Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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HOYT & CO,, Proprietors. ANDERSON C. H., S. C, THURSDAY MORNING-, FEBRUARY 18, 1875. VOLUME X.?NO, 31. "jsta:p. ?OW A DOG SAVED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. - "Lie down, lie down, sir I" 1 'Oh, never mind him, Frank, he won't hurt you,; you go eight in" a "Oh, yes," szil I, "it's.all well enough for you to say 'never mind him,?, bt^b he looks as if he would bear a great deal of minding," "Nonsense," said Alick, laughing, "I tell you the dog will not touch you; hut, if you will not believe me, wait a moment and I will go in With you." J certainly was afraid to go in the room alone, and I think you, my reader, would have thought discretion the better part had you been in my place. Alick was talking with his agent as I came to the hall door, and I had walked toward his library to await his leisure; but when I opened the door, a targe black dog that had evidently been l?viug on the floor, started to his feet with a growl, and exhibited a row of teeth that would have made a first-class stock for a dentist. He was- a viliaaous looking brute, and I de? clined trusting myself to his mercy, as I have told above. Alick finished his business; then took me by the arm and led me into the room, the dog slowly dropping on his baunohes when he saw his master, and I paid no more attention to him until I had finished the business J had in hand. "What in the new world, do you want with such a vicious dog?" X inquired, as I lit the cigar my friend gave m?. "I don't think much of your Judgment, if; you call him a vicious looking aog, was his answer. "What breed is he?" "He is a cross of several breeds." "Yes, I should think from the way he showed me his teeth that he was all cross." ."Come, come,.you must not run down my 'Nap.' He has been too good a friend for me to listen to anything but praises of him." . "What did heever do that was particularly friendly V* I inquired. "Well, I'll tell you whatTfTap'did; he saved rae fifty thousand' dollars, during the war times." I was about to give an unbelieving.chuckle, but a glance at Alick's face told me that he was in earnest, so I begged for the story. "It was about the middle of the war," said Alick, when I. was Treasurer of the Grafton Drilling Company. Our office safe was as un? safe as a pine bos would have been, and I dis? liked to leave a dollar in it. There were sev? eral. burglaries about the place, all of which skillfully planned and executed. "One night our office was visited, the safe pried open with wedges, andtthe contents car? ried off. The burglars, found but a few hun? dred, dollars, but the. worst of it was that they had hit upon a night when there ought to have been a large amount of money there. We had received a large cash payment) the day before, but instead of trusting it to our old safe, I had taken it home with me. "We wondered if the burglars had any knowledge of this payment. If they had, then they must have extraordinary means of gaining intelligence, and would know whenever we re? ceived any large amounts again, and would they not come at once to my house now that they had seen I did not trust the safe ? The question was a very perplexing one, and I had an angry debate over it with some of oar Di? rectors. I was in favor of getting a..reliable safe and employing a night watchman, but I was out-voted. "Old Evans, indeedj went1 so far' as to say that, as- lightning oefer struck twice in the same place, neither did burglars visit old safes the second time. And he was inclined to think our money would be more safe if left in the office than if carried" to my residence. And he talked so many of the others into his way of believing that a resolution was passed de? claring, it against, their wishes to have any of the Company's funds kept anywhere except in the.officesaie! "Of course, the effect of this was that, if I carried the money home and lost it the money would fall on me individually, and not upon the Company. ... "I .was angry enough to have resigned my place, but my interest in the concern was too large to .be trifled with, though I determined there should be a change in the Board of Di? rectors another year. "About ? a week after this our Secretary re turnedlfrom'Boston on the evening train and brought with him.fifty thousand dollars and all in gteenbaclcBptbe* proceeds of our monthly bills receivable. He brought the money in bills. because the day following was our pay day. "I was in the most perplexing state of mind when he handed me the money: I knew the office safe was no protection whatever, and yet if I carried the money home with me I was assuming a great responsibility; Without say? ing a word to any one I determined not to keep the money in the office, and carried it home and put it in that ottoman. "You may be assured" that I did not feel very comfortable that eveniDg. I thought of every nook and corner in the house, and won? dered where would be the safest. At last I determined upon dividing-it, leaving half here and the rest in my room. I bad not mentioned the matter at home, not even to my wife, but plead a headache when reminded of my pre? occupied-air.. "I came in here and placed twenty-five