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Di3 Schoenste Perle. KROM THE FLIEUKUDE ULAETTER. Bickt an cler KircLithur, »nf Kaltem Stein. Beside the church door, aweary and alone, A blind woman sat on the cold door stone; The wind was bitter, the snow fell fast, And a mocking voice in the fitful blast Seemed ever to echo her moaning cry, As she begged for alms of the passers-by, “ Have pity on me, hare pity, I pray; My back is bent, and my head is gray.”_ The bells were ringing the hour of prayer, And many good people were gathering there, But, covered with furs and mantles warm, They hurried past through the wintry storm. Some were hoping their souls to save, And some were thinking of death and the grave, And, alas! they had no time to heed The poor soul asking for charity’s meed. And some were blooming with beauty’s grace, But closely muffled in veils of lace, They saw not the sorrow, nor heard the moan, Os her who sat on the cold door-stone. At last came one of a noble name, By the city counted the wealthiest dame, And the pearls that o’er her neck were strung She proudly there to the beggar flung. Then followed a maiden young and fair, Adorned with clusters of golden hair; But her dress was thin, and scanty, and worn, Not even tho beggar’s seemed more forlorn. With a tearful look, and pitying sigh, She whispered soft, “ No jewels have I, But I give you my prayers, good friand,” said she. And surely I know God listens to me.” On her poor weak head, so shrunk and small, The blind woman felt a tear drop fall, Then kissed it, and said to the weeping girl, “ It is you that have given the purest pearl.” ■•«<«*••. [For the Banner of the South.] THE SCHOONER IRIS. BY MRS. SUSAN H. WADDELL. On the 10th of December, 1862, the little schooner Iris was slowly sailing over one of those beautiful bays, often seen in Southern latitudes. So small was her crew, and so quiet her movements, that she might readily have been mistaken for a fishing craft; yet many anxious hearts and watchful eyes, followed the little bark until it was lost in the perspective line which separates the glittering waters from the deep blue sky. Evening had dropped into the West her record of another day, and star after star was lit in the heavens when the Captain of the Iris left the bay for the ever sounding sea. All was profoundly quiet as the little ship winged its onward way; and well might every sound have been hushed, and every lamp extinguished, for there were Dionysian ears and Argus eyes ready at a whisper, or a movement, to direct a rain of fire and iron upon them. On they glided, and as day dawned there was nothing visible but the laughing and sunlit sea, and the gray line of the horizon, which, like Spenser’s “ steadfast star, “ Was in ocean’s wave, yet never wet.” The voyagers were bright with joy, and buoyant with hope. They had “run” the blockade, and now in the distance ap peared the emerald isles, the waving palms, the blue hills, and shadowy valleys of the tropics. The breezes, as they rip pled the sea, were soft and fragrant; the mcck-eyM birds of the ocean sang upon the billows—all nature appeared in unity and tranquility. On board of the Iris was a young gen tleman hound for the West Indies upon important business. lie had been fatigued during the day, and retired earlier than usual to his berth, and was sleeping pro foundly, when he was awakened, at the dawn of day, by the hatches being sud denly thrown open, and the Captain call ing, in au agitated voice, “ Come quick ly ; we are in the greatest danger.” With out hat or shoes, Mr. L bounded upon deck, when he was overwhelmed by the blackness of darkness, from which forked lightning leaped in prismatic vivid ness, and nearly blinded him. The thun der crashed and rolled in deafening clamor, the waves rose like mountains capt with snow. There was moaning- and sighing # ° Go in the air, as though a dirge was chanted above the storm —the Dies Tree of the ocean. Surging and wheeling, the surf swept over the ship and left only the crew clinging to the masts. The naviga tor lost all presence of mind, and steered the schooner upon the Bahama reefs. Ihe vessel struck the rocks, the foaming sun se.zed her, and lifting her forward, spurned her with violence against the crags. She shivered, creaked, and laid upon her side. Her bow went down, nothing remaining above the exasperated waters but the bowsprit, to which the crew clung. In the midst of the whirl ing, foaming waves and craggy rocks, with only a beam to separate thorn from eternity, these poor captives of the ocean remained all day without food and without water. The clouds began to separate, and swept slowly away, the wind ceased, the billows slept. Ihe sun brightened and sunk be hind the distant mountains touching the plumed palms with gold. They now launched the small boat, but found it too weak to sustain more than three persons, and they con cluded that the Captain and two sea men should embark for assistance. The islands were four miles distant The boat rocked, it appeared not to move, and now it glided like a swan, breaking the water in furrows from its prow. Sunken and weary eyes watched it until the last flash of its oar was lost in the distance. Night had passed away, and the boat had‘not returned—they believed their companions lost. The tide fell, and a small portion of the bow of the vessel appeared above the water; upon this they crawled, laid down and covered themselves,with the jib-sail. They were greatly exhausted, and soon fell asleep. Mr. L was dreaming of his happy home, when the rising tide touched him and