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VOL. I.
ia published, very Friday morning, in -Macon, Ga. on the follow.
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OFFICE on Mulberry Street, East of the Floyd House and near the
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€lji v Ipßffs Ctinirr,
IDOLS OF LODE.
iVo. 1.
ATALA’S PRAYER.
BY T. 11. CHIVERS, M. D.
‘•Alas! to die so young, when my heart is so full of love!”
ChvTaubriand.
Abba! when the morn is breaking
Through tlte Portals of the sky,
AnJ the dappled Fawns are waking
In the Reed-Isles where they lie;
When the Roe-buck gazes wildly
At the hunter in the even,
And the milky Moon looks mildly
From the azure depths of Heaven;
When the Turtle Doves are mourning
Jit the R me-Isles of the sea,
And the stars above are burning—
Lift my spirit up to Thee 1
Abba! when the Fowls are laving
In the Fountains faraway.
Where the Purple Hills are waving
In the Sunny Isles of Day;
When the Mocking-birds are singing
By the river-banks at noon,
And the Violet bells are springing
From the Rosy-llills in June; f
When the Pigeon.-, all are feeding
On the beach-mast by the sea,
And my bosom shall lie bleeding—
Lift my spirit up to Thee !
Abba ! when the Reed is broken
That lias borne me up when young,
And the last sad word is spoken
That shall tremble on my tongue;
When the Roe-back comes to wander
From the Green Hills far away,
And my breaking heart grows fonder
For the Sunny Isles of Day;
When my Forest Home is taken,
And the Stranger bids me flee;
Abba! call me, Thy Forsaken—
Take my spirit home to Thee ‘.
Villa Allegro , Ga. March 13, 1810.
(Original papers.
EDICATION.
As promised in my bust, I proceed to give you a copy of a
letter from Gov. Johnson, of the State of South Carolina.—
After the address, the Governor proceeds:
‘"Sir :—I have received your favor of the 10th inst. enqui
ring whether there was any particular mode of Education
adopted in this State for a part or all of the people, etc.
‘‘Four enquiry, I infer, was intended to be directed to the
education of the masses, and I need not refer you to the S.
Carolina College, at Columbia, of which the State is justly
proud, further than to remark, that the professors arc all
paid by annual appropriations of the Legislature. In addi
tion tothis, the Legislature, about 3.) years ago, established
what is called a Free School system, desitrued mainly to aid
in the education of the poorer classes, and have from that
time, appropriated annually $36,000 for its support. This
sum is distributed amongst the different Circuit Court Dis
tricts in proportion to the number of delegates in the House of
Representatives of the State Legislature, and is p’aeod at
the disposal of certain Commissioners appointed by the Le
gislature in each District, who are required to put to school
and pay the tuition of children whose parents are poor and
reside in the neighborhood, established there, and who arc
willing and can spare their labor from the field, but these are
so widely scattered and their labor so necessary to their pa
rents. that they derive no essential benefit from it. The fund
is therefore, for the most part, appropriated by the Commis
sioners in aid of Schools that neighborhoods establish, with
out any reference to the ability of the parents to pay for tui
tion.
‘“lt does not work well, unless it be in Charleston and in the
larger towns where there is a concentrated population.
‘“I have never known one instance in which an individual
of the class for which it was mainly intended, derived any
benefit from it, and it is universally agreed that it is money
imprudently spent. In the hope to improve the system, the
Legislature, at its last session, raised a committee who are
instructed to examine the subject during the recess, and re
port at the next sitting.
“The system, I know, is badly, very badly administered—but
1 believe that the great evil is inherent in the system itself.
“Instruction can’t be carried to the doors of all the poor,
and they are, for the most part, indifferent about the eduoa*
tion of their children, nor have they the means of subsisting
fliein from home. The sum is wholly inadequate for the ed
ucation of the whole mass, and if that be the object, I can
hot sec any system to raise a sufficient sum to maintain
“ohools in each neighborhood [but] by a tax on the inhabi
tants at large, Heavy as this burthen would be, the sum
would not mueh exceed the gross sum now paid for educa
tion, including the subsistence of children sent abroad, and
would have the advantage of making a motive for every one
to send their children to school. If the education of the poor
be the object, tlien there is no means of attaining it amongst
our sparse population, but by providing for them subsistence,
concentrating them atone place, and making it compulsory on
parents—a measure, I think, of very doubtful policy. If
•Georgia is about to move in the matter, let me advise against
the adoption of our system, for nothing can be worse.”
Thus, as before stated, I think the above letter is only an
other testimony of the defectiveness of the plan of education
now in practice in this State.
