Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-03-13
HUMAN NATURE ON A BRIDGE. OR
TAKING TOLL.

1t was winter evening clear and cold and
the snow was finely packed, when DR.. Mead.
ows was one of a sleigbing party. whichhe de-
scribcs, 81 far as he and the Young Widow
lambkin were concerned, in the words fol-
lowing:
The lively Widow Iambkin sat in the
same sleigh, under the same buffalo robe with
me.
''Oh. oh don't don t! = she exclaimed
as-we came to the first bridge, at the same
time catching me by the arm. and turning
veiled face toward me, while her little ewes
twlnkled through the moonlight.
"Don what ? | asked :. I'm not duin.
any thing
. Well. hut thought you wers so,nr to
tako toll, replied Mrs Iambkin
Toll, r,ioined whats that 2"
Well. declare" cried the widow. her
clear laugh ringing out above the music of
the bells, you pretend you don't know
what toll is?''
Z" Indeed don't, then, " sad, laughing
g pray explain, if YOU please =
"iou never heard, then" " said the " dow.
most provokinsly-" you never heard that
when We are on a sleigh-rde the gentleman
always-that is, sometmcs-whcnt they cross
a bridge, claim II kiss, and call it toll. But
never pay it
said that had never heard of it before :.
but when we came to the next bridge. |
claimed the toll. and the Widow $ STRUGGLES
to hold the veil over her face were not cnouph
to tear it. At last the veil was removed her
round, rosy face was turned directly toward
mine, and in the clear light of frosty moon
the toll was taken. for the first time IN his
life, by Doctor Meadows. Soon we came to
bridge. with several arches, the Widow
SAID 1t was ot no use TO resist a man who
would have his own way, 81 She paid the toll
without n murmur
= Bat You won't tax" toll for every arch.
will you. Doctor ?" the Widow said 80 arch
ly. that could not fail to exact all nv dues,
and that WAS the beginning
But never mind the rest The Lamhkin
had the Meadows all to herself in the Sprinp
Is THERE M,ElsrRoM? This question ha,
again been raised by a correspondent Of the
Scientific American. Every school bow of
the last ccntnry has been taught to believe
that their Is Il wonderful vortex On the coast
OF Norway. With an eddy several miles in di-
ametcr, and that ships and even huge whales
were somatImss dragged within its terrible
liquid coils, and buried forever in the
= ocean 5 awful depths The correspondent
Of the Scientific american SAYS
" have ben informed by an EGr6p,ln ac-
4uaintauce that the M,al.tr5n, that or,at
whirlpool on the coast of Norway, laid down
in all grographics, and of which we have heard
sach wonderful stories has no cxistancc He
Dld m that nautical and scientific commits
sion, composed oi several gentlemen appointed
by tbs King .af DAnmark WAS sent to ap-
proach as naar as possible to the edse of the
whirlpool sail around IT. measure ts rircum-
ference, observe It's action. and make report.
They went out and sailed all around and all
oy"r where the Maelstrom was sud to he. but
could MT find it ; the sra was smooth where
the whirlpool ought t. be a. any other part
Of the German ocean
We presume the above Is correct. The
ats, biographies and sazcttccrs barely nllu-
a. to the mael.trUm Cotton in his larrc at
las. gives the sit upon hi, map, hut does not
alludr 10 it in his description Of Norway.
Harper Gazetteer in its article on Norway
says that 'am,ng th" numarOus islands on
the West coast their ar vi pent aud irregular
currents, which render the coast navigation
dtnGerous. Among tines, is the celebrated
Ma &rom, or VI sllcnrS- torn, the danger
from which has been greatly exaggerated,
since it can at nearly all times. be passed
over even by boats" The romance Of the
mlclstrom has l.nen pretty cT.ctuully dos
troycd - Boston JourRal