CHARLOTTE MESSENGER.
VOL. I. NO. 33.
The Valentine.
At a counter richly laden
With St. Valentine’e choice sonneta
Stands a very charming maiden
In the shaggiest of bonnets ;
Her love lock* and her tresses
Appear a halo golden,
While the style in which she dresses
Is extremely quaint and olden.
She inspects the glowing treasures,
Silken, fringed and satin banners*
And scans their ardent measures
In the gracefulest of manners.
Now and then a saucy Cupid
Pleases this bewitching critio.
Rut the verses are too stupid
For a taste so analytic.
O’er forget-me-nots and roses
Like a butterfly she wavers,
Till the honey one discloses
Proves the daintiest of flavors.
With this nectar Love insnares her,
And he holds her in possession,
And he tempts her and he dares her
To the following confession.
** If I had the brush of Watteau,
And the wisdom of the sages,
I could paint a worthy motto
On this loveliest of page* ;
But no truer heart is beating
Than the heart which beats for you, lovo;
So I send a simple greeting,
And I sign myself your True-love.”
Satisfied with her selection,
As the clerk she re-imburses.
For the missive of affection,
From the prettiest of purses,
While she fastens furs and plushes.
Unaware of admiration,
In a conscious way she blushes,
Thinking of its destination.
Will a certain hero wonder,
Ere the trusty seal is broken.
If his fate is hidden under
Shelter of this tender token?
Will he, when his heart discovers
Who has sent this timely warning,
Be the happiest of lovers
i»n St. Valentine’s own morning?
Martha Cavemo Cook.
Outwitting Brigands.
It was on such a morning as we fog
nurtured islanders seldom witness at
home that I stood upon the deck of
the good steamer ('oumoundouros,
watching the nearing shorts of the
I'irams, which, as all the world knows
or should know, is the port of the
classic city of Athens. The beautiful
unclouded sky; the bright outlines of
the sun-bathed coast; the air, laden
with the scent of the distant Hymet
tus; the far eminence with the grand
old Acropolis standing out, white and
bold in the clear atmosphere; and close
at hand the moldering tomb of
Themistocles—all combined to arouse
such poetic fancies in my mind that I
forgot for the moment the prosaic
business upon which I had come. The
screaming engine of tiie busy little
railway which carries the traveler
from the I'iraeus to Athens, soon re
minded me, however, that I was ac
credited with a mission from a London
Greek firm to their friends in the Attic
city; and I was soon whirling over the
sacred ground
Whore History gives to every rood a page!
VVe passed the monuments of those
doughty champions of the War of
Independence, Karaiskakisand Miaulis,
and many other objects of interest;
and after a ride of three or four miles
I found myself at my destination.
After the first few days I certainly
had a very pleasant time of it, the few
hours’ work each day acting only as a
stimulus to my varied pleasures ; and
having examined the Acropolis, and
lunched by the fallen pillar of Jupiter,
seated myself in the ruins of the I’nyx—
whence Deino.sthf.es declaimed, and
Pericles evolved his plans—l looked
around, like Alexander, for more
worlds to conquer. I thereupon con
sulted my genial but unwashed host,
Kyrie Antonio Pericles Pappademe
tracepouloe—who, although Plato was
to him a text-hook, and the sayings of
■Socrates as familiar as the sayings of
Tommy and Harry to an English
schoolboy, was always as dirty as a
sweep—upon the propriety of betaking
myself to where
The mountains look on Marathon,
And Marathon looks on tbo sea.
Vor one might as well go to Egypt
without visiting the Pyramids, or to
Itome without entering Kt. Peter’*, as
to “do” Greece and leave Marathon
unexplored. And when my host tried
to dissuade me by assuring me that a
Greek gentleman’s car had been sent a
fortnight before by the brigands to his
obstinate relatives, to hurry the nego
tiations for iiis ransom, it so roused
wf blood that I vowed l would go If I
CHARLOTTE, MECKLENBURG CO., N. C., FEBRUARY 17, 1883.
returned as close cropped as an Eng
lish terrier. So away we started—
myself and Themistocles, the son of my
host, a sallow, unshaven youth, dirtier
Mian his father—mounted upon two
high-spirited donkeys, our revolvers
well primed and our commissariat
well stocked.
