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