The Atlanta daily herald. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1872-1876, May 18, 1873, Image 2

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i WHITTEN EXPBXS.-LT FOB THE ATTANtA HERALD .\ MARCEL’S PORTION. A NOVEL IN THREE PARTS. BY S A.MJY DeTAVARKS. Mr. Sniff was rather confused. He had I «P back as have yon in Iny office for hoped, not only to gain Belle’s confidence and !'■ w ^^y*' c ! u . r b°>irs longer. Go. win her over to Christianity, but also to be- With tins forcible expression of his con- comeher protector against Mr. Van Dusen. tempt for Mr. Sniff the rich man again threw Instead of finding her a weak woman he had himself into his; chair, hoisted his legs upon met with a person of strong and resolute | the table and lit a cigar. But when Mr. Sniff *. .. i . , . ° a , . 1 Viorl loft flio ronm Vita Innlf f hfl PlOBf IHim IYA- Entered according to Act of Congress, by the Herald Publishing Cowfant, in the office' of the Libra rian at Washington. CHAPTER VII—(CONTINUED.) I mind, who neither aBked his advise nor took I it when offered. I “Perhaps I am wrong,” he said, after read ing the contents of the letter, “But are you ; not acting hastily. Think of the scandal a i fulfilment of you threat will make.” ■■ “I am the best judge of that,” she returned. I do not wish your advice or opinion. You are paid to perform certain services. Per form them and do not interfere one way or the otiier, in matters thAt do not concern yon.”^H “Very well,” replied Mr. Van Dusen, who then added: “By the way, have you those memorandums about you that I gave you yesterday?” “Yes, Sir; they are in my pocket,” he an swered. “Let me have them,” said his employer, “I want to make some corrections. I am afraid that fellow Smartin is trying to get the best ^Mn SDiff thrust his hand in his pocket and j G °° d ** pulled oat several papers which he^ laid be- j sh y r g Diff w n0 othe ’ recourse than to Mr. Sniff took up his hat to leave. **My interest,’'said he, “in the well being of a fellow creature prompted me to speak as I have. Beyond the present there is a future. I aid you, not so much for the money you pay, as for the good of society which has been outraged in you.” She moved her hand to command silence. “Leave me,” she said, “I wish no sermons. had left the room, he took the cigar from be tween his lips and fell to thinking. “What the devil can Belle be up to,” he soliloquised. “Confound the woman. I never was so bothered by any person in my life. The idea of setting that despicable fel low to watch me, means that she intends never to lose sight of me again. Well, she gave me six months and I’ll give her the same time, and then—” Here Mr. Van Dusen took up her letter and read it. “Bah, the same old threat,” he said, light ing a match and destroying the missive. CHAPTER VUL MB. SNIFF, WITH HIS FAMILY, ATTENDS A PBAY- EB-MEETING, ENTERS UPON HIS NEW DUTIES AND HAS ANOTHER INTEBVIEW WITH BELLE. One week after Mr. Sniff retirfed from the services of Mr. Van Dusen, he brought his t... Vi. ^mnlovcr 'who merely nodded and omu u»u iiu uuic. »«««—-- ——- ~ ; family to town for the purpose of attending a resumed the P pe'rn.4l of the Consol, the leader j '«‘ ve > muoh h j£?f“uell^ On\rnv!n« at I I’™yer-meeting called for the purpose ofpray- n-Wh oreaitv interested him character exhibited by belle. Gn ®. rn ' ins at ing for the souls oi some too-zealous Pions “There 8 is nothing else 1 can do for von be- lhe office ft gllmce at Hiram told him some- F dg who in cn deavonng to persuade cer- fore l leave -’oteervea Mr Snifl ! ‘bing had gone wrong ?*e. tain of the niggers to burn down their mas- “Xofhino Be sure to return bv three ” ! s< ’* red ftnd perplexed as he stood at the door, ter , g houses and murder the inmates, were LeavLig him Mr. Sniff passed Lough the scratching btahwdiwith*ne hand,j detected, arrested and promptly lynched, office and after cautioning Hiram to copy sev eral papers before his return, and to make a note of all the persons that called upon his employer, entered the street and stood waiting for the arrival of an omnibus. In those days bing the post with a new knife held in the | -J--J ns j aw irssne-s on the part of the Slave- other. . . ; holding Aristocrats, who could not perceive “Wbat is the matter; Mr. Sniff inquired. ; tbe pminnthropv of the purpose designed, “The very devil is to pay, he began but I d ‘ wete indisposed to lose their valuable before he could say another word^ Mr. Snm ; maus j onSi to say nothing of their more vain 'the luxury of street cars, with their crowded office. 5 Goi^to towX Z \ *!?. the passengers and disagreeable odors had not ; fa Ue took dQwn a , strap of Ieather yet oeen introduced. The old fashioned orn- j on u and adm inistered many mbus with its frightful jolt was the only pub- j neDhew lie vehicle of transportation through Jthe ; ^ . g da , y ^ owe to t he dead,” he said, streets, exceptiug, of course, tbe cabs. But r ™ ■^Divine the strup, 4 ‘that you shall not use Sniff wasneverkuown to patronise a cab. PJ ^ P’w^t w * Bld brother Nasal Not that his circumstances prevented his en-j“«. { be h kn “ w that yon addressed me as you joying the luxury, for during many years labor he had laid aside some money and was the possessor of a neat villa standing on four acres fronting the nver, and the next place to Mr. Van Dusen’s country residence. He was, however, an economical man and had repeat edly been heard to assert that he would not be guilty of the extravagance of a cab. Presently an omnibus came in sight which he hailed, entered, paid his fare, and took a seat in one corner, where he indulged