The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-05-10 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STAND...LuIIi.

LABOURERS, SOLDIERS, PAUPERS, AND THlEVES.—According
to the report recently published by the Poor Laws' Commission-
ers, the following is the scale of weekly subsistence allotted to
the above description of persons : Solid jbod.
The agricultural labourer 122 oz;
The soldier • 168
• The able bodied pauper 151
The suspected thief 203
The convicted thief 239
The transported thief ._....3.30

POETRY OF MINUTE DESCIIIPTION.—" The fashionable
as well as the familiar poetry of the present day sparkles with
fanciful yet true descriptions, of which the subjects are in
general among the most obvious, and yet the least-noticed
circumstances, recurring every day and every where. The
brilliant parterres of Miss Landon's enclosure, on the south of
Parnassus, where ideas, like humming-birds, are seen (lying
about in tropical sunshine, or fluttering over -blosSorns of all
hues and all climes; and the home meadows of John Clare, the
Northamptonshire peasant, whose thoughts, like bees, are ever
m
On the wing in search of honey fro 'the meanest dower that
blows;' are equally productive of these `curiosities of litera-
ture.' A specimen front the latter (as less known of the two)
will show to what perfection the art of making much of a little
has lately been carried.

TIIE NEST.
Within a thick and spreading hawthorn bush,
That overhung a mole-hill large and round,
1 heard, from morn to morn, a merry thrush
Sing hymns of rapture, while I drank the sound
With joy ;—and oft, an unintruding guest,
I wateli'dher. secret toils from day to day,
how true she warp'd the moss to form her nest,
And modell'd it within with wood and clay.
And by the by, like heath-hells gilt-with dew,
There lav her shining eggs as bright as flowers,
Ink-spotted over, shells or green and blue;
And there I witness'd, in the summer hours.
A brood of nature's minstrels chirp and fly,
(-dad as the sunshine and the laughing sky.'—John Clare.
Here we have in miniature the history and geography of a
Thrush's Nest,' so simply and naturally set forth, that one
might think such strains

no more diffieile
Than for a blael,bird 'tis to whistle;'
bet let the heartless critic who despises them try his own hand,
either at a bird's nest, or a sonnet like this; and when, he has
;succeeded in making the one, he may have sonic hope of being
ablejo make the other."—Montywnery's Lectures on Poetry.
LOVE-A-LA-MODC ON THE Iltctt SEAS.--On the quays of
such a harbour as Greenock, where ships arrive from, and
:.depart for, all quarters of the globe, scenes the most romantic
and affecting are of daily occurrence. The bright and joyful
icciuntenances of newly met, but long divided, friends and rela-
tives, and the briny tear, the throbbing heart, and " the long
'and last adieu" of those who are about to part—perhaps for
ever—often cause the bystander to "feel the keenest sympathy,
and drop a kindred tear." Next to the separation in death is
the separation of the exile or the emigrant from " friends, and
home, and native land," prepared and resolved, if possible,
. never to return. The last embrace of such a one is like the
death-gtasp of the dying ; and it is only those who possess the
firmest nerve that can witness such scenes and remain un-
moved. With many who arc specially concerned the case is
often worse than death. A few days ago the good. Old. ship,
Jamaica, sailed for Montega Bay, her second voyage this sea-
son. In October last she left Greenock with goods and pas-
sengers for Jamaica. After being at sea nearly two days, one
of the crew had occasion to descend to the hold in search of
something, when he discovered a young lady concealed among
sonic lumber. Surprised at such a discovery, he immediately
gave intimation to Capt. Ilyndman, who shrewdly suspected
that she would be an attache of one of the male steerage pas-
sengers—a Mr. Archibald . Consequently, all was now
excitation on the quarter deck, and Mr. Campbell, first mate,
was ordered to take the supposed lover with him (on some
Other pretence,) to assist in removing the young lady from her
hiding place. He unwittingly consented, when, on a light be-
ing placed at the entrance of the recess, a deep-drawn sigh
was heard, and a female voice exclaiming—" 0 Archy,
Archy !" Such an unspected discovery so completely petrified
" Archy," that he lost the whole of his five senses -at once,
and became utterly unable to assist in removing the love-lorn
maid, whose Emus had become benumbed by the crammed
posture in which she had been so long concealed. She was
taken to the cabin, where every attention was paid to her by
Captain llvudinan and Mr. Campbell; and after presenting
her with a little money, which, in.the hurry of embarkation,
she completely forgot to bring with her, the ship bore in upon
the south point of the Isle of Arran, and a boat put off to the
shore with the luckless maid. On re-embarking, she gazed
wistfully on " Archy," as if humming to herself—