thou? sand dollars in that ottoman at your feet. See, the top is on hinges and is fastened by this hook on the side. This ottoman I pushed near 'Nap.' The balance I carried to my room and put in the stove, thinking it would be the last place where-any one: would look for it. I went to bed, but'it was nearly midnight before I fell asleep. "I was awakened by a man's hand on ray mouth-, and to be informed that he did not in? tend to harm me if I kept quiet. My hands were theo tied behind me, and the muzzle of the pistol placed against my head. Another man was treating my wife in a similar manner. They had a dark lantern and wore masks. "After securing us they began to s?arch the room. First my clothes, then the bureau drawers, under the bed?everywhere but where the money was. I began to think I had onb witted them, when one said to the other, 'How's that stove ?' Another minute and they are pulling out the money. "Imagine my feelings, if you can. Even if | they left with this amount, it was no small sum to lose. I could have almost cried then and there. One ran over the amount and said to the other 'only one-half here.' My heart grew colder than before. They went to the easy chair and cut open the stuffed seat; they picked up the ottoman, examined it, and went out of the room. "I was trying to get up, when one came back ?the other had the money?and pushed me back into the bed, saying I had better keep quiet. I heard the other man walk down stairs and I knew my money was gone. They evidently knew how much money I had, and from the way they ripped open the chairs and cushions ia my room, they would not be long in searching for that which was down stairs. "The fellow must have come straight to this door. I heard him turn the latch and then a most unearthly scream. I knew that 'Nap' was doing his duty. In a flash I jumped to the floor, and in so doing, gave a wrench to the band about my wrist and broke it, and then, before the man on guard could fire, 1 caught his revolver. 00 made a stroke at me; I dodged it* I then caught him by the leg3 and threw him down. As he Sell he gave up hie hold on the revolver. < "I cared nothing for him. I wanted the man who had the money; so I iashed down stairs only to see him going out of the hall door. 1 fired but missed him ; I fired again and heard a sharp cry of pain; I fired once more and .broke his ankle, and down he dropped. The other man jumped out of the window and es-1 taped. I "Of course I secured my man, recovered my money, and old Evans had to admit that he j had been wrong, for the robbers had first gone to the office, and Came to my house when they ! found the safe empty. Another revelation that the morning brought was a confession from my prisoner that our book-keeper was one of their fang, and posted them about our affairs. The ook-keeper did not come to work that morn? ing, nor nave I seen him since." "And the dog?" I asked. "Yea, the old dog had all the credit?you see, the thief supposed by the silence that there was no dog on the premises, and be thoaght he was done for when he opened the door and 'Nap'sprang at him." "But," said L, "he was frightened rather easi? ly ; these fellows don't usually care much for a dog." 1 guess he never saw quite such a dog as 'Nap' was that night," said Alick, laughing. "I had rubbed his eyes and mouth with phos? phorus, and put on the strong spring. I don't blame the fellow from believing that the evil One was before him." "Phosphorus and strong spring I What are you talking about?" . "His eyes are glass, you know." "Glass I Have you been drinking, or have I ?" asked Frank. "Why, old fellow, don't you see that 'Nap' is a fraud?" I jumped to the dog,, and sure enough had been badly sold?the dog was India Rubber / Alick laughed long and loud at my sheepish face. "Ob, the story is as true as preaching. I bought 'Nap' when I was in taris; I have springs fixed on the door and floor, so when the door is opened the dog stands up, and when be is up there is an arrangement in his throat that made the growl you heard. By putting on that upper lever he is made to jump as high as a man's head and that jump was what frightened the burglar." I sympathized with that burglar, and hope he did not lose caste among his professional brethren, for certainly the dog. was a villanous looking brute as well as a most unmitigated swindle. How Nick Bowers Was Caught. Nick Bowers was a member of the original Christy Minstrels, and in his day, was the greatest "middle man interogator" known in the profession. Nick used to tell, with great merriment, an incident of his boyhood. To preserve the flavor of the relation, we will re? cord it in Nick's own language, and only re? gret that we cannot accompany it with his imitable gesticulations. "My old man," said Nick, "as a general thing, was a pretty steady old gent, but once in a while he would get oblivious, and water was not the cause of it. I recollect a certain ?holiday was approaching, and I had been skinning around to get a little money to have a time with on that day; bu. the fates and I purses were against roel It was but two days j prior to the anticipated holiday, and I hadn't nary a red! Remember this, boys, when I add that on the same' afternoon I came into the j house, when