splcuous In these assemblages was the black boy, 
C.*SAH, he being the oldest, strongest., swiftest, 
and In our estimation the smartest and best; and 
though our superior In age, he retained all the 
Juvenility of the average young American of ten 
years. Especially te me (I being the youngest of 
the crowd but one) was IBs superiority manifest, 
for he had teen to school and could read some, an 
accomplishment which on account of my extreme 
youth I had not been allowed to attempt, be¬ 
sides he had been allowed at meals a little round 
cherry stand all by himself, while 1 had to cat at 
the big table with the rest. 
in this condition matters remained for some 
two years after the death of my mother, C.csak 
doing the cooking and washing under tUc super¬ 
vision of grandmother, and spending the Intervals 
between In doing the out-tloor chores, and helping 
father In the labor or the rarm, while a hired 
nurse took care or the baby and did the scolding 
and spanking of us children except L'-esar who 
was never her charge. 
At this t ime my father married a, second wife to 
whose home, four miles west, he removed, taking 
us children, leaving grandmother and c.esar ax. 
the old homestead. We continued te cultivate 
the old farm, going over with the team on Mon¬ 
days and returning on Saturdays. Alter living 
thus for some two years, my father rented the un¬ 
occupied purt ol the house to a man and wife 
named Brown, thinking they would be company 
for grandmot her, who was a part of the time left 
alone, and must at that time have been about 60 
years old. 
Now, these Browns having little else to do, and 
very little of this world's means to do with, and 
their beans overflowing with sympathy for the 
afflicted of every race or color, and having the 
good of their fellow occupants or the house In 
view, told C «sar, then Ifl ynars old, that. he was a 
stave.' and, turthermore, that slavery was all 
wrong, unjust and abominable, expatiating on 
the cruelty or placing a boy like him under the 
ownership or a man. completely alluring his 
mind from the fact that he was born In the 
family, and had ever been treated as one of them, 
and that everything had been done lor Ids com¬ 
fort and welfare, that could be In reason demanded 
of tho kindest of parents. This was a no incon¬ 
siderable Item of news te c.rkak, and a few days 
after ho was missing, and grandmother left to 
take care of herself. 
Great was the consternation and most sincere 
the anxiety among us children In consequence of 
this, to us, bereavement. We gathered in groups 
and speculated upon tho cause and effect; we 
feared that he might, be Ill-treated and abused 
amoDg strangers, and my brot her related a dream 
he had of seeing him hungry, rugged, shoeless, 
and footsore. We then learned, what we never 
knew before, that his mother was a slave to our 
grandfather, resided in the family when Caesar 
was horn; that, on the division of the estate, 
grandmother wishing to retain t he boy, he was 
apportioned to father, te whom was assigned the 
maintenance of grandmother, and that the Legis¬ 
lature of the State of Connecticut had years be¬ 
fore passed an act giving freedom to all slaves of 
the age or t wenty-four years and over, and to all 
their children when arriving at that age. 
This lime, being about ten or 181*2, was long 
before the advent of railroad?, canal?, telegraphs, 
or of very common stage lines. Of course, news 
traveled slowly, post-offices vvere far apart, and 
letter postage expensive, and adjoining towns 
were practically further apart than are now 
Washington and Boston. Inquiries were made 
for some weeks, as opportunity ottered; at last, 
father was Informed that a strong negro boy by 
the name of Roms was at work for a farmer In 
the town ot Wolcott, some eight or ten miles dis¬ 
tant. from its. Hu there found C.esak, alias Robin, 
who had hired for three or lour months at n very 
low price, much less than fat her was paying for 
services of less value. Cacsah being elated with 
that freedom which he had just lound out that he 
had not. before possessed—though In reality being 
more or u slave than ever before—did not choose 
to go back, so be was allowed to have his own 
way, father merely retaining the half of bis 
wages ror the three or four months as part com¬ 
pensation for the expense ol looking him up. 
After working out bis time, CatSAjiwent to live 
with his mother in a town adjoining us, was al¬ 
ways poor and shiftless, though nothing worse; 
Ills practice of alternating from kitchen to Held 
not being favorable to the formal Ion of habits ol 
Industry In such occupations as he was fitted for. 