This letter also denies that any plan can be adopted of rais
ing a fund to educate, alone, the children of the poor which
will be successful, unless they be congregated together in one
place. Again, in this sentiment, I concur with the writer.—
J >ut the writer admits that plan can be made successful to ed
ucate the entire mass under sanction of laic, by taxes col
lected for that purpose. And here I remark, that the mass
can thus be educated, and even by taxation, as the Governor
supposes, though I totally dissent from the opinion that the
method of taxation is the best way. Nevertheless, better,
far better by taxation than not at all. OBSERVER.
(to be continued.)
THE VALLEY OF DIAMONDS.
BV T. 11. CHIVERS, M. D.
XXXII.
I have not been able to read the index containing my- ani
madversions upon the article entitled “A Child's Thoughts
oj Burial, ’ until this morning. I see that you have appen
ded a portion of the loth chapter of Corinthians as an an
swer to it; but it coines very far short of answering the ques
tion propounded in my letter, for this very especial reason,
namely, that St. Raul does not teach the doctrine of the ger
mination ot the body to which I object. I perceive also that
you have adopted the theory 7 of the writer of the article in
’ the Myrtle. “ It was my abhorenee t i see an error inculca
| ted, which caused me to write the letter against the theory
advocated by him. You, doubtless, know how to appreciate
I this feeling. It appears to me that you seem, also, to pre
sume that I do not understand the purport of the Apostle’s
sublime descantation upon the resurrection of the dead; but
you are greatly mistaken—as can be very easily proven to
you. Suffice it for me to say, on the present occasion, that
he does not teach a solitary syllable, in all liis logical reason
ing upon the resurrection, which goes to support the theory
advocated by the writer in the “iVyrl/e,” He does not teach
that a material germ shall spring up, like grain when sown in
to the earth, from the defunct body. You know that Tom
I nine called St. Raul a fool because lie supposed that the
Apostle taught that the grain of wheat must first die before
; t could spring up out of the ground and live. Bishop Wat
son, in his answer, boldly asserted that St. Paul taught no
such thing —which forever silenced the Infidel. But here is
the very kind of germ-doctrine taught in the “Index" 1 simi
lar to that to which Bisli. \A atson objected. I repeat again
that the quotation of the 15th Chapter of Corinthians, entire ,
would not show that the doctrine advocated by the writer in
“Myrtle ” is correct; because St. Paul does not teach any
such thing in any of his writings. He positively tells us
that “ corruption shall not inherit incorruption.'’ How,
tlien. can an immortal body spring up from a mortal one ? It
is a “spiritual body” that is to be raised- -but not out of the
defunct bo ly laid in the grave, because the Apostle does not
say so. That you are entirely mistaken in the meaning of
the word “sown" — : just as tile writer in the “Myrtle'’ was
mistaken in all the Apostle says upon the subject.
1 ou quote with the belief that the word ‘'sown'’ means
being laid in the grave. But this is not so. For what anal
ogy is there between a dead body’ being laid in tlte grave,
and the sowing of wheat? Plainly, none at all. Why ?
Because the wheat is ulice when it is “sown-,” but the body
is dead when it is laid in the grave. This annihilates the an
alogy, and shows that the Apostle did not mean to teach the
doubting Corinthians that an immortal body was to spring
up out of the earth from the mortal one. The fact is, St.
Paul does not teach any where in his writings that the
body that is laid in the grace will be resurrected out of it.
XXXIII.
Mr. Poo, in criticising Brainard’s Pixans, very appropri
ately objects to his moralizing upon the grandeur of the Cat
aract of Niagara, because ho basis its superiority over Man
in the greater noise that it can make.
XXXIV.
There never was, perhaps, a more obstreperous or assinine
speeim ne of exuberant bathos ever presented to the world,
than the following passage from a Poem on Niagara, by Jas.
Rodman Drake:
“As if the vast and sheeted sky
In thuinter fell front Heaven.”
The palpable inappropriateness of this passage consists in
comparing one of the sublimest operations of Nature, ill one
j of her most, unsophisticated moods, to what would be consid
[ ered. in itsdnost legitimate sense, the awfulest of all catas
! treplies. It originated in not knowing tliat the sublimest of
objects, to be writ'en about sublimely, ought to be described
in the least metaphorical language.
The above lint's will ap|>ear more bathetic to the intelligent
reader when it is known that the Cataract does not fall from
a great altitude above the eye, but rushes over the brink pret
ty nearly on a level with it.
XXXV.
