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A FORTUNE ON A BRICK. A correspondent of the New York Evening Boat gives the following ac count of an expemnent in human na ture which illustrates well the qualities of earnestness and resolution, and how an Incident, essentially grotesque, may be tlie foundation of a useful and pros -0 perous career: One bright morning of November, some years ago, I was preparing to go down-town, when the servant informed me that n man was waiting at the front door to sec me. “Tell him I'll be down in a moment,” I said, and on going to the door, a man of tall stature and robust appearance called me by name, requested assistance, saying that he had a large family, a wife in delicate health, and no means to procure food for them. “ You appear to be strong and healthy; why don't you work ! asked I. “ Simply, sir. for the reason that I cannot procure work.” Not having any work to give him, I thought I would test the sincerity of his intentions. “If I give you work, what pay do you want ? “ Anything, sir, you choose to give me, so long as I can obtain means for my suffering fam ily” “ Very well,” said I, “ I will give you twenty-five cents an hour it 3on will carry a brick on your arm around the block for five hours without stop ping.” “Thank you, sir; I will do it.” After hunting awhile I found a brick, placed it on the man's ann, started him on his walk, and then went down-town to my business. Not having the least faith in the man’s promise, I thought hut little more or it; yet as I knew I should be hack within the five hours, I determined to see it he performed his work. My business kept me away rather later than I expected, sol had to forego my usual walk home, and took a Fourth Avenue car to be hack within the fi\e hours. As I approached the corner of the street where I reside I found a great crowd of persons gathered—two fire engines, a hose-cart, and a hook-and ladder truck. Upon inquiring where the fire was, I was informed that it was a false alarm, and that what brought the people together and occasioned the agitation was the spectacle of a tall man can \ o. An his arm around the block for nearly five hours. The neighbors were looking at him from the windows and doors as he passed along: some thought he was crazy, but when spoken to bis answer was: “ Don't stop me ; it's all right.” As he inter fered with no one, lie was allowed to walk on undisturbed. “ Where is the man now ?” I asked. “ There, you can see him at the other end of the block, walking with his head down,” was the answer. lie was just about turning the corner, and I waited till he had performed the circuit, then taking him quietly by the arm, marched him to my house, follow ed by a lot of boys. In the meantime the firemen, engine, and hose-cart rat tled otf. The man was thoroughly tired out when I took him into my hall and seated him on a chair, while my servant went to procure something for him to eat. I paid him forthwith a dollar and a half. He informed me that while making his rounds a lady came out ol a house and inquired why he was carry ing it, and on his giving tier the reason, he received a dollar. The object soon became known, for as he passed the houses small sums were given to him by different persons, and he wa3 well satisfied with his day's work. “ But,” said he, “ what shall I do to-morrow ?” ‘■‘Why,” I replied, “go early in the morning to the houses from which you received the money and ask for work, and no doubt you will find someone who will put you in the way of getting it; then report to me.” The following afternoon he informed me that he had been sent to a German who keptapork establishment on Third Avenue and who wanted a clerk to keep his hooks. He wa3 to get five dollars a week if his work proved satisfactory, and his duties began on the following day. Before leaving lie asked for the brick which had brought him such good luck, and 1 gave it to him. Within the year I as certained that the man had been trans ferred to a larger establishment of the same kind, with a salary of one thou sand dollars. Three or four year3 after this I was riding in a streetcar, when a well-dress ed man accosted me with a smile and asked me if I knew him. Seeing me hesitate, he said, “ Don t you recol lect the man who carried the brick ?” He then informed me that he was doing a prosperous business on bis own account, had laid up money, and es- VOL III —NO. 19. peeted soon to build himself a house up-town. “ What became of the brick ?” I in quired. -That brick, sir, has always occu pied a place on our mantel-piece, and we value it as the most precious of our little possessions. It has made our fortune.” An Influential Moonshiner. “ rntumae " in Savannah Xrws. One hit of gossip is anent the lion. | Alexander Stephens. One day after the close of the last session Mr. Ste- j phens, who had already announced him self as a candidate for the next Con-, gross was driven up town from his hotel j to the department of justice. lie