Decatur Eagle, Volume 2, Number 10, Decatur, Adams County, 16 April 1858 — Page 1

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VOL. 2.

TII E I'. AG LE. PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING, BY PHILLIPS & SPENCER, Office, on Main Strest, in the old School House, one Square North of J. 4 P Crabs' Store Terms of Subscription : For one year, $1 50. in advance; §1 75, within the year, and $2 00 after the year has expiled. [CTNo paper will be discontinued umilall arrorages are paid, except at the option of the Publishers. Terms of Advertisina: One square, (ten lines) three insertions, $1 00 Each subsequent insertion, 25 IT* No advertisement will be considered less than one square; over one square will be counted and charged as two; over two, as three, etc. JOB P rTn TING: We are prepared to do all kinds of job work, in a neat and workmanlike manner, on the most reasonable terms. Our material for the completion of Job-Work, being new and of the latest styles, and we feel contidei t that satisfaction can be given. TO MY SISTER. BY SALLIE M. BRYAN. Ellie, there’s a timid lustre Dreamingin thy soft, dark eyes, Like a tender starlight trenV ling In the midnight's mystic skies; And thy features are as faultless As if carved b> Grecian art; And men bow before thy beauty— But I love thee for thy heart. There are thoughts of winged brightness Hiding in thy spirit’s cells, As young humming birds of summer Hide among the lily bells. May no sudden autumn drive them Rudely from th. ir fairy nests; To fly on through chill and tempest, With worn w ingsand bleeding breasts. Last night in the dreary darkness, When the haunted winds went by, Feverish fires burned in my bosom. Till I thought that I must die; And 1 felt that it was fearful Togo out alone, alone— Through the shadow and the silence, To the eternal and unknown. Yet the dimness and the mystery Os the lands beyond the grave, And the deep and thundering echoes Os each dark and chilling wave, That seemed breaking near to sweep me Down in Death’s unsounded sea, Could not frigl.t this heart, rny sister. From the angel-thought of thee. We have heard the fairy legends Os the twilight’s dreamy time. From the same sweet bp together Falling like a magic chime; And we’ve left our borne and wandered Through a waste of Upas dew, Yet mid wind and blight and blackness, I bare ever found thee true. It were more than death to leave thee. Idol of an ardent heart; And I often ask the angels, May we never, never part. Yet the years must bring us changes. And wherever thou mayest. go, Ellie, may thy fate be brighter Thau thy sister hopes to know. We rather think gold and silver are, in these days, the most prized and effective of all belle metals. He who does his best, however little, is always to he distinguishable from him who does nothing. — HI — 111 Forget injuries and remember benefits; if roti grant a favor, forget it; if you receive one, remember it. •Mr. President,’ said a member of a school committee, out west. ‘1 rise to git i up, and am not backward to come forward in the cause of edication. Had it! not been for edication, I might have been as ignorant as yourself, Mr. President.’ —i i i l —- In the town of North Hampton. N. H resides a maiden lady, eighty-seven years of age, who has never enjoyed good I health, who has never in her lifetime been outside of the limits of that town, which* by the way is only four miles square. ——— A crust of bread, a pitcher of water; a I thatched roof, and love: there is happiness for you, whether the day be rainy or sunny. It is the heart that makes the home, whether looking on a potato patch or a flower garden. Heart makes homes precious, and it is the only thing that can. Death of a Venerable Clergyman. The death of the venerable Rev. Laban Ainsworth, of Jeffrey, N. 11., is reported. The event took place on Wednesday, the 17th mat. The deceased had been pastor of the Congregational church in Jeffrey seventy four years. His age was one Awndred years, seven montht and twenty eight' day*.

"Our Country’s Good shall ever be our Aim—Willing to Praise and not afraid to Blame."

