The Abbeville banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, June 23, 1859, Image 1
Wi-tr.4 n TO W^W/Tf Tf IT 'V T'D)JA'WWW)^) '
TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM.] '' ri* n e xtliohs o x-* lioeritt is eteiin"ai4 vighiiAnou." [PAYABLE IN ADVANCE
BY DAVIS & CREWS. ABBEVILLE, S. ., THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 23, 1859. VOL. XVI. ?.NO 8
the yftttno mv.nvt. 1'n . - . 1
A TALE OF T11E CAROLINA*.
BY J. X. SANl)i:US.
Tu a small farm house, towards the clo-e
<ol" the year 1780, sat an old man, his wife
and an only son. Tlio face of the father
appeared troubled ; at times he looked
thoughtfully to tlio floor, and then ho
would gaze long and wistfully at his son a
Hue, manly youth of twenty. .At length
he said :
' ] >avid this is disastrous news from
"Camden. God knows what will become
of the country now! Cotigrcs needs every
arm that is capable ; ah ! me, I wish this
old wound I <rot in the French war had not ,
lamed me; but for it, I should now be
shouldering my muakut and marching to
defend my country.'
Doth son and wife looked up at these
words. The old lady ceased knitting, and
looked itnjuiringly at her boy, and it was !
evident from the expression of her face, 1
that patriotism ami motherly alleetion were
at variance in her bosom. The son, however,
after encountering his father's eye t?>r '
a moment, turned confusedly away. The '
old man's brow darkucd, and he exclaimed |
Avarudy :
4 1 >avid, why do you linger about the !
village when your country needs your ser
vices so much ? "Why, my son, I am !
ashamed of you. Twice before thU ^
have T spoken to you on this subject, but ;
you appear to have no spirit. What! will ;
you see us trampled upon by the brutal :
mercenaries of lliitain, and still lie here '
supinely! For shame, Pavid, for shame !
I will not call you my son. Long since j
you ought to have been in the army.'
'.loshua! Joshua!' interposed tlio old1
mother, 1 I>avid is but a youth ; then do j
not speak so harshly to him. lie cannot
yet feell what you feel, who have fought so j
often against your country's enemy?he is i
I nit a boy.' |
' A boy, indeed, Deborah! Such boys I
as 1'aviu have already gained iinpershable j
laurels .mhc? the war commeiio.d. 1 could ;
name a Im.-t c?f them!?u hv, wore it not j
for the hoys of this land, where would he !
our army, which, I dare say, i.s one quarter
composed of boys of his age!'
The old man was excited, and it was
the first unkind word lie had ever used to
his hoy.
J>avid rose and left the house, lie
walked sou.o distance appaiently in deep
thought.
4 What will uot women dof he at last
muttered. ' Here I have been lingering
about the village when 1 should have been
oil' long ago. And for what? why, to
meet a pretty girl, and to listen to l?er musi
cal voice; but now I will be myself again 1
wbat did lie call me? was it not a coward ?
Now, by Heavens, I will teach him that lie
has a son who possesses the spirit of his
father. Away, then, with love, for I fee'
that I am called upon to act; no longer
dream ! Ere another fortnight, my father
shall hear of me, or else 1 lose my life in
striving for it.' And with this resolution
he turned about and telraced his steps.
"When he reached home he sought the
stable, saddled his horse, and mounting
him, struck into a gallop, which continued
for several miles. At length he stopped
and looked up at the windows of a farm
house, half hid between clustering trees.?
This was the residence of Mary Bunker,
IUG IUIalrCaa OI Ills Ileal I , II1C llglllS SIIOWcd
that the family had not retired, and ho
resolved to pay her a visit before his depart
urc.
She was alone when lie entered, and a
few words made her acquainted with his
determination. "When she burst into lear.s.
'Nay, Mary,' he added, 'you must not unman
me. At first I resolved to leave you
without a farewell, for T knew how much
you dreaded my taking an active part in
iho struggle. But I could not bo so crue'
as to desert yon without a word.'
*1 will compose myself,' said the fair girl,
with au effort to smile. ' 1 know I have
l)een wrong to pursuade you to stay ; but
you cannot imagine the anxieties I suffer
<on account of my brothers, and I could
not bear you to encounter their danger.?
Uut sinco this dreadful defeat at Camdei^
I feel that every man is wanted for our
<country. Go, then, dearest, and may God
l>e with you. My prayers shall attend you
night and day.'
David pressed tho weeping girl to his
bosom, snatched a hasty kiss, at the sound
of approaching footsteps, wrung her hand
and was gone.
