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■ gjfrMfayfo- YOL. 2. DUBLIN, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1879. WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH BOYS? BY LOUISE S. UPHAM. THE The long winter evenings are coming, And what shall we do with the boys? Brimming over with fun and with frolic, Brimming over with rollicking joys; . Too old for the blocks and the marbles, Too old for the bright-painted toys; What happiness waiteth the children ? O, what shall we do with the boys! The bright eye is'searching for pleasure, The deft hand, for something to do; The busy brain still must be seeking For fancies, that prove false or true! Shall we leave them alone, till they wander Away from the fireside’s pure joys? Away from the father and mother? O, what shall we do with the boysf O, shall we noi faithfully labor, To make home amusements so sweet, That the day will be cheered for its duties, And evening turn homeward the feet? Each year brings our sons nearer manhood When they shake off the curb that annoys; And then when they leave the old homestead O, how we shall miss the dear boys! They m«V have their frolics and pastimes, But why let the worldlings defile' The innocent hearts of our children, That home’s magic should ever beguile? Let the books they enjoy strew the table— A good book or song never cloys— And to the home feastings make welcome The well-chosen guests of our boys. Let them see the clear sun of love shining In the faces that greet them each day; Let them know' just how truly we miss them. Every moment they must be away; Let them feel that their place always waits them; That no joys equal childhood’s pure joys ; And dearest of all earthly blessings, Will be home to these rollicking boys. A MIDNIGHT STRUGGLE. In the early autumn of the year 1849 about an hour before sunset, I drew reign in front of a large double lognhouse, on the very summit of the Blue Ridge mountains of Eastern Kentucky. The place was evidently kept as a tavern, at least so a sign proclaimed, and here I determined to demand accommodation for myself and ser vant Bose, a dark-skinned body guard. Bose and I had been play mates in child and boyhood, and ] need hardly say that tlie faithful fel low was attached to me as I was to him, and on more than one occasion he had shown his devotion. . There had been a “shooting match” at .the. Mountain House that day, and, as I dismounted, I saw through the open window of the bar room a noisy, drunken, and evidently quarrelsome set of backwoods-men, each of which was swearing by all possible and impossible oaths that he was not only the best shot, but that he could out-fight, out-jump, out-wrestle, run faster, jump higher, dive deeper and come up dryer than any other man “on the mountains.” “I say, Mars Ralph,” said Bose, in a low tone, as I handed him my bri dlo reiri, “I don’t like the looks of dem dar. S’pose we go on to the next house; taint fur.” “Nonsense, Bose,” I replied; ‘‘these fellows are only on a little spree over their shooting. We have nothing to do with them nor they with ns. Take the horses round to the stables and see to them yourself. You know they’ve had a hard day of it.-” And throwing my saddle-bags over my shoulders, I walked up the nar row path to the house. I found, as I have intimated, the bar room filled with a noisy, turbo lent crowd, who one and all stared at mo without speaking as I went up to the bar and inquired if I and my servant could get accommodations for the night. Receiving an affirmative reply from the landlord, a little, red-headed cadaverous-looking man, I desired to be at once shown to my room, whither I went, but not until I had been compelled to decline a score of requests “to take a drink,” much to the disgust of the stalwart bachana- The room to which I was shown was at the far end of a long two- story structure, evidently but recent ly added on to the main building, which it intersected at right angles. A gallery extended along the front by means of which the rooms were reached. I found my apartment to be large and comparatively well furnished, there being besides the bed) a com fortable cot, half a dozen “split bot tomed” chairs, a heavy clothes press, and a bui*eau with glass. There were two windows one along side the door, and the other in the opposite end of the room. The first mentioned door was barred with stout oak strips, a pro tection, I presumed, against intrusion from the porch, while acaoss the lat ter door was drawn a heavy woolen curtain. In the course of half an hour Bose entered my room* and announced that the hoiscs had been properly at tended to, and a few moments later a bright-faced.mulatto girl summon ed us to supper. Supper over, I returned to my room, first requesting to be roused to an early breakfast, as I desired to on the road by sunrise. Thoroughly wearied by my day’s ide, I at once began peparations for retiring, and had drawn off one boot, when Bose came in rather hastily, looking furtively over his shoulder, and then cautiously closing and lock ing the door. Mars Ralph, dars gwine to be trouble in this house afore morning,” he said. And I saw in a moment that some thing had upset the