Georgia weekly telegraph, journal & messenger. (Macon, Ga.) 1880-188?, October 21, 1881, Image 1

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JOURNAL AND MESSENGER. T1IE FAMILY JOURNAL—NEWS—POLITICS-jLITERATUBK—AGRICULTURE—DOMESTIC NEWS, Etc.—PRICE $8.00 PER ANNUM. GEORGIA TEL APH BUILDING ESTABLISHED 1826. MACON. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 21, 1881. VOLUME LV-NO. 42 TUti PAMTINU lOriJM. ^rou, ■blur Wotf IH r t* Good night, sweetheart! It can’t be ten, I know; That clock had better "so a little slow 1” I do not see how it can have the face To take “new deala" at soch a rapid pace. Fall well I know ten minntes bare not flown .Since it atmck nine! Good night, my love, my own! “Good night, Charlie!” O yes; last night while going down Broad. way, Who do yon think I mot t Jack Gray! Just home from Europe 1 You should hear Him J Twould make a mammy langh to see him walk! He struts around with such a killing air. Hal ha! Good night, my love, my jewel rare! “Good night, Charlie 1” ente;ti* j wait, dear! I forgot to tell tie k-somethtnc. Let me think! That's fun- rive.*’' nyl Wab,i£ • .» gone, and in a moment eo am X, My darling, how I hate to say good-bye x Borne fellows would much later stay, I know; But "ten” your mother says; so I must go, ——“Good night, Charlie!" Sometime, bewitching Katie—ah 1 soma* time, sweet— "Good-bye” shall we consider obsolete, No more shall clocks strike terror to my heart, And in exultant tones bid me depart. Ah! now, like Cinderella at the ball, I fly from happiness. Good night, my all! ‘-Good night, Charlie G Katie, dear,is it too much trouble, think, To get a match ? I could not sleep a wink Bo a'ear and sweet, and it is just as bright As day. Well, I must tear myself away. Thanks, dear! Good night once more 111 say. —“Good night, Charlie!” 0 dear 1 How stnpid of mo 1 There’s my cane— I must come back and get it! Should, rain To-morrow eve, will come and let you know About the party; if not, we’ll go. ■ Hark! Catch me ere I fall! shock! * It strikes again! Good night! Confound tint clock! “Good night! Charlie!” looks at everybody, and by bis air of ill- jug a difference? bred reserve. i Their talk flowed gsyly on, for Hugh “But, Pauline dearest,” pleaded line, melted and warmed under the influence Lestrange, deeply chagrined, "suppose all of his companion’s gracious manner, until this arises from shyness on his part? Re- Pauline being .u request for another dance, member, his position i3 rather a difficult dismissed her cousin with a parting invi- one; and a young man brought up in En- tation that she hoped to meet him the glisb ways, as he has been, may icel more following evening at the house of a mutual embarrassed than would a Frenchman friend. under similar circumstances." ! "We shall be there early,” said she, “Awkwardness is not charming,” return- with aa ingenuous air. ‘ If you like to ed Pauline; "and a sby man is hardly bet- come by 10 o’clock 1 can give you tbe first ter tbau a rude one. However, I will give quadrille.” him another chance to-morrow; but if he j Hugh went home bewildered; and en is not nicer at breakfast and luncheon, tenng his room In the gray of the morn than he has shown himself at dinner, I' ing twilight, threw hlmseli into an easy will have nothing moro to do with him. 1 chair, aud meditated there till sunrise. He is not the only husband to be had in j One circumstance only began little by the world, I suppose, and I am but 18 after j little to disturb tbe peaceful equanimity all, and just as good looking as other girls., of Hugh’s existence. There was a co. tain Good night, dear mamma.” And with a Colonel Spiers Gordon, a tall, handsome parting kiss and a satisfied look In the officer of the Hussars, with whom Pauline mirror Paulino passed light-hearted to danced much, who rode often beside her • ’ ■ in the park, and whose presence at Mine. O what a UN MAHIAGE FORCE There are many charming sentiments connected with courtship, and it cannot be denied that union in families Is delight ful to witness; but of even such good things as these one may possibly have a little too much. So, at least, thought young Hugh Lestrange when his grand fattier affection ately intimated to him that tbe family of which he had the honor to he the eldest bachelor representative unanimously con sidered It his plain and obvious duly to marry his cousin Pauline. Hugh’s father ,Ua<i been dead some five years, and bis jgreat-uncle’s grandson, Pauline's father {•bad fallen iu the Franco-Pros.ian war; [i <*r the brauch of the Lestrange family to fee bich she belonged was of French nation- Jty, ami had but recently migrated across her chamber. But the next day things woro no better an aspect, and mademoiselle’s second de nunciation of her intended spouse was un equivocal and decisive. Hugh, on his part, mw reason to congratulate himself on the course he had adopted, and when he quit ted the smoking-room at midnight, be had accepted a friend’s invitation to leave Shlreton Manor on the morrow for more congenial joys elsewhere. “Uertainly,”sald this recalcitrant young man, as he extinguished his candle, “1 have acted wisely In getting out of this business. I should have been missrable ior life iff had given in. What a mon strous thing it is in this century for a man’s, relatives to-take on themselves the disposal of his liberty in such an outrage ous way at this! Paulioe Is the lost girl in the world to suit me, with lier prim affection of coyness and her ridiculous air of petite nine. I believe she has not an idea in her mind—these French-bred never have—and she doesn’t >e natural and sociable and bVkeuevermy time comes , *-*ny wife shall be just as T^llewia cousine as pos- young know ' ami ( Hugh cominun^ in respectful ter jion:-, bis absolull •t illah rthat, being so rrylng with them mutual rela- ice to boot, they ir charming! But Tway. Throughout ftcal dinner, young t on his wrongs, was syllabic and unpleasant, ed at first to accept with affectionate advances as her cousin might make, when she perceiv ed that none were vouchsafed, assumed a frosty reserve, and stood aloof on her dig nity. D uring two hour*—five courses and desjert—the pair sat side by side, prim, mo ose, and mutually uncivil; and when tbe hostess rose, a thorough misliking bad been established. Tbe incidents of the teinainderof the evening confiimed the opinion each had formed of tbe other. The ice froze harder and harder over tbe hearts of both; snd before Pauline retired for tbe