Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-07-27
.LEXANDRIA GAZETTE
AID VIRGINIA ADV ERTlS Ek,
For the Country

rLy;<bcd RcoularkV on TUESDAYS, WURS-
D1yS nnd SATURDAYS, at Sir DoNars per
GANatM.
MAcAULAY S LITERARY HABITS -Aacaulay
never wrote i'll haste, and revised everything
that he wrote with the greatest nicely. His first
rourh draft was absolutely illcgib)e from era.
.urrs and corrections 1t was written Oh official
tnoiscap, with the lines full an inch apart.
This, however, formed but the rough outline
If the essay. When the keel had thus been
hid down, Macaulay began tho work OF ampll.
tcation and revision, and when that was COM
rctc YOU could hardly find space on the page
to stick pins point, Prescott saw two or
three Of these pages Of the manuscript OF his
history. "fOu have nO conception, nc says,
.or the amount of labor that one Of these sheets
Of ioolscap represents. But this manuscript
was never sent to the printers. 1t WAS copied
out by Macaulay in 4 hand almost us bold anu
lsible us large plea. OF his habits and hours
Of work little is known. r.
When in London he generally spent most OF
the morning in the reading room OF the British
Museum, and his evenings at his desk. Ills
"f thc morning. But upon this point he thu
VI morId a his disposition like Grey If the
work palled him he took up his hat and stick
md started off for a stroll, generally taking L
book in his pocket when in the country. Plau-
ms was his tavorite, and in i note to one OF
his pocms he tells us how he spent many IN
iIl,. hour rambling on the beach with his book
in his hand turning the Rudens of the Roman
,aut into what he supposed to be the original
i;r,k In London he varied this diversion 10y
visiting the book stalls, to pick up rare or orlg!-
m,l editions of old books, or by strolliug through
thr Seven Dials in search Of fballadS. lie was
-, fond Of these as Sir Walter Scott, and spent
the whole of one long vacation, it is said, IN i
stroll through the northern counties collecting
Il set.
When living alone in the Albany, Jeffrey tells
us that Macaulay, like Charles Dickens, often
threw down his pen at midnight, and strolled
u,lt into the silent streets, to walk about tor two
or three hours. lie thought the silence and
solitude of a great city favorable to meditation,
md generally returned to his desk with a fresh
stock of vivid and picturesque thoughts. Keen
eve, in looking through Macaulays Essays,
may, think, trace many images and lllustra-
tons struck out in the course Of these rambeS.
johnson. in his criticism on Grey, laughed at
this habit Of his and Macauay S, OF writing only
when what Byron called the esprit was on. But
it is, | suspect the habit of most men with
whom writing Is anything more than q
mechanical employment. 1t WAS the habit OF
Eyron, of Shelley, and of Burns; and it Is a
habit that is commended BY one who understood
the artistic temperament Of I'LL its moods
when YOU begin to tire Of your work. says
Leslie leave off, You will certainly injury
Yourself
WANTED TO GO UP, BUT COULDN'T. IA late
case of Milerism in Delaware came to grief III 4
peculiar manner. Mr.. and Mrs Calender OF
that State, were SO firmly convinced that the
end of all things had arrived, that, arrayed IN
white garments sewcd up ut the eXtremltles, to
guard against contingencies OF wind and wealth
er, they recently kied them to the top OF their
wood shed awaiting the blowing OF Ga6rlcl
,rous-and the New Advcntists patiently
awaited the signal. In the mean time some
thing commenced to slip along the roof; 1t
proved to be Mrs. Calender, herself The
lady, who had hoped to ascend, now commenc-
cd to descend at q rapid and perllous pace, Sc
riously incommodcd in her movements by the
Scwcd-up garment Finally she rolled ott the
roof to the ground, distance OF live feet. Mr.
Calendar, meanwhile, bound in his dress IN
like manner to his spouse, heplessy watched
the proceeding; bnt when Mrs. Calender S
shrek announced that she had reached moth,
cr earth, he bestirred himself to assist her.
Rcnding his bonds with 4 herculean effort he
stepped lightly down the ladder whereby they
had assembled, and fastened to the aid OF Mrs.
Calender, whom he found suffering from dis;
located ankle. The presence Of the doctor, and
the necessity Of paying him his swinging Tee
wound up In the most worldly aud practically
manner possible this strange, cyehttul hISto-
ry' of Mr. and Mrs Calender OF Delaware. -
Hnitimorr american.
CuRlous.-The Worcester (Massachusctts)
Gazette notices the recent death in that city OF
a young lady, concerning whom much interest
and discussion was at one time excited among
scientific men. The person referred to was
born in Ireland, and came to this country Ill
lSGT, at the age OF seventeen years. On hcr
arrival she went to live with family III Fitch
burg, and it was while there certain phcnomena
connected with the person OF the young lazy
began to be noticed. Some slx weeks after hel
arrival the bells in different parts OF the house
began ringing in an unaccountab!e manner
They would ring only when the girl was stand
"iS lcif ny Maps ahu hHoeNi"S''
cducrd, followed this manifestation, until both
the family and the innocent cause of the dis
turhauces began to be seriously alarmed. The
final effect was to impair the reason of the glr r
and she was removed to hospital, where, al al
ter 4 long period of vibration between sanity
and insanity, she was finallyrestored toa norma
condition by the pains taken efforts Of he
physician, who found that the girls disease
wasn natural one, though quite rare, aud also
established the fact that the singular manlleS
tatlOnS in her case were in some form the re
suit Of 4 superabundance Of electricity. llel
death was from consumption, which dlSeas'
WAS cntrey unattended by any unusual Or pho
n3menal manifestations and wholly dlsconnect
cd from her former illness.
EX-SENATOR Howell, of the Southern clam
commission, is responsible tor the following
published in the Keokuk Gate City:
During one of the latest and hottest OF til
sessions of the loyal Southern claims eomm's
sion at WaShinytoD 4 claimant from Nlrglnl