The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, November 23, 1876, Image 1
VOL. I---NO. 7.1 WINNSBORO, S. C.. THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 23 1876
- In Adl'**, ce
MISS HARPEWS iMID
After the last voyage but one, the
good ship of which I was first officer
wont into dock for a thorough re
fitting, and I had a longer spell at
home than I had enjoyed for many
years. I would not change this way
of life for any in the world; but I
was glad for once to strdtch my logs
fairly on dry IFmn, and see some
thing of green fields, brick and
mortar, and my shore going friends
in the neighborhood of Canterbury.
Among the families in which I
was most intimate was that of a
Mr. Harper. He had made a com
fortable fortune by trado, and now
was enjoying his otium cum digni
tate in a good house on the out
skirts of the city. An only daugh
ter kept house for him; for he was
a widower. Now Julia Harper,
when I first knew her, was a fine,
handsome girl of two-and-twenty ;
tall, well made. but on rather a large
scale, with bright, restless eyes, and
a profusion of dark hair She had
a great many admirers, some of
whom there is overy reason to sup
pose, admired the old gentleman's
money as much as the young lady's
eyes, but they met with no great
encouragement.
I often met with Julia at the
house of mutual friends. I certain
ly liked the girl; and my vanity was
flattered, because, with so many ad
nirers around her, she showed me,
as I thouight, a decided preference.
She seemed to Le never tired of talk
ing i bout the sea. She wearied me
with que stions about it; and on
more than one occasion said--very
unguardedly-that she thought a
voyage to India would be the most
delightful thihg in the world. Of
course, I made fitting answer, that
with a congenial companion, a
voyage anywhere would be delight
ful; and, more than once, opportu
nity being favorable, I was on the
point of declaring myself, when an
intornalqualm of consciencoarrested
the dangerous avowal.
Affairs were in this state, when an
accident befell me which brought
matters to a crisis There was a
steeplechase one day in the neigh
borhood of Canterbury, which I
attended on foot. During the
exciteient of the race, I attempted
a difficult cut across the country,
failed at a leap which was beyond
my powor and had the misfortune
to sprain. .y ankle. The injury was
a very severe one, and I was laid up
for ma-ny weeks in my lIdgings.
You have often laughed at ne for
taking everything so coolly. I
assure you that I did not take this
coolly at ill. I chafed. indeed, liko
a lion in the toils; and was continu
ally arresting the progress of my
recovery by putting-in spite of
repeated prohibitions - the cripplled
member to tlh, groim. At last, I
began to learn a little philosophy,
and resigned myself to the sofa with
a groan.
The loss of my liberty was bad
enough; but the loss of Juli Ls
society was a hundred times worse.
H1er father came often to see me,
and brought me kind messages from
his daughter ; but, if I had no more
substantial consolations, I believe
that I should have gone mad.' Julia
did not actually come to me ; b~ut
sh~e wrote me r'epeatedl notes of
inquiry, and often sent me flow~ers
and books, and other tokens of
womanly kindnmess. The messenger
employed on these occasions was
Miss Harper's maid. She was gen
orally enjoined to doliver the letters
and parcels into my own hands, and
sometimes to wait for an answer.
She canme, therefore, into my dr'aw
ing-roomn, and if she had occasion to
wvait, I would alway desire her to be
seated. The girl's name was Rachel.
She might have been old, or ugly,
or deformed, for anything I cared,
or, indeed, that I knowv about her.
I had a din) consciousness that she
had a very pleasant manner of
speaking ; but I give you my word
that, after she had been half a dozen
times into my room, I should not
have known her if I had met her in
the streets; I regarded her only as
an appendago to the fair Julia,
whose image was ever before my
eyes, shutting out all else from my
This, howe ver, did not last for
ever. It happened one day that
when Rachel brought mec a par'cel, I
-in my lover-like enthusiasm
started up from the sofa, and in
cautiously planted my injured foot
on the ground. The result was a
spasm of such acute p~ainI that I fell
back upon my couch with an in
voluntary cry, and a face as colorless
as marble. Rachel immediately
stepped forward ; and with a cordial
expression of sympathy, asked if she
could do anything for me, and pro
ceeded, with a light, gentle hand to
arrange the pillows under my
crippled limb. I felt very grateful
for these ministrations, and as I
gave utterance to my gratitude, I
looked for the first time inquiringly
into Rachel's face.