The uext day he left tho neighborhood
of his father's house armed with a musket,
and mounted on a sturdy horse. Ilis des
tination was the American cainp, then far
'jjojr.Miward ; but as the intervening country
was filled with tho enemy, he knew there
WUUJU uu miupiv4ViauiQ iiuuivoo icvpucu iu
effect bis purposo. Before his departure
he saw a foir of his old playmates who
promised to follow as soon as possible.
' Night found liim near a lonely farm
house, to which ho proceeded boldly, in
pursuit of lodging. At first the occupant
'received him coldly, but a chance expression
convincing David that his host was a
tory, he affected the same political citieJ,
and was immediately warmly wclcotuod.?
j ini luviinsi prouuceu ms cuier alter sup.
per and insisted that David should join hitn
in his polationer; this the young man did,
taking care not to indulge too freely, while
the tanner, overjoyed to find what he supposed
lo he a new recruit for his party,
drank without stint, and became more and
more communicative. To his horror, 1 >avid
soon learned that a party of loyalists, led
by Major "Wilson,celebrated for his loryism
and ruthlessness, were to start early on
the en-uing day on an expedition, seize and j
hang tho two Bunkers who had made j
themselves particularly obuoxionous to tlie j
royalist leaders. David knew enough of j
this parti/en warfare to be assured that no !
!
mercy would be shown his friends, lie i
also knew enough of the character of the)
Major, that to suspect that some strong j
personal motive had 1?*?1 to the planning of.
so distant an expedition when there were
others nearer home. lie accordingly set!
himself to discover from 1.is h:df in.-l.iin. '
ted companion the tinth. Nor was ho
lung before success crowned his adroit crossexamination.
' Why, you see,' said the host,' 1 believe
there's a little revenge for the slight re- j
ecived from these fellows' sister, mixed up 1
with the Major's desire to catch tlie J Inn- I
leers. The girl is veiv pretty, they say, and i
the Major when she was down here on a j
visit last year?before the war?wanted to j
marry her, hut she would have nothing to j
do with him. Kver since, he has vowed i
to make her rue the day. You may do- i
pend upon it, ho will have her on his own
terms now. Thank Heaven ! there's no
law to prevent an honest royalist from doing
as he pleases to these rascally rebels.?
1 hit yonder is the Major now,'suddenly
sanl tlio host, starting up. ' I will introduce
you at once?a merry fellow you'll
liiul him. Lord love you, he's as brave as
a lion."
David, though horrified at the diabolical
plot he had heard, s;iw tlio necessity of
dissembling in order to bear more of
the lory's plans, and find means if possible
to circumvent thiyi. lie arose, therefore
;md shook the Major's hand warmly, pledged
him immediately in a bumper, and so
contrived to make the loyali.-t believe that
he was anxious to join a troop and take j
part against the rebels. This induced the
Major to be unusually civil, for he wished
to secure so athletic a recruit himself. I1 !
was not long before a bargain was conclu- j
ded between the two. David refused, !
however, to sign the agreement that night- {
lie pretended that several others of his
friends were dissatisfied, and desirous of
joining the loyalists; and his object, lie
said, was to secure a commission for hinr
self by inducing llieni to join. This tempt
ing bait look ; llie Major promised a com
tumid in his troop in case of success, and
David signified his intention of setting
forth after he had taken a few hours' rest,
in order to lose no lime gathering togoihe1
his recruits.
The dread of discovery had been cn?>
stantly lie fore our hero during the arrange
inciit of liia negotiation, for his person was
well known to many of the Major's troops ;
and if any of them had come up, his feign !
ed name would not protect him from detoc
tion. Jle wished to got off that night, as
he proposed ; but to tliis neither his host '
nor ilie Major would hear, and was forced j
to remain till morning. What was his an j
gnish to hear that the Major had been gone I
some hours, and was already on his way to j
Bunkers with his troops. Dissembling his |
ar.xiety, ])avid partook of a hasty break j
fast, and mounting his horse rode slowly
away. lJut when out of sight of the house
he struck into a lierce gallop, which con.
tinued till ho came in sight of a cross-road
where was a tavern. Here he stopped, and
learning that the royalists had taken the
high road, he turned into a more narrow j
i ? ? ' *
aim uuciiiicus oy-roau.
' It is mv only chanco to avoid them,'
he said, again dashing into a gallop. 11
pray God I may reach the settlement in
time to collect a few of our lads, and march
to the liunkci-3. Tliero is no other hope
now lefi!
