Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE COUNTRYMAN. 19 son in pain. It was distinct, and repeated at intervals of a few seconds. It seemed to be under the sill of the window, and be tween the clapboards and the ceiling. They paid very little attention to it, and in a short time it ceased. But afterwards it returned in the same way, sometimes every night, sometimes not so frequently, and al ways in the same place, and of the same character. It continued for some months. He said it excited their curiosity, and an noyed them, but they were not alarmed by it. During its continuance they had the ceiling and casing removed from the place where it appeared to he, but found nothing to account for it, and the sound continued the same. He consulted his friends, especially some of his ministerial brethren, about it. I think he said it was never heard by any one except himself: but it was heard bv them when he was absent from home. Mrs. Leland said that often, when she was alone of mind, and he resumed his usual position in bed. Then, he said, it uttered a groan too loud and startling to be imitated by the human voice. The next groan was not so loud, and it receded a step or two from the front of the bed, near his face. It contin ued to recede in the direction from which it came, and grew less, until it reached its old station, when it died away to the faint est sound, and entirely and foi-ever ceased. No explanation was ever found. * 1 have given you’ said he, ‘ a simple and true his tory of the facts, and you car. form your own opinion. I have none.’ His wife con firmed all he said. I think I can say I never knew a person less given to the mar velous than Elder Leland.”—The Country man thinks there must have been some mis take somewhere. Fit and Unfit, There are some things fit and proper for the columns of a newspaper, and some , . things are not fit anil proper for the col- witli the children, and while they were ^ of a newspaper . playing about the room, and nothing being said, it would come, and they would leave their play and gathei about her person. They had a place 50 or 60 rods from the house, by the side of a brook, where the family did their washing. One day, while She was at that place, it met her there precisely as it had done in the house. After the noise had been heard at biiet intervals for, I think, 6 .or 8 months, they removed their lodgings to quite an op posite and distant part of the house*, but it continued as usual for some time in its old locality'. One ii'ght, after they had retir ed, they observed, by the sound, that it had left the spot whence it had previous ly proceeded, and seemed to be advancing in a direct line towards their bed, and was becoming constantly louder and more dis tinct. At each interval it advanced toward them, and gathered strength and fullness until it entered the room where they were, and approached the bed, when the groan became deep and appalling. * Then,’ said lie, ‘ for the first time since it began, T felt the emot ion of fear.' I turned upon my face, and if ever 1 prayed in my life, I prayed then. I asked the Lord to deliver me and my family from that annoyance, and that if it were a message from Heaven, it might be explained to us, and depart ; that if it, were an evil spirit, permitted to disquiet me and my family, it might be rebuked and sent away f or, if there was anything for me to do to make it depart, I might be instructed what it was, so that I could do I dont claim that this aphorism is very profound, or very novel : but it will an swer as an introduction to a few remarks I have to make touching certain queries which sometimes find their way into the public journals. My young friends who write queries tor the “ Gossip” column of the F. & F. will pardon me for saying that many of their questions had better never be written, much less published. I present a few of them. In the number of the above journal for Sept. 18th, Jennie of Mountain Home Ga., writes: “ I wish to know if a young lady who has been very well raised, used to the best society, and who is now dependent on her own exertions for her support, can obtain a situation in some respectable business in your city. She is competent to fill a situ ation in an office of any kind suitable for a lady, and will be under lasting obligations to the editor of the Field & Fireside if he can aid her in obtaining one. She is of a lespectable family, and can give the very best of reference.” If all that Jennie says of herself be true, she is so much the more to blame for the indelicacy of this public parade of her good qualities and desires, instead of getting her friends to go to work privately, and with becoming delicacy, to cbtaiu for her the po sition which she seeks. In the. same number of the F. & F., Ju lia says : “ I was at. a party the other night, and it.’ The exercise restored his tranquility I the hostess was dressed very plain indeed —so much so that some of the rude and gossipping young ladies made remaks about it. I told them it was in good taste for the lady of the bouse to dress plainly on such occasions. Don’t you think I was right 1” Miss Julia should know that there is an unwritten code which governs the inter course of ladies and gentlemen, in good so ciety, whose regulations are suggested by instinct, good taste, good breeding, and ob servation, and whose requirements should not be referred to the “ Gossip” column of a newspaper.—That Petite Jane should have enquired in a literary journal, for a “ remedy for the itch”—oh ! horror of horrors ! Julia appears again in the F. & F. for Sept. 27th, and writes “can you tell me any recipe promotive of beauty 1” And M. T. V.» Rose Cottage, Ala., writes as follows : 1—“I have fallen completely in love with the character of the brave and gallant Col. Jack Morgan. I want to set my cap for him, to “catch” him, as we. girls say. Never having seen him, I.dont know how to commence. Please tell me what, you think will be the best plan 1—2—A girl en gages herself to a young man wwo Won leaves on business. He is absent a long time, months, but does not write' What should she do and think?—3—When a young gentleman calls on a lady, should she, when he leaves, ask him to call again ?” Oh! Julia, and M. T. V. of Rose Cot tage, Ala., if you must ask such silly ques tions, propound them to your friends at home, and don’t send them to a newspaper. In the F. & F. .of Oct. 4th, someone writes as follows :— “ I am in love with a young lady in this town, but have not the courage or resolution to tell her so. She is about leaving town in a few days and will be absent for a month or two. What do jou think would be the best to do, w rite a proposal or declaration to her, or declare my love in person ?” And in the same number some one else writes as follows:—“ Is it unconstitutional to address a young lady twice ? I love a young lady with all the devotion of my na ture—have told her so and been rejected. What is your advice to a poor fellow V* I make the same objection to the last two questions that I have made to the balance. It is decidedly indelicate to parade such matters before the public. That it is al most universally done in Northern papers is no excuse for the same thing in Southern papers. Our society is different. Do let it remain so.