A SCENE IN ARKANSAS. BY EMERSON BENNETT. Some years ago, when horse thieves, negro stealers gamblers, id est omne genus, were much more common in the Aikansas country than they are to-day, a party of six or eight borderers were one cool evening in November collected arround L the bar-room fire of the Jefferson House, ' in a place well known, but which it suits ■ our purpose not to name. They were rather a rough-looking set of fellows, i take them all in all; and at the moment ■ we introduce them, were attentively list ' ening to the wonderful exploits of one Keiser, who wat known in those parts as I the leader of a gang of bullying scotindrels—though the persons to whom he was talking, being comparative strangers, permitted him the rare enjoyment of telling ■ 1 his story, spreading his fame, and making himself a hero in a new quarter. Winding up the detail of his sixth bloodv duel and rencounter with an oath, he added, by the way of a climax: ‘l’m one of them as is never afraid of anything—white, black, or red—and all I want is, (displaying the Lilt of his bowie i knife,) for anybody to show me the fellow as says I is.’ As he spoke, he straightened himself up, bent his round, bullet-head forward, and brought his face, with its pug nose, thin, sneering lips, and small, black, somewhat bloodshot eyes, to bear upon each of those present, and with a defiant expression, which seemed to say as plainly as words: •Who dare to contradict me? No one made anj’ answer; and each eye, if it did not quail, at least fell before the contetnptious glance ol the braggadocio. ‘Yes,’ he repeated, withan oath, ‘l'm one of them as is never afeard of anything as I said afote; and to prove it, I’ll tell ye of my fight with Dexter—Rash as we used to call him.’ And then, with an air of one perfectlj’ satisfied that he was a hero, which no man dared dispute, he was proceeding with his story, when a tall, slender individual, in the dress of a northern traveler, somewhat dusty, and with a pair of saddlebags thrown across Ins arm, quietly entered the inn. Approaching the bar-whither the land lord, who was one of the party at the fire, immediately repaired—the stranger mildly inquired if be could be entertained j for the night. ‘Certainly, sir,’ returned Boniface, with a cheerful air. ‘A horse, I reckon, sir?’ The traveler nodded; and while he proceeded to divest himself of his overcoat, ' and deposit his traveling equipments with i the host, the latter called to a black servant, and ordered him to attend to the gentleman’s beast. ‘Supper, sir?’ pursued the landlord, ! with an eye of business. Again the traveler nodded; and per(ceiving the fire was surrounded by the ■ partv already mentioned, and evidently . not wishing to intrude himself among ; strangers, he quickly took his seat by a | table near the wall. Meantime he had not escaped notice—- — no new comer in such a place does; I but while most o r the company scanned him somewhat furtively, Keiser, the egotistical hero of his own bloody exploits, angered by the interruption, stepped his narration, and regarded him with a sav- ; age scowl. | ‘Another Yankee—l'll bet high ; on’tl’ he said, in a sneering, grating tone, ■ intended to disconcert, irretate, and insult the traveler. The latter, however, seemed to take no notice of tlie remark; but turning to the i table, npon which there chanced to be lyj ing an old paper, he picked it up, as it were, mechanically, and soon appeared ■ to be deeply absorbed in its contents. This quiet, inoffensive proceed'ng served to irretate the ruffian still more; but i contenting himself for the time by muti tering something about all Yankee being : cowards, he turned to the others, and proceeded with his story —speaking some- , whatlouler than usual—especially when ] he came to the bloody details of his nar- , I rative—as if to arrest the attention of the stranger, and impress him unfavorably ; Finding the latter was notin the least; disturbed, however, Keiser closed with a I tremendous oath; and then, turning to 1 ■ the landlord, who had once more joined the party, he inquired, in a loud tone, if i he thought there were any ‘cussed thieves j amongst ’em from abroad? ‘Hush!’ returned the host, in low, cau ' tious tone; ‘don’t go for to make a muss j here, I beg of you —for such things ruin ! a man’s house!’ ‘Do you want to take up on that fellow’s side?’ sneered the bully, fixing his black, snaky eves upon the host, an expression that made the latter quail. •Oh, no, Keiser —I don’t want to take anything up; and so I beg you won’t say nothing to him. Come! lot’s take a drink all round, and call it quits.*

DECATUR, ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA, APRIL 16, 1858.