lo! there on the floor, totally overcome by his libations, lay my respected daddy, and beside him lay six shining half dollars which had rolled from bis pocket. Boys, I've been an honest man all my life, but once when a boy I committed a theft. I hook? ed one of those half dollars. Thinks I to my? self, the old man's been on a jamboree, and won't know how much he spent, and will nev-r er miss it. But mark you, the next morning I and my two brothers were summoned into my father's presence. The old man's face lowered, I thought of the half dollar, and I knew that a storm was brewing." "Boys," said he, "last night when I came home I had six half dollars. One of 'em's gone. Your mother did't take it. There's been no one else in the house. Which one of you took it?" We all protested our innocence. "BoyB," said the old man, "that half dollar never walked off, and I'm going to find out which one of you took it." Turning round, he took down from the wall an old flint-lock blunderbuss. This he delib? erately loaded with powder and buckshot in our presence; then fastening it on the table, cocked it, took a seat behind; holding the string in his band, and in solemn tones addressed us thusly: "Boys, I am going to discover the thief and punish him at the same time. You must each of you blow into the muzzle of that gun. When the guilty one blows, off goes his head. Now then, you have a chance; will you own up or blow up?" "Ben," said the old man to my oldest broth? er, "have you got that half dollar?" "No, sir." "Take a blow." "Nick," (eh, boys, I tell you the chills be? gan to roll down my back) "got that half dol? lar ?" "No, sir," said I, with a defiant swagger. "Blow that gun." I walked up bravely, gave a blow, and? dodged! "Nick," said the old man in a voice of thun? der, "where's that half dollar?" He had me. The truth dodged out of me. Said I, "out in the barn, pap. Hold On, Boys.?Hold on to your tongue, when you are just ready to swear, lie, or speak hastily, or use an improper word. Hold on to your baud when you are about to strike, steal, or do an improper act. Hold on to your foot, when you are on the point of kicking, running away from study, or pursuing the path of error, shame or crime. Hold on to your temper when you are angry, excited or imposed upon, or others are angry about you. Hold on to your heart, when evil persons seek your company and invite you to join their games, mirth or revelry. Hold on your good name, at all times, for it is more valuable to you than gold, high places or fashionable attire. Hold on to the truth, for it will serve you well, and do you good throughout eternity. Hold on to your virtue ; it is above all price to you in all times and in all places. Hold on to your good charcter, for it is, and always will be, your best wealth. The Opportunity of the White South. It is every way unfortunate that so grave and delicate, a question as this of the colored man's civil rights should be knocking about, the merest political football, between the two par? ties. All thoughtful people are agreed about that?South and North. The spectacle i3 an unpleasant and disquieting one. The best and wisest friends of the newly enfranchised citi? zen are the most disturbed by it, and the most anxious to see an end put to it. Tney are looking beyond this game of selfish and insin? cere politics, now playing in the capitol, to the probable effects of it all upon the fortunes of poor Sambo ; and the prospect is anything but reassuring. Here is a question, if there ever was one, that calls for statesmanship; and it is being kicked hither and thither under the feet of scuffling partisans. It is not an encouragi ng outlook for the colored voter or for the coun? try. We again appeal, with the earnestness of a sincere good-will, to the white people of the Southern States. It is quite within their power to do for themselves, their colored neighbors and the country, in this crisis, what their friends at the North cannot do for them. We know that the grosisest injustice has been done them in this matter; that their feelings and motives and acts have been shamefully misrep? resented ; that their good has been evil spoken of; that a large proportion of the current out? rage literature is either wanton exaggeration or pure fiction. But we also know, and they know, that this exaggeration has a kernel of truth ; that this fiction is founded on fact. As a people, they are not the persecutors and murderers which it suits the game of a despe? rate partisanship to represent them. As a people, notwithstanding all they have under? gone during these first years of tremendous experiment, we believe them to be as kindly and justly disposed toward the colored citizens, according to their lights, as the people of Mas? sachusetts. But there has been persecution; there has been murder; there is no doubt or question about that; no candid Southern man will pretend to deny it. And if the Southern whites as a people have been unjustly and cru? elly held responsible for the crimes of imbruted individuals, for the worst crimes committed by organized gangs of whiskey-crazed desperadoes, I for the foolish and wicked utterances of this public man and that newspaper?they have themselves partly to blame for it. We