The Farmer and Mechanic from Raleigh, North Carolina • Page 5

HOW THEY MAKE THE DEVIL SKIP AROUND THE STUMP The Sheep Shearer and Sunday Trains---How the Calf That Aaron Made Got Into the Court House. I noticed a few weeks ago that the grand jury of Franklin county had indicted the Seaboard Air Line Railway for running freight trains on Sunday, and I suppose they did so in pursuance of the charge of the presiding judge. If law is against the running of freight trains the grand jury did right of course, and if the law is not against it, thought to be. for, railroads right do business on Sunday than has the man who half-soles shoes, to support himself and family. The law would soon pick him up, "awl and end," and run him into the court, and make him answer to the charge of violating God's holy commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." But what can you do with a railroad? A corporation has no soul, and is not, therefore, toon be accountable.

It conscience, supposed, neither sense of shame; it fears not God, neither regards man; does as it pleases, when pleases, and as much it pleases; having no regard for tired human nature that ought to have a day of rest and, relaxation. Hard-worked operatives are not responsible for the labor they are required to do on the Sabbath. They are simply trying to get in reach of the next hoe-cake, and they would not be compelled to such a life, but for the fact that aggregated capital and monopolistic combinations have SO narrowed the field of labor as to make it a necessity for men to sell their manhood and almost renounce their religion in order to feed themselves and families. Freight trains laden with "perishable" matter, as for example, fruits and vegetables, and also horses, cattle, sheep, chickens and other kinds of poultry, are allowed to run on the Sabbath day; and a there is reason in that; but, when we see dozens no trains, every Sunday, each with from 40 to 50 cars, going north, south, east and west, we wonder at the amount of "perishable" matter the railroads manage to pick up; where they find it and where they carrying it. They (though I do: "not vouch for all "they that a railroad don't want but one cabbage as an excuse for running a train cars on Sunday, loaded with lumber, coal, oil, guano, merca chandise or any other kind of freight.

car loaded with perishable matter and 49 with other things, looks a little like whipping the old boy around the stump. I am reminded of the church member who, having been arraigned for drunkenness, and having made his confession and received forgiveness, most solemnly and unreservedly promised the church and pastor that he would drink no more, except when he sheared sheep. Of course the church and pastor agreed to that, supposing that sheep shearing would not oftener than once, or, at most, twice il year. But it was soon found' that brother was as drunk as usual, though he deciared he had not drank 3 drop since he sheared sheep. The brethren thought it strange that the drunk should last so long, and that his breath still had the odor of whiskey on it.

Every day he was drunk, but every day declared had not tasted a drop since she sheep-shearing. They decided to put a spy him, and very soon discovered that" the drinking brother had a sheep tied up in the barn, and near by was a jug of whiskey; and, a half dozen times a day, go to the barn, clip off a lock of wool, and take two or three stiff drinks; so, it turned out he was shearing sheep a half dozen times a day, and telling the truth, literally, in saying he had drank nothing since sheep shearing. I dare say, if the matter were looked into, those "perishable property trains would turn out, in many cases, to be a shearing of the same old sheep, or words to that A man asked me the other day, how it is that law-makers and lawyers, who, in their speeches, make it out such a flagrant violation of law and such a cowardly thing poor fellow, who hasn't any better sense, to tote a pistol, can strut around with their hip pockets loaded with guns? When I answered I didn't know that they did, he said: "You'd better not "sass" one of them if you don't want to hear something pop." I gave him my word I wouldn'twon't. I am getting along in years, I've never thought I needed a pistol; fact, I'm afraid of the things. There's some sense in having a doublebarrel shot gun handy, ready for business when robbers or burglars disturb your slumbers; but, when a fellow has his eyes open and the sun is shining, he ought to be able to keep out of scrapes, on his good looks and good behaviour.

What a horrible thing is murder! To take the life of a human beingthat which cannot be restored-and plunge a whole community into grief. Poor Cain! How miserable he was always, after he, in a fit of passion, killed his brother! The blood of the murdered man crieth unto God from the ground, and the conscience, that is not dead, is ever being goaded by remorse. I wish all the pistols were buried in the Pacific ocean and it was a hanging matter to make another. If big men tote them, little men, boys and fools will tote them too; in the case of selling liquor, the dealer is just as apt, and quite. as ready (for the money), to sell to the one as to the other.