“ Adios, Kyrie !” shouted my long
named host as we cantered off.
“ Never fear,” I replied, waving my
revolver defiantly, and feeling that I
should be greatly disappointed if the
rascals did not show themselves.
On we went, enjoying the scenery
and holding a hybrid conversation—
he in broken English, and I in sadly
mutilated Greek—until in the excite
ment of the ride and the glorious pano
rama constantly unfolding itself to our
view, I entirely forgot that there were
such beings as brigand*in existence.
“Now,” said I to Themistocles, after
a ride of some hours, during which
my appetite became unpleasantly
sharpened, “let us look about for a spot
where we can bivouac in comfort.”.
We soon found a delightful place,
sheltered all round, save where through
a small opening we obtained a view of
a charming landscape. Dismounting,
and allowing our animals to refresh
themselves on the grass, we soon made
havoc of the. good things we had
brought, I was laying upon my back
smoking a cigarette after the meal,
gazing dreamily at the blue firmament;
and being too lazy to rise, had called
upon Themistocles to pass me the water
cup.
“Has the fellow gone to sleep?”
thought I, still indisposed to turn my
head. “Themistocles!”
Hut Themistocles heard me not; and
when I raised myself upon my elbow,,
I saw him standing, as if struck dumb
and motionless with fear, staring upon
the opening. Instinctively I leaped
up and clutched my revolver ; but be
fore I took a step the cause of Themis
tocles’ fear became apparent; and
three shaggy forms bphind three blun
derbusses aimed direct at me, made
me fully aware that I was in presence
of those scourges of Greece, the brig
ands ! But oh! what a metamor
phosis ! Where were the natty green
jackets with silver buttons, the plumed
hats, and the tout ensemble of the
brigands of my youth, of the operas
and the picture-boqks ? Three rugged,
disreputable-looking figures, clad in
greasy sheep-skins and dirty clothes,
unkempt, unshaven, took the place of
those tinseled heroes. With stern
gestures and muttered threats they
ordered us to follow them. My first
thought was resistance; but when I
showed the slightest signs, the three
bell-mouthed muskets were bent toward
me, and I felt that the odds were too
many; and determining to await events,
grimly submitted to be led down the
mountain by our unsavory guides.
At last, after winding through ra
vines and hollows, across glens and
over mountain-paths innumerable, this
most unpleasant journey ended by our
guides calling a ha t as we gained the
summit of an eminencesurroonded by
trees and tall rocks, forming an extra
ordinary natural fortress. Beneath
our feet, in a deep ravine, with seem
ingly but one outlet, and excellently
sheltered by overhanging foliage, was
the camp of the brigands; and here we
found the rest of the shaggy ruffians—
with the exception of one who stood
sentinel—enjoying their siesta with
indolent content.
A shrill whistle soon brought the
rascals to their feet; and, rushing up
to meet us, they displayed a dozen of
as unfavorable specimens of the hu
man race as could well be found.
Seizing our asses by their bridles, they
relieved our captors, and led us down
the ravine; ami having roughly as
sisted us to dismount, brought us into
the presence of the chief of the hand.
“ Bravo, lads! excellent, excellent!”
he shouted, as his sparkling eyes bent
upon us in delight; and after a cursory
examination, we were conducted, amid
excited gesticulations of the brigands
and without undue ceremony, into a
dark cavern within the ravine.
“ Shiver my maintops!” exclaimed a
voice as I groped my way in; “ they
might give us sea-room, the vagabonds,
and not land us in this lubberly creek;
and now they are shoving more craft
in to anchor!”
“Haul in. Jack, old clium!” an
swered another; “ we must make the
best of a had job, mate.”
To say that my heart leaped to my
mouth at hearing such unexpected
words, and Unding myself in the com
pany of my own countrymen, would no
more than descrilw the cheering sensa
tion that thrilled through me.
