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About The Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1885)
s Corvallis Weekly Gazette. GAZETTE PUBLISHING HOUSE, Pubs. COKVALLIS, OREGON. First Glimpse of Freedom. "It was some time in the Summer of 1S61," -says Joseph R. Perry of In ' dianapolis, "that thetwenty-first Ohio regiment was down in West Virginia, in the Kanawha river region. Theregi ment was composed of men gathered up promiscuously in the Black Swamp region of Ohio. There were one or two companies of gray-haired men, too old to bear arms, who had gone into the service to fight for principle not merely to put down the rebellion, but to emancipate the slaves. They were very religious, and they would hold prayer meetings at night. They would pray for the freedom of the slaves, and that the negroes might have equal rights with the white people. Their prayers were very interesting to us young fellows, who'd go thereabout to listen to them, because they were asking for something more than the issue of the war promised at that time; but every thing that those old fellows asked came about afterward, and it is out of those results that this incident that I'm tell ing you about came to a conclusion. We camped one day near a little town called Red Bank.on the Kanawha,and after our coffee had been prepared we found that we hadn't a spoonful of sugar in camp. There were a lot of negro cabins over on a hillside op posite our camp, and I agreed to go over and try to get some sugar from the negroes. There was but thirteen cents in money in the whole camp, but I took that and started over with a tin can to get the sugar. I entered one of the cabins and found a buxom negro woman, with two little pick aninnies hanging to her linsey dress. They drew off into a corner of thecab in, half frightened, when I went in, but I told them that they needn't be afraid, that I only wanted to get some sugar, and that I had the money to pay for it. "'I'se kindy feared 'o you 'uns,'said the negro woman; 'mastah told me not to have anything to do with you Yankees, 'cause you'se gwine to take us off to Cuby and sell us to get money to carry on the wah.' " 'My good woman, I said to her, giving her a little blarney, because I wanted the sugar, 'you don't under stand what this war s about. We, Yankees are fighting for you, and if this war comes out the way we want it to, you will be free, and you won't have any master, and will have all the rights the white people have. Your little boy will be sent to school, and he will have just as good a chance to become governor of Virginia as any white boy.' "'Fo' de Lord, you don't say so!' he exclaimed. "I went on to tell her t hen about how the black people were just as good as the white, and how they would be ben efitted if we were victorious. Before I quit talking she brought out an old can and gave me what sugar I wanted. She didn't want to take the money, but I told her she's better, and she ac cepted it. It was only an incident of the day, and after I had told the boys in camp how I had got the sugar, I thought no more about the matter. I had forgotten it entirely until about three years ago, when I was returning from the city hospital onenight, when the car stopped for an old negro woman with a basket of clothes. I was sitting near the door and helped to lift the basket into the car. She sat down be side me and remarked: 'Mighty 'cold to-night. Don't have any such cold weather down whar my ole home is.' " 'Where was your old home?' I in quired. " 'At the little town of Red Bank, down on the Kanawha river, in Wes' Virginyah.' " 'Did you live in a little cabin, with a well beside it, and opposite a big white house?' I asked her. " 'Right dar was whar I lived.' " 'And do you remember when the Yankee soldiers camped over in the meadow near your cabin?' 0 " 'Deed I do sir. I remember that mighty well.' ' " 'Do you remember a youngsoldier with a brass horn strapped to his shoulder and a smallsword at his side, coming over to buy some sugar?' " 'I should say I do. I remembers dat young man mighty well. He spoke the first good words I ever heard about the colored people. Hetoldmethat I was to be free, and my little boy might be president some day. Why, he gave me thirteen cents. ' I kept that money ever since for luck, and I've got it right here!' and the old woman drew from her bosom a small, dirty purse, from which she took the coins that I had given her for the sugar twenty years before. "'Do you think you would know that young fellow if you should ever see him again?' "'Deedl would. I'd know that young man the minute I set eyes on him.' " 'Well, Auntie, I'mthatyoungman.' " 'For the Lord's sake, honey!' she exclaimed, and threw her arms about me. It was doubtless a funny scene to the passengers in the car, but her demonstrations made it a little em barrassing and not a trifle unpleasant for me. I learned afterward that the woman's husband was a carpenter in the city, and they were moderate ly prosperous." maamm of fbxenbshxp. She gathered at her slender waist, The beauteous robe she wore; Its folds a