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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1867)
BY STOCKTON & CO. • OUR TKSMU. The following art the rate# of Subscription: Daily, one year t lO 00 Whilt, one year t 3 W> • [From the Memphis Avalanehe, • My Once Happy Southland. BY MBS. L V. BBQWH. once hippy Southland, ad*e la thy might; Thy green biow i* circled by aark cloud* of night; Thy day dream la over—by tyranny burled Fufae chains mow endive thee, tboagem «f the world. See! hope through the drift cloud Is glimmering afar. No lining of al ver gujdoa thy star; But rolling In blackness they mingle in one— A ship without compass, a day W 1 hout sun. Bare tra tore who worshipped now crlngingly kneel, Before thy enslavers, who no pby feel For theo, In thv angulah, hut leech-like they roil, And fatten in gore drop* diati'led from thy soul. Thy .later in misery claiina thee for a mate: The enuldron I. boiling th.it la seething with fate; JCaeh bubble la awelling, and foiglng for thee, A fetter aa gulling aa binds Tennessee. Thy bride robes are trailing, thy wings drooping lower; Yet Southland! my Southland, again thou shall soar, Ascending In triumph, once more thou shal’t see, Vice leaguers and minions all kneeling to thee. Starvation is roaming from rockland to sea ; • Ile’p ! Father In II aven/our trust is In Thee. Now groaning in misery we kneel at thy shrine, Imploring thy mercy -lor mercy wo pine. Our sins have been legion—we know that Thy wrath, Has kept from encircling for long years our path. We feel thnt affliction In mercy was sent; Thv nature is mercy, with stern justice blent. With Northern Gomorrah we’ve nothing.to do, Ooquptlon forever should flrmlv eschew. < >h! hear in its vastness, the voice of our'God, My children I love thee, pass under the rod I Hark ! again hear that voice, a loud clarion peal! Oomoirahl Gomorrah! my justice shall feel, Cease, mercy, thy weeping, thy face shall in gloom, Recorded stands ever, Gomorrah’s sad doom. Woes felt by thy brother waked no gent-e sigh. Now burneth my anger ’gainst thy pleading cry. My sword ready lilted falls feaiful with weight, Oh! wretched Gomorrah, thrice wretched thy fate. < )h I God of our own Southland, our ship’s floating free, Her white sails uplifted, turns pleading to Thee. She drifts without compass, and night hovers near; No signal gun answers tier wild cry of fear. “ Save, save us, my Father,” rings out from the roar, Above mad, dashing waves fierce lashing the shore. She circles the whirlpool—far, far out at sea, No hand now can save her, our hope is in Thee. Oh! unhappy Southland, in God put thy trust; Our Father in Heaven is loving and just. He’s nearer In anguish, yet seems far away; The hour Is darkest that herald* the day. Flcrbnc*, Ala., September 3,1867. Neve* Published. CORONATION HYMN, MARCH 4tH, 1865. . I. AU hail! the power of Abraham now, Let white folks prostrate Bring forth the colored "cntlem'iiT), And crown him *> Lord of all.” n. Let white folks no more lift the head ; Nor dare the nets reprove (if mighty Lincoln, Abraham First, Who freed the ones we love. In, • Let Constitution, and the Rights Os S ates, no more be known, « For we have made the Sambo race Superior to our own. , ■ IV. For them we fought, for them we prayed, The nation’s life have given, Lord send the white folks all to Hell— The niggers all to Heaven! v. And Lord above, when done with earth. Give to thy chosen band Os wooly heads, sweet-scented crew, A place at Thy right hand. In the Depths. ANONYMOUS. Take hack vour hooks 1 they only Irritate My wretchedness—and leave me; you can come When I am dead, and coldly speculate (Fearing no scoff from lips unkissed and dumb) On how much sorrow wotnan-iife caruhold, And how much sin whose name should he untold. No doubt you thought to do some good ! But you Have kept your charities aloof too long ; I tried once to begin*my life anew, When I In courage and in youth was strong. But what could I do, when the whole world trod With scornful foot upon hiy faith in God ? What brought me here ? Forgetting naught can give So fair a p;ont to sin as love 1 And so Forgetful once, found henceforth I must live The downward life; and there are depths so low That all your hospitals and books and prayers Will fail to snatch ns up the plunging stairs. But when the bright clouds stand njar, I think my child steals to the heavenly gate, • And thrusts her white hand through the golden bar That keeps her hack ; and wistfully I wait, And strive with dim and shuddering eyes to see Across the gulf that shuts the world from me. No, no, pray not ! yonr prayers can only tire ; Dearer to me the Roini«li priests, who dole For fitful penance, or for scanty hire, Direct salvation to the sinful soul. Repent 1 If my child’s loving hands could lull To draw me hack, what can your words avail < Yet, had she lived, perhaps