VOLUME VI.
ALBANY. OREGON. JUNE 27, 1874.
NO. 43.
2e
The His-t.i! fvure. .
11Y KL'l'll ("H KSTERMKLI).
"SIhhi, slum! tipt home, yoil
plauny critters! ' cried Mr. ! :!
cock, waving his arms as lie chaed
dozen sheep and lambs through
a gap in the 'enee. It was a wooden
feint1, and when he had succeeded
in driving the animal-, the other
side of it, he lifted it t'r. in its re
cliuing position i id iriH'd it np
with stakes. Thi was an operation
he IihiI found himself 'obliged to re
peat many lime in the course of the
season, ami not y of that season,
but of several previous seasoi s. Yet
Mr. I'alicock was neither shick nor
thriftless; in tact, he rather prided
himself' on the orderly apearahce
of his larm, ami not without, reason.
How theh shall we account for his
negligence in this particular in.
stance?
The truth was that this fence
formed the boundary line between
his estate and that of Mr. Small;
and three generations of men who
owned these, estates had been un
able to decide to whom it belonged
to rebuild and keep it iu repair. H
the owners had chanced to be men
ot jieaceable dispositions, they had
compromised the matter and avoid
ed a quarrel ; hut if, on the contrary,
they liclonged to that much larger
class who would sooner sacrifice
their own comfort and convenience
than their so-caled right, this
fence had Ieeu a source of unending
bickerings and strife. And of this
class were the present owners
Again and again they had consulted
their respective lawyers on the sub
ject, and dragged from their hiding
places musty old deals and records,
but always with the same result.
' 1 say it be ougs to yon to keep
St in repair; that's a plain as a
pike-statf," Mr. Babcock would
say.
" And I say it lel ngs to you
any fool might see that," Mr. Sti'a'l
would rep y, and then high words
would follow, and they would part
in anger, mure determined and ob
(tiuate than ever. The lawyers'
fees and the loss by damages from
each other's cattle had already
amounted to a stun sufficient to have
built a fence round their entire es
tates, but what was that comared
to the satisfaction ot having their
own way ?
There were not wanting in the
neighborhood peace-makers who
would gladly have settle the affair
by arbitration ; but to this neither
of the belligerents wonid listen tor
a moment At last one day, Miss
Letitia Gill, a woman much respec
ted in the village, and ot some
weight as a laud-owner and tax
payer, sent for Mr. Babcock to
come and sec her on business; a
summons which he made haste to
obey, as how could he do otherwise
where a lady was concerned? Miss
Letitia sat at the window sewing
np a seam, but she dropped her
work and took off her spectae'es
when Mr. Babcock made his ap
jtearauce. " So you got my message; thank
youforenmiug, i'm sure. Sit down,
do. I suppose my man Isaac told
you I wauled to consult you on a
matter of business a matter of
equity, I may say. It can't be ex
pected that we womeu folks should
bo - the bet jtidges about such
things, yon know; there's Isaao, to
be sure, but thou he lives on the
place, and may be he wouldn't be
exactly impartial in his judgment
about our affairs."
Jes' Ro,'Said Mr. Babcock.
'Well, the state of the case is
this : When Isaao came op from the
long meadow to dinner they're
mowing the meadow ; uwlay, and
an uncommonly good yield there is
when he came up to dinner he
found that certain stray cows had
broken into the vegetable garden"
" He did, liey?"
" You can 'aney I he riot they
made.- I declare Isaac was almost
ready to use pro sue language. I'm
not sure that he didn't say 'deuce,'
and I'm certain le did say 'darn;'
and after all. I cott dn'l 'eel to re
protteh him very severely, for the
pains he has taken with that gar
den ,is something amazing; work
ing in it, .Mr, I ahcock, early and
late, weeding, and digging, and
waterinir: and now to see it ah
torn and trample1 so that you
wouldn't kiow which was beets
and which was cucumliers; it's
enough to rouse uinbod.i tern,
per."
