The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-04
THE NAToNAL ERA: WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH H. 1858.

Everett Sargent, Common Pleas judge. and
late Democratic Speaker of the House. There
is also great stampede among the rank and
file.
Mr. Clayton, the author of book on the
Crimean campaign. met in his journey strong.
minded woman. He says:
"We next touched at Malta, taking on
board few fresh passengers in lieu of
some we had landed there. Among the new.
corners was LADY of most violent temper,
30 ungovernable that she hated MORALLY all
who did not agree entirely with her ideas upon
everything. Her husband informed us that Just
before has marriage, he was warned by several
of the lady's fiery disposition, and, to test the
| accuracy OF the information, one evening, as
he sat next to her at dinner, he managed clev-
erly to jog the servants elbow, as plate of mock
| turtle soup was offered her, which, of course,
was upset over the young lady's white dress of
tulle lace. No complaint, nor even frown,
| being evinced, the delighted sutton concluded
that what he had heard was a mistake. and that
his inamorata had the temper of a lamb who had
been fed upon mashed potatoes, and as harm
less as water Cruel So the marriage took place;
| but soon the lady's real character displayed it.
| self, as is always the case after marriage, but
never before; and his wife, like human Strom
boil, was subjected to fiery erruptions every ten
minutes, upon fair average.
"'How is it, my DEAR said the happy hus
band, that having such bad temper you
stood the ordeal by soup so we'll p
Why answered the lady, l may have ap-
peared indifferent at the time, but, good heavens
you should have only gone into my room lit
| tie while afterwards, and seen the marks of my
teeth upon the bed-post )"
{ BABooNs AT HoME.-A new work has lust
been published in England, by Captain A. w.
Drayson, of the Royal Artillery, entitled "Sport
ing Scenes among the Ksffirs of South Africa"
We extract from a review Of it the following
amusing description of an ape family:
| Il watched them through my glass, and was
much amused at their grotesque and almost
human movements. Some of the old ladies had
their olive branches in their lips, and appeared
to be doing their hair while patriarchal
looking old fellow paced backwards and for wards
with fussy sort of look he was evidently Oh
sentry, and seemed to think himself of no small
Importance. This estimate of his dignity did
not appear to be universally acknowledged, as
| two or three young balloons sat close behind
him, watching his proceedings. Sometimes,
| with the most grotesque movements and ex-
pressions, they would stand directly in his path,
and hobble away only at the last moment. One
daring youngster followed close on the heels
of the patriarch during the whole length of his
beat, and gave a sharp tug at bis tail as he
was about to turn. The old fellow seemed to
treat it with the greatest indifference-scarcely
turning round at the insult Master Impudence
was about repeating the performance, when
the pater, showing that he was not such a fool
as he looked, suddenly sprang round, and, catch
ing the young one before he could escape, gave
him two or three such cuffs that l could hear
the screams that resulted therefrom. The ven.
cradle gentleman then chucked the delinquent
over his shoulder, and continued his promenade
with the greatest GOODNESS. The old bsboon, evi.
IDENTIFY, was acquainted with the practical details
ofSolomon's proverb. A crowd gathered round
the naughty child, who, childlike, (seeing COM
miseration,) shrieked all the louder / even
fancied l could see the angry glsnAes of the
mamma, as she took her dear little pet in her
arms, and removed it from a repetition of such
brutal treatment"
The winter of 1878 is, by general consent,
| regarded as one of the most remarkable for
mildness ever known. The senior editor of the
Sun, however, recollects winter THAT of 80l J
more remarkable than the present. In Janu.
airy of that year, many of the Berkshire farmers
were engaged in ploughing their land, and for
the space of two weeks fires were scarcely ne
the Indian summer. In February and March
following, the weather was not unusually cold
Pittsfeld San.
PoNrIUs PLATE NOT DEAD YET.-When Mrs
B., the actress, was making summer excur
sion in the country, she was accompanied by
her husband, aud a party of his and her friends
One of these was Mr.. -. formerly pilot
on the Boston station, who had laughed and
grown fat 80 long, that he had become, like
| Wclsey, ga man of unbounded stomach"
Some one asked, "Who is this large man in
| Mrs B g suit ?"
"That," said his informant, ais Mr.. -;
he is pot?"
Exactly" was the response, "I should
think he was-pauncheous Plate p oeaing
Post.
A Doc MA.-Sergea Wilde, whose dictate
rial manner of arguing a point of law is well
known, was once engaged in rather curious
case, where plaintiff and defendant we're pos
sessed one of a male and the other of female
dog, of very rare species. In order to pre-
serve the breed, it was agreed by the parties,
that the progeny of these two animals should
be divided equally between them but subse.
quently the owner of the female dog refused to
give the other his share of the litter of puppies
which had been produced. Sergeant then Mr. J
Wilde, who was for the defence, Numbered
forth several times, in the course of his speech,
81 lay it down an axiom" At last, the
counsel on the other side, watching his oppor-
tunity, leaned over, "a Wilde in his most i'm
perative tone, had repeated" lay it down as
an Griom"-and whispered to him. in q voice
loud enough to be heard by the bench and bar,
T" Pray lay it down as a dogma the next time"
The joke told-a suppressed laugh ran through
the court. Wilde, for the first time in his life,
lost his selfpossession and, consequently his
cause.
The practice of dictation to an amanuensis is
much more common among literary men in
England than in this country. We learn, how
ever, that it is being gradually introduced into
some newspaper offices here. We regret to
hear that melancholy necessity has driven
the accomplished editor of the Louisville Jour
nal, Mr.. George d. Prentice, the poet and wit,
| into the transatlantic custom. He recently suf-
fered paralytic shock, by which his right hand
has been left unable to hold a pen.
The Railroad Journal gives a list of all the
railroads in operation in the United States on
the LIST of January, 1858. There are about 500
| roads and branches. The total number of miles
in operation is 26,2l0, which cost 9l9,99O,5l6.
In l848, there we're 5,265 miles In operation,
an increase of 20,945, an average addition
| of more than 1000 miles year. The slave
holding States have 6,623 miles of railroad, or
| trihe over one-fourth Of the whole. These
are chiefly built with Northern capital, and built
| to direct the course of trade and travel to
| Northern centres. New York and Pennsyl-
vanis have 5, l35 miles. The six States of New