Look kindly or cauldly, but bid me no lea' thee ;"

She was put on, shore on Kildonnou Point, many a long league
from her father's house. It may be added that the young lady
was a daughter of a gallant Colonel, not a hundred miles from
the head of Lochfine.—Glasgow Courier.

WORKS TO TIE EXECUTED IN THE GARDEN IN THE MONTH OF
aspatagus will now be fit for cutting—my first ob-
servation shall relate to the most approved method of perform-
ing this, which is not so simple as may be generally supposed.
If you have ever examined the crown of the plant in the bud-
ding season, von will have remarked that, besides the fine shoot
you are about to cut off, there-are Many others in various stages
of their growth under the surface—arid if in cutting the one, you
maim any of the rest, you destroy those shoots, and may mate-
rially injure the crown itself. Row, on the continent, where
they are Very careful gardeners, they make use of an implement
for this special purpose, not unlike a locksaw, but narrower,
longer, and finer; the blade being about eight inches in length,
one inch wide at the haft, and terminating in half an inch at the
point, which is rounded, and the blade, instead of being sharp,
has a fine serrated edge. The rounded point, when sunk gently
will not injure the starting buds, and the serrated edge will not
slip, but merely cut the stem to which it is applied. I have
another hint or two for you also, unless where you are like me,
very impatient, and' mean, according to my former suggestion,
to sacrifice a few beds for an early cutting :—I would wish you
to observe this rule ; don't be tempted to cut the largest shoots
—in the third season front making a successful plantation; front
each crown, four shoots may probably appear at the same time,
two of them perhaps large, and two small; be content with one
large and one small one, leaving the others, and especially the
strong one, which is the best calculated to supply the returning
sap, in abundance, to the increasing root.—One word more—
let no avarice or economy, or limitation of garden soil, induce
you to sow or plant any other crop on your beds, or in your
alleys.-1 have seen a square of Asparagus beds trampled into
a flag, by a lazy gardener, or his lazy labourer, crossing the
beds day after day, to cut a crop of cauliflowers from the inter-
mediate .alleys.—Carrots, parsnips, and onions you must now.
look to, and clear perfectly from weeds. I gave you a smart.
lecture upon this subject in the last month,.. if you attend to it
well, but don't neglect your operations to the same effect in this
month also; and mind, that you stake your peas neatly, and
earth up your growing erops,which are in rows, and if the wea-
ther lie dry, don't forget the watering pot; and persecute the
slugs and snails, and now we shad see what is to be done in
your next month.—Doyle's Practical Gardening.

DUET FOR A "KIP.

,E" OF BARONETS.

SIR FRANCIS. SIR JOHNNY.
SIIIV.• Silly, Johnny Cam I Twiddle, twaddle, Dad Burdett,
Why even Neddy Bulwer • Your public days. are numbered 1
Could hardly prove a greater Sam What use with me to fume and fret 1
Than you, who long so full were In life I never slumbered,
°lnspiration:4, mighty fine, Until your silvery accents lulled
All about dietinetinu. 111 y spirit into sleeping;
But now your light is, I opine, • Till now I wake, and find I'm
Nigh to self-extinction. gulled,
And you the harvest reaping !

