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216
T HE
COUNTRYMAN.
TPKXWOLD, OA„ APRIL 11,1865.
“Had it behind Him.”
Not long since, we were surveying some
land upon our plantation, and had ex
plained to the chain-carriers, stake-sett rs,
and so on, that they were to keep the
chain, the axe, and everything else made
of iron, away from the compass, to pre
vent their influence upon the needle.
Among the attaches of the surveyor’s
department was a mulatto boy 12 Or 13
years old, who sometimes carried the axe,
and to whom we had given special direc
tions to keep remote fiom us, when he
bore the axe.
In one position, we had planted the
Jacob-staff, and adjusted the levels, but
could not get the needle to “point.” We
tried every plan, but the needle danced,
and whirled, and danced again. Julius,
th6 little mulatto, was close by, and seem
ed much pleased with the capers the nee
dle cut. At last, looking at him, we
stormed out, “ Boy, haven’t you got that
axe heie, somewhere?” “Yes, sir!” said
he, in surprise, aud affright, planting him
self like a breast-work between the com
pass, and tbe axe—“Yes, sir, I got it here,
but it behine me I”
Julius and tbe axe were soon removed,
and the needle again performed its func
tions. Julius thought if he hid the axe
from the needle, by putting it behind him,
the needle would not know it was there.
Got. Brown for the Yankees.
A correspondent of the Constitutional
ist, lately returned from a northern pris
on, writing the causes that keep up the
war-spirit of the yankees, has the follow
ing: %
“ Next comes the course of those gov
ernors of states, who, unfortunately, dif
fer with the executive upon many points
of public interest. I need not say that
Governor Brown heads this list. His
course, as an officer, is looked upon with
more interest than that of any other man
in the south. In passing through Boston,
I saw, in large letters, on bulletin boards,
this announcement; ‘ Gov. Brown de
clares against Jeff Davis.’ His late let
ter, or message to the members of the
legislature of Georgia, had that day been
received; gold fell seven (7) cents that
day ; and the fall was attributed, by all
the theorists, whose articles I read, to the
course of Gov. Brown, as furnishing—as
they averred—indubitable proof of the
overthrow ot the ‘ rebellion.’ These causes
have served to reunite, and reanimate the
north—first, our military disasters ; next,
our unwise, and unhappy congressional
proceedings ; thirdly, the action ot North
Carolina; and, lastly, the course of Gov.
Brown.” ‘ I
Eatonton, Jan. —, 1850.
Me. T.
I’ve received, by the hands of Miss
Crafton,
The sweet little note, on whose pinions you
waft on
The question of love, you propose for an ans
wer—
I proceed to leplv, just as soou as I can, sir.
You say if your fate were but joined to my own,
To cheer up your heart, when ’tissad and alone,
Your heaven would only be found by my side,
Provided I’d be but your dutiful bride.
Well, now, 1 acknowledge, Mr. T.. that I feel
A good deal of concern for the late of your weal,
And it 1 could love jou, I’d allow you to find
The heaven so bright to the eye of your mind :
Because I’m a.'raid that a man of your sinning,
W ill find that, at last, when he takea him to
•winning
A heaven, not found on this sublunar globe,
He may not have been clothed in tbe properest
robe.
And as I much lear that, herealter, there’ll be
But a slim chance for heaven, for you, I agree,
Tho’ I can’t be your bride, that you may, now
and then,
Sit down by m£ side, as the happiest of men.
As to smiling, dear sir, when you’re saddened
at heart,
I am willing, at all times, to do a good part:
And tho’ I canDot, sir, consistently, marry,
You may come to my side, when your pleasures
miscarry,
And I’ll beam ou your heart such a smile of
sun-shine,
You will almost believe that I’m really thine.
As to nerving your heart to a glorious name,
And strewing with flowers your passage to fame,
I’m afraid that you’ll find, as by some ’tie be
lieved,
In the strength of your mind you’re really de
ceived,
And so far from your winning such a wonder
ful name,
You are now on the pathway to folly and shame.
