North Carolina Newspapers

T S O 0 T H E E BI W L Y tST . iPii fm m tZ 188 SELECT POETRY. From Eliza pook'a Journal. MY OLD STRAW HAT. Farewell, old friend, we part atj last, Fruits, flowers, and summer all aire past, And when the beach-leaves bid ;iiieu, My old straw hat must vanish top. We're been together many an hour, In grassy dell and garden bower And plait and ribbon, scorched and torn, Proclaim how well thou hast beein worn, We've had a time, gay, bright and long, So let me sivg a grateful song1, And if one bay-leaf falls to me, I'll stick it firm and fast in thee,. , :. My old; straw hat i I Thy flapping shade and flying strings, Are worth a thousand close-tied thing.?. I love thy easy fitting crown, , Thrust lightly back, or slouching down : I cannot brook a muffled ear, ! "When lark and blackbirds whistle near: And dearly like to meet and seek The fresh wind with unguarded cheek, Toss'd in a iree thou'lt bear no ha?m, Flungton the sod thou'lt lose no charm ; Like many a real friend on earth, Rough usage only proves thy.w6rth, My old straw hat. The world will gaze on those who wear Rich snowy pearls in raven hair, . And diamonds lashing bravely oiit, In chestnut tresses wreathed abjjut ; The golden bands may twine anl twirl, Like shining snakes through eacti fair curl, And soft down with imperial grace, May bend o'er beauty's blushing -face ; But much I doubt if brows that bear The jewell'd clasp and pi umago rare, . : Or temples bound with crescent wreath, Are half so cool as mine beneath' My old straw hat. - . - -Minerva's helmet! what of that ? Thou'rt quite as good,, my old straw hat; For I can think arid muse and dream. With poring brain and busy scheme ; I can inform my. craving soul, , How wild bees work and planets.roll, And all be silent grave an;l grim,. . Beneath the shelter of ihy brim. . The cap of Liberty ! forsooth ! " .. ,. Thou art that thing to me in truth. For slavish fashion ne'ercan break Into thTgreen paths where I take, My old straw hat. My old straw hat, my conscience tells Thou hast been hung with Folly's bells, Yet Folly rings a pleasant chime, , If the rogue will but " mind his limV," And not come jingling on the wsiy When sober minstrels ought to play ; For oft when-eyes and hearts are light, Old Wisdom should keep out of" sight. But now the rustic bench is left, And trees of every leaf bereft, And merry voices, all are still, ,,. That welcomed to the well-known' hill My old straw hat. 'i " . . Farewell, old friend! thy work is done. The misty clouds shut out the sun ; The grapes are pluck'd. the hops are off, . The woods are stark, and I must doff My old straw hat but bide a wee," Fair skies we've seen, but vye may see Skies full as fair as those of yore, And t-en we'll wander forth once more. Farewell, till drooping harebells blow, And violets stud the warm hedge-rov Farewell, till daisies deck the plain, Farewell, till sprii g days come-again My old straw hat. LADIES' DEPARTMENT. WASHING CLOTHES OF ALL KINDS MADE EASY. I have a small family my wife myself, and two small children ; and, altogether, we have two-grown women, two half grown girls, and a negro fellow, to serve us as lot servants. Three days of the week used to be wasted by the women in washing, and the other three in ironing for our little family ; and often when the service of the girls were needed, they were found drawing water or replenishing the fire for the washers. Judge then our joy, if you can, when a kind old friend instructed us how to have our washing done in six hours by one hand, j I feel like proclaiming it to the world, and I want every paper in Georia to copy this, and hope it may reach the ends of the earth. But here is the modus operandi : . 1st On the night preceding the day intended to to be set apart as wash-day, have all your clothes, white and colored, coarse and fine, put in tubs, of clear waterwe have, one made large enough to hold all the "washing") and let them remain there all night. 