Night had fallen in, as they had expected,
before the tories were able to reach
the vicinity of the house they were in
search of. At length, however, after a silent
march through the woods it broko
upoa their view. A light was burning in
one of the windows, and when they arrived
close to the premises, tho lively notes of a
violin reached their cars, proving that the
brothers were not aware of their presence,
but were enjoying themselves in imagined
security.
'Now, men,' whispered the leaders of
the lories, '"when I givo the word, fire a volley
at the house by way of introduction ;
wo will thcu surround the house and enter
it.
At that instant the deep bay of a dog
rang on their card and a large mastiflf sprang
from under tho house and rushed at the
I Major.
"Fire 1" ho cried.
Twenty guns broke upon tho stillness of
tho night?tho dog fell dead?fcvery pano
of glass in tlio windows were shivorod, and
tho lories yelled like savages, In an instant
tho lights in the house were extinguish,
the violin as .qmckly censed and a ]
noise was heard at the door. The lories
immediately made a rush at it. But it w?y>
f
already brined, ami being made of stout
oak plank, resisted all their efforts. A
lille orackcd from one of the windows, and
a tory feel, desperately wounded. Another
report succeeded and another lory fell.
Major Wilson was now fully aware that
bc>t!i Hunkers wereat home, and wide awake.
A shed turned the. rain from the front of
the house, and beneath this the Lories,
shielded from the lire of the Hunkers, went
to work at the door. Suspecting resistance
perhaps from his knowledge of their character?one
of his men brought an axe, with
which he commenced hewing at the doer,
and soon cut it in pieces, lb-re a desperate
battle eusued. The brothers were powerful
and courageous as they were strong ;
and now with clubbed lilies they disputed
the whole tory force. The door I icing
small, they stood tliuir ground for half an i
In ur, lulling, during that time, sonic of j
tliosu \v!io had 11 jo temerity to enter first, I
but finally numbers overcome them, ami
they were llung upon the lloor and bound. ;
The lories, inflamed to madness at tho ro- |
sif>iance that had been made, and at tliuir j
own losses, now seized thu mother and sis- j
ter and made preparations to hang the <
two brothers before their eyes. The lupus ; <_
were already lied around the necks of tliuir a
victims, when the Major addressed his ' a
men : ' v
i
"Now, friends,as soon as these villians j t
are dead, w-j will sot lire to thu house? I ji
thu old woman there, said ho with a brutal j n
laugh, inav he left inside, but the young ! <
one 1 reserve for myself." s
"Jlist !" cried one of the men in a loud j 0
voice. The Major c .-a^ed, and they hoard ! v
a voice out side of thu house. Although | |,
thu words were spoken low, the listeners | '|
distinctively heard : | o
u\\ ln?li 1 s.nv flit* crivn if 1?i lliom 1
A m:m wit!, si blanched chick rushed ' >
into the lious^, exclaiming : 1,
"The yard is full of men !" Ii
"Fire!"' cried a deep voice from theyard, t
A general volley succeeded, and so well ! <.
had the aim heen directed in the door that tl
several ot the lories lull either dead or ties- ti
peralely wounded. In turn, then, rushed e;
ths loiics retreated up stairs, when I>avid, ft
our hero, rushed into the room they e
had jlist left and cut the ropes of the lJun- ii
leers. h
"May God bless you for this," cried the it
grateful fellows. ei
The two men sprung up, sei/.<:d their o
rilles, which had been lefl in the rooms, s<
and prepared to retaliate the treatment they tl
had just received.
Long and desperate was the battle. p
The lories <oughl for life?the whigs for o
revenge. lWit at length the latter triumphed, n
though nut until their enemies hud been ll
almost exterminated. Tho Major fell l>y t\
the arm of our hero, who sough him out j.
in tho hottest of the light aud engaged him li
single-handed. I;
No language of ours can express the n
emotions of David, as ho pressed Ida be- u
trethed wife to his bosom, aud hi-s heart w
went up in thankfulness tu j leaven fur his n
timely anival, when he thought that :i do- p
lay of half an hour wuiild have consigned a
her to a fate worse than death. tl
The gratitude of her brothers were ex- p
pressed in many words, but liur's was si- d
lent and tearful, vet how much moje grati d
fying. " II
''I almost called you a coward, son Da- w
vid," saiu liis father to iiini when tliey met, tl
"but you are si chip of the ol J block, and tl
I tli.l you wrong, ]>ehorah, he is a boy to s;
be proud of?is he not ? Volt may foun- !?der
one of my horses everyday that you
do such a deed?it beats everything I ever ti
saw in the old French war." b
David's gallantry in this act, drew a!
around him in a few weeks more than a It.