Ih the August Number of Graham’s Magazine, is a beau
tiful Engraving called The Origin of Music. The Author
of it is a genius. It is, no doubt, intended to represent Tubal
Cain making his first instrument lie displays not only a
great knowledge of Scripture History, but considerable geni
us in representing him in the attitude of inventing a wind-in
strument—as this is the kind of instrument which anyone
would be the most likely to invent under the circumstances,
or in the kind of civilization which ho enjoyed. He holds his
knife in his right hand, with which he has cut several holes,
and has just applied the instrument to his mouth to see how
it will sound. The little boy, on the right hand of the picture,
is the beautifulest creature that ever was created, and looks
i upon his father, as he progresses in his work, with that de
: lqh ful intensity which is the true characteristic of genius.—
In contemplating the delight which will follow the consum
mation of his father’s design, beseems rest with the inspira
tion of the pure Poet, when he first tastes of the Nepenthe of
immortality from the hands of the Queen of Heaven. But
what a beautiful simplicity and tender intensity of delight
rays out from his Angelic countenance as he gazes upon the
work. Tiiis very mental delight has taken possession of his
entire frame, and manifests itself in the muscles of his limbs.
Nothing ever surpassed the unsophisticated beauty of this
simple and affectionate creature.
In the middle of the picture, and in the foreground of the
father, is a little Urchin sitting on the ground trying to see
what progress he can make in music by blowing in a reed.—
liis lips are protruded and his cheeks dilated with his breath,
in attempting to fill the reed and make sounds similar to those
made by his father. There is nothing but music in him. His
very looks arc full of music; and the way he sits on the ground
is musical. I know very’ well how the little fellow feels, for I
have been all along that road.
On the left of the Picture, is a little girl listening while
looking up at her father and hugging her right arm around
the neck of a familiar and gentle dog. It is no use to say that
that child is full of music, and that the dog does not know,
by the countenances of the whole company, that something
unusual is going on, when the whole Picture seems to be bap
tized in the divine radiance of Music. The little goats seem
to be effected by’ the new-day-dawn which lias just arisen
upon the infant world, as if another Sun of melody had just
been erected in Heaven, and show that they are people ot a
Nomadic life. I never saw any Picture that ever took such
a hold upon my’ aflfections—except one by Etty, called voutii
and rLLAsuiiE. The fact is, nothing ever surpassed this, in
“Jubcpcnkut in all tljings—Neutral in No tiling.”
MACON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY MORNING, AUG. IG, 1850. -
the wide world of Art, in regard to design; and, although
nothing to be compared with some of the Engravings in the
London Art-Journal, yet, the execution of the little boy’s
; countenance, on the right hand of the Picture, is the beauti
fulest and most natural thing that I ever saw in my life.
There is a greater degree of languishing voluptuousness in
the countenances of the females of Etty’s Picture, which for
ever haunts you with their y'outhful mellowness of virgin
passion; but nothing of that intellectual intensity’ of divine
joy—os if he were one of God’s Archangels receiving the
golden Message of liis glorious Mission to mortals before de
scending to the earth, —which characterizes the countenance
of that little boy’, and stamps bis image indelibly upon your
memory forever. He looks as if there lingered, in liis soft
soul, a pleasing and perrennial reminiscence of the music
which he heard in Heaven before lie came down upon the
i earth.
For the Georgia Citizen.
Railroads—iticir Rules, Travellers and the
Public, Ac.
Mr. Editor : —Some few weeks ago it was a part of my
luck to be present at quite a disappointment to some travel
lers from New Orleans, who said tliat they had through tick
ets from that place to Charleston. The place of their disap
, puintnient was Griffin, Ga. where it seems that the cars stop
long enough for passengers to take a bite of something to stay
their stomachs. W bile our travellers were attending to the
j dinner, the seats in the passenger cars on the Macon A West
| era Railroad, on the up train, were filled, and over filled,
some were standing up for want of room in the seats. Near
the time for departure, notice was given by the car-man (by
ringing the bell,) that he was about to roll his iron wheels;
; “ hen a crowd of persons were seen issuing Irom the doors of
the Georgia Hotel, among whom were the travellers above
referred to, who had arrived rather late for dinner by the
stage line connecting the Alabama Rail Road with this Rail
Road. By means of their late arrival to dinner by the stage
line, and the haste of the notice by the Rail Road Agent, the
time allowed for our travellers to satisfy their appetites for the
good things of this life'spread before them on the table, was
I quite limited; mueh too short to suit their taste, as was quite
i visible upon each of their countenances, as they made haste
to reach the car before its departure, to take their scats ,
which they thought themselves entitled to above all others
who had no through tickets. In they rush, (by no means as
well pleased with half a dinner as they might have been with
a whole feast,) and Lo! to their astonishment, all the seats
were filled, and no one manifested any disposition to give pre
ference to holders of through tickets. Immediate enquiry
was made by the owners of through tickets for the conductor,
who upon being found, appeared as unconcerned aVout the
matter as though he had been we(l seated himself. Where
upon our travellers pressed their claim in loud and plain
terms, that holders of through tickets were entitled to pre
ferenee—that it was the duty of the company to furnish seats
for all the passengers—and more especially for this class—
that this was a fraud practiced by the Rail Road Company
upon them—tliat the Company had held out inducements
for travellers to come this route—that they would publish
the transaction in every paper in the Union. While this
complaint was being uttered our travellers were standing up
l in the baggage car, on their way to Atlanta. The Condue
. tor heard but a part of this eloquent appeal, and had busi
ness another way; but on returning into the Baggage car the
claim was again pressed, with as little success as before, ox-i
, cept that that the Conductor decided that such rules as they*
| spoke of might do on stage lines, but not on Rail Roads:—
whereupon most of them laid themselves down against or up
on the baggage, complaining of fraud, hunger and hard treat
ment, till most of them were rocked to sleep by the jostling
lof the car. So much for the decision against the priority or
privilege of through tickets on Rail Roads. Travellers look
to it, that you do not gormandise till all the seats are filled,
for ifyoudothe Baggage ear is your portion.