He often came to our house, w here lie was treated 
as a visiter, and his round stand set and supplied 
for him ; but ho never tendered us any assistance, 
and declined laboring for us for good wages, llad 
he staypd out tils lime even to the age of twenty- 
one, he would doubtless have had rrom rather a 
better setting out than any other one of the chil¬ 
dren had, for long-continued sickness used up 
much of our means. 
The last I ever hoard of Caesar was from rather, 
who when moving west, years after, met him in 
the street, ragged and barefoot, and gave him 
money to buy a pair of shoes. What a pity he 
ever learned that he was once owned as a slave! 
The Cistern. 
This being covered with a platform 01 boards, 
was often the theatre ol our out-door meetings, 
especially on days when sunshine was more agree¬ 
able than shade. On one ot ibeso meetings the 
old jack-knife, the property of grandmother, but 
shared by us all, was incautiously slid, half shut, 
through the conductor Into the water, then of 
considerable depth. 
At tills loss, consternation was detected on every 
countenance. No more whittling out tops and 
hark whistles, no more playing mumbletepeg, lor 
our combined capital was Insufficient, to make 
£ 
THE BUBAL 
good the loss; and as there was no alternative, 
we resigned ourselves to our fates wit h t he best 
grace we could. But the place had thus become 
Sanctified, and the meetings though generally 
adjourned sine thr were frequently renewed by 
mutual consent. At, one of these tiroes a pole 
was thrust down to ascertain the depth of water, 
when out came the jack-knife sticking In the end 
of the pole half shut, as It, went in. The nheerlngs 
that went up Horn the old cistern are now equalled 
only by the hurrahs at, a party meeting on the 
elect ion of Its candidate, while the very natural 
sinking ot the knife with tta back down and point 
up, gave us a lesson in hydrostatics not easily 
forgotten. 
ORIENTAL WORKMEN. 
At Singapore you have the Malayan races at 
home, with all their national characteristics. 
The Chinese quarters are as much Chinese as 
streets la Hong-Kong or Canton; and in smaller 
proportions, the singular diversity ol races Is In¬ 
creased by the Rllrig from Madras, and slender 
Belgall, the J'ersee, tho cmttia, the Armenian 
Jew, and the Arab. An Englishman fresh from 
home will be surprised at. the busy appearance of 
the docks. Chinese carpenters and blacksmiths 
are hammering and sawing in the sheds, using 
tools as primitive as those which stood upon 
Joseph, the carpenter's bench, eighteen hundred 
years ago. Nothing can Induce these remarkable 
people te adopt, modern inventions. They do 
their work well, but It must be lu tlielr own way, 
and at their own slow speed. The better class of 
Chinese artisans you may distinguish by the 
light clothing which they permit themselves to 
wear. The majority of tho Chinese and Malaya 
about the docks, Uko their compatriots up in tho 
town, are content with a wisp or cloth fastened 
round the loins, te hang more or less (generally 
considerably less) to the knees. To be sure you 
have on your outward voyage, beginning at Port 
Said, become accustomed to this, and by t he time 
you havo traveled far enough to be able to look 
about you in tho Singapore docks you regard any 
clothing, exceeding In dimensions an ordinary 
handkerchief, us a reckless and surprising extrav¬ 
agance in “the lower orders.” Strong and lis¬ 
some are some of these, rice and ltsli-red fellows; 
tall, straight, and displaying good muscles. That 
this semblance of strength arid condition is not 
delusive you may perceive by the amount of 
work the Chinese or Malay coolies get through, 
and the weights they carry. As a rule, It takes 
several Orientals to accomplish one Englishman's 
labor, but this Is a rule not without a wide mar¬ 
gin of exception. Speaking or men as they line! 
them, the European employers give tho native 
mechanics and the copper-skinned hewers of 
wood and drawers of water an excellenr, char¬ 
acter ; Indeed, you will often be not a little pained 
to hear British employers speak better ol them 
than of the British workman, who Is taught to 
pity Ids dusky heathen broth if bowing down to 
blocks of wood and stone .—From “My Oeean 
Log,” in the Gentleman's Magazine. 
-»♦»- 
AUTHOR'S PAY. 
An article on the remuneration of literary work 
In Russia, Is published in the Dtelo of St. Peters¬ 
burg. Literary productions were unknown In Rus¬ 
sia until the time of Peter the Great. That sov¬ 
ereign, in Introducing European institutions Into 
his country, found it necessary to explain them 
to his subjects by means of various publications, 
mostly translated iron) foreign languages, ami for 
this purpose he kept a regular staff of writers. 