golden belt embraced, One roso-hued gem it bore. The girdle shrank ; its lessening round Still kept the shining gem, But now her flowing locks it bound, A lustrous diadem. f nd narrower still the circlet grew; Behold! a glittering band, its roseate diamonds set anew, Her neck's white column spanned. Suns rise and set : the straining elasp The shortened links resist, Yet flashes in a bracelet's grasp The diamond, on her wrist At length, the round of changes past, The thieving years could bring, The jewel, glittering to the last, Still sparkles in a ring. So, link by link, our friendships part, So loosen, break, and fall, A narrowing zone ; the loving heart Lives changeless terough them all. Oliver Wendell Holmes, in the Atlantic DOLLY'S FLIRTATION. Mme. Modjeska has created consid erable sensation on the other side by a speech delivered before the curtain in Dublin in which she described Poland as being akin to Ireland "in her mis fortunes, her oppressions, and her un dying prayers for liberty." The Stand ard and other journals seem to for get that actresses and actoi s generally simulate the sentiments most likely to draw. Boiieieault once hung out the confederate flag in London. Iam Kitty, and Dolly is my twin sister, I was always sedate, mother used to say ; but Dolly was giddy, and fond of flirting. When we were 17, Dolly became en gaged, with our mother's consent, to Frank Wilmot, a youg fellow of 24, son of a banker, free and cheery in man ner and disposition. He was very in dulgent to Dolly, for he felt so confident of her love, and was himself so loyal and sincere that the admiration she excited was his triumph ; the freedom with which she received and encouraged it never pained him, though mother and I used to watch her with serious anxiety. Sometimes our mother would say a few impressive words ; then Dolly would throw her arms around her ; and with kisses assure her she would be a better girl, or she would pout a little, with tears in her bright blue eyes. She would be very demure throngh two balls, and at the third worse than ever; scarce ly could Frank get one waltz for himself. One evening he brought to our house a cousin of his, a barrister, a man some years older than himself. He was rather famous, though only 30, being an acute lawyer, and consequently looked up at the bar. Dolly owned to me that evening that Frank had confided to her that I was Jack Dacre's ideal woman. "So don't blush so angrily, darling," said she, "for it would be the most de lightful arrangement. He is Frank's ideal man and dearest friend. It would Ije the happiest thing for us all!" And Dollf gave me a hug and kiss and ran off to bed. Mr. Dacre came very often after that one visit, and I soon found that he was my ideal man, for he strangely resembled my father, both in manners and his chivalrous courtesy to women, as well as in ap2iearance. It was with a chill at my heart that I was the first to make the discovery that ho was falling in love with Dolly he, the soul of hqnor, seemed bewitched hy the charms of his bosom friend's affianced wife. I knew it before he did, but of course not be fore Dolly, who had a genius for uner ringly detecting every symptom, how ever obscure, of dawning love, either in her own case or another's. My mother and Frank were utterly blind to the danger. I was very unhap py, and exceedingly sorry for Dolly, for Frank, for Mr. Dacre, and, I own it, for myself; for, though I had not fallen in love with Frank's cousin, I must say he was the only man I had seen whom I felt I could fall in love with. An accident brought matters to a cli max. We were sitting in the drawing-room after dinner one evening, when a noise in the street drew us to the window. The pole of a carriage had entered the shoulder of a cab-horse. Dolly became ill and faint at the sight, and Mr. Dacre, who was at her side threw his arm round her to save her from falling. He led her to a sofa, and stood aside as Frank drew near her ; but from that night he never come no more. He and I only had seen the half-petulant way in which Dolly had turned from Frank, had caught another expression on her face, had seen her vivid blush. From that evening she became cold, petulant, teasing to Frank. At first he laughed, then was hurt, and finally the engagement was broken off. This is soon told, but what my mother and I suffered must be imagined. I dared neither to tell her the truth nor to hint to Dolly that I knew to whom her heart was given, though I loved her so dearly; and I felt so sure that this was the first true love of her life. This determined, decided, somewhat stern man was sure to charm our little butter fly, if she noticed him at all. Mother and I arranged that Dolly should go away on a short visit. Frank was to come one evening to return the letters Dolly had sent him. They would not feel the abruptness of this rupture so much as if they were placed personally by him in my hands ; and I tad his letters also to give him. Mother was quite unequal to seeing him, for she loved him dearly, and the task was left to me. I was not sorry, for I felt I could