night she had disburdened her mind to ber mother In voluble French, very much after the following fashion: "Mamma, it Is perfectly useless to tell sue to marry Hugh; he is altogether odious and insupportable. As tor biro, he hates me; that you all must have seen plainly enough. He hardly spoke two woids to me all dinasr time; and directly he saw me go to tbe piano be went off to toe smoking-room with Capt. Lovell, lie thinks himself too good for me, no doubt; you can see fcow abominably conceited he to this most cxccl- disgust, vexa- iguir.g parties, tils grandfather with firm expres- :pugnance to the pro posed alliance, and his unalterable reso lution to undergo the worse that might happen rather than submit to it. And Pauline declared with immense fervor that'rather than perform lier share in the contract she would be cut iu pieces or burred alive. In the face of such obsta- cles-no moro could be done, and alter sun dry'futile reproaches and lamen’a the famjlv scheme was abandoned. Hugh was[admitted to be a free man, and Ma- darte Lestrange began to turn her thoughts to {he pursuit of some ether eligible parti. But the conslns, however widely sepa rated from a matrimonial point of view we.-e cousins still, and the unavoidable failure of mutually cherished hopes could, not be permitted to effect an estrangement between the two branches of the family. Early in the spring Pauline and her rooth- peared in London, and thither her only brother Jacques, but ncipated from the bonds el kNow Jacques was the chosen *‘-d of b!s cousin Hugh, and a younger man, he had ' eraity later, they liad a a year been fellow ! tfieball, and insepara- ■' ,pursuits and interests luereforc, immediately »wn, Jacques sought vithin half an hour of Ringer Lestrange was ..retails of tbe family ZKi The fiasco consequent P >metbing about tbe affair i *d Jacques, "but in such a nSf I could make nothing of km, we need not trouble our- bout the thing now, and I suppose lgt^y^ake any difference to to Lady Leigh’s on answered Hugh '-know. I was goiug, •)e and your mother .1 scetns awkward, don’t mean to rct us on account of *“ You will have ‘bout the thing if you V, and )° u niay in- in a way you don’t uld people kuow there hing contemplated between __jts of tales will be told, a times worse, every one of them d nobody need guess ly you conduct your- 3 a natural manner, .'“.see why you should jj'cie. There has been ...tstween you, no jilting *)ljing of that kind; it ••si dissent from certain r or you by older people who ought to have been wiser. Besides, It happened four months ago, aud tbe cbeme has been dropped. Were only go to Lady Leigh’s ance with Pauline, Just s and a disposition to the old footing.” led as Jacques wish- not to absent bim- questiou, and he kept ne of the first tails of well attended. Pau- a great success and _ ediy. But shortly aftor ■fi, having handed his last 'seat, stood idle a moment ', his sutprlse was great on tapped on the arm by Pau- **nd hearing her say, as though tier brother’s advice, Ten are you going to ask me to dance you, cousin Hugh? I have just is waltz free if you like.” Then in low er tones, “Do not seem to avoid mo; there is nd need for us to be strangers to each other on account of what lias occurred. Peoria will notice it, mamma says.” W-ha*. could Hugh do? Impossible to re fuse, and besides, whether he danced with ber now or not mattered nothing; their engagement had been formally null! fled and Ino attention be might pay her c on be misinterpreted. After all, too, she wasia handsome girl, and supportable enough as a mere cousin. A cousin may be tolerated and even danced with very agreeably; provided one is not expected to niak-e her one’s companion for life. So Hugh resolved to be pleasant. Perhaps Indeed, poor girl, he owed her some amends for Ms part in the recent (failure of the famjly plot; at any rate, they stood now in np false light together, and, therefore, there was no reason for observing con straint or reserve in his manner toward her. And so the next minute tho young man’s arm was round Pauline’s waist, and the pair were whirling together ami cably down tbe room. They passed at length by a conservatory, and Hugh found his pai-ner a seat be neath a tall treefern. "What a splendid waRzer you are!” he said graciously. "Did they teach you that In l aris?” She answered pleaMntly with a manner co unaffected, and a smile so bright, that Hugh recalled with wonderment the stiff primness which had characterized ber every gesture and word when last they met. How, be asked himself, could four is by the contemptuous way In which be I short mouths have brought about so strik- Lestrange’s afternoon tea was rot unfre quent. It was, Hugh admitted to him self, supremely redieulous to feel annoyed by such peltry incidents as these, for the Colonel was a nian.of the best repudalion personally, and his pedigree and fortnne were all that Mayfair could desire. Hugh examined liis mind deeply on the subject, and found there nothing to account for the incipient mistrust and discomfort which this acquaintance caused bin. Pau- line was liis cousin certainly, but in the third degree only, and his interest in her welfare was comparitively remote and of merely a friendly charade:. Doubtless his uneasiness arose from the iucongruity presented to his mind by the idea of marriage possibly taking place between so young a gfrl and the Colonel; for the lat ter must certainly have attained his 40tli year, while she was not yet 10. Hugh had sufficient regard for his cousin to feel some solicitude for ber happiness a^H wilo, and to wish fur her a husband at least more suitable in age than the gallan: Hussar. Young Lestrange was not a little comforted at thus having satisfactor ily solved the secret of his disquietude. It had looked at the outset so suspiciously like a latent flame of jealousy, that to feel assured of the harmlessness of Its true nature was most gratifying. To have been jealous, even in tbe smallest degree, would have implied tho existence of a feeling of regard to Pauline which it was absolutely and eternally impossible lie should ever entertain; aud he was well acquainted with the fact that she, on her part, held similar immutable views in re gard to himself. One brilliant May noontide Mademoi selle Lestrange, entering tho breakfast room on her return from lier morning ride, found her mother apparently absorbed in meditation over a letter winch lay open on a table at her elbow beside a cup of untasted chocolate. When