was assisted up stairs by his faithful body servant and escorted to the room of the pardon clerk, Judge Cray. Mr. Ste phens laid before Judge Gray the ob ject of his visit. It was to secure the panion of a man in his district convict ed of illicit distilling. Mr. Stephens said the man was a respectable citizen, and one of the best in his district, and had violated the law through ignorance, not willfully. The pardon clerk told him the man could not he pardoned. Such a proceeding would be against the rule of the department in such cases. He might, however, ask the attorney general about it,. Mr. Stephens went into General Devons* room and waited some time for that gentleman’s return from a cabinet meeting. When the attorney-general arrived, Mr. Stephens laid before him his case. The answer he received was a confirmation of what Judge Gray had said. “All right," said Mr. Stephens, gathering his crutches, and with his servant starting to leave the room. ■ When he got to the door the “ great commoner ” paused to look back. “ I suppose you're right in your course, Mr. Attorney-General, he said, “ but the failure to get tuts man pardoned loses me exactly one thousand votes in my district.” Mr. Devens laughingly replied, “ I am sor ry to hear that, Mr. Stephens.” Mr. Stephens went his way, and in a few da}’s learned, greatly to his surprise, that his constituent whose failure of pardon was to cost him so many votes had been “ pardoned by the president upon the recommendation of the attor ney-general.” Appcarance. When a man begins to go down bill he is apt to betray the fact by his exte rior appearance; he wears a long face, allows his clothes to look shabby, and i acts like one bereft of hope or prospects. Now. this is very poor policy ; the sym pathy of friends is not gained by wear ing a dirty shirt; and, unless a man acts as though he had some confidence in himself, he must not expect to inspire it in others. And so with the external appearance of everything. Neatness of appearance does not end with mans credit, but often enhances the value of articles which he may have for sale. This is especially true upon the farm, and we will venture to say that the farmer who attends to the exterior of things in general, such as clean stables and animals, clean yards aud buildings, and fences in good repair, will obtain 5 to 10 percent, more for the products of his farm than one who neglects such simple matters. If any one doubts the effects of ex ternal appearance upon values in mar ket or elsewhere, let him try sending but ter to market in an old, weather-beaten firkin, no matter how good the butter or clean the vessel may be inside. If this does not satisfy, try some stained or dirty eggs, or half-plucked poultry. Producing a good article is one thing, and selling it to advantage is quite an other, and the good salesman generally makes the most money of the two. The importance of a fair exterior can hardly be over-estimated. The principal is po tent in any branch of trade, and in ev ery grade of society ; therefore it is too important to be overlooked or passed un heeded. Never stand still in cold weather, es pecially after having taken a slight de gree of exercise; and always avoid standing upon ice or snow, or where the person is exposed to a cold wind. Christmas is over. HARTWELL, GA., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1879. nniITCM, OI.D YEAR! To-night, thedeep-toned hell of Time Tolls to tho tomb another year. Within my heart an answering chime Of human heart-throbs, low ami clear. The sobbing wind a requiem sings Upon the chill and wintry, air. The leafless branches moan and swing Their naked arms in mute despair. Tho past before me like a scroll Unfolds its pages to my view ; And as I gaze, the mournful toll Kings out the old. rings in the new. 0 year ! full freighted hast thou been With joy and grief, with love and pain, And struggles with the giant Sin, That 1 could never wish again. To-night, the end of life seems near. And ere the ceaseless seasons run Another cycle, joy and fear Within us forever may be done. 1 cannot pierce the dark Beyond. The gathering mists hang dark and drear About heath's river, where no fond And loving welcome greets 1113- ear. Blit far beyond its waters cold. Faith points and bids us look and live. O World ! with all thy fame and gold. Where is the rest that tlm.u canst give ? Farewell, old year ! Hail I the power To bold thee. 1 should use it not; But thoughts that fill thy dying hour Will live when thou hast.becn forgot. --Alice Br<>wn. in Phrenological Journal. A REPRESENTATIVE OF TENNESSEE. HOW UE FIDDLED HIS HUT IXTO COX a HESS. Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer. Last Wednesday, at Asheville, N. C., Congressman-elect Robert Taylor was united in marriage with Miss Sallie Baird, a niece of Governor Vance, of North Carolina. The marriage is the conclusion of a somewhat romantic story. When Taylor was nominated by the Democrats as their candidate for Con gress, Miss Baird promised him that, if elected, she would marry him ; if defeat ed, it would be an indefinite time before their union. The district contains some of the strongest republican counties in the State, and has always given a Re publican majority of 2,200 or 2,300. The prospect for Taylor attaining his de sires were, therefore, not at all promis ing. Besides, he had as an opponent Petti bone, oue of the Republican chief tains of the State, an emigrant from Michigan, possessed of unusual shrewd ness. In the Presidential contest, as one of the Republican electors, be had borne the banner of the party as gal lantly as was possible, worrying the Democrats considerably. For Taylor lie entertained seemingly nothing but coutempt. Taylor’s nomination was simply a lucky stroke of fortune. In the Republican convention Taylor's brother, a very pronounced Republican, was the principal candidate for the nom ination against Pettibone; but the latter, after a hitter fight, secured the honor. Republican Taylor’s friends were all angry, and the Democrats conceived that it would be a good tiling to nomi nate his Democratic brother, who would probably draw votes from the Republi can ranks. The plan was carried out. Taylor was only twenty-eight years old, and in that region had made consider aglc reputation and popularity as a fid dler. At the frequent gatherings for dancing lie was a most welcome guest. His nomination seemed to fire the young men with enthusiasm. Numbers of Re publicans and two or three Republican journals left the party ranks and went over to Taylor’s side. Pettibone was accused of being in with the revenue and custom-house rings, which had con trolled politics in that section. It was an understood fact that federal money was ‘to be showered on the district. Taylor, as he afterwards told friends, had only $5 to commence the canvass with, but once out, money aud assis tance of every kind poured in on him, so that, after the campaign was over, very little of the $5 was spent. Petli bone looked down on him with contempt, and in the opening speech merely allud ed to him as the “ beardless boy who fid dles.” When it came to Taylor’s re joinder, he approached the tabic with a fiddle in one hand and a carpet-bag iu the other. He commenced with the statement that the serious charge had been made against him that he was a fiddler. Then, laying the fiddle and carpet-bag side by side on the table, he asked the crowd to choose between them. The point was taken up and carried from one end of the district to the oth er, producing any amount of merriment !at Pettibone’s expense. Pettibone, af- ter wait!, never nlluiletl to Taylor's fiddle more than once or twice. Taylor also taunted Pcttibone with the fact that his regiment, nt the dose of the war, dis banded with more men tlmu it started with. The young Democrat was a ready, eloquent speaker, and never fail ed to awaken enthusiasm. Frequently, when the speaking was over, lie would entertain the crowd with music front his violin. The district Ims its share of moonshiners, and they, with all their friends, were for Taylor, as Pcttibone was in with and supported by the reve nue men, the enemies of the moonshiners. Taylor's majority w as nearly 1,500, mak ing a Democratic gain of one Congress man from Tennessee. 11 is father rep resented the State in Congress just after the war. When nominated, Tavlor was advised to take a very conservative course, but answered firmly that he pro posed to make the fight on straight-out Democratic principles. He did so, and won. • How a Baby aui) n Man had a Circus. Easton Free Frets. Mrs. Oxtoby went shopping, yester day, and left her baby with Mrs. Arch ibald to be taken care of, and it was sitting on the floor very happy, with playthings galore, when Henry came in. “ Hello, ole gal! made a raise, have you ? Pliweet! Pliwect! Sa3 T ANARUS, young follow, how's your colic ?” The baby made no response of an intelligible character, and Henry sat down and stared at it. “ Babies is queer things, now ain’t they ? Just see that young imbecile trying to chew the potato-masher. Now he's taking a taste of the stove-lifter. That's a fine old moustache you've made across your mug, now ain't it ? Gosh! hello! here, old woman, quick! The young tin's swallowed half a yard of the poker!” Henry rescued the poker, and in doing so upset the baby and its temper. The hack of its head was bumped, and it howtedf and Henry got a thirty-six pound love-pat alongside the ear, and the baby was up-ended again, and the kinks taken out of its temper with a poultice of bread and molasses, so quick that the old man thought he had got into a humming-top factory. Then Henry let the bal>3’ alone and looked at the old woman picking chickens. The baby wanted some of die feathers, and he reached it a handful, half of which it immediately spread on the bread and molasses, and the rest it stuck around its mouth and smiled through the adorn ment like a cock-eyed parrot with the delirium