say all that was likely to comfort him, loving both of them so deeply. So poor Frank produced his sorrow ful little packet, received the one I had for him, and stood leaning against the chimney piece, while I sat quite unable to utter a word, but with tears dropping quietly from my eyes. At last he told me that he knew Dolly bad been faith less to him. He felt sure she and Jack Dacre loved each other, and he spoke so humbly ef himself, as if it was quite to be expected that his cousin should be preferred above any other man, that I wa? greatly touched, and my tears fell faster and faster. "Jack is the soul of honor, Kitty ; but I must make it clear to him that he is free to do as his heart dictates. His and her happiness must not be wrecked. I will get my father to send me to our branch house in India, and will not re turn till they are married. Jack is rich enough to marry at once. I shall em bark on Thursday." Then he charged me with tender blessing for Dolly, and, at his request, J. went to ask, my mother to bid him farewell. Presently she glided in, pale as death. She held out her trembling hand in silence, but Frank folded her in his arms, and she sobbed on his breast. I stood by weeping bitterly, and, when we were calmer. Frank embraced us both finally, and placing me in my mother's arms left us. Poor fellow, how brave lie was, how gentle and patient ! In a month from that time Dolly was affianced to Mr. Dacre, and the mar riage was arranged to take place at the beginning of the long vacation. We were by this time convinced that it was the best thing that could happen. . No one could see Dolly and doubt that this was the only man she had loved. His calm, intense character impressed her, his great talents awed her, and her pretty innocent pride in her manly lover, her meekness and quietness, were most promising symptoms of hapiness in her married life. Dear mother was so serenely happy 1 I was very fond of my new brother ; he was such a power for good and peace in our home that wo never had been so contented before. Frank wrote freely to us, manly, patient letters, full of un selfish interest in all around him. His sorrow had sweetened, not embittered, his character. He had set himself to alleviate his anguish by doing good, and his first act on reaching his destin ation had been to use his keen commer cial gifts for the welfare of the widow and children of an officer of the army, and, at the cost of time, talent and en ergy, to rescue her small fortune from unsafe hands and invest it profitably. His letters were filled with similar inci dents, naturally and simply told, and our affections increased for this truly brave man. Dolly's godmother took it into her head that it was her godchild's duty to pay her a farewell visit before her mar riage. Though, as she had never troubled herself much about us, we were rather startled at this demand ; we all thought it would be best to accept the invitation for my sister was not looking well and it was settled that she should go and spend a month with the old lady in her lovely north coun try home. Mr. Dacre was pressed to go as often as his professional engagements would permit; so Dolly left us in pretty good spirits, in charge of the elderly servant who was our substitute for a regular ladies' maid. She wrote to tell us how she was en joying the repose and beauty of the country. Mr. Darce had managed to run down from Saturday till Monday at the end of the first week, and had of course made a great impression, but was afraid he could not come again a long case was pending at Westminster. The letter which followed this I give in its lntirety. Highwood, July 20. Dearest Kitty: I hope you will get this in time to send my hat here in stead of to grandmamma's. I am on a fort nights visit to Lady Millicent North. Such a charming woman a widow about '26 years old ! She pursuaded Mrs. Lloyd to let her have me for a week or two, and as her daughter-in-law a confirmed invalid, was coming to spend just that time with her. my grandmother was glai to get me ont of her way, I know. I can't write much for the post leaves here at S, and we drop our letters into the hall box as we go into din ner. I expect the goug every minute. This place is lovely, and the new baronet Sir Charles is the dearest The gong. Your own Dolly. I felt uneasy concerning this letter. I was sorry Dolly should have left her godmother's quiet home, just as she was sobering down and growing such a thoughtful little love. It might unset tle her again to pass a fortnight in a country house with a fascinating baron et, and I knew Jack Darce would never permit, never pardon, the smallest sus picion of flirting. He had pardoned her defection in Frank's case, for Frank himself had pleaded eloquently, saying that she was very young, so naturally affectionate. But mamma and I felt sure that not for oce hoar would he permit the slightest approach to disloyalty to his deep tenderness for his girlish be trothed. Neither her youth, her love of fun nor her merry heart would plead one atom in her favor, so I read this letter with a heavy