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VOLUME 11.
OXFOKI), X. C., AVEIIXIXSLAY, DECEMBER 13, 187G.
NUMBER
I'OKTHV.
“ R.’ck of Ages, cleft for ine,”
'riiouglUlessly the.Jiriitlen sung ;
»11 the words unci>iisciously
^'rotn lier girlisli, guileless tongue.
Sang as little children sing ;
Sang as sing the birds in June ;
Fell the words like light leaves down
On the current ol the tune—
“ liocU of Ages, cleft for ine,
Let nu hide nivself in Thee.’’
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me.”
’Twas a woman sung them now,
Sling them sUiw and wearily—
Wan hand on her aching brow.
Rose tlm Siing as slonri-titssed bird
Reats with weary wing the air;
Every note with .sorrow stirred,
Every syllable a prayer—
“ Rock of Ages, chft for me,
J.,ot me hide myself in Thee.”
“Rock )f Ages, cleft for me.”
Lips grown aged sung the hymn,
Trustingly and tenderly;
Voice grown weak and eyes grown lim.
Let me hide myself in Thee.”
Trembling though the voice, and low,
Ran the sweet strain jieacefiilly,
Like a river in its liuw.
Sung as only they can sing
Who life’s thorny patii.s have pressed;
Sung as only th(‘y c.iu sing
Who behold the promised rc'SC :
“ Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
I.et me h.ide myself in 'rii(‘L*.”
“Hock of Ages, '-k'ft for im
Sung above a e ilKn lid ;
Uij'icri!‘-;it:i. ’..il ri ^if'.ihy,
All liiVs’jo.s ami sou,-u.- idd.
V' /. ; . x' -U..’Sed aoa: !
fiRilJ t:u: stgniU's.'s, atUiken syes,
Ciosc.i iiiao-111; t’.ie ‘'i.fi, gray nair.
C'mdd I'.e unite and siliieiicd lips,
Mmv' aitaiii in pleading piMVer,
Still, r.v' still. th(- Words would l>e.
*• Let me hide m>/se'^fin Tisf.el”
Am OLD IflAm’S SFLECSI.
Tho eloqiieiure nf persiiasioii
often eifeet.s ns strongly in tlie
giloit snfferiiig of those who luive
sinned mider great temptiition ;
blit who eiin read the spoken sad
ness of tlie aged prisoner liere
]i lined without feeling the same
jiitv which his plea excited in the
lireiists of his hearers f The Elk-
ton (Ky.) TFitHCSS tells tlio story.
“ Not long since we had ([uite
a touching scene in our court
house. Old John Gai ner, an old,
gray-headed man, was arraigned
for the crime of grand larceny,—
horse stealing. He pleaded guil-
tv, and nresented himself to the
jur> in a. brief and touching .-ul-
dress. He said ;
“ Gentlemen of the Jury : I am
an old man, and my race is nearl c
run. This is the first time in my
life I have ever been before a
jury. I have never even been a
witness in a magi.strate’s court. I
was born in 1816, and have been
a hard-working and honest man
all my life until now.
“ I am a stranger to every man
in this house, except Ills Honor
who sits on that bench. He has
known liie for nine years, and he
M'ill tell you I have been an lion-
cst man and a good citizen. This
jury looks like a set of honest and
intelligent meii, and 1 wish you
to deal with me the best you can.
I read in the paper that the prison
at Frankfort is an awful place,—
that it is so crowded that one can
scarcely live there. From the
accounts of tliat place I supipose
I could not live tliere hmg. A''u
see 1 am old and feedjh', and i
ask you to do the best you can
tor me.
“ Gentlemen, it I could liave
got tvork I could, liave supported
my family, and not been here.
But I want to toll you—I am a
very poor man, and have to wen-k
to live. AVell, last v eartlio times
were very hard indeed, and I
could not get work much of mv
time. I am a mechanic, and I
went to Clarksville, Fairvie\v,
and many other places, but I
could not get aiij- work. The
tinns were very hard, as v.ou all
know, and but tew men had
money to pay tor labor. I trav
eled mound till I siieiit all that 1
had but a bed and a chair, I was
tired and out of heart, and my
family suffering for food and
clotliing.
