The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-07-09
FACTS AND FANCIEs.

The construction of a gun weighing
| 100 tons has been begun by Sir William
| Armstrong in England This gun is to
/ be a muzzie-IOader, 17-inch bore, and,
! If successful, will be the most powerful
weapon ever constructed.
&c Sir" said little clustering man
to a religious opponent, Il" to what sect
do you suppose I belong ?" Well, l
don't exactly know" replied his OppO-
nent, 81 but to Judge from your size,
appearance, and constant bGzziDg, I
should think you belonged to the class
generally called insect.
Out of 296, 900 Of the last levy OF
conscripts in France %, 900 have been
declared exempted from both active and
passive duties in the military line. 1t
looks bad when so many men ara not
even fit to be food for gunpowdsr,
though the fact should be considered as
a good sign in behalf of peace.
"A Swiss boatman recently pulled a
would -be-suicide out of Lake Geneva.
An hour or two after the boatman dis
covered the same man hanging by the
neck to a tree, but did not interfere tnat
time. The magistrate summoned him
to answer why he did not prevent the
suicide, but he replied that he supposed
that the gentleman had only hung him
self up to dry.
The college orator is now abroad III
the land. His voice is heard from the
four quarters of the earth, telling of
the efforts he has made for distinction
in the past, and his hopes and aspira-
tiOns for the future. He is sangUine-
far more sanguine, than ne will be a
few years hence, when he shall have
encountered and been con 1uered by
some Of the stern realities of life. Thus
far his education has been only theOret-
ical IN the future it viii be practical.
Whether the former shall fit the sub
jects for the latter, the future alone can
determine.
"A Brussels paper gives a painful
account of the eX-Empress Charlotte Of
Mexico. Her physical condition Is good,
but her mental condition is hopeless.
She lives in constant communication
with imaginary beings, and dislikes the
preserce of any living person. She
speaks only when obliged to do so, and
gives orders to her attendants IN writ
ing. She dresses herself without per
mitting assistance, takes a fixed walk in
the park every morning when fine, fre-
quently plays on the pianC-fOrte, and
sometimes draws and paints with de-
cided taste. She recognizes no visitors,
not even her brother, King Leopold or
the queen. The latter always accom-
panied the physician on his monthly
visit, when, In reply to his inquiries as
10 her health, the empress cOldly says
she is well, and Immediately retires.
She has become stouter, and shows a
tendency to corpulency, but at present
it is stated that this has only increased
I,o- v-l,iab &c UpU frulu EtgIkInU
1t has been Justly said that the
greatest discovery of our lives IS that
the world is not 80 bad as, IN the first
di appointment Of youths extrGVagant
exDectations, we are disposed to regard
it. Tie passage from bOyhOOd to man
hood is " over the bridge of sighs > and
Our first experiences of life as 1t IS,
resemble the flavor of the forbidden
spDle-we are enlightened and mlsera-
bile. Gladly would we command the
secret of feeling as We once did; but,
alas. every dRy takes from US some
baDDy errOr-some charming illusion
never to return. We are reasoned or
ridiculed out of all our jOcund mistaken
till We are lust wise enough to be Clser-
able, and we eXClaim with Lady Mary
Wortiey Montague, "TO my extreme
modification / find myself growing
wiser and wiser every day But "A
time comes, at length, when our views
are more Just. We leave our imaginary
Eden with "solemn step and slow, and
begin to appreciate the good qualities
of those whose friendship we thought
hollow, and the necessity of that labor
which we deemed a curse. We eX-
change ecstasy for content, and, for,
getting the four rivers Of our ideal
heaven, open our eyes to the manifold
beauties of earth-its skies IsIanded
stars, and its oceans starred by islands,
its s1nshines and calms, and the gOO1-
ness of its great heart, which SENDS
forth trees and flowers and fruits for
our benefit and exultation. ''-I'rotcsso
MdthG1Ds.