heart. My answer was as follows : "Deaeest Doixt: Tour letter reached mo in time to have the box sent to Highwood. You will receive it soon after this reaches you. Write very fully, for vour letter was tantaliz ing. Send mo a full description af every one, for you havo roused my curiosity as to 'Sir Charles,' who is 'the dearest '" The rest of my letter contained home news and I need not transcribe it. But Dolly's answer will transcribe "You askme for a description of everybody, darling. Lady Millicent is very beautiful, very clever, and devotedly attached to this Sir Charles ; but I feel sure her heart is buried in the gravn of her noble husband. I send her photo, so need no words in describing her. "Sir Charles is very fascinating, though I fear my description may not predispose you in his favor; but yon beg me to be particular. He is short and stout, has a very fine head, but rath er thin light hair, fine eyes, good ir.onth, but not much of a nose in fact, it is all tip very nice hands and feet He is, I believe, very talented, but does not employ his gifts, seldom talks, never reads, is a little fond pf eating. In spite of these drawbacks he is very charming and all the girls far and near make a great deal of him. Of course he is rich. He likes Lady Millicent to live in the house. She has com plete influence over him. " I was much relieved after reading this letter, I felt so easy in mind that I told Dolly how I had feared for her. "But, "I wrote, "of course you never could really admire a fat little man, who never reads or talks, and with a nose all tip, and who cares for nothing but eat ing." It turned out that the most unfortun ate thing I could have done was to con fess my fears to my provoking sister. She answered me vehemently declaring that Sir Charles was the most lovable fellow she had met for a long time, and really was so excited that I posted a let ter to her at once. "You distress me, Dolly. You know Mr. Dacre would never forgive you if he saw your letters. I hide then even from mother. Oh, pray do think before you madly risk the loss of his love, for that will follow the very hour he loses his high opinion of you V This is how Dollie answered my tender appeal : "What a lecturing little thing you are getting, Kitty I I am very much attached to Sir Charles; and, if Jack is ever so angry, I can't help it." Thus flippantly the letter ran on. I was really angry and distressed, but resolved to try no more lectures ; they clearly made matters worse. So, the next time, I gave a full description of a day we had spent in court, hearing Mr. Dacre plead. I described bis dignified appearance, his easy, graceful gestures above all, I dwit on the beauty of his nose. Dolly answered "I am quite shocked at yon, Kitty, to make such an idol of a nose P And then she continued, as usual, about bir Charles. Meanwhile Mr. Dacre seemed quite happy, and said he had his daily letters from Dolrv as regularly as when she was with Mrs. Lloyd. Was my be loved sister growing deceitful ? I kept all this from my mother ; but I grew more and more wretched over Dollvs letters. A picnic would be erlo rious,,' for Sir Charles was going. She had spent the whole morning, "quietly with bir Charles. Once he was indis posed, and she had "nursed him, played for him, sung to him." Well, I could do nothing more. Ire solved to say not another word about him to any one else. I began to dislike the very sound of his name, or rather the sight of it ; and, when Dolly declared I should like him as much as every one else did, 1 made up my mind that I hated mm. 1 wrote one more tender appeal, which I said was mv last. Every Tuesday mother and I had Dolly's letters, but one day there was none by my breakfast plate as usual Mother read hers. "Dolly says she has written to you," she observed presently. "How can it be that vou have not received it ?" Mistakes of the postoffice are so rare, we could not but suppose she had omit ted to post it. By the next delivery, however, I received a letter from Mr. Dacre. containing an enclosure which turned out to be a letter to me from Dolly. A few lines from him ran thus : Dear Kitty I had read too much of the inclosed before I discovered the mistake. If you receive a letter from Dolly before this reaches you, you will have discovered she has mieseut the letters. 1 shall run down to High wood without loss of time. " I had not received any letter then, but by the second country delivery came one directed to Jack at once. The letter he had read betran thus : "All you say is useless, my darling. I love Sir Charles devotedly, and he has this day de clared he loves me. You ask me, Does he know I am engaged ! I told him a gentleman was coming to see me ; but he seemed iitue con , cerned at this piece of information," So far Mr. Dacre had read and the mine was sprung. I locked my room door, and fell back despairing, into an eany chair. I was resolved to hide from my mother till Mr. Dacre had seen Dolly. I hunted up Bradshaw, and found that a train started about four o'clock that would convey me to Highwood by 7 :50. If Dolly wrote me at