Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 24th December 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1409, ~ " I^r t&fCTt*tttt J^UJul/Ul I Iji!? *

Page 1409
Page 9
9 of 32

On this page

  • Departments (1)
    • ~ " I^r t&fCTt*tttt J^UJul/Ul I Iji!? *
  • Text (7)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      eility , -with his hands clasped over his knees , is looking at them . The French soldier says to him , Dites done , Vami—H nous semble que vousyourriezbien nous aider un petit peu . . ' ' A Good Wife . —Katy made an excellent wife ; she took home her husband ' s old mother , and nursed her with a dutifulness and energy worthy of all praise , and made her own keen outward faculties and deft handiness a compensation for the defects in * worldly estate . Nothing would make Katy ' s black eyes flash quicker than any reflections on her husband ' s want of luck in the material line . " She didn't know whose business it was , if she was satisfied . She hated these sharp , gimlet , gouging sort of men that would put a screw between

      wards morning the horses beg in , to neigh , and those animals are mostly sound-lunged , and are picketed close behind the tents , so that- But what is the use of my endeavouring to describe the sights or sounds of an Indian camp ?—flfr . Russell in the Times . Ihdjan Tent-pi-tchees . — - The klassies , of tentpitchers , are a most peculiar class of men . The moment the tent is pitched their cares for the day are over , and all the day they sleep under the eaves of the tent accordingly , but as darkness falls they get up and wander about stealthily , tapping tent-pegs and preparing for the great business of their existence . It is in vain that order after order has been issued to the klassies not to touch a tent-peg till the first bugle sounds . It is their caste to tap tent-pegs ; they are born to it , bred to it , and die to it . The whole race of men belonging to this order would endure

      martyrplants , from which are made essences for the toilette . With this exercise of industry the Trappists compete , it is said , unfairly . They first obtained from the authorities an important accession of land , with a valuable stream of water flowing through it . Then the holy fathers contrived to get bestowed on them the service of a number of soldiers to till the ground ; and , moreover , subscriptions and donations , collected in France by Bome of the members , had enabled them to found the magnificent establishment which they direct . The petitioners , on the contrary , had possessed no other resource than their own private means , and they consider it most unfair that they should now be opposed by a wealthy community , who have no need , of any such assistance to their means of subsistance ?

      dom in the faith that tent-pegs , when in the ground , are to be knocked out of it , and when out of the ground are t » be knocked into it . When awake they can no more resist their impulses on this head than a London pickpocket can refuse the appeal of an easv pocket-handkerchief . Soon after dusk the noise begins—tap ! tap ! tap ! tap ! far and near , like a fire of musketry , for many a weary acre of canvas-covered ground . This is called tonking—striking the long deep Indian tent-pegs on the side so as to loosen them in the earth , and to prepare them for easy extrication when the tent is to be struck . The ground shakes with those myriad knockings—one gets feverish , restless , rushes out on the persecuting klassie , and , as he falls in the dark over the tent ropes , beliolds a white ghost-like form glide away into obscurity . —Mr . Russell hi the Times .

      Christmas Shopping . —By this time it had grown dark . and the Iamp 3 were lighted . There was a hum of voices abroad , and two floods of dark figures hurrying by , on some purpose bent . Shop windows were throwing but dazzling effulgence , reflected brightly from the many little shining pools and ponds in the road ; where , too , were reflected cheerfully flaring lamps and flittring forms . Round certain sheets of effulgence specially—throwing out a glare as from open furnace-doors—were gathered crowds of admiring figures and illuminated facJS viewing the huge stores

      within : the holly within ; the white-capped and white-robed attendants within ; the dispensing of rare Christmas cheer ; and the . file of buyers incoming and outgoing . . With a far more de- > lighted amphitheatre of glowing faces round certain other sheets of effulgence—temples of confectioneryfeasting their eyes on the spreading Christmas-tree and its glittering fruit of gold and silver , card and ribbon ; on the huge white e . ikes rising like towers : on the gaudy vista reflected by mirrors many times over , down towards the far end , of men and women packing busily , fitting the snow cake and Christmas-tree fruit into cases , going down

      to the country that night . "Where shall that tree be set up ? What troop of children , far down in some wellwooded English county , be gladdened at its coming ? More glare from open furnace-doors ; more glowing faces ; more trees ; more busy packing . I am jostled by hasty men on Christmas errands . I am put aside by men bearing Christmas packages , and nearly rundown by heavy wains laden with strong ales for Christmas drinking . Everybody seems to have Christmas business but my poor lonely self . Getting absorbed in contending floods , I am . taken up through many by-streets into one of the great markets where gas is flaring nakedly , bringing out gaunt , Kembrandtish effect ; where , too , is Christmas food i" the bulk , raw material of coming cheer in