score of hardy young fellows, who lought ir
with him to the end of the war, when he s'
returned and was happily married to the >'
heroine of our story. u
JicincJ>j for Scarlet Fever.?A lady who p
has had some experience in the treatment h
of Scarlet fever, and seen the following c
remedy used with never-failing cited, asks t<
us to publish it for the benefit of our read" y
ers. It is as follows: li
' Immediately on the first symptoms of v
scarlet fever, which is sore throat, give a L
full dose of jalap, to an adult CO, 70 or 80 t
grains; at night give strong red pepper tea, v
from a tea cup full to a pint, according to f
age and violence of symptoms; the next (1
day give a small dose of jalap, say half the c
quantity given the day before, continuo the g
pepper tea at night, on tho third day, if t
iiiero is any soreness remaining in the 21
throat give a doso of salts, which will geu- 1
erally effect a cure ; the doso must of course s
be regulated according Iq the ago of tho i
patient.' t
The above remedy was used with grcflt j
success in South Carolina, somo years ago
by Edward Chaplin, who then furnished it
to the public.
mm ?
An editor out West being deserted by <
his printers, who were "on a striko," was 1
compelled to turn into tho office himself. !
In his next week's paper appoared a gra- '
phic acqount of tho circumstance, Composed ^
by the editor's Mowu fajr rinSere," conblud- 1
.ing with the words?"TalkoJ llXo'sublituo *
arT of Printing \ bleSs ouK sotd ? it's as <
cAsa. at JoLling ofj a LoS," " i
A MEDLEY S'WG.
The moon was shining silver bright ?
AH l?l????>llos< lay the untrodden snow,
When freedom from her mountainheight,
Lxclaimed, "Now Uott't be l'olish, Joe."
An hour parsed on, the Turk nwokc,
A humble bee went thundering l>y,
T?? hover in the sulphur smoke,
And spread its pall upon the sky.
Ilis echoing axe the settler swung;
lie was a lad of high degree,
And deep the pearly eaves among,
lie heard, '-Oh! woodman,sparcthnt tree
Loud roars the wild inconstant blast,
And cloudless sets the sun at even;
When twilight dews are falling fust,
And ivll- the thunder drum of heaven.
Oh! ever thus, from childl hour,
liy torch and trumpet fast arrayed ;
Hciical h von ivy-tiiantlcd tower,
The bull-frog croaks his serenade.
My love is like the red. red mve
Ill- lioui'lii it rinj* with ]>?isie Iruc;
Sir l'.:irni y I'o'lkiii Jiroke 11is nose.
Ami, Shxoii, 1 inn ISnUorick Dliu !
MORTALITY OF CHILDREN IN RUSSIA.
A terrible picture ??t* the mortality
hildreii in Kussia is given in a journal eal
d the Kousky l)nevnik. It ap|>ears th
vast proportion of litis premature death
ssignablc to that carelessness of mothei
.lii'jh continually exposes children to t"
;tl accidents. "The indi Here nee of 01
esisaiiliy," obseives a writer in the jou
;il above mentioned, "with respect to tbe
hildren exceeds all belief. They give then
dves not tlio least concern about the
flspring. The consequence is that only
cry small proportion of the childre
rought ir.to the world reach inaturil
lie mortality ofchildien under five yea
f age is, no doubt, considerable in si
onn*.lies, but in Kussiu it is frightfu
latiy more than one half of the eliild rt
oni in this country died in the very esi
est period of infancy. Oiie-ei jjhlh die b<
iveeu the ages of live and teu, and aiiotln
iirhf.li. between ten anil Itvnnlr i In
nee-fourths parish before reaching mi
ire age. Where are wu lo look for ll
huso of ill is mortality 1 It fcannot be r
:rre<i lo climate, for throughout the who
xtent of Russia there is no climate mor
iimic.il to health than that of St. Peter
urg ; ami yet in the capital the deaths i
ifancy are nol, as in other parts of tl
inpire, in the proportion of one-half, bt
n!y of oiie-thiid, to the births. The re
jii is that children are more cared for, at
teir physical development is better attci
1 to in St. Petersburg than in tl
rovinces. The ignorance and'superstitio
f the lower classes of the peoplu have, i
lany instances, a most fatal influence c
.e management of children.' Of this tl
dlowing facts jillbrd a melaucholy exaii
le. Last August small pox of a very mi
gnant character broke out in several \?i
tges of the government of Voronetzv an
lade fearful ravages among' the cliiklrc
f both sexes. The activity of the diseas
'as considerably heightened by the lit
lid climate, the uncleatilincss of the pe<
!e, the bad quality and scantiness of foo<
nd tii u ignorance and negligence of ni<
ier.s in the treatment of tho patients. .