with her sweet aid I might have lost rememberance of the past, And gained some good ; ah ! you whose homes -are made t In sunny spots, should realise at last How hard' we find it to escape our sin, Or find a hand to help us to begin. Now go! her tender face alor e shall keep Its pitying watch, as death draws greedy nigh ;- And pull the curtain hack, lest I shall sleep Ana lose my last look at her happy sky. You think it sad to die so! hut my Veet Red gladly down, their promised roet to meet. A Midnight Hymn. \ The authorship of the following beautiful hymfi of trust is unknown. It was found treasured up In on humble cottage in England: In the mid silence qf the voiceless night. Wh n, chased Tiy airy dreams, the slumbers flee, W hotn in the darkness doth my spirit seek Oh, God! but Thee» 1 ’ And if there boa weight upon my breast— Borne vague impression oT the day foregone— “ Bcurca knowing what it is, I fly to Tin!' And lay it down. Os if it be the heaviness that comes In token of anticipated ill, • My bosom takes no heed of what it is, Since 'tis Thy Vill. For Oh ! in spite of past or present care, Or anything beside, how joyfully Passed that almost solitary hour. My God, with Thee! More tranquil than the stillness of the night, Mere peaceful than the silence of that hour, More blest than anything, my bosom lies t Beneath Thy power. For what is there on earth that I desire, Os all that it can give or take from me i Or whom in Heaven doth my spirit seek, m. • oh, God! bit Thee! THE SEALED PACKET.' . A BKATmPDTr-9TOKY. I* hurt served twenty-five -years on boa rtf an Lant Indian, and for the last- ten years bad command of tho Belle, one of the finest crafts that ever floated. I was an old sea dog, and had dwelt so long on salt water that! felt almost a hatred for the; land. On the 30th of Oetober, 1834, l received *dr : dera to put myself in readiness to sail for Cayeune. I was to transport seventy-five soldiers ami a convigt. I had orders to trqit | this individual well, and the letter I rccelv ed from the Directory inclosed another with i a huge fed seal, which I Was not to open until between 37 and 38 deg. west longitude; that is just before we were about to cross the line.. The letter was a long packet, so well ! closed on every side that it was impossible to catch the slightest glimpse of its con | tents. I am not naturally superstitious, | but there was something in the look of the | letter that I did not aitogetlier like, though I could give no reason why. However,. I carried it into the cabin, and stuck it under the glass of a little old shabby English clock, which was fastened above my head. I was busy fixing the letter under the clock, and who should come into my cabin but the convict and his wife! This was the first time I had seen either of them, and I may say that a more prepossessing couple I never met. The woman was scarcely more than fifteen, and as handsome as a picture; 1 while the husband was an Intelligent, mag-; niflcently formed man, on whose features nature had never written-villain.” His crime, to lie plain, was the misfortune of being a hundred , years ahead of his age. He and others had attempted something which our Government called treason, and which it punished with death. It therefore occasioned me considerable wonder that he should be placed under my charge—but more of this afterwards. He had, as I said, his wife hanging upon his arm. She was as merry as a bird ; she looked like a turtle dove cooing and nest ling under his great* wing. Before a month passed over our heads I looked upon them as our own children.— Every morning I used to call them into my cabin. The young fellow would sit, wait ing at my table—that is to say, at my chest, which was my bed. He would often help me at my reckoning, and soon learned to do better than I could. I was amazed at Ills ability. His young wife would sit upon one of the round stools In my cabin, working at her needle. One day we were all three sitting in this way, when I said : , • • “Do you know, ray young ones, as it seems to me, we ma’ke a very pretty family picture ?” Mind, I don’t mean to ask ques tions, but may-be you have not much money to spare, and you' "are,* both df you, as I think, too-hundsome to dig in the burning sun of Cayenne, like many a poor wretch before you. It’s a* bad countvy—a bad country, take my word for it* I, who have roughed it through tempest, wind and sun shine, till I’ve got the skin of a rhinoceros, might got along there; but you—l am afraid of you. So, if you should chance to have a bit of foolish friendship for your poor old captain, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll get rid of this old brig ;• she’s not much lietter than an old tub, after all; so I’ll settle down there with you, if you like. You see I have not a living soul'in the world to care for, or that cares for