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,>■" :-JL ÏÎHI A A 'A < ^1 wm MIDDLETOWN, NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE, SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 26, 1868. VOL. I. NO. 52. NEW GOODS AT REDUCED PRICES. NAUDAIN & BROTHER, are opening a fresh stock of FALL AND WINTER GOODS, P URCHASED since the fall in many kinds of the same. Being bought for Cash, and from avoid the second first hands, principally—hence profit of the jobber and intend giving the advan tage to our liberal friends. Our stock consists of Merinocs, blk col'd Al pacas, Wool Poplins, Wool de. Laines, assortment of Prints, Cotton and Wool Flannels, 1J, 2i Bleach'd and Bro. Muslin, Balmoral 8kirts, Snawls and Hoods, Ladies Vests, Gents Knit Shirts and Drawers, White and Col'd Blank Good 1, ets, HATS AND CAPS, DRUGGETS, CARPET AND OILCLOTHS, Fainted Window Shades, GLOVES, HOSIERIES, AND FANCY GOODS. In fact, anything kept in a first class country store. We call particular attention to our fine stock of Over-Coatings, Cloths & CaBsimeres, which wc make a Speciality. Receiving from the Manufacturers, Ladies' Mimes, and Children's Shoes, Gents sewed and pegged, double upper and sole, Calf flouts, Men's heavy, winter Boots k Shoes, that we have made of the best material ; and guarantee satisfaction. MACKERE» , SH AD, AND HERRING Hand. Always THOMPSONS' OLO VEFITTING CORSETS GENTS ARCTIC OVERSHOES , MENS BUCK G A UNTLETTS, GLOVES, MITTS. A Stock of Dried Fruit Consisting of LAYER RAISINS, NEWDRIED CURRANTS, NEW DRIED CITRON, j les DRIED APPLES. Also an extra article of Buckwheat Flour. Liberal discount for chbIi, and show Goods with pleasure. NAIOAIX ti BRO. Middletown. Dec. 12—ly HOLIDAY PRESENTS. AT D. L. I»I \ V|\G'N YARÏÈTY STORE, 9IIPDLVTOWN, DELAWARE, Consisting if, pa ft ui Books, of every description, Photograph Albums, Fancy Boxes , Work Boxes, Writing Desks, Ladies' Satchels, Pocket Books, Fort Folios, Purses, Portmonaies, Segar Cases, Picture Frames, Back Gammon Boards, and Games of all kinds. Pocket Knives f Scissors, Sleeve Buttons, Studs, Breast Fins, Finger Rings, Neck Ties, Mcerchaum Pipes, Paper Collars, Perfumery, etc. E%c. 12—tf WM. N. BRICE. . WHOLESALE COMMISSION MERCHANT AND PRODUCE DEALER, No. 18, Central Market, Delaware Avenue, above Race Street. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. P ARTICULAR attention paid to the sale of GRAIN and LIVE STOCK, promptly attended to. Consignments respect fully solicited. All orders REFERENCES. Hon. D. C. Bluckiston, Kent Co, Md. Franklin Dyre, Esq. " " " W. A. Brice, Fsq. Wm. Lockwood, J. G. Griffith, F. T. Perry, Harry Clayton, Middletown, ' Dec. 5, 1868—ly Cecil Co. Odessa, HARNESS MAKING. T HE undersigned having commenced Harness making at ODESSA, DEL. ff prepared to furnish every article in his line off Die most reasonable terpis. * "HW e'xperiéncë tu euy and country justifies his promise.that I^lLL HIS WORK WILL BE OF THE S&-BEST QUALITY. And gives hint confidence to solicit a share of the pu blic patronage. ^ar-His Shop is on Main street, in t);e house formerly occupied by Joseph Tawresy. WM. T. GALLAHER. April JS—tf. JOHN FULLMEU Manufacturer of and Dealer iu BOOTS AND SHOES, No, 408 Market Street, WILMINGTON. DELAWARE. A® Particular Attention Paid to Cus tom Work Oct. 11—tf-. Middletown Carriage Works. ESTABLISHED IX 1830. Jf. Na COX & 11RO.. Proprietors. W ! keep constantly on hand and manufac ture to order Carriages of tbe latest sty and finished in the best manner, as we employ bone but first-class workmen and use only the best material, Repairing executed with neatness and despatch. «' All work warranted. J»a 4—tf \ grifft Jjocfrg. DECEMBER. Out in the woods the lonely Toss and moan in the winter wind, For the birds have flown far o'er the seas, And they are left behind. Bare and cold in the twilight dun, They pine for the light of summer eves, hen the golden rays of the setting sun Shone through their golden leaves. \Y Far away o'er the purple hills The moon is climbing to the skies, And a faint gleam over the water thrills, Where her trembling radiance lies. The flowers are dead and the birds are flown, And the wind blows cold from the chilly sea, And I think of the days that are dead and gone, That will never couip back to me. But the flowers will hlloom again in spring, And the birds fly home from ov And, nestled in sweet green leaves will sing All day to the happy trees. And somewhere, deep in this heart pf mine,' Under the sorrow, and car