BY J. A-TURNER.
VOLUME 11.
von the indeFemiMNi press.
Christmas in Eatonton, 1854.
'Tis just, past 12, tlio clock has struck,
Anil merry Christinas smiling comes,
Once more the b’lioys arc in luck,
And burst at least a dozen bombs.
The Major from a dreamless bed,
Wakes up a growling now and then,
And swears the boisterous crew are led
ISv that alliired villain L n.
.V few more hours speed on their way,
And herald rays of morning come,
The darkness flees before the day,
And whiskey vies with rotten rum.
The darkies crowd upon the streets,
With gaping mouths and staring eyes,
Each bandies ever}- one he meets,
And looks at Isaac with surprise.
They crowd around to see W h R e,
Who much essays to deal in wit,
And many a wordy volley throws,
With once a year a splendid hit.
Some bring horse-collars made to sell,
A few bring in a load of corn,
Their little pocket change to swell,
And all rejoice O N--e is gone.
Some bring their coal to Marshall’s shop,
Some bring to town a load of hay,
And all are eager for a drop,
To baptize in it Christmas day.
And white folks love iht creetur too,
And crowd around the Leonard House,
And Floyd’s establishment's in view,
Always prepared like pickled souse.
All over town the egg.nogg loams,
With hollow-hearted syllabub,
And mirth and laughter till our homes,
Each social heard; a merry club.
The children are in joyful glee,
And laugh, androinp, and sing because,
Their little hearts are blithe and free,
Made so by good old Santa Claus.
A boisterous crew is yonder crowd—
With simple look, and silly leer
Ike make the niggers laugh aloud
At wit poured forth as auctioneer.
The merchant looks about to dun,
Rut no success as yet has met,
For folks are bent on seeing fuD,
And ‘’have not sold their cotton yet.”
The money-changers languid stand,
With looks and faces very grave,
With pious heart and liberal hand,
To grant the favor of a shave-
All men, save these, are filled with mirth,
With merry smile and bounteous cheer,
And yet one green spot’s left on earth,
For Christmas comes in once a year.
ijistdlitncfms.
.Mutilation of the Bible.
We sec it stated in some of our ex
changes that a discovery lias been
made to the effect that extensive mu
tulution has been made with the Pro
testant Bible. In some, whole chap
ters appear to be missing ; in others,
particular texts are not to be found;
so that a complete copy of the Scrip
tures is very rare. It may be well to
mention a few of the deficiences most
frequently occurring:
1. In a .great many Bibles the xi.
chapter of Ist Corinthians, from the
21jd verse to the end, is altogether
wanting, besides two or three passages
in the Gospels. In this church there
must be more than a hundred Bibles,
out of which these particular leaves
have been lost.
2. Another passage often missing is
r 7 j. chapter of St. Matthew, from the
19th verse to the end. Indeed the
whole of the Sermon on the Mount, is
frequently torn, and the allegory of
the two houses at the end of it, almost
rubbed out.
3. Ail the texts which speak of “per
fecting” or “finishing” a work—as
Psalms cxxxviii, 8, or Phillippians i.
3—are not to found in many copes.
In others, such verses as Luke xi. 10
are partly or wholly lost.
4. Still more remarkable is the tact
that the deficiencies in the Bible are
different at different times. At pres
et the parts which it is becoming the
fashion to tear out are the 46thverse
of Matthew, xxv.; the n. of Gollos
sians from the 16th to the 20th yyrse,
the former part of 2d Timothy in. 16,
The iii. of St. John’s Gospel, and the
Ist chapter of his Ist Epistle are al
ways perfect. . ; !
Those vho desire to scrutinize the
motives which may have led to the
uractices in question, will learn sorne
thinff by referring to the textsenume
rated above. The investigation will
be found somewhat curious. ,
[liar. Item.
% Stileclilii fm#rial:—pimtril to pferatnrt, jjMitta, aitii dnteraf ||ktUatin.
Bards of the Bible.