me. I want relations, I want a home, I want a family. I should like to make my home with you, my pretty young ones ! What say ye ?” They said nothing at all, but sat looking, first at each other and then at me, as if they doubted whether they understood what I said. At last the little bud threw her arms round my neck, and cried like a baby. “ But,” said she, suddenly pausing, “ you haven’t looked at the letter with the big red seal.” .. “ Hang it 1” I exclaimed, “it slipped my mind entirely.” With a cold, dreadful sensation, I went to ray chest to see where we were. I found that we had several days remaining before we could reach the proper longitude for j opening the letter. Well, there we stood, all three of Us look ing up at the letter as if it could have spoken to us. As it happened the sun was shining full upon the face of the clock case, and fell upon the great stating red seal of the letter. I coirid not help fancying it looked something like a big monster, an ogre’s face, grinning fronvthe middle <3f the tire; it looked horrid. u Could not one fancy,” said I, to make them laugh, “ its great big eyes were star ing out of its head TANARUS"" “ Ah, my love,” said the wife, “ it looks like blood.” . . “ Pooh, pooh V' said iier husband, taking j her arm under his * “ it looks likea letter of j ! invitation to a wedding* Come, come, leave the letter alone if it troubles, you so. Let's I go to our room and prepare for bed.' 5 > j And on they went. They went upon- deck i and left me with that beasf of a letter. I remember that I' kept ‘looking tit it as I! I smoked''my pipe : ft seeinrij to tlx great 1 red eye upon mine, fascinating like the eye jof a serpent. It was. red, wide, raw, storing like the maw of a fierce wolf. J tpoSumv, great coat and hung it over both clock and I letter, and went upon deck to finish iny I pipe*- ' We were now in the vicinity of the Cape ide Verde Islands; the Belle was running \ before a fair wind at the rsitP ©f ten miles jan hour. It was a splendid * tropical night J —the stars large and Shilling, the moon j rising above the horizon’ a* large as a sun i 91' silyer, the line of ocean parting it, and I long streams of bare shimmering fall i ing upon the waves, wdueh; as they broke, sparkled like jewels. I sat upon the deck, i smoking my pipe anti looking at them. * All was still except the footfall ot the of ficer of the watch, flrs* he-paced the deck, gazing as. I did upon - the shadow ©f the vessel, stealing over the silent waters. I I love silence and order—l hate noise and ! contusion. The lights should all have been |extinguished by this time; but when I lookfed upon the deck I thought I saw a lit-, j tie red hue of light beneath my feet. At | another time this would have made me an gry, but knowing that the light came from ! the cabin of my little dc part#, I determined to see what they were about. I had only to look down—l could see into the cabin from the skylight. - The young girl was upon her knees, and was saying her prayers. A lamp swinging from the ceiling lighted her room. She hail on a long, white night dress, and her fair, AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MOBNING, QCTOBE KaX 1867. golden hair floated over her shoulders, and almost touched two little bare feet which were peeping from under her white dress, so pretty. I turned away; but shaw! said I, lam an old sailor! What matters it.— Sol staid. i - r The husband was sitting upon a little I truflk, his bead resting upon his liands, i looking at her as she prayed. She raised : her face to heaven, and then I saw that her eyes were jilled with tears. She looked like a Magdhlene. As he rose, he said: 44 An, my sweet Latirette, as We approach America I cannot help being anxious. Ido not know why, but I feel that this voyage has been tiie happiest part-of ounlives.” “So It seems to roe,” she answered/ I ohly wish irmight last forever.” Suddenly clasping his hands in a trans port of love and affection, he said: - “Ah you, my little angel, I see you cry in your prayers, and that I cannot stgud, for 1 know what causes it, and then I fear you must repent what yon have done.” “ Repent!” she said, in a rebuking tone, “repent of having come with you*? Do you think because I have been yours only such a very short time, that I should not love you? Was I not vour wife? How can you be sorry that I should be with you if you are to die?” The young man began to sigh, striking tjie floor impatiently with his feet, while lie kissed repeatedly the little hand and arm which she was holding out. “Aii, Laurette, Laurette! When I,think if our marriage had only been delayed five days—only five days—that I should have been arrested and*transported alone,-1 cau u it forgive myself.” At this the little one stretched out her round white arms, clasped his head, press ed his forehead, his hair, his eves, smiling like a cherub, and murmuring all sorts of woman’s fond things.