The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1870-03-24
PHTLADELPHIA.
fCOrrespondencs of the Bedford Gszetfe.l
PHILADELPHIA, Mar. Is, 1870.
lEr11-i1fnIa

nOu0ceQ Dy the w est fHiiauc!pid L AHo
raj Society, there was a general tiutter
of pleasure among the grave and gay.
We were not surprised, then, when we
found Morton Hall crowded with
brilliant assemblage - the young, OF
course, ,preponderating for the compost
ton of the Madrigal is ofa musical and
amorous character. All the history we
shall give Is, that the Madrigal origin
ated in the warm, sunny Italy in the
Sixteenth century, and is exclusively
vocal.
The Selections were very fine, and
were exquisitely rendered. Among
them were, Forgive, Blest Shade; A
wake, Sweet Love; Since First i saw
Your Face !. When WINS Breathe Soft;
April is in my Mistress Face; and 9th
ers. There were also soprano, contralto
and bass solos, ,all of which were eRc0red.
We are a member of this Society, but
keep our musical talent under bushel
from which it has never been brought
out to our knowledge. We noticed
Mr.. Mcclure, late'of Bedford, among
the singists and this speaks consideFa-
bly, for his musical ability, as none but
the best talent appear there.
In the Penitentidru.
1t may interest you to know that
your correspondent has been in the
Penitentiary since he last wrote you.
And you may attribute his long silence
probably to this fact. But our stay on
ly lasted about sixty minutes, and we
were cbeered during this brief sojoren
by the presence of several ladies who,
of course, would not allow us to re-
main in durance vile. This building
is immense, the front built of granite,
is massive and imposing, the cells ra-
diate from a common centre and all
can be kept under the eye ola single
person. We were taken TO some of the
cells, bake house, culinary department,
&C. The inmates number over 500,
and are kept in separate confinement,
get plenty ofgood bread, raeat, vegeta-
bIes and soup. We all ate of the bread
and it was pronounced by the ladies to
be ''redt nice" So, after going thrO'
this place, the question arose in my
mind, Who is getting punished here +?
Or is this any punishment at all to
these hardened wretches? Some thief
goes there, and he likes il so well he
goes back again in three months after
his time expires. He gets better bread
and more of it, than he had at home :;
he sleeps on good bed, "exercises for
ty minutes a day." and gets fat on it;
while his wife aud children are getting
the. e.punishment he deserved by eking
out wretched existence in an old
shanty and starving for bread.
But the Penitentiary is fnurishing
institu ion, and will never go down
for want of patronage. am writing
you on Tuesday, and we have had this
week already three murders in this
city.
Murdoch again.
We admire Murdoch, and we run af-
ter him wherever he goes. He read in
Horticultural last week, and the an
nouncment was that this would be his
farewell; but we were delighted to
hear that this was not the fact-for rea-
sons care nJthing about-and so We
expect many more rare treats as this
last was. Well, Murdoch had an aud
ience of about 1900, and if the nasty
masculine Anna Dickinson had read
her down Breaks she would have
had at least thrice that number Here
we may see how the world wags. Mer-
it never gets its reward until it gets it
in heaven.
We are sorry to say that the health
of Mr.. Murdoch is very precarious.
BLitz.
We went in to see and hear the re-
nowned Blitz the other evening. He
has been in Europe recentlyaud comes
back chuck full of new things. The
most mysterious are his magic drum
and theSphynx. The trained canaries
charm everybody. 1t is grand place
for little folks at the matinees, and
gives them talk for a week after. His
manipulations puzzle most of the older
heads. Loquacious Bobby is much
admired, but like many others he is
nothing when he is not talking.
".Sheridan's Ride"
This elegant painting by Read has
been on exhibition for several weeks.
As work of art it is very satisfactory.
The horse, however, is much superior
to the man. That is, of course, you un-
derstand, In an artistic view. The ri
der is stiff, and Read has pct the eyes
on with a vim so that Phil. looks scar
ed abou: as bad as if the rebels were af-
ter him.
Now don't be afraid lest dilate on
the Piegan massacre. That's your
thunder, and I'll not trench upon your
delightful field. We merely suggest
that Read has plenty of material here
for his harp and brush. Armd virtan-
que.
Medical Commencement.
The Medical Department of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania held its COM
mencement at the Academy of Music
on the 18th inst, at l2, M. The Acad-
emy presented g brilliant sight, An
immenseand fashionable audience gree
ted the graduates, and tender hands
provided cart loads of boquets to cheer
their hearts. Prof. Leidy said in his
address that the physicians path was
not strewn with flowers, but from the