do not ask them to waive any honest ob? jection they may have, upon constitutional grounds, to the bill now pending in Congress. We do not even ask them, at this time, to walk courageously up to this spectre of "social equality," and satisfy themselves by a closer and cooler inspection what an idle bugbear it is that has shaken the nerves of a brave people. But we do ask them to make a new, systematic, persistent effort to convince the people of the Northern States that the political and purely civil rights of the negro, the undoubted, con? ceded, guaranteed rights, are entirely safe at their bauds. If in any State there still lingers an unjust discrimination ou the statute book, let the people of that State, through their rep? resentatives, make haste to wipe it out. In the conservative States, especially, let the Leg? islatures, the political conventions, the news? papers declare with one voice that the colored citizen shall have as free aud tranquil access to the polls, as fair play in the courts, as ample and vigilant protection for his life and proper? ty, as good schooling for his children, as are enjoyed by his white neighbor. If additional State legislation is needed to make these pledg? es good, let the legislation be promptly forth? coming. Let tax-payers' unions, open to both colors, take the place .of white leagues aud other like organizations at the earliest possible day. Let the same people of the South hiss down sUch crazy orators as Toombs, and starve out such mischief-making journals as the Shreveport Times. Undiscouraged by past failures, let them redouble their efforts to con? vince the colored people of their sincere friend? liness and so to bring about a better state of feeling. Above everything else, let them from this time out show such energy in bringing the cowardly scoundrels who perpetrate outrages upon these poor negroes to swift justice and condign punishment that the United States marshal and cavalry'officers shall find their occupation gone. In this way, and in this way alone, can the white people of the Southern States effectually turn the tables upon their ertemies and slander? ers in Congress, disarm whatever partisan leg? islation may be- passed of its sting, beneht themselves incalculably, and at the same time bring the whole country into their debt. Will they do it ??Springfield Republican. A Brief Temperance Lecture.?There is one man in South Leavenworth who will for? ever have occasion to remember the terrible consequences of getting dead druuk in zero weather. His name is Joseph Barnes, he lives just west of Broadway, and the particulars of his sad ca*e are briefly as follows : Three nights ago he attended a party given at a neighbor's house, accompanied by his wife. On their way home the woman discovered that she bad dropped her apron, and requested her husband to stay where he was till she went back and recovered the lost article. It was very cold, indeed, and when she returned she did not find her husband where she had left him. Suppo? sing he had gone to a neighboring saloon to get a drink, she went home without him, and never gave his sudden disappearance a second thought till the next morning. As he had not then put in an appearance she thought possibly something might be wrong and started out in search of him. His whereabouts could not, however, be ascertained. For two days and nights the search was continued, and no trace of the missing one was found till he crawled in? to his own home, Wednesday noon, iu a most wretched plight, and with hands and feet so badly frozen that they will have to be ampu? tated. Barnes says that after leaving his wife he went to a saloon and took two or three big drinks to keep out the cold. After going out in the air again he did not know anything till he awoke from his stupor, nearly lorty-eight hours afterward, and found himself in a gully on his back in a vacant lot west of Broadway, completely stiffened up, and it was with the greatest agony that he was enabled to crawl ou his hands and knees to the shanty where he lived. The loss of hands and feet will bo a terrible affliction to the suffering man.?Leav? enworth Commercial. ? A man was seen coming out of a Texas newspaper office with one eye gouged out, and big nose spread all over his face like a piece of raw beef, and one of his ears bitten off. To a policeman who interviewed him he replied:! "I didn't like an article that 'pearcd in the pa- : per last week, and I went to see the man who 1 writ it. He was thar, stranger." ? The passions are at once tempters and chastisers. As tempters, they come with gar? land", of flowers on the brows of youth ; as chastisers, they appear with wreaths of snakes on the forehead of deformity. They arc an? gels of light in (heir delusion ; they arc fiends of torment in their inflictions. The Dead. The first soul that went from our erring earth to God was Abel's, and his the first burial; let us stand in imagination with the earliest fami? ly of mourners that dropped a tear "over the loved and Io9t." Adam and Eve gazed in awe? struck wonder on the face of Death, and saw with agony the terrible fruits of sin; they felt that the fell monster, in driving his sword through the body of their child, had pierced their own hearts