2d. Put on your boiling vessel (we have one that holds sixty gallons, got for the express purpose of boiling all at once,) fill it half lull of. water and raise the water to boiling heat; after which put in a vessel of the size of the one: we use two. teaspoons full of Sal Soda, one quart of soft soap, and one quart of lime water, made by pouring three gal lons of water on one quart of lime the night pre vious, so that it may have had time to settle, and in proportion, if smaller vessels are used ; stir the water and get the sal soda, soap, and lime water, well mixed up, then put in your clothes, boil rapid ly one hour and the work is done. Take them out and rinse well, rubbing slightly as is usual in rins ing. Now pass no judgment, friends', until you have tried it. The same lime water may be kept 1 until it is all consumed. The receipt would be worth one thousand dol lars in the hands of a selfish person, and the world would have to untie the purse string to?get it, but here it is, free gratis for nothing, and I want the . world to understand, distinctly, that I shall have no communication with any body who wears dirty clothes-after this see if I do. ' ,-For invoking the Soaps Take six pounds of Potash, 75 Take four pounds of Lard, 50 Take one-fourth pound of Rosin, . 25 All amounting to $1,50 Beat up the rosin, mix all together well, and set aside for five days, then put the whole into a ten gallon cask oi warm water, and atir twice a day for ten days, at the expiration of which fime, or sooner, you will have one hundred pounds of excellent soap for $1,50. Southern Banner. j m m Female Education ix Turkey. We copy an amusing passage from Mr. St. John's last took of travels : w Lord Strangford," he says, neW set about aiding in the great political reform of Tur key with vpQTB zeal than his lady has done, in in troducing the germ of amelioration amongst the harems of the Turks. Her panacea is indeed a . simple one education. But there is nothing more difficult to cram down a Turk's throat, or still more " difficult, to get him to allow its being crammed into the ears of his wife or daughter. It takes' months to persuade a Turk of anything; least of all, can he be got to comprehend what is meant by female education, for he invariably construes the. word education as meaning mere accomplishments. The idea of a woman's employing or cultivating her own mind, is evidently far too transcendental and concrete for a Turk. An amusing and morti fying exemplification Of this occurred in a great and rich Turk's family. The female head of he harem, the hanoiim, was, apparently, a most intel ligent person, one who had actually . raised her mind o the future prospect of women mingling in society. From this, to the feeling of the necessity of preparing women to play an independentelf respecting and self-preserving part, and,the sense of how indispensable a certain education even to this was a chain of ideas and consequences not difficult to string together ; and so, after a year or eighteen months' hard jaborin the way of exhor tation, it was agreed by! the high authorities, that a governess was to be introduced into the harem. A governess ! It was Ino easy matter to get one that was fit, nor yet facile to get' one that would consent. The task of fjnding such a person was, however, undertaken, and most happily accomplish ed. But lo! when the governess was forthcomin j, her place was already filled. The pasha and the hanoum had, in the. meantime, heard of a most wonderful institutrice, a French lady, skilled in all accomplishments, possessed of every language and tvery virtue. On inquiry it was - d scovered that the lady in question had been on the boards of the French stage, not only as actress but as a bal ferine. What inducement had prevailed upon her to exchange so captivating a profession for a jour ney to Constantinople, ! did not appear. But in stalled she was as institutrice and teacHer of all physical accomplishments and moral virtues to the rising generation of the : harem." : Nathaniel Hawthorne oS Woman's llicnis. Despise woman? Nd ! She is the n.o-t admir able handiwork of God, in hen true place and char acter. Her place is at man's side. Her office, that of the sympathizer ; the unreserved, unquestioning believer; the recognition, withheld in every other manner, but given, in pity, through woman's heart, lest man should utterly lose faith in himself; the echo of God's own voice, pronouncing, "It is well done !" All the separate action of woman is, and ever has been, and always shall be, false, foolish, vain, destructive of her own best and holiest quali ties, void of every good! effect, and productive of intolerable mischiefs ! Man is a wretch wifcjfctit woman ; but woman is a monster and thank Heav en, an almost impossible and hitherto imaginary monster without man as her acknowledged prin cipal 1 As true as I had once a mother whom I loved, were there any possible prospect of woman's taking the social stand