The annual salary of Kozlovsky, “ the editor ol 
translations,” was only 300 roubles u'to) a year: 
and Man key off, “ the father ol Russian Mslorlog- 
rapby,” was paid at the rate ol six roubles a 
month. These officials were very hard worked, 
as Hie Czar insisted on each publication being 
ready within the shortest possible space oi tune. 
The same system was pursued under Peter's sue- ; 
ccssors. Thu academician .Muller, for editing the | 
si Petersburg Gazette, was paid 100 roubles a 
year, and another eminent. Russian writer, Lou- 
monosoff, was so poor that he repeatedly had to 
apply to the Russian Academy lor relief. 
It was not until the time of Catharine II. that 
Russian writers began to assume a more indepen¬ 
dent tone, and literary work in Russia then 
brought us high a price as in Western Europe. 
Karamsyn received 15U.000 roubles (£2,000), torthe 
first edition ot his “History of Russia," besides 
Ids pension or 50,000 roubles a year, and the widow 
ol Pushkin received a pension of 5,ooo roubles, 
with 152,500 roubles to pay her husband’s debts. 
- ♦+* - 
DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS BY SWIM¬ 
MING. 
Vert few mammals can swim over any consid¬ 
erable extent of sea, although many can swim 
well for short distances. The Jaugar traverses 
the widest streams in South America, and tho 
bear and blsou cross tho Mississippi; and there can 
be no doubt that they could swim over equal 
widths or salt water, and. If accidentally carried 
out to sea, might sometimes succeed in reaching 
Islands many miles dlstanx. Contrary to the com¬ 
mon notion, pigs can swim remarkably welL -Sir 
Charles 1.yell tells us In his •' Principles of Geol¬ 
ogy ” tint during the floods In Scotland, In 1329, 
some pigs, only six months old, that, were carried 
out to sea, swam live miles and goton shore again. 
He also states, on the authority of the late Ed¬ 
ward Forbes, that a pig jumped overboard to es¬ 
cape from a terrier, In the Grecian Archipelago, 
and swam safely to shore, many miles distant. 
These facts render It probable that wild plga, 
from i heir greater strength and activity, might, 
HE W-Y0B&EB. 
under favorable circumstances, cross arms of the 
sea twenty or thirty miles wide; and there are 
facts in the distribution of this tribe of animals 
which seeiu to Indicate that they have sometimes 
done so. Deer take boldly te the water, and can 
swim considerable distances; but we bare no 
evidence lo show how long they could live at sea 
or how many miles they could traverse. .Squir¬ 
rels, rat*, and lemmings often migrate from north¬ 
ern countries In bands ol thousa nds and hundreds 
of thousands, and pass over rivers, lakes, and 
even arms of the sea; but they generally perish 
In the salt water. Admitting, however, the pow¬ 
ers ol most mammals to swim considerable dis¬ 
tances, wc have no reason te believe that any of 
them could traverse,'without help, straits of up¬ 
ward of twenty miles in width, while in most east s 
a channel of half that distance would prove an 
effectual barrier. 
-- 
I’LL NO TRUST YE. 
Two centuries ago It was thought an Insult, in 
the Highlands of Scotland, to ask a note from a 
debtor. It was considered the same thing as say¬ 
ing, “1 doubt your honor.” if parties had busi¬ 
ness matters to transact, they stepped Into the 
air, fixed their eyes on the heavens, and each re¬ 
peated tho obligation with no mortal witness. A 
mark was then carved upon some rock or tree 
near by, as a remembrance of tlie compact. Such 
a thing as a breach of contract was almost, un¬ 
known, so highly did the people regard their 
honor. When the march of Improvement Drought 
the new mode ot doing business, they were often 
pained by the Innovations. An anecdote is hand¬ 
ed down of a farmer who had been in the Low¬ 
lands und learned worldly wisdom. On returning 
to his native parish he had need of a sum of 
money, anti made bold te ask a loan of a gentle¬ 
man Of moans named Stewart. This was kindly 
granted, and Mr. Stewart, counted out the gold. 
This done, the farmer wrote a receipt and offered 
U te M r. Stewart. 
“ What Is this, man ?” cried Mr. Stewart, eyeing 
the slip of paper. 
“ It is a receipt, sir, binding me to give ye back 
yergold at. the right time." replied Sandy. 