Yours, truly, TROCHANTER.
For the Georgia Citizen,
Shehanc-s second Letter to Mr. Strobel.
Dear Sir, —Your reply to my first letter is now
! before me, and I hasten to review such parts as I
deem necessary. The point between tts is very
plain. I asserted incidentally that Dr. Tholuck of
; Germany was a Universalist. This you denied, but
said you knew not upon what authority my asser
! tion was based. I gave you as my proof, a
conversation which Prof. Sears had with Dr. T.—
You think “there is at least a possibility that Prof. S.
i misapprehended Dr. T.” But you suppose there is
no room to doubt, when we take up Dr. T’s. com
mentary. Unfortunately, however, for your side of
’ the question, your quotation from Dr. T’s. works,
ido not sustain endless punishment. As an offset
to the whole of them, 1 here present you with a key
to Tholuck’s intepretations of the Bible. I refer to
his commentary on Hebrews, published in 1830,--
on c. 10 —13: “Henceforth expecting till his ene
mies become his footstool
“ The doctrinal sense of this passage must bo
sought in 1 Cor. xv. 24, 28, where the same senti
ment is more fully expressed. Hitherto, this pas
sage (in Corinthians) has not been explained with
sufficient care. Though I have often made it a sub
ject of reflection, I have not been able to come to a
final decision, especially as the conclusion stands
connected with several other difficult passages, such
as Phil. ii. 10. Nevertheless, as this passage in He
brews can best be explained by tliat of Corinthians,
I cannot avoid giving, briefly at least, my present
views of the latter. The expositors down to the la
test times, have not bestowed sufficient attention
upon the question, whether the ‘ subduing ’ is not one
effected by ‘ faith,’ and consequently the restoration
of all who do not acknowledge Christ, to that ac
knowledgment. The conclusion, ‘that God may be
all in all [men ’] clearly intimates this view. Greg
ory Nysson, the talented defender of a ‘Restoration,’
speaks in an interesting manner on this point, in
his excellent discourse ou 1 Cor. xv. 28. For our
purpose, the following will suffice. ‘The leading
sentiment, in ver. 24 —28, is that the kingdom of
Christ will one day come to an end. This, howev
er, cannot take place till all enemies are subdued. —
l nder these, Paul includes, first, evil spiritual pow-;
ers ; yet he does not limit it to persons, but extends
it to unconscious powers, such as death. In other
words he would say, everything which has thus far
operated as a hindrance to the progress of the king
dom of God, evil, both moral and natural, must, in
all its manifestations, be abolished, before Christ
shall surrender up the kindom to the Father.’ If
this is the meaning of the passage in Corinthians,
then we are to attach to this in the Hebrews the fol
lowing sense: It is not yet manifest, that that exercise
of the Redeemer’s sacerdotal office has abolished
! sin with all its consequences } but Christ w ill not
oease to be ruler of mankind, till he has subdued all
resisting powers.’ ”
Further, Prof. Sears states that in a Public Lec
ture, Prof. Tholuck explained liis sentiments thus :
“ The ultimate salvation of men would be ac
complished by their conversion. The Gospel woulff
be preached in hell (1 Pet. iii. 19, 20,) and not on
ly the heathen and others who had never heard it
before, but also, all who had heard it and rejected it
in this world, would in hell, have it preached to
them, under such circumstances that they would ac
| cept it..,’
remember, Air. Strobel, that Prof.
speaks of what he heard, while he was two gears a
theologian in Germany, and ask yourself whether
, liis statement is not more to be relied on, concem-
I ing Prof. Tholuck, than those of your friend and
brother, Kurtz, of the Lutheran Observer, of Balti
more, whose bigoted hatred of Universalism is so
| well known, as to discredit any statement he might
choose to make on the subject. Indeed, his false
j representations of Universalism as held in tlie U. S.
are supposed to have given rise to any qualification
which Prof. Tholuck may, afterwards, have given
to his views, in reference to the “ final restitution
of all things.”