eand pairç, Waiting for April suns to shine, For April clouds to rain, Lies a little Hope, like! a violet, Ready to bloom with the other flowers; And over the grave of my old regret Springs a dream of brighter hours. the seas popular JOFates. THE BABES IN THE CLOUDS t A THUE STORY. Just ten years ago there suddenly hurst upon the Western World, a magnificent stranger from foreign parts, "with all his travelling glories bn." It was the great cornet of 1858, on the grand tour of the universe. We remember that comet-summer, not so much for its great astronomical event, as for two singular incidents that more nearly touched oltr human sympathies, which will grovel in poor earthly affairs, even within sight of the most august celes tial phenomena. One pleasant Saturday afternoon during the comet's appearance, an asrouaut, after a prosperous voyage, descended upon a farm in the neighborhood of a large mar ket town in one of the western states. Ho was soon surrounded by a curious troop of the fuynicr's family and laborers, all ask ing eager questions about the ypyage and the management of the balloon, that, se cured by an anchor and a rope in the hand of the aeronaut, with its car but a foot or two above the ground, was swaying lazily backward and forward in the evening air. It was a good deal out of wind, aud was a sleepy and innocent monster in the eyes of the farmer, who, with the owner's per mission, led it up to his house, where, ns he said, he could hitch it to his fence. Rut before he thus secured it his three children, aged respectively ten, eight, nnd three, begged hinl to lift them "into that big basket," that they might "sit on those pretty red cushions." While the attention of the aeronaut was diverted by more curious questioners from a neighboring farm, this rash father lifted his darlings one by one into the car. Chubby little Johnny proved the "ounce too much" for the aerial camel, and brought him to the ground ; and then, unluckily, not the haby, hut the eldest hope of the family was lifted out. The relief was too great for the monster. The volatile crea ture's spirits rose at once ; he jerked his halter out of the farmer's hand, and with a wild bound mounted into the air. Vain was the aeronaut's anchor. It caught a moment in a fence, hut it tore away, and was off, dangling uselessly after the runa way halloon, which so swiftly and steadily rose that in a few. minutes those two little white faces peering over the edge of the car grew indistinct, and those piteous cries of "papa!" and "mamma!" grew faint and fainter up in the air. When distance and twilight mistR had swallowed up voices and faces, and noth ing could be seen hut the dark cruel shape sailing triumphantly away with its precious booty, like an serial privateer, the poor father Bank down helpless nnd speechless : but the mother, frsntic with grief, still stretched out yearning arms towards the inexorable heavens, and called wildly up into the unanswcrlng void. The aeronaut strove to console the wretch ed parents with assurance that the halloon would descend Within thirty miles of the town, and that till might he well with the children, provided it did not come down in the water or deep woods. In the event of its depending in a favorable spot, it wna thought that the older child might step ont, leaving the younger in the balloon Then it might again rise and continue its j voyage. "Ah. no." replied the mother. "Jennie would never stir from the ear without Johnny in her $rma." The balloon passed directly over tbe market town, apd the children, seeing ma ny people in the streets, stretched out their hands and e.nllej] loudlv for help But the villager«, though they saw the bright little heads, heard no call. Amazed at this strange apparation. they mi"ht have thought the translated little creatures small angel navigators on Rome voyage of discovery, some little cherubic venture of their own, as beading towards the rosy eloudlands and purple islands of les sunset splendor, they sailed deeper and deeper into the West, snd faded awav. Some company they had. the poor little sky-waifs. Something comforted them and allayed their wild terrors—something whis pered them that below the night and clouds the the and was homo ; that above was God ; that wherever they might drift or clash, living or dead, they would still be in Ilis do main and under His care—that though borne away among the stars they could not be lost, for His love would follow them. When the sunlight all went away' and the