I thought that, altogether, she
was a very pretty girl, and, more
over, a very genteel one. I observ
ed now what I had never observed
-indeed, had had no opportunity
of observing- that she had a charm
in g littleigrer. Her shawl hael
fallen off while she was arranging
my pillows, so that I could see her
delicate waist and the graceful out
line of her lightsome form. I was
interested in her now for the first
time; and. was sorry when she took
her departure, with the expression
of hope that I might not suffer
further inconvenience.
I hoped that she would come
again on the following day, and I
was not disappointed. She came
with a note and a bouquet from
Julia; but before delivering either
she inquired after me with-what I
thought-gonuine concern. I an
swered kindly and gratefully; and
before opening her mistress' note
asked her several questions, and
drew her into conversation. The
more I saw of her the better I liked
her. She was at first a little re
served-perhaps embarrassed-but
after a few more visits this wore off,
and there was a quiet self -possession
about bor which pleased me migliti
ly. I could not get rid of the im
prossion that she was something
better than her social position
seemed to indicate ; at all events,
she was very much unlike all the
waiting-maids I had ever seen. I
soon began to delight in her visits.
She came almost every day with
some letter or message from her
mistress. I looked forward to the
time of her coming, and felt duller
when she was gone. I thought that
it would be delightful to have such
a handmaiden always about me, to
suooth my pillow and bring me my
meals, and talk to me when she had
rothing better to do.
I was interested in Rachel, and
enjoyed her visits; but, believing
still in Julia Harper's fidelity, I was
faithful to the core myself. But cir
eumstances soon occurred which
shook my faith, and then my love
began to dwindle.
Rachel brought me a note one
day, and a parcel containing a pair
of worsted work slippers, which her
mistress said she hoped I would
wear for her sake until I was able to
leave my room. She did not actual
ly say, but she implied, that she had
worked them for me herself. When
I said something to Rachel about
the time and trouble Miss Harper
I never said "your mistress" now
must have expended on them, I
observed a very curious and signifi
cant expression on the girl's face. I
had observed it once or twice be
fore, when I had said something in
dicative of my confidence in Julia's
sincerity. It was an expression
partly of pity-partly of disgust;
and seemed to be attended, for 1
could see the compressure of her
little mouth, with a painful offort to
repress the utterance of something
that was forcing its way to her lipsi.
I was thinking what this could mean
when a piece of folded paper fell
from the parcel; I picked it up, and
found it was a bill-a bill for may
shippers, which Miss Harper had
bouiht. I knew now the meaning
of tie look. Rachel saw that I had
got a glimmering of the truth,
and I thought that she seemed more
happy.
Sue had wished me "good morn
ing," an~d was5 about to depart, but I
toldI her that [ could not suffer her
to) go. It was altogether a dleplora
b)1 le dy-what we call in the log
equally,. There was a great deal of
wmqud--a groat deal of rain; and just
at this moment the latter was coming
down in torrents. After some per1
saasion she consented to remain.
Then I asked her if she would do
something for me ; and, with a
bright smile she answered :"Yes."
I had a new silk neelothi waiting
on the table to be hemmed
She took it up, and then, tur'ning to
me, asked naively how she was to
horm it without needle and thr'ead.
T1o this question--for which I was
well pr'epared-I replied that in the
other table drawer she would find
something containing both. She
searched, and found a v'ery pretty
Russian leather case, silver mnounted,
with all the applliances a seamntress
could (desire. Then I begged her'
acceptance of it--said that I had
orderod it to be made on purpose
for her use, and that I should be,
bitterly disappointed if she (11( not
accelpt it. And she did accep~t it
with undlisguised pleasure. And a
very pleasant thing it was to lie on
the sofa, and watch her neat little
white hands plying the needle in my
behalf. I had been longing to see
the hand without the glove, and I
was abundantly satisfied when I saw
it.