- I was quite affected, and considered it one of the prettiest scenes I had ever witnessed. “ And besides, we are so very rich, too,” said she, bursting out laughing. “ Look at my purse—one gold Louis and or—all my worldly wealth.” He began to laugh too. “.Yes, dear, I have spent my last half crown. I gave it to the fellow who carried our trunks on board.” “ Ah, poor!” cried she; “ what matters it ? Nobody so merry as those who have nothing at all; besides I have ray two dia mond rings that my mother gave me*; they are good for something all tiie world over ; we can sell them when you like; and be sides, I am sute that the captain meant kindly by us, and I suspect, he knows very, well what is in the letter.” “ It’s a recommendation to the Governor of Cayenne.’’ . *’ . “Perhaps so; who knowss” “To be sure it is,” continued the charm ing little wife. “ You are so good lam sure the Government hns banished yon only for a short time—l lyaow they have no feeling against you.” It was high time that the lights should.i be stricken out, and now I rapped on the deck and called to them to do so. They instantly obeyed, and I heard them laughing and chattering like two innocent seiidbr fellows. One morning when I awoke I was sur prised not to feel the slightest motion of the vessel. Hurrying on deck I found that we were becalmed. Latitude one degree north ; longitude between 27 and 28 degrees west. I waited until night, when I descended to my cabin and opened the letter, with a dull, awful feeling. I held my breath while I broke the big red seal and read: - “Captain Fontainbleau—The convict, Antoine Hindsclear, stands convicted of high treason against the Republic. The Directory order that lie be shot in mid ocean, and you are hereby instructed to see that these orders are carried into effect.” * I read the letter backward and forward. I went on deck. There they were, she looking upon the ocean, and he gazing upon her with an expression of unuttera ble fondness. Catching his eye, I signed for him to come into the cabin, and bidding her good-bye, he came down, his face all smiles. I Was bathed In a cold sweat; I felt as if deadly sick; I handed him the letter, and he read it, together with the death warrant, which was drawn up in due form, and at tached. I gathered voice as he finished. He colored slightly and bowed. “ I ask nothing, Captain,” he said, in the same gentle voice-that always character ized his,speech; “no man.can be, expected to swerve from his duty. I only wish to speak a few words to Laurette, and to en treat you to take care of her, if she should /survive. I hardly think she will.” “ All that is fair, ipy good fellow,”. I said. “ If you request it, I will carry her back to France, to her family. I will never leave her until she wishes to get rid of me, but I do not think .she, will survive it.” He took my lumd find pressed it. “ Most kind captain, I see you suffer more j in this business than I do; but there is no help for it. I trust you will preserve >vhat, little, property of mine is left for her sake,, and that you will take carq she gets what j [ her poor old mother may leave her. I put j ; her IT?—hey honoi;—in your hands. She j island how fondly low his voice became!) j a delicate little* creature. Her chest is \ often affected. She must keep it warm; „und if she could keen the two diamond rings her mother gavchei’TT should be glad; i but, of course, if money is needed, they must .go. My -poor Laurette, how prettv she I looksr .* , r**■ , , i ! It was getting too uiueh for me, and I ’ began to knit my brows. ■ “One word fs as good "as a thousand,” I said. “We understand each other. Go ; to her.” | I squeezed his hayd; he looked wistfully j t at me, aud I added: “ Stay a moment; let me give yon a wbrd of advice. Don't say a ■ 'word to her; be easy ; that is my business. It shall lie managed in the best manner. 5 ’ “ • said he, “ I did not understand; yes, much better. Besides, this leave-taking! I this leave-taking!” . / j Yes,” said I, “ don’t behave like a child ; —much better. No leave taking, if you can help it, or you are lost.” i I kept my seat. ■ I saw them walking I arm-in-arm upon the deck for about half an hour. i I called the mate to me, aud wheu he had read the letter, I said : j “Oariey, this is bad business—bad busi ness. I put it In yonr hands. I obey the orders, but remaiu in the cabin until it is all over.” “ How do yoa wish the thing done f ’ he asked in a nonchalant manner ” “ Take him out In a boat—out of sight; do It as quick as possible; don't sav any thing ofthfc nnttl the time conies.” ** Gartey sat five ruinates looking at roe without sayiug a word. He was a strange fellow. 