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To Him Who Waits.
Many a castle I’ve built iu Spain,
With turrets and domes that were passing
fair,
But the first wild storm of wind and rain
Has proved me my castles were made of air.
Many a fleet I have sent to sea,
Freighted with hopes and ambitions bright;
Never a ship has come back to me,
Though I have watched for them long by
day and night.
But X sometimes think there will come a day
When my heart’s fond wishes I shall attain—
When walled and towered in grand array,
Shall stand secure my castles in Spain.
And I look to see the sunset’s glow,
As it reddens the ocean miles on miles.
Shine on the ships that sailed long ago—
My ships coming back from the Fortunate
Isles.
—[Edith Sessions Tupper.
The Confederate’s Ruse.
BY JOHN B. TABB.
I was the last of the fortunate few
that escaped from Point Lookout prison,
he said, in the fall of ’C4.
The enclosure—known as the Bull
Pen—in which the prisoners were kept,
consisted of a paling about 14 feet high,
with an outside platform, not far from
the top, where the sentinels day and
night walked their beat in sight of the
prisoners.
On the eastern side of the camp was
the Chesapeake; and here, if we kept
within musket range, we could bathe
or fish at any hour of the day—a privi¬
lege greatly appreciated by those who
could stand the exertion.
For some it became a daily practice,
whenevor tho weather permitted the
sport, to fish in the forenoon ; and this
we did either standing in the water,
up to cur elbows or armpits,
or sitting on long-legged, crane-like
tripods, which the more ingenious con¬
trived for themselves out of pieces of
cracker-box. Day after day we would
out in the broiling sunshine;
and I have since wondered, in thinking
of it, that no case of sunstroke ever oc¬
curred.
Every morning large tubs of garbage
from tho cook-house and slops from tho
were brought to the
beach to be emptied; and those who
happened to be bathing at the time had
as much as they could do, in returning
to the shore, to keep clear of the filth.
one of these “vessels of ignominy”
was that I owed my escape. It
in this way:
I had waded out with my fishing
on somewhat further than usual,
when I saw a tub floating upside down
and drifting toward me. As soon as it
was near enough, I watched my chance,
and, no ono observing me, dived and
got under it.
There I was, like Falstaff in the buck
basket, with “the rankest compound of
villainous smell that ever offended nos¬
tril.” For a moment I thought I should
suffocate; and doubtless such might
have been my fate but for a bung-hole
the side of tho tub, which I fortu¬
nately discovered, and through which I
got enough light and fresh air to supi>ly
my necessities. As my head was en¬
tirely out of the water, I had but to
turn my face to tlm aperture and follow
the tide.
The weather being cool, the bathers
that morning were comparatively few;
but the beach was lined with groups of
and why neither they nor the
sentinels saw me, I have never yet
known.
Once out of musket range, I was safe
so long as I managed to keep my foot¬
ing. My fear was of stepping beyond
my depth, and so losing the tub; or else
of arousing suspicion by going too fast
the tide. It was necessary, there¬
fore, to move with precaution, and so
slow was my progress for the first two
miles that it took me fully an hour or
more to lose sight of the prison. Even
then it was only at intervals that Idared
to peep out; and not until noon did I
finally venture to doff the tub and make
for the beach.
So weak and cramped and dizzy was
I when I got ashore, that all my regain¬
ing strength was exhausted in dragging
on slowly across the sand to the pins
woods beyond. Once under the whis¬
pering trees, however, and stretchod on
the sweet-smelling, pine-tag carpet, I
fell fast asleep. When I woke I did
not know where I was, nor whether the
sun, which was then quite low, was
just rising or sotting.
Tho’ greatly refreshed by my live
hours’ rest, I was desperately hungry,
and tho question now uppermost in my
mind was of something to cat. I knew
that the people in that part of St.
Mary’s were, most of them, kindly dis¬
posed to the South, and that vory night
brought a proof of it in the warm hos¬
pitality extended to me at a neighbor¬
ing farm-house.
On tho following morning I left this
retreat, not only relieved of my present
wants, but provided with what would
supply my necessities for at least a
week longer.
The adventure that closed my career
of danger is the only one, after I quitted
the coast that deserves to be men¬
tioned.