She had hemmed one side of the
handkerchief, and we had conversed
on a great variety of topics, wvhen
the weather began to clear up, and
the sun to shine in at the windows.
Rachel rose at once to depar't.I
said that I was quite sure it must be
dlreadfully wet under foot, and
that I was certain she was thinly
shoed.
"Not very," she said.
But I insisted on satisfying my
self, and would not be content until
she had suffered to peep out be
mneath the hem of her gown one of
the neatest little patent leather
slippers I had ever seen in my life.
12 said that they were vei-y dainty
little things, but altogether fine
wveather shoes, and not meant for
wet decks. But I2 remembered
presently that 12 had seen in her~
hand, when she entered the room, a
pair of India rubber ovjrsbaoos, and I2
reminded har of them.
"They are my mistress'," she said
"I had boon desired to fetch then
from the shop."
"Wear them," I said, "all the
same-they will be none the worse,
and will keep your little feet dry."
".But how can I I" she answered,
with a smilo; "they will not fit me
at all."
"Too small ?" I said, laughing.
"Yes, sir," she said, with another
smile, even more charming than the
first. I told her that I should not
be satisfied until I had decided that
point myself, and at last I persuad
ed her to try. , The little rogue
know well the result. Her feet were
quite lost in them.
If I have a weakness in the world,
my good fellow, it is in favor of
pretty feet and ankles ; so, when
Rachel insisted on taking her de
parture, I hobbled as well as I
could to the window to see her pick
her way across the mud puddles. I
satisfied myself that the girl's ankles
were as undeniable as her feet; and
she was unequivocally bien chaussee.
I could not help thinking of this
long after she was gone. And then
it occurred to me that Julia Harper
was certainly on a rather large scale.
She had a good figure of its kind,
and she had fine eyes ; but Rachel's
were quite as bright and much
softer ; and as for all the essentials
of graceful and feminine figure, the
mistress' was far inferior to the
maid's. I kept thinking of this all
the evening, and after I had gone
to bed. And I thought, too, of the
very unpleasant specimen of Julia's
insincerety which had betrayed
itself in the case of the slippers.
The next day was an auwpicions
one. Looking prettier than ever
Rachel came with a. noto from her
mistress. I was in no hurry to opening
it, you may be sure. I asked Rach
a great number of questions, and was
especially solicitous on the score of
wet feet, which I feared had been
the result of her last homeward
voyage from my lodgings. She had
by this time habituated herself to
talk to mc in a much more free and
unembarrassed manner than when
first she came to my apartments ;
and the more she talked to m the
more charied I was ; for she ex
pressed herself so well, had such a
pleasant voice and delivered such
sensible opinions, that I soon began
to think that the mental qualifica
tions of the mistress (none of the
highest, be it said) wore by no means
superior to those of the maid. In
deed, to toll the truth, my good
fellow, I was falling in love with
little Rachel as fast as I possibly
could.
I,'his day, indeed, precipitated the
crisis. We had talked some time to
gether, when Rachel reminded me
I thought that there was an expres
sion of mock reproachfulness in the
ittle round face) that I had not
read her mistress' letter. I opened
it in a careless manner; and had no
sooner read the first line than 1
burst out into loud laughter.
'Bravo, Rachel," I exclaimed. "You
are a nice little messenger, indeed, to
carry a young lady's billets douxi.
You have given ine a wrong lettor."
She t >ok11up the envelope, which had
fallen to tnme ground, andl showed mec
that it was directed to "Edward
Bloxhmam, Esq1." "All the better,
Rachel," I said ; "but this begins, 'I
am so dleligh ted, my dear Captain
CJox'- Hurrah for' the envelopes !"
I lookod into Rachel's face. It
was not easy to read the expression
of it. First she seemedl inplined to
laugh-thon to cry. Then she
blushed ump to the very roots of her
hair. She was ovidently in a state
of in('ertitude and( confusion--puz
zied what course to pursue. I fold
ed up the letter, plaWcd it in another
envolope-not -aving, of course,
r'ead another word of its contents.
WVhat was the cause of Julia's exces
sivoe delight I am not awvare up to
thuis moment ; but I could not help
asking Raichel something about
Captain Cox. One question led to
another. Rlachel hesitatod at first
but at last, with faltering voice and
tearful face, told me the whole truth.