Prof. Sears, also conversed with Professors Xean
der Yon Gerlech; his brother, Lewis Von Gerlech;
1 Baron Von Tholtawitz, (Tholuck’s spiritual father,)
{ Pastors Doring and Oncken, of Hamburgh; all of
whom confirmed his observation on the subject of
| Prof. Tholock’s views, during tlie two years lie was
resident among these German theologians.
But you say Dr. Tholuck has changed his opin
ion since 1839. Upon this, I will only remark, that
if lie has, you have not proved it. The three points
of w hich yuu speak, are not the leading doctrines of
j Universalism. Why sir, there is at this time, a
j company of men editing a Universalist paper in Eng
land, called “ The London Universalist," 1 who be
lieve those points, and yet they are Universalist*.—
, Such, I believe, is or was the situation of 1 >r. T.—
! If he has changed his hope, I do not wish to claim
him as a Universalist. Your countryman, Dr. 01-
I shausen, says that Universalism is “ without doubt,
; deeply rooted in noble minis and I think from the
; facts stated by Dr. Henry E. Dwight, who travelled
i in Germany, in 1827, tliat it will live, ever in tliat
i old country of anarchy, dreams and w itchcraft, as
long as there are any noble minds and warm hearts.
; The facts to which I refer are briefly these, Dr,
! Dwight says lie conversed with many German theo
logians, and found only two who believed in endless
punishment. And yet for piety and hatred to sin,
lie never knew them to be supassed.
Mr. Strobel, —You have very adroitly evaded my
questions. I asked you “ how you reconciled Rom.
xi. 36, and 1. (’or. 15, 24, 28, with the dogma of
! endless cruelty, of which you seem to be an advo
cate ?” I also asked you, if you could find tlte doc
trine ck arly taught by Tholuck, or in the Bible. I
insist on an explicit answer. For you say, that you
are ever ready to defend your opinions, when dispu
ted. If you believe in tire endless reign i>f Satan,
sin and misery, you must have seen from the Pierce
controversy, that your opinions arc disputed. And
as the secular papers will probably exclude our theo
logical notions after this, I hereby inform yon, or
any other gentleman who may wish to break a lance
with a Universalist, that the Universalist Herald,
a semi-monthly sheet,is published at Notasulga, Ala.
and will give you line for line, and column f r col
| uinn, you contending for the triumph <>f your per
; sonal devil, and I for the complete triumph of good
over evil. Do you accept of the invitation ? If so
let me know soon, if you please. I suggest that w e
exchange some 15 or 20 letters, none to exceed more
than two columns. Hoping that you w ill find it
convenient to c m; ly with this request, I subscribe
myself vour sincere well-wisher.
C. F. R. SIIEIIANE.
JBisrfllirai}.
The Groat Fat and Dos Question.
FROM DICKEN’S HOUSEHOLD WORDS.
Between the rivers Kistnah and Bcchma in the
Deckhan, surrounded by wild rocky bills, lies the
town of Shorapoor, capital of a State of that name,
inhabited by a people who have generally been con
sidered lawless, superstitious, and quarrelsome.
Os late years they have been more industrious and
peaceable, and though still an excitable race, may
be said to be advancing in the arts of peace.
It was during a more remote period, when few
strangers ever ventured to penetrate the country,
that a weary looking traveller, covered with dust,
entered one of tlte gates, and sat down for a while
at the side of a well. He then proceeded to take
oft’ his w aistband and turban, washed his head and
liis feet, drank of the cool refreshing water, combed
bis beard and moustachios, and spreading a small car
pet on which he laid his trusty sword, drew from liis
wallet a neat little muslin scull-cap; then seated him
self cross-legged, lighted his pipe, and began to look
very comfortable indeed. *
In tlie meantime there were not wanting many
idle and curious people, who having first at a dis
tance observed the movements of the stranger, ap
proached him nearer and nearer. But he ?cmed to
take little notice of the crowd, and appeared absorb
ed in a sense of his own enjoyment, taking long
whiffs of his pipe, and looking as if he had made a
considerable progress tow ards the third heaven.
At length a respectable-looking man, who had
come up, drew nearer than tlie res', and asked him
from w hence he had travelled, and w hither lie was
going ? “What he was seeking in Shorapoor, and
whether he was a merchant, or merely came to look
about him ? But the questions ended in smoke,
being answered only by whiffs.