Courage of a man. Interfere thus far—no further; for rely upon
it,.the service would be materially injured, if the law was abro-
gated. if any of the advocates for the abolition of corporal
punishment in the navy, had Withessed the dreadful effects on
board ship, arising from the grossest neglect of duty, or from
the meddling interference of the senseless drunkard-L--Had
they been rescued by the accidental passing of another ship, as
Was the case with the Kent East Indiaman, when the crew and
paSsengers stood on the very brink of destruction, almost with-
out hope of assistance they would be inclined to alter their
opinions about "treating seamen like boys," or the twopenny
trash "of using them like horses "—Compare the loss of the
Alceste with the wreck of the French frigate nedusa—the one;
the beauty of discipline—the other, the confusion of a mob.
Redd with what patient resignation, the crew of the former sub-
mitted to the dictates of Maxwell and his otlicers,see the eX-
aniple that was set by all the officers down to the smallest mid-
Shipman, and dwell with pleasure on their release. After pe-
rusing all their sufferings and all their obedience, then castyour
eves over the horrid picture of the loss of the Medusa, the
drunken hope, of the undisciplined crew, their heartless murders,
and their dreadful sufferiug,s, and then ask yourself what caused
the quiet submission of the one, or the barbarous brutality of the
other. It is sonic comfort in the tropical climates, when squalls
come suddenly and awfully strong, to know that every sail may
be reduced, and thus the chance of accident diminished. It is
equally disgusting to be on board a ship where half the men
skulk below—where the masts are carried away, the sails split,
or the crew kept on deck for hours. I remember, in one very
undisciplined ship in which I happened to be a passenger, that
a man fell overboard. The confusion Which ensued baffled all
description, the consequence was, that the stern boat was low-
ered when the ship had too much way, and three men (as the
boat swamped) drifted away astern. The foremost tackle of the
larboard quarter boat was ret go by the rim, and two men more
were throWn overboard; a similar accident very nearly occur-
red with the starboard quarter boat, which was, however, ulti-
mately repaired, and, instead of only losing one man, we lost
three. Discipline, discipline alone has upheld our navy, and
discipline we must havewhy, what captain can forget the time
when the gaols vomited their contents on board the men-of-war?
Were those pickpockets, drunkards, vagabonds of the lowest or-
der, to be ruled with a feather, or 'soothed with soft accents ?
Could it be imagined that those who had defied the strong arm
of the law should come like good little children, tractable and
obedient at once? No 1 those who ought to have been flogged
in the' gaols were flogged elsewhere; and, by a constant vigi-
lance on every action of these vermin, we reformed their cha-
racters, and turned them to useful servants of the state, from
bold but cruel violators of the law.

