The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-12-13
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THE JEWELLED WATCH.


Among the many officers who at the
close of the Peninsular war retired or
half-pay was Capt. Dutton, of the -th
regiment He had recently married
sthe pretty, portionless daughter of de.
ceased officer, and filled with romantic
visions of rural bliss and 'tslove in a cot.
-fage,R the pair, who were equally un.
skilled in the practical details of house
keeping, fancied they could live in af-
,sauence, and enjoy all the Injuries OF
life on the half-pay which formed their
sole slRcame. Yf&4f-.
They took up their abode near a
pleasant town in the south of England,
and for 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 faund that nurse
maids, baby-linen, doctors. and all the
ct ceteras appertaining to the tintroduc-
.1ion and support of these baby7visitors,
formed serious item in their yearly
fexpeaditure. esssa7e frfs =,
For a while they struggled on with
out falling into debt, but al length their
giddE feet slipped into that vortex
which has engalfed SO many, and their
affairs began to assume very gloomy
aspect About this time an adventurer.
named Saith, with whom Capt. Dutton
became casually acquainted, andwhose
plausible manners and appearance im
! posed on the frank, unsuspecting sol
der, proposed to him plan FOE insuring,
as herepEesented il, a large and rapid
fortune This. was to be effected by
embagklng some considerable capital
in the, manufacture of some new kind
of spirit lamps which Smith assured
ethe captain would when once known.
ksupercede the use of candles and oil
lamps throughout the kingdom.
To hear him descant on the marvel
Gus virtues and money making qualities
aofThis lamp, one would be inclihed to
take ehiu1 for the lineal descendant of
AlsddiR. andsinherilor of that scampish
individuals precious heirloom. Our
modern magician,a however, candldly
i confessed that he estill wanted the slave
4sof the lamp, or, in nthef words, ready
!. money to set the inVention agoing, and
he at length persuaded the unlucky
captain to sell out Of the army and in
vest the price of his commission in
this luminous venture, If Capt. Dntton
had refused to pay the money until he
should be able to pronounce the name
of his. new invention he would have
EssaRed his cash, at the expense probably |
ssafaa semi-dislooation of his jaws--for |
.stha. lamp rejoieed insan eight syllable |
esiele, of whichseaeh vocable belonged
to a different tougue-the first being |
Greek, the fourth -Syriac, and the last |
:. taken, from the aboriginal language of
!. New Zealand the intervening sounds |
.eeheEed Ito be respectively akin to
Latin, German, sSanscrit, and Malay
81 Notwithstanding however, this pres
atise of name, the lamp was decided |
faluFei its light was brilliant enough,
but the odor- it exhaled in burning was
seso AyeEpowening, so suggestive Of an
beFil, ,oFigins soeRery way abomiRRble,
: that those adventurous purchasers who
sstTied itinuee, nseldoen submitted their
-aelfsetOsy nerves to > second ordeal-
The sale and manafaotnrea of the lamp
and its accompanying spirit were car
1Siea on by Mr. Smith alone IN one of
the chief commercial cities of Eng
land he having kindly arranged to
take all the trouble off his partners
hands, and only requiring him to furnish
The necessaEygfnnds For seme time
the accounts transmitted to Capt. Dat
soa wepe mnst sfnnrishing, and he and
his sentIe bRife fnndly thought they
were about to realize splendid fortune
for their littleenes. But at length they
fhssahl 10 faalaanxions for the arrival Of
sthe cent per cent. profits which had
obeen pfemised. huk inevesocauae, and
- o. SHaish's lettefs Suddenly ceasing,
his aftnaRset,oG % inspect the scene
q operations u fstssps "a 7 asf4l49as
II L----, he repaired 10 the
street sehare the manufactory was situ-
ated, and ionnd IL skHsu up.' M Smith I
had gone of to America considerably |