And since. Caucasians tote Africans tote them, also. And so it comes to pass, in times peace, we are armed equipped for war. A pistol like a mortgage is a reflection and a stigma. my pocket a pistol as a reflection upon my courage, and a stigma upon my morals; publishing to the world that I am afraid of men, and, in heart and- in purpose, a murderer, if provoked or attacked; and that I am still abiding old faith-'an eye for an eye a and a tooth for a Speaking of lawyers, I have often wondered if the lawyer, who knows his client is a rascal and his case is immoral, as well as a violation of law, really sympathizes with his client rejoices, if, perchance, the verdict is in his favor; when the rascal escapes and the innocent has to suffer? Lawyers have to undertake some very bad cases, and it seems but reasonable to suppose they can but loathe the sitvation, and feel a hearty contempt for the beings with whom they have to be even professionally associated.

While that may be true as a general rule, I have seen, or, at least, known instances in which lawyers, in or- THE FARMER AND MECHANIC, THE done on a farm. In short, the father! made field hands them. But, for all that, the girls had some pride and, hard worked as they were they tried to themselves look tidy at church Of course they were uneducated and so grew into WOmanhood. A few turns of the wheel of fortune made the old man a large land owner, and, put twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars to his credit. Then he built a fine house and furnished it, and bought a piano for his horny-handed girls; and a carriage was substituted for the old cart it was not long before the very young girls used to ride in, and then Yes, men, who a few years before had seen those girls barefooted, plowing mules or chopping cotton, mauling rails or hauling wood, were hanging around them at church, carrying them home on their buggies, and sitting on the porches with them till bed time, on Sunday night.

"Mary Jane" was now Miss Marie; "Polly Ann' was Miss Pattie and Harriett was Miss Hattie. What that change? The old man's bank account. The young fellows who used to make fun of Mary Jane, Polly Ann and Harriett Jones, when they were plowing mules, and their coarse dresses were tucked up nearly to their knees, had to think, since old Jones had acquired broad acres and stored up his thousands in cash, that in all the country there were no such girls as Misses Pattie and Hattie Jones. No, I can't tell how it would have been, or what would have happened, if Tom Rhodes' gold "speciments" had sure enough gold, and Narcissa had become the petted daughter of a millionaire. I am sure of one thing, she would have had plenty of beaux; for, as molasses draws flies, so will money draw boys.

I don't know when I have enjoyed anything more than I did the fine address delivered by Col. Theodore F. Davidson, the 10th on the life and character of General Robert B. Vance, who, in addition to the many valuable services rendered by him to his county, State and country, as citizen, soldier and legislator, and the still more valuable service given to home; Sunday school and church, was a life-long temperance man, and aided largely, immediately after the war, in building up the Friends of Temperance; of which order he was the President in 1867-8, and for which, as long as he lived, he never ceased to work. I shall always hold in memory our first meeting.

He had been reading my paper and was, of course, familiar with my name, but had no more idea how I looked than I had of how he looked. He had made up his mind, no fellow; and I had formed the doubt, to see in me a portly, handopinion that General Vance was an austere looking man, of martial bearing, whose very presence would make the air chilly. When he wrote me that he was coming to the Grand Lodge of Masons, and desired to get board with me, wife and I held a counsel, and came to the conclusion that our house and fare would not at all do, for the entertainment of so distinguished a man, and our opinion was that we ought to write to him and. assure him of our high esteem, but to say to him frankly, we did not think our accommodations would satisfy him. But we did not so write; finally concluding we would let him come, and we'd do the best we could for him.

He came. I met him at the door. He announced his name; gave mine. "And this R. H.

Whita: ker!" he exclaimed, in evident. disap: pointment. "And this is General Robert B. Vance!" I answered, with equal disappointment. I really thought, as I saw him, at the door, in his long-tail overcoat, a pair of saddlebags on his arm, and a slouched pulled' well down on his that' he some circuit rider, or, perhaps, some member of the Grand Lodge from a neighboring county.

'Where's Sister Minnie?" he asked, and before I had recovered from my pleasant disappointment, he was in the sitting room, perfectly at home, and everything was as easy as an old shoe. He remained with us for a week, and I am sure that we could not have enjoyed each other more if we had been raised together, from boys. From that visit, to the day of his death, he called upon us whenever he' came to Raleigh. He was a pleasant speaker, and did good whenever he spoke, for, in addition to the strength of the argument he was making he had a fund of humor upon drew, that always made his speeches spicy as well as strong. very near the same date, and, of course, I can not hope to remain very much longer here; but the Spring time of the life eternal will be so sweet to those who knew each other in this short life, should they be so fortunate as to meet beyond the skies.