Then came another still bolder man, and said,
“Sir, the heat is great; be pleased to come with me
to my house, and repose yourself there, and I will
give you a nice cool place in which you may sleep.”
Upon this tlie stranger drew his pipe from his
mouth, and replied, “You are extremely kind, good
sir, and lam really grateful to y T ou for your proffer
ed hospitality ; but the fact is, I don’t believe you
would wish to have me in your house, did you know
what I really am! ”
And thus saying, he rolled his eyes about, twist
ed up his moustachios, stroked his beard, and as
sumed such a mysterious air, that an indescribable
terror seized the bystanders ; so mueh so, that in
falling hastily back, some of them tumbled down,
and others tumbled over them in a very ridiculous
manner.
“He’s a thief,” whispered one. “Or a Thug,”
said another. “Or an ex it spirit in the form of a
man,” observed a fourth. “At all events, does’nt
he look like one who had killed another
In short the alarm became general, and several
deemed it prudent, first to sneak oft’, and then take j
to their heels. A few, however, of the bolder spir
its kept their ground ; and seeing that the stranger
did nothing but take long w hiffs from liis pipe, send
ing the smoke peacefully curling over his beard and
moustachios out of both liis nostrils, they regained
their confidence, and began to think that after all he
might be some important personage; who could
tell ? So after a little pushing and elbowing among
themselves, a man was thrust forward, under an idea
that something might come of it; but no, the stran
ger appeared as unmoved as ever.
Then another, who had screwed up his courage to
that point, boldly advanced, and thus spoke—
“Do pray, sir, tell us who upon earth you may
be ? ” No answer.
Then the man who had offered a sleeping place
! in his house chimed in, and said, “Aye, sir, do let
us know who or w hat you may be ? I assure you
we are none of us at all afraid of you !” And w ith
1 these words he twisted up his moustachios, and
tried to look as fierce ami bold as possible, w hile bis
knees were knocking together, and liis heart flutter
ing all the while. <in a repetition of these questions,
however, by both these men, the stranger, with in
finite gravity, took the pipe from liis mouth, and
thus spoke :
“Are you too much frightened to hear ?
The runaways, however, had departed, and those
left behind seemed determined not to follow them ;
more especially as the stranger had made no sign as
if he would draw liis sword ; neither did they think
he looked at all so horrible now. They therefore
one and all called out, “No! we are not a bit afraid,
let us bear! ”
“ Well then,” exclaimed the stranger, taking a
long puff at liis pipe, “strange as it may appear to
you all, my name is Mischief-Maker! And what
is very extraordinary, whatever I do, wherever I go,
wherever 1 am, I always create mischief, 1 always
have created mischief, and shall continue to do so to
the very end of my life !” And upon this he rolled
his eyes, and puffed away at his pipo harder than
! ever.
\( >h, is this all,” cried the party, “Is this all ?”
“For the matter of that,” said an active little
man with twinkling eyes, “you need be under no
uneasiness whatever. I defy you to invent more
mischief here than we have already, for we are all
more or less at enmity with our neighbors ; and as
i our fathers and grandfathers were the same, w e con
clude it must be ow ing to something tliat can’t be
changed ; for instance, the air or water of our town;
so set your heart at rest, and come along with us,
and we’ll take care of you.”
“ Well,” rejoined the stranger, “I am very glad
indeed to hear what you say of your own town ; for
to be candid with you, it’s exactly w liat I heard of
you all as I came along, and this made me think that
in a place where all were mischief-makers and busy
bodies already, I could have nothing to do but (for
once in my life) live in peace. However, don’t trust
me —that’s all I have to say —and if any evil arises
from my visit, turn me out, and I’ll seek a home
elsewhere.”
An old Brahmin had come up in time to near this
avowal. “’Tisvcry strange,” said tlie wise man.
“This fellow is surely a Magician, and may set all
the rocks of Shorapoor dancing and tumbling about
our ears, some day. Turn him instantly away, or it
may be tlie worse for us all.”
“ No, no,’’ shouted tlie multitude. “ That would
be inhospitable. Let him remain, and we shall soon
see wliat lie can do.”
The little active man now came forward again, 1
and said slyly, “Sir, if you really are such a mis
chief-maker as 3'ou describe yourself to be, suppose
you were to give us a little specimen of your power,
just some trifling matter to judge by.
“ What, now ? ” said the stranger.
; “Aye, now ! ” exclaimed all; and the sooner the
! better.
“ Well, be it so,” said lie ; “let me put up my
things and come along!” And with this lie arose,
packed up, girded on liis sword, and strode majesti
’ cally forward, followed by a crowd, continually in
creasing as they advanced further into the town.