“ What cheer, mate*?” I cried in the
darkness. An*- ering exclamations of
astonishment greeted my words; and
in a few minutes our stories were told;
and I learned that my new-found
friends were the captain and super
cargo of a ship then lying in the port
of the Piraeus, who. seeking a like ob
ject, had met with a similar fade to
my own.
“And now,” said Captain Jack Jen
kins, “ how are we to get out of this
scrape? If I had Tim and Joe and
Black Tom, each with a cutlass and a
barking-iron here, we’d soon make a
passage. I’d warrant!”
“That’s all very well.” said Will
Johnson, the supercargo; “ hut we
haven’t. If I’d but the opportunity
given me, I’d guarantee—”
Whatever the supercargo was about
to say was cut short by the advent of
two shock-heads at the little opening
of our prison, and two harsh voices
calling us—as my guide, Themistocles,
informed us—twpartake of a feast; for
we learned afterward that the chief,
in commemoration of haring made
such a good haul, had decided to allow
us, his prisoners, to partake of the
general festivity. But as a prelimin
ary. we had to undergo an examination
as to our capability of paying the an
ticipated ransoms. First, we were re
lieved of our watches and rings, the
captain using language rather strong
for translation to these pages, to the
great amusement of his tormentors,
who, with similar gesticulations to his,
endeavored to imitate the sound of the
captain’s words, which of course ouly
added to his wrath and their hilarity.
“You uncombed, dirty-faced vaga
bonds!” he shouted, “if 1 had a few
of you aboard the Annie Martin. I’d
twist your ugly heads OTer the yard
arm in the tw inkling of a jiffy r
Os course they only laughed the
louder at his impotent rage: and I
thought it quite as well - that they did
not understand the language in which
he gave it vent.
The operation of stripping us of our
valuables gave me an opportunity to
observe the appearance of my com
panions. Captain Jenkins was the
beau-ideal of an English seaman. In
age about thirty-five, of a large and ro
bust built, a face broad, manly and
bearded, and limbs such as would de
light a sculptor to copy. liis height
was nearly six feet; and he had an air
of command about him which was
doubtless bred of his occupation. The
supercargo. Will Johnson, was per
haps ten years younger; nearly as tall
as his friend, strong and active: and ,
take us altogether—for I am of no I
mean stature myself—we were three j
men who, under any circumstances,
would be no disgrace to our country;
and if any opportunity should arise for
an attempt at an escape. 1 felt certain
that we should give as good an ac
count of ourselves as any scratch three,
here or there.
Having satisfied themselves of the
value of my late father’s watch, which
I parted from with some emotion, and
of the captain’s gold chronometer, as
well as the supercargo's watch and
diamond ring, we were interrogated,
through Themistocles.as toour means.
For myself the name of the firm I ws»s
traveling for acted with a talismanie
effect upon them, and 1 was immedi
ately assessed—notwithstanding my
protestations—at three hundred pounds.
At this price, too, th- captain’s freedom
was valued; white the unfortunate
supercargo—whose business.they per
sisted in confounding with that of
owner of the cargo and ship—was
unanimously voted to lx- worth twice
our ransom. Having arranged this
matter to their own satisfaction, if not
to ours, we were told to sit down and
enjoy ourselves with what appetite we
could muster.
The smell of the roast lamb and the
freshly baked meal-cakes. however,
soon aroused pleasant sensations, and
dimmed for a time the 'memory of
our griefs; more especially as. under
the apparent certainty of obtaining his
booty, the chief condescended to be
quite patronizing toward us, carving
the joints himself for us. and delicidely
handing on the point of a dagger our
several portions. After we had satis
fied our hunger with mure solid viands,
we were regaled with dried fruits as
dessert; and a large jar of a peculiar
sherry-colored but t»a 1-tasting wine of
a resinous flavor- which Themistocles
described as the common wine of the
country—was brought in ami set down
in the midst of us. This we told them
we could not drink; and tliechief very
generously ordered >ts a couple of bot
tles from his own particular store,
doubtless the proceeds of a raid upon
some well to-do householder .