“ Binding yc7 Well, my man. If ye canna trust 
yerscl', I'm sure I’ll no trust ye;” und gathering 
It up, he put It. back in his desk and turned his 
key on It. 
“But, sir, I might die,” replied the canny 
Scotchman, bringing up an argument In favor of 
his new wisdom, “ and perhaps my sons may* re¬ 
fuse it ye; but the bit of paper would compel 
them to pay It.” 
“ Compel them to sustain a dead father’s hon¬ 
or l” cried the Celt. “ They'll need compelling to 
do right, If this Is the road ye're leading them. 
Ye can gang elsewbero lor money; but ye’U find 
nane In the parish that’ll put more faith in a bit 
s o' paper than lu a neighbor’s word of honor and 
his fear o’ God. 
■ - 
A WOEFUL FAILURE. 
The San Francisco News-Lett er tells the follow¬ 
ing:—"A pathetic story has been going tho 
rounds of the papers as to the manner In which 
Wachtel, the great tenor, first became known 
and famous. This narrates how he was originally 
a poor cab driver at. Dresden, and that, one wintry 
night, as he was singing to himself upon his box 
the audience ol the Grand Opera began to dis¬ 
perse. How the entranced multitude gathered 
around the unconscious cabby. How he finished 
his solo arnld a storm of applause; and how the 
very next day n large purse was subscribed to 
send him to the Conservatory at Paris. Mr. 
Scbcngler, who lives over on Rincon Hill, and 
who is also a German, was much affected by this 
story, and as lie, too, had a voice, he determined 
to be sent to Paris at once. So one evening re¬ 
cently be waited until the California Theater 
began to let out, and, mounting the box of a hack 
In lront of It., ho lifted up his voice and sang. 
The tumultuous crowd was instantly hushed, 
and stopped transfixed, as with closed eyes the 
absorbed singer sat, his whole Inspired soul float¬ 
ing out in glad triumphant, noise. The selection 
by Mr. Sehengler was “ Tommy, Make Room for 
Your Uncle,” one of the best-of Its kind, but wc 
regret to say that at the end of the third verse a 
brickbat struck Mr. Sehengler immediately bo- 
neath the right ear, knocking him over the dash¬ 
board, following which he was walked over and 
his neck stepped upon by the thoughtless throng. 
Mr. Sehengler Is convinced thera Is a fraud about 
this Wachtel story somewhere. 
-» ♦ ♦--— 
HURRYING TO THE STORE. 
Daring the last dull season a well-known mer¬ 
chant was observed taking giant steps In the 
direction of his place of business at 7 o’clock in the 
morning. A rival tradesman, who was well as¬ 
sured that large sales was not the motive that 
Induced this rapid transit, hailed the swift “ com¬ 
mercial traveler," and Interviewed him as fol¬ 
lows; 
“ What’s broke loose, Charlie 7 Where are you 
going lu such a hurry 7" 
“ I’m going to the Btore.” 
“ Trade must be active with you.” 
“ It’s not trade that, has called me out.” 
“ It’s not a woman, is It 7” 
“ No; of course not. But I’ll explain the thing 
to you to keep down your infernal suspicions. 
There are three partners Incur store aud we have 
only two cUaii-s. The last man that comes In the 
morning has to stand up all day. It Is very Im¬ 
portant for me to get to the store early this morn¬ 
ing—good day." 
And Charley “lit out” like a reporter for a 
morning paper en route to a fire. 
MAY 40 
ONE GLASS MORE. 
Stay, mortal, stay ! nor heedless thus 
Thy sure destruction seal; 
Within that cup there lurks a curse 
Which all who drink shall feel. 
Disease and death, forever nigh. 
Stand ready at the door, 
And eager wait to hear the cry 
Of “ Give me one glass more! ” 
Stay, mortal, stay 1 repent! return! 
Reflect upon thy fate ! 
The poisonous rlr,night forever spurn, 
Spurn! spurn it ere too late. 
Oh ! fly the horrid bar-room, then. 
Nor linger at tho door; 
Lest thou perchance should sip again 
The treacherous* " one glass more.” 
Trust not to thy deceitful heart, 
The Saviour'* grace implore; 
Through him from every sin depart. 
And touch that glass no more. 
-- 
WASHINGTON NOT PROFANE. 