she saw Pau line she started slightly, and refolded her letter; but, observing her daughter’s eye upon it as she did so, said, lightly: “From Colonel Gordon, dearest.” "No bad news, I hop*?” asked Pauline, In the same tone, gathering up the folds of her habit, and contemplating the splash es upon it. “How could there be any bad news him?” returned her mother, with some surprise, •'Only because I see (t is a long letter: and as we meet him nearly every day, It is difficult to conceive what he can possi bly have to write about.” "It is?” said Mine. Lestrange, with pe culiar emphases. "Can you not imagine, Pauline, that there may be some thiugs a mau had rather write than say?” "If he says it in writing, I don’t see much difference,” answered the girl with a droll air. “But what is it he says or writes.? - ’ With a smile, Mme. Lestrange put the letter into her daughter’s hand. Pauline read it hastily, the rosy color gathering brightly over her face and throat; then, turning again to her mother, she said in a low, tennulous tone: “So he wants me to be Mme. Spiers Gordon.” “They call it‘Mrs.’ in this country,” replied her mother correctively, and with an expression of playfulness. “Well, mamma, will you please say •No’?” “No!” echoed Mine. Lestrange, aston ished. "Surely, my dearest, you don’t mean to refuse such an offer as this?” “Why should I accept it?” returned Pauline. "I do not care for him as I ought to care for a husband, and it would not be right to say ‘yes.’ ” “You plunge me into dlspalr, Pauline; this is the second most excellent match you have bail within four months,* and you decline both unconditionally. Tell me, my child, is there any motive tor this behavior on your part? do you—can you be thinking of anybody else?” As she spoke, Madame Lestrange rose and took ber daughter's baud carassmgly in ber own. Bat there was no emotion in Pauline's gay rejoinder: "Dear mamma, of course not. I don’t want to marry Colonel Gordon, that’s all. Is It so very inexplicable?” “And you would not marry Hugh either; such aebarming, intelligent young man, too, and exactly suited to you In every way. Est-e!le difficile, ceito chore Pau line?” Pauline turned abruptly away, and seated herself by the window. “I wish Hugh had always been what he is now,” she exclaimed almost fiercely. "Quo dis-tu la?” cried her mother, doubting her ears. “Why, that It was his own fault I said I hated him,” continued the girl, still looking away from ber mother; “ho chose to make himself rude snd disagreeable; and of course I thought him odious—then! But ever since we have been here he has been quite, quite different, and nobody would suppose he was tho same man. There! I have said loo much, but I couldn’t, help It. You must keep my secret mamma, and tell Colonel Gordon that Pauline is a spoilt child, and won’t roar- my.” Madame Lestrange caught her daughter impulsively in lier arms. “My poor darling child, never did I dream of such a romance as this! Tell me, tail thy good mother, tlioa couldst not say ‘No’ to Hugh would he but ask thee of us now?” Pauline burst Into a shower of passion ate tears. “Malheureuse enfant!” cried Madame Lestrange, "what can we do for thee? It Is too late!” Precisely at this critical moment the door of the room was opened and brother Jacques walked fn. “Why,” cried he, standing aghast, “mother—Pauline! Qu'y a-t-Udonc?” “Pauline is a little goose,” answered madame, with a tearful effort at playful ness. “Colonel Gordon has written the most charm! ng letter asking ray permission to make her an offer of marriage, and she will have nothing to say to him.” “Well that is unlucky for him, certain ly,” rejoined Jaqaes; “but what liaa my little sister got to cry about? Hat she, per chance, been scolded for wanting to say unkind things to the Colonel ?” “Of course not,” replied his mother un easily. “1 told you she was a little ner vous, that’s all. Now run up stairs, Pau line, aud change your dreis, dear; and you, Jacques, ring for tbe lunebeon-tray.” “Girls are certaiuly odd creatures,” said Jacques to himself, as be lighted a dear on tho doorstep that afternoon. “Fancy crying like Ktobe, because some body whom one doesn’t care about wants to marry one 1 What an excess of heart!” iie strolled into tbe park, presently, at an accustomed rendezvous met his friend Hugh and forthwith related the episode. * “So you think she has refused him de finitely?” asked tbe elder cousin when the story was finished. “I understand so, certainly. And it is easy to seo that by doing so she has great ly vexed my mother. It was an excellent proposal, you see.” “l see nothing of the kind,” replied Hugh, with lotne heat. “Confound Col. Gordon! I never liked tbe fellow from the beginning.” “SapristiJ” ejaculated Jacques; ‘%rhat can he have done to you? lie’s a capital follow, aud never had a bad word for any man.’ Hugh threw away the cigar be was smoking. “I-dou’t mean to say be ever offended or injured me personally,” said he; “but I mean that I never liked his being so much with your sister. She ought to marry a young man, Jacques.” . “Well, I dare say she will,” returned Jacques carelessly. “Paullue is a great favorite. But then, you kuow, the Col onel’s position is really first rate,’> - Hugh turned on his cousin almost wrathful ly. “Can’t you leave the Colonel alone?” ho cried. “She’s said ‘No,’ aud I suppose there’s au end to the thing.” “My good Hugh, don’t be in such a deuce of a rage about it. Upon mj word, if I didn’t know how matters stood be tween you aud Pauline, I would swear yon were jealous.” • . "I—jealous!.what’—of Pauline! con found it all, I’ve dropped my cigar some where! ' Give me a' light, old mau.” “Yes,” repeated Jacques steadily, look ing his friend full iu the' face, as they paused a moment, while Hugh kindled a tresh cigar, “to tell you the truth, I should certainly have thought you were jealous Come; is it so ? Have you betrayed your- self?” “Look here, Jacques, old fellow, said Hugh, alter a pause of brier duratiou oc cupied by several violent puffs at the ci gar,” “I don’t exactly kuoir what it is I feel on this subject, and, upon my honor, if I au jealous, you have found it out first. The fact is, Jacques, can you keep a secret!” “I cau when it’s necessary,” returned his cousin laconically. “Well, when they all wanted mo to marry Pauline, you kuow, she took con siderable pains to make it evident to me that I didu’t please her, and as you know also, she expressed that opiulou to her mother. In fact, she was