•In course we’ll take a drink,’ returned the other, with a coatse laugh; ‘and as it's to be all round,.why, we’ll have it all round.’ Saying this, and rising as he spoke, he walked over to the inoffensive traveler, with a swaggering air, and, slapping him somewhat heavily on the shoulder, said, roughly; ‘How d,ye do, stranger? | The man looked up with something like a start, and displayed features in striking contrast with those of his interrogator. He seemed about five-an*’- ’ twenty years ot age —had a smooth, broad, high forhead—a rather Grecian, slightly effeminate, and almost beardless face—and mild, soft, pleasant blue eyes, , the general expression of the whole coun- ' i tenance denoting one of a naturally timid retiring, and unobtrusive disposition — Fixing his eyes upon the bully—rather with the air of one who -did not exactly I comprehend the cause of being so rudely disturbed, than with anything like anger ' ; or resentment at the harsh unceremonious , ( interruption—he seemed to wait for the j . latter to volunteer some explanation ol I his uncivil proceeding. i ‘I said, how d’ye do, stranger?’ repeatI ed Keiser;‘but you don’tseem to under- . stand the civil thing.’ At this the crowd, in expectation ol a quarrel, at once started up, and silently gathered around the bully and the trav-, eler. This seemed to startle the latter a little, and glancing quickly from one to ’ the other, he replied: ‘I am very well, if that is what you wish to know; but really I do not comprehend why you should be so solicitous about my health. •There's a great mans things that von, Yankees don’t comprehend!' rejoined Keiser, with a chuckling laugh. ‘What does this mean, gentlemen?’ in- : quired the traveler, turning a little pale, his mild, blue eje beginning to gleam with a strange, peculiar light—at the same time rising and glancing from one to the other, till his gaze rested upon the ' troubled visage of his host. ‘What have I done that any one here should seek to insult me? Do you permit this, sir?’ lie ' i added, addressing the innkeeper. | ‘He can’t help himself,’ interposed the I bully. ‘lf there’s anybody as wants to insult you, it’s me; and Bill Keiser always does what he likes—anywhere, and with anybody! ‘And why doyowseek to quarrel with a man that never saw or exchanged a word w ith you before?’quietly asked the stranger, his lips slightly quivering, eithI er with fear or surpressed anger—a soft [glow diffusing itself over his whole face, and the pupils of his eyes seeming to expand, and grow dark, and gleam even more strangely than before. ‘Because I hate all you cussed Yan kees; and whenever I see one of your : tribe, I always feel like cutting his heart out! for I,tn one of those as never knowed ! what it was to fear eyther man or devil!’ ‘Come interposed the landlord, taking; the bully by the arm—‘we was going to take a drink, you know! i ‘Yes, I’m in for that tool’ said Keiser, always good at eyther a drink ora fight, I am. You hear, stranger?’ he continued, taking hold of the latter’s arm some- ; what roughly. ‘You hear, don’t you? We're going to take a drink with the landlord; and if you can prove you’re a dreent white man, we'll honor vou by taking another with you afterwards. ‘I shall have no objection to treat, if the gentlemen here think 1 to do so,’ returned the traveler, drawing him ! self up with dignified firmness, and speaking in a more positive manner than he. had yet done; ‘hut as for drinking myself, that is something I never do.’ Nothing at that moment could have pleased the bully better than to hear the stranger refuse to drink; for he h?d long since resolved upon a quarrel with him; first, from natural malice; secondly, because he believed him once to be easily | disposed of; and thirdly, because he might thus make a grand display of his fighting qualities, with little or no risk to himself, a very important consideration, when we bear in mind that all such characters are arrant cowards at heart. ‘So you don’t drink, eh?' he said to the stranger. ‘D’ye hear that, gentle- 1 men?’ appealing to the crowd. ‘Now everybody round here has to drink or i fight! And so (walking up to the trav-’ eler) you’ve got to do one or t'other — which shall it be? ‘I do not wish to do either,’ was the reply; ‘but drink I will not! ‘Then fight you shall I’cried the other, closing the s-ntence with a wicked oath, and al the same time laying his hand up- ( on the hilt of his bowie knife, and partly drawing it from its sheath. ‘Do you intend to murder me? or give rne a chance for my lite?’ inquired the stranger, with a coolness that astonished those who, looking upon his fine, delicate features, and slender figure, expected to I see him shrink back in alarm and dismay. ; ‘Give you a chance, in course!’ return-