      huge massive heaps , of which are there sellers in bulk and buyers in bulk . Sellers entrenched strongly behind groaning counters and mounds of provision ; behind monster poultry suspended high ; behind primeat joints ; nil with Christmas purpose . Dark foliage overhead of shining green-necked birds newly arrived from those richly-wooded counties with Christmas purpose . Flocks of wild birds , armies of great fowl , with Christmas purpose . Buyers gauging monster poultry , appraising tho height and depth of their fatness with Christmas purpose . Sellers giving out ceaselessly , taking in ceaselessly , -with Christmas reflectivel

      purposes . Housewives , hand in pocket , y taking thought of what otoro they needed ; not so much caring for hnrcl bargains on this eve , thinking , with glistening oyo , how little Tom , or Jack , or Harry , now on his way home , would be gathered round her ohoer—whoso ltttlo hearts would bo set a-dancing at this sight . Perhaps , even the dripping ostler , after change of his damp garments , had been up hero witli Christmas purpose . Groves of holly and ivy with Christmas purpose Everybody , everything with Christmas purpose , beyond myself ; who wus now wandering , utterly purposeless , out off from any Christmas hope and prospect . —// oiwe hold Words .

      PnOTHcwoN in Ai . gkma . —A curious , document is published in tho Alydrie Nottvelle , a newspaper which has recently been started at Algiers . A number Of aultivatora and distillers complain of an irregular nnd nbualvo competition on tho part of tho Trappiat monks of Staouoll , and tho complaint 1 b embodied In a petition to thp Prefect , It seems that tho special industry of tho petitioners la devoted to tUo raising of odoriferous

      body and soul for money . George had that in him that nobody understood . She would rather be his wife on bread and water than to take Captain Blatherem's house , carriages , and horses , and all , —and she might have had ' em fast enough , dear knows . She was sick of making money when she saw what sort of men could make it , "—and so on . All which talk did her infinite credit , because at bottom sbe did care , and was naturally as proud and ambitious a little minx as ever breathed , and was thoroughly grieved at heart at George ' s want of worldly success ; but , like a nice little Robin Redbreast , she covered up the grave of her worldliness with the leaves of true love , and sang a ' Who cares for that ? ' above it . "—From Mrs . Slowe's new Tale " The Minister ' s Wooing" ( Sampson Low , Son , and Co . )

      Accident to the Mediterranean Telegraph . — - A telegram from Cagliari , in the island of Sardinia , received on Wednesday , has announced a sudden stoppage of electrical communication by the submarine wire between that port and Malta , belonging to the Mediterranean Extension Telegraph Company . The cause is not known , but is supposed to be from some vessel dragging her anchor at Malta , in which case there will be a prospect of speedy repair . Owing to this accident the next telegraphic news from India will experience a delay of two or three days , the distance between Cagliari and Malta being three " hundred miles . The break occurred on Monday afternoon . -

      The New Material for Paper . —On Tuesday week Mr . Houghton ' s experiments were witnessed at Mr . Perkins ' s factory in Francis-street , Gray ' s-inn-lane , by several paper-makers and other gentlemen . The flax refuse was put into a small boiler heated to 380 degrees , and then boiled in alkali . After about three hours it was converted into very satisfactory pulp , or rather half stuff . We understand that a public exhibition will take place as soon as a large boiler , is manufactured for the purpose , Private Theatricals . —A correspondent writes from Lisbon : — " For the benefit of the sufferers at St . Ubcs ,

      by the recent earthquake , an amateur dramatic performance in English took place on the 14 th inst ., at the Theatre of Donna Maria II . The affair was under the patronage of Dom Fernando , and the British Minister aud several leading English merchants formed a committee to carry out the arrangement * . The pieces represented were Box and Cox , Fast Train , Village Lawyer , and Bombastcs Furioso . The theatre , the second largest in Lisbon , was crowded in all parts , and I never before in Lisbon saw so many English families gathered together . An English dramatic performance is a great novelty here , and it is more than thirty years since the occurrence of a similar entertainment . "