“ Now don’t push or press upon me so much,”
said tlie stranger; “but observe what I do, and
watch the consequences.” So they let him proceed,
and as lie advanced, they soon perceived that lie
was forming some deep plan, particularly as he
paused every now and then, with his forefinger be
: tween bis teeth, and nodded, and wagged his head,
as much as to say, “ I have it! ” Upon which lie
made straight for a shop kept by a man who sold
flour and such like tilings, and accosting the dealer,
inquired with great civility, whether he had any
honeg ? —“ That I have sir,” replied the shop-keep
er, “plenty fresh from tlie comb; only taste it, and
I’m sure you’ll buy. Here, sir; look at this beau
tiful jar, full of the finest honey that was ever seen
in Shorapoor.”
“ It looks well,” replied the stranger, dipping his
hand in ; “and does not taste amiss: ” saying which
lie gave his finger a careless kind of shake; but lie
knew right well what lie was about, as a little lump
stuck upon the outer-wall.
“It really is good,” said the Mschkf maker.
“ Give me a small pot of it, that I may take it home
to my children.”
While the shopkeeper was filling a small new pot,
over which he tied a fresh green leaf, tlie people
w’ho had been following, came up, and said, “ Sir,
1 you are only making game of us; you are giving
us no proof of what you said. What mischief is
there in buying a little pot of honey ?”
“Be quiet, ray good people, and content your
selves for a couple of minutes, while I get my
change, and put my purchase in a safe place, and
you w ill soon see something—wait here, and I’ll be
back to you directly. The Mischief-maker vanished
in an instant!
Now it happened that this shop was aim re shed
of a place, projecting into the street, from the wall j
on which the honey had been thrown; nor had the
tempting bait been long there, before it was smelt
out by a large hungry fly, w hich had bt en spending
many fruitless hours buzzing about tlie dealer’s jar,
so carefully was it always covered. Here was a glo
rious opportunity for a fine supper, and down lie
came upon it with eager appetite —without looking
about him as he ought —for over his head, under
the cover of the wall, among old chinks and cob
webs, there dwelt a wily, dust-colored lizard, who en
joyed a fly beyond everything else in the world, and
had been particularly unsuccessful in fly-catching all
day. Watching, therefore, till the fly had buried
his mining apparatus pretty deep into the honey,
he crept down quietly, looking as like a bit of old
plaster as possible, but for those bright eyes of his,
which in his eagerness for the capture, were intent
ly fixed upon the fly. Unlucky wight! Little did
he think that those very eyes had attracted the at
tention of a fine tabby cat, who but a few’ minutes
before, with blinking eyes, presented a perfect pic
ture of contentment, but now roused by a sudden
temptation, was crouching stealthily clown as she j
beheld the lizard, for whom she had so often watch
ed in vain. Down stole the lizard—on stole the
cat; so that here at the same moment were three
creatures so bent upon indulgence, that they never
even thought of looking about them! But were
these three all tlie parties to be engaged ? Alas!
no. There was a sworn enemy of the cat's ap
proaching also (under cover of a large ba-ket,) in
the shape of a mischievous white dog, kept bv a
very quarrelsome man on the other side of the street.
1 his dog was the terror of all the cats in the neudi*
borhood, and most of all, of the Hour dealer's ;°so
often had he chased her, and so often experienced
the bitter disappointment ot seeing her climbing tip
the posts of the shop, and then spitting at him from
the top of the shed.
Infatuated lizard ! Wretched fly ! Betrayed
pussy ! She heeded not the sly creep of the dog,
so intent was she upon the successful issue of her
spring upon the lizard. The fly was gorging him*
selt with honey, lie alone partook not of the in
tense anxiety of the lizard, the cat, and the dog.
■ He partook only of — Acn'y !
Jhe crisis at length arrived. The lizard made its
, nimble pounce at the fly. The cat sprang at the
lizard. 1 lie lizard missed its looting in consequence,
and would have been the cat’s portion—fly, honey,
and all but for the dog's sudden attack upon puss.
Here was a scene ! The lizard falling to the ground,
was at once involved in the consequences of the
quarrel between the dog and cat. What were fly
or honey to him at the moment, when in a state be
tween life and death he crept back sore and wound
ed to h;s chinks and cobwebs! The llv might or
i might not have escaped. Aotso the cat, now sore
ly worried by the dog, in spite of all her outcries
and all she could do in the way of biting and elaw
i hig; for it was an old score the dog was paying her
ott, and that might soon have cost her her life, if
; her master had not rushed out of his shop with a
; broom-stick, with which lie began to belabor the
! dog.
.Now the owner ot the dog had been as long at
enmity with the man of flour and honey, as the dog
had been at enmity with the cat.and probably longer,
iOt course, therefore, when he heard his animal's
cries, and saw the punishment inflicting, lie armed
himself with a broom-stick also \ and rushing
: across the street, gave the flour dealer such a
crack upon his head, as knocked him down as flat as
a pancake.
