, 1862-09-20
The Signs of the Times.

est days of the war. Very well may we never
see any darker We are as strong as ever, and
the rebellion is no stronger. The change is in
our perception of its magnitude. 1t is not a riot
as we half thought is a revolution.
There have indeed been plenty of people who
said that it was much more formidable than was
supposed. When the 10000 men were called for
in April year ago General Banks, for instance
said that there should have been summons for
100000 He thought so, because he had lived
with the rebel leaders in Washington, and he
knew what manner of men they were. He knew
that their plans were profound, and that their
programme at that time, when the actual temper
of the North was unknown, had a certain promise
of success Fernando Wood thought so, too,
when he suggested that the city of New York
should sece de from the State, and when he in
sisted that arms should be sent to the South
The 18th of April, 1861, was the darkest day this
country will ever know, for all that Sunday it
CROPPED in doubt whether it was country. The
consciousness of its own unity and purpose which
the next week revealed was the grandest of dis
coveries-it was the rehearsal Of ultimate victory.
WE'LL neither that consciousness nor that pur-
pose have changed but the conception of the
means necessary to attain that purpose has been
enlarged That is all. We thought at first that
the appearance of resolution might do a great
deal. Then that the recapture of forts and navy
yards would answer. Then that more ships would
settle the matter by blockadng the rebels into
starvation. Then, after Bull Run, that we must
have more men. Then that there might be for
egn interference. Then that there must be a
policy which struck at the very root and secret of
the difficulty. Then came approaches to that pol
icy. The Message OF the President; the debates
upon con6scation and emancipation the modif-
cation of Hunters order. Then a general con-
vction that rebellion was waning, and that a Wig
orous blow at Corinth and Richmond would vir-
tually end it. Then came the alarm in the Shen-
andoah, and at last the delay at Richmond. And
then-whatP Weeping and wailing, and gnash-
ing of teeth ? Not bit of it, But a grimmer
VOW that we would conquer at any cost, and that
if in saving our country and its Government we
happened to do great act of justice. we would
not cry very bitterly.
If there were any where the least disposition to
yield, except among those who have never had
any serious conviction either of the necessity or
the character of the war, we might truly call the
day dark. And if delay or disaster even, could
fatally dispirt us, we ought to submit at once to
the degradation and national annihilation which
attend compromise and defeat. But if in war
with foreign power we could show the great re-
suits of our which the last year shows against
the rebellion, what should we think of him who
doubted or despaired
The year has revealed a character in the nation
of which it is idle to anticipate any thing but a
steadier purpose and stronger blow until the
great work is mplished.-HUper's Weekly.
ENAMELLING ALL London has been great
ly amused with an "enamelling case, as it is term
ed in the papers, in which a,certa.n Mrs. Lever
son sued the Hon. Mrs. Carnegie for $4,790.
She had, she said, enamelled the lady's face neck
and bosom four times, and deemed this charge on
ly fair remuneration. She had, however, over
shot her mark, and the jury found for the defen-
dant. Mrs Leverson stated, in evidence, that
she did not paint; she only employed a liquid
which made the skin transparent, and rendered
her patient beautiful forever" She forgot to-
mention the price the beautifed one must pay
viz, premature old age, and liability to all man.
ner of skin diseases. The practice is common all
fba Eao in Sur
brides "enamel" themselves all over. The liquid
used destroys the millions of little hairs growing
in the pores of the skin, leaving it brightly trans
parent and glossy, but with liability to shrivel
into thousands of little wrinkles. Oriental wise
women affirm that pure oil applied for weeks will
produce the same effect, without the same conse-
quences, fact we record for the benefit Of all
who dread both fading and Madame Leverson.
SAVAGE ExPEDIENT TO OBTAIN WATER
Livingstone, the African traveller, describes an
ingenious method by which the Africans obtain
water in the desert. The women tie bunch of
grass to one end of reed, about two feet long,
and insert it in hole dug as deep as the arm will
reach, then ram down the wet sand around it.
Applying the mouth to the free end of the reed,
they form a vacuum in the grass beneath, in which
the water collects, and in short time rises to the
mouth. 1t will be seen that this simple and tru-
ly philosophical and effectual method might have
been applied in many cases. in different countries,
where water was greatly needed, to the saving of
life. 1t seems wonderful that it should have been
now first known to the world, and that it should
have been habitually practiced in Africa probably
for centuries. 1t seems worthy of being partcu-
larly noticed, that it may no longer be neglected
from ignorance. 1t may be highly important to
travellers in our deserts and prairies, in some parts
of which water is knowsto exist below the surface
of the earth.
THE REVEALING OF THE GRAVES AT CoRINTH.
Suspicious of the contents of some of the graves
found in the vicinity of Corinth caused an investi
cation and exhuming of the deposits. Neatly
made graves, with necessary head and foot boards
bearing the names of colonies and majors, were
visited, and the ground covering them was order
ed to be removed when, on arriving to the depth
of four feet solid substance was struck, which
upon clearing the earth around, was found to be
contraband secesh, in the shape of sege guns
One grave, with the head board designated al
Colonel somebody" was found 20 contain 64-
FOUNDER siege gun. "Quite heavy colonel, that.
Others we're found, but in what number we have
not learned. Some have been found buried il
the swamps beyond Corinth.
MASSACHUSETTS FINANCES $3.50, 900 ad
ditional to the "Union Fund" scrip of Massachu