faithful fellow’s eqilibrium. “Why, Bose, what is it? What do you mean?” I asked barely re straining a smile. “I tole you mars Ralph we had better trabbel furdei’,” was the rather mysterious reply. “Yon see dat gal tole mo dar Would be a muss if we stayed in this house all night.” By close questioning I elicted the fact that the girl had really warned him that four mer. whom I had no ticed together were a desperate set of villains; and probably had designs upon our property, if not our lives. Tho girl had seen two of them at the stables while I was at supper, arid by cautiously creeping into a stall, next to the one in which they stood, had heard enogh to convince her that they meant mischief. Subsequently to this she also saw the landlord in close confab with the entire paitv, and from his actions judged that he was urging the men to their nefarious work. “I tell you, Mars Ralph, dem peo ple ain’t arter no good—now you heard me,” persisted Bose. I had begun to think so myself; but" what was to be done. The situ ation was full of embarrassment, and I felt nothing could be done save to wait and watch, and, by being on the alert, defeat their plans by a deter mined resistance. I found that from the barred win dow a broken pane of glass, a good view of the stables could be had. lotion for the other window. I crossed the room drew aside the heavy curtain, and, raising the sash, looked out. A single glance was sufficient to cause me a thrill of suprise, and I gave a low exclamation that instantly brought Bose to my side. Far below I could see the faint glimmer of water, the low murmur of- which came indistinctly up from depth8, while on a level of what should have been the ground, I dimly saw the waving tree-tops, as they gently swayed before the fresh night breeze, and knew that the window overlooked a chasm, the sounding of which I could only guess at. In other words, the house, or that portion of it was bniltupon the verge of the cliff, the solid rock forming a foundation more lasting than any that could he made by the hands of l man. I leaned far out, and saw that there was not an inch of space left between the heavy log on whioh the structure rested and the edge of the preoipice; and then I turned away with the full conviction that if escape must be piade, it certainly would riot bo made in that direction. There was nothing especially strange in this; there are mariy houses so* constructed—I had seen one or two myself—and yet when I drew baok into tho room and saw tho look in Bose’s face, I felt danger quick and deadly was hovering in the air. Without speaking I went to my saddlebags and got out my’pistols— snberb pair of long double rifles, that I knew to bo acourato anywhere under a half a hundred yards. “Dar! dem’s what I like to see!” exclaimed Bose, as ho dived down into his bag and fished out an old horse pistol that had belonged to my grandfather, and whioh I knew was loaded to the muzzle with No. 1 buckshot. It was a terrible weapon at close quarters. The stables in which our horses were feeding could be watched, and by events transpiring in that locality we would shape our actions. I found the door could be locked from the inside, and in addition to this, I im provised a bar by means of a chair leg wrenched off and thrust through a heavy iron staple that had been driven in the wall. Its fellow on the opposite side was missing. Wo then lifted the clothes press before the window, leaving just room onough on one side to clearly see, and, if necessary to fire through; dragged the bureau against the door wjtfyaa little noise as possible, and felt that everything thnbHvfirpossi ble, had been done. A death-like stillness reigned over tho place, broken only once by the voice of the Colored girl singing as she crossed tho stable yard, • I had fallen into a half doze, seat ed in a chair near the window faciug the stables, whore Bose was on tho watch, when suddenly I felt a slight touch upon my arm and the voice of the faithful sentinol in my ear. ‘‘Wake up, Mars Ralph; doy’s foolin ’bout do stable doo’ arter de horses, shnah,” brought me wide awake to my feet. Cautiously peeping out, I saw at a glance that Bose was right in his conjeoture—there were two of them —one standing out in clear moon light, evidently watching my. win dow, .while the other—and I fancied it was the landlord—was in the shadow near the door, which at that moment slowly swung open. As the man disappeared within the building, a low, keen whistle cut the air, and at the instant I heard the knob of my door cautiously tried A low hiss from Bose brought mo to his side, from the door whore I had been listening. Dey’s got de horses out in de yard,” he whispered as he drew aside to let me look out through the bro ken pane. “Take the door and fire through it if they attack,” I said. “I am goipg to shoot that fellow holding the horses 1” “Lordy, Mars Ralp, it’s de tavern keeper. He ain’t no count. Drop the big man!” was the sensible ad vice, which I determined to adopt. Noiselessly drawing aside the cur tain I rested the muzzle of my pistol on the sash, where the light had been broken away; and drew a bead upon the tallest of the two men who stood, holding the