Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-01-24
"A SPIDERS PREDICTION.
HOW II CONTRIBUTED TO THE
DOWNFALL or UTRECHT.

SCFsf<fr>-A Vt OtUEkF7ls
The insect's Propbeey Led PIehegru =
Walt and Attack HoIIand's stropshsld.
It Ferstoid Cold SpeiI-Dis Josvsys
Observations Gave Him Libsrty.
A narrow prison cell, wan and baegar,i
inmate, gloom and damp.
single window only, barely q foot
square, heavily barred and six feet, 1t
least, from the ground
PROSTATE upon wretched heap ofstraw
in corner was the prisoner: not asleep,
bnt watching intsntIy; and watching
what, One might guess . dozen times
and yet not hit upon the tFnth.
And the prisoner, upon his side upon his
heap Of straw. his chin resting upon his
hand and his elbow fixed upon the Yioor,
watched large spiders web spun in the
corner.
A curious place for spider to rear his
airy eastie-a corner Of that dark cell
where the sunlight never came and Gne
| fat fies were few and far between.
/ For no crime had the Frenchman suf-
| fered, Tor Dis Jonval was q Frank, born
and bred He had simply talked Of liberty
and equsl rights 70 man within the do
| m;nion Of the potent stakeholder Of HoI-
land.
| At first the Frenchman rej0iced that the
martyrs fate was bis, and when he dis-
covered the spider in the corner OF the
| dungeon be talked to him Of liberty ana
brotherhood But even the spider ned
from the sanQuine republican. And -
weeks grew into months Dis Jonvar grew
weary OF his confinement and pined for the
| free air Of heaven. The stadtbolder WIZ
| iron, tears and prayers moved him not
| jot. Then, too, the s.tricoIors meusced
| Holland, and the French general. Picbe-
CRU, with a large force, was lowering On
the frontier ike some huge bird OF prev
preparing for swoop upon his quarry
The spider, too, was q constant source Of
/ consolation, and from long observations Of
| the habits of his black friend the French
man became wise. The spider never ap-
peared during bad weather, and Dis Jonval
| was able to predict frost at least 4 week
Z previous TO its coming simply By watching
the SPIDERS movements and noting his own
feelings, for he had observed that when the
spider kept securely housed he 1.-THE French
mani was usually troubled with . bad
headache
And while Dis Jonval was amusing him
self with these interesting observations
troublous times came to Holland.
Pichegru, with an overwhelming force.
advanced suddenly across the border. The
ssadtholder did not attempt to dispute the
march of the Frenchman. He simply re-
tired. and when the French army was well
In the center of the land he adopted
against the invaders the old time tactics
that years before had baffied Spanish Alva.
and had cost a French kings brother, the
Duke Of Aniou, a splendid army. The
word was given and the dykes were cut: a
fat country, the greater part of it below
the level of the sea, Pichegru found in the
Holland seas far greater foe than was
the Holland armies The DutchIaud was
all a swamp: the Frenchman could not
advauce-could hardly retreat: the fate on
Aniou 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
had suddenly shifted around. and an al
most summer miIdness reigned over the
Land. And affairs were thus on the morn
ing when the prisoner of Utrecht lay at
full length upon bis pallet and watched
for his friend the spider.
The taller brought the prisoner his break
fast. a sorry repast enough. for the prudent
Dutchman knew that there was nothing
like simple food to reduce hot blood and
curb impesuous wills.
"You do not eat, mynheer.u said the
taller, who leaned by the door, swung his
KEYS musicaIIy and watched the prisoner.
II have little appetite"
THAT is bad the taller remarked
thoughtfully: s'mynheer should eat and
keep his strength
Dis JonvaI made a wry face.
"Bahl such food as this is enough to tax.
. away the appetite of a we'll man let alons
sick man. the Frenchman said.
That is true, myuheer,r the taller re
Piled; "the food is coarse, but | will sc.
that you have a better dinner, although
go against my instructions and would suf
fer if the government should find it out. -
1.-THE matter is between US two" Di.
. JonvaI rejoined. 'IshalI saw thing. anG
Judge that You will not care to speak O
it,"
Il feel more inclined to do YOU kind
ness. mynheer. because two DAYS ago
thought it might be probable that we
should change places-you become tn,
taller and the prisoner
How sol" asked the Frenchman in as
: constituent.
! The jailer then related to Dis Jonva
: what had transpirsd during the past week
He told of Pichezru's advance. how tn,
, French general had threatened the capsur,
: of Utrecht, and had only been preventes
! from taking the town By the cutting of tn,
dykes and the flooding of the country Will