She said that she had felt herself for
sonmc time in a very painful and omn
barrassing situation. She recog
nized her duty to her mistress, who
had been kind and indulgent to her
-b~ut she could not help seeing that
mneh that h ud been (lone was
extremely wrong. She had all
along boon ashamed of the duty on
which she wvas employed, and had
more than once hinted lher' disap)
probation ; but had been only laughed
at as a prude. She had often reproach..
ed herself for being a party to the fraud
which had been prIactisedl on me.
She had not at first fathomed the
wvhole extent of it ; but now she
knew how bad a matter it ws. The
truth was, that Miss Harper had
for some time been carrying on
something more than a flirtaton
with Captain Cox. But her fatner
disliked the man, wvho, though very
handsome and agreeable, bore any
thing but a good character-and,
therefore, Julia had acted cautiously
and guardedly in the matter, and
hmad feigned an indifference' which
bad deceived Mr Harper.
WhP~len I first came to anchor at
Canterbury, Captain Cox was on
"ibavo of absence ;' and, as he had
gone away without making a declara
ion, it }had appeared to Julia thait
an overt flirtation with nie in the
captain's absence-something that
would nertainly ranh his arm..mUh
stimulate him to greater activity,
and elicit an unretractable avowal.
Her flirtation with me was intended,
also, to impress on Mr. Harper's
mind the conviction that she was
really attached to me, and ho ceased,
therefore, to trouble himself about
Captain Cox. He liked me, and he
encouraged me, on purpose that the
odious captain might be thrown into
the shade. Such was the state of
affairs at the outset of Julia's flirta
tion with me. But Rachel assured
me that I really had made an impres
sion on the young lady's heart,
though she had not by any means
given up the gallant captain.
I asked Raehol how this could be
--how it was possible that any heart
could boar two impressions at the
same time. She said sho supposod
some impyressions were not as deolp
and ineflzaceablo as others. Aal
events, she believed that to Miss
Harper it was a matter of no very
vital concern whether sho mar
ried Captain Cox or Mr. Bloxham ;
but that she was determined to have
one or the other; The fact is, the girl
was playing a double game, and de
ceiving both of us. All this was very
clear to me from Rachel's story.
But she told me it was her own belief
that Julia would determine on taking
me, after all -thiit for the very cx
cellent reason that Captain Cox was
engaged elsewhere. At least, that
was the story in the town since his
return to the barracks.
Poor Rachel shed a great many
tears while she was telling me all
this. Shte said that, having betrayed
her mistress, she could not think of
remaining with her. She was decid
ed on this point. With warm expres
sions of gratitude, I took her little
hand in mine, and said that I would
be her friend-that she had done me
an inestimablo service-that I was
glad to be undeceived-that the
little incident of deception in the
slippors had shaken my belief in Miss
Harper's truth, that altogether my
opinions had changed, lld that I
knew there were worthier objects of
myaffection. Then Ispoke of her own
)osition --said that of course bor
determination was right--but that
she would confer a very great favor
on mc if she would do nothing until
she saw me again. This she readily
promised ; and it was agreed that on
the following day, which was Sunday.
she should call on me during after
noon service. I preRsed hor hand
warmly when I wished her good
bye.
She came at the appointed hour,
looking prettier and more lady-like
than over. She was extremly well
dressed. I shook. hands with her
and asked her to seat herself upon
the couch beside me ; and then
asked her, laughingly : "What
news of Captain Cox ?" She said
there was not the least doubt that
Captain Cox was engaged to be
married to a lady in London ; and
that Miss Harper, ol the precoling
evening, not before, had been made
aequalinted with the fact. . I then
asked Rachel what the young lady
had said on receiving back her lotter
to the captain : and learned that sho
hlad been greatly excited by the dis
cover'y, and had bieen ver'y eager to
ascertain ho0w much of tile letter I
had read. WVhen Rtachiel told her'
that I had read only tile words :"I
am so delighted, my1 dlear' Captain
Cox," she somewhat recovered her
spirits, but this morning she hlad
pleaded illness as an excuse
for not comling down to
brealgjast, and hlad not since left lher
roomn.