once I should get her letter by Thursday ; but of course I should hear from Jack on Wednesday. I dreaded every ring, every postman's knock. All day Wednesday passed and no letter arrived from my sister and her lover" On Thursday morning I ran down when I heard the usual welcome sound. On the table lay a thick letter addressed in Dolly's handwriting. I ran up to mamma and gave her the one I found in closed in it for her ; then I sat down to read mine, after fortifying myself with a cup of coffee. I must give every word of it: "You are well aware that a catastro phe has happened through my heedless ness. The best thing will be for me to describe fully the whole consequences of that misfortune, On our return from the garden party on Tuesday I found a telegram awaiting me from Jack 'Shall be with you by 7 :55. Of course this awoke no fear in my mind, for I knew Jack might run down at any moment the trains permit. Lady Milicent sent me off at once to be dressed by her artist-maid. What she made of-jiie you must have seen me to bebeve, Kitty. I would not look at myself till the whole process was complete; and when I glanced in the long glass, I was really amazed at what I saw. It was the re sult, I now know, of many discussions between Lady Milicent and this gifted young person. You may imagine how I exulted in the thought that Jack would see me look as he had never seen me look before, for I am so improved in health that my whole appearance is changed. Well, the bell rang. Lady Milicent received Mr. Dacre in the morning room and came to send me down at once. "I ran down with my heart bounding. I entered 'the room. I noticed Jack gave one start ; but he received me in such a very un-Jack-like manner that I was terrified. 'Mamma Kitty?' I cried. 'Quite well when left them,' said Mr. Dacre ; but when he placed me in a chair, and took one opposite me, I felt matters were desperate. 'What is wrong?' I gasped. 'Dearest Jack, pray speak !' 'Only an address,' said he, and he put the unfortunate envelope in my hands. 'This contained a letter for your sister, which I, perhaps for tunately, read before I perceived the mistake. I have just 17 minutes before I leave for the return train ; so if you wish to say amything, let me beg of you to speak at once. "I sank back in my chair and covered my face with my handkerchief, trembling with agitation. 'Will you hear my explanation?' I stammered. 'Needless; the letter can have but one meaning. I came tore lease you from your engagement with me. Did this scoundrel know you were engaged?' I covered my face again. To hear Sir Charles North call a scound rel was to much for me. I did not speak for several minutes ; but time was fly ing fast, and at length I said : 'If this is in truth our last meeting, grant me one favor; say that you will before I tell you what it is. Of course it is a reasonable honorable request that I wish to make, but I own it is not one you will like to grant.' He paused a moment, then said: I will do what ever you ask.' 'I ask you to see Sir Charles North.' He winced, but bowed silently. I left the room to see the baronet. I found him in his own room, intently studying an immense book but only the illustra tions, I bebeve. I asked him to come with me to speak to a gentleman who was waiting to see him. He flatly re used. Time was rushing on. I knelt by him, implored him. At last I kissed him. and he yielded. "Taking my hand in a firm clasp, he descended with me to the room where I had left Mr. Darce. Jack stood, moody and stern, pale as ashes, where I had left him. We entered. I led Sir Charles toward him. 'Mr. Dacre,' said I, 'let me present you to Sir Charles North, baronet.' Jack started paused seized Sir Charles in his strong arms and threw him out of the window ! no, kissed him! For this scoundrel, this 'fat, greedy, idle little man is the dear httle son of Lady Milicent, aged just two years!" Now you see, Miss Kitty, you had better have had a little faith in your sister for once. You put all this into my head, and I ccfuld not resist the joke; but it shall be my last, for never more do I wish to see such a look of pain in the face I loved best in all the world. " Jack did not go back by the return tram, though he was obliged to leave early this morning ; but I do not think I can stay away from him one day over a month, Lady Milicent says you must come to take my place. She will write and ask mamma. You will soon be as madly in love with Sir Charles." And so it proved. I went to stay with Lady Milicent ; and of all the dar ling, quaint, noble, chubby little pets I had seen, Sir Charles was the king. At the end of the year Frank returned in time for Christmas. He did not go back to India, he settled in England. He and I were married about six months after Dolly. We both lived in a lovely part of Kent. Dolly's husband pets and loves her de votedly. My husband adds to all his love a delicate, tender homage infinite ly precious to me. "Kitty, dearest," my mother once said to me, "you and I have tasted the ful lest earthly happiness. We both know that reverence is the perfectly