awakened him to the reality of his wretchedness. lie rose with his com panions, and, kneeling in the water, they supplicated their Father in Heaven to save them. They returned to the bow sprit, where Mr. L , resting his head against a rope, prayed until he fell asleep. He had only slept a few mo ments when he awoke, and turning to his friends, remarked: “I have had a singu lar dream. I dreamt that a boat painted white and green, with three strangers on board, came under our starboard side and took us off the wreck.” “ God grant that your dream may be realized; but, I fear, it will never be,” answered one of his friends. “ I have been more composed and hopeful since our prayers, and my dream has strengthened those impressions,” said Mr. L —. Tho sun was gilding the wreck of the Iris, and beaming upon the suffering, famishing beings, whose dim eyes still turned towards the east; when one of them inquired if an object be pointed out, was a light-house. An old seaman ex claimed, “ A sail! Oh ! God, we are saved! We will draw a veil over this scene, as did Timanthus over the face of Agamemnon. The vessel came gallantly onward, and nour they lowered a boat and rowed to. wards the wreck. The boat turned, and as it drew 7 nearer it ran under the star board side of the Iris. It is the little white and green boat! There are the three strangers ! Now they are tenderly lifted from the wreck. They are saved ! On the following day, six men were seen kneeling upon the beach ; they were looking towards the ocean, and chanting with it De Profundis. Reader, truth is the foundation of this little story. For tiie Banner of tha South. ANECDOTES OF THE WAR. Among the members of the “Irish Volunteers,” First Regiment, S. C., Vol unteers, was a comical individual named Tom Fleming, but better known in the regiment as /Yankee Tom,” he having served in the United States Navy ante rior to the war. Fleming was a second edition of Mickey Free, and, during the listless inactivity of winter quarters, con tributed no little fun. During the memorable second battle of Manassas, while Jackson’s Corps en gaged Pope s army, the following rich scene transpired at Fleming’s expense : About ten o'clock the firing on our part of the line slackened, which was taken advantage ot by the men, to rest and hunt after plunder. “Yankee Tom” came across a “fat Fankee haversack, containing, among other articles, anew suit of blue clothing, and his own being none of the best, he was soon arrayed in the uniform intended for one of the de" fenders of “the best government the woild ever saw. ? Just then one of General Gregg’s staff rode up, ;nd mis taking Fleming for a Yankee—l beg par don—“Federal”—said, “Are you a" Yan kee?” The latter thinking he said, “Is that you, Yankee,” replied in the affir mative, whereupon the Staff officer or dered him to the rear, which order “Yan kee Tom” obeyed with alacrity, at the same time saying, “May your shadow never grow less, (the officer was very corpulent,) 3 on are the only Christian 1 have mot with in this God-forsaken country.” As he passed me, l directed him to come hack ; the Staff officer , suspecting he had made a mistake, turned, and said: “Ah, is he a member of your company ?” and, on my answering him that he was, he ordered “Yankee Tom” to return, and added ; “My man, I made a slight mis take.” Poor Tom retraced his steps, and, like Goldsmith’s Traveller. “Dragged at each remove a lengthening chain,” mut tering, as he rejoined the company, 1 I’m devlilsh sorry you found out ymur mis take so soon/’ in a few minutes we were ordered forward, and I take pleasure in stating that “Yankee Tom” fought gal lantly throughout the day. Survivor. Charleston, 8. 6'., April 28, 1868 In Paris, a gentleman of the name of Michotte gave a performance at M. Gus tave Dore’s last soiree, on an instrument called “tne matauphone.” It consists of graduated glasses tilled with water, on whinh, it is said, he executes fantasias, overtures, and every species of musical composition. The Laurate’s friends charge the pub lication of his recent twaddle on * his wife, who is said to have fished them out from his waste basket and sent them to the printer. A writer in the last number of the Bel grama, says that Charlotte Bronte grossly misrepresented the school at Cowan Bridge in the novel of “Jane Eyre.” The complaint is somewhat late Among the papers left by Alexis de Tocqueville is said to be the manuscript of an entirely new edition of his work on Democracy in America. M Ratisbaune, who read the manuscript, says that is is certain to create a sensation, the author having rewritten a number of chapters and changed his views in regard to many important points. Pri nee Napoleon, who has already pre sented the Imperial Library with a valu able collection of gold coinsillustrative of the history of the Ottoman Empire, has lately presented that institution with a curious and interesting collection of American bank-notes. It consists of seventy-five specimens of paper money, twenty-five proofs on China paper, bearing portraits and emblems. The Gentlemen’s Magazine, famous all the world over, is to undergo an en tire change. On the first of June it will appear in anew cover, under new editor ship, and at one shilling, instead of half a crown as heretofore. M. Michel Levy, tho great Paris pub lisher, recently met M. Ohampfleury, the author, in the street, smoking a cent cigar. The former said: “Great heav ens ! Champlleury, how can yon smoke a cent cigar ?” 