" It is so," said. Mr. Hancock.
" And that isn't all. for by the
looks of things they must have been
ramaging a lull hour in the Vr
chard and clover-field before they
got juto the garden. Just you
come and see ;" and putting on
her sunhonnet, Miss Letitia showed
Mr. Babcock over the damaged,
preen ct
" Yo'i don't happen to know
whose animals did the mischief?"
said Mr. Babcock.
" Well, 1 did.i't observe them iii
particu ar myself, but Isaac said
them was one with a peculiar while
mark, something like a cross, on
her haunch."
"Why, that's Small's old Drift,
del," cried Mr. Babcock. "I know
the mark as well as I Know the
nose on my face. She had balls on
her horns, didn't she?"
" Yes, so Isaac said "
" And a kind of hump on her
back?"
" A perfect dromedary," said
Miss Letitia. "I noticed that my
self:" "Tliey were Small's cows no
doubt about it at all." said Mr.
Hancock, rubbing his hands. "No
sheep with them, hey?"
"Well, now I think of it, there
were sheep ; they ran away as soon
as lliey saw Isaac. Yes, certainly
there were sheep," said Miss Letitia.
"I knew it they always go with
the co s; and what you wish of
me "
"Is to fix the damages,'' said
Miss Letitia. "As I said before,
wome' folk are no judges about
such matters."
Mr. Babcock meditated a mo
ment, and then said
"Well, I wouldn't take a cent
less than seventy-five dollars, if I
were you not a cent."
"Seventy-five dollars ! Isn't that
a good deal, Mr. Babcock? You
know I don't wish to be hard on
the poor man ; all I want is a fair
compensation for the mischief done."
"Seventy-five dollars js fair,
ma'am in fact, I may say it's low;
I wouldn't have a herd of cattle
anrt sheep tramping through my
premises iu that way for a hun
dred." "There's one thing I forgot to
state: the orchard gate was open
or they couldn't have got in ; that
may make a difference."
"Not a bit, not a bit. You'd a
right to have your gate open, bui
Small's cows had no right to run
loose. I hoie Isaac drove 'em all
to pound, didn't he?"
"I heard him say he'd shut 'era
up somewhere, and didn't mean to
let 'em otit till the owner calls for
'em. But, Mr. Babcock, what it
he should refuse to pay the dam
ages? I should hate to go to law
about it."
"He won't refuse; it he does,
keep the critters till he will pay.
As to law, I guess he's bad about
enough of that,"
"I'm sore I thank you for your j
advice," said Mm Letitia, "aud I
mean to act upon it to the very
letter."
And Mr. Babcock took hislea'.e
with a very happy expression of
coiintet aice.,
.'earcely was he out sight when
Miss f etitia sent a sinnmons tor Mr.
Small, which he obeyed as promptly
as Ins neighbor had dm.
She made to ,him precisely the
aitic statement she had made to
Mr. I'ahcork, showed him the in
jured iiroiierty, am! asked him to
fix damages.
It wa remarkable that before he
did this, he should a-k t'-e same
question Vr. labcek hail asked,
namely, whether she had any sus
piciou to whom the animals be
longed. "Well, one of them I observed
bad a terribly crooked horn."
"Precisely; it's I alvock's heifer.
I should know her among a thous
and. She was black and white,
wa-n't she?"
"Well, now I think of it she
was; one seldom sees so clear a
black and white on a cow "
"To be sure, they're Paleock's
animals fast enough Well, Jet me
see, what you want is just glwut a
fa r estimate, I suppose?"
"Certainly. '
"Well, I shou'd say ninety did.
lars was as low as he ought to be
allowed to get off with "
"0, but I tear that will seem as
if I meant to take advantage. Sup
jiose we ca I it say seventy-five ?"
"Just as you jilease, of course;
but hanged if Pd let him off for
less than a hundred, if 'twas my
case."