hysician residing inono of the in fee to
istiicts found a young child suffering ui
or a most terrible Attack of small po:
le ofl'ered his professional assistance
hicli was obstinately rejected by tho mt
icr, who observed that 1f -it Were writte
wit her child must die, ho doctor.coul
ive him. llowerer, the poor - woman w*
tndly attached.to lmr child, and at le'ngt
ie yielded to the doctor's recomniendi
on', an J said, "Well, you may try to cur
iin, and may God help you." On beiiij
3ked wffy the child bad not been vaccina
:il, she replied that when the-men cam
ito the village lo vaccinato the childre
10 hid her boy, and though.the men cam
ito her hut several times tlrey could uc
nd_hitn.
Vaccination, she observed, was an in
ions practice, and the could not cbarf
<jr conscience with the sin of making h<
liild a victim to it. "But," said the do<
or, "you have been compelled to hav
our child vaccinated." The woman shoo
icr head sorrowfully, and most piteousl
yep-t. Anothta: woman, who happened l
>o present, said that she had a child, an
hat if any doctor were to vaccinate if si
vould sack th(?mallcr or even bite out tl
>ieco?of lluoh v?ih her teeth to prevent tl
liabolical op^ntion taking effect. Th
pinion on the subject of vacciuatiou
;enerai among me iiusKoinigs, or sent
Dalies, of tbo district of Korotiak ; but
ilso 'prevails iu districts in which there
to schism. The Russian peasantry gene
illy look upon a doctor with distrust; ar
n tcases of illness, they invariably prcf<
lie assistance^ of the village sorcerer
Bulletin. **
A dandy with more beauty than brail
narricd an heiressp who, although ve
uxoiuplishcd, was by no means handsoir
Dne day he aaid to her, "My dear, as ug
in vrtti iirrt. T InvA vfin na wull no
~ J J "IVI.J
ptdu were pretty." "Thank you, love," w
J?o reply, "t pau return the compliruei
for fooi as you are, I lore you us well
lbougl? you had wit."
jp 4^- ?
The inoon deems to rpost unsteady of
MieatialjumiuflTiea; bUe is continually &h
ing her quarters. *
PKOF. LIEBER S RECOLLECTIONS OF HUM- v
BOLDT.
A regular meeting of tlio American j.
fleographtoal and Statistical Society was j.)
held in New York on Thursday evening,
and the regular order of business bointr
. n ?
dispensed with, resolutions were passed and ,x
several of the persons present delivered (>
addresses, in honor of ITuiiiL?oldl. Anion"
a
others who addressed the myelins; were
n
Professors Lieber, lJache and tluvot, and
1 Ion. (jleorge Bancroft. Letters were also |
read from Lieut. Maurv, D. 1). i'aruard
e
and others. We print a few extracts from
the remarks of l'rof. Lieher :
?
ll is not considered inappropriate, 1 j
believe, on occasions like this, to ?rive dis;
! o
tiuctness to the picture by stating personal ,
observations. Allow inc. then, to rotate a i .
. . 1 "
ve*y simple, yet characteristic, fact. 1 .
visited Humboldt at Potsdam in the year |
1811, when ho had readied, therefore, the
ago of seventy-live; for you know that
lio was horn in that memorable vear, I
; a
in which Cuvier was born, aiul Wellington'
and Chruitcniihriand, ami Napoleon, and
Canning, and Walter Scott, and Mcintosh'
l' ?just ton years after Schiller, just twenty | ^
j-ftcr (jJoctl e. Humboldt told nic at that j
at 1 11
. time that he was engaged in a work which j ^
ho intended to call Cosmos ; that he was j
s, , . II
obliged chiefly to write a< niir'it, for in the !
:i- ... o
inorninir ho studied and arranged materials ' .
.ir - . ' j b
and in the evonimr lie was expected to be i
r- ... t(
with tin: Kins from !) o'clock to about 11 ! ..
fir . . I l<
. Alter his return from the King ho w;is
i?- ... . , s
emraijod in writing until 1 or '2 o'clock. e
ir I'
ilumboldt. when in ljurlin or l'tilsilnm
;i . ''
was' retained, if wo may use the proles- ^
sional term, to joiu the evening circle of |
the King for tho indicated hours. It was
is . I1
II all, I believe, he was actually expected to ^
perform ill return for the titles, honors and
il. . . ft
revenue which he was enjoying, except t|
that the monarch sometimes selected him .
r- ti
as a companion on his journeys. Hum- ^
boldt described to me the character of .
these royal evening re unions. Everything
of interest, as the Jay brought it to notico ^
was there discussed. The drawing of a
ic "...
beautiful live oak, near Charleston, which
13'
I a fair friend had. made for me, was taken ^
by Humboldt to that circle, where it ato
. II
traded so much attention, that he becrired
o- # ww si
( ine to leave it, anil ho told me that the vol*
lime describing our aqueduct, which my
friend the author, now the President of the
it .