jed the bully, in a less confident tone —for 11 he 100 had expected to see the other sueI' cutnb at once ‘Do you challenge me to a fair combat? inquired the other. , ‘ln course I does,’ blustered Keiser; 'we don’t do nothing else, in this country, but the fair thing.’ ’ The affair now began to look serious. ; ‘Gentlemen,’said the traveler, with a polite bow to the company in genera), | ‘you know how quietly I came in here, and how inoffensively 1 conducted myself •if,.. ~*ds: and you have seen bow this man has ventured beyond all rules of good breeding, and stepped out of his way to insult and fix a quarrel upon me. Now, then, ns I am a stranger here—though one who has always heard much of Southern chivalry—l wish to know how many of you will agree to stand by and see fair , play?’ 'All! all of usl’ was the almost simultaneous response. ‘You shall have fair play, stranger!’ ( The bully turned slightly pale, and I seemed more discomposed and uneasy. ' ‘1 thank you, gentlemen, for convincj ing me, by your oiler, that you are goverened by justice and honor!’ pursued the I traveler; and ‘now 1 will prove to you i that this man is a cowardly braggadocia, . or else one of us shall not quit this place alive! It is understood that lam chall- , enged to a single fight, is it not?’ There was a general affirmative re- > spouse. I ‘The challenged party, I believe, has the choice of weapons, time, and place?’ Another affirmative response —the bully looking still pale and more anxious. ‘Well, then, gentlemen, not being han dv with the. bowie knife, and wishing an , equal chance for life, I propose to leave , the result to fate, and so test the courage ,of my opponent. Any man can stand up fora fight, if be knows he has the best ' of it, but only true courage can coolly ' face uncertainty, and my insuiter boasts 1 of fearing nothing. My proposition is ’ : this: Let two pistols be selected, one be ' loaded, and both be concealed under a ' cloth upon this table. Then my fighting 1 friend and mvseli shall draw one by lot, I point the drawn one at the breast of bis foe, and pull the trigger, the unarmed ’ one standing firm, and receiving the charge or not as Heaven shall will! Is ' not this fair? ‘Perfectly fair!’ concidtd all except Keiser, who demurred, and swore that ‘ nobody but a Yankee would ever have ■ thought of such a heathenish way of do- ; ing busines. ‘Did I not tell you he was a coward—- ! litis fellow—who a few minutes ago fear’ed neither man nor devil?’ sneered the stranger, thus drawing a laugh from the 'company, who now seemed to be all on his side. ; The landlord now objected, but the company taking him asis'e, and whispering in ; his ear, he made no further opposition. I Accordingly, Keiser reluctantly consenting, one was chosen to prepare the pistols, which were immediately produced; and in less than ten minutes they were placed under a cloth upon the table. | ’I waive till right, to the choice,’ said I the stranger, as he and Keiser were brought face to face in their proper posi- : tions. The bully, who was really very much alarmed—and who showed it in his pale face, trembling Jimbs. and quivering muscles, at once seemed to brighten at this concession and thrusting his hand under tiie cloth, he drew forth one of the weapons, presented it at the breast of the other, and pulled the trigger. It did not fire; but the stranger, who knew not that it was unloaded, neither blanched nor changed expression. The crowd applauded, and the bully grew ghastly pale. •It is my turn now!’ said the traveler, lin a quiet, determined tone, fixing his blue eye steadily upon the cowering foim of Keiser. This was more than the latter could stand. ‘No, I’ll- be -if it is?’ he shouted: and instantly drawing the other pistol, he ! presented it, and pulled the trigger also. But with a like result, for neither pis-: , tol was loaded, the company having se- , cretly resolved to test the courage of both without bloodshed. Throwing down the pistol with a bitter I curse, amid a universal cry of ‘Shame!; shame!’ Keiser whipped out his knife, and made a rush for iiis antagonist. But; the latter, gliding quickly around the! table, suddenly slopped, and exclaimed: ‘Tiuee times at my life—and now once at yours!’ And with these ominious words he raised his arm quickly: the next instant there was a flash, a crack, and the bully fell heavily forward, shot through the brain. i The verdict of the jury who sat upon I the case, was justifiable homicide—and | blue-eyed stranger resumed bis journey as if nothing had happened.

