The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-28
Smuggling a ClocE...A Lady I'm an
AWkWRrf1 gffuaffnm-

n UEOGAaanA
Awkward Situation.
The Missouri Democrat tells the follow
ing story OF one of the defiant rebel ladies
lately returned from Canada to St Louis:
The revocation by the Provost Marshal
General Of the orders bsnishing certain
rebels from the State, has caused the re-
turn to our city Of many high-spiriIed per-
sons Of both sexes. A few of these indi-
vidusls retain sll their former haughtiness
and pride, but the majoriGy of them sre
subdued in spirit humble in department,
and rather sesdy In appearance. Very
few of them during the period of their
bsnlshment showed in the first circles"
but nearly all were compelled to descend
to the level Of the amud sills" whom they
despised in the days of their prosperity,
and TO earn a subsistenca in the fowler
walks of life Even the fAirsr portion of
the e1iles found it necessary to turn their
dainty hands to menisl emploJmsnts, and
their banishmsnt had one good effect, if
no other, il taught them the sWess uses Of
Industry and the healEhful duties Of ad-
vsrsity.
One of the fair exiles who has recently
returned to this city on the revocation of
edict bsnishment, rslstes a striking Incl
dent of her experience in Canada 0h re-
ceiviug permission to return home shs con-
cluded to engage in q little speculation
that would assist in paying the expenses
of the trip. All kinds of goods are very
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 psrtic-
ulRrly skillful in eoDcesling contrabsnd ar
ticles in the folds of their petticoats and
among the eoLvolutions OF their duplex
elliptic skirts. So common had these little
smuggling transactions become of late,
that the merchants of the Canadian border
towns found ready sale for their goods, and
they are too shrewd to betrsy their custo-
mers and thereby injure their trade.
Our st. Louis lady had taken fancy TO
one of those beautiful little GermOn clocks
which can be wound up to strike at any
moment the owner may desire to be
awakened, and she concluded TO purchase
it and smuggle it across the line. She
gave the clock seller particular directions
to fix the alarm apparatus go it would not
strike, and he promised to do so; but the
Csnuck, suspectiDg that the lady designed
to run the clock through the custom house
without paying the duty, and being some
thing of wsg, set the alarm so it would
strike at 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 purchase,
and anticipating many laugh with her
st. Louis friend over the story of her Jana
dian clock, fastened the time piece securely
to her hoops, and started on her homswsrd
journey. Arriving at the custom house
without accident, she met the mqUisitiVe
collector with a complsisant countenanee,
and submitted without q trem0r to the
search which was instituted among her
baggage. The officer found nothing con-
traband among her effects and was passing
to the next traveller, whrn a loud aOh-T-r!
was heard under the lsdy's skirts. The
strange noise was kept up for the full space
Of minute, but to the lady it seemed an
hour, snd she became tremulOus and ex-
cited. The custcm house officer, not daring
to lay his hands on woman, Save in the
way of Kindness" obtained an iron rod,
with which he felt around the crinoline for
the concealed clock. He succeeded IN
bringing it down, but the crystal was brok-
en-, and the hsI ds were beaten by the opera
tiOn. The lady arrived safely in st. Louis
last week, and told the story Of the clock
herself, and therefore cannot blame US for
repeating it.