When these sketches are put in a eral Robert B. Vance, the first Presibook I intend to, give a page to Gendent of the Order of Friends of Temperance in North Carolina, together with a portion of Col. Davidson's most admirable address. If the readers of these sketches desire to have them in book form let them so state, on postal cards. The book will contain not less than four hundred pages, and have a dozen or more full page illustrations.

It will I cost $1.50 bound in cloth. A number of orders have been received: but, until at least two hundred persons notify me they the book I cannot risk its publication. Let me hear from once, if you wish to book published. R. H.

WHITAKER. Josh Billings on Marriage. all means, Joe, get married if you hev a fair show. Don't stand By, shivering on the bank, but pitch rite in stick your head under and shiver Thar ain't any more trick in getting married than thar is in eating peanuts. Many a man has stood shivering on the shore until the river has run clean out.

Don't expect to marry angel--they have been picked up long ago. Remember, Joe, you hain't saint yourself. Do not marry for beauty exclusively; beauty. is like awfully slippery and thaws Ireadfully easy. Don't marry for luv, neither; luv is like cooking stove, good for nothing when the fuel is out.

But let the mixture some beauty, becomingly dressed with about $250 her pocket, a good speller, handy and neat in her house, plenty of good sense, tough constitution and bylaws, small feet, a high step; add to this sound teeth and a warm heart. The mixture will not evaporate. Don't marry for pedigree, unless it's backed with banknotes. A family with nothing but pedigree generally lacks sense. Quick Arrest.

J. A. Gulledge, of Verbena, was twice in the hospital from a severe case of piles causing 24 tumors. After doctors and all remedies failed, Bucklen's Arnica Salve quickly arrested further inflammation and, cured him. It conquers aches and kills pain.

25c. at all druggists. It's a poor variety of widow's weeds that won't bear orange blossoms. TUESDAY, MAY 24. 1901.

THE CURSE OF ANCIENT ROME IS THAT OF AMERICA TODAY Sobriety and Truth the Virtues of the Dominant Turk---The Great Earthquake at Lisbon. Among the moderns, leaving out the greatest of all poets, the most commanding genius was Napoleon Bonaparte. A fair life of him recalls a genius of imperial qualities, as great in government as in war. His connection with the Code of Laws named after him when properly understood, deed's him Among to have the been Romans- a marvel indeed, inamong the ancients, when viewed calmly in all his powers, the greatest man, I believe, who appeared in centuries Julius Caesar. Did you of has come dowr.

from ever creamine closely the genuine bust antiquity? I have never seen yet a more perfect head. Its symmetry exquisite, and the outline an absolute model. No head was ever more faultless and arresting. Then the nose, mouth and chin are so strong; while the throat is powerful and commanding. If one were to read of the conditions.

in Caesar's time, trie conditions now prevailing, he wouid think that he was really reading an account of the present and not of antiquity. James Anthony Fronde. in that masterpiece of personal biography---his "Sketch" of Caesar, says this of the Caesarian period: -It was an age of material progress and civilization; an age of civil liberty and intellectual culture; an age of pamphlets and epigrams, of salons and dinner parties, of senatorial majorities and electoral corruption. The highest offices of state were open in theory to the meanest citizen; they were conferred, in fact, to those who had the longest purses, or the most ready use of the tongue on popular platforms." The whole picture presented filling two pages is most graphic and suggestive. I cite but one or two references that speak volumes: "The rich were extravagant.

Patriotism survived on the lips. The whole spiritual atmosphere was saturated with cant. Religion, once the foundation of the laws and rule of personal conduct, had subsided into opinion." Mr. Fronde, studying the situation, makes the profound remark will fit all times and countries. He says: "Popular forms of government are possible only when individual men can govern their own lives on moral principles." Nothing is truer.

When corrupt, designing, pliable, fertile, vicious men get the reins then there is decay and discontent and oppression, 'and justice takes wings and flees into other lands. Some of my readers will be astonished perhaps to learn that the Roman Constitution was more popular than even the American Constitution. This is probably true. Froude says it was so: people were, the sovereigns in fact, and not merely in theory, and "exercised their power immediately and not by representatives. The magistrates were chosen annually.

