Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-09
miscellaneous Items.

A chime of bells in Milwaukee is inscribed:
"ln memory of Minnie j. Hodges-weight 724
pounds"
traveller asked an emaciated Georgian if the
climate of the rice swamps was unhealthy.
"Wel, no" replied the loyal native, "'tant I'M
healthy; ehave the fever and ague all the time
in these parts, but then we enjoy a powerful
undertOw of health"
heart of tree, in Kentucky, is thus explained:
In Olden times, when wizard cures for diseases
were more in vogue Than at present, cure for
phthisIc was prescribed as follows: Take lock
of hair from the head of the patient, especially
if a child and bore hole in the tree place the
hair in the hole, and then plug the hole up.
The simultaneous growth of the child and the
tree takes the malady from the child, and it is
supposed to be transmitted to the tree.
A large conger eel, weighing thirty-six
pounds was lately caught near Ramsgate, En-
gland. On being opened the stomach was found
to contain an extraordinary collection of art-
cles, including large thick wooden glove, three
pieces of coarse blue serge, a pocket comb three
inches long, part of a leather brace, bone but
ton, some tobacco, and long bone, apparently
the leg bone of wild fowl, nearly FIVE inches
in length, all tightly compressed together
Two little fellows, under ten years old, were
recently picked up, weary and almost starved
in the streets of Newark, N. j., and found in
possession of a huge horse pistol and case
knife Their account of the matter was that
q little Of the world on their own hook and if
necessary take to the highway, after the man
ner of Claude Duval, with pistol III hand, and
stop carriages, milk carts, or butcher wagons,
at the dead Of night, get rich, marry and return
home to their astOnlShed parents.
This incident of the war, occurring with tho
armies OF the east shows how careless and de-
mOralized the average Frenchman has become:
Two dragons found themselves surrounded
and about o be taken prisoners by thirty mo-
biles. One Of them could speak little French,
and one of the French soldiers was an AlSatian
who could speak German; there was thus no
difficulty in communicating. The dragons re-
fused to surrender on an entirely new and origi
nal ground. of we go with yOu," said they,
1--WE shall share your discomfort, but if you
come with us you will share our comfort and
escape all the dangers and hardships of the
war. On the whole, you will gain tar more by
letting us take You than by making prisoners Of
u.s." This reasoning proved irresistible, and the
two dragons rode back TO their regiment with
their thirty mobiles following them like sheep.
The RUsso-AMHERsTR oMANCE.-The stories
of a pretended Russian count, who had gained
the love of the niece of professor in Amherst
college, came over to claim her hand, and was
resisted by her friends,-that have gained Gre
dence not only in village circles but in both the
local and New York journals have been great
ly perverted, probably by the willful, if not
malicious, SensationaliSms of the chief party to
the romance. The facts are exciting enough to
set romantic hearts palpitating and excite the
distrust and anxiety, if not the indignation, of
all sObeT-minded and respectable people: but
the Amherst professors are too sensible & set of
men to lock foolish girls up in their chambers,
or try to separate ardent lovers by any form of
brute force. The real story is simply this: A
POlsh-Russian, pretending to be Count MiCkie-
wicz, but who is no count, though of respecta-
bic family, came 10 know of Miss Caroline Les
ter, daughter OF a lately deceased banker in
Rochester, and niece OF Prof. Tyler of Amherst
college, and her probable wealth, and taking
passage with her and her mother from France
last May, won her love while on the vo, age to
this country. Her friends objected to the al
lance; their Investigations proved that he had
led life of desperate pleasure for many years,
and was probably a mere adventurer, seeking
the American wife for her money; and he
returned to Europe, still holding her heart
but not gaining her hand. few DAYS ago he
came back, appeared in Amherst, and claimed
what she was ready to grant hlm-a wife and a
fortune. He was treated honorably and respect
fully by her friends; but their objections to the
union were so serious that, though the young
lady is greatly infatuated with him, and won't
give him up, she has consented to wait year
before marrying, and he meantime is to return
to Europe and undertake to prove his preten-
sions, and to show that he is more worthy of
her than he is supposed to be. The professor
uncle, her mother, the young lady and the pre-
tended count together went to New York on
Monday, to start him off on this somewhat
doubtful voyage of discovery and regeneration.
If what the New York papers say of him be
true, he is very poor fellow, indeed. They
give the particulars of his taking diamond
ring from woman in New York city, several
years ago, when on a former visit to America,
and pawning it for several hundred dollars at a
jewelIy store and also charge him with having
been in prison in London. AT the very least, he
is a man of decidedly doubtful character; and it
is distresslngly discouraging t. those who want
to believe in the right and capacity Of woman to
take care of herself, when an intelligent and
wel-bred American girl gives herself so unre-
servedly, and against the advice of all her best
friends, to man SO unworthy Springfield Re
publican.