“ Take that you villi.ni,” said lie, “for it's a debt
I’ve long owed you !”
“ Have you .’ ” said the flour dealer’s son, as he
rushed out with a cudgel in his hand. “Then tell
me how you like that" —giving him such a hearty
whack across the shoulders, that he was fain to drop
his broomstick.
\et the blow had hardly been given, before a
j friend ot the dog s master ran up with a drawn
sword, .and would have made mince-meat of the
flour dealer’s son, but for a soldier who cried out,
t “Shame, thou coward, and son of a coward, who
would attack a youth with only a stick in his hand,
1 and you armed w ith a sword! * Shame on you ! It’s
just like you rascally Hindoo fellows, who pretend
to be soldiers, and are as much like soldiers as that
poor eat. Why dont you try me ?”
| “ Why not ? ” replied the man. “Do you think
jI m afraid ot such a bully as you ? Conte on you
; scoundrel, and I’ll show you w hat difference there is
between a cat and a Hindoo! ”
J L pon this the soldier drew his sword, and both be
-1 gan to cut at each other in good earnest,
i On this all the people cried out, “Murder! Mur
der! and a great many soldiers running to the
spot, were soon engaged, always attacking the Hin
doos, who were on the dog’s side, and the Hindoos
l the Mussulmans, who were on the side of the cat;
and wherever a Hindoo and a Mussulman were
lighting, the Hindoos aided the Hindoo, and the
Mussulmans the Mussulman ; and the consequence
was the death of many on each side, and the wound
ing ot most ot the foolish quarrels* me jieople en
-1 gaged.
< )t course such a hubbub as this could not lo con
tinued long without its being reported to the Rajah,
who forthwith hastened from his palace with his
body-guard and some horsemen, and soon put a stop
to this terrible fray; and all the ringleaders were
forthwith seized and tied together, and marched oft
to prison, there to be kept closely confined, till the
sad business should be fully enquired into, and the
cause of so dreadful a riot ascertained, and fixed up
on the guilty.
All that night, therefore, were the magistrates
and police-officers hard at work listening to evidence,
but they did not advance a single step in the busi
ness ; no, nor for several days after, notwithstand
ing the great impatience of the liajah, to whom
they could only report from time to time the hear
ing of nothing but the words, “fat, Dog,”—“Cat
and Dog,” — “j >og and Cat,” —“Dog”—“Cat.”
Avery similar feeling also, was entertained
by the lawyers who were called in, and who, af
ter intense application, declared themselves doubt
ful, very doubttul, —so much was advanced and real
ly to be said and supported by various precedents,
both on the side of the cat and of the dog, and, con
sequently, of the owner of the cat, as w ell as the
owner of the dog, and the partizans of the own
ers of the dog and cat, —insomuch, that the whole
city was split into most determined cat aud dog fac
tions, and all strangers that entered the gates were
instantly absorbed in the dog and cat vortex, and
whirled actually round and round in this terrible
fray, which every now and then broke out with fresh
fury, notwithstanding all the vigilance of the Rajah’s
guards. And yet even these valiant heroes were in
some degree infected, giving sly cuts at dog or cat
men, just as they themselves inclined to supjort the
cat and dog question.
j And so matters might have remained, either to
the day ot the final depopulation of Shorapoor, or
Doomsday itself, but for the wise old lha'iinin who
had given such timely warning to turn out the stran
ge. ’
He had, in reality, been quietly chuckling a lit
tle, as many are wont to do who have lived to see
their prophecies first despised and then fulfilled;
but his heart relenting, he hastened to the palace,
and prostntiing himself before the liajah, w ith hands
joined together, he thus spoke :
“ May 1 be your sacrifice, oh, thou cater of moun
tains and drinker of rivers! I have a petition to
make in this matter of the cat and do <r ! ”
“Itshall be heard,” replied the Rajah. “Thou
art a wise man ; w hat dost thou say !—dog—eat—
dog and cat, or cat and dog ? For my own part, I
still reserve my decision, though somewhat inclin
ing to the opinion that the cat caused all the mis
chief, and lor this reason, —because if the dog had
not seen the cat, lie very probably would not have
chiised her—‘out of sight out of mind’ being one of
our oldest as well as truest proverbs.”
“Alas! that I should differ with your Highness
—Brave Falcon, terrible in w ar- the most valiant in
the State —the Tiger of the Country,” replied the
Prime Minister. “ How could the cat help being
worried by the dog —and did not nature give her
the right to go where she pleased 1 ”
So the whole court took at once different sides,
and matters might have come to a serious explosion,
even within the acred walls of the palace itself, but
NO. 21.