which some of them poor, miserable, abortive creatures, who only dream of such things because they have missed woman's pe culiar happiness, or because nature made'them real ly neither man nor woman ! if there were a xhance of their attaining the end which these pet tiooated monstrosities have in view, I would call upon my own sexto use its physical force, that un mistakable evidence of sovereignty, to scourge them back within their proper bounds ! But it will not be needful. The heart of true womanhood knows where its own sphere is, and never seeks to . stray beyond it ! Discipline in Childhood. Young people who have been habitually gratified in all their desires will not only indulge more in capricious desires, but will infallibly take it more amiss, when the feelings or happiness of others require that they should be thwarted, than those , who have been practically trained to the habit of subduing and training them, and consequently will, in general, not sacrifice the happiness of others to their own. selfish indulgence. To what else is .the selfishness of princes and other great people to be attributed ? It is -in vain to think of cultivating principles of generosity and benificence by mere exhortation and reasoning. Nothing but the practical habit of overcoming our own selfishness, and of familiarly entertaining privations and discomfort on account of others, ever enables us to do it when required. And therefore I am firmly persuaded that indul gence infallibly produces selfishness and hardness of beiu t, and nothing but a pretty severe discipline and control can lay the foundation of a magnaui mous character. Lord Jeffrey! A clergyman lecturing one afternoon to his fe male parishioners, said : ' Be not proud that our Lord paid your sex the distinguished honor of ap pearing first to a female after the; resurrection, fur it was only done that the glad news might.spread the sooner.' A good old Dutchman and his wife, had set up till gaping time, when the latter ' after a full stretch in the above operation, said, ' I vish I vash in heben.' Hans yawned and repli ed : 4 1 vish I vash in de still-house.' The eyes of Sally flew wide open as she exclaimed 'I be pound, you always vish yourself in de pest place !' If Miss Julia Jones i marries Harry Hopkins, the girls say that the marriage will be lucky, because she changes her initials ; but if she marries James Jenkins 'twon't do for - If you change your name and not your letter, You'll change for the worse and not the better.' A fellow who had been hooked by an unruly cow, limped in his gait. A lady remarked as he passed, that he appeared to be intoxicated. 4 Yes,' said her beau, he has just been taking a couple of horns. , Why are tell-tale women like German watches ! Do you give it up! Because they are repeaters.. YOUTHS' FIHGEIL-HABXS. 7 at Clam 1 oome time smce, a gen ...uS ------ i ., i j tn rWnnma work for bridge employed a mason to qo some worx ior . . & J iT:t .kJ him, and among other -wing, w wails of one of h.s chambers. x '"S - . . ri'i ii- kit'Amrirw l is almost colorless till dried. The gentleman was v . i . rn:n nftpr thA chamber much surprised, on the morning alter tne cnamuer a j j f 'i,;. bureau was finished, to find on the drawer ot liis oureau, . .v. ' n.n. siancnng m tne room, wnu -r- inrr tha a ua fnnnA l ift same marfcs on me ofu. :. j i, n a ruvkpt-hook. An ex ti tivico in it, nuu Biw " i Z , animation revealed the same finger-marks on the contents of the wallet, proving conclusively that the mason.with his wet hands, had opened the draw er, searched the wallet, whieh contained no money, j and then closed the drawer, without once thinking that any one would ever know it. The thin-whiten in i. which chanced to be on his hand, did not show at first, and he probably had no idea that twelve hours' drvino- would reveal his attempt at depred- ation. As the iob was concludedlon the afternoon . " I the drawer was opened, the man did not come a- gain, and to this day does not know.that his acts are known to his employer. Children, beware of evil thoughts and deeds ! They have all finger-marks, which will be revealed at some time. If you disobey your parents, or tell a falsehood, or take what is not your own, you make sad finger-marks on your character. And so it is with any and all sin. It defiles the character, It betrays those who engage in it by the marks it makes on them. These marks may be almost if not niiitA rnlnrW at firt. TW avmi if the v