tremens, but it looked dread fully happy. Then it put some feath ers in its mouth, and rubbed the bread and molasses over its bakl head, cooed like a two weeks’ old wife, and next it j turned purple all over, and squirmed till its face looked like an old gum boot ; that had been eating green persimmons. “ I don't believe this young one likes : feathers along with his grub,” said Henry, reflectively, and Mrs. A. turned round on him like a volcano that was sick at the stomach. “O! you wretch,” and she wasn't j sure whether she hit him on the ear or j top of the head first, it was done so i quick. Then she grabbed up the incip : ient Oxtoby and ran ber finger down its | throat, as though it were a stocking and 1 she wanted to turn it inside out. “There,” she exclaimed,as she held up three feathers and waved them men acingly before her bosom’s lord, “ see what you’ve done ! For half nothing i at all I'd take’ll ram them down your i fool throat. Here, see if you can hold this child a minute without killing it, till I got a towel,” and she plumped the young one on his knee and went up stairs. Baby cooed and kicked and got hold of llenrj'’s finger, which it inspected with great care, and then put it in its mouth. Then Henry ripped out a sig nal of distress that scared the baby I stiff as a telegraph pole. “Quit hollerin’ at that child that way!” shouted Mrs. A. from upstairs. “ Do you want to scare it to death ?’’ “ Scare, thunder ! It's me that's a scarin’. ’Spose I want my fingers taken off for liver pu lin’ and eat by a . cannibal baby ?” Then he added to the child t “ Here, WHOLE NO. 123. old fellow. I’ll give you something to chew on. l’ussy, puss}’, pussy," and as he lifted the eat on his lap, the young one grubbed its tail, inserted it in his mouth and shut down on it. The cat swore and spit and sunk about twenty claws at once into Henry's leg. “()-n-c-h! Bloody murder! Take him off!" and as tho agonized man leaped to his feet he shot baby into the coal-scuttle and kicked the cat over the stove into the buckwheat-cake hatter. He had just opened his mouth for a wholesale swear, when lie got a glimpse of Mrs. A. descending upon him like a day of wrath, so he shot, out of the front door, forgetting that the landlord had taken away the steps to paint them, and got through falling when lie jammed his bald head against the board fence on the other side of the street, in a way that fnadc his skull flop up and down like a loose half-sole in the mud. TV lien a neighbor came along mid set him up against a fence, his right hand fumbled around his head in a dazed kind of way, and he smiled vacantly up into his friend’s face. The Apple in the Bottle. On the mantelpiece of my grand mother’s best parlor, among other mar vels, was an apple in a vial. It quite filled up the bottle. Childish wonder ment constantly was, “How could it have got there?” By stealth I climbed a chair to sec if the bottle would un screw, or if there had been a joint in the glass throughout tlie length of the vial. I was satisfied hy careful observation that neither of these theories could be supported ; and the apple remained to me an enigma and a mystery. One day, walking in the garden, I saw it all. There, on a tree, was a vial tied, and within it a tiny apple, which was growing within the crystal. The apple was put into the bottle while it was little, and it grew there. More than thirty years ago we tried this experiment with a cucumber. Wc laid a bottle upon the ground hy a hill of cucumbers, and placed a tin}’ cucum ber in the bottle to sec what would be the result. It grew till it filled the bot tle. when we cut it off from the stem, and then filled the bottle with alcohol and stopped it up tight. We have it now, all as fresh, with the little prickers oil it, as it was when first corked up. How to Raise Large Corn. I have made a great many experi ments with corn within the last fifteen years. I had fourteen different kinds, and this year I got some of the largest ears I ever raised. 1 always select my seed corn in the fall, at husking time, and in the spring I sort them over again. Last spring I took no cars that were less than twelve inches long; then I took off three inches at the tip end and two inches at the butt end, and from these central grains I got ears fifteen inches long and from fourteen to six teen rows. Several years ago I select ed ears from stalks that had two ears, but the result was not nearly so satis factory as from planting only central grains. My opinion is, if farmers would be a little more careful in selecting their seed corn they could raise from five to ten bushel* more per acre than they do when they pick it out of the crib in the spring. A Good Cement. A good cement for mending almost anything may be made by mixing to gether litharge and glycerine to the con sistency of thick cream or fresli putty. This cement is useful for mending stone jars, or any coarse earthenware, stop ping leaks in seams of tin pans or wash-boilers, cracks and