The Assembly was the Supreme Court of Appeal; and without its sanction no freeman could be lawfully put to death. In the assembly also was supreme power of legislation." There is another fact that will surprise those who have studied the Roman life and government--that the basis of the Roman conduct was morality. Froude says: "Morality thus ingrained in the national character and grooved into habits of action created strength, as nothing else creates it. Intellectual culture does not touch the conscience." This is just what I have again and again insisted upon when discussing the modern educational movement. The Romans understood the moral basis, although they were in no Christians but Pagans.

Froude senses of "intellectual and it is true, that "it provides no motives to overcome the weakness of the will, and with wider knowledge it brings also new temptations." He says the educated Greeks knew but little of this fibre that is produced by. moral principles. He says informingly that "they had courage, and genius, and enthusiasm, but they had no horror immorality as such." In modern life nothing but the Holy Spirit can build moral character. If an educated man has not the Divine power imparted to him he has no proper moral basis, and nothing to sustain him under great trials, temptations and sufferings. Most wisely the historian, quoted from, turning to the teachings of the Lord and Saviour, says this: "To man it is said, you do not live for yourself.

If you live for. yourself you shall come to nothing. Be brave, be just, be pure, be true, in word and deed; care not for your enjoyment, care not for your life; care only for what is right. So, and not otherwise, it shall be well with you. So the Maker of you has ordered, whom you will disobey at your peril." The important morality of habit was probably as well understood and more faithfully observed then by the Pagans than today so-called Christian country, it is observed by the public men.

For several pages great English writer in his study of Roman conditions enforces most strikingly high views of Morality as a basis for people and governments. From a government of the people, and a moral as time the Roman capitalists pushed forward, and it became aristocracy of the rich. The laws became the property the rich only, and the small farmers disappeared completely. The wealthy bought slaves and great changes were wrought. Political power and luxury were the desire of the Roman capitalist as it is today in the United- States.

Rome "money, the cry. was still money--money was the one thought highest senator to the poorest wretch who sold his vote in the Comitia For money judges gave unjust decrees and juries gave corrupt verdict." Is there anything of this known in the United States? Are the courts above suspicion? Are not jurors bought constantly? Froude writes: "The corruption of justice already notorious." That juries were bought, the judges were venal, that corruption ran riot were plain enough. "Peculation and extortion" prevailed among the highest, functionaries. gives a fearful. picture of the cruelties barbarities practiced by the aristocrats in the year '87.

Before Christ. "The noble lords and their friends had killed the people in the Forum. They were killed in turn by the soldiers of Marius." Fifty fell a to thousand equites, commoners of Senators perished, "and with them fortune," and "for many days wretched city was made a prey to rob- 5 der to gain their cases and secure their fees, assailed the characters of people innocent:" they knew were upright even subjecting timid and shrinking females to most cruel and embarrassing cross-examinations, for no other reason than to break the force of an honest, truthful statement; to the end that the wrong instead of the right. A conscientious, high-minded lawyers will not descend to such methods. He will not brow-beat, nor try to intimidate and in the long run, his gentlemanly deportment and just treatment of witnesses will gain for him a far better standing as a man and a lawyer.

At this point I am reminded of an anecdote I have either heard or read some time in my life, which illustrates what I am writing, concerning the proper treatment of witnesses. The story was as follows: A lawyer had a very bad case, but he thought he might probably clear his client, if he could break down the testimony of a country boy who had told, in a straight forward way, a very damaging story. way' of evidence, against his client. With a great deal of dignity and 3 self-righteous air that was intended to be appalling, even to the court, the lawyer arose and said: "May it please your Honor, I have my doubts as to whether that country urchin, who has been allowed to testify in this case, understands the nature of an oath; and especially am I in doubt as to his mental capacity to be a witness in a case of so much importance: I therefore pray your Honor to allow me to ask him a few questions. said the Judge.

"Certainly." Turning to the boy and bestowing on him a contemptuous, withering scrowl, he asked: "Boy, who made you "Moses, I speck," answered the boy. "Stand aside," said the lawyer in a tone of triumph, and turning to the Judge and also to the jury, he said: "May it please your Honor, and gentlemen of the jury, I have shown you, by asking only one question, that that boy is not a competent witness -don't even know who made him." Just then the voice of the boy piped out: "Mister Jedge, can I ask that lawyer a "Certainly," said the judge. said the boy, "who made you, Mr. Lawyer?" pity, mixed affections on replied: lawyer, great deal of "As-Moses made you, I guess Aaron must have made me." hearn as how old Aaron made calf once, but who'd a thought the derned fool would ever a found his way into a court house?" the boy replied. The judge decided the boy was a competent witness, and, on his evidence the a verdict against the lawyer's client.