should not be seen during any of your days on earth which is not at all likely yet there is a day com ing in which all finger-marks or sin-tains on the character " will be made manifest." Never" suppose that you can do what is wrong without having a stain made on your character. It is impossible. If you injure another, you by that very deed injure your own self. Ifyou disregard a law of God, the injury is sadly your own. Think of it, ever bear it in mind, children, that every sin you commit leaves a sure mark upon yourselves. Your characters should bear a coating of the pure truth. Let truthfulness ever be manifest. Be- a ware of sin " and I sure vonr sin will find vn ... . . . 'I out ;" for it makes finger marks which, even should il.Mf f' K Kir tha o,i -t. ' v j iivw y ii ksj ciavjtj ai vunvt juu ju cal I li j will yet bewen, to vour condemnation, at the bar of God v DUSHMANTA. Dushmanta was tho most powerful of the sove- reigns of India, and his wealth and magnificence j had no bounds. But he was proud and arrogant in his riches, and he shut his heart to the meaner classes of his people, and bowed his sceptre only to the princes and nobles who stood around his throne. This conduct sorely grieved an aged Bramin, who had been his teacher in the days of his youth, And he left his hermitage, strewed dust upon his lead, and presented himself at the splendid portal of the royal palace. Here he was observed by the kkiff-Aho com- manded the Bramin to be brought before him. " Wherefore," he asked, "dost thou appear in the garb of mourning, and why doth dust cover thy venerable head,!" " When I quitted thee," answered the Bramin, thou wert 'the wealthiest of all the monarchs of India, who had ever sat upon the throne of thy fathers. For Brama had blessed thee beyond con- ception, and joy was in my heart when I left the dwelling of the king, my master. But tidings have reached me in my solitude that all thy wealth has vanished, and that abject poverty is now thy lot." Dushmanta heard these words with amazement and smiled " What fool," he said, " has told thee this falsehood? Behold this palace, the gardens which surround it, and the servants who attend my bidding." 'All, this," answered the venerable Bramin, " is but an illusion, which cannot dazzle the truly wise, The sovereign of India has fallen from his high condition into poverty." 'Then the king wondered still more at the words of Uie wise Bramin, and said "Who then hath witnessed it and told thee, and whose report de- serves- more credit than the sight of my eyes and the touch of my hands ?" The aged man then lifted up his voice, and said 44 The sun, the emblem of truth, beneath the throne of Brama, the clouds abo our heads, and the fruit tree before my hut, announce and attest to me thy poverty. Dushmanta was silent, while the old man pro- ceeded thus "That Brama hath endowed the luminary of day with inexhaustible light and heart, j i I am assured by its beams, which, from its rising to its setting, are poured upon every blade of grass, upon my cottage as upon the palace, and which are reflected in every dew drop as in the vast ocean.) The cloud, when fraught with rain, moves yer hil and dale, and alike moistens with its abundance the parched clod and the( thirsty mountain. The 1 l..l; 1 1 . . irui iree, oows lis laueu urancnes toward the earth, Thus does nature declare and testify that Brama hath blessed her with riches. But thou art like a rock, the spring of which is dried up. If these words do not convince - thee, Dushmanta, ask the tears of thy people, and then pride thyself upon thy wealth, before the face of Brama, and of the universe which he hath created." Thus spake the hermit, and he returned -to his cottage, liut .Dushmanta took the words of the Biamm to heart, and he again became a benefactor and a blessing to his people, After this he repaired one day to the cogae of the Bramin, and called him forth, and said 44 1 may now venture to appear once more in the ravs of the bounteous sun, and in the presence of thy tree, laden with its fruit. But one thing is still And what," asked the Bramin, "can be wanting! to that prince, who is a blessing to his country, and a father to his people . 