Litchfield enquirer., 1842-02-03

 My host informed me that ith his field brought him fifteen bushels to the acre he should con sider it good crop! The land is light, sandy loam, and is as capable of producing fifty or sixty bushels 10 the acre as fifteen, lt rightly cultivated. A new impulse, howeV- er has been infused into many minds. Az ricultural papers are sent tor-cOmpost heaps are gathered-lime, plaster, and ashes are introduced, and spirit of inquiry is abroad in the land. But experiments will be combatted by ignorance and prejudice, and many years will eiapse before their fields will be divided into "convcnient lots, v their fodder housed, their cattle stocked, and their manure saved. But the cunVIc- ton that they are in error, is great point gained, and we cannot but hope that eVentu- preiudiced minds.
 In another part of the State which have more recently visited, Fairfax county, the same spirit of inquiry and desire for im- provement is manifested. Recently, a num- Der of individuals, practical farmers, from the Stale of New York, have purchased large tracts of ;he worn out lands in the vl- cinity of the comt-house, and have com menced system of operations which has at once awakened the surrounding husbandmen to new efforts aud enhanced the price ot land. They have settled upon the lands, erected barns, divided the extensive fields, ntrodu- ccd better implements, and are setting eX- amplcs of industry and caretulnesS, which are giving a new aspect to all the adJacent country.
 Horrible Trageay-We learn that on Sat urday last, between and o'clock, r. M., the following painful tragedy occurred at Newport, Herkimer co. A young man named Washington Barris, in a fit of mental derangement, to which he has been some years subject at times, made an assault upon an elder sister with a jack knife, an6 stabbed her severely in the side of the neck, but missed the jugular artery. She escaped, and ran into an adjoining house. While the sister was escaping the young man turned upon his mother, and stabbed her in the throat, partially severing tbe main artery, and she fell upon the floor bleeding protuse- ly, and soon became inscnslbie. He then fled from the room where this scene was en- acted, through the kitchen, into bed room, and throwing himself upon bed, repeatedly stabbed himself in the neck and throat, and was shortly after found dead. A younger sister escaped. Relief, and medical aid was immediately administered to the wounded fe- males by the eneghbors,and two medical gen. tlemen who were near were immediately called in. The sister is doing well, and ex- pected to recover speedily, but fears are en- tertaincd for the life of the mother. Barris was coach painter by trade, and has work ed in this city, at the shop of D. A. Lyon & Co. coach makers and was about v years of fage.-Uica Daily Ne,cs.
 Temperance. is nothing so fashion, able as temperance. The various houses and halls where its wholesome doctrines are explained and enforced, are crowded every evening. The reformed drunkards are the most popular orators of the day. Recently in this city and in Brooklyn, several compa- nies connected with the Fire Department, have come in and signed the teetotal pledge, every man of them. The doctrine with which the temperance reformation commen- ced, that all effort should be laid out to save the temperate, while the incorporate, being in hopeless condition, being left to die of, is now overthrown, and drunknrds are recov- cred faster than temperate drinkers. The ditch is no longer q bourne from which no traveller returns, but the end of the journey that way, from which the miserable being is led back to decency and happiness. Those who have been themselves reformed, under.
 
 formed. When they find subject, and there is no great difficulty about that, they take him, in his fit, and having placed'him in some comfortable situation, allow him to sleep off the fumes of the present dehauch. Then, with great kindness, they provide for his comfort, give him good advice, take him to his home if he has one, and make the ne- cessary provision for him there. The plans of the temperance refOrmerS are next eX- planed to him, and he is taken to their meet ing in the evening, when perhaps he comes to himself so far in the first evening as to sign the Temperance pledge, with full pur. pose of being a mar again. So they hold on upon him, and encourage and strengthen him, until he is fit to walk in his own strength, and join the coIpany of the reformers.
 W. Y. Jour. of Com.
 A Louisville Belle.-A few nights ago, one ofthe most accomplished belles of this city, whilst sleeping in the same apartment with Mrs. Charles w. Thurston, who is in feeble health, was suddenly reused by slight noise. Looking around her, she saw ruff fan, evidently a robber, at a window, in the act of raising it. L.caping up, she bade him depart. He hesitatcd moment; but, sec ing that the two ladies were alone in the room, he proceeded with terrific frown in etfecting his entrance. Thereupon the young lady instantly seized large pistol that chanc- cd to be in the apartment, cooked it, pre- sented it ut him, and declared her determi- nation to blow his brains out if he did not instantly fly. He knew from her counte- nance that she would be as good as her word, and, snatching sorne small article of dress from chair within arn's lrngth of the window, he fled with precipitation. We nr tnlH 1hnt inc &.Dunu hNrcinn NunnlH hnvn fired, if she had known that the pistol was certainly loaded; but she feared that it was empty, and that n snap would betray her deiancelcSSneSS = L.oaliSriNe .LnurrnL