Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-01-03

making douby painful the last bitter hour. In this
that room the gambler lodger has laid his plots,
his web Of cunning, which were to ruin
and those for whom parental solIcltude was
vainy expended These halls and corridors are full
of echoes, and thronged with shadows-echoes of
mirth echoes Of sorrow shadows of human life !;
their original essence and substance-part of the
past and perhaps an injunction for the present, to
remember the future.
Here is another picture, whose sharp, clear out
lines vouch for its fidelity.
Of Joe stansbury.
One of the best founding stories we have read
since the cold weather set In is founded in the police
corner of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania. follows
AS Mrs. Esther Stansbury. (residing in a court
running from Race below s zth.0 was about to bring
bucket Of water from the hydrant last night, she
found old basket suspended from the knob Of the
front door. Putting her hand into the basket, she
felt something alive and kicking. but so enveloped in
rags that no farther discovery could be made with
ed like letter lay by the side of the animated bun.
die. Mrs. Stansbury Immediately returned into the
house. and by the light of the lamp. examined the
billet. 1t was addressed to her husband. She ire
muloUsly broke the seal and read rs follows:
To joe Hdnsbury-Sir: send you the baby which
you will please to take good care Of and bring up
right, SO that it may turn out to be better man
than its daddy. Oh Joseph! what sly old rake
You are! ho would think that such a staid sober
old spinde-shanks could be such a tearing-down
sinner The child is yours. you may swear to that
Look at it. it is Joe Stansbury all over You deceiv-
ed lie shamefuy. Joseph-letting on to be a wild
ower-but DO fathers part BY the young and
III forgive YOU.
Your heart-broken NANCY.
P. 5. Don't LEI that sharp-noSed wife of yours see
this letter. Cannon her with some kind OF a story
about the baby. n.
Mr. Stansbir7 was in the basement kitchen. Quiet
ly eating his supper. and little imagining what
storm was brewing over his head. The door Of the
kitchen was violently thrown open. and Mrs SIS
voice yelled ont : Stansbury, come up here. YOU
villain-here's a mess for youn The aSonished
Stansbury hastily vi ped his mouth and obeyed the
summons Don't you want to see Nancy-the
heart-broken Nancy p cried Mrs. Stansburv. when
her guilty husband hobbled up into the room
Nancy what Nancys that 2" said the sly old rogue
mother OF Ibis baby that's been hung up at your
door, Mr.. Stansbury. On you look mighty limo
cent bat just read that letter and then looked in
that basket Don't be afraid it won't bite. it's got
no teeth. poor thing You'll know it. for. as your
husSy says it is just like you all over. Please good
ness. I'll expose you before everybody" /
In less than five minutes Mrs Stansbury had col |
lected room full of spectators, (haf the inhabi-
ping the baby. Anxious expectation sat every
countenanee, the jealous lady away rag after
rag from the body OF the founding, the vigorous
movements of which astonished everybody. = It is
full of the devil already, said Mrs S: that shows
it is his-youll that it is like him in every
thing" At last all the swaddling clothes being re-
moved, ont jumped the baby and made its escape
through the open door, 1t was a big tom-cat.
''WHAr ARE BIRDS GOOD FOR !"-The American
Agrculturist for December. in answer. to this in
qury, relates the following anecdotes:
In connection with this subject we will give an
anecdote related to last winter by Gov Aiken of
South Carolina, of the rice birds These little crea
gather around the rice fields at harvest time in
countless myriads, and Of consume considera
bic grain. Some years ago it was determined to
oI-ox ~
country, and the measure was in some degree sue
ceSsful so far getting rid Of the birds What
are birds good for :" The rice planter soon found
out: for With the decrease of birds. the worms in
creased so rapidly that instead of few scattering
grams to feed the birds the whole crop was demand
ed to fill the Unsuitable of the army that came
to consume every young shoot fast they sprung
from the ground. Most undoubtedly the birds were
invited back again with hearty welcome. Rice
canaot be cultivated without their assistance
A few years ago the blackbirds in the northern
part of Indiana considered grevous nuisance to
the farmer. Whole fields of oats were sometimes
destroyed and the depredations upon late corn were
greater than can be believed told The farmers sow
ed and the birds reaped. He scolded and they twit-
tered. Occasionally charge of shot brought down
score but made no more impression upon the great
sea OF birds than the removal of single bucket of
water from the great salt puddle few years later
every green thing on the land seemed destined to
destruction by the army worm. Man was powerless-
a worm among worms. But his best friend the ha-
ted backbrds came to his relief just in time to save
when all seemed lost. No human aid could have
helped him. How thankful should man be that God
has given him for his companions and fellow-labor
ers In the cultivation of the earth these lovely birds
The laborer is worthy of his hire Why should
we grudge the little moiey claimed by the busy lit
tie fellows which fellows the pow and snatched the
worm away from the seed that it might produce
grain for his and our susenance - No honest man
would cheat a bird of his spring and summers
work =
A PoRTRAIT.-l met the queen of snuff-takers in
the street yesterday. and wished very much that
every beginner in that filthy habit could hare seen
her likewise. She was the very embodiment the
very qaintescence Of snuff 4 walking snuGhlad