“ I heard then that I could get
work ill North. Logan, and I sold
my kit of tools to get mv laniiK'
lip there. .1 paid S75 for mv toois
in Louisville, and had to sell them
low. After paying for moving 1
had S15 left. 1 got a place for
my family tor a little while, and
started again I'or work. 1 tried
hard to find it, hut could not. 1
went back to my family broken
down in .spiiit, thinking 1 would
have to st.irve or Ic, g. Ginitlemeii,
my li.tn- bov, alrmt -ix ' (ons old.
got ill oiv ian and out his ii tin
a ilelmed ivii ]i o-o' n ion, a- d. : ..inn
ing a few mo.,.-,-. pio.-nf--.
tor as ligiit a v,-i ,iici a.s the j.nr'
could give him. Tile occasion
was exceedingly solemn, 'the
prisoner told Ids storv without
reservation. Ago and care had
whitened his haik.s and farrowed
his brow, lie had seen better
davs, but he was now a broken
reed. Tho jm v, tiie artornexs,
tho judge and the spectators v ere
touched by the homely recital of
the .suppliant [uisoiier. Thejury
gave liim two years in the peni
tentiary, and the judge, jury and
lawyers then signed a petition to
the governor for his pardon.”
“Mv- son,” said a father to his
hopeful son, “yon did not saw
any wood for the kitchen stove
yesterday, as I told v-ou to; yon
left the back gate open and let
the cow get out; you cut off
eighteen feet from the clotlies
line to make v-ou a hi.sso; yon
stoned Mr. Robinson’s pet di g and
lamed it; you put a hard shell
turtle in the hired girl’s bed; you
tied a strange dog to Mr. .Jacob
son’s door-bell; and painted red
and green stripes on tlie legs of
old Mrs. Polay’s white pony ; and
hung y-our sister’s bustle out in
the front window. Now, what
am I, what can I do to yon for
sucii conduct *” “Are all the
counties heard from f’ asked the
candidate. The father replied,
sternly: “No trifling, sir. No,
I have several reports to receive
from others of the neighbors.”
“Tiieii,” replied t.'io boy, “you
will not be justified in proceeding
to extreme mea.snres until the of
ficial court is in. Shortiv after
ward the election was thrown in
to tiiC iiOUSe ; mat betoit ililit the
vo. -s were canva.s.ied it was evi
dent, from the peculiar applause,
tliat the boy was badly boaten.
THE VAEt'E OF A DOEEAK.
A few days since Mr. Johnson
found a f^f bill in the cars. He
couid not find an owner. A friend
suggested to put ill in some trust
company with the proviso that it
shall bear interest, which interest
shall be compounded every year,
and at the end of two hundred
years a liospital shall be erected
with the product. Mr. Johnson
smiled and suggested that the
amouat was too small. fVe h.ave
taken tlie trouble to reckon what
that dollar would amount to and,
find that the final sum would be
8131,072. Tills is reconing at G
per cent iiiterost. Non-, suppose
Mr. Joimson should invest 85
more to endow the hospittil we
liave the ininiense sum of SG5.5,-
3G0 to forever keeji the hospital
in active operation. Some will
say. “ 1 wo hundred years, jtshaw!
tliat is too far off yet monev
institutions are now in existence
in London that are more tlian
tlii'cu hundred years old; and if a
man is dead it will make little
difference to him if the monev- he
■be'jiieaths isiiiv-e.sted in two years
or in f.M)‘iniiid ed years. So we
respectfully .-.iiggesl tliat rile do!
la:-, until Oo; adiiitiona! 85, .siiaii
|.ui oiir ..t I- tere.t to ioaiid the
nin ,.i!a!, 1,1 -b,- built in 2l)71), and
(ioiiur found ill
.i.A‘6* WiFE.
Tiiomas JelLrson wrote the fol-
.o..ip_ excellent advice. T'.ero i
oiiu h huinan tiati ro and good
e-'Seinit: “Hafmoiiv in a mar
ned state is the first thing to he
ai lied at. Nothing can pr.sr.e
affections uninterrupted haityiino s
but a firm resoiiiiion never to (lit
ter in will, and the determination
of each ro consider the love oi the
other more value than any earth
ly object wliatever on which a
wish can be fixed. How light, in
fact, is the sacrilico of any other
wish when weighed against the
affections of one with whom we
are to (tass our whole' life. Op
position in a single instance will
hanlly nf itself jiroduce aliena
tion ; this only takes place wlien
all tho oppositions are itut, as it
were, in a poncli, v hich, while it
is filling, flit, aliet.ation is insen.si-
bly going on, and when full it is
complete.