There was at this time lying un
opened on my table a nlote from Miss
Harper, wvhich had been brloughlt b~y
hecr fatherm, anl hiour before. I askvd
Rach~el to give it to me, saying :
"Now, let us see, Rachel, wihether'
any nowv Jight is thrlownl up~on tile
subject." I think her hland trembh!e:l
whlen sh1e gave it to 111. I open~ed
and read :
"Mv DEAnI MR. BRLOXHAM : Ver'y
many thlanks to you for your prlompti
tuido in retuirninig tile note, which,
stupid little bunlgler that I am"
("Not so very little, is she, Rachlel?"
I paused to remark) "I sent you by
mistake--I am very glad that I had
niot sent tihe other to Capt. Cox--for
althlough it do0es not mluch matter if
one's letters to one0's acquaintLance
fall into tile hands of one s friends,
it is not at all pleasant if Onle's
letters to one's friends fall
into the hands of one's ac
qaintance. I wrote to Capt. Cox
only to tell hlim ho0w delighted I was
to hear of hlis ongagement.--for lhe is
going to be mlarried to a Miss Fitz
Smiythe---a very ledy-liko girl whmo
was spending som1e timoe here withl
tile Maurices, ando was really quite a
friend of my own."
I hlad not patience to read any
muoro. I know it to be all a lie. So
I tossed the letter inito thle middle of
the room, and said : "We have hadI
enoungh of thlat." I was inoff~Ibly
disgusted. One thiing, howvever,
was certain, that Julia Harper' was
now to be hand by me for the asking.
I[ had other views for mny humble
self. Rachel, I found, on inquiry,
was the daughter of a Mrs. Ernehaw,
the widow's means of subeistonco
were slight, and her daughlter had
obtained a situation as, what people
called, Miss Harper'? maid.
My good felo, i en 1hay4ly tell
you what hanewe pkr this. I
have a confused recollection of hayv
ihg looked inquiringly into Rachlel's
fasce; ' ead whiole chantern of Joava in
in it ; then throw my arms roun
her waist, pressed her fondly to my
bosom, and, while I untied her bon.
net strings and removed the obtru
sivo covering from her head, said tc
her : "We sailors have all boen
sworn never to kiss the maid when
we can kiss the mistress--unless we
like the maid better than the mis
tress, and Heaven knows how much
I do I"
After the lapse of two or thre
weeks, and very delightful weeks
they were, too, Rachel Einshaw be
came Rachel Bloxham, and I the
happiest husband in the world. I
have got the very best of little
wives, and never, I assure you, for
one moment, though we havo little
enough to live upon, and I cannot
bear these long separations, have I
deplored the loss of Miss Harpor.
TLo ineligible Electors.
WAslNOTON, Novembor 14.-A
surprising, if not serious, and most
importantiturn has been given to the
aspect of the Presidential muddle
by the discovery tu-day that two of
the Republican electors, one chosen
in Oregon and anothor in the State
of Vermont, were until yesterday in
the ono and until to-day in the
other case, office-holders under
the United States, and therefore, as
is now insisted upon by the Denio
crats, disqualified to servo in the
capacity of electors of President
and Vice-President.
Whatevor force, little or great,
there may be in this argument of
the Democrats, the discovery has
alarmed the whole Ropublican cam1p; I
for, should the claim of the Demo
crats be made good and prevail,
Governor Tilden will have at least
186 electoral votes, irrespoetive of
the result of thole iction Iml .>uth
Carolina, Louisiana and Florida.
The two persons referred to aro
John \V. Watts, late PostmLas
ter at Lafayetto, Oregon, and H. N.
Sollace, lato 1Postllaster at Bridge
port., Vt. The word "late" iu this
connleection does not, however., and~
unfoltunately probably for Gover,
nMWr Hayes, Indicate sniflliieat ati.q
llty to save t!o ganle to tile Re
publicans. Tie resignation of lie
Oregon postmaster is datedt only
upon yesterday, Noveibor 13, was
forwarded by telegraph and took all
night to Come a crosS the Contillelt
from Sian Francisco, so that it got
into the hands of the Postmaster
General only this morning. The
resignation of the Vormont post
master was written, sent and receiv
ed to day. Both resignations were
at once accepted by Postmaster
General Tynor.