Many sparkling passages occur in
“Gilfillan’s Bards of the. Bible,” re
published in a neat form by the Har
pers of New York oily. The follow
ing are illustrations:
“The Bible is a mass of beautiful
ligurcs; its words and its thoughts
are alike poetical ; it has gathered
around its central truths all natural
beauty and interest; it is a temple
with one altar and one God, but illu
minated by a thousand varied lights,
and studded with a thousand orna
ments. It has substantially but one
declaration to make, but it utters it in
the voices of the creation. Shining
forth from the exeelleet glory, its light
has been reflected on a myriad of in
tervening objects, till it has become at
tempered for our earthly vision. It
now beams upon us at once from the
heart of man, and from the counten
ance of nature. It has arrayed itself
in the charms of fiction. It lias gath
ered new beauty from the works of
creation, and new warmth and new.
power from the very passions of clay.
It has pressed into its service the ani
mals of the forest, the flowers of the
field, the stars of heaven —all the ele
ments of nature. The lion spurning
the sands of the desert, the wild roe
leaping over the mountains, the lamb
led in silence to the slaughter, the goat
speeding to the wilderness, the rose
blossoming in Sharon, the lilly droop
ing in the valley, the apple tree bow
ing under its fruit, the great rock
shadowing a weary land, the river
gladdening a dry place, the moon and
the morning star, Carmel by the sea,
and Tabor in the mountains, the dew
from the womb of the morning, the
rain upon the mown grass, the rainbow
encompassing a dark place, the light
God’s shadow, the thunder liis voice,
the wind and the earthquake his foot
steps —all such varied objects are made
as if naturally designed from their
creation to represent Him to whom
the Book and all its emblems point.
Thus the spirit of the book has ran
sacked creation to lay its treasures on
Jehovah’s altar, united the innumera
ble ray| of a far streaming glory on
the little hill of Calvary, and woven a
garland for the bleeding brow of Em
anuel, the flowers of which have been
culled from the garden of a universe.
“The power of the Bible over man
has been long and obstinately resisted;
but resisted in vain. For ages has this
artless, loosely piled little Book been
exposed to the fire of the keenest in
vestigations, a fire meanwhile which
has consumed contemptuously the my.
thology of the Iliad, the husbandry of
the Georgies, the historical truth of
Livy, the fables of the Sinister, the
Talmud and the Koran, the artistic
merit of many a popular poem, the
authority of many a work of philoso
phy and science. And yet there the
Bible lies unhurt, untouched, with not
one of its pages singed, with not
even the smell of fire having passed
upon it. Many an attempt has been
made to scare away this Fiery Pillar
of our wanderings, to prove it a mere
natural product of the wilderness; but
still night after night rises, like one of
the sure arid ever shining stars in the
vanguard of the great march of man,
the old column gliding slow, but guid
ing certainly to future lands of prom
ise, both in the life that is, and that
which cometh hereafter.
“While other books arc planet s
shining with reflected radiance, this
Book, like the sun, shines with ancient
and uuborrowed rays.
“Other books, after shining their
little season, may perish in flames
fiercer than those which destroyed the
Alexdrian library ; this must in, es
sence remain fine as gold, but incon
sumable as asbestos in the generol con
flagration.
The Mississippi by Night.—l3y
night the scene is one of startling in
terest and magical splendor. Hun
dreds of lights are glancing in differ
ent directions, from the villages, towns,
farms and plantations on shore, and
from the magnificent “floating palaces”
of steamers that frequently look like
moving mountains of light and .flame,
so brilliantly are these enormous river
leviathans illuminated outside and in
side. Indeed, the spectacle presented
is like a dream of enchantment. Im
agine steamer after steamer coming
sweeping, sounding, thundering on,
blazing with these thousands of lights,
casting long brilliant reflections on the
fast rolling waters beneath. There is
often a number of them, one after an
other, like so many comets, in Indian
file. Some of these are so marvel
ously anddazziingly lighted, that they
really look like Alladdin’s palace on
fire, sent skurrying and dashing down
the,stream, while, perhaps, just then,
all is darkness around it, I was de
lighted, too, in seeing, as you very fre
quently do, the twinkling lights in the
numerous cottages and homesteads
dotted here and there; and you may
often observe Marge wood fires lit on
the bainks looking like merry-making
bonfires. These, I believe are usually
signals for the-different steamers to
stop to take up passengers, goods, and
animals.
EATONTON, GA., SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1855.
Arc Beasts Immortal ?
