Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-06-07
NO. IL.


the critical hour drew nigh. He had
selected the finest sand he could find,
and had the savages grind it still finer
between smooth stones and by burn
ing aquatic plants in holes dug in the
ground, as he had learned to do in Gia-
comelli's factory in Venice, he had sue
| ceeded in obtaining in the ashes some
fine pieces of soda, which also were
ground fine by the much wondering
natives.
'Now leave me Alone" said he; and
he put every man of them out of his
hut-factory. 1.-THE hour has come, he
said to himself "If have made any
mistake in my preparations, and there
fore fail, / am dead man, and alas for
my poor tongue and my unhappy
eyes =
He lighted his fire. The wood proved
bad, and gave but little heat with a
great deal OF smoke. Better wood had
to be provided, and he tried again.
Then the oven, being new, heated very
slowly. At last there remained but
lust time enough to enable him to COM
plete his operations before the fatal day
provided he had no further hindrgnCes.
Mixing the sand and powdered soda he
put the compound on the stone shelf in
his baking Oyen, over the fire, and stir
red it slowly with a peice of iron. so
that it should heat up evenly, and not
make Jumps.
"
trOphized Nathaniel, who naturally felt
a little excited, and may therefore be
excused if he said an absurd thing or
two. 'What q spoon this IS to stir my
frit with It's the only piece OF iron
these poor heathens possess though.
Now, then, Mister Fire, 1CiU you be live
ly? Aha now for il! My frit is get
ting cherry-red, aud will soon be ready
to go into the red-hot crucible.'
At last it was hot enough to put into
al = Il IL l.. IL ,
in it went. And while Nathaniel with
flushed and happy face was skim
ming the mixture as 1t melted, and
keeping up "a roaring fire underneath,
the king and his warriors were gather
ing outside for the last day Of the
thirty had come. Mog-Pi put his head
in at the door Of the hut and said
'The warriors are preparing their ar
rows. If the beads are not ready at the
setting Of the sun, you know your fate"
"WeIl, well said Nathaniel, without
looking around "keep quiet, Will you?
Hang the fellows! if L should need
half-hoHrs grace, they wouldn't give it
to me-
The melting was successful. Nath-
auiel Nye felt that he was saved, as he
viewed the clear, transparent liquid in
his crucible. He was none to soon,
The sun was already sinking behind
the western hill, and MS he beheld this
sign, Fu-ti the king strobe into the hut,
with his warriors at his heels. But the
hut was not so large as some houses 1
know Of in Boston, and only a few
could enter. These gathered in q semi
circle about the king, while others peer
ed in at the door. Before the king there
stood a large vessel filled with water,
which Nathaniel had got ready and
placed there.
''Show me my stars = demanded Flu
ii. where ave the stars you promised
mer
Here is oue,' said Lonet,-for he had
already begun to pick up the Language
Of the islanders, 4Hd understood the
kings wOrds,-and at the moment of
making this reply be dipped his rod Of
iron in the crucible, and let the
liquid glass which had adhered into it
drop in the water, where it Immediate
ly hardened and formed an opaque
white bead, pear shaped, such as are
often known by the name of Prince Ru-
pert drops. This be presented to King
Fu-ti.
The king looked at it in amazement,
and then, turning to his warriors, set
up a shout Of Joy, which they re-echOed
till the little hut rang again. Nathan
iel Nye Joined in the shout, and made
as much noise as the loudesG Of them,
for he thought he had reason to be as
delighted as the king; and think so
too.
'rHe has got a glass bead, and I have
got my 'ufe,' laughed Nathaniel. as
he again dipped the iron in the crucible,
and produced a bead. What was the
kings delight as he saw the beads ac-
cumulate to the mum Der of several hun
dred under Nathaniel's skilful man
agement!
When he had got the required num-
Der ready, our hero decided to make
the warriors his friends. So he made
bead for every one of them, and so de-
II 41F
they could have fallen ON their faces
before him in gratitude and admira-
ton.
4 guess I will give them touch Of
the wonderful nOw," said Nathaniel,
taking d bead in his hand. This he
struck sharply on the pointed end,
when it exploded with a loud noise,
like the firing Of pistol, leaving moth
ing in his hand but "a little dust. This
was so marvellous to the ayages, that
they cried out in alarm.
Nathaniel n We now round himself
very popular man in the community.
King Fu-ti manifested his respect and
affection for his late prisoner by going
up to him and rubbing his nose against
Nathaniel's. All the warriors followed
in their turn, and some Of them had
such very hard noses, with very rough
rings in them, that Nathaniel had al
most as trying IA time Of il as General
Grant had last summer in shaking
hands with his admirers; but our he
rO submitted with good grace, and re-
tiected thatif his nose was a little lame
at the end of tie performance, he had
been accorded the highest hOnors Of the
country. TO cap the climax he now
ran some Of the melted glass into sew
eral little clay mOlds that he had pro-
vided for the purpose, and turned out
various curious and pretty articles.
From this time forward, Nathaniel
Nve became almost an object of wOr-
ship on the island. Had he been a bad
man, he would have taken uumanly
advantage Of the reverence in which he
was held; but his mother was one of
those good New England women who
instil noble principles into the minds of
their children, and Nathaniel had not
forgotten his training in all his wan
derings. So he set 10 work 10 cndeayOr
to Christiauize and civilize these peO-
pie. by addressing himself to their
interest as well as 10 their conscieuces,
he soon exceeded beyond his first eN-
uectatious. At the end Of year they
had given up their idols and erected
temple to the true God. Idleness and
war were fOrsaken for industry and
thrift, and before long the nation was
metamorphOsed-
-UfkLiIW WtTt Skies.