Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-02-28
Cold Weather.

a .
forty days without interruption. All tho riy-
ers In Germany wcrc frozen, and the very
birds took sholter in tho towns. Tho price Of
What rose, in England, to- twenty y-seycn shil-
lings quarter, hit was reduced to five shil-
lings in the following year.
In 1864, tho winter was excessively cold
Many forest trees, and even the oaks in Eng
land, were split by the frost. Most of tho.
hollies wore killed. Coaches drove along the
Thames, which was covered with ice eleven
inches thick. Z Almost !all the birds perished.l
!, In 1709 occurred that famous winter oallcd
by distinction tho cold ,utntor. Alithe riy-
crs and lakes wcro frozen, and even tho seas,
to the distance Of several miles from tho
shore. The frost is said to have penetrated
three yards into the ground. Birds and wild.
beasts we're strewcd dead in the fields, and
men perishcd by thousands in their houses
The moro tender shrubs and vegetables in
England were killed aud wheat rose in its
price from two to four pounds aquarter. In
the south Of France, tho olive plantations
were almost entirely destroyed5 nor have
they yet recovered from that fata dsastor.--
Tho Adratic Sea was quito frozfn over, and
cyon the coast of the Mediterranean about
Genoa, and the citron and orange groves suf-
fercd extremely in the finest paris Of Italy. +
in lT76 much snow fell, and tic cold was
intense. The Danube bore ice fgc feet thick
below Vienna. Wine frozc in TIP cellars both
in France and in Holland. Nlant people were
frost-bittcn; and vast multitudcs, both Of the
fcathcred and Of tho fnny tribes, perishcd---
Yet tho quantity Of snow that lay upon tho
gtound had checked the penetration Of the
frost. Van Swindcn found, in Holland, that
the earth was congcalcd to the cder!h, Of TWEEN
ty'ono inches on spot OF garden which
had been kept cleared, but only nine inches
at another place near it, Which was covered
with four inches of snow.
In 1910 quicksilver was frozen hard at
Moscow.
But the winter Of 1872 was, beyond all
question, the most seycrc of the present cen.
tury and ,vaa rendered memorable to all t;m0
by the snfferipgs of the Fronch army during
its retreat from Russia.
!.
A CHINESE GoD -FAcronY.-Th Rev.
Mr.. ALEU-, Methodist missionary Of tho
Southern Church, i'll q recent letter, describes
a visit to maputnctory of this kind at WI
Sib, alarge, walled inland city of China
Here, alao, observed numerous god factories
and their jealous devotcos shaping out Of
shapclcss clay their forms so terrible Thous-
ands wcro already made and set. up to dry
Others were being painted, polished or gilt,
and prepared for market. Othors, again,
werc being manufactured for toys and dolls
tho primers of idoatry, by which tho infant
mind becomes familiar svithlisn .Dupo.slitions
and torrors and is trained by its guardians,
not I" in tho nulturc and admoniton of the
Lord, but in tho way Of death and darkness,
with zeal and efficiency which should mako
many Christian mother blush. I appeared
curious, and on expressing astonishmont at
the undauutcd familiarity with which they
treated tho gods and goddesses Of war, wealth,
thunder, fire, water, mercy, revenge, they,
with the utmost sang E.oia, rcpicd that they
were yet powerlcss, being destitute of the
ling, or" Spirit" Those designed for toys,
therefore, arc hcvcr endowed With that living
principle; nor arc the others until the time
Of their installmcnt as arcigniug divinity.--
At that time, however, they are possessed Of
the "I.iaag,"' BY moans Of, q amall hole in
the cehttc Of the back if4theidol be dmin-
ativo, or large, oblong one, in tho moro au.
gust, in which there are deposited pearls,
gems, or some Of the moro precious IN etals,
such Us gold and silver Of various cstimations.
Tho hole is then closed and sealed, the god
perfected, and henccforth worshippcd, as we'll
| by his makers at those more ignorant of his
origin This fact will also assist us to account,
at least in part, for the ioonoclastio fury of
the rebels, They were to dcspoil and destroy
them, not much because they loved the idol
less, but because they loved tho gold Ills back
contained the more. .',.',l
AN ITEM FOR BAonELoRs.--A jndicious
wife isalways clipping off from hor husbands
moral nature little twigs that arc growing in
wrong dircctions..s 'shc keeps him in shape
by continual pruning. If YOU say anything
silly, she viii afectiondtcly s.ell you9 So If
you declare that ybu will DO somo absurd
thing, she will find means Of preventing your
doing it. And by far Che ohi6f part Of All Tho
common soiise tEotc is in jtAis world belongs