Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-16
CRUS0EING.

aau,e Instances OF Where VI Has Not Bcen
90 Pleasant as IL ~ set nowh In IIo-
nance.
THEdelights of solitude have been fer
wildly extolled by writers who took good
care 10 koepthemseves within hail of the
busy hum of men; but its fancied
charms have soon palled upon unfortu-
mates condemned TO silent life, either
by their own whm, the tyranny Of
others, or circumstances over which
nobody had any control.
Alexander Selkirk triod the expert
meut of living IN solitary Independence
Of his own option and under very favor
able conditions. Tho island whpreon
he elected 10 abide was one OF the fair
est spots upon earth, blessed with de-
licious climate aud grateful soil He
was wen provided with clothes 10 cover
him. arms TO protect him, books and
tobacco TO solaee him. His larder was
well supplied with kid-hesh, fish, seal
and sen-tion meat, which he could sea-
son to his liking with pimento-pcpper;
while cabbages, turnips, radishos pars-
nisps purslain, parsley and water-cress
were at his command Still II took
eight months TO reconcile Selkirk 70
his self.eieotod lot, aud after enduring
1t for four years, he gladly bade adieu
10 his Evelcss paradise.
A YOUTHFUL CRUsoE.
Three weeks experience Of Crnsoe-
ing sulllced TO bring aE unwilling soli-
tartan 10 deaths door, but he was n
mere lad, wanting three years to be out
OF his teens, when getting separated
from his messmates, while seeking wood
and water ON one of the Galapagos
Islands, he lost himself in the forest
After passing an uncomfortable night
there, daylight saw Lord rovingin quest
Of what he might dcvour, and finding
nothing save a big snake, unavailable
for staying his appetite; and when night
came round again, be was still wander
ing in n maze OF trees, weary with walk
ing, and faint for lack of food; fearing
TO sleep on the ground lest he should
intrude upon the privacy OF some dead
" serpent This difficulty he surmount-
cd by climbing tall tree, and ro0sting
in its branches, unaware that he had n
fcllow-lodger in big owl, until, on
leaving his airy chamber in the morn
ing, he knocked the bird down, aud
turned the accident to account by break
fasting upon the owl, without any fur
ther preparation than stripping 1t Of its
feathers.
That night Lord was out of the wood,
but was not much better off, for, sleep
ing at the foot OF mountain, he was
drenched with rain, and when morning
broke was in anything but condition
for climbing. Climb the mountain,
however, he did; from the summit be-
holding the bay in which his whaler
had been, but was not. He saw a brig
there, but She was making her way out.
Madly he dashed down the mountain
side, TO gain the beach all too late. and
become oblivious of his disappointment
by going off in dead faint. When he
recovered his senses hunger got the bet
ter OF despair, It's pangs being mono the
less bitter from the knowledge that
there was abundance of food in the
waters washing his prison, and that he
had neither hook to bait or bait to hook,
and must, periorce, live as best he might
upon berries and seal-ilesh,
So the dismal days dragged on, the
only event breaking their monotonous
misery being Lords nearly coming TO
grief altogether in graphing with a
great seal, rolling into the sea with it,,
and scrambling out alone as quickly rs
his weakness allowed. After this bout
he contrived 20 crawl up the mountain
again. and TO his JOY deserted n large
ship making for the island. The sight
gave him new strength, and he man-
aged to get down to to the beach lust
as she entered tho harbor. Soon boat
WAS lowered, and he knew no more,
until his eyes opened upon little crowd
OF friendly faces. He cried out for wa