Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-08-09
4 Select Gale.
THE JEWELLED WATCH.

Ariiong the many officers who, at the |
close OF the PeninsuIar war, retired on half |
paw, was Captain Dutton, OF the--th regi- |
inrnt. He had lately married the pretty,
portionlesS daughter of deceased brother
officer and filled with romantic visions
of rural bliss and "love in cottage" the
pair. who were equally unskilled in the
practical details of house keeping, fancied
the1 could live in aiiluence, and enjoy all
the uxuries Of life, on the half pay which
formed their sole income.
They took up their abode near pleas
ant town in the south Of England, and TOR
time got on pretty well but when at
the end Of the first year a sweet little boy
made his appearance, and at the end OF the
second an equally sweet little girl, they
iound tia, nursemaiLs, baby linen, doctors,
and all the ctcetetas appertaining to the
inttoductior and support of these baby
visitors, formed serious item IN their
yearly expenditure.
For while they struggled on without
falling into ap5t bit at length their giddy
feet slipped into that vortex which has en-
gulphed so many, and their affairs brgan to
assume a very gloomy aspect. About this
time an adv-nturer named Smith, with
#hom Captain Dutton became casually ac-
0uainted, and whose plausible manners and
fappearance completely Imposed on the
frank, unsuspecting soldier, proposed 10
him a plan for insuring, as he represented
Il, large and rapid fortune. This was to
be effected BY embarking conalderable cap
| ital in the manufacture of some new Kind
! Ct spirit lamps, which Smith assured the
captain would, when once known, super
cede the use of candles and oil lamps
throughout the kingdom.
To hear him descant on ihe marvellous
virtues and money-making qualities OF his
lamp, one would be inclined to take him
for the linea descendant Of Aladdin, and
Inheritor OF that scampsh individuals pre-
cious heirloom. Our modern, magician,
however, candidly confessed that he still
: wanted the ''slave of the lamp" or, IN 9TH
er words, ready money, tc' SET, the Tnven.
ton a-going and he at length succeeded
, in persuadng the uplucky captain to sci
, out of the army, and invest the price Of hi
commission in this luminous venture. i
: Captain Dutton had refused to pay the
money until he should be able TO pronounce
correctly the name OF the Invention, h
would have saved his cash, at the eIpens
probably Of d Standardization oT hys Na@s
= ior the lamp rejoced ia an eight syllable'
title, of which each vocable belonged to
8 different fohgue-the hfst being Greek, tn
fourth Syriac, and the lasi taken from tn
J aboriginal language of New Zealand tn
intervening sounds believed 10 bs Iespee
lively AKIN to Latin, German, Sanscri
and Malay. Notwithstanding, however
this prestige OF a name, The lamp was a de
cid.d failure; its light was brilliant enough
5, but the odor n exhaled in burning was .
overpowering, SO suggestive OF an. evil or
gin, so every way abominable, that tho.
adventurous purchasers who tried ii ono,
y seldom submitted their olfactory. nerves
he a second ordeal. The sale and riahufa'
=, r ture OF the lamp and its accompanying
a. spirit were carried on by Mr.. Smith alor
in one Of the chief commercial cities
England, he having kindly arranged
= take all the trouble of his pahnefs HAND
and only requiring him to furnish the n
cessary funds. For some time the aceoun