44 1 have still," answered Dushmanta, 44 to off the grateful tribute of my heart to that wisdom which has led me into the right path, and trught me that the gald looks ofa people are the sole riches of their prince and ruler. I had become poor; thou hast maae me once more inexpressibly rich." Thus , spake the prince, and the venerable man embraced him with tears of joy, and blewed him. tus Pwsant akd Hia Horse. A peasant had 1 A an old wor,.t horse, which he allowed 10 go - nut him into good ' .' . .... u him rlen- grass uelup. and when ln-tnesiauic us i " , , . r... i, ated him with V Ul naJ aa IOOaer ,n lacL' j , friend. A al the affect on that he would an old tnena. . . ... c,inid take such care uvii'uinil w 1 1 1 1 1 1 HH'l l I HAL kl- . ' ,i " TH n.asant replied, - n uru-ou, - r inat a man is mercimi io u , & .manv vean te hls borse hav mg served him for many years, & provide felt it to be both a duty and a pleasure to provide , . ' , Aasft ; his latter w . Js niniinnn- Tvnn X rtmiirTnnT'P MttMMb UfirMUM. Weeds. "Eternal vigilance is the price of free- dora" from weeds. The Granite farmer remarKs on the perfect neatness of a neighbor's garden, and on inquiring the secret of such extraordinary suc- cess, was answered, " I have but one leading rule, and that is, never to let a iceed go to seed. Acting on this principle he found it easy to keep the weeds .. . . i . .. -1 11 out. it is a very simple question ior scnooiuuv, How many. times will a laborer have to bend his vertebral column, or stoop, in pulling up five weeds just ready to go to seed i And how many times will he have to bend it next year by omitting this ana allowing eacn oi tnose nve 10 npen oeeu nu- dred seeds, yielding half as many weeds ? For more mature arithmeticians if these second-year weeds produce the third year, eacti Sou weeds, how many times will he have to pull in getting them all out? Answers to these questions will doubtless show whether it will be easier to do it the first or third year. Country Gentleman. SPARE THE BIRDS. Meeting Dr. Kennicott the other day iri that Paradise of birds where neither cat nor boy dare ntrude Professor Kirtland's garden I was tempt ed to remind him of his plea for the birds, in the Prairie Farmer :. It has been said bv one of our most learned writers, that insects annually destroy crops, in these United States, of the value of at least twenty mil lions of dollars, and this estimate is believed to be f. a. t : a. . j i i . . . e i f ,ar row lue reai,l-v a,m txcel'1 our Ilul'e OI renei through meteorological or elemental influences, we" l r.. a i,i.: UK B' lutlwS m- crease of the countless swarms of destructive in- sects save tlie b,rds' and Vie tew predaceous insects .1.1 1 rl,T 111 tnemseives ; anu tnese latter we are mil as apt to sacrifice to our ignorance,' as we are the birds in our mistaken prejudice. i i That most ot our small birds feed largely on in' sects, is beyond dispute ; and that just about in proportion to the decrease of birds has been the increase of our insect enemies, many have asserted, and those best informed fully believe. 1 evidence of this let us watch a pair of our smallest and most sociable and confiding birds- the common wren and see how often and how loaded with insect carcasses they arrive at the nest. See, too, the heavy burden of worms which the blackbird, following the furrow, bears to his greedy offspring. And yet, on some silly pretence, you suffer your boys to break up the nest of the chat- terer, and you remorsely shoot down the poor black- bird, because, forsooth, he helps himself to a little corn, when you haveneglected turning up grubs for him; and that, too, when he has preserved a hundred times the value, and many more times the quantity his pressing wants have made him appro- pi'iate. Wo have little or nothing to say against shoot- i"g the wild pigeon ; he visits the farm. with an ev ident felonious .purpose. The winged hawks eat small birds as wed as mice, and we therefore leave them to their fate. The cedar bird is very annoy- ing in cherry time, and a few charges of small shot may not be oufof place in giving them notice to quit. The red headed woodpecker, the blue jay, and even that gentle warbler, the robin, have oc- casioually vexed us beyond- bearing by their petty thefts in the fruit garden and orchard, and we have been tempted to treat them unjustly. For though these birds love all fratits in their season and. out, and the two former greatly delight in scooping out the inside of the tenderest apples, yet we have ful ly satisfied ourselves thatthese birds do earn their wages ten times over. And we have not the least question, from actual experience, that if the farmer will set the plow agoing, the moment his corn