Year: 1866

| have said that he had at all tunes


perfect selfcontrol / will mention some


Instances in which | saw his power of


selfgovernment severely tried; but his


temper stood the various tests admirably


was once fishing with him in the Col


orado river A large bass seized his


hook, and it required all his skill to. reel


him to the surface of the wafer with a


small silk line. After contestgof sew


eral minutes with the powerful fish, he


succeeded in bringing his fine proper


tions in full view; but just as he was


about landing him, with sharp strain


upon bis rod, be gave an Indignant


flounce, and disappeared in the clear


depths of the stream, leaving the snapt


line tangled fast to willow limb high


above the head of the disappointed Gen


eral. He gave it gentle pull; but find


ing it hung fast, he walked up the bank


and cut q pole with hook to it, and


pulled down the limb very cautiously


and then sat to work very deliberately to


untangle the Gordian knot into which


he, the bass, and the limb together had
tied the line. After the patient labor of
at least half an hour, he succeeded in


righting his tackle, put on another hook


and minnow, and threw out " TO tempt
another bite. In the meantime watched


his motions, very much amused at the


mishap, but said nothing he made no
exclamation of impatience, and exhib-


tied no emotion. | then remarked:


General, although yon are not mem
Der of the church, | believe you are a
better Christian than myself in one re-
spect-you are more patient. If old
Isaak Walton himself had lost that fish
after such tussle, and lost his hook
with him, and tied up his tackle in that
way, he might not have cursed the fish or
his luck, but / think he would have said
something spiteful, and have felt little
blasphemous He replied, Il have
long since learned, Sir, by experience,
that its best never to.get excited about
anything; for in fit of excitement, very
sensible men are apt to do or say some
thing rash or foolish, for which they may
have to repent in II cooler moment


He had a very valuable Newfoundland
dog, which was very great favorite with
the family. He guarded little Sidney,
McClung and Bette, his three youngest
children, in their rambles about his
premises, and / think he sometimes
pulled the little girl in toy carriage.
But the dog one day went into the lot of
mean neighbor to play with eur of
low degree proper dog for a master
as mean and worthless as himself This
man, who had been kindly treated by the
General and his family, but who envied
and hated him with that sort of malice
which the base and vulgar generally
cherish towards the noble and refined,
to distress the children, or show his
spite against the distinguished neigh
bors, or from the promptings of some
dirty motive which is only understood
by the devils that got into
the swine of Genessarat, or by
those who are instigated by them,
threw a piece of meat poisoned with |
to the dog, which came home |
aud in few minutes died with convul- |
sions, in the presence Of the children |
and their parents The little children |
wept bitterly the loss of their favo1te,
and Mrs Johnston shed tears The /
General was deeply distressed. but SAID
nothing in anger. Some one present de- 1
clared that the villain who committed the
deed ought to be prosecuted or shot He
replied that if he sued or killed him, It
would make the man no better, aud 1t
would do himself aud his family no
be would be compelled To en-
iure the outrage, as there was no redress
for it The dog was dead, aud nothing
could restore him 10 hie, aud he hoped
hat his family would bear their loss with
fofiiiude -JdcksOn ClarioH.3 =. a A