I had been traveling mostly on foot
since I made my escape; and now, alter
many a tedious delay, there remained
but one critical step to be taken to de¬
termine my fate. A distance of ten or
twelve miles was before me and I had
to pass through the village of to
reach my destination. For greater se¬
curity I was advised to make this last
stage of my journey by night, and by
no means to enter the village till dark,
as there were known to be spies in the
place always on tho alert.
At sunset, coming in sight of the set¬
tlement, I halted to rest and to see
where best to conceal myself while I
waited for night.
There stood, a little to the left of the
road, a clump of thick evergreens, to
which, as the nearest reluge, I straight¬
way directed my course. On reaching
the spot I was greatly assured to find it
a graveyard. This, of all places, I
thought, is tho one most fortunate for
me; so, leaping the low stone wall, I
proceeded to examine the surroundings.
A family vault, in a crumbling condi¬
tion, bore tho nnmo of the village; and
some of the tombs were of older date.
In one special corner of the enclosure
was a group of fre3h graves, where I
took it to he that the soldiers were
buried; and among these I noticed a
newer mound, which, from the flowers
upon it, I thought had been raised that
morning.
I read tho inscriptions from tomb to
tomb till it got too dark to decipher
them. Presently lights from tho distant
houses began to appear; and I was just
thinking it time to go, when the sound
of some vehicle coming my way arrested
the thought.
Listening in breathless suspense, I
soon found that the wheels were much
nearer than I hadsupposed, the stealthi¬
ness of the approach alone having kept
me from hearing them. Before I had
to collect myself, a close-covered
wagon stopped outside tho wall, and I
two men get cautiously out of it—
one to open the gate, and the other to
lead tho horse in. Tho time, the place,
mysterious approach—everything
to agitate me, and I was on tho
of taking to flight, when the
truth flashed upon me. Proceeding at
once to tho new-made grave, the rob¬
each with a spade from the wagon,
forthwith to remove the loose
earth, with a skill and rapidity that
proved beyond doubt their professional
character.
It maybe imagined with what pro¬
found interest I watched their opera¬
tions. In Jess time thaD I had con
ceived it possiblo tho coffin was raised,
and the body, around which they threw
a long cloak, removed to tho wagon.
The work of refilling the grave was
soon done; and hardly an hour from the
time they came in the rascals were out
of tho graveyard and on their way
homeward, The wagon had no sooner
turned from the gate than I started to
follow it.
There wa3 no moon, and the night
was dark; but, luckily for me, the vil¬
lains drove slowly, and, though at some
distance behind the vehicle, I never lost
sight of it.
When about half-way back to tho vil¬
lage we came to a stop; and I saw the
two men, to my great satisfaction, get
out at the d oor of a public house, leav¬
ing, meanwhile, the cart and its occu¬
pant alone in the road.
Just as the tavern door closed again I
quickened my pace, and, impelled by a
sudden inspiration, leaped forward and
into the cart.
There bolt upright against tho front
seat, sat the stolen corpse, a hat pulled
low down over the face, while the cloak
before mentioned completely enveloped
the rest of the figure.
My purposo was, first, to remove the
corpse, and theD, having put on the
cloak and hat, to take its place and
await what might happen.
I need not have hurried my task as I
did, for the men took their time. When
they came out at last, it was evident
that they had been drinking freely in¬
side; and I saw with delight as they
entered tho wagon that one had a bottle
along with him to imbibe on the way.
They resumed their seats, one on each
side of me, and wo started again.
Hitherto, I am inclined to believe,
not a word hdd been uttered upon the
road by either of my companions; but,
the alcohol doing its perilous work,
they began to talk openly. I learned
now that it wa3 not their intention to
stop in the village, but at a vacant houso
six miles beyond; and this place was, as
I further discovered, within easy reach
of my own destination.
By the time we were fairly out of the
village the bottle had already twice been
produced, with results that greatiy con¬
firmed my hopes of the scheme I wa3
meditating.
My comrades, soon in this maudlin
state, became silent and drowsy; and
just hero it was that my part began.
Very gently at first, and by slow de¬
grees, I inclined myself more and more
to one side.