ri Would you know who be is? If we -name him- we should name one who now holds a high official position; and for many ? reasons we prefer he should be known only by those who are already cognizant ; of the incident we have recorded. Obedience to Parents. It has sometimes been said that di«o---i bedience to parents is the beginning of ail j crime. If this is true—and to a great , extent it undoubtedly is—how important f that the habit of disobedience should . never be formed! Bewate, young readei ] how you disobey the slightest command ? of you parents; for it will lead you to dis- . obev others, and then to disobey the ! laws of your country and the laws of . God. Is it too much to require that you [ ’.should obey your parents? Surely it is aot; 'lor this is right ’ Is obedience . I hard? Then it is because it is not cheerr fullv rendered I was not hard for MarItiu Luther to obey; for he could say, I 1 had rather obey than work miracles. You I can do nothing that will please and hon .| or your parents more than cheerful and . implicit obedience. a But obedience must be prompt and i cheerful, or it ceases to be a virtue. He ( who always obeys with a sour countenance . and angry words, is brother to the openly . disobedient. I The case ofLouis, Duke of Burgundy, presents a striking pattern of filial obedience. When a child, no threat or pun-1 , ishtnent was ever necessary to make ■ ; him obey; fora word or evena look _ ! was sufficient. He was always much grieved when his mother seemed displeas- ; with him, or spoke to him less kindiv usu--1 al. On such occasions, he would often ; weep, and say to het. Dear mother, pray be not angry with me; I will do what vou please.’ Happy the parent who has such t ■ a child. , ■ 111 ir s The Desire of Distinction —Noths ing but immortality can satisfy the mind 3 of man; the mind of man is is immortal., i The ocean only can fill the ocean’s bed. < > How vain, then, in man to imagine satis,l faction in the acquirement of anything s' perishable. Was earth our home, then 1 I:to be ambitious would be wise. But we ; ■ are bound to immortality; and he wb.o on! 3 the Dedalian wings of his ambition seeks happiness in wordly acquisitions, will be t sure to fail. I Who that has not observed the restless- ! ; ness of human ambition? Who of us can . say— J am contented? We all look for-i ward to something yet to come. The .; scenes of to day disgust us, and wo are! . | pleased with the visions of to morrow. AN e gaze upon the distant mountain;! . its robe of azure, its lights and shades, so i softly blended, make us imagine within its precincts and cool of Eden. Perhaps we attempt to gratify our longings. As , we approach the mountain throws off its azure robe; its lights and shades shriek into rugged hills and vales—all dies away into cold reality. Thus it is with the natural landscape; it is the same with the! moral. m „ — Brief Truths—Fortune only persecutes distinguished characters. Straws , fit at to the serface, while pearls sink to the bottom. Though the heavens are spangled with an infinitude of stars, the sun and moon alone are subject to eclipse. Be modest, and resemble the star, which, though high and exalted, shines upon the water; rather than the vapour, which, though mean and obscure, lifts it- ; self to the clouds. Men and gold fix each other’s value. Justice is like a glass, which cannot be be bent, but is easily broken. It is the duty of women to be virtuous, it is their privilege to appear so. Many forget their duties, but all remember their privileges. We can never die too early for others, when we live only for ourselves. The word of an honest man is surer than the gold of a villain. If the shoe of a monarch could do as much ns the monarch himself, the court would be divided between his majesty and his shoe. We are never so proud and so humble as when we are praised. What is styled timidity, is probably nothing but the fear of showing too little, ; merit. Dandies may become useful in the same manner as those slaves of Sparta, who were made drunk in order to inspire I children with a horror of intoxication. Friendship does mt display itself in words, but it acts unremittingly; those pretended friends w’ o talk of nothing but their bear's, are like those cowards who are continually vaporing about bravery and battles. Money is a good servant and a bad , master. .. m .. I ‘Do you know who I am?’ said a ] police officer to a fellow whom he seized ,by the throat. ‘Not exactly, sir, but Ij reckon you are the malignant collarer' 1 '

NO. 10.