This question is thus discussed in
the Edinburgh Review:
“It is ridiculous,” says proud man,
“to suppose them imrnortab” Far be
it from us to deny it; we only say
that it is equally or nearly as ridicu
lous to affirm that they are not im
mortal; since what can be more ridic
ulous than to affirm that of which*
either way, we know nothing? It
may be even more probable that they
are not immortal; but still we know
nothing. Yet how easy, without de
nying the conclusion, or affirming it,
to rebut the usual arguments ! And
thus: “Is it.worthy of the Deity,” it
is sometimes asked, “to bestow im
mortality on such creatures?” Why,
most complacent philosophers, if it was
not unworthy of Him to create them,
and to keep them alive for a limited
time, it may for aught we know, be
not unworthy of Him to restore their
existence, and to continue it for an un
limited time, or forever? “But they
Rave not powers which admit of an
indefinite developement and adaptation
to another and higher condition of ex
istence.” How do you know ? There
may be in them latent capacities of
transformation and developement (not,
indeed, similar to those in man, nor so
glorious) which may disclose in them
—in conformity with some original
type for each species—perfection and
beauty as much greater than those they
now manifest, as man’s future condi
tion may transcend his present. It is
possible—for what is impossible to
that infinite versatility of wisdom,
which even this world presents?—that
there may be a progress by which a fly
or an eagle—though we are far enough
from affirming it—may be as superior
to what they now are, as man shall be
to what he now is, # when “this cor
ruptible has put on incorruption, and
this mortal immortality.” “But where
in the name of wonder will there be
lodging enough for such an infinite ar
ray of immortal atoms?” Truly, we
do not know; but we presume that
for even an infinitude of atoms, infin
ite worlds in infinite space may be
found domain enough. “But is it not
ridiculous to suppose that creatures of
such insignificant powers, such hum
ble, such evidently limited capacities,
should be immortal?” It is danger
ous, 0 man, for thee to employ thy ar
gument. Is it not the very conclusion
which a superior intelligence to thine
—if it knew thee only in the same
way*thou knowest thy despised fellow
brute—would form respecting thee?
at least, if superior intelligence had
not taught thee humility and modesty?
“It is impossible,” he would say, “that
this miserable biped, who physically
manifests so remarked a family resem
blance to his cousins brute; whose in
tellectual qualities, it is true, seem
somewhat superior, though not always,
to theirs and insignificant at the best;
whose moral qualities are apparently
inferior: is it possible that this miser
able compound of vast pretensions,
enormous vanity, ridiculous arrogance,
meanness, envy, cruelty ; who domin
eers over the other animals; who is at
everlasting strife with his own species;
who sprang out of the dust, as his sup
posed inferior fellows did, and returns
to the dust as they do, can aspire to
immortality ?—lt is absurd. Let ns
hope that he is only a transient blot on
the creation, and that the universe will
one day be relieved from his odious
presence.” Far be it from us (even
for our own sake) to whisper any
doubt of the fallacy of such an argu
ment ; but sure we are that an arch
angel might employ it with more rea
son against us than we caii against the
meanest reptile that- crawls-— 41 Well,”
complacent men will say, “if all ani
mals are to be immortal, let us hope at
all events, that they will not occupy
the same world, or live in inconveni
ent proximity." “ Kind heaven grant
it,” all the lower creation will eagerly
reply. “ Man cannot be more anxious
to get away from him.” But in very
deed, by the light of philosophy, we
know nothing about the matter either
way, and that is precisely all we con
tend for. Upon points on which phi
losophers. know nothing, philosophers
should say nothing. That is a beau
tiful school of philosophy (though it
has few disciples) which teaches man
to say. of most things: “It may be
so, and it may be otherwise. It is a
point on which,l only know that Ido
not know.”
Martin Van Buren.—Ex-Pres
ident Van Buren is sojourning at
Yevay, Switzerland,, and is earnestly
at work upon his autobiography, in
which he has already advanced some
two or three hundred pages. It will
not, however, be published until after
his death, and that event, judging from
his present appearance and condition,
it is said, will probably be many years
hence.
Mr. Yan Buren is the only person
in our country who has held the four
highest offices, to-wit: President,
Vice-President, Secretary of State, and
Minister to England. He was also a
United States Senator, Governor of
the State of New York, Attorney
General of the State, State Senator,
and Surrogate of the county of Col
umbia.—- Washington Star.
55j15» Slppi cs>m
Aii Infallible Receipt.