also; the resistless flood of earth's bitterest anguish commenced Its course when our Mother Eve looked on the face of the world's firdt dead, and down in a torrent of woe it has swept through the hearts of millions of her descendants. Slowly Adam gathered the beautiful clay in his arms, and within the shadow of the Garden of Eden, we may sup? pose the body of our Earth's First Sleeper awaits the morning of the resurection. Alas I the millions that have followed him through the "dark valley." Death has been the world's most frequent visitor; and yet men have not grown familiar with his coming; no one looks for him ; no one awaits him; we of the nine? teenth century shrink from the dark angel with the same fearful awe the antediluvians felt, and still from age to age, from geueratiou to gener? ation men have had the dead among them, from the Sovereign's palace to the Indian's wigwam. "In the midst of life tby've been in death."? Desecration of bodies of the departed has never been in any age of the world a crying sin of humanity; some nations have disposed of them in one way, some in another, but the "King of Terrors" by his very presence seemed to im press even the ancient heathens with a solemn I revereuce; the most refined among them com- j mitted the bodies to the flames, and the Assyr? ian Mother bowed with a broken heart o'er tbe ashes of her child, deeming them more sacred even to her since they had been purified by the breath of fire. The Egyptian father would fain have kept the body of his first born always with him; if not in the beauty of life, at least in the calm repose of death, and learned ainong them studied for years to devise a plan by which to do this,.until at last they gave to the world the art of embalming. The body of Joseph slept for hundreds of years in the Cave of Mature as free from corruption as when the spirit depart? ed. Some of the proudest memorials the world has ever seen have been built over the graves of the dead, and the tomb of one of the Egyp? tian kings, covers eleven acres of ground, while its top has pointed to Heaven for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and warlike Ro? mans, with the natives of India and Isles of the Sea, burned their dead, and the "ashes of Scipio still live in song." In later days tbe Romans sent them under ground, with a coin in their mouths to pay their passage to Hades. In the pursuance of our subject, we must cross the deep waters from tbe graves of tbe Old World to those of tbe New, for there is no clime beneath tbe sun where this paiuful sub? ject will not lead us; the waving palm of the Sandwich Islands, the lofty pine of Oregon, with the cedars of Lebanon, alike must shadow the dead. Let us watch the red men of the forest as they bear their chief to his last resting place; slowly and sadly they seat him in his narrow home, with his bow on his back and his arrows beside him, for he will need them in the happy hunting grounds to which he is going. Tbey also give him a cup of water and some food, that he may not faint by the way. The same wail of woman's anguish, the same deep note of man's strong woe are heard from this lone grave in the forest that went up from the low mound in the shadow of Eden, and they mingle their notes with cries from the air bur? ial of the Esquimaux, and the wave-pressed grave of the mariner. Down through the earts of our highly favored people comes this old diapason of earth's bitterest sorrow; we have it in the homes of our own Christian America, and it must continue to be heard as long as there is one living left to mourn the dead. We, too, have our beautiful cemeteries, where Italian marble and New Hampshire granite tell the stories of the beloved. Oh! let us often visit their resting places, and while we stand by their sides let us remember that earth is fast becoming one vast grave yard of her children, and that sooner or later these bodies of ours, of which we are now so proud, must sleep in her bosom, float in her atmos? phere, or mingle with her waters.?Cincinnati Times. When Times Will Get Better. "Why don't the times get better ?" This is a question which is frequently asked. We think, says the Ledger, that the times are getting better?slowly, but surely. And they will continue to grow better just about in the ratio that industry increases and extrava? gance decreases. We were reading, not long ago, about a great Belgium iron manufacturer, whose works cover eight acres of ground. His business amounts to millions of dollars per annum, and he is able to undersell rivals in all parts of the world. One of the chief reasons of his ability thus to triumph over competitors, is to be found in the facts that his personal and family expen? ses amount to only sixteen thousand francs ($3, 200) a year, that he oversees his business him? self, and that all his sons and son-in-laws work with him, and are as industrious and econo? mical as he is. How dilferent the great manufacturers of this country and their families. An American with such a business as this Belgian, would not be content with living on a paltry three thousand two hundred dollars a year. His sons would not put on leather aprons and work at the bench. His daughters would not con? sent to their husbands working like