is up, the blackbird will follow the new furrow, and gather up heaps of noxio.us grubs, instead of fol lowing the corn row, to pull for the soft kernel at the base of the plant, and which is by no means so desirable a blackbird delicacy as would be a juicy cut-worm, or a largo fat grub the larvae of some dangerous insect It has been admitted by practical farmers that it will pay well to set a man at work to collect the cut-worms in the hills of corn ; and it will most certainly pay to employ men to destroy rose bugs, catterpi liars, borers, curculios, etc., etc., in the gar- den and orchard. - In fact, ;'if .?e dispense with birds, hand-picking is our only alternative in most cases. And will any one venture to say lhat a few , . i ... . nests ot oiras will not prove more emcient than the labors of ft man, and comejnuch cheaper too ? Nature has given tthe bird1 perceptive faculties in connection with this insect-killing vocation, never equalled by man; and then the bird labors tor his own family's sustenance, and works with a will as well'as an 44 instinct There is no mistake about it: birds are the hor- ticulturist's best friends, and he can better dispense with the labors of animals than he can spare the help of birds and to the farmer they are equally necessary and much less annoymor, And yet birds are still wantonly destroyed or are victims to our ignorance of their worth, and prejudices against some of their venial acts. There have even been laws enacted for their destruction within our time ; and our Pilgrim fathers, we be heve, exacted a tax of so many birds heads of ev- ery citizen. And to this day the most useful birds die, as did the Salem witches, the victims of a de- lusion, or a prejudice made powrful bv time and old custom. .It is very easy to secure the services of birds- plenty of low trees, thick shrubs, hedges, etc., but really the least objectionable will readily appear only when you construct houses for them such are the martins, swallows, blue birds, wrens, etc.. and these are among the most useful of our birds. i There is yet another aspect ia which to view thi subject in connection with the grace and beauty of the feathered tribe, their social and confiding habits, conjugal fidelity and care for their young, and many more amiable traits, from which man might well take lessons while enjoying their delight ful society. Spare the birds, good friends, and provide fitting homes for them, and grudge them not a morsel of food from the stores they help to save from insect enemies. KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PEOPLE. POPULAR CHEMISTRY; Why is the fireside an unsafe place in a thunder storm ? Because the carbonaceous matter, or soot, with which the chimney is lined, acts as a conducter for the lightning. Why is bed a place of comparative safety in a thunder-storm ? Because blankets and feathers are non-conductors. A woollen ruj; is likewise a non-conductor, but it should be removed from the chimney. Bell wires beinjr conductors, are almost always melted in houses struck by lightningr. Why are ships at sea so often destroyed by light ning ? Because of the great quantity of metal, and par ticularly of iron, which is employed in the rigging; more especially as the metallic masses are there nearly insulated, or connected only by very imper fect conductors. Why is copper a better material for a conductor than iron? Because copper is less liable either to fusion or conversion. A rod is also, from its continuity, a better; form of conductor than a chain.. ' Why have the gymnotus, or electric eel, and the torpedo, or electric eel, a benumbing effect when touched ? Because of certain singularly constructed organs given to those remarkable animals for the purposes of defence, which certain forms of the Voltaic ap paratus much resemble ; for they consist of many alternations of different substances. These electri cal orgr.ns are much more abundantly supplied with nerves' than any other part of the animal, and the too frequent use of them is succeeded by debility and death. Philosophical Transactions, 1817. Why is electricity beneficial to plants ? Because electrified seeds pass more rapidly through the first periods of vegetation, than such as are not electrified ; and electrified roses flower more rapidly and abundantly. Plants with point ed leaves and spines attract electricity. Why do leeches die suddenly at the approach of or during storms ? Because of the coagulation of their