■riilE SIEVEK ItEEES.
In Eastern poetry, they tell of
a wondrous tree, on which grew
golden ajiples and silver bells;
and every time the breeze wont
by- and tossed the fragrant
branches, a shower ot these gnid
en apples fell, and tiie living bells
chimed and tingled fortli their
airy ravishment On tlie gospel
tree there giow melod’o is blos
soms ; sweeter bells than those
that mingle with the pomegran
ates on Aaron’s vest; holy feel
ings, heaven taught jovs; and
when the wind blowoth where he
listeth, the south wind waking,
when the Holy Spirit breathes
upon that soul, thero is the shak
ing down of niellow fruit,s, and
the flow of healthy odors ail
around, atid the gusn of sweetest
ninsir, where gentle tones ard
joy t.il echoing are wafted thrimgli
tiie recesses of our. soul.—By).
Teacher,
It was thirty--nine years the 7th
of December siifte Mr. Disraeli
made liis iiiaideu speech in the
House of C'.oiiimon.s—-an oration,
wiiich, ainitist a storm of ridicule
and opprobrium, he concluded
with the memorable sentences
thus reported in the C/tros-
ic/e of tho following day-: “ 1 iim
not af all . surprised, Sir, at the
reception whieli 1 have received
[continued laughter.] I have be
gun several times maiiv things
[laughter,] and I have often suc
ceeded at last [fresh cries ..of
‘Question.] xVv, Sir, and though
1 sit down now, the time will
come when you will lioar me.”
Not ■* skali hear me,” as we have
been accustomed to quote it with
due emphasis'any ti.ne during the
hist twenty years. Here is a de
scription of Mr. Disraeli’s person
al appearance on this metnorahle
night, as described, by- an ey-e-
vvitness; “Le was very- showilv
attired, being dressed in a bottle-
green frock-coat and a waistcoat
of white, of the Dick Swiveller
patern, tlie fiont of which exhib
ited a net-work of glittering
chains; large fancy-pattern pan
taloons, and a black tie, above
which no shirt collar was visible,
campleted the outward man. A
countenance liviilly- pale, set out
by a pair of intensely black eve.s
and a broad but not’very- high
forehead, ovet'liung bV' ciuMered
ringlets nf coal-black hair, wliich,
combed away from the right tem
ple. fell ifC Imn'clii s of well-oiled
^.iiall liiiglels over his left cheek.’"
ilngheiiden Jlouse, the manor
over which the vouiigest of Eiig-
hiiid’s earls hold dominion, iuis
been assoe.iated -wifh not a few
names of distinction. In a clianel
of the old church are many
knightly tombs of those who were
once lords of the manor. Here
Bliiliip Stanhope, Earl of Cnes-
terfiuhi, frequently resided when
the estate belonged to him. But
ot all its successive owners, none
lias made more distinct a mark on
his age, or iuipi'intod his name
in characters more brilliant on
tlie page of liistorv than he who,
uniting the dash of a De Moiitfort
with the polisli of a Oliesterfield;
has step by step risen to be Prime
Minister of a mighty- empire..
The following letter from ,Dr,
Oliver M'eiidall Holmes, written
.some twenty years ago, is quoted
to show that the price of lectures
has risen : “M-y terms for a lec
ture, when I stay over night, are:
Fifteen dollars and expenses, a'
room with a lire in it, in a public
house, and a. mattress to sleep on
—not a feather bod. ,As yon
w-ritc in your individual capacity.
L tell you at once till my habitual
exigencies. I am afraid to sleep
in a cold room, I can’t sleep on a
feather bed, J will not go to pri
vate hoit.ses, and I have fixed up
on the Slim iiientionod as wliat it
is worth to me to go awav' for the
night to ])laces that cannot pav
more.