holes in iron tea-kettles, etc. Holes an inch in di ameter in kettles can he filled and used the same for years in boiling water and food. It may also be used to fasten on lamp-tops, to tighten loose nuts, to se cure loose bolts whose nuts are lost, to tighten loose joints of wood or iron, loose boxes in wagon hubs, and in a great many other ways. In all cases the articles mended should not be used until the cement is hardened, which will require from one da}* to a week, according to the quantity used. This cement will resist the action of water, | hot or cold, acids, and almost any de ; groe of heat. OCR WASHINGTON LETTER Washington, I). C'.. Dec. 25, 1878. The adjournment of Congress has had little perceptible ellect on the crowds in the streets of Washington. .Many members remain, and always du ring the Christmas season, there are man}’ persons here from abroad. Of course nil our own people arc out— men. women, and children. The dis play of Christinas goo Is is finer this year, I think, than ever hefone. Most people, happily, give to something nt this season, and many deprive them selves of some ordinary comfort rather than not make happy others near and dear to them. The “ hard times” w ill never rob ns of the happy Christmas habit of giving to those we love, ami to those who need. Wo shall have, on tho reassembling of Congress, a renewed effort to extend our trade with South American ports. We shall always have such efforts while our manufactures are shipped in Eng lish vessels from this country to Eng land, sold there, and then shipped in English vessels to South America, pay ing J or 4 profits to Englishmen, while reducing the profits of our manufac turers and and tlie wages of our work men. What (shape the relief asked for will take is not known, hut prouino.it Democrats and Republicans not here tofore identified with any such move ment will tie interested in it. The politicians are quarreling over Minister Bayard Taylor s place with a | liveliness not at all becoming. Gov. Hartranft. of Penns}dvania. and Gov. Joint B. Henderson, of Missouri, are most named, and. as Mr. Haves lias long wished to oblige the latter gentle man it is likely the office will go to him. Senator Christian?}’ has been mention ed, hut as this is simply a schema to get Chandler back to the Senate it will not receive much consideration from the Administration. Outside of poli tics Richard 11. Dana, jr., of Massa chusetts, is mentioned. As combining advantages Doth in a political and lit erary sense, and as a representative of the reform principle so dear to the Ad ministration, George Win. Curtis is spokcu of. Rex. Winter Rules. Never lean with the back upon any thing that is cold. Never begin a journey until the break f.ist'has loon eaten. Never take warm drinks and then immediately go out in the cold air. Keep the back —especially between the shoulder-blades —well covered; also the chest well protected. In sleeping in a cold room, cstnl l!*h the habit of breathing through the nose, and never with the mouth open. Never go to hod with cold or damp feet; always toast them by a fire ten or fifteen minutes before going to bed. Never omit regular bathing, for, un less the skin is iu an active condition, the cold will close the pores, and favor congestion or other diseases. After exercise of any kind, never ride in an open larriage, nor near the win dow of a <nr for a moment. It is dan gerous to health, and even to life. When hoarse, speak as little as possi ble until it is recovered from, else the voice may he permanently lost, or diffi culties of the throat produced. Merely warm the back by a fire, and never continue keeping tlie back ex posed to heat after it has become com fortably warm. To do otherwise is de bilitating. When going from a warm atmosphere into a colder one, keep the mouth closed, so that the air may be warmed by its passage through the nose, ere it reaches the lungs. What the South Should do this War. Memphis Appeal. There are two requisites that should not he lost sight of in that portion of the Union known as the cotton helt—one in cities, the other in the country. Cities should aim to establish cotton factories, with a view to export yarn and cloth in stead of raw material. To further this, thev should seek from Congress such a modification of our tariff laws as will facilitate the exportation of manufac tured cotton goods. The country should gtow their own supplies—not cottou alone —in this way the money for tho feeding of their households and laborers is kept at home instead of being sent away. Our country press, we are glad to see, are awakening more and more to the importance of the grow-food-at-home policy. The Dardenelle Arkansian re marks on this subject: “We believe the low price of cotton will do tlie country good in the end. It will be the means of causing our southern fanners to stop and think, and the result will be they will turn their attention more to such crops as will epahle them to live witluu \ themselves."