in thought until the residence of Bell was reach ed. This was not the first time Mr. Sniff had embarked in a purely moral speculation, Dut it was the first in which his employer was concerned. He had long fait great doubts of that gentlemans implicit obedience to all the commandment’s. He had even heard of his affairs of gallantry, and when, on one occa sion, Mr. Van Dusen happened to ride over to his villa, during his absence, and (poke a few words to the wife of his bosom, (a tall, spare woman with an angular face and horny red hands), the immaculate Snifl became alarmed for the virtue of Lis better half and forbid her ever receiving Mr. Van Dusen again. He had told her.of the affair with have. I must teach you, young man, a lesson. * “Leave that boy alone. Sniff, and come here,” exclaimed the voice of Mr. Van Dusen in an angry tone, from within, at which the pious uncle administered a parting blow and hastened to the presence of his superior. Mr. Van Dusen was standing near the win dow on which his left arm rested. In his right hand was a folded bit of paper which he held extended before him. His face was dark and wore an angry look. “Sniff,” he said, “I always thought you a hypocrite, but I never knew before that you were a scoundrel. This morning I asked you if you kuew what had become of the woman that called to see me and you said that you did not. Not three hours afterwards you placed before me a package of memorandums at the bottom of which was this letter—from her.” As he spoke he threw the paper before Mr. Sniff, who stooped and picked it up. It was Belle’s letter in answer to his communication of the morning. “And so you have been playing the spy on Mr. Van Dusen continued, “I hope you Belle and had duly warned her of the sinful- , Mr * va “’T V T 1 ■it , , .' J , . j j , i have been well paid for your services. But it nese of humanity. IV hen she suggested that unnec P esBary . You could tell that woman nothing that I would not tell her my- he would be placed in an awkward position if Mr. Van Dusesn learned of his connection with the betrayed woman, Mr Sniff had sharply rebuked his wile for her lack of Christian couiage and charity. Still, truth to tell, as he sat in the omnibus the thought would come whether Belle was not a very bad woman, after all. Would he not serve a moral purpose by warning Mr. Van Dusen of her whereabouts? self. Did she let you know what her busi ness with me was? Perhaps, not. W ell, I’ll tell you. That woman was once my mistress; and she has taken a notion in her head that I ought to marry her. Now, what have you to say for yourself ?” Had Mr. Van Dnsen been more brief in his remarks, Mr. Sniff would have been unable ■to say anything for himself, as the 6udden- By this time the omnibus had gone two or , — ^ attack had thrown his mind into VU11U ALISS I ,. , _ T»„a A- .1 V.o/1 three blocks beyond the house in wb ■r - - . • v xr c -«■ disorder. But as the speaker went on he had £XTthe leather string’and soon alighted. ' collected his thoughts and was ready with an “I left this letter before you on purpose,” he replied. “You utter a falsehood,” said Mr. > an Dusen. “You had no idea of leaving it.’ , Mr. Sniff clasped his hands together and “I’ll think over this,” he muttered as he walked along. “I must not fall a prey to_ a designing woman. It may be 1 hat Mr-Van Dusen would prefer me to aid him in escap ing her toils. Ah, this world, this world.” Matilda admitted him on his arrival at the ^bem to his heart, house, which was located in a respectable, «-i left it there,” he continued; “I left it though retired part of the city. He was there ’ oeeauge x felt that the time had come shown in the parlor where Belle sat with his when cou j d no i ODger remain together. 1, letter in her hands, looking, if anything, y an Dusen, have a character to preserve, paler than when she parted with her child, , W jj en i Bee ft y 0UD g woman betrayed by my and with face calmer and sterner. Without | em pi OV er, I think it time to consider whether noticing his salutation she entered upon the ; my du * ty doe8 DOt comp€ i me to leave him. subject of his visit. i It becomes a matter of seif respect; itbe- 1 ‘I cannot understand why Mr. \ an Dusen . comc8 a question of Christian duty; it be comes a question of right.” ! “Is it a matter of duly for you to become a >inan?*’ asked Mr. Van Dusen “1 repeat, yon are a scoundrel, should have inquired about me,” she said, ! a “and I have sent for you to learn why he should have done so. I do not believe he de-, .. -r sire9 to see me, although—although.” And ' fP?.'^ w ??? an . she fell to musing. of knowing of your movement* as y«ou are of haid names Mr -J.an Dusen no hard knowing of his. I do not pretend to know j namea, ll 5° u j’ ea *• ... . ’\ - k r nnnvjflA i a •nd-1” member that all of the quilt is with you. Il —j y 0 u h ftd ft conscience I would «sk you: Who ; is the scoundrel in this businet-s ?’ T 1 ‘There is not the slightest occasion for you to know it,” she interrupted coldly. “It ap pears singular to me that Mr. Van Dusen should have suddenly sent for you to ask if you knew where I was. Can he be aware that 1 employ you to watch his movements?” Mr. Sniff winced and moved uneasily in his seat. “Do not use that term,” he said gravely, “in connection with my services. As I told you at the start, nothing but a firm conviction that I am serving a moral cause makes me do as I am doing.” “That is not an answer to my question,” she remarked quietly. “Can be be aware of the interest I take in your case?’ observed Mr. Sniff. “Why, bless me, not at all. It is quite impossible for him to know.” Mr. VanDusen moved a few steps towards him. “I’ll speak if you kill me,” said Mr. Sniff, heroically placing the table between the two, and looking behind him to see if the door was open. “You seduce this girl, and when she appeals to you to marry her and legitimize your child, what course do you pursue ? Do you lend a favorable ear to her appeal? No; you turn her from you and order me never again to admit her into your presence. She pleads with me to aid her. Could I, as a father with daughters—small it is true, but still daughters—refuse ? Could I, as a Chris tian man, turn her away ? By this time Mr. VanDusen had recovered his temper and thrown himself upon a chair, Theu he mart be informed somehow that whlah r> e looked up at the speaker I am still in town watching him. What he means I cannot now imagine. Perhaps he has an idea of getting the child in his pos session. Y'ou heard him threaten to take it. Perhaps he wishes to put me in & lunatic asylum, (she gave a loud, bitter laugh). Y'ou heard that too. The child is beyond his reach : he has no legal claim to it” “You have not thought,” observed Mr. Saiff, “that Mr. Van Dusem’s name has re cently been spoken of in connection with the position of representative in Congress. He belongs to a party noted for its strict morali ty and he may wish to prevent you from making any disclosures likely to affect his j political prospects.” So out of pure philanthropy you entered into an alliance with her against me,” he re marked. “Pooh, Sniff, your affectation of morality and religion don’t deceive me. I know that woman too well to believe that she ever asked your aid. But I am not afraid of her. I shail dismiss you because I will have no miserable spies about me. Here is a cheque for your month’s salary and that of your nephew. Never let me see you cross the threshbold of my door again. ” “There is no prospect of that” returned Mr. Sniff, “I hope, «r, that I know how to keep away from evil associate™. ” “As for the woman.” Mr. VanDusen went You can tell her that I laugh at all her If th/t i« the purpose, he will fail,” ahe ! « fforta 10 me - Tell her that if she at- ii-a tiT _ r , - I , i.mnta to foree herself into DQV oresence replied, “I care nothing for wbat the world may aaj of me. If joa wish to know it, mj purpose is to injure that man; to follow Lim down to tbe death. If I can blast his pros pects I shall do it. Anything that will thwart his ambition or his purpose I will not hesitate at.” “Pardon me the liberty,” seid Mr. Sniff, “Your remarks are unchristian. But you are a Catholic,’’and the good Man sighed/ “Mr. Van Dusen must know that I am here,” Belle continued, “and you must tell him so.” “Great Heaven! madam,” exclaimed Mr. Sniff, “that is impossible. Think of my character aa a member of the church. What would be said if it was kaown that I was on terms of acquaintance with a wo—lady who—” “la infinitely your superior in every reepect, Sir,” she interrupted haughtily, and she im mediately added, “Pshaw, it would be folly to quarrel with you. If you cannot tell him 1 am in town, I will write him. Matilda, bring my desk.”, The desk being brought she sat before it and wrote a brief letter which she enclosed in an envelope and addreaeed to Mr. Van Duaen. “You must let him have this,” ahe said, handing Mr. Sniff the letter, “It ie not sealed. You may read its contents. If Mr. Van Du sen wishes he can accept my challenge. In a few days I shall leave Goram, to be absent util October. Any communication you may wish to make me must be addressed to Mr. Adam Fradden, my business agent here. That is all I have to aay, Sir.” tempts to force bereelf into my presence again, I will have her placed into a lunatic asylum. There now, you can go. If I catch you spying me I will break a horsewhip across your shoulders.” Mr. Sniff took up the cheque that lay on the table and at the same time placed Belle's note before Mr. Van Dusen. “I would have saved you from barm” he said, “but your violent temper leads yon to destruction. It makes me sad to think that if I am asked why I left your services, I most say that it was because of vonr immorality, because of your guilty violation of God's commandment, and because of your outrages npon society. But I hope you will repeat. If, in years to come, you can look me in the face and say. ‘Sniff, I have sinned and re pented’ none wili take you by the hand sooner than I wilL Until then, I must hold you up as a warning to my children and to my nephew—” “Leave me, leave me, yon infernal hypo crite.” exclaimed Mr. Van Dusen, starting from bis chair. “Take my advice and mind yonr own business. I can get the best of any such punny wretch as you. Suppose you were to go on the streets and tell the public the worst thing you could of me, who would believe you ? And if even people did believe, what difference would it make? Pshaw, man, do you not know aa well as I do that men who have done worse things than 1 ever have done, hold up their heads with tbe highest io this republic and fill the moat exalted stations tn the land ? Go, now, and never let me see yon sgsin. I’d ss soon have a snake running among the Pious Frauds. Large meetings were held denouncing the execution as an act of unparalelled barbarity, though nothing was said of the plot at arson and assassi nation. It was a doctrine of the Pious Frauds that the end aimed at justified the means used. To burn and murder in behalf of human freedom, and for the pnrpoae of carrying out a great moral idea, was, accord ing to their ethics, at once praiseworthy and commendable. To lynch several philanthro pists in the-cause