day labor? ers. No; he would have a costly establishment. They would all have costly establishments. His sons would spend more for cigars and din? ners than suffices to pay all the personal and family expenses of the Belgian iron king. His daughters would expend three thousand two hundred dollars in their outlay for one grand fancy ball. Newport, Saratoga, the European tour, and such like indulgences, would swal? low up tens of thousands of dollars per annum. And in the absence of the head of the estab? lishment, away on some fashionable tour, the cashier would leave with the contents of the treasury. Of course, such a concern would have to charge high prices for all its commodities. With all the ad'.vintages of a high tariff and tbe cost of ocean transportation in its favor, it could not compete with the Belgian who, rein? forced by all his family, attends assiduously to his business, and foregoes all the fashionable frivolities of the age. It is not to be expected that anybody's fam? ily in this country will imitate the Belgian iron king's family ; but it is not unreasonable to maintain that until industry and economy I shall take the lead of idleness and extrava? gance the times will not generally and perma? nently get any better. ? True courage is cool and calm. The ' bravest of men have the least of brutal, bully? ing insolence, and in the very time of ?langer are found the most serene and free. Pay Yoor Preacher. The Charlotte (N. C.) Observer says, under the above heading: This may seem rather a singular subject for a secular newspaper, and vve may be accused of encroaching upon the reserved rights of the re? ligious press, but then the eloquent Erskine, in the course of one of his most powerful efforts, said, "Truths come in cold abstract from the I pulpit, but men smart under them when we lawyers turn preachers." And why not when we editors turn preachers? By the term "preacher," we do not wish to be understood as referring to that class of pulpit orators, who prance before footlights, and divide the popular applause with the star theatrical actors of the day, nor do we refer to that class of ignorant hypocrites?to be found, alas! in some portions of our Stale?who preach the gospel to keep from paying poll tax. Neither do we refer to the ministers of any particular denomination, for it has been well said, "truth is ever the same, whether it comes to us in the lofty dic? tion of the Episcopalian, the profound reason? ing of the Presbyterian, the earnest entreaties of the Baptist, the fiery zeal of the Methodist, or the eloquent silence of the Quaker." No, we refer to those self-sacrificing, unappreciated, disregarded men, whatever their creed, who have left all to serve their meek and lowly Master, men who might have adorned any worldly station, many of whom might have held listening senates entranced by their elo? quence, men who have business capacity to have accumulated the wealth of an Astor or a Stewart, men who might have achieved a world? wide reputation in any of the learned secular professions, these are the men to whom we re? fer when we say, "pay your preachers." When they chose this high calling they did not doom themselves alone to a life of toil and privation, but they involved their wives and children in the sacrifice. And yet what thanks do they get from the people of so-called Christian commu? nities? Why, from many they receive nothing but sneers aud ridicule. Every little upstart thinks it adds to his importance to sneer at the preachers. "He preaches only for the money," says one, as if he did not know that the minis? ter referred to could, with the same amouut of labor, make more than his pitiful salary at the most profitless occupation. Says another, "I could nave preached a better sermon than that myself," in answer to which we will quote from an exchange: "If the time ever comes for the explanation of the mysteries of this world, we shall be glad to know why the young man who remarks on leaving church, 'I can preach a bet? ter sermon that that myself,' is content to wear out his life at $25 a month." We venture the assertion that the heathen of the past, es well as of to-day, contributed pro? portionately more of his means in furtherance of his religious belief than the Christian (we use the term in contradiction to "heathen") of the boasted nineteenth century does to promote his, and further, that the heathen showed more respect for the object of his worship whatever it may have been, thau the Christian shows for his God. Wonder if it ever occurred to the young man who never contributes anything to? ward the salary of a preacher or the cause of religion, save a ragged "shinplaster" that wouldu't pass current among the bootblacks, thrown in the plate, occasionally, we wonder if such a person ever reflected how immeasurably below the heathen he is in piety? The pagan would fear to offer the being he worshipped, counterfeit, worthless or even damaged coin; yet young men in Christian communities will offer to the God that made them currency that they would be ashamed to present to their fel? low men or even over the counter of a bar-room. The pitiful salaries of the Chriutian ministry and the empty exchequers of Christian churches is a blot upon the boasted