AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
251 
A TOUCHING INCIDENT. 
Give us this day our daily bread.” 
The editor of the Musical World narrates the 
following strange incident which happened 
while he was living in Germany. In the neigh¬ 
borhood of Vienna, there dwelt a young peasant 
woman, who supported herself by the cultiva¬ 
tion of vegetables, which she disposed of in the 
Vienna market. She inhabited a small house, 
attached to which was her vegetable garden. 
Young as she was she had been married; but her 
husband had died, leaving her a little girl, who 
was just old enough to run about and play with 
other children in the neighborhood. The 
mother was still handsome, and desirous of a 
second marriage. About this time, there was 
visiting her a young man for whom she had 
conceived an affection, and whose proposition 
of marriage she was now beginning impatiently 
to await. But no proposal was made. A dark 
thought finally crossed the young woman’s mind 
that there must be some obstacle in the way, 
and that this was, in all probability, the child. 
An unnatural struggle of jealousy took place, 
which resulted in a fearful determination — she 
would make away with the child. Beneath her 
house was a deep cellar, where she occasionally 
stored her vegetables. Taking her child by the 
hand one day, she led it down stairs, and, 
thrusting it inside, closed the door, locked it, 
and hurried up stairs. The same evening her 
lover came; they sat, chatted together, but no 
mention was made of the little absentee. 
The next day, after a desertion of twenty-four 
hours, the mother went softly down and listened 
at the door. The quick ear of the child caught 
her mother’s step, and she implored her to take 
her out of the dark place—she was so cold and 
very hungry. No answer was returned, and 
the mother crept quietly up stairs. In the 
morning the lover came again. They took sup¬ 
per together, and passed a social evening. 
After the second twenty-four hours had passed, 
the mother made another visit to the child. 
Again the little sufferer heard her, and with 
feeble voice begged for a crust of bread-only one 
crust of bread. This pulled a little upon the 
mother’s heart, but her purpose was fixed. 
Another day passed. The mother went 
quietly down stairs and listened. All was si¬ 
lent. She softly opened the door—-the child lay 
dead. Taking the body swiftly up stairs, she 
laid it upon a bed; and immediately making a 
great outcry, called the neighbors together, tell¬ 
ing them that her child had suddenly died. 
And so it seemed. The day after there was a 
funeral. The child was lying in the coffin, 
strewn with flowers, brought by the little play¬ 
mates in the neighborhood, who had come to 
attend the funeral of their lost favorite. 
The procession moved towards the quiet Got- 
tesacker , (God’s acre,) where was to be planted 
this little seed of an immortal flower. A cler¬ 
gyman was in attendance. The mother stood 
looking down upon the grave, over which the 
holy man was repeating with solemn voice — 
“ Our Father ivho art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on 
earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our 
daily bread —” A piercing shriek, and the 
mother fell with a groan to the earth. Looking 
wildly around her, she then, in gibbering ac¬ 
cents, related to the shuddering throng at the 
grave, the very deed her own hands had com¬ 
mitted. She lived not long after. Crazed and 
smitten by the hand of God, she miserably died 
—a signal instance of retribution, and a startling 
lesson upon the words Give us this day our 
daily bread. 
Young America.— “My son,” said a doting- 
father, who was about taking his son into busi¬ 
ness, “What shall be the style of the new firm?” 
“ Well, governor,” said the one-and-twenty you th, 
looking up in the heavens to find an answer, “I 
don’t know; but suppose we have it John II. 
Samplin and Father.” The old gentleman -was 
struck with the originality of the idea, but could 
not adopt it. 
Following tiie Leader. —A letter writer, 
who sends jottings forth from Cincinnati, tells 
the following story as one that actually occurred 
in that city : “A very amusing incident occur¬ 
red on Walnut street the other day, illustrative 
of the natural instinct of one sheep to follow" 
another. A small drove was coming up the 
stieet, and when they arrived opposite the Gib¬ 
son House the foremost made a rush to go into 
an alley, but a man suddenly coming out, some¬ 
what frightened the sheep, and it deviating 
slightly from the true course, darted into a fancy 
lamp store followed by the whole flock. The 
crowd, eager to witness the sport, instantly 
blockaded the door, so that there was no mode 
of egress for the uncere nonious visitors, and as 
said lamp store was too contracted to suit their 
peculiar notions, and wishing to regain their 
liberty as speedily as possible, thej" saw no 
other means of escape but through the window. 
One of them made a break, and leaped clear 
through the show-window upon the pavement, 
demolishinginits progress,glass-ware, china, &c, 
with an alacrity truly praise-worthy. The crowd 
immediately fell back from the door, and allowed 
a free passage, but every sheep jumped through 
that hole in the icindoio." 
The Wrong Horse. —An Irish girl residing 
with a family near this city, was ordered to hang 
the wash clothes on the horse in the kitchen to 
dry. Her mistress shortly after, found a very 
gentle family horse standing in the kithen com¬ 
pletely covered with the different articles that 
had been washed that day. Upon interrogating, 
the reply was, “Och to be sure, ye told me to hang 
the clothes upon the horse in the kitchen, and 
the baste is the kindest I ever saw, shure.” 
liter kets. 