31. Ohampfleury gazed at the five cent cigar M. Michel Levy was smoking, and said in a melancholy tone : “1 am obliged to, since you are smoking five-cent cigars.” The Germans are beginning to print their books in Roman type. It is found much clearer and less trying to the eyes. Ophthalmology—which killed half "the poor compositors before they had been ten years at. the business, and caused a German printing office to be the funniest assemblage of pale faces, small forms, and big green goggles ever seen—will be banished by the change. Avery curious ar.d romantic work is announced in LcbJou, giving the history, secrets, and theology of the “Rosicruci and.” It is prepared by Mr. Hargrave Jednings, author of “Indian Religions ; oi Results of the Mysterious Bhuddism,” and will be issued in two volumes, con taining about nine hundred pages. So little is known of those “Invisible or Illu minated Brothers,” and so much has been famed and so little discovered of those great men—Paracelsus, Robertus de 11 net i bus, Cornelius Agrippa, Raimon • lus Lullius, Thomas Vaughan, Arte pjfius, and the other members of the so ciet\, that the hook, it may be imagined, will be much sought after. Public Opinion condenses in a single quatrain, the long tirades of the Satur day Review, against: “Men have many faults, Poor women have but two ; There’s nothing right they say, And nothing right they do.” Disraeli addressed, years ago, when only a literary man, and a comparatively obscure M. P., the following lines to Lady Mahon. He has now become Premier, and she is Countess Stanhope, changes which naturally gives the rhymes an enhanced interest. They now appear in print for the first time : ON THE PORTRAIT OF EIIE LADY MAAON. “Fair lady ! thee the pencil of Vandyke Might well have painted; thine the English air, Graceful yet earnest, that his portraits bear, In that far troubled time when sword and pike Gleamed round the ancient halls and castles fair .thatshrouded Albion’s beauty; though when need, They, too, though soft withal, could boldly dare, Defend the leaguered breach, or charging steed Mount in their tramplod perks. Far different scene The bowers present before thee; yet serene Though now our days, if coming time imx>art Our ancient troubles, well I ween thy life Y ould not reproach thy lot, and what thou art— A warrior’s daughter . and a statesman's wife! B. Disraeli.” CAB h K NE Ws. Eu&laid, London, May 4, a. m.—The animated debate which was commenced in the House of Commons last, evening on the subject of di-endowment of the Irish Church estab lishment, as involved in the first resolve of Mr. Gladstone’s three resolutions, which were affirmed in principle by the previous vote of the House, was continued to a late hour, and, the House being in Com mittee of the Whole, the discussion in creased in interest as it advanced, the most prominent men of the House making speeches at the close. It soon became evident that a division would take place before the end of the sit ting Lord E’cho opposed the Gladstone re solves as untimely and unnecessary. Mr. Gladstone closed the debate on the liberal side with a powerful speech direct ed against the continued maintenance of the Irish Church as a State establishment. Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli followed before the division. The Debate. London, May I—p. m.—The House of Commons went into Committee of the Whole immediately after assembling last night on the first of the Gladstone re solves on the Irish Church establishment. During the debate Mr. Walpole, in the course of his remarks in opposition to Mr. Gladstone’s resolves, said these attacks on a clergy, such as that of the Irish Church, who w“re noted for the purity of their doctrine and lor their elevated learning and Christian zeal, were sure to lead to the most disastrous results. Lord Kleho followed. lie said that the introduction of these resolves at the pres ent time was unnecessary and unfortunate. The Roman Catholics of Ireland would never be satisfied with anything short of supremacy in ecclesiastical matters. He regarded the issue presented to the House as an imperial one, for the Church estab lishments of England and of Scotland were menaced ns well as that of Ireland, Hence blows were struck at the whole system cf the Union of Church and State in the United Kingdom. After the conclusion of Lord Elcho’s argument, and at a rather late hour, in the presence of a lull House, there being au unusual attendance of members of both parties in expectation of a division, Mr. Gladstone rose and was loudly cheered. The leader oi the opposition commenced by saying that he. could not complain of the result of this long debate, as eleven night’s of discussion had fully demonstra ted that the Irish Church establishment never did and never could fulfill the end of its creation. It was not the Church of the nation ; it was not the Church of the poor, nor was it a missionary Church. It existed there only for the purpose of sustaining political supremacy on a form most hateful to the people upon which it was imposed. This was unendurable. No minister dared to say that it should con tinue to exist. Now was the time to ap ply the remedy. The ministers had raised the Cabinet question and had broached a policy in regard to it, upon which they subsequently failed to agree. He would say nothing concerning the disposal of the Church property in Ireland ; for more and better information was needed on a ques tion involving interests so extensive. The duly of Parliament now was to accept justice to Ireland. Mr. Gladstone subsequently, alluding to the personal attacks which had been made upon him, denied, in the most emphatic manner, that