It has been suggested to the
enterprising people to direct their
attention to the cultivation of
spidei'.s as manufacturers. We
only hope the demand for the
‘varmints’ may bo very great as
we would have bright prospects
of a fortune.
I Barber. — ‘•Well, my .young
gentleman, and how w'oifliF you
like your hair cut ?” Yoi.itli—“(),
i-ce papa’s; 'please—with a little
round hole at the toj).”
x\ little girl, four years old ,
created a ripple by remm-kjng to
tlie teach r of Iter Smida.VaSQiiool
class :a “ Our dog’.s dead. i.I (jct,
the angels was scareii whei'i t ley
see him coming up the- walk.
He's cross to strangers.”
An old black woman, rechin"-
h r “speerunce,” .said .she liarp’
be-en to lieaven." “Did you see
any of decolored ladies d.ir f’
asked a younger s'isfer. “Oh, you
git out; you ’sposo I went in ite
kitchen when 1 was dar ' '
“Did, she return your, love !”
inquired, a, symjiatiiizing fiieud
of a young man, who intimated
that lie hud had some .diflicultv
witlif,his sweethe.arr. “Yes, slie
returned if, and that is exactly
what the trouble is. She said
she didn’t want it.”.
A gentleinaii said to his gar
dener, “George, tiie time wilt
come when a man will be tible to
carry the manure of an acre of
land in one of his waistcoat pock-
ets,” I’o w hicli tho gardener re- '
plied, “1 believe it, sir, but he
will be ablejo carry .all the crop
in the other pocket.”
Sympathetic old.lady. “ IVhy,
what in the .world is tlie matter,
niy little mian f Wind are voii
crying so for
' Aggrieved Urchin. “Boo—lioo
—hou ! Billy Sitrigg.s has gone
and bust.ed my ‘Lovers’ Tele-
graph,’ ’gause 1 wouldn’t lend it
to liiui to court Sally Browti
witli.”
A scliool-master tells the fol
lowing : “ I was teuching in a
quiet countiw- village. The "see-
oiid moniiiig of my session 1 hari
leisure to survey mv surroui.rl
ings, and among the scaiOy fin
riiture I espied' ;i three’i.^gy
stool. ‘ Is'this the Jiiiico block ?’
1 asked a little girl of five. The
dark eyes sparkled, tlie curls nod
ded assent, and the lips rippled
out, ‘ 1 suppose so ; tbe teacher '
always sits on it.’ The stool wa*
nnocenpied tliat term.”
A man with four wives wins
brouglit before a Dutcti justice
for commitment on a oliarge of
bigamy. “Four wivfH.s,”exclaimed
the a s t o n i s h e d Hans—“ four
wives I Dat vas a most hinocious
crime. Discharch lijin at vonst.”
‘‘Why,” protested the prosecutor,
—“why discharge him, when the
proof is positive I "Will tlie court
ex|)lainl” “Ye,s, I eeksplains:
Ofl he lif mit four vives, he got,
bunisLmeiit eiiougb. 1 lif mit
von, iukI I.got doo much bullish-
ment already.”
A young .negro,' Tcvy awkward, bin with a
kindly face, and low, soft voire, was teiiTtorly
and eiircfiilly leading an old blind woman,,
wboin he called mother, ,t,hron,gli the Centcii-
iiUil buildings. He sto])[jed:hefnre anytbjng
that iiitere.sted iiiin. nud graphically explained
it. Ilis attention being arre.sled liy a Cupid
.ami Psyche, lie tlins axpiaiiied to the old blind
‘ u'Otnsin ; “Die ia n .,„.i e....
woman: “ Dis is a whito maiuiny ani hei:'.
Juul (ley has just ^ot nit clo’xMitu Vm at-
all, To speak' uf. nort ho is a-kissin’ ttf her
miscbioi; tube sbnab. Is kind gla-1 yoi*
enu’t see ’em, ’cause youM be iliistered like
’cause dry don’t stay in do-hnnac till dey dress*
es doyselvfs.. All dose'fi'piires sreui tu bfi
scaree o-’ j^-hik.but dey .is uiigiuy pixity.
\Vlion ignorance is bliss ’lis fo].
ly to be wise,
Miiii