Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-08-05
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE

DAYS and SATURDAf ), az StT DofdT" per
onn,tna.
TIE WIVES OF ANCIENT GREECE.-Ihey
were usually married when very young. Their
occupations were to weave, tospln, to embrold-
cr, to superntend the household, to care Tor
their sick slaves They lived in Z special and
retired part of the house. The more walthy
seldom went abroad, and never except when
accompanied by female slave; never attended
the public spectacleS; received no male visitors
cyccpt in the presence Of their husbands and
had not even seat at their own tables when
male guests were there. Their prccmnent
virtue was fidelity, and it is probable that this
WAS very strictly and very generally observed.
On the other hand, living Us they did, almost
exclusively among their female slaves deprived
of all the educating influence of male society.
and having no place at those public spectacles
which were the chief means of Athcnlan cul-
tnrr their minds must necessarily have been
exceedingly contracted ThucydideS doubtless
EXPRESSED the prevailing sentiment OF his
countrvncu when he said that the highest
merit of women IS, not to be spoken OF
either for good or evil, and Phidias H.
lustratcd the same feeling when he rep
resented the heavenly Aphrodlte standing
on Il tortoise. typitying thereby the Seccud-
cd life Of 4 vlrtuous woman. IN the "rltlngs
Of Ncnophon we have charming picture OF 4
husband who had received into his arms his
Young wife of fifteen, absolutely ignorant OF the
world and its wavs. He speaks to her with ex-
tremc kindness, but In the language that would
Le used to 4 little child Her task, he tells
her, is to be like queen bee, dwelling continu
ally at home and experimenting the work of
her slaves. She must distribute to each their
tasks, must cconomize the family income, aud
must take especial care that the house IS strict
" orderly--thc shoes, the pots, and the clothes,
always in their places 1t is also, he tells her.
Il part of her duty to tend her sick slaves; but
here hiswife interrupted him, excaiming, Nay,
but that will indeed be the most agreeable of
my offices, if such as treat with kindness are
likely to he grateful and to love ME more than
before With a very tender and delicate care
to avoid everything resembling reproach, the
husband pcrsuades his wife to give up the
habits Of wearing high heeled boots, in order to
appear tall, and Of colorlng her face with ver
million and white lead. He promised her that
if she faithfully performs her duties, he will
himself be the first and most devoted OF her
slaves.
MANIA FOR MURDER-Oue of the most
remarkable of the many trials for murder which
have recently darkened the pages of the Eng
lish criminal calendar was that of Agnes Nor
man, a girl Of fifteen years Of age, who seems
TO have been possessed with passion tor TAX
lug life. This monomania if such it may be
called was not only manifested in the smother
ing or strangulation, of infants committed to
her charge rs nursery maid but the evidence
before the Coroner 5 jury went to show that
her murderous propcnSties extended to cats,
canary birds. aud other little pets Of the various
families in which she had taken service. About
the middle of last month she was tried before
the Criminal Court at London-lndictment
having been found against her for comprising
the death of four children, and one other in-
dictment 'Ior feloniously attempting to stran.
gle another child with "intent to murder
him.
The four aforementioned indictments were
for the willful murder of Minnie Miner for
the willful murder of Thomas Miner for the
wful murder of John Stuart Taylor, and for
the willful murder Of Jesse Jane Beer.
In all these cases it appears to have been
difficult to bring the killing Of the children di
to have been healthy when put i'll her charge,
But it was impossible, from the fact of their
being infants, to ascertain whether they were
accidentally sufocated by turning over in bed,
or whether the girl had deliberately smothered
them. Nevertheless whilst legal proof of the
fact could not be adduced there was quite
enough in the evidence adduccd to render it
extremely probable that in every one of the
cases mentioned the child met its death at her
hands
Only one Of the indictments for murder was
tried, and, this failing, the others were not
pressed.
\ REMARKABLE DREAM EERIFIED.--Thc
Louisville Commercial of Tuesday says: Yes
terday gentleman of the highest character i
minister of the gospel related to us the follow
ing remarkable facts, which were furnished him
by Rev. I. n. Thompson, we'll known Meth
odiSt minister, of Southern Indiana, and formerly
presiding elder ofthe Michel district. One Of
MIR. Thompsons Pensioners had 4 very singu-
lar dream, which ran about as follows, as he
related it to his family the next morning. He
dreamed that in walking through one Of his
pasture fields, he cameup certain tree, near
the path he was following, and which had an
opening, from rot on one side. Near the foot
Of this tree, coilcd alongside the path, he saw
in L dream 4 large yellow rattesuake, and this
Suake, his dream told him, had bitten him.
After relating the dream to his tamilysthe next
morning, he concluded to 90 to the pasture,
and there beside the path at the foot of the
halt-rotted tree, lay coiled up 4 large rattle
Suake. Seizing small limb from tree lying
near, he struck at the snake, but in doing SO
his foot slipped and he fell upon the poisonous
reptile, which bit him upon the cheek. tie
fastened to his home, nearly a quarter OF 4
mle distant, where, two hours later, he died IN
great agony. This story is an alu.ost incredible
one, but it comes to us from such 4 high source