(JoUcffe, had given ine at the 'ime of its
a- = ? . w
j publication, and which I had then sent j(
j him, had furnished the topic of discussion ^
for rfn entire week. We collected, lie said,
je ' '
all. possible works on ancient and modern
I aqueducts, and compared, discussed and
|H applied, fyr many successive evenigs. Is
there, then, a royal road to knowledge,
after, all, when a Humboldt can be re?.
tai"edl . u
I May 1 cxtond your supposed perinis- e]
j sion of giving personal anecdotes, pro*
n vided t)iey ivre of a sufficiently biogra_0
phical character, such as Plutarch, perhaps j
would not have disdained to record ? I de1"
Ol
^ sire to show what interest he took in everyj
thing connected with progress. I have ^
reason to believe that it was chicflv owing ,
>* . ? te
a to him that the King of Prussia offered ,
\ ... In
j me, not long after my visit, a chair to be ^
created in the University of Berlin, cxclui
m
, sivelv devoted to- the science and art of
? a<
punishment, or to'Poenology. I had con
versed willi the Monarch on iho supeiiority ^
of solitary confinement at labor over all
" - * pi
j the other prison systems, when he.conclud- f^,
' ed our interview with these words: " I
is . ui
^ wish you would convince M. von Hum- ^
v boldt of your views. Ho is rather opposed ^
to them. I shall let hiiu know that you .
e J tli
tf wilt see him. j
? Humboldt aiid prison discipline sounded
0 strange to my ears. I went and found ^
? thai lie loved truth better than his own
n . ev
a opifiion^or bias; and my suggestion that ^
,1 so comprehensive a University as that of CJ)
Berlin, our edmftion native city, ought to
j. be honored with having the first chair of j,.
poenology, for which it was high time to
carve out a distinct branch of treating the
convict in all his phases after tho act of jg
conviction, was seized upon at once by his r*,
^ liberal mind. Ho soon carried the Minis- .j.
1 ter of Justico along with him, and the
ort'er to which I have alluded was the con- ,i
to tl
, senuence.
Ill ( ^
)e Oil the otlior hand, a friend, whose name it
,e is perhaps more Interwoven with the his* tl
,e tory of our canal than that of any other ai
js citizen, except Clinton, informs me that he h
js had the pleasure of sitting by the side of tl
8. llumboldt at a royal dinner, at Charlotten- y,
jt burg. During the whole time they t(
were engaged in conversing almost exclu- d
r_ sively on our great canal, and that greater u
one which ought to unite iu everlasting
jr wedlock the sturdy Atlantic and teeming
Pacific, have now yearned for one another n
for centuries. Humboldt .spoke with a p
knowledge of details and a sagacious djs- ?
us comment which were surprising to my tl
ry friend, well versed in all the knowledge of
le. details ?f tbaeo topics.
ly Tbo moat perfect image of social refine;h
meivt which I have to this day io my mind
as is an early evening party at tho villa.of
ut, William von Humboldt( .near tho Lake ^
Tegal. Nature has- not done much for that ^
spot, but refined simplicity, courtesy and
alt taste, easy interchange.<Jf thought and exift.
patience, men of name and women of attractive
elegance aad high acquirement*,
oungnnd old, travellers, courtiers, soldiers
nd students, music, works of art, green
uvns, shrubbery and winding paths along
mooth water or waving field*, arothc coiuouents
of tliat scene, in the inidsl o'
liicli the two illustrious lluuiboldts itiovcd
nd delighted others as much as they secmd
to l?o gratified, giving and receiving as
II others did, never condescending, never
idicaliug a consciousness that tiny cnuuraged
the tiiiiid, hut showing how jjladlv
liov received additional knowledge from
very one.
There are men here around mo of lion
red names in tlios-e sciences which ] I tint*
uldt cultivate*! more especially as his
vvn. I hope tlu'v will indicate to us how
e infused a new spirit into them, how he
in measurably extended them, how lie aded
discoveries and original conception
>ut I, though allowed to worship these
L-ii-nces in tlio peristyle only, and not as a
onseerated prii-st, crave permission to say
few words cvji on this topic.
