Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-03-08
Saint Nafq 5 Beacon.
SLIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES.

Ranke began to collect facts for his
History q singular accident occurred
in his native town. A bridge gave
way one morning and some persons
were swept away in the current be-
meath. Won Ranke. who was absent
at the time. on his return inquired
into the details Of the catastrophe.
81 saw the bridge fall" said one ofthe
neighbOrs. "a heavy vain had just
passed over it and weakened it. Two
women were on it when il fell, and
soldier on a white horse" ~ saw it
fall" declared another. "but the vain
had passed over it two hours previous.
The foot passengers were children, and
the rider was a civilian on black
horse. Now" argued Won Ranke,
eff it is impossible to learn the truth
about an accident which happened at
broad MONDAY only twenty-four hours
ago, how can / declare any fact to be
certain which is shrouded in the dark.
ness Of ten centuries p To this triv-
ial incident-which to many persons
would have borne no lesson-was due
much of his caution and impartiali-
~.
A few moments consideration will
convince any one that some of the
most momentous crises in history have
hinged upon very slight circumstan-
ces. A glass Of wine, for instance,
changed the history of France for
nearly twenty years. Louis Philippe,
King of the French, had a son, the
Duke of Orleans, and heir to the
tArone, who always drank a certain
number OF glasses of wine. because even
one more made him tipsy. On a
memorable morning he forgot to count
the number Of his glasses and took
one more than usual. When entering
his carriage he stumbled, frightening |
the horses and causing them to run.
In attempting to leap from his car
riage his head struck the pavement |
and he soon died. That glass of wine |
overthrow the Orleans rule, confsca.
ted their property of f20,OO0,OO0, and |
sent the whole family into exile.
If Mr.. Granville had not carried, in
1868, his memorable resolution as to
the expediency Of charging stamp du-
ties on the plantations of America, the
Western world might still have been
under British rule. In connection
with this matter there is another
slight, albeit remarkable circumstance,
which may be told in Thackeray's
own words: ut was strange" says
he, "that in a savage forest Of Penn
sylvania, young Virginia officer
should fire shot, and waken up a
war which was to last sixty years,
which was to cover his own country
and pass into Europe, to cost France
her American colonies, to sever ours
from US, and create the great West
ern republic; to rage over the Old
World when extinguished in the New;
and Of all the myriads engaged in the
vast contest, to leave the prize of the
greatest fame with him who struck
the first blow"
III the nose of Cleopatra had been |
shorter, says Pascal, the condition of
the world would have been different. |
His meaning is. that if Cleopatra had |
had a nose short to deformity, she
would have failed to attract Antony,
who would not have been drawn INFO
the conduct which eliminated in the
loss of the battle of Actium, which
loss made way for the close of the Ro-
man Republic in the inauguration of
the Roman Empire.
Dyspepsia has been the cause Of
many momentous crises. A leg of
mutton Is said to have controlled the
tide of Leipsic's battle; aud the con.
sequences Of the indigestion Of GER
tain dutchess are prOvsrbial. /
The great failure of the potato crop
IN Ireland cannot be called slight
circumstance, yet it was comparative
ly slight compared with the momen-
tous changes which it brought about;
for the repeal of the corn laws was
fastened by the potato famine. As
Lord Beacons6eld has observed: "The
mysterious but universal sickness Of a
single root changed the history of the
world"
Many men have been drawn TO
their destiny by the most trivial &C.
currences. Fenimore Cooper became
a novelist through his wite's challenge.
One evening. while reading novel,
he threw it down. saying: al believe
/ could write better book my elf"
Let me see you do it." said his wife