so extremely distant and cold and—audunaffocUonate, aud put ou such au air of noli me tangere toward me that I thought her a very un pleasant youug person, and felt much re lieved to find my antipathy reciprocated. But the first time I met her in town—at LadyJ.Leigh’s, you remember—she was totally changed—charming, vivacious, full of smiles, aud so she has been ever since. I have seen her during the last six weeks under a perfectly new aspect, and perhaps, otd mau, it she hadn’t been Pauliue, i might have been jealous of the Colonel.” “What a drama in two acts!” cried Jacques. “But is the lnct of this delight ful young woman’s identity really an in superable obstacle? Why not speak to her, or to my mother, now ?” “Speak about wliat?” retorted Hugh. "Why should 1 go and make afoot of rny- scli? Don’t you kuow that Pauline made tip her mind long ago to look ou me as a cousin only?” “I kuow she did—ferny ago,” cried Jacques, as a sudden light broke in on him; “hut why may not she also have come to look ou you in a new light? Do you know, it seems possible to me that just such a change ou her part may be the explanation of those otherwise enig matical tears, and of certain tragic ut terances of my mother’s which caught my car as I opened the door so opportunely, ‘(Test trop lard!’ she said. What could be too late if not a tardy repentance ou Pauline’s part aud a futile willingness to accept something she had once rejected? Hugh, old man, are really in earnest this time? Do you really think you would be happy with my sister?” “Upon my word,' Jacques,” answered Hugh, somewhat agitated, “I begin to believe that I cannot be happy without her, but if it hadn’t been for this con founded Colonel, I declare 1 don’t tblnk I should ever have found out the true state of the case l” “Then follow my advice, man, and let me lake you home to dinner this evening. Now is your time, for, judging from my own observations of Miss Pauline aud the present general aspect of affairs, I would not mind venturing a considerable sumon the successful issue ot au appeal suit. Only be sure you kuow your own miud this time, lor Pauline may not be inclined to let you off rgain, and you might find your last slate worse than your first if an other repentance were to set Iu on your part.” "Don't congratulate me too soon, old fellow. Of myself 1 a:a sure enough, but of Pauline—ah, Jatq res, perhaps, if your people aud mine had not beeu at so much trouble to bring us together, wo might have found one another out and fallen iu love naturally! As it is, you see—” "My good Hugh, I see nothing but a very logical and comprehensible state of things. Four moutbs ago, when you you were strangers, you chose to exhibit yourself—forgive me—in a very unpleas ant light; n0w Pauline knows you belter, and she lias seen through the fraud you put ou her. Our people made a mess of the tiling, as folks always do when they try to manage the matrimonial con cerns of others. Love should be led, not driveu; and when my turn comes let us hope they will show that tbey’vo learut wisdom, and not get maneuvering on my behall with any desirablo young person. Well, it’s 0:30, and if we are to be home in time for dinner, wo ought to be mak ing tracks.” Later ou that same eventful day, in a remote corner of Madame Lestrange’s drawing room, over twocupsof post-pran dial coffee, Hugh and Mademoiselle pri vately arranged their own love affairs very much to their iudividnal satisfaction, and to the Subsequent joy and gratulalion of the parties secondarily concerned. she knocked my hat into my eyes. When she would point my admiring gasa to some exquisitely tinted autumn leaves, she jabbed a projecting parasol rib into my eye. When she turned to speak to any one in tbe rear seat, she rasped tbe back of my ueck. Oft as the the carriage struck a stone or lurched over a rut she prodded my long-suffering head with vicious little jabs. I drew n.y bead down between my shoulders and sat crouched and bent, but tbe remorseless parasol still punued fme. I have been pelted and rasped ana prodded, and all from a mistaken sense; of kindness. A woman’s unselfishness and kindness of heart always prompt her to bold hor parasol over the man who drives. And if tbe man who drives is al lowed to choose for himself be will choose sunstroke in preference to the para sol every time. I do not complain, mind you; I merely make a simple statement of plain fact. Any man who has bad to drive a pair of bones while some gentle- hearted woman held a parasol over him knows what I have suffered. And when •be holds au umbrella it is infinitely worse. Then the mau is utterly and hopelessly extinguished, and the material world is to him ouly a wild, blank chaos of alpaca aud whalebone.” Drlvlna Witts tbe Parasol. Prom Me llaickeye. The other evening tbe Jester was bath ing his eyes in cold water, aud suspended the operation long enough to remark: "If a woman can’t take lier parasol to heaven when sbe dies, she won’t be happy there. She will come back after It.” An impressive quiet followed this dog matic statement, and the parasols of tbe court knew some of them were in for It. "We were driving this afternoon,” tbe aggrieved Jester resumed, "and tne >rincess kindly shaded my head with ler parasol. It was very kind Indeed. It limited my view of the country, at times, to my knees and the dash board of the wagon. Whenever we met team, especially if the road was very narrow, tbe princess lowered ber parasol between myself and tbe passing wagon, so that I turned out by faitb, or stood on my bead to catch a glimpse of tbe collid ing wheels. When we started down a steep hilt sbe dropped tbe parasol be tween me and tbe horses, and I trusted to the good tense of tbe animals to keep out of tbe ditch. When we met any ac quaintances to whom I wished to bow, Tbe Persimmon and tbe Opeesnm. Frost the XathtilU America*. The Philadelphia Press, irreverently, calls that noble fruit, the date plum, or persimmon, called for short iu Virginia aud No;th Carolina, tbe diospyros Vir ginia, the ’simuioii, and describes it as worthless, worse than a weathersfield onion U nd ranks it as ilia meanest fruit iu the world. This is mere Northern preju dice, doubtless a remainder at war pas sion. If the editor ot the Press, during the war and ere the frosts had mellowed the persimmon and softened those asperi ties which cause the face of the eater to resemble the countenance of a whistling master, escaped from prison and endeav ored to subsist during August