There is an infallible receipt for low--
ness of spirits, nervousness, causeless
misery, and mental irritation, which
beats all restorative ; nostrums, and
emancipates the sufferer more rapidly
than even the famous “ Ila! lia!—cur
ed in an instant!” remedy. When op
pressed with ennui, the poet says:
Throw but a stone, the giant dies!
And so, when the bright sky above
seems leaden to your Ayes; when the
song of birds, the pfattlb of children,
or the gush of waters fall dully upon
your ear; when the outward world is
all vanity of vanities, and existence
seems a burden, and, as Thackery says,
“life is a mistake,” go and do a kindly
action, no matter how or why, or to
whom, but at any sacrifice, at any in
convenience, ‘go and do it—and take
an old man’s word for it, you will nev
er repent. Straights ay the good fairy
comes down the kitchen chimney, and
touches your whole being with her
wand. Straightway the sun bursts
out with a brilliant smilf* the birds
take a joyous carol, the children’s voi
ces are like the morning hymn of a
seraphic choir, and the babbling of the
stream woos your entranced ear with
the silver notes of nature’s own melo
dy. Those are new steeds of Araby
which seemed but rats and mice an
hour or so ago. That is a glittering
equipage which you had scouted as a
huge unsightly pumpkin. You your
self, no longer crouching in dust and
ashes, start upright, with your face to
heaven, attired in the only robe that
preserves eternal freshness, the only
garment you shall take away with you
when y- u are done with all the rest—
the web of charity, that covers a mul
titude of sins. You have besides this
advantage over Cinderella, that where
as her glass slippers and corresponding
splendor must be laid aside before
night, your enchantment shall outlast
the morrow; your fairy’s wand can
reach from earth to heaven, your kind
ly action is entered in a book from
which there is no erasure, whereof the
pages shall be read before men and
angels, and shall endure from ever
lasting to everlasting.
Christians Cannot Fight.—No
one who reads the New Testament
carefully can deny that in the ‘main,
the sentiments there expressed are in
favor of universal brotherhood, and
“ Love is the fulfilling of the law ; ”
“ Hereby may ye know that ye are my
disciples, because ye love one another
“Do ye unto others as ye would have
others do unto you ;” “ Resist not evil
but overcome evil with good;” “If
any man smite thee on one cheek, turn
to him the other also;” “If any man
sue thee at law, and take away thy
cloak, forbid him not to take thy coat
also;” “If any man compel thee to
go with him a mile, go with him
twain” —“put up thy sword into its
scabbard; he that takes the sword shall
perish by the sword”:—“Whence came
all wars and fightings! Come they not
hence even of your lusts ?” Such are
the doctines of the New Testament;
yet nearly all the churches in this age,
who profess to follow Christ, and make
a great show of what they call Chris
tianity, are members of govern
ments that derive all power from the
sword. Their war ships and arsenals,
are stored with the improvements of
human destruction, and they are at
all times ready to go to war for a whim
called honor, or to recover if few. hun
dreds or thousands of paltry gold.,
Are such the churches of Christ ?
Surely not —and the question is, wheth
er it would not be a libel on his Satan
ic majesty to call them the synagogues
of Satan, for we do not read that liis
subjects destroy each other. — Ex.
llog Story.—We heard a capital
anecdote the other day. In Madison
and other counties, mast and acorns
are very scarce; it abounds, however,
; n the county of Estill. Many hogs
were driven there, which the Estill
people considered an infringement on
their rights. Councils were called to
deliberate how to rid themselves of
the nuisance. Many plans were pro
posed, but finally, after a good deal of
debate, one was adopted: It seems
that hogs have a great fear of bears.
Accordingly the skin of a bear was
procured, and a large sow was caught
from one of the droves. She was cov
ered with the bear skin and then let
loose. She immediately returned
among the droves, but on her ap
proach all the hogs took flight, pur
sued by the sow with the bear skin.
It is stated that since the experiment
not.a hog has crossed the confines of
Estill county. — Louisville Journal.
Glass, in ductility, ranks next to
gold. Its ; flexibility', also, is .so great
that when hot it can be drawn out,
like elastic, thread, ipiles in length in a
moment, and to a minuteness equal to
that of the silk worm. It is so elastic
that it can be blown to a gauze-like
thinness, so as easily to float upon the
air, and a globe of it, hermetically
sealed, if dropped upon a polished an
vil, will recoil two-thirds the distance
of its fall, arid remain entire until the
second or third rebound.
