The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-21

passages from Waller, Dryden and Pope,
with unerring accuracy. The family physi.
clan concurred in the opinion that it was
not desirable to encourage his intellectual
progress as long as bis health continued in
this precarious state. For over six months
the child was scarcely permitted to see a
book. Finding that he was nothing the
better physically, if not the worse, for this
privation, his aunt-a literally educated,
sensible maiden1k dy- took upon herself the
responsibility not only of furnishing him
such books as he wished, but devoted herself
earnestly to teaching him. She had been en-
gagged nearly year and half at this labor
of love before the secret was discovered
and, as little Harry had then become as
healthy as any of his playmates, it is almost
needless to say that she did not receive
much blame from his parents although the
doctor felt somewhat mortified, when it
became evident that, after all, it was not
his learned and skillful advice which was
attended with such excellent results. This
little episode, trifing as it is in itself, and
early in the life of Brougham as it occurred,
is worth mentioning thus parenthetically,
as an additional instance of the important
influence exercised by woman on the early
education of illustrious men. 1t is one to
which Lord Brougham refers himself with
pride and gratitude to this day and the
remembrance of which has rendered him
through life the uncompromisng friend of
the gentler SEX"
QUEEN VICTORIA has forbidden the Prin-
cess Mary of Cambridge to receive the
addresses of the "good Duke of Ratlund,"
because he is not "royal," although he is
quite as royalty descended as the lady her.
self. 1t is quite passion with the modern
Guelphs to only intermarry with cousins or
"royals." This was not so in the cases of
other royal families, whose ancestry were
royal when the Guelps were "plebeians."
To wit ''The Stuarts generally married
royalty, but one of their number, James H.,
when Duke of York, married Anne Hyde,
daughter of lawyer, who was of the Eng
lish gentry. Stories have been told to the
effect that anne Hyde's mother was origin
ally peasant girl, who went to London in
search of livelihood, and, through series
of events, became countess and the grand
mother of two queens, but they are not true,
as the lady was the daughter Of baronet
of old family; Edward Hyde was made Earl
of Clarendon. Charles II. when in exile,
sought low but wealthy marriage"
Queen Victoria is, however, so very par
ticuar about whom her relations shall marry
that one would suppose she had family
right to be so. Judge the extent of it from
this fact: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancas
ter, was three times married, his third wife
being Katharine Swynford, who had long
been his mistress, and it is from. one of the
illegtimate children of Lancaster and Kath-
crime that Queen Victoria herself is de-
scended.
The SHOOTING OF CHARLES XII.-We
see, by late accounts from Stockholm, that
the tomb of Charles XII. has been opened
by order of the present sovereign, Charles
XIV. This was done on the 3lst of August,
at the request of Professor Tryxell, the his
torian, for the purpose, if possible, of setting
at rest the question as to whether or not his
death might have been due to traitorous
bullet from his own troops. The examina-
ton of the dead heros remains was con-
Quoted by Professors Retzns and oantesson
and DR.. V. Lundberg, in the presence of the
King, Prince Oscar, the members Of the
Privy Council, Professor Tryxell, State
Archivarius Nordstrom, and State Anti
quarius Hildebrand. The examination en-.
tirely settled the point that projectie of
considerable size had entered the head by
the left temple, and passed out through the
right; and as the position of the king was
with the left side towards the fortress, the
shot must have come from there, and could
not have been fired from his own side.
The Avenir of Nice describes the ad-
ventures of NJ. Talon at Solferno. The
name of the hero is pretty we'll known in
England, chiefly from his racing exploits in
the Crimea. NJ. de Talon, says the story,
charging at Soferino, " arrived in an Aus.
trian square, and received discharge of
balls, which, however, only wounded his
horse without touching him. The horse
fell but the rider jumped up, sword in
hand, and presently had his KEPT cut
through. A moment after he received
second blow on the head, but in the confu-
sion which prevailed, the band of the
soldier who struck was turned aside, so that
the fiat of the sword only hit him ; in an
other moment a dragon placed his carbine
close to the viscount's cheek, but it missed
fire. M. Talon then received a violent
thrust from a bayOnet which threw him to
the ground, but the soldier who gave it was
astonished to see him soon rise and get
away. The soldier no doubt thought the
young officer had some talisman about him,
and so he had. In the campaign in the
Crimea, M. Tolan one day complained that
he had broken the glass of his watch and
could not get it replaced. One of the
soldiers said, Lieutenant, you have no need
to carry your watch to the Palais Royal.
1 am matchmaker by trade, and have
some tools in my knapsack. If you have a
piece of Of. will put you in glass that
will never break" M. Talon gave the
man his watch and piece of e., and the
man very skillfully beat out the coin until
it became large enough, and then fixed it
on the case so as to occupy the place of the
glass. The watch then presented this par.
ticularity, that the cases were gold, and
the part where the glass ought to be seen,
silver. On his return to France, M. Talon
continued to wear the watch both as
curiosity and as sourenir of the Crimea.
He had it in bis pocket in the battle of
Solferino, and it was against it that the
point of the Austrian bayoDet struck. But
so violent was the thrust that the point of
the bayonet passed through both the coin
and the watch! Thus" said M. Talon to
his friends, in recounting the affair, &C. owe
my life to q piece of g." And the