upon the ’possum fruit, we cau understand bis prejudice and the sectional bit terness which still lingers, un der his tongue. His attack is a gross in justice to tbe negro, and to the parly which canuot subsist without tbe negro aud can't have the negro without the per simmon. Without ’possum fruit no ’pos sum is possible. If there were no ’possum there could be no ’possum dog. It is well knowu where the negro has beeu most successfully cultivated that no reliable, unseducible rural colored voter was ever seeu except in conjunction with a ’possum dog. Persimmon, ’possum, ’possum doe aud rural colored voter are all connected together in an indissoluble chain of cause aud effect. Blot out tho persimmon and away go all tbe dependent effects of per simmon aud with tbem tbe • Republican party of tbe South. The diospyros Virginia is not of itself to be despised even by the pampered Anglo-Norman American. In tbe latter part of November aud esrly part of De cember wbeu tbe autumn frosts have drawn its puckering qualities, when it has mellowed at the touch of winter, when Us bitter sweets have candied and crystal- ized and tbe fruit bas acquired a date like consistency and flavor and a sugared mealiuess ot expression, R rivals tbe date in excellence aud in nutritious qualities. Even when it is full ripe and luscious, when the acid bitter has just been shaded by early frosts into a. Juicy sweetness, it melts softly aud sweetly in tbe mouth. That lie is attached to it and owes his origin to it. ennobles tbe ’possum; tbe negro exhibits a nice taste in his affection for ’possum and it is to tbe credit of the ’possum dog that he loves the very ground the ’possum walks on. In those frosty autumn times, when the fields are brown and tbe golden rod rivals the frosts with its shedding down or still defies the frosts with its golden blossoms, when the sassafras leaves gleam in the fields, tbe thickets are aflame with the red sumac, tbe hickories In the forests are yellow and the maples dressed out in red aud gold, when the last lingering in sects are chirping tbelr sad death notes, when ono lingers in the woods and fields by day, steeped in tbe delicious melan choly, "thinking of the days that are no more,” what is more delightful than to gladden the night with loud halloo in spired by the huut and “moonshine” such as befits the night; to thread with eager step tbe groves where tbe luscious per simmon ••Waxing over-mellow, Drops in the silent autumn night” To follow Uncle Tobe as he cheers old TIge on the silent trail, to strain for tbe hoarse tones which announce that "Tige’s treed,” to press on toward the hollow tree ing bark of old Tige, to awear at the bramble, or tbe prone tree top, which catches the every step, to reach tbe per simmon tree and see the very’possum hang between the hunter and the full- orbed moon, to wait in breathless sus pense uutil Unc'e 3 obe has shaken the noble marsupial loose, to see him fall to be shaken by old Tige, in vain playing the BAXitwicn num. Wkst ass OM Sss CssOls Saw la Kiss Kalskssa'i l.ssS The San Francisco Chronicle has had an interview with an old sea captain who has had a long experience R ■ tbe Sand wich Islands, on the sys^pr of slavery founded by the owner of a Urge sugar piantatiou on the islands. Tbe captelu is a man of large means, whose word is above reproach. Tbe substance of bis story, told in bb own words, is as follows: I arrived from Honolulu two weeks ago. Tbe occurrences of which I speak are, therefore, new. Slavery exult ou tbe Hawaiian Islands in its m at hideous form; there are three ciasa'w of emigrant people on tbe island at present, aside from the rapidly dying native element. The chief ingredient of the population, and tbe one which is virtually master, is Chi nese. Of these end tbelr moral worth or worthlessness, tbe people of San Fran cisco kuow enough. Kanakas have been driven out of the means of subsLtaucu by tbe Chinese, who have turned tbelr taro patches into rice fields, and left the Kan akas to lire on tbe degradation of tbeir women. The most miserable class of people on the island are the South Sea Islanders. They are veritable slaves, hunted to death by brutal overseers, re cruited from out of the scourings of Euro pean nations. The Hawaiian government owns and charters almost all vessels which are nr THK SLAVS XBASE with the South Sea Islands. These are fitted out with a consignment of whisky, blankets and trinkets. Captains, having arrived at one of the well-populated Pa cific isles, begin to trade with the chiefs and soon secure a ship-load of aboriginal Kiumanity, upon whom the hatches are battened down forty days and until the slave-trader casts anchor in Honolulu. Here tbe unfortunate heathen, naked and A fUJI(M.UU MiKTKCTM VE. itomoerat. IXDEPKJroKWCE, Mo., October 13.— Late this afternoon a startling report was received from Grain Valley, a small vil lage fifteen mites east of here, on tbe C. and A. railroad, to the effect that tbe dead body of an unknown man bad been found suspended by the neck from a tree in a deuse woods about four mile* from the tow.n He was an entire stranger to tbe man who found him, and up to 0 o’clock this pvening had not been identified. Thera is no telegraph connection between Grain Valley and this city, consequently but very meagre details of the affair can be learned to-night. Tbe body had evidently been hanging at loast Urns days, and was decomposing quite rapidly. There were no marks of any kind upon tbe body that would indicate by whom or for wbat purpose the mau bad been buug, but the general im pression is that he wes a victim of Jadge Lynch. Tbe sews created the wildest excitement here and many wild rumors are afloat in regard to the matter. The theory most generally believed U that the dead man was one of the many detectives who have been investi gating tbe recent train robbery, who has been found out by the gang and murdered to prevent his Imntlng tbem down. This theory is strengthened by the fact of tbe deceased being a stranger. It is thought by some that it might have been a case of summary justice dealt out to a horse thief by a vigi lance committee, but this theory is not as strongly befimred as the other. Everybody seems poeitrre that the mysterious affair is closely connected with either the Blue Cut express robbery or the Ryan trial. Couuty Marshal Murphy was notified SOUTH CAMOA.IXA fOUDOOtSM A kswarkshts Sissy t€ tfcs SspsuU- Use efilM ReaUMta Hegrets. from the Columbia Befieter. It. One of the