The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-30

A whimsical prophecy is contained in num-
ber of Punch, published October, 1854, and
which, like many other conceits Of that paper,
foreshadowed actual events. The passage refer
ed to occurs in what is styled ga scene from the
Russian Gent in which among other figures Of
the dranaatas peysone, are tho Gear, the Grand
Duchess MARIE, the Grand Duke CONSTANTINE,
and certain physician from the United States
called DR.. CoTrMAN. The latter gentleman has q
conversation with the Gear and the Grand Duchess,
which. is enlvened by sherry. cobblers, and the
scene proceeds as follows:
"Grand Dslch.-Go along with you'll
I will not stay and let you make me vain;
Farewell, you fattering Doctor.
"Dr. CottnsaH--Wal, time flies;
The hour hascome for me, likewise, to say
1he word OF parting, and absquatulate.
So, about Sitkaf
'Czar.-Tell your Government
That they shall have it cheap, at their own price;
I'll sell 1t at o loss, so that may
The Yankee thorn plant in the British side.
"Cottman.-Wal. good-by, Emperor, and good.by,
Your message viii take to General Pierce.
And we may strike bargain. You, meanwhilst,
viii lick those cussed Britishers, hope,
Into tarnal and universal smash;
Whitue down all their greatness to pint
scuttle their islhnd, 'nihilate John Bull,
And of his catawampous carcass leave
No more than On inyaibe grease spot"
Mr.. VIM. FREDERICK MAYERs, of Canton, China,
contributes to Trubner's Literary Record the fol-
lowing translation of much admired poem BY LIN
Yus1 Chinese author Of the Tang dynastN(oiroa
A. D. 8OO):
THE LowLY ABODE
Not its height but the spirit holds gives the mounain
Not its DEPTH but the dragon hides makes the river
serene
In this lowly abode enjoy peace Of mind without fame.
Where mosses the hme7en seams Of the terrace have
And tho nts Of the garden CLINT in through the laces
screen,
The days pass in laughter and converge with scholars
around
No access for him to whom study has yielded prize!
bore the scholarly ldte quivers melody sweet,
And the Odes give their golden delight to the eyes;
No chord wounds the ear with harshness unmeet
No labors Of cfice fatigue and CONFUSED
Thus Of old stood the hut that was ChuKos* retreat:
THIS the cot where Tse-yu unit might in solitude muse,
Thus the mastert declared; 'Tho' to lands without
No place is too lowiy for me where true worth has
homel"
Canton, China
*ChuKo LANG, the sagsclous minister who supported
Lin Pei Of the heroes OF the Three Kingdoms a. D.
200 22O s additionally reported to have been drawn
with difficulty from the "hut OF reeds" where he led
philosophers nfe to devote himself to the labors ct
statesmanship and military command.
tsze-Ma Tze.yun is another among the numerous in
stances quoted by Chinese history OF philosophers pre-
ferring retirement to The distinctions OF Office.
THE alusion here is to saying of Contucous 1.-THE
Master par ercclence who thus rebUked his disciples
when demonstrated with by them concerning his wish to
visit tho barbarian tribes.
A correspondent asks for the meaning of the
cant phrase, ''An in my eye, Betty Martin :
whereupon the Editor says:
s'The story, as we indistinctly remember it, is
that an English sailor, while at Spanish port
wandered into cathedral where service was be-
ing performed in honor Of st. Martin-whoover he
may be-in which occurred chant of whose re:
fraln the closing words were, 'Mati, beat Martin
Returning on shipboard, Jack was questioned
about the service, and replied that it was AL
about my eye and Betty Martini whence, under
tho pressure possibly, OF excessive Professionalism
the phrase became significant OF 'bosh."
Now this will do very well as a joke but if meant
seriously there are several objections to it on the
score of probability. The Spaniards,1we believe
do not pronounce the i either in Castilian OF
Latin, like the English eye; nor beat like betty
But it is ALMOST pity to spoil 20 good story.