Will Jolinson.after a time, managed
to iugraliate himself in. the favor of
our shaggy host and his friends by his
genial happy manner and frank hear
ing, favoring the company with many
remarks, which, translated by Themis
tocles, evidently pleased them. When,
too, hy sleight-of-hand—in which he
was an adept—he performed some
simple tricks, and gave them a music
hall song with a rollicking chorus, and
wound up with a hornpipe, accom
panied by the captain with a pocket
; comb and a piece of paper, the general
enthusiasm knew no bounds, and the
beetle-hrowed vagabonds laughed till
the tears rolled down their cheeks.
Will now became on such excellent
terms with them all that he proceeded
to take some freedoms with them; and
when he snatched the horn from the
cup-hearer, and installed himself in
that official's place, ladling the wine
out of the wide-inouthed jar and hand
ing it round to the company, his
triumph was complete.
“For heaven's sake!” said he. as lie
passed us, - don't take any of this stuff,
and don't drink much of your own.”
" Never four.” said Jenkins, making
a wry face, - one taste is sufficient.”
And so Will went round with ’the
cup, making a comical remark to this
one, and a grimace at that, until the
chief—evidently fearing from their
hilarity that they were taking too
much—ordered them to desist from
drinking and return to their several
duties.
Meanwhile we were sent back into
our dungeon, with a sontinel stationed
at the opening,
“Not a word,” whispered Will, as
we settled down in our prison. “Here’s
something, captain,” he continued,
“that belongs to you.”
“ Why," said the captain, in reply,
as Will handl’d him the article men
tioned; "this is a stopper out of my
medicine chest.”
“To be sure it is Jack,” returned
Will; -and 1 must apologize for the
liberty of taking your laudanum phial;
but my back-tooth was so painful on
board the ship last night that I got
up and took it, and luckily forgot to
return it this morning. You must
debit me with the bottle and its con
tents, for l dropped them both into the
vagabonds' wine-jar!”
“ What r we all exclaimed in a,
breath.
“ Now, stop your clappers!” con
tinued the supercargo —-Jack, you
know I'm not bail at sleight-of-hand
tricks. Well, in the first placet, having
contrived to secrete the bottle while
the blackguards were relieving me of
my valuables, and then having attained
the position of waiter, what was easier
than to wriggle the bottle down my
sleeve, whip out the stopper, and drop
the lot into their swipe*; giving the
bottle a crack and stirring the lauda
num up every time l dipped the horn
into it r
"Bravo, Will!” cried the. captain,
seizing his hand and givingit a hearty
shake. "If that's the case, we're safe:
for the black fao»d rascals won’t wake
up for a dozen hours I'U lie bound.
There! our guard has dropped off al
ready
And sure enough, the drowsy ruf
fian hail planted himself right across
the opening aad was snoring loudly.
“ Now for it!" cried the impetuous
lack Jenkins, rising.
- Hold hard!" said Will. “Let
them get well off.”
So. settling ourselves down for half
:uz hour, we talked the matter over.
At the end of this time we sent the
trembling Themistocles to see how '
things were outside; and aft er peeping i
over the prostrate sentinel he gave us
to understand that ail were sleeping !
except three, and they were retiring to !
the farther end of the ravine, and
would in a minute be out of sight.
" Capital!” said Will, with sup
pressed excitement. “Now. each take
a pistol and a cutlass from the fellows,
and follow me.”
One after another we stepped across
the sleeping brigand at t.ie entrance.
Will relieving him of las pistol, dirk
and hbmdcronss, while the captain
and I stood by ready to give him his
quietus at the slightest sign of his wak
ing. Then the four of us, gliding like |
ghosts, assisted ourselves to whatever |
weapons we could most easily lay hands ;
upon; and as Themistocles was not
of mnrh use for fighting, we gave
him the l>ag containing our valuables
—which we found by the side of the
sleeping chief -as well as several spare
pistols, to carry. lacking our way
without speaking a word, we advanced
toward the open end of the ravine, and
just as we turned round a jutting point
of rock we saw the three sentinels,
aremingtv in earnest conversation.
