The Van Buren press., 1867-06-21

When all at once the husband said ....
" Wife had We not better go to bed Z"
ENCOUNTER BETWEEN AN ELEPHANT AND
RAr-A very extraordinary encounter
between a rat and an elephant has recently
taken place in the Garden of Plants. Lon.
don, which was witnessed with interest by
hundreds of persons The Keepers were
engaged in destroying a great number of
rats, 'a1l one OF them escaped and ran
TO the s. " ai'9tted to the elephant. See
ing no ether y'fuge, in the twinkling of an
eye the ia. sausly ensconced himself in the
trunk OF the elephant. very much to the
Elephants dissatisfaction Tie stamped his
loot and twisted his trunk around like the
SAIL OF windmill. Afterthesc revolutions
he stood suddenly still, evidently reaectinc
on what was best to do He ran to the
trough where he is accustomed to drink
plunged his trunk into the water. then re- .
turned to his den. and raising his trunk
win the water he absorbed, he dashed out
the unfortunate rat, which was in sheet of
water like that issuing from fire engine.
when the rat fel to tue ground, the ee-
phant seized him and made him undergo
the immersion and projection four times
Az The fourth throw it fell dead. The ele-
Phant, with majestic air, but cool and
placid, crushed his annoying enemy with
his foot, and then TUNED around TO the
spectators to make his usual collection of
cakes, sugar and other daintics. The feat
was received with vociferous applause
which the elephant seemed fully to under
stand and appreciate. p, - ~
The following probably accounts
for the recent extraordinary rise in the price
OF Irish potatoes; .4
- alrs, 5. G. Hail. in her Sketches of
IRISH Character relates the following an
ecdote: 0t
1t is al! about certain Lady Middleton
who, contrary to her most anxious wish,
was unblessed with any children. After
an absence Of several years with her liege
lord in England, she returned with him to
reside for a time on one Of their Irish es-
tates. AS she noticed several fine looking
Children about the gate, and having learned
that their mother was the wife OF the gate
porter, she determined to interrogate her
relative to her fecundity; she, therefore,
next day, made her way down to the por.
ter's lodge, and commenced her inquiries :
Whose children are these, my good
woman?' ytx
All my own. my good lady"
What three infants of the same age 90
Yes, my lady, l had three the last
time
ya" And how many children have you %
" Seven, my lady"
AT last came the question ofqueStions-
how she came to have the number of chill
dren? The poor woman, not well know
ing what this catechism meant, and not
knowing how to wrap up in delicate words
her ideas of cause and effect, bushcd and
became confused, and at last replied
20 t"i think it must be the potatoes, my
lady,"
This unfolded theory of population
quite new to Lady Middleton, who eagerly
demanded, "Ihe potatoes-do you eat
many of them ?" l..uo
Oh, yes, my lady. Very seldom we
have bread, and SO we take potatoes the
year round" t IT., f1 ar.H
Greatly sgitated with her new informa
tion, the lady further asked, And wbero
do you get the potatoes ~
"We grows them in our little garden
sure Pat tills it,"
WELL" said Lady Middleton, "send
me up a cart-load of the potatoes, and the
steward will pay for them"
Shortly after, her ladyship rose to leave
tue house, and indeed, had left it, when the
woman ran after her and blushing, with
some hesitation asked her, land sure. NV
lady, is 1t to have children that We want
potatoes ~ - 't. aE
1t was now the lady's turn to blush, re.
plying in the affirmative. ~ r-
Because added the woman, am
% thinking if tits, Pat hal better fetch them
TO you himself
M. BADLY SoLD-Whcn Col. Billy VIII
II sons Zouaves, of predatory notorietv.
9e were encamped on Staten Island in 1861
7 some benevolent persons in New York took
up collection to supply the lambs with
hymn books and chewing tobacco.
-af The committee with the funds went down
to Staten Island, passed through the camp,
y Inspected the lambs in their tents, and
finally came to Col. Billys headquarters.
1he chairman made neat speech, then
putting his hand in his pocket discovered
that the money was gone ~ Ilaj
* e" had it, said ,he, "when | reached