      Spiritualism , —The spirit-rappers have come out in a now stylo , and rather an aggressive attitude . A body of these singularly endowed people in Dudlpy have assumed a mission from the spirits to convert the religious bodies in the neighbourhood to the Spirit Truth , and for that purpose have gone in a body to the Primitive Methodist Chapel , where they fell to ranting and raving , and smiting their breasts , and making a fell disturbance . It is probable the magistrates may have something to say to the spirit-stricken . Tub Camp \ nx Night in India . —The shouts and noises swell into a tempest as the sutlers prepare to pack up their goods and move off in tho early night . Then , long before the first of tho small hours , tho

      camels , which aro to move your house and furniture , aro brought close to tho head of your bed . The ' ships of the desert " are anchored beside you , and tho canvas offers no resistance either to tho dreadful vapours which come from tho holds of those ships or tlio sounds which rage on board . Those Bhips are always in a state of mutiny . A camel ' s life is n long and loud protost against the load that is put on his buck , and ho wisely enters his protest before tho period of his suffering begins . I know of no sound move Bleep-destroying . Then there is tho trumpoting of

      elephants , tho barking of dogs , tho yelling of Jackals , and , above all those , tho hideous dissonance of tho manyvoiced camp The oump bolla and gongs , too , vary in time . They are generally n quarter of an hour or more ooforo , thoy finish striking ono o'clock . The smoke of tho camp firoe ¦ teals into tho tent and half chokes ono . Look out and you will soo something like a Fusoli's dream of Pandemonium—blazing fires , surrounded by black men in whito clothing-, moving to and fro , with strange quaint heads of camels , elephants , nnd other animals peering through and above them . A reddened smoke hangs in tho air like a pall over tho scone . To-

      Untitled Article

      IONIAN ISLANDS . The following telegram has been received ;— " Zante , Dec . 1 G . Mr Gladstone has arrived h « re and was received with the same demonstrations as before , expressing the desire of the people to have the Ionian Isles joined to Greece . It is reported that part of the fleet stationed at Malta has been placed at the disposal of Sir John Young .

      Untitled Article

      SPAIN . A telegram from Madrid dated yesterday says : — " The Congress has rejected , by 158 against 17 votes , the amendment of Senor Moyano , demanding the fulfilment of the Concordat . " Ul C 11 G VVUl'UiUUti

      Untitled Article

      IRELAND . The official investigation into the charges preferred against the youthful conspirators from Skibbereen and Bantry of being members of a secret" and illegal society commenced on Tuesday morning in the Cork County Gaol . It was conducted with strict privacy , the press being excluded . A Mansion-house meeting of considerable importance has been held in Dublin , with a view to promote the Lever line of communication between Galway and America . The Lord Mayor presided , and so many influential citizens were present that no doubt can be en * tertained of the successful support which the project will receive .

      Untitled Article

      Liverpool . — The Isaac Wright , packet-ship , was destroyed by fire in the Mersey yesterday . She waa bound * for New York , and most of the passengers escaped in their night clothes . Outbreak at Woolwich . —A serious military riot took place at Woolwich yesterday , arising from a bad feeling between the Artillery and the Marines , as against the Antrim Rifles . No very explicit account of the circumstances of tho riot is yet forthcoming , but it is certain many soldiers have been wounded , -and thflf public houses of tho town severely damaged .

      The Rival . Omnibus Companies . —The fifth hearing of the dispute between the Metropolitan Omnibus Companies occupied tho attention of Mr . Paynter at tho Westminster Polico-court yesterday , and again was tho case adjourned , but under more hope than before that the companies will come to an understanding . The magistrate gavo it as his opinion that an Act of Parliament will alone bo able to meot other disputes of the same kind that wlll'bo sure to ariso . It is understood that tho present case will how bo settled by calling in auch an arbitrator as Sir Richard Muyno would make . Leeds . —A very important reform mooting was hold last night nt tho Town Hall . Throe thouWnd people wore present . Tho resolutions submitted to the mooting wore rather vaguely expressed on the quostion of the suffrage . Some moro Uocidod Reformers accordingly moved as an amendment that tho meeting should support tho rate-pay ing suffrage proposed by Mr . Bright , and this tho mooting agreed to .

      Untitled Article

      No . 457 , December 24 , 1858 . ] THE LEADER . 1409

      Untitled Article

      Leader Office , Friday Morning , December 23 rd . AMERICA . The Arago has arrived with the American maih ^ She left New York on the 11 th instant . She passed the Ariel on the 16 th instant * on her way to New York . A sea had struck her , and killed Captain Ludlow , and wounded two officers and two seamen . The Federal Judges at Columbia , South Carolina , have decided that the law under which the crew of the slave brig Echo has been detained is constitutional . The Nicaraguan fillibusters ' have their rendezvous in the Florida Keys . It is believed that a steamer has escaped from Mobile with a number of filiibusters . A fire occurred on the 10 th inst ., at the Haarlem Railroad depfit , New : York , which entailed a loss of nearly 50 , 000 dollars , mostly covered by insurance . The weather at New York was very cold and wintry , and it was expected that navigation on the canals would soon be stopped . The Welland Canal was entirely closed up by ice .

      ~ " I^R T&Fctt*Tttt J^Ujul/Ul I Iji!? *

      | toterriph

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 24, 1858, page 1409, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2274/page/9/