"Halt!” whispered Will “Now for
a rush'"and each singling out his luun
and clutching his ride by the barrel—
for we avoided the noise of shooting—
we sprang forward. Almoet simul
taneously. and before the enemy had
W. C. SMITH. PfIHMW.
time to observe us, we were upon them,
and three rifle-3tocks descended upon
three shock heads with such force that
two of the fellows dropped like stones.
The stock of my rifle glanoed off the
hard head of my antagonist and crushed
.against the rock. With a stifled cry
lie turned; but in an instant my
hand was upon his throat, and the
sound died in his gullet; while with
the strength of desperation I dashed
his head against the wall-like rock; and
after a struggle—in which he wounded
me with his dagger—he fell from my
grasp, apparently lifeless.
“Now,” said the captain, “whereare
the donkeys?—Come,Greekyl” hecried
to Themistocles; “bear a hand;” and
looking around we espied our four
animals just as we left them, but with
a brigand sitting by them. Here was
an unlooked-for recontret He was
fully a hundred yards off, and to get at
him we should have to cross a small
platean.
“.Leave him tome!” cried Jenkins,
preparing to rush forward. But under
the advice of the supercargo ho
stopped. We could have picked him
off easily, hut dared not. for the noise
of the rifles.
“Hang it!” impatiently muttered
Jenkins, “we shall he trapped again,
after all,” and without further parley
the impetuous fellow started off, run
ning on the tips of his toes, with a drawn
cutlass in one hand and a pistol in
the other. .Just as he was within a few
yards of the brigand the latter turned
round, and seeing how matters stood
made for his rite, which was leaning
against a tree a few feet off; but a re
volver hurled deftly by Will Johnson—
for we had all followed—catching him
directly in the face, so effectually
stopped iiis progress that he fell
stunned to the ground.
“You persist in doingall the work,”
said Jenkins, as we came up to him.
“ But quick, lads; off we go !” and in
a moment we were on our asses, and,
uniter the guidance of our Greek com
panion, were making with breakneck
speed far Atliqns. Up bill, down dale,
on we went foracouple of hours with
out stopping or meeting a human be
ing; then, just as we were about to
cross the summit of a mountain at
which we had arrived, a harmless
looking peasant wished us “ good-day,”
and was about to pass on.
“Seize him!” cried Themistocles;
“ he’s a scout.”
So seize him we did, for caution’s
sake; and as there were no trees near,
we tied his handsand legs together, and
left him begging sot mercy. But there
was no mercy in us, more especially
as Themistocles explained that there
was such a curious and mysterious
connection between the brigands and
villagers that it was by no means un
likely—had we allowed him to go free
—he would have hied to the nearest
village and roused a swarm of semi
brigands alxmt us.
Having traveled for four hours, and
as our asses could scarcely get along
for fatigue, we called a halt; and after
resting ourselves and watering our
animals we continued our journey un
til, late at night, we reached Athens,
where, round the hospitable board of
our host, we soon forgot our troubles.
— Chambers' Journal.
Value of Hay as f uel.
A Dakota letter has this rather sur
prising statement concerning the use
of hay as fuel: The problem of what
to burn, no less than what to build
with, is one of the first which must
be solved hy the settler. The Creator
has Uindiy furnished a fuel ursur
passed in virtue, abundance and cheap
ness. It is hay. The first time I
asked a settler what he burnt for fuel
and he told me, I said; “ Why, how can
you get enough to do you through th*
winter? I shouldn't think a stack
would last you a week.” Since then I
have heard many other persons make a
similar remark. The fact is, however,
that it takes about the same amount of
hay to run a stove through the winter
as it does of coal. The grass cut for
fuel is not the same as that used sot
feeding, hut is taken from low at
marshy lands where it is long and
heavy. It is stacked, and as it it
needed is made into twists about ten
or twelve inches long, weighing from
one-half to three-quarters of a pound,
About five tons is put up for con
sumption in a large stove during tht
winter. It makes a very hot stove,
and is preferred above all other fuels
for baking purposes. 1 have a friend
who twists enough for breakfast every
morning to last until the next day. lit
thinks it is the cheapest and most sat,
Lsfaetory fuel the world produces.
Why » pig is Uke a tree—Both thrirt
by their root.