great comet came blazing out, little Johnny was apprehensive that the comet might come too near their airy craft, and set it on fire with a whisk of its dreadful tail. in is a to a Rut when his sister assured him that the fiery dragon was " as much as twenty miles away," and that God wouldn't let him hurt them, he was tranquilized, but soon after said, "I wish he would come a little nearer, so I could warm my self, I'm so cold !" Then Jennie took off her apron and wrapped it about the child, saying tender ly: " This is all sister has to make you warm, darling, but she'll hug you close in her arms, and we will say our prayers and you shall go to sleep." " Why, how can I say my prayers be fore I have my supper?" asked little Johnny. " Sister hasn't any supper for you, or for herself, but we must pray all the har der," solemnly responded Jennie. So the two baby-wanderers, alone in the wide heavens, unawed by darkness, im mensity and silence, by the presence of the great comet and the millions of unpity ing stars, lifted their little clasp-hands and sobbed out their sorrowful " Our Father," and then that quaint little supplementary prayer : "Now I lay medown to sleep, I pray the Lord my Boui to keep ; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." his a Ho of se or a ns nnd that was car. the too his with a and little the cries and had noth shape poor : still the up the the down event wna step its tbe ma their the little they little Rome towards of and little and whis clouds " There ! God heard that, easy ; for we are close to him up here," said innocent little Johnny. Doubtless Divine Love stooped to hear the little ones, and folded them in perfect pence—for soon the younger, sitting on the bottom of tbe car, with his bend lean ing against bis sister's knee, slept as soundly ns though he were lying in bis own little bed at home, while the elder watched quietly through the long hours, and the car floated gently on in the still night air, till it began to sway and rock on the fresh morning wind. Who can imagine that simple little child's thoughts, speculations and wild imaginings, while watching through those hours ? She may have feared coming in collision with a meteor—for many were abroad that night, scoqta and hcralda of the great cornet—or perhaps being cast away on some desolate star island ; or more dreary still, floating and floating on, night and day, till they should both die of cold and hunger. Poor babes in the clouds ! At length a happy change, or Provi dence—we will sav Providence—guided the little girl's wandering hand to a cord cqpnected with the valve Something told her to pull it. At ririoe the balloon began to sink, slowly and gently, as though let down by tender hands ; or as though some celestial pilot guided it through the wild currents of air, not letting it drop into a lake or liver, lofty woodj or impenetrable swamp, where this strange, unchildlikc experience might have been closed by a death of unspeakable horror, but causing it to descend ns softly as a bird alights on a spot where human care and pity await ed it. The sun had not yet risen, but the morning twilight had come, when the little girl, looking over the edge of the car, saw the dear old earth coming nearer—"rising towards them," she said. But when the car stopped, to her great disappointment, it was not on the ground, but caught fast in the topmost branches of a tree. Yet she saw they were near a house whence help might soon come, so she awakened her brother and told him the good news, nnd together they watched and waited for deliverance, hugging each other for joy and warmth, for they were cold. Farmer Burton, who lived in a lonely house on the edge of his own private prai rie. was a famous sleeper in general, but on this particular occasion he awoke before the dawn, and, although he turned nnd turned again, he could sleep no more. So at last he said to his good wife, whom he had kindly awakened to inform her of his unaccountable insomnolence : "It's no use; I'll get up and dress myself, and have a look at the comet." The next that worthy woman heard from her wakeful spouse was a hasty sum mons to the door. It seems that no soon er did he step forth from the door of his house than his eyes fell on a strange, por tentous el.ape hanging in a lara« pear tree nbouf twenty yards distant. He could see no likeness in it to any thing earthly, and he had fancied it might he the comet, who having put out his light had gone down there to perch. In his fright and perplex ity he did what every wise man would do in a like extremity—he called upon his valiant wife. Reinforced by her, he drew near the tree, eautiously reconnoitering. Surely never pear tree bore such frnit be fore. Suddenly there descended from the thing a plaintive, trembling little voice: "Please take us Jown; we are very cold." Then a second little voice said : ' • And hungry too; please take us down." " Why, who are you? And where are you from ? The first little voice said: " We are Mr. Harwood's little boy and girl, and we are lost in a balloon " The second little voice said : " It is us, and we runned away with a halloon.