most remarkable cases la criminal annals was tried at the Court of General Sessions of Sumter couty, on last Wednesday. It wee the case of tbe Mate vs. Henry Johnston, for the murder of John Davis, on the fifth day of last February. Both tbe prisoner and hie victim were negroes, and tbe trial devel oped the system of voudooism, or fetich- ism, to which tbeir race is still addict ed in the Southern States. Tbe prisoner before his trial made tbe following con fession, which was put in evidence: He stated that he was in lore with the wife of the deceased, a woman near twenty- fire years of age, tbe prisoner being about forty; that she repelled bis advances, and he sought the aid of a conjuror, one Or ange Isaac*, au aged negro. Tbe so- called conjurer gave Him a charm, known in the language of negro witchcraft a* a "hand,” composed of various articles, viz., beeswax, foxes’ hair, a little sand from the shoe of tbe person intended to be acted on, and a drake's foot, all sewed up iu a small cotton bag. He was told to wear It next to his skiu, over bis heart, for one week, and the woman would love him. He did so, and at the end of a week reported to the coqjurer that the woman had confessed her love for him, but had ref'ised to accept him as ber paramour of tbe finding of the body this evening, and is now investigating the matter. He is of the opinion that tbe event was over shadowed by the mysterious red seals child-like, are driven into an inqiosure posted up in this citv and vicinity several popularly called the pen. Then they are ' days ago. The people in the vicinity dis- apportioued to different plantations, each slave receiving a tin tag with a number ou it, which is tied around bis neck, and a malo or lap-cloth with which to hide his nakedness, after which he is drjgcn off to a slave’s death. But few Survive the harsh treatment of their task masters. Among these heathen slaves a frugal, hard-working and respectable Portuguese Is thrown, and has hardly bet ter treatment. Upon arrival, the same pen receives him on reaching Honolulu. Here be is also apportioned to a different plantation on the island, and are driven off by slave drivers, whose trusty and steady companions are revolvers and bow ie-knives. I know that tbe accusations agaiost-Ciaua Sprockets and other plant ers have been denied, but I affirm that not only is that which you have said true, but you have heard but half the truth.. There arrived during my stay at tbe island a cargo of FIVE BUZDBED PORTUGUESE These people were informed by their countrymen on shore what fate had in store for tbem. They were landed in tbe pen, and instead of finding a genial cli mate and beautiftil woods, so eloquently pictured to them by tbe emigration agents, they were told that sterile cliffs aud plateaus of volcanic mountains would be their future homes. They refused to separate in the pen and threatened to break their contract. Thereupon a cour ier was hastily dispatched up to th3 town, and a posse of police and two com panies of soldiers as well as a field bat tery were moved upon tbe field of action. Tbe Portuguese were willing to fight for their freedom, but they found themselves suddenly surrounded by a cordon of soldiers ready to throw shot among tbem; they would have fought nevertheless, but among them were tbeir wives and children and noth ing remained but to follow tbeir masters, humbly hoping for tbe best. Eleven of the men were seized and imprisoned, but what has become of tbem I cannot tell. The Portuguese have no representative on tbe islands who would claim human treatment for them, and all laws are made by slaveholders and for slavehold ers. Their daily routine of labor is about as miserable as can be. Tboy are fed on rice and boef or pork in tbe morning, which is thrown out to them in large tubs. After breakfast they are marched out for A MILS OB TWO INTO TBE FIELD. Their noon meals are brought out to tbem in wagons, and at night they are driven back to tbeir homes, which give them shelter for the night. These Portuguese are a hardy race, but life iu the islands Is too hard even for them. Tbe food is of the poorest kind, and has to be imported from this port, and besides rice and pork they see but lit tle. Therefore they soon sicken, and many die. Those who struggle through five years of slavery, to which their con tract binds tbem, find that at the end of tbit time instead possum, "quite chap fallen,” are sports - - . „ .... .... for which we are Indebted to tbe peraim- of hwing bettered tbeir conditions, mon. as they were led to believe, they are If auy sport excels these it is on tbe morrow night, when the one night’s frost has mellowed the game, to sit by the open chimney and see him grinning from out his garnishment of “sweet liters,” wait ing and begging to be washed down with “stone fence,” all followed by a bum of fering of kinnikinlck in a powhattan, or old cob. It is quite evident to us that tbe Philadelphia editor has never pondered persimmon question in all Its bearings, political,economical,social and gastronom ies], with its concomitant 'possum, ’pos sum dog, field spori, stone fence and bak ed taters. TIM DOSS COJMT. Prof. Kletsa’a Discovery - A Wonder ful Celestial Body. Louisville, Kr. t October 17.—The Courier-Journal of to-day publishes a letter from Prof. Klein,saying: I have for several weeks past noticed a singular phe nomenon iu the heavens iu the shape of a double comet or comets, attended by nine smaller ones, alllua circle closely re sembling one cf Saturn’s rings. They all appear to’be conuccted together, as they move in the same orbit, and the larger of the double comets will at regular inter vals eclipse the smaller one, and tbe lit tle ones are on such occasions lost sight of in the mists thus created. I have no doubt that this Is tbe comet of 1845, sup posed to have been destroyed, that now appears to us in this singular shape, at tended by numerous satellites, which, by some of the wonderful processes of na ture, were undoubtedly thrown from Its nucleus, but not with sufficient force to ret beyond its attraction, and are there fore resting on tbe original ring like nu cleus which bas undoubtedly beeu rent asunder by great cometaiy eruption and gathered again In iu present shape. This, too, I believe to be the comet of 1811, having a period of 35 years. Aside from this wonderful comet or rather eleven comets there are five others now visible. Nashville America*. The duelling in Virginia fills us with horror 'aud diagusP