It was after a long deep sigh from the man in the stern sheets,
and after wiping away a stream of tears, as he looked at the ves-
set, then about two miles and a halt' distant, that he broke out
into a loud lamentation on the utter hopelessness of their condi-
tion if they were not seen. In vain they declared that the brig
had purposely altered her course to avoid them—in vain they'
pointed to a man going aloft, whom they could distinctly see,—
and in vain they waved their jackets, and assisted the signal
with speech—the time was slipping away, and, if once they got
abaft the beam of the brig, every second would lessen the chance
of being seen; besides, the sea breeze might come down, and
thee she would he far away, and beyond all hope in a quarter of
an hour. Now was it that the man who had been so lohdly la-
menting his fate seemed suddenly inspired with fresh hope, and
courage; he looked-attentively at the brig, then at his compa-
nion, and said, By. heaven I'll do it, or we are lost! " "Do
*hat?" said MS. shipmate. " Though," said the first man, "it
is no trifle to do, after what we have seen and known; yet I
'will try, for if she passes us what 'tall we do-?" I. tell you, Jack,
I'll swim to her; If I get,sale to her you are saved; if nut, why
I shall die without perhaps adding murder to my crimes.'
" What ! jump overboard and leave me all alonei" replied his
companion, "look, look at that shark which has followed us all
night, why it's only waiting for you to get into the water to
swallow you as it did perhaps half our inessniates.
,No, no; do
wait; perhaps another vessel may come; beSides, I cannot swim
half the distance, and I should be afraid to remain behind.
Think, Tom, only think of the sharks, and of last night." This
appeal staggered the determination of the gallant fellow.
'I here, about twenty yards from the boat, was the fin of a shark,
and now and then another and another might be seen. Ile
looked at his enemies and then at himself. Certain death
awaited him in the boat, perhaps heightened.by crime; a chance
of death awaited him in the sea, but there was hope to buoy him
up. The time was flying, the breeze had begun to frcesheu a
little; the brig was fast advancing, and hope, was every minute
growing less. "Well," said he, "Jack, it comes to this, you
see that if we wait 'we must die—if I get to the brig we must
be saved. If the sharks—God Almighty protect me," said' he,
- shuddering as he mentioned the worn—" should take me, and
you live to get back again, you know where to remember me.
I say Jack, it is no use being 'frightened to death; come
give us your hand, my last companion. I'll do it if it is
to be • done. Good bye. Now if y.ou, see those devils in
chase of me, splash or make sonic noise to frighten them, but
don't tell me 'that you see them coming; another shake
of the hand? God bless you, Jack—keep your eye on ni
and make signals to the brig. "There" said he, putting his
knife down, that, might be of use to you, and here's my toggery,
if I'm taken it's none the better for last. night's swim," then
falling on his knees and saying, God protect me," he jumped
overboard with as much calmness, as if he had been bathing in
security. No sooner had he begun to strike out in the direction
he intended, than his companion turned to the sharks; the
fins had disappeared, and it was evident that they had heard the
splash and would soon follow their prey,. It is hard to say who
suffered the most anxiety. The one left in the boat cheered
his companion, looked at the brig, and kept waving his
jacket, then turned to watch . the sharks—his horror May be
imagined when he saw three of these terrific monsters swim
past the boat, exactly in the direction of his companion ; he
splashed his jacket in the water to scare them away, but they
seemed quite aware of the impotency of the attack, and lazily*
pursued their course. The man swam well and strongly.; there
was no doubt he, would kass within hail of the brig, provided the
sharks did not interfere, and he knowing that they would not be
long in following him, kept kicking the water and splashil., as
he swam. * * * * It was not, however, until a great dis-
tance had been accomplished that the swimmer became apprised
of his immediate danger, and saw by his side one of the terrific
creatures. Still, however, he swans bravely and kicked ; his
mind was made up for the worst, amid lie had little hope of suc-
cess. In the mean time the breeze had gradually freshened,.
and the brig passed with greater velocity through the water,
every stitch of canvass was spread. To the poor swinuner the
sails seemed bursting with the breeze, and as he used his utmost
endeavours to propel himself, so as to cut off the vessel, the
spray appeared to flash, off from the bow, and the brig. to tly
through the sea. ,lle was now close enough to hope his voice
might be heard, but he hailed and hailed in vain. Not a soul
was to be seen ou deck, and the man who steered was too intent
upon his avocation to listen to the voice of mercy. The brig
passed, and the swimmer was every second getting further and
further in the distance ; ever,y hope. was gone—not a ray of that
bright divinity remained. fhe fatigue had nearly exhausted
him, and the sharks only waited their first quiet imminent to
swallow ther victim. It was in vain he thought of returning
to the boat, for he could never have reached her, and his com-
panion hind no means of assisting him. In the act of offering
up his last prayer ere he made up his mind to float and he eaten,
he saw a rums look over the quarter of the brig; he raised both
his hands, lie jumped himself up in the water, and by the sin-
gularity of his motions, fortunately attracted notice. A tele:-
scope soon made clear the object.. The brig was hove to, and a
boat and the man was saved. The attention of the crew was
then awakened to the Maple's boat; she was soon alongside,
and thus through the exertions of as gallant a fellow as ever
breathed. both
,wete rescued from their perilous situation.—
Dublin University Magazine.