The trouble likely to arise out of
this matter is 11 follows: In the
first place, both men were holding
an office of trust and profit under
the United States upon and subse
quont to the day of election. In the
second placo the Constitution, in
Article 2, forbids tiat any person
"holding an oflice of trust or profit
uider the United States shall be
appointCd an elector." The Demo
cIrats argue that the election by the
people wits tile appointment con
temlplated b~y the Constitution, and
a good many Repull)icalns are honest
enloughl to feaur thalt tile Demlocr'ats
are righlt and1( that thle R(eputblican
parlty in Oregon and Vermlonlt have
made(1( a mlost egregious an1iecu
able couple ofblunlders anid thrmown
away the election by3 tile grossest
"pooh, p)oh" tile matter say thlat
the electora are not appointed1 in
thle sense5 of the Colntitution until
thecir certificates are made out, at
Itute in every detail and givenl
into the(ir possession ian ilnterpreU
tation of thle Constitution and( law
which would in vest the two gen tie
men "wiichl was postmnasters" withl
the full, capacity of electors, nlow~
thlat by resignling thleir office they
certificates come to be made out.
At best it is a most awkward and
embarrassing complication for the
Republicans.
Should, as tile Democrats conltend1,
tile two 1m10n be disqualified to servo
as electors, tile conmsequence wouild
be that in tile States of Oregon and
Vermont thle caindidlate on each of
the resp~ective Democratic electoral
tickets receiving the hlighlest popu1
lar vote would be chosen3) .Presidten
tial eloctor' inl comlbinlation with tihe
diiniishied nlumlber of Rtepulblicanl
electore, theO result being a gain of
two( votes for Mr. Tilden. It miight
he0 thought that thlere is a ti(o vote
for tihe parallel and( rival set or
IDemocratic dlctors, wvhich would
still further c~mliicto tis~ extrator
dinay mtter, bult it is tile Olepo
riceC (of erelybody whol( has ever n
spoteo the result of an official c.m.i
vases thait names, OvenI inl so compa):ct
a tic(ke(t as that of tile Electoral
College of any politic'al paty3, are~ so
frequentfly and inerouslhy scrated
as to make comparatively wide
differences iln thle votes cast for tile
canididatos 01n the same0 ticket.
Tile extent (of the impression
created inl official and( political cir..
cles may be soon1 in) the fact thalt the
p lroblemnatical status of tile two elec.
tors wvas the subject of a portion of
the discussion in the Cibmnet at tihe
session (thoroodf recently, withl whlat
result has not transpired.
The rather curious feature of the
comlplication has captured tile fancy
of those who are yet warmly can
vassing the probabilities of the
quetion of the@ next..raadan, and
for the nonce has set aside all con
jecturing as to the result in Louis
iana, the twenty-second joint rule
and other matters which have formed
the staple of speculative discussion
during the past eventful week. That
the Republicans are uneasy and aux
ions, if not alarmed, is quite evident
They are searching authorities tC
find precedents for maintaining the
position that the two ex-postme -
tore are disqualified, and if t.Ae
point of disability is raised, as it
certainly will be, they will be forti
fiod with opinions in support of
their position. The negative argu
mont is already advanced by them
that a scrutiny of the names in the
Democratic college of electors would
reveal office-holders under the Uni
tol States, such as commissioners to
take depositions in the soveralStates
-national notaries in fact--and
other similar potty officials, equally
disqualified with the two ex-post
masters to sevo as Presidential
electors- Cur. Chronicle and Senti
nel.
The Cause of the 'Splosion,
"I would invite you to my house,
brudder Jackson," said Deacon
Johnson, as he emerged from
church last Sunday evening, "but I
dunno as wo'll got any supper dis
night, de cook stove am so druffully
out ob repair."
"What's do matter wid do stove ?"