Some lit'tccu years ago Humboldt proid
ed over the annual meeting ot Natralists,
then held at Ueilin. 1 ti his open
ng speech he chit-lly discoursed on tlie
nerits of Linna-us. lie knew uf Linna-us
s ilerodotus knew of Salamis and Tlier"
lopyla*, for the life of the great Swede
verlappud by some ten years thai of Hum"
oldtand all lie there said of I/mnaMis seems
a me to apply to himself with far greater
nee and on ay enlarged scale. Iti that
poi-eli, too, L remember, ho quoted liis
riend Schiller. Humboldt was, in a markd
manner, of a poetic teniperanieiit. 1
o not believe that without it, he would
ave been able to receive those living iniressions
of nature, and to combine what
,as singly received, those vivid descriptions
ml in language so true and transparent,
liat they surprise the visitor of the scenes
J this day. Ife had thai constructive imgiuatiou?I
do not speak now of involve
fancy?without which no man can be
real in any branch, whether it belong to
ature or to history.
Old A<n'.?It is pleasant to look upon
lose whom old age has furrowed with
lany years. They tell us of lives well
)cnt,when in addition to years the ruddies*
of heallh still lingers, luth to depart,
pon the shrunken checks.
Old age is the Alpine height of life, from
.1.: .i. .1 i i?,i .i i '
nun liiu auiu iuuum uutvit uirougll ln
mg vista of the past upon deeds that Lave
dded to the happiness of the race.
The good man who has seen the sun rise
nd set upon his generation, and who is
jady with patriarch hand to bless the
orld, and smiling, bid it good r.ight former,
is a noble monument to look at.
Rarely do men of turbulent souls live
lat period when they can say wo have
nbraced Old Ago; and are thence preparI
to go willingly to the silent chambers
F the dead, there to prepare themselves for
tat journey into the unknown regions of
ernity which all must take.
Only the good grow old. It is only
icy who, loving truth?who, having resd
confidingly upon lofty assurances and 1
:>ly purposes, gradually pass from stage to '
age in Life's great journey?enjoy what 1
ay be truly called a "sweet old age"?an
je that is full of honor and gloiy. '
We all respect the aged. No one, how er
uncouth his nature, but feels in the
esence of the snow-crowned patriarch as
there were something of Heaven near
ito him. Such a one knows that one life
, least has been well spent?that a soldier,
II or honor, lias retired from the battle of
e world, and is now calmly awaiting the
>ur when he shall be summoned to his re- '
iird ; and that, when ho does depart,jthere 1
e llioao who will not soon forget his place '
en in the narrow circle in which for the
st time ho saw the sun, so typical of his
ireer, go down forever.
Kemarking upon sweet old *tgc, a writer
is well said, "God sometimes give to man
liltless and holy second childhood) in (
hich the soul becomes childlike, not childIt?and
the faculties, in full Iruit and
peness, arc mellow, without sign of decay,
his is that fought-for land of I3culah,
here llioy who have travelled manfully
ic Christian way, abide awhile, to show
to world a perfect manhood. Life, with
s battles and its sorrows, lies far behind
tem ; the soul has thrown oil' its armor,
nd sits in an evening undress of calm and
olv loisiirft. Thrica blnssr><l th? fnmilv
tat numbers among it one of those not
ot ascended saints! Gentle aro they and
>lerant, ahd apt to play with little chilrcn,
easy to ba pleased with little pleasres."
An Interesting Letter.?Tlio finest of
'its, Oliver "Wendell Holmes, sent two
oetical letters to the ' Post Office' of an
Episcopal Fair at Pittsfield." In one of them
be first stanza was :
"Fair lady, whosoe'r lliou art,
Tarn this poor leaf with tendereat care,
And?hush, O hush thy breathing heart?
The onis thou lor eat 39 ill bo there."
On turning the " poor loaf," there waB
jund a one doiler bill with souse verses,
legihning:
" Fair ludy, lift thine eyea aud Ul!
It this is not a trmhful letter,
This 5s the one (t)thou loveal well
And nought (0) cau make thee loy? it betlpr.
U<D"
Wit on tombstones.
A vast amount of wit is to bo gathored
from tombstones, and mortuary puns have
long been famous. The epitaph of the
witty divine, l)r. Tlios. l'^uller, is Worthy of
himself, simply :
Fuller's earthi
There is a professional poitit In tlic cpN
tapb of tho eminent barrister, Sir John
Strange:
l!t?re lies mi honest lawyer?tlmt is Straiiyti.
And by what an outrageous quibble has
the name of VVin. Button, Esq., been hand
ed down to immortality. The epitaph is to
be seen in a churchyard hear Salisbury :
O suiii iiiooii , blurs, ami ye celedthil poles !