1 don't know what to make of him. He went out of the cabin without saving a word. ' . Night came at last. “Man a boat; go a quarter of a mile; be quick.” To obey a slip of paper! for it was but a slip of paper after alt. Something in the very air must bave urged me on. l saw the' young roan kueel down before liis Laurette; kiss her knees! her feet! her gown! J cried out like a madman : “ Part them ! part them this instant 1 Part them ! Cnrse the Republic—curse the Directory—the Directors! I quit, the ser-l vice ! Curse the lawyers ! You may tell them if you will.” She was dragged into her berth, and the boat rowed away in the darkness. Some time after, a dull volley came over tlife sea to the vessel. It wfls all over. , Eool! madman! How I paced the deck and cursed myself. All night long I heard thg moaning of Lie poor stricken bird. Often I halted and was-tempted to throw myself into the sea, and so end this horrid torture of brain and heart. Days passed. I saw nothing of Laurette —I would not se‘e her. She avoided me, and I was glad of it. I could no.t bear the sight of the woe-stricken face. Tht mate, Garley, how I hated him. He was as cool and unconcerned as though he had no remembrance of shooting the poor wretch. At Cayenne I resigned my ship. Going to the .city I made all my arrangements, and took the steamer for New York. I placed ample funds in the hands of a trusty friend, and told him to send Laurette tome at the end of six montlis. I coukl not see her until her grief had lost its edge* Weary, sick, and careless of life, I* wah dered on into York State, and . finally bought a little place, where I hoped I should lay down and die. I sent for Laurette. Poor bird, I must see her. I could wait no longer. One summer night I sat on the porch of my house smoking my pipe, and gazing down the road. Soon the rumble of wheels was heard, and the stage halted. The next moment a pair of soft arms were around my neck, and the head of my sobbing Laurette was on my bosom. “Oh! dear, excellent captain”— • “ Heavens ! who is that behind you ?” There stood the fine manly form of An toine Hindsclear, the convict. “ What does this mean?” I demanded, hardly knowing whether I was dreaming or not. “ Are you glad to see me?” “ Thank God ! Thank God!” was all that I could ejaculate. I understood it all. The mate. Garleyliad read my heart belter than I did myself. Af ter leaving the brig in the boat he ivrrdnged the w T hole affair. The volley was fired, but no bullet touched Antoine Hindsclear. He was smuggled into" his berth again, and took care, tor avoid my sight. The whole crew were in the plot, and, thank God, I was duped.. I sent Garley a thousand dollars as a re ward. lam now an old man; but I am happy. My children and rny grandchildren (I call them nothing else) seem to think old Cap tain Fontainblea u is not such-a wretch after all. Saratoga Water Again. Tlie following is another example of the baleful effects of the mineral springs at Saratoga. It is from a correspondent of the Chicago Tribune: You remember what an abstemious and highly moral man Babcock is in Chicago. He is a member of all the benevolent so cieties ; belongs to three churches, I under stand, and is a prominent officer of a base ball club. Every one know T s Babcock. He is, strictly speaking, a virtuous citizen and the owner of a grain elevator. Well, even he drank so much waterfrom several differ ent springs that he went to his wife the other night with his hat mashed over his eyes ; got into bed with his boots on, and kissed her—something she declares he has not done before for ten years. “ What’s the matter with you, Mr. Babcock?” que ries h s spouse, rising in surprise and indig nation. “Aml to be treated in this maiv ncr in a hotel where w T e pay two hundred dollars a week ? Why, Mr. Babcock, what do you take me lor ?” “ Take—you for (slowly and with a thick tongue)—take you for? Why, my dear —I took—you—sor—somebody else.” “ Mr. Babcock, your clothes are disar ranged. You’ve got your vest on wrong side before, and your watch is in your boot. And, as I live, here’s a lady’s locket about your neck.” “Is there, my dear, is there ? Ail right lock it, lock it. Then—then it won’t— won’t hurt anybody. You .see, my dear, then it won’t—get—get out—you know.” “ Mr. Babcock, you’re been drinking:” “I. know —know—it. I’ve been—been drink—drinking the waters.” “With a great deal of brandy. lean smell your breath, Mr. Babcock.” i “ Very—very well, mv—my dear. Smell —smell' away. I—l ddn’t care a d—n” (And here Mr. Babcock snored and rolled oft - the bed without waking up.) ; Mrs. Babcock tried to arouse him, but ‘ did not succeed until nearly daylight.