Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-08-12

TIMOTHY.
Jefferson Davis. Apologies Under a
70, fss, Challenge. 81. g7gIs.sa.
@nf From the New Orleans Herald oT szls :
This gentleman. when lalmember of the
United States Senate, was a, great sufferer
from a painful, disease which deprived him
for some time of the use of his eyes, and re-
duced him to condition of great debility aud
nervous irritabilty. The mental vigor and
spirit of the man would not, however, permit
him to absent himself from his place in the
Senate. He was, therefore, always in his seat
during the sitting OF the Senate, to which he
would be led by his wife, but in condition
that excited the profound sympathy of all who
observed him In the debates which arose
in the Senate he was always close listener,
aud never failed to take part when the sub
ject invited the expression of his views aud
was one in which he took an interest Nat
urally of quick temper, always earnest and
Jealous, and not disciplined by the long prac.
tice at the bar, in which most of the senators
had graduated, Mr.. Davis was frequently
provoked into passionate and virulent char
acter, which his cooler adversaries would turn
to advantage, or make the occasion for placing
him in the apparent position of an unprovoked
aggressor. But when restored to calmness
and reflection, Mr.. Davis quickly discovered
and always promptly recognized his error and
invariably volunteered atonement therefor, or
yielded it when demanded of him. :
Now, it happened on one occasion in de-
bate in the Senate that Mr.. Davis selected our
own distinguished Senator, j. p Benjamin,
as the object of one of his wrathful and men
acing explosions, and hurled at him an ofen-
sive and personal insult Mr.. BENJAMIN
made no reply in the Senate, but sent prompt
-domaud for apology or the satisfaction of
gentleman. Mr.. Davis replied that he would
answer to this demand in the Senate. Ac-
cordingly the next day he appeared in that
august body, and as soon as he could obtain
the floor arose and addressed the President in
one Of the noblcst and most touching amends
ever made by proud and brave man. Tho
purport of it was that naturally irritable
temper had not been improved by a military
life and training and mex perience in civil
debate, and that when to these deficiencies
was added feeble and depressed physical
condition, he felt that he had claims upon his
brother senators for some indulgence and for.
bearance for exhibitions of irritability and
acerbity, such as he had exhibited to the hon
nrable senator from Louisiana the day before.
But it was, indeed, great solace and relief
to him when the opportunity was afforded
him thus promptly to acknowledge his error
and weakness. and to express to theshonora>
BILE senator his sincere sorrow and full with
drawal of the offensive remarks in which he
had indulged. t.- . -,--,.s.-
These words, delivered in the peculiar,
earnest, and melancholy tones of Mr.. Davis,
produced thrill throughout the Senate, and
when the two Senators advanced and cordial
ly shook the faces of all the Senators
were lighted up with an expression of'cordial
thu adr Of ~ 4,
and magnanimity of the heroic Missssippian
a PARABLE OF DEATH.-I asked him
what he had done with the beautiful flowers
which he had stolen from our earthly garden;
for he had done that thing to me; and felt
that had a right task. But Death replied
very calmly:.q- trfr 45t,= a-..- '-7.s..
"You should not say stolen, for 7 am not
thief. There is one that owns all the flowers
upon. your broad, green earth, and he has
right to transplant them when aud where he
pleases He sends mo to your garden"
"But why" II asked, s'do you snatch them
so rudely, and leave hearts all torn and bleed
ing?'
"Alas !'' replied Death, sswhy do not NOR
tails let them go? Little children are the
paradise fowers-of such is the Kingdom of
heaven. But be the world even SO bleak and
desolate, mortals would keep them here; so
they bind them with chords les. they be
taken away and these chords are twined with
their own heart>strings. How can loosen
the one without breaking the other?"
SAVE a MOTHERS TEARs.-Not long ago
two friends were sitting together, engaged in
letter writing. One was young man from
India, the other female friend, part of whose
family resides in that far>off land. The former
was writing to his mother in India When
the letter was finished, his FREUD offered to
inclose it in hers, to save postage This he
politely declined, saying, "If it be sent sep
arately, it will reach her sooner than if sent
through friend, and perhaps 1t may saue
her tear" His friend was touched with
his tender regard for his mothers feelings,
and felt, with him, that it gcas worth paving
the hostage to save his mother a tear!
Would that every boy and girl, every young
man and every young woman; were equally
saving of mothers tears.
1t is unlawful to give fellow -chewer!a
chew of tobacco. The revenue laws forbid
any one to ''sell or dispose of tobacco in any
form without paying license.''
"a penny for your thoughts, miss" said
a gentleman to beauty. '.They are not
worth farthinp sir /" she ran1;ad .sT n.,