I have great admiration: for the legal profession, and without an excentional I think know; highly and of will all add, the law- considering the rascalities with which all lawyers have to contend, and the bad atmosphere, morally, they are compelled to breathe, and the bad company they, are obliged to keep, much of the time, I guess they do, as Tom Rhodes used to say of himself, "about as well as mout be expected, considerin'." Who was He was a man, of my boyhood days, who had A gold mine; or thought he had, which all the same to him, so far as his feelings were concerned. He imaginhe was rich, and like other rich men, he gloried in his riches, and therefore talked of nothing. but his gold mine. He pretended to have a little farm, but he paid SO little attention it, it yielded him next to nothing; but, all the same, he kept in good spirits, and looked forward to the time when he would dwell, in a palace, his daughter, Narcissa, would ride in a coach and four, dress in silks and satins and have more beaux than (as he expressed it) "any of' the gals in the neighborhood--not exceptin' Dr. Jones's darters." He spent most of his time digging holes in his and breaking rocks, "sarchin' speciments." And when fielder he came out to oid Pleasant Springs or the Red Meeting House, on Sunday, to preaching, he generally his coat pockets so full of rocks that, as he walked, his half bent posture would remind you of a peddler with a pack on his back.

The men, seated on logs near the church, seeing him coming, would begin to frame questions to ask him about his mine, and to make up stories to tell him, pretending like they had heard this or that man, who was skilled in mining, descanting upon the immense value of his mine. Soon he'd begin to unload his pockets, and from then until the preacher went in and began to sing "Children of the Heavenly King," Tom would be explaining where he found this, that and the other "speciment," relating what John Cullers and Capt. Stevens (he meant McCullers Stephenson), and others had said about the value of each rock, probable wealth of his mine; provided his "speciments" turned out to be gold. When the others started into the church Tom would begin to reload' his coat-tail pockets, and when he went in, he put on the air of a millionaire, and didn't like it at all if the preached had too much say about rich men, "they that have etc. Thought that was a personal hit at He.

dug SO many holes in the woods, as well as in his field, that people's hogs and cattle were constantly falling into them; and, so, hi: mining operations finally became nuisance to the community. About which time, the gentleman from whom he purchased the land. seeing that he would never pay for it. required him to move off, which he did: but always felt and said that he had been cheated out of his fortune. Tom was about fourth or fifth cousin of mine, and a as his gold mine was a failure, I never claimed kin with him very much.

don't know it would have been, is his glass had been gold and he had become a millionaire. I might have treated him as a double firstcousin, and paid court to ful and accomplished Miss There's no telling. I knew a which convinced me that, with some young men, at least, money is of first importance. Some years ago I knew a man with three daughters who went barefooted all summer; plowed and chopped cotton, and even hauled logs to and saw did mill; mauled everything rails. that put had up fences bel I bers and cut-throats.

The aristocracy found no mercy because they had shown no mercy," and "they had treated the people as if they were so many cattle grown troublesome to their masters." Here is a powerful lesson for any free people. Give nobility and men of wealth grown to be aristocrats the power in the State, and there will come at last corruption, plunderings, cruelties. A wicked ariatocracy will to become wantonly cruel as history shows all through the ages. There is nothing. truer than that "eternal vigilance is the price of only sure guarantee, and that morality is the true basis of sound, just, equal government.

Some year or two since, I read extracts from an English writer the subject of the canteen in European armies. He said that the habit was strong in the British drink, France it also abounded, but not so much as among the English soldiers. In Germany it was extreme. But when he entered Turkey he found different conditions. He said that sobriety universally prevailed among Turkish soldiers.

This astonished him. While in the countries that had a large proportion of Christians in the outward appearance there was great drinking in the armies, and yet in a country in which Mohammed was worshipped, there was an army of sober men who did not drink the fiery fluid. How is this? There is now a book out by an American woman, I suppose, Lucy M. J. Garrett, with the title, "Turkish I learn that so far Turkey in Life in Town and Country." From it Europe being a homogeneous people, that it is composed of the most heterogeneous population, which is a surprise to me and must be to many readers.