— Plcasé take its down." " Dimly comprehending the situation, the farmer getting hold of a dangling rope, succeeded in pulling down the balloon. He at first pulled out little Johnny, who rapidly a few yards towards the house, then turned round and stood for a few moments curiously surveying the balloon. The faithful little sister was so chilled and exhausted that she had to be carried into the house, where, trembling and sobbing, she told the wonderful story. Before sunrise a mounted messenger was dispatched to the Harwood house with glad tidings of great joy. He reached it in the ufternoon, and a few hours later the children themselves arrived in state, with banners and mnsic, and conveyed in a cov ered hay wagon and four. Joy-bells were rung in the neighboring town, and in the farmer's brown house the happiest family on the continent thauked God that night. a ry v..H ,o ,k. a™ orP.ru. A woman who signs herself E. D. W. is writing her "Experiences in Europe" in for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. In a late letter she describes as follows, a visit to the celebrated sewers of Paris : " Yesterday, the fifth of November, was the day appointed by the chief of the sew erage department for our party to enter thc subterranean vaults of Paris, so inter esting to the readers of Les Miserables, The ticket of notification informed us that we must be at the Place dc la Madeline, on the side of Boulevard Malesherbcs, at one and a quarter o'clock precisely. Ar riving, we found about twenty-four per tons assembled around a temporary railing of iron that enclosed the opening to the sewers, two iron doors that lay flat on the payement just like our covers over the gas and wati r pipes in the streets of Philada'. The doors opened, a narrow spiral stair way was disclosed, and a ray of light from a lamp far down the dismal entrance rather increased the gloom than any attractions the place might have. However, when the chief, dressed in government uniform, with the title of his office in gilt letters plnced conspicuously on his hat, gave the signal, we started, single file, and in a mo ment were nearly blinded by a glare of light from rows of kerosene lqmps in the hands of men who were to conduct us through the sewers. At the foot of about twenty-five steps, two large boats were in waiting for us, and when my sight became manageble, that was at first dazzled by the swinging lights reflected upon the wa ter, the boat rocking as each onq stepped on the side, I tried to realize that I was not entering a death barge on the Styx, or a hearse gondola on the Via Mora, or the funeral canal of Venice by night. Who would imagine a sewer, through which the dish-water of Paris was carried, could be converted into a canal twelve feet broad, a foot-path on cither side of solid stono, whefe two persons could pass each other, a vaulted roof, along which water and gas pipes, two feet in diameter, were conducted, and telegraph wires were held. Frpui the center of the arch large lamps were suspended every ten or twelve feet Our party having seated themselves in two boats, there were twenty men iu blue bon nets, and wooden sabots ready to seize the ropes when the command " avancez ," was given. Presently a faint sound of a horn was heard that grew louder as it was caught up aud echoed from every angle of the sewers. Our chief gave a shrill whis tle, and the men started on a trot. On the sides of the walls small white porce lain plates were inserted bearing in black letters the dates and heights of risings of waters at different periods, some of them I a a for So he his a his tree see and do his be a considerably above our heads, and sugges tive of the horrors escaped by Jean Vali jean, at the Place de la Bastile, at the time of the French revolution. The names ef the streets under which we passed and the corners of the cross streets were mark ed, so we could ttll exactly our direction. Runaing down the main sewer of the Bue Royal to the Place dc la Concorde, we ?