i Kissing the Empress, r i The following is from the Paris corres- -■ pondenee of the New York Courier.— i Speaking of attempted assassination cf t the Emperor, the writer says: At that moment when excitement, alarm and confusion were at their acme, h circumstance occurred of the most comic • kind, to the intended victims of the in--1 fernal machine. The Emperor had just l stepped out ol his carriage on the pressing ■ invitation of Lanet, and had turned, I shocked and horrified, to contemplate the one hundred and fifty people who were ■ walking around him, wh*n he felt his hand grasped by an unknown man of apparently low rank in life, who warmly f congratulated him on his escape. Thanking the man hurriedly, the Emperor rei sumed, as I have said above, his regard of the sufferers, and gave orders for at- ‘ tention to them. His intrustive felieitor ■ turning from him in equal haste, he took the Empress in his arms, lavished on her his compliments ot her escape, and kissed i, her a dozen limes. When the Empress entered her box. and recounted the incidents of the explosion and its consequence* as far as she was concerned, she said.— 'And 1 was kissed with warmth by some person, but by whom I cannot conceive.’ !‘lt was, no doubt, the same, friend who shook my hand,’ said the Emperor. As usual, a number of men were whiling away their loisure hours in the Case dedicated to them, with billiards, domino* pequet, and coffee, when the horrible at- ! tempt was made. Among them was one named Lippman, a very fast man. and an ; enthusiastic Bonapartist. Astounded by the explosion of the shells, and aroused still further by the sudden entrance into the Case of several spliqters of the shell* through the windows, which they shattered en passent, Lippman and his comrades rushed from the Case, and seeing how matters stood, he flew to the rescue, and losing his head with jov at seeing them safe, was the daring individual who had the insigne honor of a warm shake | of the hand by the mperor, and of heartily saluting a</an Empress, in a situation never before chosen tor such a demonstration of affectionate loyalty. - —fc 111 — Put ‘‘Gravy on jour’Teters. The last Scalpel, in an aiticle on ‘Diet’ assumes the p, stdon that ‘the use of oil would decrease the victims of consumption nine-tenths, and that this is the whole secret of the use of codliver oil,’ quotes the following summary of ohser- ■ vntions on this subject, made by Dr Heoker: 1. Os ail the persons between the agea I of fifteen and twenty-two years more than one-fifth eat no fat uieat. 2 Os persons at the age of forty-five, ! all, excepting less than one in fifty, habitually use fat meat. 3 Os persons who’, between the "gea jof fifteen and twenty-two, avoid fat meat, a few acquire an appetite for it, and live to a goo i old age, while the greater propoi tion die with phthisi before thirtv-five. 4 Ot persons dying with the phthisi, 'the ages of fifteen and forty-five, ninetenths at least have never used tat meat. Most individuals who avoid fat meat, also use little butter and oi.'y gravies, though many compebsate for this want, in part at least, by a free use of those articles, and also milk, eggs, and various saccharine substances. But they constitute an imperfect substitute for fat meat, without which, sooner or later, the body is almost sure to show the effects of deficient cilortfication. Mistaken Conversins-A correspondent furnishes the followin instances of mis* taken conversion in New York city: Among the recent conversions was that of Mr ,a large dry goods dealer. After his conversion he went to a neighboring minister, and told him there were so many tricks in the trade, that he was convinced that no man could be honest, and obtain a living by the sale of dry ( goods. 1 ‘Then,’ said the minister. ‘I suppose you intend to give up your business, and go into something el.e?’ ‘Oh, no,’ replied the hopeful convert 'I shall attend only to the purchase of i goods, and leave all the selling to my clei ks.* A young lady, fond of the pomps and ' vanities ot this woild, had a beautiful set lof jewelry. She became ‘converted.’— In relating her experience, she said, when I had found the lord; I was convinced thatrff I continued to wear the jewelry I should go to hell, and so I took it all off and gave it to my sister ’ A mother was hugging and kissing a ‘four-year-old.’ when she exclaimed—‘Chariy, what does make you so sweet? Cbarly thought a moment, and having been told that he was made out of the ground, replied—‘l think, mother, God must have put a little thugar in the dust, don’t you?’ Perpetual Motion.— A woman's tongue when talktng about her baby