Litchfield enquirer., 1841-12-16

the frowns-mayhap the inebriatcd curses, of him, who was the cause of their vigils !- At length, the hour of midnight sounded, and as its cchoes died away, the footsteps of the expected one was heard. How wildly beat the hearts of mother and daughter as Powell r. entered that door so long and eagerly watched He was there, before them, but not noisy nor ha rsh-fOr he was sober, calm and collected. So great was the joy of wife and daughter, that neither could give utter ance to the wild motions that played around their hearts, but they woald not have spoken them for worlds lest the echo of voice should have dispellcd what seemed pleasing illusion.
 "Mabei! Tsabel!" were the first words that greeted their ears, and in moment both were crying for joy on his bosom. We need not detail the affecting conversation which followed, nor the joyful surprise with which the mother and daughter heard his resolves and hopes. It will alf be sufficiently under- stood from single expression of Powell P. as his daughter was about to retire to rcst.- They were the sweetest words her ears had heard for many long, long day. They were "good night, my child, and may God ever bless you-you have saved your father"
 That father had been to the election-he went predetermined to drink-to get drunk but as he was about to raise the first dram to his mouth, the pleading countenance of his daughter seemed to rise before him! His good genius prevailed-the glass was repla- ced untasted on the ecounter-he left the place and with high moral purpose, hastencd to perance. The pledge has been religiously kept-the visage of his mild and amiable wife is fast losing it's careworn cXpression- Bell" has become the joyous hoping being she was destined to be, while Powell P. is fast regaining all his former vigor and no- bleness. Often do these contented beings talk over past scenes, while the amiable :" Mabel" fails not to designate the night of which we have spoken us that of '" The joy- ous surprise"
 Every Day knosoledge.-An anecdote is told of the application of one of the common prin. ciples of mechanics, to the saving of public building in Paris. The walls of the building were gradually separating, and N became a question of importance how they should be firmly restored to their original position.- Many were suggested, but were impractica. ble. At length an individual, applying his mechanical genius 10 the case, proposed the simple plan of running huge bars of iron from wall to wall, and securing them on the outside by nuts. Then applying sufficient heat to the bass in the interior of the build- ing on the common principle that heat will expand, the bars were elongated and the nuts loosened. Immediately securing these tight, as the iron cooled it collapsed and the walls cess sufficiently, the walls were returned to their places and made firm as ever by the power that sustained them. The work was thus accomplished, (which had puzzled the first mechanics,) on principles that every boy of six months life in n bfacksmith's s shop understands perfectly well-but applied in an important emergency.
 If not the application of Q principle of mo. chanics, it was one of strong common sense which is related of two dogs quarrelling.- One of them had taken n firm grip of his an. tagonist, which he could not be induced to quit. Some proposed one thing and some another, to induce the victor to loosen his jaws. He was thumped, his tail pulled, his ears pinchcd, but nothing would avail. A man passed along at the time, and stopped to look on with the rest. He soon saw what the matter was-and told the bystanders he would separate the dogs in short time.- They had little pride about it, as people do, when they don't succeed themselves, they doubt if any body else can and they rather sneered at his ability. He took from his pocket q snuff box, and having delibe- rately taken a pinch of snuff himself, he clapped the snuff box under the dogs nose that was holding the other in his grip. The dog, although quarrelsome, had never debas' cd himself by making tobacco box of his nose, and he could not take so liberal pinch as the gentleman had offered him without sneezing. To sneeZe he must unloosen his iaws-and behold the work was accomplish. ed! It was a ludicrous case, but it showed a ready application of common sense.
 How useful may one be in cases of immi- nent danger, by laying up stock of every day knowledge that may be picked up-a little here and little there. But month or two have elapsed since. in village in Massac achusetts, n valuable woman and n mo ther, lost her life through the want of knowl edge among the two or three who saw EleI die! By some accident, n vein or artery was severed, and the life blood was flowing raj apdly away. The bystanders could only run for the physician or stand by without means to aid till he came! When he arriv. ed his patient was dead! With the simple application by those around her, of a hand l kerchief bound above or below the wound -as the nature of it was-and increasing its tightness with a prong of wood, the blood would have kept in, the pby ysician could have arrived, and valuable life been saved!
 7Ks Lakrs-There is no little alarm | Eel. along the lakes because of the grea. fall of water which has been for year or tw" and still is in progress. Since 1886, the water in our river has fallen more than l .s :. fs,nk anL.