Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-02-14

ders of a lean garron. whose previous owner had
appropriately denominated ''6ddle-back." Mr.
O'Gorman described the cool reception he met
with from his mother. and even his brother Hen
ry, and how he turned away from his mother 8
door never to enter it again. His uncle still be-
friended him, aud encouraged him to study med
icine. He set out for Edinburgh with that in
tent, and with ESQ. supplied by his generous
uncle Contarine. He set on bis exdedition and
never saw Balymahon again never again be-
held his mothers frown nor the face of his gen.
erous and indulgent uncle, and never again heard
the merry laughter of George Conway's merry
company. He never set foot on Irish soil again
What share of happiness was in his life while
there, his own careless genial humor supplied
From others he got little love, and much cold
ness, and many slights As he said himself, he
only brought from Ireland his brogue and his
blunders. Yet he loved those scenes of his youth.
| No spot on earth was ever 80 dear to him as that
village of Ballymahon; no society of wits or
tempars he met in after life so congenial as that
rough crew of George Conway's. He loved his
home and ,untry with an enduring love, and
the most successful efforts of his genius were put
forward in reproducing the scenes and friends OF
| his youth, and winning for them the love and
pity of the world. The lecturer then traced the
wanderings of his subject in Holland and other
parts of Europe, until he returned from the con-
tinent to London and embarked in the profession
of literature.
/ In his more prosperous days he made the &C.
quaintance of johnson, Burke, Sir Joshua Rey-
nolds, Percy of the "Reliques," Hogarth, and
other literary and artistic celebrities of the time.
| His intercourse with johnson was intimate and
affectionate. Ii Goldsmith's heart was heavy,
or misfortune bore him down, Johnson was sure
to be at his side giving him wise counsel and ad-
vice. They used to walk arm in arm, and John
son, with his great, heavy, sloveDly figure, and
Goldsmith, uncouth and grotesque looking, and
fond of gaudy fnery, they were called by the
wits of the day the nrsa major and ursa minor
the great and little bear.
| After very felicitous description of the scenes
through which Goldsmith passed in his latter
days, and referring to the production and publi-
cation of his various works, Mr.. O'Gorman COM
| mented upon the character Of his writings
Through all his wretched years, in all the nists
aud clouds, and binding storms through which
his own wayward life had blundered along, he
never lost sight of the love of which in its
coarsest aspect humanity is never wholly divest-
ed In this respect he knew of no one in the
whole range of English literature who could
claim to be his equal.
| Swift was wit and man of humor, but he
nnrsed savage indignation 10 his tortured heart
through all his miserable life, and poured it
forth in all his writings, and wished it inscribed
on his tomb There was knocking devil" in
Sterne which, in his most pathetic moments,
| breaks out and inspires you with suspicion
that he is laughing while be writes, and think
/ ing how his fine sentences can unlock the foun-
tain of your tears. Thackeray leads you to
doubt the existence of truth in man or woman,
and you close the book ashamed of your own
nature, and amazed at the depths of meanness
and falsehood his remorseless microscope lays
bare. But in GoldsmiJh's honest laughter there
is no sneer he gets up no scene OF mock pathos,
he lays no traps for your tears he writes from
his own tender, loving heart. l think he de-
tected shams and fslsehoods as quickly as any
man, but he never lost faith in truth, in gener-
osity, or religion, and he trusted in them to the
last,
IMPRISONED IN VAULT EieHTEEN YEARS
A newspaper published at Colena, Mexico, on
the Oath OF October, tells the following frightful
story, and calls upon the public to punish the
criminals:
When General Puebita entered the town Of
/ Ayo, in September last, he exacted forced
loan from the people, and share of it fell up
on thecurate of the place. The curate acted as
though he would pay, but he did not make his
appearance at the point designated for payment
and General Puebllta ordered him to be arrested
party of men went to his dwelling and knocked
at his door; there was no answer, and they
broke in. They found no one in the house, and
were about to leave it, when they heard fright
full voice, proceeding from the ground, saying,
II am hungry!" The officer in command went
to General Pueblita, and told him about the
voice. The General appointed commission to
examine the house. This commission went to
the curate's dwelling, and after careful exami-
nation, they found movable stone in the floor
and under this was stairway leading down
to vault, which was entirely dark, and had
no connection with the air, save by the stair
case, and had small hole which served as a
ventilator In this vault was found some books
a few articles OF furniture and a woman who
had been shut up there for eighteen years. She
was taken to Gen. Pueblta's quarters When
brought into the light where she saw number
} of persons, she tainted. After she had returned
to her senses, a thousand questions were asked
of her, to which she replied only that she had
} been buried in that vanlt for eighteen years
without going out tor moment; that she haC
been married, and had children by Ler husband
but she knew nothing of their fate; that, while
imprisoned in the vault, she had children; anC
after saying this much she became obstinately
silent. While this was passing, sergeant o
the Paeblita brigade, then present, discovered
that this woman was his MOTHER and she recog
nlZtU ullu rs uor SOU, anu embraced MIN. lht
son ran for his father, who came up and recog
} nized his wife. The husband, fifteen years ago
J was imprisoned three years under charge O
) having murdered his wife, this woman.
The M1NNEHAHA FALLS IN WINrER.-Th,
Minnehaha Falls, in Minnesota, are described BY
the St. Paul Times as presenting a very beauti
full sight, especially in winter:
: The creek which forms the fall cannot b,
seen until you are close upon its brink; thel
the most beautiful sight that ''fairies eer con
ceived or naiads dreamed" is before your ad
miring eyes. The brook comes leaping anl
dancing along, seemingly unconscious of the tal
directly in It's path, and over it leaps in laugh
ing, careless, heecy-mass then ON again, te
mingle With the Father of Waters" half mile
below The ledge of rock, over which the wa
ter falls, forms underneath quite a cavern, sc
that in Summer you may pass into it behind the
tall. The sides of the ravine below the fall are
quite steep, and are now entirely sheeted with
ice from the spray of the waterfall By din,
OF sliding, creeping and rolling, the bottom i:
reached, where you behold ''Crystal Palace
more. rare and unique than human mind ever de
vised. The ice has formed behind the fall ir
stupendous columns and slender stalactites
reaching from top to bottom, shutting from
view the passage behind the fall, except In one
small place, through which you may manage to
squeeze 10, aud then the eye falls upon mos,
beautiful grotto. Words fail to describe its icy
frosty, purity and fantastic splendor. There
hang from the solid rock far above YOUR head
| those crvStal nearly columps. lorco on1 .o1..l -