Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-07
EVENING STAR.
A CLERGYMAN TURNED SOLDIER

| D..
Some twenty years ago, young man, whom
L shall name Jamie, was pastor Of a large
congregation Of tho Established Church of
Scotland. at school and at College he was
distinguished for his love OF learning and ss q
minister was unTivalled for hi- eloquence and
mental Httuinments. He had been settled
about year, aud was on the eve Of being
married TO fine young woman, whom he had
| loved from childhood, when the he-itOrs and
several English gentlemen. who were then on
a visit to the North. attended Cork to hear the
| famous preacher. lie more than verified his
lame; he cnraptured his audience. His theme
was the story Of his church It's many wears
OF disastrous wars, Its martyrs, its heroes, its
undying hope, even when despair seemed to
| shroud it i'll endless night; its unwearied tolls
and its final tTiumphs were each in turn pre-
scnted to the minds Of the hearers. with a
power and feeling that defy description. He
stood the genius of elOquence personifed. But
| there was orc among his hearers who was not
bewildered by his glowing pictures
The gentle-hearted Bella, his betrcthed,
| when the congregation dispersed, followed him
| to the manse. lie received her in his study,
but while conducting her to chair, she sank
upon the floor and burst into tears 20,
Jamie jamie" she exclaimed, as he raised
her tendeTly In hi5 arms, and seated her on a
sofa, "ye hae broken my puir heart "How
80, my Bella ezr,aia," - Ye were drunk
raving drunk, Jamie; and wonder the elders
did nae tax ye out of the pulpit. Ye whined
| crd ranted, ard sometimes, God f3rgie NE for
| saying sac, though: 1 saw the Evil One
standing beside, laughing and clapping you
on the shoulder. Ay puir brain reeled-I
| was mad and knew i'll am mad now-I Gamma
| live cut this day. feel my blood free,e-0,
| Col, he r2c-cirul TO ne sinner and save q
save nay Jamie!' Her head recIined upon
his bosom. he gazed upon him Il moment, and
L O. Ys.T-- Al ~. In ~
He had preached his last sermon. No en-
| treaties Of congregation who loved him-no
| fattcring offers of future prcferIrent rendered
| by the gentry, could induce him to resume his
| labOrs as minister.
| Five or six years passed. when the writer of
| this, who was his schoollellow, accidentally
met him in London. jamie was then one Of
! the principal teachers in a large educational
establishment, and was highly esteemed for
the moral exceilenc Of his character, as well
| as has varied learning and skill as q successful
| teacher. He was dressed in deep mourning,
! Stunned society, AMI when the labors of the
| day closed, he either wandered alone through
| tho streets CT retired to his lodgings. The
scene of Bella : death was ever present to his
memory.
| Her pure soul, he said, saw him as he was, O
| peoT. vain, sels"rrceitcd sinner. For the pur-
! pose OF concentrating his thou 5hts and infusing
| life Into las sermons. lie Was III tho habit OF
taking glass % whisky before entering the
| pulpit. The morning before he preached the
fatal seIInCp, ne feiS rather nervous, ior be
| knew there would be strangers 10 hear him,
and ne took nearly two glasses. What n. said,
| or how he conducted himself. no effort of mem
| DRY could recali-the death Of Bella alonc had
| merged into Itself tLe Going5 OF that dreadful
| day. Tie compliments which he received
| sounded in his ears Ike satire and moe kerry,
aud the very naE;o Of liquor impressed him
| with horror.
| He left homo and came 70 London. where be
! obtained situation as y teacher; but every
! thing Appeared so black TO him that ne ex-
pressed tear he should, in some unguarled
moment. destroy himself.
| His friend. who was 4 saiiOr. suggested some
active employment, tha: would call into play
| his physical faculties and thus give his mind
spell, ara eLdod by Offering to procure him
place before the Rs-t in ship. II like
| your suggestion, - he said. '.but dislike the
sea" q Then turn soldier and seek employ
Elent in India, where there is always plenty
of fighting" Il will" be said, springing
from his chair; when my engagement eX-
| pires l will purchase an Ensign's commission
| wonder the though never suggested itself 10
Inc, for my ancestors. "a far back as l can
trace them. were soldiers Better, far better.
die on the field Cf battle than fall by ono : own
| hand - We separated.
few weeks since, in running my eye along
the list Of those who had distinguished thom-
selves az the battle Of Inkerman, saw the
| name Of Lieut. Col. A letter from nv
friends has since informed me that he had
! served in India under Lord Cough, and was
| promoted for his gallant conduct in three cam
paigrs. He was present at the battles Of
Alma, Balaklaya, ard 1nkeIman, and at last
| accounts vas III good health, engaged in the
| siege OF Sebastopol. He was still single; his
heart was dead to love ,'-BoStOn Attas.
| FISH AND THEIR HApITs.-Owing to the Sc
we're winter, the eel-spcaring season at South
| amrtOn has been failure. The eel and muI-
let triaes Of all fish, havo suffered most from
| the late cold weather. The small kind Of ell,
| found IN southampton water, has been nearly
| destroyed Icy the flCst and during the severe
weather, large coEger cells also persisted num-
| bers of them were picked up in the British
| Channel, floating on tie surface, dead with
| cold. In southampton Dock, which used to
swarm with mullet, not one can be found.
| Great numbers, after floating benumbed Oh
the surface, died, and sunk to the bottom,
| from whence they are dragged up. Goldfish
| are often found floating on the surface, help
less through being gorScd or blown like quad
| rupeds. They golInandize On small piece
| of whiting, and refute the opinions that the
! inferior animals instinctively temperate
| A few days since, in the Solent, sea-gull was
! seen by & fisherman pecking at something on
the surface of the water. On approaching, he
! found II to he an immense OyerEOTged Goldfish,
| alive but helpless. In tho S0lent. half the
| body Of q Goldfish is often found floating about.
These remnsnts are caused 10y porpoises snap
ling at the codfish while in pursuit of a shoal
Of herrin,s or other small fish. porpoise,
before taking in a barrel OF herrings for its
| dinner, will often whet its appetite with a
| Gods head and shoulders, and leave the tail
for some poor fsherman.-ERglish Paper.
u The following anecdote is an excellent
buriesGue upon the legal requirements of kis-
| sing the calfSkin of bible cover, or striking
| an attitude with uplifted hand, TO qualify for
giving testimony:
Clerk-Do you solemnly swear
MayOr-iwith digni;y;-Stop! the witness
will hold up his right hand.
Clerk-Ihe man has no right hand, your