"And it he refuses to pav"
"Why, keep his animals till he
c mes round, that's all."
" But tl lere's one thing I neglected
to mention : our gate was standing
ojieii; that may alter the case."
"Not at all; there's no law
against your keeping your gate
oiieu ; there is against stray ani
mals."
"Very well; thank you tor your
advice," said Miss Leiilia; and Mr.
Sma'l departed with as smiling a
countenance as Mr. labcock had
wqrii.
But atJpilking-time that night
tie madeHRliSo'ie discovery, old
Brindle w missing!
At altont the same hour Mr. Bab
cock made a similar discovery; the
black and white heifer was nowhere
to be found !
A horrible suspicion seized them
both a suspicion which they would
not have made ki own to each other
tor the world.
They waited till it was dark, and
then Mr. Babcock stole round to
Miss I.etitia's,. and meekly asked
leave to look at the animals which
had committed the trespa-s. lie
wou'd have done it without asking
leave, only that thrifty Miss Letitia
always lucked her barn doors al
night.
While he stood looking over into
the pen where the cows were con
fined, and trying to negotiate with
Miss Letitia for the release of the
heifer, along came Mr. Small iu
quest of Briud e. The two men
stared at each other tor an instant
iu blank dismay, then hung their
heads iu contusion. It was useless
to assert that the damages were too
high, for had they not fixed them
themselves? It was useless to plead
that .Miss Letitia was in a maimer
resxisible for what iiad happened,
on account of the open gate, for had
they not assured her that circum
stance did not affect the case. It
was useless to say that she had no
right to keep the cows in custody,
for had they not counse'ed her to
do so ? As to going to law about
it, would they not thus become the
sport of the whole town?
" 'lie that diggeth a pit, he him.
self shall fall into it,'" said Miss,
Letitia, who read what wa pasting
in their minds as well as if they Imd
spoken, tor the light ot Isaac's lan
tern fell full on their faces. "Flow
ever, I don't wish to be ban! upon
yii, and on one condition I will
free the cows and forgive yon the
debt." T
"What is that?" Both Wked
the question, but did not ask it.
" I he c ndition is that you prom
ise to put a good new fence iu place
of the old one that seiarates your
estate.-, dividing the cost between
you, awl that hence'orth you will
live ieaceab y together as far as iu
you lies. IJo you promise?"
"Yes," muttered both, iu a voice
scarcely audible
" hake hauds upon it, then," said
Miss I etitia.
They did ho.
"Xow let the cows out. Tsaac;
it's time they were milked," said
she. And the two men went away
driving their animals before them,
whith a shame'accd air greatly in
ctrast to the look of triumph
with which they had last quilted
her presence.
The feme was built, and the
strife ceased when the cause was
removed, but it was long Wort
Miss Letitia's iart of the affair
came to the public ear; for she her
self maintained a strict silence con
cerning it, and enjoined the same
upon her man-servant Isaac.
Youth's Companion.
The Fflteet or Mood Acting;.
"When I was a poor girl," re.
tains Mrs. oott Millions, the ac
tress, "working very "hard for thirty
shillings a week, I went down to
Liverpool during the holidays.
where I was kindly received. 1
was to pertorm in a new piece
something like those pretty little
affecting dramas they get up now
at the minor theatres and in my
diameter 1 represented a poor
friendless orphan girl, educed to
the most wretched poverty. A
heartless tradesman prosecutes the
sad heroine for a heavy debt, and
insists on putting her in prison un
less some one will be bail for her.