three horpes, out in the bright moonlight. The sharp crack of the weapon was instantly followed by a yell of pain, and I saw the ruffian reel baok ward, and measure his length upon the earth, and then from the main builing there rang out “Murder! Murder! Oh, help!” Like lightning it flashed across my mind. There were three horses out in the open lot! There was, then, another traveler besides our selves. A heavy blow descended upon tho door and a voice roared: Quick! Burst the infernal thing open at let me get at him. The scoundrel^ has killed Dave!” “Let them have it Bose,” I whis pered, rapidly reloading my pistol. The second panel.” With a steady hand the plucky fellow leveled* tho huge weapon and pulled tho trigor. A deafening report followod, and again a shrill cry of mortal anguish told them tho shot had not been wasted. “Babe us! how.it do kick!” ox- claimed Bose, under Iris breath. The blow had fallen like an unex pected thunderbolt upon the bandits and a moment lateiAve heard their retreating footsteps down the corri dor. ‘Dar’ll bo more of ’em heah ’fore long, Mars Ralph,” said Bose, with an ominous shake of. the head. “I speots dose b’longs to a band, and if dey comes an’ we still heah, wo gone coons for Bhuar.” This view of tho case was new to mo; bqt I felt the force of it. I knew that suoh bands <J.id exist in these mountains. Stunned for a moment, I turned around and stared hopelessly at Bose; but he, brave fellow that he was, nover lost his head for an instant. “Bound to leab here, Mars Ralph,” he said, quite confidently. “An’ dar ain’t no way gwine ’cept through dat window;” and he pointed to the one overlooking tho cliff. I merely shook nty head, and turn ed to watoh again, hoping to get a shot at the rascal on guard. Bose, left to his own devices, at once, wont to work. I heard him fussing around the bed for some time, but never looked to see what he was after until ho spoke. “Now den for tho rope I hoard him say, Arid.-mj>aJpBtonfc I caught his meaning. He had stripped tho bed of its cov ering; dragged off the heavy tick and the stout hempen rope with which it was “corded.” In five minutes he had drawn tho rope through its many turnings, and then, gathering tho coils in his hand he drew it up to the sash and-prepar ed to tuke soundings. It failed to touch bottom; but, no wise disheartened, ho seized the cot ton coverlet and spliced on. This succeeded and the cord was drawn up preparatory to knotting it in place of cross-pieces. In the mean while the silence with out had been broken once. . A shrill, keen whistle, such as we had heard before, was given by the man on watch, and replied to by some one seemingly a little way off. Then I heard footsteps—soft, cat-like ones- on the verunda outside, showing that the robbers wore on tho alert at all points.” At length> Bose announced the ‘ladder” ready. It was again lower ed from trie window, and the end was hold and made fast to the bod wo had dragged over for the purpose, ‘Now, den. Mars Ralph, I go down fust and see if ’um strong ’riuf to bar us.” And he was half woy out of the window before I could speak. “No, Bose; you shall not,” I an swered, firmly, drawing him back into the room. “You must—” The words were lost in din of furious and totally unexpected attack upon tho door. The dull, heavy strokes of the axe yvero intermingled with the sharp quick clatter of the hatchets as they cut away at the barrier, and once in a while I could hear deep oaths, os though they have been rendered doubly savage by resistance. “Here, Bose, your pistol! Quick!” I whispered, and the heavy charge went crushing through, followed by shrieks and curses of pain and rage. “Now, th.cn, out with you! I will hold the place,” I said rushing back to the window. “Crime, Bose, hur ry, or wo will be lost.” Tho fellow now insisted on my go ing first; but ho saw that time was wasting and glidod down tho rope, gradually disappearing in the heavy shadows. The fall of one of their number oaused only a momentary lull, and I hoard thorn renew tho assault with tenfold fury. I dared not fire again, for I felt that every bullet would be ncodod when affairs were more pressing. It soomod an ago before I felt tho signal from below that the rope was ready for me; but it came, and I let myself down pausing an instant, as my eyes gained a lovol with tho sill, to take a last look into tho room. As I did so the door give way, and the bloodthirsty demons poured over tho threshold. I know that I had no timo for de liberate movement. They would in stantly discover the mode of osoapo, and eithor cut the rope or fire down on me. I had taken the precaution to draw on my heavy riding gloves, and my hands, thus protected, djd not suffor as much as might huvo been expect ed. With my oyos fixed upon tho win dow, I slid rapidly down and struck the earth with a jar that wronohod every bone in my body. Quick as lightning I was seized by Bose, draggod sojno paces on one side, and cIobo against tho face of tho cliff. Not a socond too soon, for down camo a volley, toaring up tho earth ’about tho foot of tho rope, whoro, a moment before, I had stood. . “Thunder, tlioy will escape ! Af ter them, -down tho rope !” yelled a