Good advice to Young Men.
“There are thousands of men in otir
city who possess wealth which has been
obtained at the neglect of intellectual
cultivation. Those would give half
their fortune if they could be set back,
and have the leisure for mental cul
ture which you, young men, are throw
ing away. Let this be no longer.—
Commence with the autumnal months
to devote an hour or two each evening
1o study. It may be difficult at first,
but will be easier as you proceed, and
at length it will become the most de
lightful of all your enjoyments. The
mind makes the man. Do not suffer
yours to be dwarfed by too much en
joyment either in business or pleasure.
Whatever‘‘you do for the cultivation
of your intellect will be permanent. —
Every hour expended in this manner
will return you five hours of the most
elevated enjoyment in after years.
“Nor is this all. As you become
intelligent, your opportunities for use
fulness will increase, and you can be
the benefactor of your race. With
an increase of usefulness comes an in
crease of emolument. The better
able you are to help others, the better
qualified will you be to help your
selves. Do not then trifle away the
best years of your existence in low
and frivolus pleasures, which will
only degrade you, and impair both
your usefulness and success in after
life.
Buck Darkies. —There is a set of
fancy, well-dressed, dashing, upper-ten
colored gentlemen in this city, who,
slaves though they be, are a source of
great anno3 T ance to quiet, humble white
people, who, aware of the respect due
these “pussens,” are apt to endure
much from them ere resenting slights
or impudence. These “bucks” dress
in quite an alarming style; in fact the
wonderful patterns now displayed in
the fashionable clothing stores are
“nowhere” by the side of these gentyv.
At various corners on Camp and Canal
streets, they' daily assemble in little
groups, take possession of a doorway
or so, occupy a large segment of the
sidewalk, puff cigars m ladies’ faces,
turn their backs and won’t get out of
the way, besprinkle the pavement with
tobacco juice, in loud tones discuss the
merits and demerits of dress and pas
sers by, are not at all bashful in the
use of high sounding oaths ; and, in
short, lounge about, and stand about,
and strut about as if the}' were “cocks
o’ the walk,” and white people were
“small potatoes.” These African de
scended beaux bad better be shipped
et once to the court of Soulouque.—
His High Rankiness would make
Dukes of Marmalade and Barons de
Pomatum of them at once.
[V 0. Picayune.
Mutton Rather than Beef —A
Plea for Sheep. —We sincerely wish
that the American people would sub
stitute mutton for beef and pork to a
much greater extent than they have
been in the habit of doing. Mutton is
more nutritious and wholesome than
beef even, and vastly more so than
pork. In fact the latter ought not to
be eaten at all, especially the fat parts.
Where on earth are there so healthy
and robust looking people as the Eng
lish of all classes? It is not simply
the fogs and humidity of their climate
which give them their robust appear
ance and good looks; for people near
them, with a climate almost like theirs,
look very differently. So far as meats
are concerned, they are mutton eaters;
probably more than half the animal
food .consumed in England, being mut
ton. But it is not Merino, nor Saxony
mutton —-nor of the ragged fence-jump
ing creatures commonly kept over
large districts of- the United States.
English, Scotch, Welsh and Irish mut
ton is mainly of improved breeds, well
bred and thoroughly cared for. These
we may have in as high perfection as
the)-, by obtaining the breeds, and be
stowing a little pains in their propaga
tion and feeding. We are glad to
know that the attention of many jof
our farmers is turning to that branch
of stock, and we trust that the good
taste and discrimination of. consumers
of meats will give a substantial en
couragement to their endeavors.
[American Agriculturist.
A man in the common walks of life
who has faith in perfection in -the un
folding of the human Spirit, as the
great purpose of God, possesses more
the secret . of, the universe, perceives
more the harmonies or mutual adapta
tion of the world without and the world
within him, is a wiser interpreter of
Providence, and reads nobler lessons
of duty in the events which pass . be
fore hirn, than the profoundest philos
opher who wants this grand central
truth. — Ohanning.
