The North-Carolinian., 1856-08-30
rnor} FAYETTEVILLE n c. SATURDAY, AUGUST 80 1856
Truth is stranger than Fiction !.

Truth is stranger than Fiction
So some folks say: but l don't believe any
such a doctrine. It's teo strange TO be true,
and the wise-acre himself, who gave birth from
a mudd,e6 brain, to this strange idea didn't
l,elieyeit. Now according to our (that is-my)
of the marvellous, it is that which
astonishes and confuses the mind by its unfre-
uuencv of occurrence, or unnatural character ::
and the simple, plain, nnvarnishcd truth is
never unnatural or incomprehensbe. But as
soon as you begin to polish 1t up, and rig II out
in the glittering tinsel of fancy to mix n
little red imagination with the pure white Of
fact then it is. that Truth becomes Fiction.
and the very act of its transformation and the
effect of the change belle the truth of the doc
trne For why is this fictitious establishment
asislcd--bnt to render the strangeness OF the
sP-ssfdslill more marvellous and Won won.
ever scrrbDfed ijae; vsesssa -eeefsesx 6ston and
bewilder aud astound his readers Will, the pass
ing strangeness of truth. Now and then i'll my
Literary peregrimations, | stumble across "A
thrilling ronance-foundcd on fact"-wherein
a young lady, far more beautiful than Eastern
Houri or Grecian Helen, and compared with
whose m;sfortunes, the troubles of Mary, Queen
of Scots, were "trifes light air." falls des-
perately in love with youth, handsome as
Narcissus, bold Hector, crafty as Ulysses,
and unfortunate as his mistress The parents
of the young lady oppose the match, and after
a series of Paintings. swoonings. and incoherent
rawlings OH her part, and on his-desperatc
resolutions, fights, hairbrcadth escapes, MURDERS
plots, counterplots ct I'd omme genus. their happy
csponsal takes place with due ceremony, and
they settle down quietly and comfortably in
the enjoyment of peace and plenty both as to
barns and bairns Now the fact upon which
this thrilling, sonl-tearing romance is founded
is simply this-good- looking fellow falls in love
with a pretty girl She's rich, he amt con-
seuuently the old gentleman wont agree to the
match and threatens all sorts of thrashings,
kickngs, cowhidings, and so forth, if he doesn't
discontinue his attentions--the consequence of
which as they are both in love) is, that the
young lady
Takes flight some pitch dark night,
From the back door to Grctna green
This is all perfectly Misunderstanding strange
about it n fact of extremely frequent occdr-
rence-in g our diggins" at any rate. But just
let Ned Buntline Lieutenant somebody else,
dress it up in Yellow paper III true ''raw head
and bloody bo"cs' style, and with what gusto
will the cannibal novel readers dcvoar it
l have just hethought me of an anecdote-I
think is a pretty good illustration of his a
Yankee pedlcr who had stopped in Coffee
House to refresh himself, one hot day, heard a
very sagc-looking old gentleman remark, in
answer to friend, who had been relating some
marvellous story said to be true, " truly Truth
is stranger than Fiction" So Jonathan stepp-
ing up aud slanpin% the astonishcd gent on the
Yon're mist taken right thar old hoss, 'taint
so-and to pruv it, I'li wager you julcps for the
crowd that kin tell fiction that'll jest 60
Il Icetle ahead Of any truth ever you heerd
tell on"
Good" said the old gentleman, I'd like
to hear any fiction that go ahead of Chris
topher Columbus"
"Pshcw Christ ophcr Columbus amt sar
knmstance" said Jonathan but here goes
"Onst / was standin' 10y big river, out in
Salary desert, what was dried up. The sun
shone so alfred hot, that was obleeged to tie
my handkerchief over my eyes to keep from
bein' blinded and as l standin' thar,
happened to look down the river, and seed
big boat without any bottom come foatin uI
the stream, with hull lot of fellers in her one
of em had no eyes, tother arms-anothel
no legs, and the last chap in the starn of tht
boat, he had no mouth. Gosh ! never seec
sich sight afore | was scared like blazes-
and jest stud and looked at 'em. Presently tho
chap as had no eyes, looked down and seed {
ten cent piece at the bottom of the river anC
the feller wot had arms leant over and pick
cd it up then handed it to the chap wot had nt
legs-and he jumped out of the boat, wadet
to shore, went over to the grog-shOp wot wtsn
thar, bot pint of Whiskev, and handed 1T to
the tcller as had no mouth, and he drinked il
up and all the rest got drunk-and the last
seed of 'en the fcller wot had no mouth wa:
singin' Hail Columby;" while the chap wo
had no legs was dancing; the no-eyed clap was
readin' text out on a psalm book, and tht
feller as had no arms was clappin' his hands
and wavin' his hat like blazes-and left jes
about that time. Whar's Christopher Colum
bus meow, old hoss ?'
"Juleps for the crowd and charge to me,
| roared the old gentleman, as he bolted ou:
| the back door,
There is IL moral connected with this essay
Those who don't see it, needn't apply it; those
who do needn't e;ther-unlcss they have
mind to.
Model Love Letter.
pix county. gorga, July 4, 1856.
der Nis: hnv nou tuck, my pen in hand t,
try to kepe witch you correspondence upon th'
suhjec of luv, an think by letter would be th