FROM North Carolina a correspondent sends us the following. We give it as it comes, leaving the reader to make any application of the story: "Colonel H is a jovial character about the capital of the old North State, fond of a joke, a good drink, and something of a bully. There was sojourning within the gates of the city a little Yankee who bowed not his head to the mighty Colonel. His haughty spirit much chafed thereat, and he swore with a great oath to take vengeance upon him accordingly. So one day, walking the streets with several companions, he met the foredoomed Yankee, and informed him of his determination to thrash him; and that it might be well with him, bade him take it kindly. "The little Yankee, who stammered, replied, 'We-1-1, C-c-colonel, if you do, you'l-1-1 h-ha-have f-for to t-t-try!' "And to it they fell. After but a few rounds, the Colonel found himself sprawling on the earth, blinded by the Northerner's rapid blows. He saw something must be done, and that quick. So both to give his friends an excuse for interfering, and at the same time not to compromise his courage, he uttered a cry, which might be construed either as indicating defeat or a scream of defiance. Some were in favor of stopping the fun, as the Colonel had 'hollered;' but the most insisted, a little maliciously, that the Colonel had not 'hollered,' and should have fair play.' So the Colonel, as flesh and blood couldn't stand every thing, was compelled to call out lustily, 'Take him off! take him off!' You may imagine the Colonel was satisfied with the thrashing he gave the Yankee, and never repeated the lesson. After it was all over he enjoyed it as much as any one, and relates it himself in fine style. "He complains, however, of the punctilious regard his friends paid to his rights; and was not a little chagrined when he found out that the Yankee was a 'New York boxing-master.'" FROM Taylor's Creek, Arkansas, comes the fol lowing report of a Coroner's Jury case: "One morning, in the spring of 18-, in the County of L, Tennessee, two brothers-in-law, unknown to each other, left their separate homes on the hunt of some turkeys. They unfortunately went to the same region, when Mr. H, hearing Mr. B who was on his knees behind a tree, yelping for a turkey, through mistake shot him dead instead of the game. In due time the Coroner's Jury was duly impanneled to inquire into the facts bearing on the case, when J. B, brother of deceased, was brought before the jury, and testified as follows: 'Gintlemen, if they had any ill feelings terge one a nother, I will be dad blamed if I knows it, but one thing I knows, I will be durned if I hadn't ruther the best cow I had would a got kilt than Brother Sam!"" "Haow?' inquired Rustica. "Was it the work of an incendiary?' I repeated. "She looked at me with a puzzled air for a moment, and then, "No,' said she, slowly shaking her head, 'no; some one sot fire to it! "I held in by a strong effort; but feeling that an explosion was imminent, I rushed madly away." The above reminds us of Mrs. M'Gibbons's country girl. When Mrs. M. was preparing to act "Jane Shore," at Liverpool, her dresser, an ignorant country girl, informed her that a woman had called to request two box orders because she and her daughter had walked four miles on purpose to see the play. "Does she know me ?" inquired the mis"Not at all," was the reply. "What a very odd request!" exclaimed Mrs. M'Gibbons: "has the good woman got her faculties about her?" "I think she have, ma'am, for I see she ha' got something tied up in a red silk handkercher." "I was perambulating the piazza of the Hotel, in company with the daughter of the landlord. She had been recounting to me all her father's little successes and reverses in life ever since he had adopted the profession of a Boniface, and among the latter (that is, the reverses) the rather prominent and discouraging one of having his 'hostelrie' burned down without the mitigating circum-tress. stance of any insurance upon it. I professed a proper amount of sympathy for so great a calamity, and ventured to inquire whether accident or the torch of the incendiary had wrought such ruin. A "SUCKER's" idea of soundness is aptly illus- | trated in the remark of an old bee-hunter in one of the Egyptian counties. The "times" were the topic of conversation among a group of villagers at "the store," and the soundness of the various Illinois banks was under discussion. Among these is the Gaston Bank, owned by Smith, a popular man among the "copperas-breeches" thereabouts. "Is Smith sound?" inquired one of the party. Uncle Milt, an old pioneer, taking his pipe from a hole in his face like a slit in a side of sole-leather, broke out, "Sound! Smith sound! Well, he is. He never wur sick in his life, weighs more'n 180, voted fur Duglis, and believes in immersion-sure! I call that sound-some!" "BEING on a visit to a friend near Tarrytown, I there frequently met Washington Irving. Dr. Bwas also a visitor; and one evening, Mr. Irving being present, the conversation turned on certain streets in the city, and what might there be found. Even a great many Gothamites know nothing of the infinite variety of odds and ends found in some of these repositories. Now the said Dr. Bis well known for his indefatigable research after every thing antique-books, paintings, vases-even down to old shoes. "Mr. Irving, in the quaint and humorous style for which he was inimitable, related several of his visits to these regions. He then stated that when he was last time in the city he had gone down that way, and that he was anxious to visit a certain street, where he was sure he would find what he was in search of-that he would start to go; then he would stop; then he started again; but that finally he gave it up for that time. The whole company, the ladies especially, cried out to know what he was in search of. 'Only,' said he, 'I thought I could find a piece of Noah's toe-nail.' The hit at the Doctor was heartily enjoyed by the company, and Dr. B joined in the laugh as loudly as any of them." THE Twenty-Fourth Volume of the Magazine begins with this Number. Where, in all the books that men have made, can you find twenty-four in a set with such an amount and variety of matter in every department of human knowledge? Two dozen dictionaries might have more, but they are mighty dull reading, and they lack connection. But the Magazine is always entertaining and instructive. and the family with these twenty-four volumes will never be at a loss for lively and useful reading. Now is the very best time to subscribe, and the terms may be found on the cover. |