Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-07-21
Smuggling q Cl0ck--A Lady In IN Awk-
ward SIfuafiOn.

The Missouri Democrat tells the fol-
lowing story of one Of the defiant Rebel
ladies lately returned from Canada to
st. Lonis: E@ 14
The revocation by tho Provost Mar
shall General of the orders banishing
certain Rebels from the State, has caus-
ed the return to our city of many high
spirited persons of both sexes. a few
of these individuals retain oil their form
er haughtiness and pride. but the major
ity of them are subdued in spirit, hum
bic in department, and rather secdy in
appearance. Very few of them, during
the period of their banishment, "mov-
ed in the first circles" but nearly all
were compelled to descend to the level
of the mud-sills" whom they dispised
in the days of their prosperity, and to
earn a subsistence in the lowlier walks
of life. Even the fairer portion of the
exiles found 1t necessary to turn their
dainty hands to menial cmployments,
and the Punishment had one good Of
feet, If no other, 1t taught them the
sweet uses or Industry and the health
full duties of adversity.
One Of these fair exiles who has recent
ly returned to the city on the revocation
of the edict of Punishment, relates a
striking incident of her experience In
Canada. On receiving permission to re-
turn home she concluded to engage In
little speculation that would assist in
paying the expenses of the trip. All
kinds of goods are cheap in Canada,
compared with prices here, and the
duty being high, smuggling Is carried
on to great extent along the border,
the American ladies being particularly
skillful in concealing contraband arti-
cles In the folds of their petticoats and
among the convolutions of their duplex
elliptic skirts. So common had these lit
tie smuggling transactions become of
late that the merchants of the Canadi-
an border towns found ready sale for
their goods, and they are too shrewd to
betray their customers and thereby in
jure their trade. ..
Our st. Louis lady had taken n fancy
to one of those beautiful little German
clocks which can be wound up to strike
at any moment the owner may desire
to be awakened, and she concluded to
purchase ii and smuggle 1t across the
line. She gave the clock seller particu-
lar directions 10 fix the alarm apparatus
SO IL would not strike, and he promised
to do so; but the Cannuck, suspccting
that the lady designed To run the clock
| through the custom house without pay.
way, set the alarm so it would strike al
the moment he knew the lady would
arrive at the custom house; for she had
informed him on what train she would
start, and he knew that his customer was
making her last purchase.
! The lady, delighted with her pur-
chase, and anticipating many laugh
with her AT. Louis friends over the stoi Y
of the Canadian clock, fastened the
time-piece securely to her hoops, and
started on her homcward Journey -
Arriving at the custom house without
accident, she met the inquisitive collec-
| tor with a conplaisant tcouutenance, and
| submitted without a tremor to the search
which was instituted among her bag
gage. The officer found nothing con.
traband among her effects, and was pas
sing to the next traveller, when Il loud
| Hh-r-r-r! was heard under the lady,
skirts. The strange noise was kept up
| for the full space OF n minute but to the
lady ii seemed an hour, and she becaMe G
tremulcus and excited. The custom
house officer, not daring TO lay his
hands on woman, "save in the way o
kindness, obtained an iron rod, with
which he felt around the crinoline fol
the concealed clock. He succeeded In
bringing il down, but the crystal was
broken, and the hands We're bent by tht
operation. The lady arrived safely IL
1t. Louis last week, and told the story
of the clock herself, and therefore can
not blame us for repeating IL.