voice almost inarticulate with rago. And I saw a dark form swing out and begin tho doscont. “Now, Mars Ralph.” wliisporod Bose, significantly, and with a quick aim I tired at tho swaying flguro. Without a sound tho man reloasod his hold and camo down like n lump of load—shot through tho brain. Anothor had started in hot hasto, and was more than half way out of the window, when suddenly tho scone above was brilliantly lit up by tho glare of a torch. Again tho warning voice of tho watchful black called my attention to tho figuro now struggling dospor- ately to» regain tho room, and, as before, throw up my pistol and cov ering tho exposed side, drew the trigger. With a convulsive effort tho wretch springing far out into tho ompty void turned over once and camo down with a rushing sound upon tho jag, ged rooks that lay at tho foot of tho precipice. A single look to see that the win dow was clear—wo knew there could be no path loading down for a long distance eithor way, or they never would have attempted the rope, and we plunged headlong into tho dense forest that clothed the mountain side. Wo got blear, it is true; but but with the loss of our animals and baggage; for tho next day when wo returned with a party of regulators we fond tho place a heap of smoul dering ashes, and no living soul to tell whither the robbers hod fled. The Latest Curiosities. A fence made from tho railing of a scolding wife. A plato of butter from tho “croam of a joke.” The small coins in “the chango of the moon.” The original brush used in painting “tho signs of the times.” The lutest contract with the “Trade Winds.” The chair in whioh tho sun sots. A garment for tho naked eyo. The hammer which broke up tho meeting. Buckle to fasten a laughing-stock. Tho animal thut drow tho infer ence. Egg from a nest of thioves. A Ducket of water from “All’s woll, If anybody has hard work to pleaso most peoplo, it is an editor. If ho omits anything lie is lazy. If he spoaks of things as they are, peoplo got angry. If ho glosses over or smooMios down tho rough points, ho is bribod. If ho oalls things by their proper names, .lie is declared unfit for his position. If he docs not fur nish his readers with jokes,'ho is a mullet. If he docs, ho is a rattle- head, lacking stability. If he indul ges in personalities, ho is a black guard. If he does not, his paper is dull and insipid. “Romomber who you are talking to, sir,” said an indignant parent to a facetious boy; “I-am your father.” “Well, who’s to blame for that ?” said tho young importinence, “tain’t mo.” AVe know a girl who will wrestle with a croquet mallet in tho hot sun for hours and not oomplain. But just ask her to hold on to tho wooden end of a broom for a few minutos and sho’ll have a fit.—Stillwater Lum berman. Wo loam from tho Binghampton Republican that a society for the prevention of cruelty to pianos is meditated. That is a grand and upright move, and wo hope tho pro jectors will bo on-Knabe-led to carry it out. Etfbry one ought to be busy, but no ono ought to bo so busy that he can’t do his work well. An over worked - man is like a certain plow of which wo huvo hoard, whioh turned up a great deal more than it could turn ovor. Tho Knoxville (Tpnn.) Dispatch says: Georgia is the wealthiest, hap piest and most prosperous State in tho South. There is cheerfulness and thrift throughout hor borders. Her people uro at work. There is no groaning ovor an unsettled debt. Hor railroads permeate almost overy nook and corner of her wide domain. Sho is emphatically tho Empire State of tho South. “Tho life you load will most assur edly shorten your days,” said a griev ed father to a dissipatod son. “Is that so, governor?” exclaimed tho young villain, with a joyful face. ‘I am deuced glad to hear it. If it shortens my days it must naturally lengthen my nights, and hitherto I have found the nights too oonfounded short for my pleasures.” Fa sat down. A gentleman, ono. evoning was seated near a lovely woman, when tho company around were proposing conundrums to each. Turning to his companion he said: “Why is a lady unlike a mirror?” She gave it up. “Because,” said the rude follow, “a mirror reflects without speaking.; a lady speaks without reflecting.” “Very good,” said she. “Now an swer me. Why is a man unlike a mirror?” “I cannot tell you.” “Because tho mirror is polishod and the man is not.” Tho State of Texas having imposed a license tax of two hundred dollars on commercial travelers nearly all of the larger houses in New York have recalled their agents, feeling that a submission to the tax in ono State would load to its imposition in others. An old farmer intont on making his will was asked by tho lawyer the name of' his wife, when ho gravely roplied: “Woll, indeed, I really don’t recollect what it is; we’ve boon mar ried for upwards of forty years, and I always' called hor my old woman,” The lawyer loft a blank to be filled up when tho old woman’s name was ascertained. “I know what made my papa an^ your papa sick,” said ono little girl to anothor. “What?” “Thoydnnq- ed too much at tho Springs,” “Uus)i, my papa belongs to tho mooting,” “So does mino whon he’s at home, but tlioro ain’t no meotin’ up at tljp Springs.” •