peerless jewel in love's crown ; but we must earn it." A brave Eton boy spends as much time with us as his mother can bear to spare him, and the most welcome guest in Jack Dacre's home is Sir Charles North, baronet. A Self-Controlled Youth. Young men do not realize as they should the importance of early forming habits of self-control and self-denial. Not a few men of genius have been wrecked because they did not learn in youth to deny themselves a temporary pleasure for the sake of a permanen' benefit. When John Quincy Adams was but fpurteen years of age, he was selected by Francis Dana, United States Minis ter to Russia, as his private secretarv. Boy though he was, young Adams re sisted the socail pleasures of court life at St. Petersburg, that he might give himself to his official duties and to the study of Latin, German and French, and to a course of EngHsh history. Subsequently he resided at Stock holm and at Paris. In both of these gav and dissolute cities he was his own master. But instead of yielding to social temptations, this boy of eighteen resolutely continued at his studies. While hard at work in Paris, his father, John Adams, was appointed minister at the Court of St. James. London's literary aad social privileges would have been opened to the son of the American minister. His father would have been pleased to have had him in his family. The tempta tions to remain abroad were many and strong. But the youth turned his back upon them all, and decided to return to the United States and fit himself to earn his own living. He wrote in his diarv : "If I accompany my father to Lon don, my satisfaction would possibly be greater than by returning to the United states; but I shall loiter away my precious time and not go home until 1 am forced to it. 'Mv father has been all his life time occupied by the interests of the public. His own fortune has suffered. His children must provide for themselves. I am determined to get mv own liv ing, and not to be dependent upon no one. With a tolerable share of common sense, I hope, in America, to be inde pendent and free, rather than live otherwise, I would wish to die before my time." We have italicised several lines of this entry, because we would call atention to the fact that this boy of eighteen reso lutely put aside congenial pleasures to become self-reliant and self-supporting. He was a rising lawyer when, at the age of twenty-seven, the president ap pointed him United States Minister at the Hague. He filled the place. His official du ties were thoroughly attended to, and a little of his time was given to those so cial duties which his position imposed. But most of his leisure hours were em ployed in studying diplomacy, English and Latin classics, and Dutch and Italian languages. At night he reviewed the dav, censured himself if any duty had been omitted. At the close of every month and year he took an inventory of his moral and mental stock, to determine whether he had gained or lost. In 1809, Mr. Adams became our min ister at the Court of St. Petersburg. He found himself in the midst of splen dor. Court life was full of entertain ments, and magnificent banquets were given by the foreign ministers. But Mr. Adams cantinued to live in a simple style, as befitting his small salary and more becoming the representative of the Republic. Merchants urged him to accept loans of money. He refused the offers, though the temptation to an expensivt style of bving amounted almost to com pulsion. "I will Uve within my in come, and I will not anticipate my sal ary," he said, with Snartan firmness. Mr. Adams' simple style of living kept him in good health and gave hm? leisure to indulge his thirst for knowl edge. Yet the days seemed too short to the student who studied astronomy mathematics, Plato, Demosthenes, So crates, JEschines snd Cicero. "I feel nothing like tediousness o) time," he wrote in his diary. "I suffer nothing like ennui. Time is too short for me, rather than too long. If the day was forty-eight hours, instead of twenty-four, I could employ them all." Our purpose will be served, if we shall have induced one young man tc imitate John Quincy Adams' self-rebanf and studious habits. The country, the churches and society need thousands oi such self-reliant youth. Youth's Com panion. ' ' 'Ella" wants to know if we can tell her what the Knights of Bath are: Usually Saturday nights, dear. Volcanic State of Society in Mexico. They tell us that the days of revolu tion are over in Mexico, and that the blessed time has arrived when the swords are beaten into plowshars. Yet the very air is quivering with suppressed excitement and everybody is alert with uneasiness. That you may understand what they call "a time of peace," let me cite a few circumstances : There has not been an actual revolt in this state for several months, but at the least symptom of disturbance such as a run away horse, or the pursuit of a burglar might cause people are in a panic, bus iness places are closed in a twinkling of an eye, doors are double locked and shutters are clapped up to windows with an alacrity which could