"Why, you soo cold wedder am
comin' on and wood's gottin' skase
an' high, an' I've 'structed do folks
to be berry oknocomical in do usin'
ob W. We'se bin buyin' in small
lots, an' last night, boin' out ob fuel,
I sent one ob my boys ober to a
neighbor's to borrow a few sticks.
Do man or his family had gone to
bod owin to do latouess ob d hour,
in' (it boy, who would 'spiso to do
a unhoncst transaction, wrote out
his noto for do value ob do wood,
an' droppin'it in a prominent place
in do woo I-Ashd, shouldoted an arm
fil an' brought it home."
"JSeH so."
"We'l, a fire was kindled, do toa
kittle put on, do ole woman she is
gittiu do supper. All ob a sulden
pnufT went do stove, zmn; ke swish,
kiuslhi went something, and as I
tuiblod over I saw do olo woman
nakin' for d roof wid do tea kittle
and the stovo plates followin' her,
whilo do boys an' do gals was as
braclc wid smuiit as (10 aceo of spades.
Do stovo's goose was cooked for a
fact."
"What was do cause ob de
'spl->shun ?"
'Im strongly 'clined to believe
dat dar was powder in dat wood, an'
dat do powdor was done put in dar
by dat white man to kotch some
thievin' darkoys wat nobber buys no
wood, an' brossod of I don't think
dat man spoolts me, kaso ho couldn't
find (it note, and won't make any
'pologios."
"Dat am an outrage."
"For a fact, an' do children's
supler was spiled, too."--Keokuk
C'onstitution.
A Materialized Hole.
Tako a shoot of stiff writing paper
and fold it into a tube an inch in
diameter. Apply it to the right eye,
and look steadfastly through it,
focussing the eye on any convenient
objoot ; keep the loft eye open.
Now lauce the left hand, held p~alm
up)ward, odgoeways against the side
of the paper' tube, and about an inch
or two above its lower end. The
astonishing effect will be produced
of a hole, apparently of the size of
the cross section of the tub~o, made,
through the left hand. This is the
hole in which we pr~op)os to mate
rihlizo another and smaller hole. As
we need a genuino aperture, and it
would bo inconvenient to make one
in the left hand, Iot a sheet of white
pa~per be substituted thorefor and
similarly held. Just at tho part of
the paper whore the hole eqnaling in
diamoeter the orifice of the tube ap
peal's, making an opening onoc-fourth
in diamnotor. Now stare intently
into the tube ; and the second holc,
defIned by its difference of illumiina
Lion will bo soon floating in the first
hole, and1 yet both will be transpa
rent. Tne illusion, for of course it
is one of those odd pranks ou~r bino
cular vision plays upon us, is cer
tainly one of the most curious over
dlevised. Besides, here is the actual
hole clearly visible, and yet there is
no solid b~ody to be seen to define
its edges. It is not a more spot of
light, because, if a page of prnnt be
regarded, th~e lines within the boun
dauries of the little hole will not
coinci lo at all with those surround
ing it and extending to the edges
of the large applar'entapor'ture. Eaoh
eye obviously transmits an entirely
dlifferent impression to the brain,
and that organ, unable to disen
taingle thom,- lands uts in the palpa
bale absur'dity of a matoralizod hole.
I--~A&iinti/lo American.
One of the lieutenants who was
on dutty in South Carolina during
the election was arrested imme
dliately on his return to Atlants, and
suspended from duty until charges
agamnst him of being a Domoorat can
be investigated.
The Spartanburg and Asheville
Railroad is making rapid progress
nwd its comp letion maybe loolgdJ
for at an early day. Wen finished
lit will be an important link between
.Oharleston and the aret West.
Under the Sea.
For the most part, the diver does
his work, if not in utter darkness,
at best with only as much light as
renders "darkness visible." His oc
cupation is not a pleasant one. At
the sea bottom he encounters an
awful solitude and silence. He is
liable, at any moment, to find him.
self in close proximity with. the
ghostly romains of the dead, and
there is no small risk to himself.
There seems to be no special dis
ease induced by the occupation of
diving when the regular dress in
worn, but it is generally believed
that it has a tendoncy to shorten
life. Some very high authorities
hold a different opinion.