“Jim, you are pushing this thing on
me," said my left-hand neighbor.
“Don’t lean on it so.”
Jim, with an effort, straightened him¬
self and tried to sit upright. It was
his turn next to/complain of me, for I
gradually sloped my wholo weight on
him till ho gasped for breath.
“By George, it is you that are shoving
it now 1 I’m almost smothered! Pull
up the blame thing, will you? ’ he cried,
“and don’t let it slip over this side
again.” Denying the charge with oath, the
an
other leaned over, and drew mo into
position. So ludicrous was it becoming
to me, that, but for tho stupefied state
of tho rogues, I mu3t have betrayed
myself. The game, however, was not
yet done, and my stakes in the issue
wore far too great to allow it to stop.
Tho question was now of a second
move.
I was projecting another descent upon
the left wing, when, as if to anticipate
such a design, the enemy hemmed mo
in on both flanks; and there I sat, pin¬
ioned between tho two, like a hand
culled prisoner.
A nudge of both elbows at once, on
the ribs of my sleeping guards, was a
shock that loosened their jaw-bones,
arid brought the cold sweat to their
faces.
“What are you up to?” each ques¬
tioned the other in a tremulous voice.
“I didn’t touch it,” said Jim, in dis.
may.
“Tho deuce you clidn’tt” exclaimed
the other. “Don’t tell me a lie I Put
your hand under tho cloak there, and
feel if the musclos are drawn.”
Jim meekly obeyed.
“Great Caesar!” ha panted; “if the
thing ain’t hot 1”
“Hot?” I yelled, tearing the cloak
apart; “You would be too, if you were
in my place?’
The two wretches cast but one look
at me, and then, tumbling bodily out
of the wagon, took to their heels.
That was tho last I saw of them. "
The coast thus clear, I seized the reins
and drove rapidly on. Next morning
discovered me safe at home the happy
possessor of a wagon and horse, the
spoils of the enemy.—[New York Inde¬
pendent.
Coney Island Profits.
I picked up some information about
Coney Island beer the other day, says a
reporter in the Brooklyn Citizen, my in¬
formant being tho superintendent of a
well-known restaurant. “I had charge,”
he said, “of a beer counter down at tho
Island part of one summer, and really
think I learned how to sell more froth
and less beer for five cents than any
other man in the business. For every
keg of beer that was tapped I had to
turn in $9 to the boss, and if I failed to
do so he deducted tho difference out of
my wages. That very seldom happened
though. The boor co3t the boss $2 a
keg, aud I have sold as much as $13
worth of beer from one kog; that meant
$4 for me, after I had settled avith the
boss. I liked to see a party come in
and commence drinking ponies of beer.
Tho usually got about a tablespoonful of
beer at the bottom of several inches of
froth, and it wa3 wonderful how the keg
would hold out. Then I had charge of
the lunch counter for a short time and
did pretty well there. Tho b iss bou xht
the leanest hams he could get, averag¬
ing about twelve pounds each, and I
had to turn in $10 tor every ham. We
sold the sandwiches for ten cents, cut¬
ting the ham so thin you ceuld almost
see through it, but then we had the
bread thick enough, and gave plenty of
mustard. I made out pretty well at that
work, but tho beer counter paid me the
best. What profit is made on a roll and
a sausage? You pay five cents for it,
and one-half of that is profit.”
Ribbon Enough to Girdle the Earth.
Ribbon for trimmings is in greater
demand than ever, and an enormous
length of silk ribbon is manufactured in
Passaic county, N. J., yearly. In Pat¬
erson alono is made about 38. 675,000
yards a year. This is 110,085.00 J feet,
or a little less than 22,731 miles. This
would reach from Washington to Java
and back. It is two and a half times
the distance to Canton, Chinn, three
times tho distance to the Capo of Good
Hope, and seven times across tho ocean
from New York to England. Three -
quarters of all tho ribbon made in this
country is manufactured at Paterson,
and about oac-tenth as much more is
imported. It is impossible to estimate
how much is consumed in America, as %
considerable quantity is exported, but a
careful calculation would perhaps make
it about 30,000 mile3 a year, or consid¬
erably more than enough to put a silken
belt around tho earth, —[New York.
Star,