of self-preservation, was the very essence of barbarism. The rule of justification was not found to work both ways. Still, this was nothing more than human na ture. It is very proper for me to punch my neighbor's head when he offends me, but I cannot conceive the propriety of his punch ing my head when I offend him. Such is the nature of man, and of such was the ethics of the Pious Frauds. . But, on the day in question, when Mr. Sniff brought his family down from the villa on the river, in a buggy of ancient appearance—so ancient looking in fact that it might easily have passed for the original vehicle which was first landed on Plymouth Bock, by the re spected progenitors of the gentleman—and drawn by a venerable horse, his (not the horse (general outfit excited the satirical views of numberless ungodly boys who did not hes itate to express their opinions regarding, not only the obnoxious buggy and horse, but also the pious Sniff and his religions family. And to tell the truth nothing but the most power ful conviction of their moral worth, could have possibly elicited an admiring sentence about them. Mrs. Sniff was a bony angular woman, with gray eyes and brown hair slight ly sprinkled with the tint of age, a pair of thin lips and large red hands which looked as if they had been gradnally reduced to a prop er scouring hardnees. From the peculiar cast of her features one would have supposed that she had been pertinaciously engaged in snubbing her husband, and be in snubbing her from tho day of their marriage. She was attired in a style of severe simplicity, which aided materially in imparting to her entire figure an air of sanctity not nulike that worn by the last witch burned at the stake in Con necticut. It is but due to Mrs. Sniff to state that she bore a reputation for religious fervor amounting almost to austerity. The children composed three girls, aged twelve, ten and six years respectively, and two boys, aged fourteen and eight years. All wore moral, pious looks, and all were us thin as if thev had been fed from their births on praver books and tracts, which, though ex cellent food for the soul, are not to be recom mended for tho stomach. A11 were pale, sharp featured children, who eyed the lruit stalls with a longing gaze, as if apples and peaches were luxuries rarely indulged in by them. As they rode along the street, Mr. Sniff did not fail to bid them take warning by the ragged and girls on the sidewalks. “Where do they get their money from ? ” asked Jerusha, tbe eldest daughter, as she saw several of the urchins purchase some irnit. “Money, -Jerusha!” said Mr. Sniff reproach- fullv. “ How many times have I spoken to you about thinking of money ? ’’ “Do. for gracious sakes, leave the girl alone, Mr. Sniff,” put in his amiable lady. “ She ain't said any harm that I know of. Leave her be.” . Mr. Sniff turned short, and would certainly have retorted sharply, had not the baggy came in contact with a grocer's wagon, which nearly upset it. The sudden shock quite drove the answer from his mind, and before he could collect his ideas again the Church of the Pil grims was reached, and the happy family were received with demonstrations of pleasure by the Beverend Mr. Mobtwanger, the fa mous Pious Fraud preacher, whose Sunday Sermons were noted for their eloquence, and I the applause they invariably received. “And how are you brother Sniff,” said the holy man; “and how are yon, Mrs. Snifl; and the children, are they well too? I felt certain that it you heard the news you would be here. Oh Lord, how long shall thy fettered children suffer ?” And he clasped his hands together and gazed reflectively at a spider spinning its web on the ceiling of the portico. Mr. and Mis. Sniff shook their heads sug gestively. “And to think,” continued the Kev. Mr. Mobtwanger, “only to think that a member of Congress could be found to justify the murder. Is it not mockery to call the man Honorable? Ah, my dear friends, what a load must be on the conscience of Gustave Laurissini ?” Mr. Sniff started and became red in the face. “Has he justified the deed of blood? asked Mr. Smffi Before the preacher could reply several ladies and gentlemen, including Mr. Green- mount and his estimable lady, arrived and drew his attention fiom the speaker. Pres ently the entire party entered the church which was already nearly filled with Pious Frauds gathered togerther to pray for the souls of the martyrs. Ascending the pulpit, Rev, Mr. Mob- twaDger kneeled npon a cushion placed be hind tbe desk, rested his elbows on the top, clasped hie hands together, then, taking a glance at the congregation and rolling his eyes, said, “Brethren, let us pray.” The con gregation accordingly knelt and theu the preacher closed his eyes and prayed. •“Oh, Lord, God,” said he, swaying his body to and fro, “We are assembled here, to day, for a holy purpose, as thou knowest well. The lives of thy servants have been taken by the ungodly, and the blood of the martyred dead crieth alond for vengeance. But for thy forbearance the guilty deed could never have been committed. Why, O’Lord, didst though look calmly on while the hand of the de stroyed was placed heavily upon the children of Israel? Why didst thou not launch the thunderbolts of Heaven upon the beads of the guilty? How long! Oh Lord, shall the lash of the slaveholder fall upon the shoulders of the slave? Lo, these many years hare we prayed and our prayers have been unanswered. When, oh when, shall this iniquity ceaae? We do not upbraid thee, moet Powerful Crea- ator, but our hearts grow sick with waiting. Could our will bs all powerful, long since would