Mr. Siebe, a distinguished physi
ologist, mentions instances of halo
and hearty divers, well advanced in
years, who had been sickly and
weak in the lungs in their youth,
and bolievos that they derived posi
tive advantage from diving.
His theory is that their breathing
of compressed air, by producing a
slower action of the lungs, caused
the absorption of a greator
quantity of oxygen into the tissues.
Four or five hours a day is re
garded as a good amount of a
diver's work. This, of course, in
cludes a considerable portion of
time spent out of the water. In a
general way, about twenty inimites
is the time that a man, in the waters
of the temperate zono, can reminl
under the surface, oven with the
aid of a diving dross.
He may exceed this when out at a
great depth, and when the wiater is
at a high temperature, but this mamy
not be often repeated. TL.'he diver
who wont to China, and who is thero
still, his been able, inj the waters
there, to remain down hv1mw, It It
depth of twenty-four fatlhulin, for
forty minutes. This, which is mt
doubted, is a imcjst. exeptioIal caiso,
and could not bo acihievo I in the
Atlantic ocean.
There doos not appl)ear C h mbu''h
danger in the vork of diver.. titm,
a man's hold upij n life woull svoe'm
to be preenitrious, while he is C.
ing about the intorior of it fhilip
ovorhanging cargo, and Ih-agging
out boxes and paelmges, his bmetnL
all the while depoiding on a long
trail of tubing, an unlucky twist, atn
accidental squeeze, or the sudn(ln
rupture of which would be instait
death.
One chief source of dalinger is in
the transition from varying degrees
of pressure. In the experimonts for
testing the powers of divers at thir
ty fathoms, one mn111 remained blow
for an hour and a quartur. H
ought to have been brought up very
gradually-say in twenty to thirty
minutes-but ho was hauled up in
seven minutes, and, on coming into
the air began to expand, and died
nine hours after, from congestion of
the lungs.
In his case, on reaching the dock
of the vessel, the tissues, muscles,
veins, etc., are said to have been
"charged with an atmospheric pros
sure of about sixty-five pounds to a
squat e inch, whereas his lungs were
a comparative vacuum."
There must often be a strain upon
a diver's sensibilities every whit as
great as that upon his physical
frame. A man has need of a cool
head and strong nerves, whlo is to
work safely, for three-quarters of an
hour, a hundred and forty-four feet
under water, and itimy be, perhaps,
down in that fearful solitude, with
bodies of the dead floating around
his helmet.
The diver has sometimes sad
duties to p~erform, as happened in
the case of the steamship Daho usie
whieh was sunk near Duandes, on
the eastern coast of Scotland, sozmo
years ago. The divers had, in that
case, to go into the cabins and re.
move the bodies of the drowned.
Some weore in the attitude of pra~yor,
others appeared as if they were on
gaged in tihe impotent struggle with
detwhile the most affeactinig
ights of all were those in which
children were found clinging appeal-.
m ly totheir arents.
rIrvs, witout any lengthy pre
liminary trainig, easily earn an
average income of five dollars a
day, which is about double the
amount of wages p)aid to skilled
muechanies in England.
The famous Yosemite valle~y has a
rival. It is on King's Rtivor, in
Fresno county, California, is forty-.
five miles long, east and wvest, andl
averages half a mile in width at the
bottom. It is 5,000 foot abov'e the
level of the son, an I its wis, which
mre about 3,0i(0 fot high, armo very7
precipitous. It has a y~rovo of the
colossal redwood treos, one of which
eclipseai anything yet found in Cdli.
fornmia. The circumferenco of this
tree, as hiig'ai as a man can roach, is
a few inches less than one hundred
and fifty feet, and itms height is esti
mated at one kmmndred and sixt~y
feet.
FATA MDIAmo. MISrAKRE. - The
death, on Monday, of Micajah Bailey,
a4 prominent provision broker of
twenty five years' standing in Cini
cinnati, was caused by the uutako
of a druggist, who put ;ip eo klo
(.f potasm istpa4"o preud ^uf
irs'tah, oe was at4ee hocitwl,
dg'his error, ad s,*ofesses khs
ingnhss to auffer the conIse.
qunees. -.