civilization of the century. But it is said the heatheus pay through superstitious fear. Well, we think Christian communities have too little supersti? tion. If you have never contributed to the support cf the ministry, do so now, and be no longer worse than pagans ! If you have but lit? tle contribute according to your means ! If you have only one biscuit scatter a few crumbs on the water I A Curious Incident in the Life of Stonewall Jackson. It was the great Fredrick who in the midst of his wondrous military career told an admirer how every battle hung on contingencies seem? ingly so trifling that they could neither be fore? seen nor provided for, and the remark has ofteu occurred to me in connection with an incident in the life of Gen. Jackson, which has so far es? caped his biographers, aud which illustrates the equal uncertainty of the destinies of men and armies. What follows may be relied on as absolutely authentic, indeed, if I mistake not, Colonel (then Captain) Wyatt M. Elliott and Captain Bossieux, of the Richmond Grays, took part in the episode. In the Spring of 'Gl there were stationed around Norfolk many of the crack volunteer infantry companies of the State, and these were formed into the twelfth regiment by Governor Letcher, and D. A. Weisiger, of Petersburg, was commissioned as the colonel. Shortly af? terwards an order was issued from State head? quarters assigning Lieutenant-Colonel T. J. Jackson to the command, and directing him to report to Norfolk for duty. This news being communicated by the colonel to the company officers, was received with great indignation, and a consultation was held to determine what should be done to prevent the execution of the obnoxious order. In the first place, the officers wero very tenacious of their "volunteer" right to select their own superiors; and in the second place, there happened to be in the regiment several gentlemen who had recently graduated at the Virginia Military Institute, and who brought thence the prevalent, and by no means flattering, estimate on Jackson's character and abilities. Their unfavorable report of him, backed by instances of his eccentricities and ascetic disposition, confirmed and in? flamed the objection first made to a stranger, and the end of the matter was a letter to Gov- j ernor Letcher protesting against the assignment' and asking for its revocation. After some hr$ itation the Governor complied, and giving Jackson another field of duty launched him ! forth on that path of fame so well known to; all men. The twelfth regiment remained at Norfolk | during '61, and was still inactive in the follow- j ing Spring, when their rejected Lieutenant Colonel entered upon that campaign in the val- J ley which has no parallel in American war- 1 fare for its brilliance and force. In the Sum-' mer campaign the regiment took efficient part; ! and at Cranipton's (Jag, Fielding Taylor, the gallant and accomplished officer, who came to us in the place of the rejected Lieutenant Col-1 onel, was killed ; but ere then Jackson had be came famous, had been promoted to the com? mand of half the army, and was filling a giant's 1 place in the minds of friend and foe. And often then and aftorward's* on the march and around the camp fire, was there talk of the invincible leader, and a smile that we had once rejected him, and a growing wonder as to how different might have been his history?perhaps, how varied our experience?but for the independent' : spirit of a volunteer organization and the cod I tageous prejudices of a few of Jackson's old scholars.?Ridtmond Dispatch/ Room at the Top. To the young men annually making their I entrance upon active life, with great ambitions* i conscious capacities, and high hopes, the pros ' pect is, ninety-nine cases in a hundred, moat perplexing. They see every avenue to pros j perity thronged with .their superiors in expe1 : rience, in social advantages, and in possession : of all the elements and conditions of success; Every post is occupied, every office filled, every ' path crowded. Where shall they find rooni? I It is related of Mr. Webster, that when a.young j lawyer suggested to him that the profession to ! which be bad devoted himself was over cr?wdi j ed, the great man replied I "YoUhg man, there i is always room enough at the top." Never was a wiser or more suggestive word said.-r There undoubtedly is always room enough j where excellence lives. Mr. Webster was not* troubled for lack of room. Mr. Clay and Mrt Calhoun were never crowded. Mr. Evarta, Mr. Gushing, and Mr. t)'Conor have plenty of space aronnd them. Mr. Beecher, Dr, Storrsj Dr, Hall, Mr. Phillips Brooks, would never know, in their personal experience, that it was hard to obtain a desirable ministerial charge. The profession is not crowded where they ar& Dr. Brown Sequard, Dn Willard Parker, Dr; Hammond, are not troubled for space at their elbows. Wben Nelaton died in Paris, he died, like Moses, on a mountain. When Von Graefe died in Berlin, he had no neighbor at his altitude. ., It is well, first, that all young men remember that nothing will do them so much injury as quick and easy success, and that nothing wifl do them so much good as a struggle which teaches them exactly what is in them, educates them gradually to