Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-10-22

too. Death was IN the school room, and Lu-
gare had been fogging corpse. Wv
A CocKRoAcH IN TRoUBLE.-Although
cockroaches aboundea inconvenienty at the
Mouritius, It was not without pity that |
saw them consigned, as they frequently
were to living grave, by wicked look
ing insect much resembling Spanish fly.
It was impossible to witness his proceedings,
combined with his glittering blue and green
dress, without imagining the elfish demon
of pantomine leading an innocent victim
to perpetual entombment in some haunted
cavern. Let the cockroach be moving new
er so briskly across the wall, he has no
sooner caught sight of the fatal insect-not
a quarter of his size-than all energy leaves
him, ard he stands stupidity resigned. The
fly then walks up to him, looks him hard
in the face, and presently, putting forth
some apparatus which stands him in place
- s.@er and thumb. gently takes the cock
roach BY the nose and rrausss H.. 1caa!aa...y
along for foot or two. Leaving HIM there,
he commences q thorough examination Of
the neghborhood, beating the ground up
and down like well trained setter, and not
finding what he wants, returns to the cock
roach and leads him on little further, when
the same process is gone through sometimes
for hours, until the whole wall has been eX-
amined. Chinks there are in plenty, but
they do not suit him; he has taken the
measure of the victims bulk, and means to
lodge him commodiously. Presently suit
able hole IS found, and Tie fly, moving back
ward gently pulls the ccc&roach after him
into his last home. What horrors arc per-
pctratcd in this dark recess cannot be more
than surmised. The object, undoubtedly is
to engage him as a wetnurse. No doubt
the poor cockroach is bored IN some part
not vital, and eggs laid in him-a purpose,
indeed, for whica his succulent and moth
eYly frame seems peculiarly adapted. And,
not improbably, during this vicarious incu-
baton, he is supplied with food until the
young of whom he is pregnant. being hatch
ed, commence, in return for his services, to
"gnaw his bowels, as their repast " It is
in VAN that, during the scene above describ-
ed, you urge the cockroach to seek safety in
fight. The poke Of stick is disregarded;
he seems dead to all hints; nay, move him
to another part OF the wall he waits there
with the same stolid Indifference the return
of his tormentor. Probably sly thrust is
given him in the first meeting of noses, or
some leprous dlstilment' dropped il his ear,
for he las entirely the air Of being hocuss
ed."-FrGsers M0gGsi..e.
ORIGIN OF NEGRoEs.-It is said that the
lower order of Brazilians entertain the fol-
lowing belief as to the original formation Of
the negroes:
"At the time" they say, "of the creation
of Adam satan looked on and formed man
of clay, but every thing he touched became
black and he determined to wash him white
in Jordan. On his approach the river re-
tired, and he had only time to push the
black man on the wet sand, which wet the
soles of his feet and palms ofhis hands and
accounts for the comparative whiteness of
those parts. In rage the devil struck his
creation on the nose, by which the flatness
of that organ was accomplished. The ne
gro then begged for mercy, as no blame
could be attached to him, upon which the
other, somewhat pacifed, patted him on the
head, and by the heat OF his hand, curled
his hair in the way it is seen at the present
time"
The same time Brazilans also believe that
the monkey tribe are an interior variety of
the negro species-that they are gifted with
the power of speech, but refuse to talk in
order to avoid being pressed into the ser
vice of the white men. The dread of labor,
they say, is strong enough to make Jocko
hold his tongue,
Az, Two Irish laborers attending the ex-
ecntion of one Of their countrymen on the
new scaaold before Newgate, one said to
The other, "Arrah Pat: now! but is there
any difference between being hanged
here and being hanged in chains :" "No
honey replied his companion, 'there is no
great difference TO be sure, only one hangs
about an hour, and the other (meaning the
malefactor in chains) hangs all tie days Of
his 'if'."
An NIMpARrIAL JUDGE.--A deceased chief
Justice once addressed ajury in the follow
ing model speech:--"Gentlcmen ofthe jury,
in this case the counsel on both sides are
uninteligible the witnesses are incredible;
and the plaintiff and defendants are both
such bad characters, that to me it is idifer-
ent which way you give your verdict