—a train of found—what do you suppose cars, waiting for us ! Six of the prettiest little ears I ever saw. They consisted of six pliitforins, about eight feet square, with brass railings, se&ts cushioned with red leather, no top to the ears ; and on each cor ner of the cars a brass lamp, with grained glass globes, formed a bright and bcautful finish to this fairy-like conveyance. The sewer was narrower here and the wheels of the cars ran on brass rails laid on the edges of the foot-paths. Each car hud an iron handle back nnd front, with a brass cross-piece like those on our hose carriages at home. When the cars started, four men pulling and pushing each down the grade of the Rivoli vault, the long vis ta of the illuminated vault, the regular clack of the sabots on the stone walk, wa ter splashing into the side entrances either on stone steps to break the force, or invert ed arches to prevent splashing of the main canal, the speed of our human locomotives, the expression of delight and wonder on the faces of our party, strongly thrown out by the four foot-lights on each car—all was so strange, and half pleasing, half frightful that, like the reßt, I waited to see what the end would be. After trotting a mile and a half we were suddenly landed at a large iron gate, and so intense was the light there that I went baok to my first theory, and concluded that we were at the f a e of Dante's I at the Place lu the sun of noonday, on the white embank ment of the Seine, and opposite the two tiilf towers of the Palaisc de Justice, invi ting td couie and see that we were in a world 6? reality, that there the beautiful Marie Antoinette suffered the tortures of imprisonment, ajjd front there was released by death alone. And are are we us, the We had arriv» d and the light was In^rno. Châtelet, ISit and ittmor. ful and I and have have ed ing the the the the A Queer Hymn Book. A gqod jftke is told of a preacher in Ne braska, who had dined with a friend just before afternoon services. As it happen ed, this friend occasionally luxuriated in a smile of the ardent, and sometimes car ried a morocco covered flask in his overcoat pocket. By mistake, the minister took the friend's overcoat for his own on his depart ure, and wulking into the pulpit began the exercises without doffing the garment, it being rather chilly in the room. Looking very ministerially over his con gregation from behind his spectacles, he begun drawing from his pocket, as he sup posed his hymn book, with the introducto ry remark that the congregation would sing from q particular page which he se lcc ? ed beforehand. V The minister held the supposed hookup in full sight of the congregation, and at tempted to open it sideways, but it was no go. The situation was realized in a moment, but alas ! too late, His reverence vyap dumbfounded, the whole scene was made ludicrous by a fel low in the back part of the congregation, who drawled out : "Say, Mister, can't we all jine in that ar' hymn?" -• In New York there is a lad proverbial as being a bad speller. The school that he attends has among its many rules and regulations one that requires the scholars to spell a column in the dictionary, and give the meanings, just as the school opens; well this lad wus foot of the class. The next day the first word was admittance, The lad was walking around sight-Bceing, when his eye fell upon a circus bill, which, among other inducements to draw a crowd, had "admittance twenty-five cents—nig gers and children half-price." He spelled the word, and rcccollectiug it was the first in his to-morrow's lesson, learned it "by heart." Next day, strange to say, the head boy missed, and the next, and the next, and so on, until it came to our par ticular friend, who was in the mean time all exciteincut with the hope of getting head, being sanguine that he was right, Here's the result : Teacher .—Boy at the foot spell admit is vain the and I are The on The ger pea. fail the of see ful so tance. Boy. —Ad-mit-tance, admittance. Teacher .—Give the definition. Boy. —Twenty-five cents—niggers and children half-price. Rockhill A Wilson, at the Greag Brown Stone Clothing Hall, G03 and G05, Chestnut Street, Fhilndelphi cellence of their Clothing; sings of other themes. Hememb'cfing that the in n needs a lining, a covering, he thinks th have a poetaster, to sing of the ex d he sometimes well us the &iter : 'man is no material better suited to the purpose than buckwheat cakes. Hear him: Buckwheat Cakes. Hark ! Hark ! Ilnrk ! 