as well aa with a pro found feeling of moral aversion. There are not near corpses enough to tbe number of duels. Tennessee ooula beat tbe Vir ginia score at fisticuff. poorer than ever. They are invariably In debt, and still slaves subject to bond age for tbe money they owe. They were healthy men when they left their native soil, aud all that Is now left of tbem is a broken and shaking body, and the pros pect of continued slavery for tbelr hard taskmasters- Worse than that, their lam- ilies sre broken up. Their wires, If they have not fallen victims to lust of the keep ers or money and tbe alluremenU of the Chinamen, hare also SLAVED THEMSELVES TO DEATH in the sugar-cane fields, while their chil dren have grown up without schooling, among Chinese and surrounded by all tbe squalor and wretchedness which must be seen to be even Imagined. Chinamen, Portuguese, and Kanakas commingle freely, although so far tbe white race has beeu kept tolerably clear, but it ouly a question of time when all three will intermarry, although it is doubtful if anybody but Chinese will survive the process. Tbe latter practically govern tbe islands. Crime has certainly increased 50 per cent, since the reciproc ity treaty came in force, aud this treaty lg directly responsible for the most repug nant system of slavery now existing. Tbe British government, some time ago, bad several war vessels in tho South Seas hunting for man-stealers. They abol ished slavery in tbelr own dominions, and drove the notorious slave-ship “Bully Hayes” from the South Pacific waters. It’s strange that they should never have overhauled the slave traders, which are owned, chartered and sailed under the Hawaiian flag, which nation not only permits its citizens to deal in slavery, but which carries on tbe trade so actively that every official and agent of the government is empowered to make contracts which put men !n a system of peonage. The pagan South Sea Islander whom he buy* for a pint of whisky from hia chief he sells to a plantation on the islands for $100, finally enriching a dozen San Francisco corporations, which are un der the special protection of tbe national flag. •wusll. Ba* CSaneUrlsUs. Springfield Republican. This turning out of Bayard is pretty ■mall business. Turn it about. Suppose it had been Anthony who waa in the chair, and the Democrat* had availed themselves of the aid of a renegade Republican t' turn him out. That would have been another pair of boots, wouldn’t it l Claim all kuowledge of the affair, aud, as near as can be learned at this hour, no one has been found who bad ever seen tbe dead man before. Prominent citizens here express themselves as iully satisfied that tbe deceased was a detective, and that Jesse James aud bis gaug are responsible for his death. Tbe killing of the detective, Wacher, lour miles east of here, in 1874, Is a parallel case. Further developments are anxiously awaited. Hsmsilels 1 ! Frlss Srsgsos, Pros, the Mm Orleans Times. Hoffensteiu was busily engaged mark ing the selling price on some clothing which had just arrived, when suddenly stopping iu hi* work, ho turned to tbe clerk and said: “Herman, I haf forgot If ve sell oud all uf dose plack jeans bants vat vas dam aged. Yas auy more uf dem ln de sdore yet?” *•*,.*- ' “Yes Mlsder Hoflknstoln, I dink dere vas dree hairs lefty- I haf Been drying to sell Uem, bullae $eqple *oay dev don’t rant to go around de sdreet mil bants on vat make* dem look like a circus breces sion. Dere vas yellow spots all ofer de bauts you know.” “Yell subboee dey haf got spots on dem, vas you going to let de People dink dey vas damaged ? My g-r-r-aeioua, Herman! de longer you Vas in de pitiness de more you don’t learn noding. Vy, ven a man comes iu de sdore und dells me dot doee' bants vas damaged, I delis him be vas misdaken, und 1 asks him if he knows 'a biece uf quadruple, vox finish, needle point, band dwisted vool from a biece vat vos von plv, cotton stitched und mit a beveled edge. Ye.i I ask him dot he don’t can say noding. Den I deli him dot de bants vas not damaged, und dot dey vas made oud uf vot vas called in de i)ld vorld Spanish spot vool, de best ardi- cle made dere. Iu a gouble uf minutes aider I dalles to de gustomer he buys de bants, und I baf sold nine hairs in do vay.” Hoffensteiu bad scarcely finished speak ing when a negro with a bundle iu bis hand and considerably excited entered the store. “Veil, my frent, vat cau 1 do for you," said Hoffensteln, advancing toward him and smiling pleasantly. "You can’t do anything fur me,” re plied the negro, angrily, “but I want yer to gib me back my money what I paid fur dese here shoe*, or I’se gwine to take de matter fore de law. I gib four dollars for dem shoes an’ I uebber wore dem but six days ’fore de soles dripped off, an’ when I ’zamined dem dar warn’t a God blessed ting dar but paper. Pse beeu cheated; and wheu a man thinks he can come mintin' around me an’ I ain’t gwine to say uuffiu’.he’s apt to find his- self in de nine hole.” “My irent,” uld Hoffensteiu quietly, “did you find anything in the soles uf dem shoes?” "No, sab,” replied the negro. "Yell, dot voe a biece of hard luck, my frent. De shoes vat you buy vas de Loia- Islana brize shoe, and ven you dike a bair of dem you vas liable at any moment to find a dwenty dollar gold biece in de soles uf dem. If de soles ot de brize shoes voa made uf hard ladder, dey wouldn’t vear out, und de gonsequence vould be you don’t can fiud de dwenty dollar biece, und dot vos de reason de soles was made uf paper so dot dey vill vear oud soon, und let de beople know if dey get a brize, you know.” "Is dese hyar shoes de regerler prise shoes ?” inquired tbe negro, greatly inter ested. “Yell, my frent, if ye zee a man vat come in de oder day und show me a gouble uf dwenty dollar gold pieces vot be got oud uv dem shoes, you vould say dey vas a gold mine.” "If de shoes is de regerler prize shoe, I’ll lake ’er nudder pair.” “Certainly, my frent. Herman, wrap de sheutlemau up a bair of dose Louisiana brize shoes, and dike doee vat you dink de money vas in.” When the shoes had been paid for and the negro had gone, Hoffensteiu ■aid: “Herman, did you see how I vork off dose old star brogans ?” "Tea, Misder Hoffensteiu!” “Yell, ven e’r a gustomer comes in de store, recgolleck dot dey vas de Louisiana brize shoe mid a dwenty dollar gold piece in de sole of dem. I dink I vill learn you •omeding about de blstness yet.” A Natural Mistake: Grafton lagle. During court last week one ot our old eitizena