blood, caused by the, impression of the atmospheric electricity. Why are magnetism and electricity, which had long? been studied as sqxirate branches of science, noxo effectually blended ? Because all the phenomena of magnetic polarity, attraction, and repulsion, have at length been re solved into one general fact, that two currents of electricity moving ia the same direction repel, and in contrary directions attract, each other. Ilerschel. Why are certain rays of the sun termed decom composing ? Because they have a tendency to interfere with the chemical constitution of bodies. Besides this kindof rays, it is ascertained there are two others ; theicalorific, or heating rays ; and the luminous, or, colourific rays, which produce vision and colour. Why are light and heat necessary to the existence of heat ? 1 Because, in the sunshine, vegetables decompose the carbonic acid gas of the atmosphere, the carbon of which is absorbed and becomes part of their or ganized matter ; and the oxygen, which is the other constituent, is thrown off. Why do not plants flourish in the dark ? Because no oxygen is then produced by them, and no carbonic acid absorbed. Why may flame in general be regarded as lu minous gaseous matter ? Because hydrogen gas, probably, furnishes the purest flame which can be exhibited ; for the flames of bodies which emit much light, derive that power from solid matter which is intensely ignited and diffused through them, and which in ordinary flames,; as of gas, tallow, wax, oil, fcc, consists of finely-divided charcoal. Brande. Why does spirit of wine sometimes bum with various coloured fames? Because of its admixture with different substan ces. Thus, from borax it acquires a greenish yel low tint ; nitre, and the soluble salts of baryta, cause it to burn yellow, and those of strontia give it a beautiful rose colour ; copper salts impart a fine green. Why is working in coal mines sometimes fatal to miners ? Because of the carburetted hydrogen gas, or j damp, and noxious exhalations, during the working oi t-e coals, trom hsshres or cracks in the beds ; when this has accumulated so as to form one-thirteenth of the atmosphere of the mine, it becomes explosive by a lighted candle or any kind of flame. By miners, this gas is called fire-damp, to distin guish it from carbonic acid gas, which they call choke-damp. Why is the safety lamp-so called? Because it consists of a lamp surrounded by a wire-gauze, which, by confining the flame from the fire damp, without intercepting the light, enables the miners to work in safety ; and which, in grati tude to its illustrious inventor, Sir II. Davy, is, in mining districts called the Davy. Why is a piece of paper lighted, by holding it in the air which rushes out of a common lamp-glass ? Because of the high temperature of the current of air above the flame, the condensation of which is by the chimney of the glass. Why does a common fire smoke ? Because of the vapour of the water from the moisture of the fuel ; and the carburetted hydrogen and bituminous substances, formed during combus tion by the union of the hydrogen of the combus tible with the oxygen of the atmosphere. Why does a draught support a fire ? Because it flows towards the fire-place, to occu py the vacancy left by the air that ha undergone decomposition, and which, in its turn, becomes de composed also. ' Hence, a supply of caloric is fur nished without intermission, till the whole of the combustible is saturated with oxygen. Parket. HUMOROUS ' TOM FRAY'S SOLILOQUY, " Most any female lodger up stairs , Occasions thought in him who locW Don't they tho' ? Not a d,M...i . "uu Ji I'"V -tin t rooms over " head, about a weiVa p ! pat, go those little feet over tho. fl,Tr ",;, nervous a4 a cat in a china closet am! pretty feet they are, too, for I caugl.t'ij going up stairs.) Then I can hoar a lir?1 f " cnair iru.A., o uc sits mere sewimr nu, i ing, "J,ove nor, love not; (JUst as u- f CO:-' neip it. j tuMi !ue wabu t .juiie makes me reel decidedly uik- J'i)t.jrtaI,!.- u-V if she has any great mx footer uf a l(1.0,, j1" cousin with a sledge-hammer fist W;' her wash-woman, or the little iiir,.r .j '' l her breafast ; wish she'd faint away otl y ' wish the house would ketch tire tu'-!,j,, , am in this cwsit. H.-ini tf '.i " ' " ."- l 'ooiii, a;l and thiugs set square up againt tho U tle feminine fixin round ; I slnii have, t 1 ' ond hand bonnet, or a little pair uf .r.;, ,' u" jf cneai my sen nuo uie cieiusion that l ill,, UJ us. ii lau mat utile gipsy Wan t shy Oil l x can. i meet utsr on me stairs, I've upset my inkstand a dozen 'times 1 Til I i T 1 11 tV '0pi.ir.