only have been acquired from frequent practice. When a riot actually does occur, woe to ihe luckless pedestrian who hap pens to be caught upon the streets. In an instant, before he has time to realize what it is all about, every house is securely barricaded and on no account will be opened till the brief storm blows over. So he has no recourse but to take to his heels, and dodge from corner to corner, amid a shower of stones or bullets or both, with as much to fear from the soldiers on one hand as from the insurgents on the other. A few days ago, when the "niekle riot," which has been breaking out in spots oil over the body politic, like a badly treated case of measels, reached Zacatecas, everybody not among the rioters was in doors and every business house securely locked before one could say Jack Robin son. The multitude of small dealers on the market plaza, who have no doors tc lock, ran away in affright, leaving their, wares entirely unprotected. The result was that the malcontents fell to steal ing with such vigor that they forgot to "revolute," and the trouble subsided without a shot being fired. Zacatecas Corr. Springfield KepubUcan. How Mrs. Trollop Wrote a SToveL Woman's JoumaL Mrs. Trollope, the mother of Antho ny Trollope, the novebst, never at tempted to write a book until after she- was fifty. After she had failed m her romantic project to rebuild the fallen j fortunes of her household in America, j she wrote a book on Americans. The ; success of that brought her 400 twice, ! which lifted her household from dire ; distress. She continued writing until j 1856, when she was seventy-six years ! old, and had at that time produced 114 I volumes. During this time her hus- band died lingeringly, and her three j daughters and one son died of consump j tion. While three of her household were ! dying, the wife and mother, who nursed j them, had to keep her pen going to keep a shelter over their heads and to pay the increasing expense of sickness. Says Anthony : "I have written many novels, but I doubt whether I could write one when my whole heart was by the bed side of a dying son. Dur ing the time when her pen was most active her visible occupation was that of nursing. Her power of divid ing herself two parts, and keeping her intellect by itself, I never saw equaled. I do not think that the writing of a nov el is the most bifficult task which a man may be called upon to do, but it is a task that may be supposed to demand a spirit fairly at ease. The work of doing it with a troubled spirit killed Sir Walter Scott. My mother wenf through it unscathed in strength. the the and The Latest Snake Story. North C arolina furnishes the latest snake story. In that State is a reptile known as the joint snake. When at tacked in flies in pieces, each piece taking care of itself. A darky who at tacked one the other day was amazed to see it break up and fly off in different directions. An hour later he returned that way, when he was astonished to see it all together again except the tail piece. In a few minutes he saw that section coming up to join the body, taking sharp, quick little jrrks. It came nearer and nearer until within a few inches of the three-quarter snake, when it gave a sudden jump and hitched on in its proper place with a fuss re sembling the popping of a cap. The darkey knocked it to pieces severs times, and each time it came together again. He carried his amusement too far, however, in throwing the tail part of the snake across the creek, just to see, he said, "how long it would take to catch up," but it never caught up. The snake, with the three joints, was carried to the house, where a new tail is beginning to grow to replace the lost one. A gentleman who knows much about this singular species says a head will grow on the detached trunk, and there will be two snakes instead of one. Scientific Motes. Whatever may be true of harmless luxuries in the way of drink, the Lancet maintains that health, happiness, and work find stimulus enough in the unso phisticated well of nature in pure water. A man was suffering from grangrene of the lungs, with cough, difficulty of breathing and fever. The odor of the breath was most offensive. The patient was put upon a mixture containing carbolic acid, but as no improvement followed, tincture of eucalyptus was substituted for the acid, In iwo days after the use of the last prescription the odor of the breath was much less disgusting, and in less than two weeks the man was discharged cured. The beneficent work was attributed to the action of the eucalyptus, by Dr. Bono my. The recent researches of Prof. Hughes go to support the theory that for mak ing the wires of electro-magnets Swedish iron is the best that can be used. In the case of tempering that is increas ing molecular rigidity and the power of retaining magnetism the following figures are given as useful : Crucible fine cast steel, cooled completely in cold water, had a magnetic capacity of 28 ; bright yellow, let down in water to white, 58 ; red heat, cooled completely in water, 66 ; red heat, cooled in oil, 72, and annealed, 84. 1