But even allow, for a moment, that you
Will pluck for your temples a laurel cr two,
You poets are such unaccountable fellows
(So people, that know, are accustomed to tell us)
I should not know where to look for my dinner,
If I were to wed such a poetical sinner.
Instead of your working, ’twould not be sur
prising
If you spent your whole time in alone poetizing:
And then for your dwelling, you’d have but a
garret,
And I’ve no disposition whatever to share it.
As to smoothing your bed, when you lie down
to die,
1 will do it, with pleasure, should I chance to be
nigh :
But If I am no’, as ’tis likely I won’t,
I'll send you a servant, if some oue else don’t;
One who can perform the said task very well,
When life its last stroke in your bosom shall
tell.
In addition, dear sir, to the reasons I give,
Why I’ll never consent as your partner to live,
Pa says that a man in a critical box is,
Who’s as fond as you are of the hunting of foxes.
And mi has said, too, you’re rather too wild
To entrust with the fate of her much beloved
child.
j Out everything else could be just as I’d ask,
And you were well fitted, and prepared for the
task
Of providing your household with bacon and
pudding,
For lear of offending Major Young and Nath
Prudden,
I’d then he compelled, as I am now to decline
The being, dear sir, of a partner of thine.
The answer, Mr. T., that I give to you then, i«,
I’m compelled to say no, but am still
Yours,
Loo Dennis.
Tbe forego-ng trifle was written by the edi
tor of The Countryman in Jan., 1850.
Darkey Theatricals.
“ I wants to ax you, Coffee, what you finks
about.
Dat paper called de Chatty-booger Rebel.”
‘‘I tinks dis. Sambo—dat widout a doubt,
Dat booger’s chat gibs all mean folks de debil
Now, tell me—don’t too feel a little stock V”
1 guess 1 does—I am, I reckon, struck.”
‘‘Don’t say a word about your reckon’-struck-
tion t
I won’t hab dat, what leads us lo de-’strvicfion.”
( Upon which Coffee aims a blow at Sambo,
The curtain falls, and thus exeunt Sambo.)
The foregoing, as misprinted in the Rebel,
is a specimen of the manner in which incom
petent printers, and ignorant proof-readers,
murder a man’s productions. The lines
were printed, originally, in this journal, as
follows:
“ I wants ^ ax you, Cuffee, what you ticks
about
Dat paper-called de Chatty-booger Rebel.”
“ I tinks dis, Sambo—dat, widout a doubt,
Dat booger’s chat gibs all mean (oiks de debil
Now, tell me--*don't you feel a little stuck
“ I guess 1 d(Jes—I am, I reckon, struck.”
“ Don’t say a word about your reckon-’etruck-
tion t
I won’t hab dat, what leads us to de-’struction.”
(Upon which Cufifee aims a blow at Sambo,
The curtain falls, and thus exeunt ambo.)
Where Shale I Spend Eternity?—“A lady
had written on a card, and placed it on the top
of an hour-glass, in her garden bouse, tbe fol
lowing simple verse from one of the poems of
J. Clare. It was when the flowers were in their
highest glory:
‘I think of summers yet to come,
That 1 am not to seel
To think a weed is yet to bloom
From dust that I shall be.’
Tbe next morning, she found the following
lines, in pencil, on the back of the same card.
Well would it be, if all would ponder upon the
question—act in view of, and make prepara
tions for, an unknown state or existence:
‘To think when heaven and earth arefled,
And times and-seasons o’er,
When all that can die shall be dead,
That 1 must die no more !
Oh 1 where shall then my portion be f
Where shall 1 spend eternity ?’ ”
. The Yellow Jessamine.—A corres
pondent sends us the following:
In your issue of the 30th, you state a
case of the death of a boy, caused by
smoking a stem of the yellow jessamine.
I would inform you that a child was bu
ried a few days ago, in this city, whose
death was caused by sucking the honey
from the flower. Would it not be well
to destroy these vines? Many of the
gardens, and verandahs around, and in,
the city, are ornamented with them. H,
— Constitutionalist.