--r,,. wneu i uiougin i ueara iier coinii)i. -she knows, when she sits ver-vtatinn- .i. ' 1 -B U Shakspeare, or Sam Slick, or somebody SiVs ' 44 happiness is born a twin ?" cause if she the missionary that will enlighten 1k-i-; if she earns her living? (poor little w ' time I had a wife,. by Christopher! $;ttj,.ff " ' pricking her fingers with that inurJerou rj,. ' If she was sewing on my dickeys it wuulj ' while now ! , That's it bv Jove! I'ItVi make me some dickeys; don't -want Vm u. than Satan wants hnlv-w:itr but !.,...' . ' ... .j UMlj 1., here nor there ; I shall insist upon lar tan-'I measure of my throat! bachelors liaveto'l' fussy. There's a pretty kettle of tih now ,? ' she'll have to stand on a cricket or 1 -lli ,3,e, get on my knees to her. : Solomon t'.iuln't fix's, -thing'better ; deuce take me if I ctuldj,t s.,-v ' right thing then ! This fitting dick.-vs "isa'ti of time too. Dickeys isn't to be ot n' Tn a jirrr rial lo, there's the door bell ! there's aWrtw thumped down in the r-ntrv ! h Mrs. Ls home? Mrs. Legare! I like that now. Haif! been in love a whole week with Mrs. Lc".t... Never mind, may be she's a widow ! lr;rE, tramp, up comes those masculine .feet up Maj handsome fellow, too ! Nebuchadnezzar! If I ever heard a kiss in my hie 1 Ii arb-. then! I won't stand it! it's an invasion of rs rights; I'll listen at the door as I'm a sihm',-Wh-at right have sea captains on shore, I'd iiksg. know? Cotifouud it all ! Well, I always tr women wer'nt worth thinking of; a set of d little monkeys, changeable as a rain how, sir as parrots, as full of tricks as conjurers, stubborn mules,' vain as peacocks, noisy as manifsanlti of the 44 Old Harry'! aH the" time ! There's 'h, lilahn now ; didn't she take the strctvt.l s; Sampson ? and wer'nt 44 Si sent" and " Judith" k fiends, ar.d' didn't the little mnix of a "Hero;' dance John the Baptist's head off? Didn't Sai I 44 raise Cain" with Abraham, till he packed Ikr-'f og ? Then there was :well, the les said uffisl the better ! but didn't Eve the foremotlier f:: whole concern, have one talk too many witii iJ "old serpent !" 'Of course, she didn't d i. else ! Glad I never set any of my younnff-,!: on any o'em ! Where's my ciar case I l.A tormeuted this room is ! L In his lecture, lately, at Boston, Dr. kl related that, wishing to explain to a little gnl rr- manner in which the lobster cast its shell, wher. has out grown it, he said 'What do you when you have out-grown vor clothes? You throw them aside, don't you f' 40,' replied the little one, ' we let oat tktufi The doctor confessed she had the advMiaje '- him there. A fool, a barber, and a bald-headed maa travels together. Losing their way, they were forced sleep in the open air, and to avert danger it agreed to watch bv turns. The Inf. first fell totiu' barber, who for amusement shaved the fools hea-i while he slept; he then woke him, and thef. raising his hand to scratch his head exclaim 4 Here's a pretty mistake ! Rascal, you have t ed the bald headed man instead of me.' 4 Sir,'' said a little blustering man to his r' opponent, 4 to what sect do you think I Wo ' Well, I don't exactly know,' replied the ofif. 4 but to judge from your make, size, and appeal I should say you belonged to a class cil'el u insect.' . ' 4 Would , you be willing to undertake tie agement of my property for your victuals an clothes !' said Girard to a gentleman wbo was gratulating him on his vast possession. the reply. 'Well, that's all I get,' said the m; ' ion aire. For the Southern Weekly Po HISTORICAL ENIGMA- I am composed of 26 letters. (I reek 10- Mv T6. S M i o is ..qc thp trreatest ot -u0 - -i - j i i t " - r.t poets. My 18, 3, C, 3, was a cruel Koman emperor My 16, 21, 2, 9, 16, 3, 7, was the founder of ligioh which is now believed by many oi'wJ of people. My 8, 15, 26, 22, 25, 4, 15 24, a Cortbage General. My 7, 20, 15, 14, 21, i3,wasaKomanErape' My 23, 9, 20, 15, 18, a book which the Mahometan precepts. J My20,:3, 10, 9, 6,16,15, 7,17, O. -";. the most important events recorded in s My 19, 12, 13, 3, 24, 9, 18, was the Frenc , bassador at the court of England in the re'D Charles the ninth. $ My 6, 9, 11, 12, 20, 1, was a king of FraD th Capetean race. tie My whole is an event which cecum II. M. year 1706. Answer to Enigma in last week's Ps- Raleigh and Gasxok Railroad.