Remarks. —Flour has advanced the past week 
from 25 to 311 cents per bbl. Wheat a corres¬ 
ponding rise. Rye is firm; Oats about the 
same; while Corn has fallen 2 to 3 cents per 
bushel. Clover Seed has given way £ cent per 
lb. Pork, a decline of 18£ to 25 cents per bbl. 
Cotton has advanced again fully £ to ^ cent 
per lb. Other Southern products no variation. 
Money is a trifle easier; but high rates still 
prevail outside of the banks, and arc likely to 
for some time yet to come. 
Stocks more buoyant. 
- 9-Q-* - 
REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN TRADE. 
• _ 
From the Mark Lane Express, Dec. 5th. 
Whether prices are to go lower will depend 
mainly on the deliveries from the growers and 
the supplies from abroad. The former are 
likely to be good during the present month, and 
rather a large quantity of Wheat is still on pass¬ 
age from Russia, which, with what may come 
forward from America, will perhaps suffice to 
cause a temporary excess of supply over de¬ 
mand ; but we see no reason to alter the opinion 
which we have on former occasions expressed, 
viz., that no permanent or important fall in the 
value of Wheat can be calculated on during the 
winter months. What may take place in the 
spring we cannot pretend to foresee, but the 
probability is that the deficiency in our own 
crop will then have made itself felt to an extent 
not yet anticipated, and that the increased im¬ 
portations, which high prices are sure to draw, 
may fail to produce much influence on prices. 
Notwithstanding the comparatively high value 
of bread, and the numerous strikes in the north, 
the consumption does not appear to have di¬ 
minished — the fact is there are no cheap substi¬ 
tutes, and the poorer classes probably eat more 
bread in years like the present, than when ar¬ 
ticles of food arc moderate. The consumption 
of meat, &c., is economized, and a larger portion 
of their weekly receipts is expended in the pur¬ 
chase of the staple article. Under these cir¬ 
cumstances a small falling off in the imports 
would soon tell upon stocks; and though the 
quantity of foreign Wheat and Flour in consid¬ 
erable at several of the principal ports on the 
coast as well as in London, we are inclined to 
think there will not be much left in warehouse 
in the course of two or three months. 
The reports from most parts of the kingdom 
speak favorably of the progress made with 
Wheat sowing. The seed has in general been 
got in tolerably well, and a larger breadth of 
land has been cultivated than usual. This may 
tell on prices next autumn, but cannot have 
much influence before. 
We have this week conversed with several 
farmers on the subject of the yield of the Wheat 
crop during the present time, when treshing is 
in full progress—a favorable period to obtain 
definite information. The result of our inquiry 
has been to satisfy us that the deficiency has 
not been at all exaggerated; indeed in many 
cases the produce of corn for a given number of 
acres has been reported so small as quite to up¬ 
set our previously conceived notions. 
The sale for Flour has been exceedingly slow 
throughout the week. The bakers are gener¬ 
ally well stocked, and several have made for¬ 
ward purchases earlier, which they have still to 
receive. - 
THE CONTINENTAL CORN TRADE. 
Last Tuesday’s advices from the Baltic state 
that the weather had become frosty, and ice 
had already been formed on many of the rivers; 
an early closing of the navigation was conse¬ 
quently expected, and the vessels which had 
not previously completed their cargoes were 
being loaded as fast as possible, to guard against 
the risk of being frozen in. 
At Danzig business had been nearly brought 
to a stand: a few vessels were being loaded for 
Holland, but for England there was hardly any 
thing being shipped. Prices had remained 
nominally as before. The setting in of cold 
weather had improved the condition of the new 
Wheat. 
Erom Stettin we learn that the shipping sea¬ 
son was fast drawing to a close, and that stocks 
having been reduced into a very narrow com¬ 
pass, holders had demanded full terms. 
Rostock advices, of Tuesday, state the deliv¬ 
eries of Grain from the farmers had been on a 
retail scale, and that stocks on the spot were by 
no means extensive. The weather was cold, 
and ice was beginning to form in the harbor; 
further shipments from thence are therefore not 
likely to be made. In prices no change had 
taken place since the previous post da}L 
From the near continental ports we have also 
accounts of the setting in of frost. From Ham¬ 
burg we learn that there was a good deal of 
floating ice in the Elbe, and that an early inter¬ 
ruption of the navigation was expected. 
In the Dutch markets business appears 
to have become quiet, and at Rotterdam, on 
Monday, Wheat was rather easier to buy than 
on that day se’nnight. 
The reports from France are not quite so dull 
as they were last week ; and at Paris, on 
Wednesday, Wheat was hardly obtainable on 
as easy terms as on that day week. 
From the Mediterranean ports we learn that 
no particular alteration had taken place in the 
value of Wheat. 
Letters from Odessa, dated 21st instant, state 
that stocks had been materially reduced there, 
and that holders of parcels in warehouse had 
shown increased firmness. The shipments had 
been mostly for France and Italy, the portion 
for Great Britan having been comparatively un¬ 
important. 
From Alexandria we learn, under date of 
18th ultimo, that the Viceroy had consented to 
allow of the export of the remainder of the 
stocks held at that port, amounting in all to 
170,000 qrs. of Grain and Pulse; but that the 
boats from the interior would be stopped at Atfe 
until the whole of the quantity in port had been 
shipped, when all export would cease. 