the crime and sin ©f Human Slavery have been swept away from the face of the earth. But, O-o-o-o-h, L-o-r-r-r-d, we ac knowledge that thy will and not ours must govern the Universe. We, thy humble ser vants, therefore beseech thee to hearken to our prayers. Receive into thy bosom the souls of those heroic followers of Christ who have so recently fallen into the hands of their adversaries. Confound the machinations of the Slaveholding Aristocracy! Open wide the jaws of Hell to receive their sinful spirits! And by thy strong arm aid that great Party, that fights thy battles here on earth, even, oh Lord, the party of the Pious Frauds. Turn thine ear, Oh Lord, away from the Repeaters and let them be scattered over the face of the earth. We know. Oh Lord, that our cause is a holy and righteous one, therefore aid us. We feel certain that the hour of our triumph has come, therefore delay no longer. Thou knowest well, Most Beneficent Providence, the danger of delay. Thou knowest, even as we know, that the Slaveholders have sinnep beyond redemption, therefore, do not hes itate to deliver them into our hands? Oh, Heavenly Father we have Truth and Righte ousness npon our side. Tempt ns not then to lose Faith in Thee, lest thy kingdom npon earth should fail; but hearken to this our prayer with suen promptness as the exigen cies of the hour require. Oh, Lord, the day | for the elections are drawing near at hand, i We know that thou wilt support the candi dates of the Pious Frauds, and we implore j Thee to lend us thy aid so that they may tri- \ umph at the polls. Let not the Devil obtain another victory over thy children. We feel j assured, Oh Lord, God, that thou wilt be with the Right on that momentous day; for if we fail then will it seem as if Heaven has for saken earth. Once more we pray Thee to re ceive into thy bosom the souls of the mar tyred dead Through Jesus Christ. Our Lord, Amen !!” After this prayer the Reverend Mr. Mob twanger delivered a remarkable discourse which so pleased his auditors that the roof of the sacred edifice resounded with their plaud its. It is to be regretted that the reader can not be furnished with this delectable treat in full. Sufficient to say that the holy man de clared he smelled the brimestone which sur rounded the murderous slaveholders, and inhaled tbe heavenly fragrance B which sur rounded the mai tyred Pious Frauds. Upon the conclusion of the discourse, Mr. Sniff and his family left tfie church and re entered the buggy in which they were driven to the residence of Mrs. Sniff's sister. Here the worthy Sniff left them and walked down to the store ot his new employer,* on Dow Neast street. The way to tbe store lei by Mr. Van Dusen’s office and just as the pedes trian came in sight of it he saw the dress of a woman vanish through the half open door. Mr. Sniff walked hurriedly on, but before he came opposite the door had already closed. Lounging near by, however, were two men whom he at once recognized as detectives. Jeux D’Esprit Against Wives. It is also il 1 nHtlativc of a noble change in social taste and opinion that, instead of im puting a want of the nicest delicacy to tome tew sentences of our “Office for the Solemni General Notes. Want of grit, the Transcript says, has been too long a characteristic of Boston's Mayors. ... , Boston’s next important convention is to zation of Matrimony," Samuel Johnson re- i 0De of bald-headed men, to be held June gretted that the excessive refinement of the 14 * a John H. Drinkwater, a Boston bar-tender, drank too much fire-water, Friday, assaulted a customer, and got into jail. President Abbott, of the Michigan State Agricultural College, has been granted a year’s leave of absence, to visit Europe. The shoe business in Haverhill, Mass., is represented to be very dull, and hundreds of workmen are out of employmont. The city of Portsmouth, N. H., has appro priated $10,000 to defray the expenses of the reunion of the Sons on the 4th of July. Mr. Alexander N. Webb, who is in ill- health, has sold the Hudson daily and week ly Star to Messrs. L. Goeltz and Herbert N. Webb. service rendered it inappropriate to weddings of an unromantic kind. “Talking of mar riage in general,” 6ays the biographer, “he observed, “Our marriage service is too re fined. It is calculated only for the best kind of marriages; whereas we should have a form for matches of mere convenience, of which there are many.” He agreed with me that there was no absolute necessity for having the marriage service performed by a regular cler gyman, for this was not commanded in Scrip ture.” It was on the occasion of this conversation that Boswell, blushing at his temerity in submitting verses of his own writing to the critical attention of his “illustrious friend,” repeated to Dr. Johnson “the little epigram matic song,” which was subsequently set to Governor-elect Ingersoll, of Connecticut, music by “the very ingenious Mr. Dibdin,” j will not deliver his inaugural address in per- *Thi« prayer is r It ia batim an *it 'wan delivered by auti-alavery troubles. [CONTINCED IN Ot'R NEXT SUNDAY'S EDITION.] An Interesting Trial. The death of Chief Justice Chase recalls the story of a trial iu the United States Circuit Court in Ohio, which was a noted one in its day, ia which Mr. Chase was the leading counsel for the defense, the defendant him self being formerly a Kentucky farmer, al though at that time a citizen of Ohio, and the original of Yan Tromp, one of the characters in “ Uncle Tom s Cabin." The case occurred in 1842. Mr. Van Zandt, a farmer of this State, some years previously being impressed with the convictioo, which was