Aie grave.-', then, dwindled into Bullou-holes !
There is something quaint and touching
in this epitaph of (Jriiualdi, the distinguish
ed clown :
Here 1 am !
One of the best of this briefer kiu4 wjts
proposed by Jerrold, whose wit did not always
wear so courteous a dress. Charles
Kirght, ihe Shakspearian eritlic, was the
subject, and tho words :
Good Knight.
l'rofessioual rivalry produced this illnatured
inscription for the tombstones of a
Western editor.
Here, lit'/: an i'MilOi*.
It is added that thn iiitnrml i??nn
memh-d the aulhor to use tlio inscription as
;i motto for liis own journal;
Of histrionic epitaphs the best iathUoilfl
on 0110 rf Slii'.kapearo's actors j
Exit Durbnge.
In a similar vein si wit gavo a couplet
to Mrs. OMfield, the most celebrated actios^
of her day j
This we must own, in justic*1 tolicr
The first bud exit Olihk-hl etcr timdo.
Something of compliment is here sacrificed
to make the point. It is the reversd
of Malcolm's Eulogy on (Jowdon
Nothing in his lite
Decanie hint like tho leaving of ih
The comedian Foote takes his turn thus ;
Footc from his earthly stage, ulas! is hnrl'd;
Death toflk l'.im tflF, who Wok off all tlW
World.
Westminster Abbey has some uoticdflbto
epitaphs. This, by Samuel Wesley, is on
the monument to butler; the author of llti
dibras :
When Butler, needy Wretch ! was fttill alive-,
v.. ..k?
jjvuviwun n'urun wouiu a cjinner f?ivc,
St'o him, when StuiVed lo duuilt mid turned Id
diist,
Presented willi a monumental Lust!
The poet's fate is here in embleifi shown;
lie asked fur bread, uud lie received a s;diiCi
This couplet, on it monument to John
Gay, tlie poutj is hard ly buited to a CLriatiau
church:
Life is a jest, mid all things show it;
1 thought so once, and now I know in
And what a defiance there is in this, on
the monument of 4 that gallant soldier^ Sit
Thomas Vere
When Yerc sought death, armed with his sword
and shield^
Death was afraid to irieet hllrt in the field
Hut when his weapon he had laid aside.
Death, like a coward, struck him and he died.
Sir Thomas l'arkins, the great wrestler)
sauscd a monument to be built for himself,
on which was a sculpture in relief depicting
Jeath in tbo act of throwing Sir Thomas
f lie epitaph, which is in Laliu, reads ns fol
lows:
Ilcrc lies the chief, who oncc threw all.
Thrown by the conquering nnnof Death)
Who ne'er hud given the knight a fall,
lint tlmt he found him oulof breath.
Hut boast not, Death ! with empty pride.
Thy strength ; the duy will comc wiieu hej
Arising, with fresh breath supply'd,
Khali vanquish time, and conquer thee.
Miss long was a beautiful actresB of the
last century, so short in stature that she
was known as the pocket Venus, ller cpl
Laph concludes?
Though long, yet sliorlj
Tliomrh short, vet Prdh/ Lonih
^ t?? ? ?
Quid-on the Trigger.?' You will please
sbserve," said old Mr. Lambwell, as lie led
lis through his school the other day, "that
the hoys aro required to observo the Ut-(
most attention to quietness as well as to
discipline."
"NYe had at this moment arrived In front
of several boys standing around a water
bucket, and one lmd just charged his mouth
with the contents of the cup, while the old
gentleman was stooping over to recover
his pen from the floor, when another pas*
sing along behind, snapped his fingers quito
under the drinker's ear, and caused him on
a sudden to eject the contents of his moutli
over I ho pedagogue's bald pate< Stand?
ing upright, with his face and hair drip*
ping the master shouted :?
"Who did that
The party unanimously cried out?*
"Jiin Gun, sir.
"Jaincs Gun, what did you do that for ?rt
Jim, appalled at the mischief he had
done, muttered that it was not his fault?
that Tom Owen Inapt him.
This changed the directio u of otd Lamb*
well's wrath, and shaking his cane portentously
over Owen's head, he asked I-*?, :
' "Did yon snap Gun - : ' *"'
The culprit, trembling with faar, mutter ed:?
'
"Yes, air, I snapt Gun?but / didift
krtcio that he was loaded,\V,';
< ?? ?<j ?? . J ,'.j,
' Though lost to ?jgli t, ^pjnemory dear,"
as the maiden said to h?r lover whan hit
I face was buried in beard an?whi*W&