The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-08-04
iron tht roanip gcntieman
TIE WORST or ALL THE GEsiI.
THE BEST OF ALL THE FAIRY STORIES
NOT ~ THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

THE BEST OF ALL THE FAIRY STORIES.
NOT ~ rHE ARABIAN NIGHTS.
ONcr upon a time, a man, whom we
will call Alchymy, was digging in AN
out of the way corner Of laboratory.
lie was surrounded by variety OF odd.
shaped implements - crucibles, ,ials,
nlembics, retorts and cisterns. Upon
a small but powerful furnace, which was
glowing with red heat, there stood n
vessel which was spnming forth gas
eous vapor which was carefully entrap-
ped by means OF a cooling apparatus,
and when condensed, was conveyed a.
way by siphons and conduct pipes into
"A hagon of considerable dimcns,ona.
Altogether,the strange, haggard, thought
ful look of the man, and the mysterious
looking tools, and the glare Of the heat
ed furnace, made the place appear more
like the haunt of some wizard or nee
romancer, than the study of an alchy-
mist and his apparatus was certainly
more suggestive Of dstillery Of poison
| than good and wholesome drinks.
However, he was evidently bent on
either hiding or burying some potion or
subtle essence he had just made, for a
vessel containing a ruby colored liquid
was standing close by the hole in which
he was at work. But as it was the Gus
tom Of some of the early alchymists 10
bury certain essences in the earth from
the commencement 10 the end OF the
quadrature Of the moon, in order that
nature might perfect their labors, the
old man dug away with vigor that
was more in unison with youth than old
age. But suddenly he struck his spade
against some hard substance, and stop
ping, he said-'llolla | have found
either box of gold or perhaps jar O
transmitting fluid buried here by my
predecessor. All ha = he went on
chuckling, i always thought should
ind something in this old laboratory i
| only dug deep enough.
The old fellow went on leisurely re
moving the earth, every now and lheI
stopping to examine his prize and a
length he had removed the soil from th'
obstacle and then he ascertained that la
had found a glass bottle, something lik'
those upon his own shelves, and whicl
one sees nowadays in our chemists
shops, and we stand aud stare at thei
flattened sides, long scraggy necks, am
mysterious signs, as intently as Alchy
my did at the one he had Unexpected
found. The old man was, OF course
very much delighted with his treasur
lrove, for be expected to reap the re
ward Of some alclymists labors, VIII
had probably died and made no sign G
the secret he had left in his laboratory
Al first hc handled it and examined IT
contents curiously, then he tried I
gucss at it, contents, and then be di
what most sensible people would hav
done first, he looked at the cork and dis
covered that it was carefully and heay
ly sealed.
1t was not, however, The golden sei
OF Solomon that was stamped on th
on the bottle. a- that seal was only use
according TO Eastern historians when
was necessary to conine a powcrfi
genie; but !, was a seal Of great eiIici
. cy nevertheless, for il was the seal
f, PRuDENCE, the meck-eyed damsel
Wisdom and the device exhibited Il
beautiful daughter Of Temperance oar
:, iag g1ble, Of water 10 Exercise, and
was struck ia virgin wax.
Alehymy looked at the bottle aga
, and again; presently be held il up
I the light and lhen he saw that u CO
tanned bright clear liquid; bat som
how. though IL looked eyen brighter Al
. clearer than water, yet there was d
. cy, oily ham,r. lurking and working
boz, ia the bottle, thar told the old mi
that the vessel contained mysicfio
= and subtle essence. Fooled ia graiil
log his curiosity By Ihe means VIII
be hal adopted, be held he bottle 10
ear amer be- had shaken Il well. al
p" sul he, / ihsuSh; 10 and be appear
90, to be- disappointed, for at fret
T. thought be beard los marmurs' d
q sarslel forth from che elastic babb
given or by the volatile essence q
70 hal nov be-sa 20 fermeai from Q
shakiar Il hal received II ibe excl
q. mont of The moment. lhe paFen'ied
. aunai,au 81 ,he llchymis. heard ha
formed varl,. broken expressions. e9
d. posed af elrsci, blcssins', oa,ai, and Z
ireaIils. b4i 'he 0ois- uas as 'niescr
ii. abe a. bi's o. dreams, ami like a q
~ uloa'hc1 by a maniac, it vas isll