'Tis the sound of the breakfast bell ; The tinkle we love For it tells of the cuke^ Which Biddy bakes, Of elegant buckwheat flour. And we hurry to eat Such a luscious treat, Fit for a King to devour. The griddle she's greasin', The cakes are in season— The savory odor's bewitching. They're crisp and they're brown, And we swallow them down, As fust as they come from the kitchen. Oh ! happy are we, As soon as we see The smoking hot buckwheat cakes, Right hot from the fire, Aud we truly desire, To eat them as fast as she bakes. oil ! at of Cocldn't Suuschide. —A pair of those entertaining ladies, who seem to carry on so large a business in the way of procur ing subscriptions for new works, so sweet ly un-get-rid-a-ble, called a short time since at the office of a young lawyer for the purpose of getting him to subscribe. "Iudecd ladies," said he, "the partner ship of which I am an humble member has lately been so imprudent as to issue a new work of their own, which, in consequence of the enormous expense, attending its il lustration, embellishments, Ac. has com pletely crippled us." "Then perhaps," replied the fair can vassers, "we could procure you some sub scribers. What do you call your work. "Well, we haye not fully determined ns yet ; but I guess I'll let my wife have her own way, and cull it aftef hie—Charles Henry." a a of A Boy's Composition.—M aster Shrimp has favored the public with another cout sition which :ura evidence qf merit, will some day make a logician, if he fie perseveres : Ma is my mother. I am her son. Mu's name is Mrs. Shrimp ; she is the wife of Mr. Shrimp, and Mr. Shrimp is her hus band. Pa is my father. My name is John George Washington Shrimp. There fore, pa's name is Shrimp too ; aud so is ma's. My ma haB a ma. Sho is my grandma. She is mother-in-law to my pa. My pa says mother-in-laws ought to he vetoed. I like my grandma batter than pa does. She brings me ton oent .t mips and lo'ivars. She don't bring any to pa. Maybe that's why he don't like her. A Texan negro was overheard making an honorable apology to another in this wise: "I jes said, Sambo, dat yon lied ; dat is, I jes said dat you lied, told me you said you'd kill me if you killed me I'd kill you," * uatioq was satisfactory. d Den, Jim in' 'I sàjtf ■Ë io cxjila Silence of the Arctic Night. and the and I and on of as say, fur the ton. not It in the ' In his new work, " The Open Polar Sea," Dr. Hayes thus describes the fear ful solitude and stillness of the Arctic night : " I have gone out in the Arctic night, and viewed nature under varied aspects. I have rejoiced with l,er in her strength and communed with her in repose. I have seen the wild burst of her anger, have watched her sportive ploy, and have beheld hqr robed in silence. I have walk ed abroad in darkness when the winds were roaring through the hills arid crash ing over the plain. I have strolled along the beach when the only sqvypd that broke the stillness was the only dull creaking of ice-tables, as they rose and fell lazily with the tide. frozen sea, and listened to the voice of the icebergs bewailing their imprisonment ; along the glacier, where forms and falls the avalanche ; upon the hill-top, where the drifting snow, coursing over the rocks, snng its plaintive song ; and again I have wandered away to some distant valley where all these sounds were hushed, and the air was still and solemn as the tomb. I have wandered far ont on the " And it is here that the Arctic night is mosl impressive, where its wonders arc unloosed to sport and play with the mind's The heavens above and vain imaginings, the earth beneath reveal only an endless and fathomless quiet. There is no where around me any evidence of life or motion. I stand alone in the midst of the mighty hills. The tall cliffs climb upward, and are lost in the gray vaults of the skies. The dark cliffs standing against their slopes of white, are the steps of a vast amphitheatre. The mind finding no rest on their bold summits wanders into spaco. The moon weary with her long vigils, sinks to her repose ; the Pleiades no lon ger breathe their sweet influence. Cassio pea. Andromède, and Orion, and all the infinite host of unnumbered constellations fail to muse one spark of joy into this lost their dead atmosphere. They have tenderness, and are cold and pulseless. The eye leaves them and returns ^'the earth, and the trembling cap, a^'iqis gpme thing