its use, instructs them in personal economy, drills them into a patient and persistent habit of work, and keeps them at the foot of the ladder until they become strong enouge to hold every step they are en? abled to gain. The first years of every man's business or professional life are years of educa* tion. They are intended to be, in the orde'r of nature and Providence. Doors do not open to a man until he is prepared to enter them. The man without a wedding garment may get in surreptiously, but he immediately goes out with a flea in his ear. Ye think it is the experience of most successful men who have watched the course of their lives in retrospect, that whenever they have arrived at a point where they were thoroughly prepared to go up higher, the door to the higher place has swung back of itself, and they have heard the call to enter. The old die, or voluntarily retire to rest. The best men, who stand ready to take their places, will succed to their position and its honors and emoluments. The grand mistake that young men make during the first ten years of their business or professional life, is in idly waiting for theijt chauce. They seem to forget, or they do notj know, that during those ten years they enjoy the only leisure they will ever have. After fen years, in the natural course of things they will be absorbingly busy. There will then be ao time for reading, culture or study. If they dp; not become thoroughly grounded in the princi? ples and practical details of their profession5 during those years; if they do not store theilf minds with useful knowledge; they do not pur? sue habits of reading and observation, and s^ cial intercourse, which result in culture, the question whether they $11 ever rise to occupy a place where there is room for them will be decided in the negative. The young physicians and young lawyers who sit idly in-their offices,, and smoke, and, lounge away the time, "waitinjf for something to turn up," are by that course' fastening themselves for life to the low? er stratum, where struggle for a bare livelihood is to be perpetual. The first ten years are golden years that should be filled with system? atic reading and observation. Every thing' that tends to professional and personal excel? lence should be an object of daily pursuit. To such men the doors of success open themselves, at last'. Work seeks the best hands, as natural-, ly as water runs down hill; and it never seeKs' tbe hands of the trifler, or of one whose dtfly recommendation for work is that he needs it.1 Young men do not know very much, any way, and the time always comes to those who become worthy, when they look back with wonder up? on their early good opinion of their acquire^ meuts and themselves.?Scribner's Magazine. All Sorts of Paragraphs. ? "Sally, what time do you folks dine?" "Soon as you go away; that's missus' orders." ? Conclusion of Colfax's lecture on Lin? coln : "Having reached the topmost round of the ladder of tame, he stepped into the skies." ? A physician advised a patient to "take a' walk on an empty stomach." "Whose stom? ach ?" feebly asked the patient. ? A grocer in the suburbs, when complained to about selling bad eggs, said : "At this'time of the year the hens are not well, and often lay bad eggs." ? A Nevada man whe had seven homely daughters, got a paper to hint that he had sev? en kegs filled with gold in his cellar, and every girl was married in five months. ? They tried to scare a man in Missouri by threatening to tar and feather him, but he re? plied : "Come on with your old tar; T :e been there six times, and I've got a receipt for wash? ing it off." ? A short man became attached to a tall woman, and somebody said that he had fallen in love with her. "Do you call it fallen in love?" said the suitor: "it's more like climb? ing up to it." ? A woman living near the Richard Mine, in Morris County, N. J., lost by the burning of the emigrant ship Cospatrick eight brothers, two sisters and her mother, besides several other near relations. ? "A home without children is like high heaven without angels," says a Kentucky pa? per. We just want to have him get out of bed four times a night for a mouth to keep the baby's legs covered up. ? A colored gentleman went to consult one of the most "high-toned" lawyers in Boston, aud after stating his case said: "Now I knows you's a lawyer; but I wish you would please, sar, jiss tell the. truff'bout dat matter." ? A Maryland man whose wire dropped dead a few days ago, had tbe funeral put off one day longer to get the balance of his corn husked. He said it wouldn't make any dif? ference to her, as she was always good-natured. ? "Mamma, where do the cows get their milk?" asked Willie, looking up from the foaming pan of milk which henaabeen intent? ly regarding. "Where do you get your tears ?" was the answer. After a thoughtful silence, he again broke out: "Mamma, do the cows have to be spanked ?" ? At a dancing party in western Kentucky the other night, to which several women came with their babies, some young men changed the clothes of the infants whilo their parents were dancing, and mixed them up generally. The following day there was a great row, and as the families lived miles apart, it took sev? eral days to unmix the children.