The 11th Commandment. —Thou
shalt not carry off the editor’s exchang
es unless thou art sure lie- fed one with
them, neither shalt thou talk to him
wheh he .is writing, or readin gJ 4 proof, ’’
lest lie get angry and kick thee out of
the sauctuyi. ,
' . ~ T 7 r : v; Y ;
One animal well fed is of more val
ue than two pqqrly kept. ,
[FROM THE ALBANY - EVENING JOURNAL, DEC. 19.]
The Maine Law—What Progress
it has Made.
The rise and progress of laws, in
various States, prohibiting the sale of
intoxicating drinks, is briefly exhibit
ed by the following abstract:
1851— Passed by the Legislature of
Mai ire.
1852- —Passed by the Legislature of
Minnesota. q # %
1852—Passed bv the Legislature of
Rhode Island.
1852 —Passed by the Legislature of
Massachusetts.
1852—Ratified by the people of Min
nessota.
1852 — Passed by the Legislature of
Vermont.
1858.—Passed by the Legislature of
Michigan.
1858—Ratified by the people of
Vermont.
1853 — Ratified by the people of
Michigan.
1853 —Its submission to the people
pronounced unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court in Minnessota.
1858—Pronounced unconstitutional
by U. S. Supreme Court in Rhode
Island. ‘
1858 —State Supreme Court equally
divided in Michigan.
1854—Pronounced unconstitutional
in Massachusetts.
1854—Passed by Legislature of N.
York. Vetoed by Govei^or.
1854 —Passed by one branch of Leg
islature of New Hampshire.
1854—Passed by one branch of Leg
islature of Maryland.
1854 —Passed by Legislature, but
two branches failed to agree, in Penn
sylvania.
1854 Passed by Legislature of
Ohio.
1854 —Voted for by the people of
Wisconsin.
1854—Pronounced unconstitutional
in Ohio.
1854—Passed in modified form, by
Legislature’of Rhode Island.
1854 —Passed by Legislature of Con
necticut.
It will be observed that it lias pass
ed the Legislature of seven States and
a Territory. It has fallen, through
legislative disagreement, in four. It
has been submitted to the people, and
ratified by them, in four. It has no
where been repealed by the legislature,
though it has been four times set aside
by the judiciary, and in one re-enacted
in a modified form.
I will probably be a subject of dis
cussion in the legislatures of all the
Northern States this winter, and in
those of Mar)daud, Virginia, Delaware,
South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky,
Tennessee and Texas. •
Vegetable Instinct. —ls a pan of
water be placed within six inches
of either side of the stem of a
young pumpkin or vegetable marrow,
it will, in the course ot the night, ap
proach it, and will be found in the
morning, with one of its leaves floating
on the water. This experiment may
be continued nightly until the plant
begins to fruit. If a prop be placed
within six inches of a young convol
vulus, of scarlet, ruuner, it will find it,
although the prop may be shifted dai
-1)-. If, after it has twined some dis
tance up the top, it be unwound, and
twined in the opposite direction it will
return to its original position, or die
in the attempt, yet notwithstanding if
two of these plants grow near each
other, and have no stick around which
they twine, one of them will alter the
direction of its spiral, and they will
twine around each other. Duhamel
placed some kidney beans in a cylin
der of earth ; after a while they com
menced to germinate, of course, send
ing plume upwards to the light, and
the root down into the soil.- After a
few days the cylinder was turned one
fourth round, and again this was re
peated, until the. revolution was com
plete. The beans were then taken out
of the earth, and it was found that both
the plume and radical had bent to ac
commodate themselves to every revo
lution, and the one in its efforts to as
cend perpendicularly, and the other to
descend, they had formed a perfect
spiral. But although the natural ten
dency of theroqtsis downward, if the
soil b-neath be. dr)-, and any damp sub
stance be above, the roots will ascend
to reach it. ' ,
Beautiful and True. —The late
eminent Judge Sir Allen Park, once
said at a public meeting in Loudon :
“We live in the midst of blessings till
we are utterly insensible to their great
ness, and of our civilization, our free
dom, our laws, and forget entirely how
much is due to Christianity, Blot
Christianity out of the pages of man’s
history, and what would his laws have
been—what his civilization? Chris
tianity is mixed up with our very
being and our daily life;, there is not
a familiar object around us which does
not wear a different aspect because the
light of Christian love is on it —not a
law that does not owe its truth and
gentleness to Christianity—not a cus
tom, that cannot bo traced, in all its
holy, healthy parts, to the Gospel.” “ j
$2.00 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE.