that will bfiak ' the oppressive ' si lence. But no footfall of living thing reaches it, no wild beast howls through the solitude. There is no cry of birds to enliven the scene ; no tree among whose branches-the wind can sigh and moan. The tlie one the at pulsations of my own heart alone are heard in the great yoid ; and tis the blood courses through the sehrfitive organization of the ear, I am oppressed as with dis cordant sounds. Silence has ceased to be negative. It has become endowed with positive attributes. I seem to hear and see and tcel it. It stands forth as a fright ful spectre, filling the miud with over powering consciousness of universnj death —proclaiming the end of all things aud heralding the everlasting future. Its pres ence is unendurable. I spring from the rock upon which I was seated, I plant my feet heavily on the snow to banish its pres ence and the sound rolls through the night and drives away the phantom. I have seen no expression on the face of nature so filled with terror as the silence of an Arctic night.' The Inlands of Pyramid Lake, Utah. A gentleman who has visited Pyramid Lake, and explored several of its islands at the season of laying and incubation for the myriads of gulls, ducks, pelicans, and other waterfowl that swarm upon its wa ter, states that at that time the larger is lands are literally white with eggs. In walking from the shore toward the centre of the islands it is impossible to proceed fifty feet without stepping upou some of the eggs, so thickly are they strewn over the ground. The fowls inhabiting the islands are described as being exceedingly tame ; they hover and flutter upon the ground about the intruder upon their breeding ground, or circle and stream about his head, and with but little show of fear. This absence of feitr of man is doubtless to be attributed to the fact that until lately that "feathered biped," man, has never been seen by thrill upon their islands.— Owing to certain superstitions notions held by them in regard to the lake, the Indians have never, in the memory of their oldest chief, visited any of the islands. Even were they not withheld by the fear of monsters in tho lake and upou the islands, they have no boats or canoes, njid know not)|jna even of that rudest"df nautical arts—raft navigation. Among the islands of tho }akp ufß two small, rocky ones, near to each other, and at no great distance from the shore from the fact that they are alive with rattle snakes. Huge and lazy old patriarchs of the islauds, with long strings of rattles up on their tails, busk in the Blinde of almost every stone, while younger nnd more ac tive members of the tribe glide about in all directions, and the intruder upon these is lands of snakes is often treated to a serena de by a dozen sets of rattles of various degrees of power and shades of tone. Of course neither whites or Iudians would care to tarry long on these islands, nor to cultivate more than a passing acquaintance with their musicul inhabifkpts. It is supposed thjit the reason of these two islauds being so completely alive and crawjing with snakes, is that a few having gotten on their shores by some i'oriident, and finding convenient dens in thé rocks, they have ever since fed and fattened upon the eggs and unfledged young of tfie brood ing water fowl, and have gone on increas ing and multiplying, with nothing tfi de crease or disturb them. to It on a in is in ns he of is is pa I She this ; Jim sàjtf Improvement« In Delaware. Rev. J. H. Lightbiirn, of Dover, wriljes to'the tit. Michael's ('trine'' as fellow*. The importance of railroads to the growth and development of a country meets with the fullbst demonstration in those towns, and that part of the coriritry in "Delaware, which lie on and are contigtibus \b' thd railroad yi.hivh through the State. I will give a brief sketch of the growth of, some of the towns, and the devcWiuybpt and enhanced value of the lands lyingup on aud near the Delaware railroad. This sketch shqll lie mostly 'from personal obser vation. Ip 1851 I visited, what was then known te village of Middletown. It consumed of a few small houses. ; A village iti Eng land is distinguished from a town by the want of a market. Whether Middletowu could boast of so important an institution as a market-house then, I am not able to say, but this I do know, that the bo^serf composing the village were indeed ''few and fur between, the most thriving towus south of Wilming ton. Its long rows of neat, and substan tially built huu.scs, and