he had any connection with or interest in the policy or plans of either the Ritualists on the one hand or the Roman Catholics on the other. Discussing the arguments made against his proposi tions he said two leading objections had been presented to his plan for the disestab lishment of the Irish Church. One was that it imperilled the existence of the Es tablished Church ofEnglan and; the other ob jection was that the time was inopportune. Ten years ago, said Mr. Gladstone, tin people of Great Britain were indifferent, and the introduction of a great reform would have been untimely. Now t! e people are aroused, and the opportunity presented itself for an early and sound settlement of the question. The strength or the Church of England lay in its own merits and in the voluntary zeal of her votaries far more than in her connection with tie State. He expressed the belief that the Church of England would lose none °. her strength, even if parted from the otate Mie had more to fear from her partisans than from her foes, and the re form of the Irish Established Church wou.d strengthen the Church of England. Mr. Gladstone resumed his seat amid loud cheers, and Mr. Disraeli immediately rose in the ministerial benches to reply and close tlie debate. The Premier, in a moment of the most attentive interest, commenced a hit ter speech, calling the scheme for the dis endowment ot the Irish church one of con fiscation and violence, and likely to end in its abolition in that country, a plau and result to which the people of England would never consent. Mr. Disraeli con tinued in this strain and line of argument to the termination of his address, lie de piorcd the act or injustice contemplated by these resolves. It was an act which in volved wide confiscation*of* property uni menaced the rights of every corporation and of every person in the United King public mind for a similar attack upon the Church of England, and it undoubtedly was intended to have such influence. But in spite of the virulence of the press and the pressure brought to bear by the advo cates of change, he firmly believed the English people would never sanction the sacrifice of sacred things to party necessi ties, leading, as it was sure to lead, to re sults only to be described a.s revolutionary. The Division. At half-past two o’clock this morning the House divided on the first of Mr. Glad stone’s resolutions, which read thus: — “That, in the opinion of this House, it is necessary that the Established Church of Ireland should cease to exist as an estab lishment-due regard being had to all per sonal interests and to all individual rights of property.” The tellers announced the result thus: For the resolve 330 Against the resolve o^s Majority against Disraeli 05 The announcement of the result was re ceived with loud and prolonged cheering from the liberal benches. This is an ati creased majority of seven over the majority by which the government was beaten before the Easter vacation. Mr. Disraeli then rose, and amid tho most profound silence, said this decision so altered the relations of the Ministry and the House of Commons that the Govern ment needed time to consider what action it would take. He accordingly moved that the House adjourn until Monday. The motion was carried and the House accordingly adjourned, at three a. m., until Monday n.’xt. The Premier Leaves for Osborne. London, May 1, p. m.— Mr. Disraeli left Downing street this morning direct for Osborne, where Queen Victoria is stav ing. The Premier will consult with her Majesty on the ministerial crisis inaugura ted bv the vote of the House of Commons on the Irish question, and act as deemed best in the executive exigency. Parliament Likely to be Dissolved. London, May 1, evening.—The belief has become general that after the passage of the Reform Bills for Ireland and Scot land, the Disraeli Ministry will dissolve Parliament and appeal to the people on the Irish Church question. The Globe— the Ministerial organ—of this afternoon in an editorial confirms this opinion. What the British People Think London, Mayl, 1868.— A1l the city pa pers this morning comment at length on the debates, and generally consider the division a decisive one. The London Times says no one can deny the immense, significance of this event. Since the motion to go into committee the tories have gained three seats in the Com mons, yet the sixty majority has grown to be sixty-six.. A dissolution is talked of merely to frighten members. The London Herald says the House of Commons, by a vote, the importance oi which cannot be denied, affirms that the Irish Church should be disestablished; bu: the House of Commons does not speak the voice of the country, as the late elections show. The London News says it is satisfactory to find that the Premier disclaims the de sign of advising the Queen to act against the vote of the House of Commons. His duty is not to dissolve Parliament or re sign, but to aid the progress of the re solves. The London Standard deprecates th<- vote of want of confidence as compelling u dissolution, but fears that the liberals in tend to pursue that course. “Mark Twain has some novel geogra phical ideas. Writing to the Alta Cali fornia, from a town in Palestine, he says : “The real name of this place is Cesarca Phillippi, but I call it Balrhvins ville, because it sounds better, and I can recollect it easier.” Young men who complain of uneven sidewalks will find them less so bv going home at an earlier hour. W hat is the difference between a hungry child and an afternoon shadow? One longs and the other lengthens. 3