The Forrest City times., 1891-01-16
THE SPIDERS WARNING.

Slngle window only, barely a a foot square, heavily barred, and six feet at least from the ground. Prostrate upon a wretched heap of straw in a corner, was the prisoner; not asleep, but watching intently, and watching what? One might guess a dozen times and yet not hit upon the truth.
 And the prisoner; upon his side up- on his heap of straw, his chin resting upon his hand, and his elbow fixed upon the floor, watched large spid- er's web spun in the corner.
 A curious place for a spider to rear his airy eastle-a corner of that dark cell where the sunlight never came and fine fat flies were few and far between.
 | For no crime had the Frenehman suffered, for Dis Jonval was Frank l born and bred. He had simply talk ed ofliberty, and equal rights to man, within the dominion of the potent stadtholder of Hollaud. 1 At first the Frenchman reioiced that the martyrs fate was his, and when he discovered the spider in the corner of the dungeon he talked to him of liberty and brotherhood But even the spider fled from the sanguine republican. And as weeks grew into months Dis Jonval grew weary of his confinement and pined for the free air of heaven. The stadt- holder was iron; tears and prayers moved him not a jot. Then, too, l the "tricolor' menaced Holland, and the French general, Pichegru, with 8 large force. was lowering on the frontier, like some huge bird of prey preparing for a swoop upon his quarry.
 1 The spider, too, was a constant source of consolation; and rom long observations of the habits of his black friend, the Frenchman became quite wise. The spider never appear ed during bad weather, and Dis Jon val was able to predict frost at least q week previous to it's coming, simp- " by watching the spiders move ments and noting his own feelings, | Tor he had observed that, when the spider kept securely housed, he, the freochman, was usually troubled with bad headache
 And while Dis Jonval was anus ing himself with these interesting observations, troublous time came to Holland
 Pichegru with an overwhelming force advanced suddenly across tho border. The stadtholder did not at tempt to dispute the march of the Frenchman. He simply retired, and when the French army was we'll in the center of the land, he adopted against the invaders the old-time tactics that years before had batlled Spanish Ava, and had cost a French kings brother, the Duke of Aniou, a splendid army. The word was given, and the dikes were cut: [. flat country, tine greater part of is below the level of the sea. Pichegru found in Holland armies. The Dutchland was all swamp; the Erenchman could not advance could hardly retreat; the fate of Anjou and his gallant army seemed in store for him. He had waited until winter set in before he had given the command for the forward movement, for the willy Gaul had anticipated the tactics of the II olland commander. But the weather had suddenly shifted around, and an almost summer mildness rei~ned over the land. And affairs were thus on the morning when the prisoner ot Utrecht lay at full length upon his pallet and watched for his friend the spider.
 The jailer brought the prisoner his breakfast, sorry repast enough. for the prudent Dutchman knew that there was nothing like simple food to reduce hot blood and curb impo. tuous wills.
 You do not eat, mynheer," said the jailer, who leaned by the door, swung his keys unsteady and watch ed the prisoner.
 'I have little appetite"
 That is bad" the jailer remarked. thoughtfully. "Mynheer should eat. and so keep his strength" Dis Jonval made WHY face.
 "Bahl such food as this is enough to take away the appetite of well man, let lone sick man, the French man said.
 "Thatis true, maynheer, the jailer replied "the food is coarse, but will see that you have better dinner, although l go against my instruc- tions, and would suffer if the govern ment should find it out"
 "The matter is between us two" Dis Jonval reioined II shall say nothing, and l judge you will not care to speak oft :"
 ''I feel more inclined to do you kindness, mynheer, because two days ago thought it might be probable that we should change places, you become the jailer and the prison CT"
 "How SOP" asked the Frenchman in astonishment.
 The iailer then related to Dis Ion- val what had transpired during the past week. He told of Pichegrus advance, how tbe French general had threatened the capture of Utrecht, and had only been prevent s1 from taking tho town by the cutting of the dykes and the food ing of the country with water.