the enterprise and wide-awake spirit of its business men, can not fail to arrest uttcuflön, and command respect. The laud 6ufrouqdiqg Middle town, which could have been bought itf 1851 for a mere nominal price, is now 1 some of the richest, best cultivated, most productive and valuable land In the State. It abounds in peach orchards, and all kinds of fruits, and is one of flyv beautiful districts of country to be iüsàçf anywhere. In 1833, 2800 acres of land near here sold 'ftjr $2000. This tract is now divided into srx' farms. Mr. Feni morc who owns one of these farms, netted in two consecutive years' crop of peached $48,000. Mr. James V. Moore sold cently a farm of 150 acres, about 'three miles from Middletown, for $30,000, and the purchaser iyd3 offered an advance of $2,000 a »hört tiiuo lifter. Mr. ReyboJ^'* peach-orchard is suid in the last three years to have netted about $300,000. Moa^ of these lands, before the railroad was VVb^oted, ^'ere regarded ppor eycrgrKwi! yy ith saisuftbs liuénes,' ad sejd fttuiere nominal prices. ' Two and a half miles south of Dover is Middletown is now one of UlUSti , were d itère tlie village of Wyoming. The village has almost entirely been built up in the lUst thj. ljt eontalp's 40'or Ö0 houses; one of the' freatCst 1 amf hVrgest abudeiijUUfotr the peninsula, q'WcH-kcpt hotel, two' stores, 1 doing a fine business ; blacksmith and wheelwright shops, a large grist mill ad joining the village, and promises soon to take its stand among "the fuuiily Of towns." Thè tojyn of. Felton is situated on the line of the rallroud'ftb'out eight tulles briPH Wyoming. Less than ten years ago I was at Felton station. Tliercl ! were tw(f small houses, and an equally small depot. It is uow a town of nb little importance, with regularly laid nut streets, which are well filled with uoat aud comfortable dwellings. There is now, nearing completion, the large.-t and most beautiful Seminary build ing that I have seen any where on the pe' ninsula. There arc two fine churchcm The Methodist Church there is a station. Felton is a self-sustaining stntion, which tannot be said of Cambridge, Easton, St: Michaels, Denton, 'Grcènsborough, All honor to the noble, enterprising arid liberal Feltonians. In ten years this town has risen up as by the otiehifnter's wand, and has already outstripped Aollie of the oldest inland towns. • . Dover, the capital of the State, to become the metropolis of the peninsula.' It is in the midst of the finest fruit-grow ing region of Delaware. There is a mag nificent stretch of country from Dover to the bay. Dover already possesses the putation of producing the best, and ship ping the largest quantity of peaches of any place iu the Stute, or in tho United Stateÿ The town is situated on the railroad, arid on high dry land. It is very healthy, and the vpost beautiful and most desirable, ari a place of residence, of all the towns with in the range of my knowledge. Its growth is extraordinary. In 1850 it had a popu lation of about (500,Jit n >w has about 25005 During the past six mouths, about twenty houses have been built. On the street in which I live, and within a space less than two squares, dwellings have been pu in the last few months costing riot'lesV $30,000. The spirit of improvciuent is still rife, and I hear of extensive arrange ments for building in tlïé Coming'Spring. ' TtiefeTs nb town lii Pelawaro that la any distance from tho railroad that is not in statu quo, or nearly so. It is to the railroad that Delaware owes her growth and improvtSlrjeiif. ' re U 1 Flohips.— 4. letter to a Biijj,uioi per, from Monticello, says:—I suaded that a brighter day must dawn upon Florida. Things must be at their worst. Negroes in the Legislature, in uinnr offices of the State, a negro runs ning for Congress, another as Secretary of State, the Governor and Lieut. Governor each claiming to be Governor, and money hardly* oirtsuiating at all because of thé repented failures in the cotton crop —surely we are at tho bottom, arid Will rise We have a beautiful country, and a dc* lightful climate, a fertile soil, a* ready cess by railroad and water to market, and a wide range of productions. Wheat docs not succeed well here ; but we can rain« corn,"rye, oafs, sugar cane, tobacco, sweet and Irish potatoes, cotton, besides fraitg of almost all kinds. The orange, lemon, peuch, ,gra| e and pomegranate grow finely and many garden vegetables are raised Ibr market. Land is very cheap, aud plenty for sale. ; ; pa nm peG soon now. ac-