Thanks te Bro. J. M. Austin for his article on 
this subject, though even ho errs In his recollec¬ 
tion of what Weems’ Life of Washington records. 
To make sure ot the exact, words given by the 
venerable and venerated friend of my childhood 
days, (for from about 1803 mu is is, Rev. Mr. 
Weems, In his travels, as agent of the American 
Bible Society and for the sale ot Ills own works, 
was several times the guest, of my parents.) I 
went lo the congressional Library and consulted 
his Lite of Washingtoh, published about 70 years 
ago. Jt contains no account, ot the bottle of 
Brandywine—probably, or at least possibly, be¬ 
cause he contemplated a Life of La Fayette, and 
therefore omitted events in which that hero was 
a prominent actor. But <as 1 remembered) the 
rebuke te the English (not the American) General 
Lee was administered In New .Jersey, at the 
battle of Monmouth. The British evacuated 
Philadelphia on the 18th or June, 1780, and the 
Americans followed In their rear. “Next morn¬ 
ing." says Weems, after speaking of the 27th of 
June, “General Lee, with s.ooo men, was ordered 
to begin the attack, Washington movingon briskly 
to support him. But, as he advanced, to his in¬ 
finite astonishment, he met Lee retreating, aud 
the enemy pursuing. 
“•For God's sake, General Lee,’ said Washing¬ 
ton with great warmth, ‘ what’s the cause of this 
Ill-timid prudence? ’ 
“ • No man, sir,’ replied Lee, quite convulsed 
with rage, ‘can boast a larger portion of that 
rascally virtue than your Excellency,’ 
“ Dashing along by the madman, Washington 
rode up to Iris troops, who at sight, of him rent 
the air with ‘ God save great Washington!’ 
“ * My brave fellows,* said he, • can you fight 7’ 
They answered with three cheers. ‘ Then face 
about, my heroes, and charge!’ This order was 
executed with great spirit." 
Thus narrates the Rev. Mr. Weems in a work 
written In a singularly lively and somewhat or¬ 
nate stylo; yet whose main features and state¬ 
ments have never been called In question until 
within a tew years—and then only under the 
guise of Irreverent wit and sarcasm, as depraving 
te the patriotism of t he rising generation, as It Is 
unmanly and irreverent lu the Jokes, and unjus 
and nogratetul to the Illustrious Father of ou r 
Country. I allude especially to the “ horse-jockey, 
black-leg familiarity” of calling him “George,” 
and speaking of “George and his little hatchet,” 
and “George and his cherry-tree,' in such man¬ 
ner as to Intimate that that, story of his early 
trial and victorious truthfulness was cither a 
falsehood, or Its hero a stupid fool to risk telling 
the truth lu the face of probable punishment. 
Even some of our highest-toned newspapers have 
thus aided to discredit the youthful virtue of one 
of our purest and greatest men. Thus do these 
aneerers teach our hoys and young men that 
there Is no merit In, and should be no respect for 
truthfulness and patriotism—and that.oar nation's 
worthies, held up for our reverence and imitation, 
were no better than our present race of trading 
politicians !—A. is. In the Christian Leader. 
- 4 --*"*-- 
THE WAY TO CONQUER. 
“ I’ll master it,” said the ax, and Ms blows fell 
heav lly on the 1 ran; but every blow made his edge 
more blunt, till he ceased to strike. 
“Leave It to me,” said the saw; and with his 
relentless teeth he worked backward und forward 
on its surface till they were all worn down or 
broken, then he tell aside. 
“Ha! hal” said the hammer, “I knew you 
wouldn’t succeed. I’ll snow you the way;” hut at 
Ms fiist fierce stroke, off flew Ms head, and the 
Iron remained as before. 
“ Shall I try ?” asked the soft small flame. But 
they all despised the flame; but he curled gently 
rouud the Iron, and embraced It, and never left It 
till It melted under Ms irresistible Influence. 
There are hearts hard enough to resist the force 
of wrath, the malice of persecution, and the fury 
of pride, so as to make their acts recoil on their 
adversaries; hut there Is a power stronger than 
any of chese, aud hard Indeed is that heart that 
can resist love. 
Thbrk Is no receiving without asking; no find¬ 
ing without seeking; no opening without knock¬ 
ing. The threefold promise annexed to the three¬ 
fold precept should encourage all Christians to 
be instant, fervent, and constant in prayer. 