NUMBER 1.
Impertinence Punished.
AVe find in the Courier ties Etats-
Unis, an account of a curious incident
which occurred 'at a charity fair in
Paris:
A young lady r Miss A , celebra
ted for her beauty and her wit, presid
ed at one of the tables. Among the
throng which pressed around the fair
vender of elegant articles, was a young
gentleman of much assurance, who
gazed upon the lady with offensive
freedom, and affected to admire the va
rious articles' exposed for sale, but
bought nothing.
“ What will you please to buy, sir ?”
asked Miss A , with a smile of
peculiar meaning.
“Oh,” replied the exquisite, with a
languishing look, “ what I most wish
to purchase is unhappily not for. sale.”
“Perhaps it is,” said the lady.
“No, no, I dare not declare my
wishes.”
“Nevertheless,” said Miss A ,
“let me know what you wish to buy.”
“ Well, then, since you insist upon
it, I should like a ringlet of your glos
sy black hair.”
The lady manifested no embarrass
ment at the bold request, but with a
pair of scissors immediately clipped
off one of her beautiful locks, and
handed it to the astonished youth, re
marking that “ the price was five hun
dred francs!”
Her bold admirer was thunderstruck
at the demand, but dared not demur,
as by this time a group had collected
and were listening to the conversation.
He took the hair and paid over the five
hundred francs, and with an air of
mortification and sadness, left the hall.
Haydn was asked, how it happened
that his church music was of an ani
mating, cheerful and even gay descrip
tion ? To this he answered—“l can
not make it otherwise; I compose ac
cording to the thoughts which I feci.
When I think upon God, my heart is
so full of joy that the notes jump and
leap, as it were', from my pen; and
since God has given me a cheerful
heart, it will be easily forgiven me that
I serve him with a cheerful spirit.
Sacked Poetry.—The following
circumstance occurred in a village
church, in England, on the visitation
of the Bishop of the Diocese, for the
purpose of administering the ordinance
of confirmation. The clerk, who us
ually gave out the psalms and hymns,
wishing to celebrate the honor of His
Grace’s visit, commenced as follows:
“Let us sing to the praise and glory of
God, a psalm of my own composing:
“The mountains skipped like frightened rams,
Tho little hits did hop,
To welcome into our good town
His Grace, the Lord Bish-op.”
Siieep and Dogs.—lmportant
Decision.— Daniel Carter recently shot
a dog in Cecil county, Maryland, be
longing to E. W. Mahany, for killing
his sheep. Mahagany sued him be
fore a magistrate and got judgment
for $25 damages, from which Carter
appealed to the Circuit Court. The
defence alleged that justify the shoot
ing of the dog he must be caught in
the act of worrying or killing the
sheep. The Court (Judge Constable
on the bench) held a different opinion,
reversing the magistrate’s decision.—
The Cecil Whig says:
Judge Constable is reported to us to
have decided unequivocally and clear
ly that under the English common law,
and the Maryland statutes for the pro
tection of sheep, which extended the
common law', any person who sees a
dog within an inclosure where there
are sheep, no matter whether he be the
owner of the sheep or an entire stan
ger, and has sufficient reason for
lieving he is there for the purpose of
worrying or killing the. sheep, is per
fectly justifiable'in killing 'him on the
spot, or even in pursuing and killing
him.
Longevity of Slaves.—ln com
menting on one of the tables of the
census of 1850, the Charleston Medical
Journal says:
On an examination, of this table one
fact stands prominently forthit is
that of the greater longevity, both
general and extreme, of the black
than the white in the' slaveholding
States. This is a fact pregnant -with
significance; proving conclusively, as
it does, that the almost complete free
dom from care, the lightness of his
labor, and the physical comforts gen
erally enjoyed by the slave, combine
to increase the duration of his life, not
only beyond that of the laboring white
class, but even beyond the average of
the white class of all conditions.
But the difference between the tw r o
races, in point of longevity, would be
still greater in favor of the black than
is represented in the table, if we deduct
a certain proportion of early deaths
from the latter, occurring among the
rnulattoes who exist in large numbers
in the tsities of the slave States. , A
Lawyers.— The late Rev. Sidney-
Smith "observed that a railway whistle
seemed to him to be something like
the scream an attorney would give
when first the devil caught hold iff
In n i.