From a notice of the book in the New York Saturday Review take an illuminating passage which tells of the variety of peoples in Turkey that will not or can not amalgamate. It says; "Here are the original Osmanlis, who rule almost a dozen different races most marked being the Kurds, Circassians, Albanians, Greeks, Vlachs, Armenians, Jews, and Bulgarians. Not only. has Europe sent its representatives to Turkey, but the further East has contributed its quota It is a country, then, where assimilation has become impossible. Hates and enmities have been engendered.

For the last 500 years the Ottoman Turk has tried to keep within the bonds of a united empire swarms of diverse As it is, the Turkish element forms but a small proportion of the population of European Turkey. The wonder then is how the Turkish still holds the upper hand. Lucy M. J. Garnett, in "Turkish Life in Town and Country," writes: "Pride of race is excessive in the Turks, and the, habit of domination has been developed by their position as a ruling people surrounded by subject nationalities.

As a nation, they display an overweening sense of their superiority to the subject races, having no interests or aspirations in common with them, never acquiring their language or attempting to understand their manners customs, which they may be said to regard generally with a somewhat contemptuous toleration." is something of a Reign of Terror, it may be supposed, growing the conditions. Liberty of speech is at a discount, and there is a great constraint ruling in every department-socially, politically and inventively. The moral life embracing honesty is marked and sweeping. I quote again from the "Saturday' "The Turk is truthful, and can be trusted. The lady writes that during her long residence in Turkey she can not recall a single burglary.

Then temperance pervades all classes, and more particularly those professing the creed of Islam. Charity is universal." The traveller reports most favorably of the widely prevailing honesty and sobriety of the peasantry. Christian nations are evidently far behind them in this very important particular, and they well might learn lessons just here. Miss Garnett writes that "Physically a Turkish peasant is well built, healthy. and owing no doubt to his habitual abstemousness, possessed of remarkable powers of endurance." The harem prevails among the Turks, and all Turks marry young, and a wife is bought for the son.

It is stated that the Circassians furnish the harems. the women Miss amuse Garnett says themselves 01 that "weddings and other family festivals, promenading, driving, shopping, and going to the public hamor Turkish bath, are the chiei out-of-door amusements of Mohammedan women. A man, be it observed, never under any circumstances, goes abroad in company with the women 01 his household." But while honesty and sobriety prevail the old brigandage spirit survives, and it "seems to be a regular calling in many districts in The Government winks at this rapacity and violence, and nothing is done suppress the brigandage. The author writes that "Mosiems and Christians carry on brigandage. Sometimes kinds of nationalities belong all to the same band.

The accomplices these rascals are to be found in mosi of the towns and With the practice of polygamy and of brigandage the Turk is not a desirable neighbor, and in some of his dealings he -merits the strong words of the great Gladstone that were applied to unspeakable Turk." Did you ever hear of the great earthquake and tidal wave at the city of Lisbon, in Portugal? It was the greatest calamity that ever befell a city in modern times. The earthquake occurred in 1755, on November 1st. There has come down to us most graphic, elaborate, splendidly descriptive account of it written by an English merchant who was in the fated city and sal all the horrors that befell the doomed population. The morning was beautiful and the sky serene and clear. Without any warning whatever the tremendous dissolution came upon them.

Two shocks of the earthquake destroyed a large part of the city, destroying buildings and killing men, women and children. Not long after the two mighty shocks, the sea was seem to be coming. It came foaming and roaring. vessel afterwards reported that they felt the shock more than forty miles out. The earthquake and the tidal wave were not enough of destruction, for on the night of the 1st of November.

there was a great fire. In fact the city was on fire in an hundred places, and no attempt was made to stay its ragings. Five or six days the fire raged. suming everything. It is stated that some villains in prison escaped and set fire to buildings that stood some escape in the general flagration.

The most solid buildings were the first to be destroyed. All the churches, convents, nunneries, palaces, public bulldings, were the first to fall. The loss of life was 60,000. The gifted Englishman writes, "I assure you that this and opulent city is now nothing but a vast heap of ruins that some thousands of families which 'but the day before Had been easy in their circumstances, being now scattered about in the fields, wanting every convenience of life, and finding none able to relieve them." In another account. I member to have read many years ago, it was stated that the tidal wave ran at least seventy feet high at Lisbon, and flooded the city.

Between the earthquake and the sea and the fire raged with suen tremendous destruction, a rich and pros. perous city was laid in ruins. The ealier account is well worth reading. It appeared in a work in two octavos in 1787, and "Letters addressed chiefly to a Young Gentleman upon the Subject of Literature, by Rev. Charles Davy.