shared by not a few of the best citizens of Kentucky of that day, that slavery was wrong, set his slaves free anil removed to a farm iu Ohio, near Cincinnati. He is described as a rough, uncultured man, but warm-hearted, impulsive, and apt, in carrying out his views, Ito go to a length which those of cooler terrn- perainent might have called lanaticism. Y an Zandt from the day when be cut the personal tie between himself and the peculiar insti tution took ail opportunities ot sheltering fu gitives who came to his new home and dis patching them on their load to Canada,at that day the promised land of runaway slaves. He was finally arrested with several fugitive slaves in his wagon tiy a pursuing party from Kentucky, and the slaves taken back over the river. Van Zandt was indicted under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1703, and tried on the charge of concealing and harboring fugitives Mr. C hose, then a brilliant lawyer iu the flower of his youth, was retained lor the defense, and made an ingenious and powerful speech for his client, who was nevertheless convicted. An appeal was taken and the case was carried np to the Supreme Court of the United States, where Mr. Chase had the assistance of William H. Seward in conduct ing the argument The court, through Jus tice Woodbury, affirmed the decision, and Van Zandt, impoverished by the fine imposed upon him, and by the heavy expense of his protracted trial, died poor and broken hearted. Thirty years have elapsed since then, and the actors in a drama which excited the deepest interest from one end of the country' to the other have all passed sway; the two counsel for the defense taking prominent places in tbe subsequent history of the country, and their poor client receiving his share ot fame in the pages of the most extensively circulated par tisan novel ever published in this country. Courier-Journal. and published under the title of “A Matri moriial Thought.” “ In lhe blithe days of honeymoon, With Kate’s allurements smitten, I loved her late, I loved her soon, And called her de&re.t kitten. “ But now my kitten’s grown a eat, Ani cross like oiher wives; Oh I by my soul, my dearest Mat, I fear she has nine lives.” “It is very well, sir,” said the illustrious friend, smiling condescendingly, ere he added, gravely, “but you should not swear.” Out of regard tor the great man’s religious sensi bility, Boswell substituted, “Alas, alas,” for by soul;” but, after the Censor Morum had de parted forever from Fleet Street, the poet re sumed his profane habit, and restored “by my soul’' to its place in the humorous trifle. Love and marriage were topics on which eighteenth-century writers of vers de socieie, more skilful in their art than Boswell, de lighted to make merry. To one of them we are indebted for Celia’s retort on the cynical dean: “ Cries Ct-lia to a reverend Dean, • What reason can be given, Since murriage ie a holy tiling, That there is none in heaven ? * The literature of epigrams and epitaphs comprises some of the smartest jeux d esprit written by meu against women, and by wives against their masters. The German poet, Besser, produced the epigram on Adam’s sleep: “ He laid him down and slept—and from his side A woman in her magic beauty rose; Dazzled and charmed, he called that woman ‘ bride,* And his firBt sleep became his last repose.” To a German poet, also, we are indebted for the “Epitaph on a Scolding Woman," which has been rendered in Engliph: “ Here lies, thank God, a woman who Quarrelled aud stormed her whole life through; Tread geDtly o’er her mouldering form, Or else you’ll raise another storm.” Napier and the Juggler. We give an anecdote illustrative ot the un paralleled dexterity of the natives of India with the sword, as well as of Napier's sim plicity of character. After the Indian battles, on one occasion, a famous juggler visited the camp, and performed his feats before the General, his family and staff. Among his performances, this man cut in two, with a stroke of the sword, a lime or lemon placed in the hand of the assistant. Napier thought there was some collusion between the juggler and his assistant. To divide, by a sweep of the sword, on a man's hand, so small an object without touching the flesh, he believed to be impossible, though a similar incident is related by Scott, in his romance of the “Talisman.” To determine the point the General offered his own hand for the experiment, anil he held out his right arm. The juggler looked atten tively at the hand, and Baid he wonld not make the trial. “I thought I would find you out!" ex claimed Napier. “But stop,” said the other, “let me see yonr left hand.” The left head was submitted, and the man then eaid firmly: “If yon will hold yonr arm steadv, I will perform tho feat.” “But why t*>e left hand and not the right ?’’ “Because the right band is hollow in the center, and there is a risk of cutting off the thumb; the left i* high and the danger will he less. ” Napier was startled. “I got frightened,” he said; “I saw it was an actual feat of swordmanship and if I had not abused the man as I did before my statff aud challenged him to the trial, I honesly, acknowledge I would have retired from the encounter. However, I put tho lime on my hand, and held out my arm steadily. The juggler bnlaneed himself, and with a swift stroke, cut the lime in two pieces. I felt the edge of the sword on my bond, as if a cold thread had been drawn across it, and so much,” he added, “for the swordsman of India whom our fine fellows defeated at Meeauee." M. de Borda and M. Delpit lately fooght a duel in the forest of Saint Germaine. When M. Delpit was wounded the honor of both was satisfied, and M. de Borde, throwing his arms about his adversary's neok, embraced him enthusiastically. “*Soy« tranguiUe" was the epitaph ma liciously suggested for the monument which the French cook, of Crimean celebrity and whilom of the Beform Clnb, raised in Kensal- Green Cemetery over the grave of the virtu ous Madame Soyer, whose good quali lies the disconsolate chef commemorated in a gran diose and highlv-sentimental inscription, re specting which Douglas .Terrold remarked, pithily, “Mock turtle.” To the credit of the fair sex let it be ob served that the sharpest things engraved by widows on the tombs of their husbands were innocent of disdainful purpose. A good many years since, when that exemplary cler gyman, the Kev. William Greenlaw, became rector of Woolwich, he found in the church yard of nis new cure a recently-erected tomb stone, to the memory of a Woolwich trades man, on which there had been inscribed, at tho particular request of the dead man, the well-known lines: “ Youthful reader, passing by As yon are now, so once was I; Beneath which lines there also appeared on the stone the following couplet, added by the widow and executrix of the dead: Offended by the apparent flippancy and ir reverence of this couplet, the rector entreat ed the widow to consent to its obliteration from the stone. To his surprise he found that she cherished no ill feeling to her late lord and master, and was of opinion that he surpassed in piety most of the husbands whom he had left behind. The good woman had always thought the epitaph a foolish epi taph, and had repeatedly told her husband her critical reasons for disliking it. Like a docile wife, she had placed it on the stone, as her husband desired it to appear there; but she had|thougbt herself justified in pointing to the obvious defect of the lines. She had only availed herself of her opportunity to have the last word in a literary controversy that she and her husband had for years car ried on in a friendly spirit. On being shown that the stone, as it appeared, was suggestive of disrespectful thoughts of her husbaud, she consented reluctantly to the erasure of her comment Even more infelicitious than this widow of Woolwich was the good lady who, with the best intention, placed a highly scandalous in scription on the tomb of her deceased hus band, in* his day a famous London pyrotech nist In the first month of her widowhood, on mournfully walking away from his grave, after watering it with a tear, this widow was struck by the sublime dignity of an inscrip tion on an adjacent tomb, erected to the liqu or of a mnsical composer, who. in the lan guage of the legend, had gone “to a world where alone his harmonies could be surpass ed.” Lacking the power to produce an ori ginal eulogium, the simple lady adapted the harmonious professor’s epitaph to the ingen ous artist's case. With the accuracy of t conscientious historian she substituted “fire works” for “harmonies”—with consequences that my readers may be left to imagine for themselves. —Jeaffresons Brides and Bridals. A German, residing in New Haven, re cently shot his wife and subsequently blew his brains out. The man was addicted to drunkenness, and for six mouths had lived npon his wile’s earnings. The immediate cause of his attempt to kill her—an attempt which proved to be successful—was a little difference of opinion upon the subject of the § roper use of hot water. It can easily be un- erstood that the wife felt herself wronged by her husband’s drunken and lazy habits, but she unfortunately went so far as to express her disapproval of him by scalding him with boiling water. This sort of conjugal reproof failed to meet bis views, and he thereupon shot her. Wives should take warning by this little history, and abstain from scalding hus bands known to carry pistols. Nothing is more irritating to the unregenerate man than to have a bucket of boiling water suddenly thrown in his face. There is lots of good in human nature, and occasionally the newspapers enable people to get a glimpse of it The other day, for ex ample, tho Detroit Post contained a little item to the effect that two orphan girls were at the station house, homeless and penniless, aud before noon thirteen different persons had called and offered to adopt them. In connection with the withdrawal of Gen eral V langali, Russian Minister at Pekin, it i« rumored that M. 8truve. at present Councei- lor to tho Governor General of Siberia, at Irkutsk, will proceed to occupy the post in tbe Chinese capital. son. it will be read to the joint convention by one of the clerks. A flock of sheep numbering 200,000 heaH will form a part of the cortege which is to visit Mecca during the coming festival. Tongue-tied women are very skarse and very valuable. Ralph Walde Emerson was at the com mencement exercises in the Workingmen’s College, London, of which the H<»n. Tom Hughes is President, and made a speech, in which he gave England the second place in the list of nations, America, of course, filling the first rank. It is stated that Chief Justice Chase, before leaving Washington for New York, last week, said to an officer of the Supreme Court that he never expected to resume his seat on the bench, or to come back to Washington. He has had but a precious hold upon life ever since his first paralytic attack, and appears to have been fully conscious that death could not be remote. Chicago keeps on. The city is now about building a tunnel nearly four miles long to run under the river to the site of the lake pumping-works and supply the west side with water. The