugitive from the State of New rork, a policy-holder in the New York Inlrance Company for $50,000, the builder of t. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church on tate street, Brooklyn, ex-leader .of the ton i the city of churches, and husband ofa living ifo in the same city, distinguished for her eauty, elegance, wealth and social status. Loving Homes.?Nothing appears to us so eautiful in human experience as theredpro-' il affection of parents and children, especialr after the latter have attained maturity, and, fnrm npw relation* in lift*. Wn ave seen the loving and the lovely daughter, Iter she had become a wife and mother seize rery opportunity of visiting the parental ome, to lavish her affectionate attention upon Br parents, and, by a thousand tender and raceful kindnesses, assure them that, though le was an idolized wife and a happy mother,' ;r heart still clave with every strengthening rvor to father and mother, who watched rer her infancy and guided her youth. It has sen our privilege to know such, and as we ave witnessed the outpourings of love and appiness between these devoted and glowing earts, we have felt that sorely much of heav1 might be enjoyed here if all families were lually attached. And would that every aughter knew what pure joy she might create > i the parental bosom by a constant keeping iive of the spirit of filial devotion, and seiz* ig frequent opportunities' to make it. onanist in little acts of gentleness and love, notwithstanding the child may have become a irent The child never grows old to a fond irent. It is always the dear child, and never i dear as wlfen it keeps up the childish conlence and love of its earliest years. Mabshfield.?Daniel Webster's late resiance lies about twelve miles up the coast, szt to Boston from Plymouth. As all men now, it is called Marshfield. It was formerr called Thorns' Farm, containing some lousands of acres.- The mansion house is a lain, what is called gambrelled building, and i many of its details remains as its great * taster left it. Here is his fine library, with is books and pictures as he had them aringed when he died. Here also is bis hunfcig-room, with his fishing tackle and bis sea othes, old slouched hat, and bid* sailor's Dots and jacket. It is told bow be delighted ?go alone on the great deep and bold converse ith wind and wave, and talk with the thunBrs as if they were bis elder brothers. At lartmouth College, failing to obtain some >veted prize, he took the ordinary diploma, ad tore it to pieces saying to the students round him? "My industry may make me a great man, at this miserable parchment cannot." This was the text of which his whole life as the sermon. Diphtheria.?The two methods of treatig diphtheria, with chlorate of potash .and fdrate of chloral, have been combined by ?r. Cesare Ciattaglia, of Rome, and as he aims, with remarkable success* He disilves a drachm of hydrate of chloral in five raohms of glycerine, and applies it to the ilse membranes three or four times a day, y means of a camel's hair brush. Of the llorate of potash he gives 'from tiro and a ilf to four draohms a day, dissolved in four id a half ounces of water, to children of om three to six years, and an ounoe to iults. With these medicines he id Ways imbines a tonic and restorative diet From ie moment the chloral is applied to the false embrane it ceases to spread, and the charsteristio fetor from, the mouth is found to sappear on the first or seoond day of its apication. How the FbiekIds Put It.?It can -never i said that' the Society of Friends divorcee iligion from morals. Among the formal leries propounded concering its members at irious monthly and yearly meetings,are such i the following, which might be wisely com dered in other branches of the Christian lurch.? / "Are Friends clear of the manufacture and .le of all intoxicating beverages; are they ireful to discourage their use as a drink; id is due caution observed in the use thereof i a. medioine?" "Are Friends cerefhl to ve within the bounds of their circumstances, id to keep moderation in their business; e they punctual to their promises, and just i the payment of their debts; and are such i give reasonable grounds for fear on these icounts, timely labored with for their preseritionand recovery?" ^ ? Influence of Women.?If we wish to low the political or moral condition of a ate, we must ask what rank women hold in Their influence embraces the whole of life, wife, a mother?two magical words?com ising the sweetest sources of man's felicity, beirs is the reign of beauty, of love, of reason, lways a reigu ! A man' takes counsel with 8 wife; he obey^b^inother; he obeys her ng after she has't&$&d $6. live, and the ideas bich he has received fro& her become prinples stronger even tha^j^'passions. * # "" Eggs in Case of Trouble.?The white an egg is said to be a specific for fish bones icking in the throat. It fc:to be swallowed w, aiid will carry down a bomhriwily and rtainly. There is another touching ;gs which It wilftp^well to remeqraer. When, sometimes occurs by aocidefct, corrosive blimate is swallowed, the white of one or ro eggs taken will neutralize the poison and H|ge the effect to that of a dose of calomel. farmer in Holden, Me., being much thoyed with crows pullingl^jfebw corn, aced a large umbrella in his'fPPliD order frighteh them away, but ittifpHf^of being igbteoed, the birds in wet ^lifter sought meath it shelter from the rainYTbe umbrelis now folded, and an old coat and hat ive been rigged up in its place.