Charles Knight says of the "Letters." that there is nothing very remarkable, with the exception of a most graphic account of the earthquake at Lisbon. Thomas DeQuincey thought Davy wrote. the superior account of the Lisbon horror and said: "Oh. that I could describe like Davy!" But Davy did not write the wonderful description, but it was given to him by an English merchant. I remember that several years ago -perhaps fifteen or more--when Lafcadio Hearn had just begun to be known as a writer of promise, that after reading some of his productions, I wrote of him terms of exalted praise.

I thought 1 saw in him clear manifestations of remarkable gifts as a stylist, and particularly as a descriptive writer. Some years. ago eight or ten-he left civilization and Went to Japan, where he married, I believe, a native woman. He is a strange looking mortal, and has peculiar views as to Christianity. I am not sure that he turned heathen, and rejected the Divinity of the Son of God.

I refer to him now to make mention of his steady development as one of the world's most attractive of living writers. For seine years I have read scarcely anything from him, but every year or two I have seen announcements of a new book--of the Oriental or Japenese type -from his graceful pen. His latest book, but just issued, is a fairy book which he calls "Kwaiden." It. is all Japanese. The New York "Review of Reviews" speaks of him as "this original man with al beautiful literary style." It says his fairy stories are "all told with that exquisite language which is the author's own, and all pervaded by the dreamy charm of the Orient, and a sort of creepy familiarity with the under -world." Hearn, I believe, 1s not American, but of foreign birth, and mixed blood.

He came to this country when quite young, and, I an impression, that he managed to fight on the Confederate side first. and then went over to the Yankees. He was lecturer for seven years in the Imperial University of Tokio, Japan. and English was his department. He is of extraordinary gifts and a genius.

I am not sure that I have his record right. I have for two or three decades often classified the late Cardinal John Henry Newman, of England, and of the Church, with the greatest masters of style in the last century SO prolific in great poets and very rare prose writers. His gifts as a writer are unmistakable, and, his controversial productions are of their kind among the most attractive as to style. A life of him by William Barry, has just appeared. He claims justly a very high rank for him among English prose writers, says is an English classic, and that he was a "equal to the greatest writers of prose his native country had brought forth." I have received several books for.

review within a year or so. Let make a statement: I am ready "to give a brief notice of some books, but rarely read for a "review." To do this requires careful reading, and I very rarely ever read a book simply to "review it." That demands time and labor. write of literature and literary men, but I write usually of such things with which I am already acquainted. I am too much "in the and yellow leaf" just to read in order to write and oblige others. I read more or less every day, but it is to gratify my taste, and to search after truth and knowledge.

Every day I read systematically, and am still hungry for information and mental culture. I would read a novel just because it was sent for "review." I could not punish myself in that unwise way, for it might not be worth considering, as believe not one in fifty of latter-day fictions is worthy of the attention of any true lover of good literature. I read some of the world's best poetry every day. But cannot undertake in my old age to read volumes of verse, by unknown and adventurous writers. 4 "reviewer" of books must not be a general writer, but a special writer, giving his time exclusively to reading the books and discussing their merits.

have received books of verse not readhave much prefer writing now free and untrammelled scope--to give a part of my time to the State--to the people of North Caroina, to help if I may in upbuilding and developing a high and commanding civilization, to the defence of North Carolina, my native State, when necessary, to the exposure of lies and slanders aimed at her good name, and to the strengthening, and maintaining of Anglo-Saxon Government in North Carolina--in perpetuating and defending a Government of the People and for the People, and by the People. This last is not an original saying of Abe Lincoln. He stole it every word as I often mentioned. THEODORE BRYANT KINGSBURY. Wilmington, N.

May 21, 1904. A Startling Test. To save a life, Dr. T. G.

Merritt, of No. Mehoopany, made a startling test resulting in a wonderful cure. writes. "a patient was attacked with violent hemorrhages, caused by ulceration of the stomach. I had often found Electric Bitters excellent for acute stomach and liver troubles SO I prescribed them.

The patient gained from the first, and has not had an attack in 14 months." Electric Bitters are positively guaranteed for Dyspepsia, Indigestion, Constipation and Kidney troubles. Try them. Only 50c. at all druggists. It's a pity we can't drop pennies into slot machines and small packlages of joy..