clear width of the tunnel will be seven feet, and the height seven feet two inches; and it is to be completed January, 1875, at a cost less than $600,000. We noticed in passing Farmville yesterday that the Appomattox was on the rampage. Both above and below the town it had spread over the banks, flooding a considerable por tion of the country and making a stream nearly as pretentious as the James is, ordina rily, at Lynchburg, Virginia. The wild oranges of Florida make a wine which gets & man so drunk that he sleeps two days and nights before waking. This beats the California fig brandy, which gets a man tight and sober again iu an hour's time. A special dispatch to the London standard from Vienna states that a serious difference has arisen between th^ Archduke Charles Lcuis, the patron, and Baron, Schwartz, the Superintendent of the Universal Exhibition, in consequence of the backwardness of the ar rangements. The Emperor siding with the Baron, the Archduke Charts has taken um brage and left Vienna. It is now denied that the Khan of Khiva has offered unconditional submission to tbe Rus sian demands, and the statement is made that, although the Khan released some of his prisoners, he accompanied the act with a de mand for the withdrawal of the Russian ex pedition, and insisted on other conditions which the Czar will not accept. A new era in the history of American horse racing is to be inaugurated at Long Branch this season. Admission to the field is to be free to the general public, and au admission fee is to be charged only to the grand stand and quarter stretch. This is a very decided step toward making horse-racing as much of a popular spot in the United States as it has long been in England. In fields of circum scribed dimensions, like Jerome Park, it may be found inexpedient to imitate the example set by the Long Branch Committee, but their action marks a revolution in American turf management, which ought to be met in & correspondingly liberal spirit by the general public. In the course of the summer the Prussian Guards will be armed with the new Mauser rifle. Another corps’ d’ arrnee will probably ! be armed in the winter. The Light Cavalry, Dragoons and Hnssars have just had Chasse- pot carbines distributed among them, a great improvement upon the inefficient weapons so long in use. A large number of French rifles, captured in lhe war, mostly tabatieres asd cavalry pistols, have been offered for sale, at nominal prices, to the officers of the army, each officer being entitled to one specimen of each kind. They are evidently meant to serve as substantial remembrances of the cam paign. The Minnesota has at length departed. She got off at six o’clock a. m. yesterday, and ibe passengers, including the legal gentleman who has been practicing at the bar for about three weeks, are released from the involuntary detention. The only steamer now on the bar is the Memphis. She is deeply laden, aud draws, we believe, about nineteen and a half feet ot water. But for her grounding iu the channel, the detained sailing ships, some fifteen iu number, would all have passed safely over ere this. In view of all the facts, it is clear that there should be a bar-master appointed, under some competent authority, who should determine the time aud order iu which ships should cross the bar.—Xeic (> *- leans Times. A New Jersey paper complains of a youth who came into towu to attend a circus, and tried to beat the editor down to two cents for a postage-stamp. Minister Horace Ruble© reached his homo in Wisconsin, last week. He will remain there till the beginning of June, when he will return to his post in Switzerland. The conundrum that won the prize of a silver cup in Harrisburg was this: Why should the Harrisburg Fire Department be sent to fight the Modocs ? Because their chief is A. Schlatter. And the State Journal, that publishes this, says that the conundrum for the tin cup was too nonsensical to put into print. A speaker on Decoration Day, in Mont gomery, Alabama, predicted that some of those present “would live to see a reconcilia tion between the lately warring sections so complete and geneVous that tbe descendants of Confederate soldiers will share the govern mental benefits that are extended to those of the soldiers of the Union; that all unfriendly legislation will be blotted from the statute books; that the terms ‘Yankee,’ ‘rebel,’ ‘traitor,’ will be used in anger no more; that the swords of Southern officers, now held as trophies in Washington, will be restored to their owners to be used as heir-looms in their families, and that the ensign of the Union, somewhere upon its ample folds, will proudly bear the starry cross of the South. The experience which Milwaukee, Vis., has had of the ingratitude of railroad corpo rations may be worth something if kept iu mind by cities that are likely hereafter to be called upon for contributions to “encourage ’ the building of newlines. In his inaugural message to the Common Council, the Mayor of Milwaukee thus feelingly refers to a bond transaction to the amount of $434,000 with the Beloit and Superior Railway Company: “It is difficult to repress a painful resent ment when speaking of these bonds. The city, through its sworn representatives, is sued the bonds, but never received any equiv alent for them. They were thrown upon the market at a period of financial depression, and pasted into purchasers’ hands at heavy depreciation. It wa« only natural that the city, in indignation, ahould protest and dis own them. Fraudulently planned aud dis gracefully executed, they are a shameful transaction in our municipal history.