The girl replies, ' I hen I have no
hope I have not a friend in the
world!' 'What! will no one be
bail for you to save you from priso1?'
asks the stern creditor. 'I have told
you I have W a friend on earth,'
was my reply. But just as I was
uttering the words I saw a sailor
iu the upper gal'ery springing over
the railing, letting himself down
from one tier to another, until he
bounded o ear over the orchestra
and foot-lights, and placed himself
beside me in a moment. 'Yes, yon
shall have one friend, at least, my
pojr young woman !' said he, with
the greatest expression in his honest,
sunburnt countenance. (I will go
bail for yon to any amount ! And
as for you, turning to the frightened
actor, 'if you don't bear a hand and
shift your moorings, yon lubber, it
will be the worse for you when I
come athwart your bows.' Every
creature iu the house rose ; the up
roar was perfectly indescribable
peals of laughter, screams ot terror,
cheers from his tawny messmates in
the gallery, preparatory scraping of
violins in the orchesta; and .amid
the universal diu tram stood the
unconscious cause of it sheltering
me, 'the poor distressd young wom
an,' and breathing defiance and
destruction against my mimic pros
ecutor. He was only persuaded to
relinquish his care ot me by the
manager's pretending to arrive and
rescue me wih a profusion of theat
rical bank note,' "
lady raudon-R ladying Hate.
Ill the will of the Countess of
Loudon, who died iu England re
cently, was found a clause directing
that her right hand be cut off and
lamed iii the park at Castle Den
ningtmi, at the bend of the hill to
the Trent, with a small cross over
it, hearing the motto, "I byde my
tyme." The explanation of this sin
gular request shows that the Court
tess, who had been a life-long enemy
of Queen Victoria, desired to carry
her implacable hatred ot Victoria
lieyond the grave. The place of
burial im tinned overlooks one of
tlie Queen's country seats. The
skeleton hand with its threatening
epitaph was meant to point its slow
unwavering finger at the Queen,
reminding her of the injustice done
long years ago to a yout.ger sister
of the Countess. In the early
queenhood ot Victoria the sister
mentioned was a maid ot honor.
Gay and thoughtless, the yonng
girl had a freedom of manner which
gave the gossips of the day an op
portunity, all too well abused, of
blackening her fame, which had
been tarnished by no criminal acts
of hers. The Queen barkened to
the slander, and banished the
beautiful but indiscreet girl from
Iter household. The falsity of
the scandal was shown, but not
until the poor, dishonored maid ot
honor had died of a broken heart.
The Countess of London blamed
the Queen for her sister's untimely
fate, and determined to revenge
that sister's wrongs. Never after
did she appear at court, and upon
every royal fete day kept closely
immured. Her (Mst-mortem pur
suit of the Queen is ghastly but im
potent. Queen Victoria Indorses nr. Bar
torwt
The Washington correspondent
of the N. Y. Journal of Com
merce writes:
"Mr. Sartoris is a descendant vof
the Huguenot refugees. His father,
a conservative and one of the best
known members ot the Carlton
Club, is a promient merchant, and
does a large East Indian business.
His uncle, Mr. Samuda, M. P.,
also of the Huguenot refugees, it
known as the largest ship builder
on the 1 hames, and an authority
in the navy debates in Parliament
It is not geuerally known that
Queen Victoria, as soon as she heard
of the proposed marriage, made in.
quiries regarding Mr. Sartoris, and
wrote a letter to the President in
which she confidently indorsed him.
The letter probably arose from the
sincere personal attachment which
the Queen felt toward Miss Grant,
and the esteem she felt for the Pres
ident of this republic iu his official
capacity. It is hinted by those
cognisant of the situation that the
royal heart Will he moved to some
especial mark of approbation in con-
tuft Si tit Until tia inflMiarta ft im
jvri rvivn mm init l Ufcv, aw id
believed among Euglismneu who
know, or anW to know, a little
about the court, that the Queen
will invite the couple to visit Wind.
W"B v srVJV M w". DV'HV WW VI
nobility upon the bridegroom
There is a confident belief that
President Grant will visit Europe
after his presidential term ; and the
idea of tendering him the freedom '
of the City in such event is already
favorably talked of in the London 1
elubr,"