—! Then he repeated the statement that it was the waters, and, when asked to explain ] about the locket, said the lady must have 'dropped it Into the spring; that he had ! dipped it up and spilled It into his bosom, i Mrs. Babcock did not ask any more j questions; and I suppose she was-satisfied. — k Sold. —We learn from a friend that a : citizen of Wilkesboro, a short time since, ; perpetrated a sharp sell upon the Red j Strings of that county. He became a sud | den convert to the dogma of extreme Radi calism, would associate with none but Red [ Strings of the most approved order, and to show his unquestionable adherence to the faith, which he had embraced, he proposed i to his new friends to make up a club for a : Radical paper. Some-eight or teu, includ ing the Clerk of the Superior Court, joined his club aud paid up the money, which was at once forwarded North. About a week after, imagine the surprise and indignation with which each member of the club received a copy of Brick Pome roy’s LaCrosse Democrat. i [Charlotte He My [From George Alfred Townsend’* Gorrespondenr* Bot-tou Boat. A New Story of Artemas Ward. In Spot’s, August Several, 1867. This letter was written on the backs of envelopes In various pHot houses. I make it a rule to liave no method except, the rule whenever J go traveling- Did you ever hear of the late Artemus Ward’s experi ment in traveling without method? He left New York by a flight boat. Directly a man spoke to him. saying, “ Going West, sIrTV }ea •; Said Artemus, “ I suppose so.” “Them” saicT the man, “as I'm from the West, we'll go drink.” ••• *'”■»* “ Do you -drink brandy ?” said the man. “ I suppose go,” said Charley. “Where In the devil be you going?” said the man. “ Well, I’m going anywhere for a month. Just as other people lead roe. I’ve travel ed with purposes till I’ui sick. A purpose is worse than baggage; I’m going on; that’s all I know." The man said he was in with Brown till death. He had never done anything a pur pose. “ So,”'he said, “ suppose we go to my state-room and try a hand at poker.” They played poker till daylight, when Brown was very tight. He had lost four or five hundred dollars. A second man joined them at Albany. “So you two be traveling by chance, as you maw say?— Well, I’m with you to the death.” They got off the boat, and a hack-driver said : “Where do you want to go,.gentlemen ?” “ Anywhere, go on.” He drove to a bar room with much alacrity. There they made so great a noise that the proprietor cried : “ Where be you going, man ?” “ Don’t care !”.* “ Then go out.” They met a policeman on the sidewalk. “ Where are you bound ?” “ Anywhere V* “ Then I ’spose the station-house will suit.” Charley Brown was pulled up before the Judge next day; he gravely gave the name of Gerrit Smith, and Gerrit was fined for drunken ness. “ Where now ?” cried the three purpose less ones. They saw a sign—“ Utica train” —and they went to Utica. There a stage driver hailed them : . ' “ Where Tie you going ?” “ Anywhere!” So they started for Tren ton Falls. The third day of lolling there they foqk a pony ride up into the wilderness, permit ting the nags to select their own route.— Suddenly the. original mlm produced a pis tol. “ Hand out youjr* money !” he cried very sternly to Brown. Brown complied with thg greatest com placency. “ We brought you out here to rob you !” said the second than. “ Then,” said Brown, “ you’re deuced swindlers! We were to travel* without method, and you’ve had a method all along. I don’t care a nonpareil whether you slipot me or not; but I won’t have the traveling contract broken.” “We said,” cried the first man, cold bloocledly, “ that we’d follow you to the death. You’re up to that pint now party close.” “ I object to nothing,”* said Brown ;* “ I said I. would travel anywhere. You skunked me! Put up your irons 1 we’ll spend all this money together, anj r way.” The two thieves laughed. “ You’re cool enough !” they said ; “ what are you by name and business ?” • “ I’m Artemus Ward !” “Did you write the visit to the Shakers ?” « Yes!” “ Well, Bill, put up your gun. I thought this was Artemus! We’ll spend his money instead of his blood.” But CJiarles Brown grew methodical on the homeward route, and steered for New York alone. The Smithsonian Institute.— The annual report of the Board of.Regents of the Smithso nian Institution (or (lie year 1800 has just been published from the Government printing office. It appears from ihe statement of Prof. Henry, the Secretary, that by judicious investments, and the sale ot coin received from England as the residuary legacy of Smithson, as well as that from the apnud interest from the United Stales, not only have the operations of the in- , stitutiou been maintained, and the reconetroc- j tion of the building cawiod-on without any aid ! from the Government, but the finances lm\e been improved, and are now in better condition than at any previous period. If the petition to Congress to. permit additions to be made to the principal on the same terms as those on which the original bcqncst was received into the Treasury of the United States,- be granted, namely: allowing thaßegenls to increase the capital by savings, donations, and .otherwise, to $1,000,000, then the extra tun'd, at the present 1 market value of the stocks in ■which it is in vested, will he sufficient to increase the endow ment from $515,16$ to $050,000, and still leave enough to complete the general restoration of ; the building, provided the cost ol the. restoya j tion is limited to $150,000. Since the burning I of the upper story ol the building, in which the | lecture room was situalad. Ike public lectures have been discontinued. The institution, how ever, continues its collection of scientific sub jects, some of which are embodied irr the pre sent report of the-’Regents. The transfer of .the Smithson library, ifie Secretary says, has tended to awaken ab interest in the Library of Congress, which cannot fail, nnder the ener getic superintendence of tjie present Librarian, Mr. SpoffoVcf, in a feVr years to render it worthy ol the national capital. Au appropriation of SIOO,OOO was made by for the purchase •of the library of Gen. Peter Force, consisting of books relative to America. With these addn tion? the Library of Omcrcsa is the largest in the United States, and the necessity of a sepa rate building'is alfefldy foreshadowed. * ' mm , • Cotton in Texas. -VThe Houston Telegraph , of the 14th instant, .says: * We met a BrSzof planter yesterday who in formed ua that be bad finished picking out his i cotton, had ginned, baled it, and bad turned I 6tock into the cotton field. He planted eight i hundred acres of cotloa, «aatl Ids entire crop * amounted to six bale?. The neighbors of our f friend have done no better than himself, Ihc i worm tells the story. , Thg cotton moth, which deposits the egg of the cotton worm, was seen ! in great numbers in the prairies, remote from : any cultivated grounds. The repeated and nearly complete destruction of the cotton ciop i mast donbtless lead to the abandonment, for a few years at least, of this cultivation in the coast tiers of counties. It is too precarious ; a few repetitions of the logs would be ruinous to the latest fortunes. Circumstances may change in the course of yearn—the worm may disap pear, the cultivation may be resumed, but for some years the lands must either be abandon ed or other crops substitnted for cotton. Our low country planters may as well look this sac-t squarely in the face, and at once prepare to I engage in something besides cotton. He who devotes the bulk of fiis labor again to cotton is I hopelessly helpless. 701, 26. NO, 37 fashions. The latest sty lea an; irrtneated In a Furls let ter to last Boon Monde, and from that we gather the liveliest information. If then, we were asked what will be tbc most marked change in the mode this season, we should say, on this authority, that it will be an INCREASE IN THE “ ECCENTRIC ” STYLE. The most evident shape of this eccentricity takes the Shape of a looped np and knotted (oik tie. This style is markedly made apparent by the adoption of two modes—the first the re-lntro doced u*e of the Marie Antoinette kerchief (due to the Empress herself, who is so particu larly fascinated by all that relates in any way to that desolate and unhappy Queen); the second, the plan of carrying the train. Let the reader imagine the effect of the toilette which now wb proceed to describe.— a double-skirted dress of purpie silk, trimmed with heavy white. Clany lace. The under skirt, the skirt usually the trained one, is mnde of the ordinary trained length—the upper skirt is then made much longer. But, in order that the under muy be seen, the npper, which is much narrower thau the lowes, is car ried over the right arm. Thegcneral looped-np effect of this fashion is suffifent, is it not? But now let us imagine the farther effect of the use of a Marie Antoinette kerchief, which, as every reader knows, is a sort of pelerine with long ends, which are crossed below the breast, carried under the arms, and knotted, in this case, thickly above the w'aist. Let the lady render now judge oi the general effect—let her now suppose the upper skirt looped up on each 6ide, the chignon worn liigh on the head, the round hat furnished with a bow almost at its summit, ami some idea may he gained of the general effect of the toilette as seen from behind. When this bunched up effect is applied to short skirted walking dresses, the squat effect is the more increased by tho reduction in the length of the skirt and the heightening of the heels of the boots—which articles of the toilette are becoming hourly more and more luxurious. We hove but little doubt that by the time the winter arrives boots will become quite a promi nent article of the toilette. Short skirts,, and even trains, will be, if possible,. worq closer than they were. ... . BODICES. Bodices will be almost always made round, where they are not cut in with the skirt, a fashion which is not so prevalent as It was, .except for very young people. If anything they arc cut shorter than they have been—per haps to accommodate themselves to the Marie Antoinette scarf. When this adjunct is not received, the round bodice is generally worn with a strap-like girdle, which is bound at the edges. * SLEEVES. Sleeves are worn, for the greater part, of the coat fashion. We are under tbc impp-ssion that the wi*tct will see a very great change in this portion of the toilette.’ The coat sleeve, chnrm iiig as it most ever remain, has been in vogue a sufficient time to have become wearisomely monotonous. This month the open hanging sleeve again appears over the coat pattern, hut it Is no part of ihe dress. It is applied to a short square-cut Jacket, to which apparently this : sleeve is admirably.suited, especially when cut ! squarely at the erlge. Tills open slei've is lined j with a fabric differing in color from that of the i jacket itself. Probably the sleeve change during 1 the winter will take the shape of a hangiug ! sleeve of the material of the under skirt, that is j should the toilette in two eoldrs continue to he ! worn—and of this there is every probability.— Should however the tone toilettes vaulsj, it Is j possible the under sleeve will be made of de licate fabric, pitted, or drawn to the shape ©1 the coat sleeve. TRIMMINGS. Os trimmings, it may be said t]|fit they arc flat, and in a state of transition and not Very well defined. Asa rule the hem of short dresses is much trimmed, although a tendency to fluting may be remarked. The use of but tons or rosettes, or even small bows, forming a line down the front of the dress is a mode which is pretty, fashionable, and at the same time useful, for it helps to reduce that auda cious effect which the close skirt gives when it lies over Ihe hips. BONNETS AND cniGNONS AND PARASOLS. Bonnets are as small as ever. We mark a noted tendency to wear the strings of the bon net narrow and-tied under the chignon. And talking of the chignon we must not forget to say that despite of all the attacks made upon them they are worn as large as ever. The plain unornarueuted parasol will he the. severely iashiouahle thing. The Human Frog. There is a man on exhibition iu London who calls bur.sell “ Natator,” or the human frog, and who performs feats underwater. Mr. F. Buck lend has examined him, and makes a report thereupon. “ Natator” practices in an aqua rium, and the following are some of his (eats : He descends, and eats, under water, a sponge cake or a bun. He opens his month to show that he has really swallowcd.it. It is most dif ficult to swallow cake under wgter without also swallowing water. It required three years’ practice to do this performance with safety;for if, when under water, he should happen to j congh, the water would enter, he would In : stautly be ehoked, and a seriOns accident would ! ensue. ~ Ascending to the surface, a soda water bottle 1 is banded to him ; he dives with it to his perch at the bottom, and drinks down the-contents, viz : a halfpennyworth of milk ; he chooses milk because of the color, apd iu order that the audience inay see that he actually drinks it front the bottle ; this is a most difficult trick, qnd it Is hard to swallow the milk wirhout the w r ater getting into the moirt’tr A lighted pipe |s banded to luiu ; .lie fakes $ few whiffs above water, and then descends with it; when under water, he'manages somehow to keep it alight, and. to emit bubbles; which, com ing to the surface, burst in little puffs ot tobacco stnbke. Coming to the surface, he shows that' his pipe if still alight. He is a young man, twenty years old, five feet seven and a half inches in stature, and nine stone six pounds in weight; he is lightly built, bnt exceedingly well made and rnuscnlar. His 1 pulse on coming out of the water gave one hnndrefi and forty-eight beats to the minntc; twenty minutes alter they were ninety-two to the minute, Wheg hq first began to practice long stave qndcr water, some four years sinee, he used to suffer from severe headache,’ bnt now These have quite B'elfi'ever has rheu matism, or other ache or pain in any form, though he goes through his performance at half-past ten every night, and sometimes twice a dayl The water in 'his aquarium he generally manages to keep at. a temperature of about I sixty-two degrees, bnt the warmer the water is the longer he qyi stay in, and the easier his performances become. The lougest time he has ever remained under water at a stretch has been sixty-nine-seconds, and last Saturday week he remained sixty-four ; his ordinary tricks require from ten to thirty seconds under water The Washington correspondent of the Bos ton Post says that there is an ugly piece ot scandal afloat about the doings of a high Treasury official. He is said to have not only a magnificent parlor, but also a handsomely furnished bed chamber to the Treasury build-