from the country walked into tbe new court bouse and entering the hall be came to a flat stone In tbe paved floor upon which there is in large letters the word “Justice.” He stopped and, eying it carefully, said: “Justice, I knew you was dead, bat I did not know where you was burled until now.” The old gentleman seemed quite moved while viewing the tomb of his departed friend. Tto Fwlfteet Baa la Bisiis. Boston Journal. The politest man in Boston has been dis covered. He waa harrying along a street the other night, wheu another man, also in violent haste, rushed cut of an alleyway and the two ooliided with great force. The second man looked mad, while the polite man, taking off his bat, said: “My dear sir, I don’t Enow which t f us is to blame for this violent enoounter, but lam in too great a hurry to investigate. If I ran into you, I beg your pardon: if you run into me, don’t mention it," and he tore away at re doubled speed. unless her husband separated from her. Tbe conjurer then gave Johnston an other charm designed to alienate the hoJK band from the wife. It was worn tbe prescribed time, but be reported that the woman and her husband continued to live happily together, aud that tbe charm would not work. The conjurer replied that Davis must be possessed of a devil, and that he would give Johnston a charm ed bullet, wbicb be must put in a gun and fire at Davis’ bead as he passed from the wood in which he was working to wards bis home at sundown the next eve ning. Johnston objected tbat If he killed the mau the law would hang him (f he were found out. His tears on this bead were allayed by tbe conjurer giving him another charm, which be said would be proof against the law, and tbat no judge or jury could convict him while be wore It upon bis pe son. Thus fortified, Johnston shot Davis through tbe bead on tbe following evening, killing him instantly, aud covered hia body with leaves in the wood nesr the spot where he fell. He then proceeded to the house of tbe deceased and was re ceived aud welcomed by the widow, and domiciled himself in the place of the dead man. The brother of the dead mxn, sus pecting from his absence that he had been the victim oi foul play and finding John ston in possession of his house, had him arrested on suspicious of murder. Tbe body was touud covered up as described on the fourth day after the killing. The prisoner confessed the deed as stated, and was placed on trial before Judge Mackey, at Sumter, on Wednesday last. The trial drew an immense throng of negroes to the court house, whose faith In ibe power of the coujurer satisfied tbem that tbe prisoner could not be convicted. His faith was strengthened by tbe fact tbat two of the jurors empanelled in the case, one a negio and the other a white man, were taken suddenly ill, and two others bad to be substituted Iu their places. Tbe jury, as finally organized, consisted of nine whites and three blacks. The prisoner waa ably defended by Messrs. Barron <& Beard, and the trial occupied the entire day. The jury were out but ten minutes, and re'nrued with a verdict cf guilty. The verdict was re ceived with exclamations of surprise from many ol the negroes present. Judge Mackey, who is uoi sensitive to charms of the class described, at once proceeded to sentence the prisoner. In response to tbe question from the Judge, whether he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon blm, the pris oner replied tbat he had had a fair and impartial trial, but there were powers at .work which the jury could not under stand, aud intimated that those powers ' would yet Interfere In his behalf. He requested the Judge to give him as long a time to live as tbe law would per mit, saying, with a very pertinent use of the argumentum ad homtnem, "How would you like, Your Honor, if you were in my place, to be hung in a burry ?” Judge Mackey, r.opreciating tbe force of this argument, sentenced him to be hauged on Friday, tbe twenty-fifth day of Novem ber next. Tbe uegro faith In their sys tem of fetichism, or the power of charms, has been strengthened by the fact that the sheriff of the county, a robust man in the prime of life, dropped dead within three Lours after tbe prisoner was seuteuoed, and a few minutes after be bad expressed his abhorrence of performing the painful duty imposed upon him by law of execu ting tbe sentence. It should be staled to tbe credit of tbe prisoner that when in formed of this death he wept bitterly. Petrslssss la Ttasnui. In Woodbury, Cannon county, Tennes see, about fifty miles E. 8. E. of Nash ville, very important petroleum discover ies bare recently been made, which tbe Woodbury Press, a newspaper of that county, thus comments upon: Mr. George G. Stage, of Greenville, Pa., a practical oil man of large experience, arrived here Tuesday afternoon, for the purpose of examining the oil territory in this vicinity, and locating a spot for drill ing a test well. In company with Major Jones, Mr. Stage visited some of tbe lo calities where oil signs are most abund ant, and he is of the opinion that tbe in dication* of oil here are as good as at any p jint in tbe oil regions of Pennsylvania, while the quality of tbe oil ia superior to any in that State, tbe oil being tbe best kiud of lubricating oil, such aa will proba bly command $10 or $12 a barrel at tbe tanks. Mr. Stage is to be tbe superinten dent of the work here, and has located the first well on the Neely farm, on Cav- endcr’s branch, about two miles northeast ot Woodbury. He left for home Wednes day afternoon, aud will be back in about two weeks. In tbe meantime, Mr. Martin, an expe rienced rig-builder and driller, is here en gaged in preliminary work, while lumber for a derrick and tanks is being sawed. As soon as tbe lumber is re^dy he will commence the construction of a derrick seventy-two feet hiab, on which will be suspended the ponderous drill* for drill ing an eight-inch well. Thsoe drills weigh 3,000 pounds each, and in every particular, a* is all the machinery that La* been provided for the business, are first-class. This preparatory work will occupy three or four weeks, when drilling will be commenced aud continued day and night until oil ia reached. The machinery und appliances for opening and working a well were shipped ou the 23d ult., and will doubtless arrive in a few day*. Mr. George Boyce, oi Sharoe, P*., the principal in the company, is a gentleman of great wealth and enterprise, and If oil is found, la abundantly able to push the business to aoeoeer.