rcvai oi the watchman .;■•;■ year two dollars payable in p r " : ii u i if u.t paid in advance two dollars " , rf cents will i'c charged inserted tit si for 1 1 first and 25 cts ". ,.\: hi lines for each subsequent inseiti n i _ h d 25 per cent higher than these il deduction to those who advertise by . h • editor must he post paid the poor man .. . . ,, ... is poor not he whose brow is bathed in heaven's own light — v . j n ee to cod alone must bow a , , . r ing i d at night — v , osc '.'!" ' ' nerved by healthful toil — wh i sits beneath the tree q r trl .„;■ upon the fruitful soil with calm and free q , ; the proud his cms behold and view i':i ir sparkling ray ; so silver vase or sparkling ijold ,-,,,. banish cure away ; he cannot know the thrilling dream which smiles within the cot wheie sunny locks and faces gleam i c hei r tli poor man's lot wh rt man is poor not he whose brow is wet with heaven's own dew — v i , breathes to god the heartfelt vow whose pledge p deed and true til morning calls his active feet 1 ;.,) enchanting dome ; but evening and the twilight sweet sh l light hilt pathway home and there is imiric to his ear in the glud voice of his child — hi wife with hurried step draws near i spirit undefiled then turn not from the humble heart xor pcorti his humble tone for deeper feelings there may start than the proud have ever known happy days by charles mackav c.iiii back — tome back — thou youthful lime ! when joy and innocence were ours when life was iu its vernal prime and redolent of sweets and flowers (•„:,).■ back i and let us roam once more free-hearted through life's pleasant ways and gather garlands as of yore come back — come back — ye happy days ! come hack — come back ! — twas pleasant then 1 i herish faith in love and truth li.r nothing in dispraise of men had sour'd the temper of our youth ; come back i — and let us still believe i'll gorgeous dream romance displays nor trust tin tale that men deceive come buck — come back — ye happy days come buck oh freshness of the past ! when every face seemed fair and kind when bunward every eye was cast and all the shadows fell behind come hack ! twill come true hearts can turn tl.<ir own decembers into mays ; the secnt be it ours to learn they come — they come — those happy days ! the bargain j what have you there husband v said mrs courtland to her eyeful and thrifty spouse as the latter paus ed in the open door to give some di rections to a couple of porters who j had just set something on the pave ment in front of the house k just wait a moment and i will tell you henry ! john ! bring it in here the two porters entered with a beau tiful sofa nearly new 1 why that is a beauty husband ? ! how kind you are it's second hand you perceive ; j but its hardly soiled — no one would j know the difference it's just as good as new what j did you give for it v that's the best part of it it is a splendid bargain it didn't cost a | cent less than two hundred dollars — , now what do you think i got it for v ' sixty dollars p guess again fifty guess again forty-live no try again ' but what did you give for it dear why only 20 well now that is a bargain ain't it though ? it takes me to get j the things cheap 1 continued the pru dent courtland chuckling with de j light why how in the world did you j get it so low ' i managed that it ain't every one that understands how to do these j things ' but how did you manage it dear ? i should like to know 1 ' why you see there were a great many other things there and among the rest some dirty carpets before the sale i pulled over these carpets and threw them upon the sofa a good deal of dust fell from them and made the sofa look 50 per cent worse than it reallv was when the sale com menced there happened to be but few persons there and 1 asked the auc tioneer to sell the sofa first as i want ed to go and would bid for it if it were sold then few persons bid freely at the opening of a sale what's bid for a splendid sofa 1 he began i'll give you fifteen dollars for it 1 said 1 5 its not worth more than that for it's dreadfully abused fifteen dollars fifteen dollars on ly fifteen dollars for this beautiful so christmas sheet7 or carolina watchman 11 disguise vol vii salisbury n c thursday december 26 1850 xo.xxx fa !' he went on , and a man next to me bid 17 i let the auctioneer cry the last bid for a few moments until i saw he was likely to knock it down twenty dollars said i and that's as much as i'll go for it the other bidder was deceived by this as to the real value of the sofa for it did look dreadfully disfigured by the dust and dirt and consequently the sofa was knocked offto me that was admirably done indeed said mrs courtland with a bland smile of satisfaction at having obtain ed the elegant piece of furniture at so cheap a rate and it's so neat a match too for the sofa in our front parlor this scene occurred at the resi dence of a merchant in this city who was beginning to count his fifty thou sands let us look on the other side of the picture on the day previous to the sale a widow lady with one daughter a beautiful and interesting girl about 17 was seated on a sofa in a neatly furnished parlor iu hudson st the mother held in her hand a small piece of paper on which her eyes were in tently fixed 5 but it could be readily perceived that she saw not the cha racters that were written upon it what is to'be done ma v at length asked the daughter indeed my child i cannot tell — the bill is 50 and has been due you know for seveial days i havn't 5 and your bill for teaching the miss leonards cannot be presented for two weeks and then it will not amount to this sum can't we sell something more iua v suggested the daughter we have sold all our plate and jewelry and now i'm sure i don't know what we can dispose of unless it be something that we really want wfiat do you say to selling the so fa ma k weu i don't know florence it don't seem right to part with it but perhaps we can fo without it it will^eadily bring fifty dollars i suppose v certainty it is the best wood and workmanship and cost one hundred and forty dollars your father bought it a short time before he died and that is not more than two years past you know i should think it would bring near ly one hundred dollars said florence who knew nothing of auction sacrifi ces 5 and that would give us enough besides paying the quarter's rent to keep us comfortably until some of my bills become due that afternoon the sofa was sent and on the next afternoon florence went to the auctioneer's to receive the money for it have you sold that sofa yett asked the timid girl in a low hesitating voice what sofa miss ?' asked the clerk looking steadily in her face with a bold stare the sofa sent by mrs , sir when was it to have been sold 7 yesterday sir oh,wehavntgot the bill made out yet you can call the day after to morrow and we'll settle it for you can't you settle it to-day sir ? we want the money particularly without replying to the timid girl's request the clerk commenced throw ing over the leaves of the account book and in a few minutes had taken oft the bill of the sofa here it is — eighteen dollars and sixty cents see if it's right and then sign this receipt aint you mistaken sir ? it was | a beautiful sofa and cost one hundred and forty dollars that's all it brought miss i assure you furniture sells very badly now florence rolled up the bills that were given her and turned home with a heavy heart it only brought eighteen dollars and sixty cents ma she said throw ing the notes into her mothers's lap and bursting into tears heaven only knows then what we shall do said the widow clasping her hands together and looking upwards there are always two parties in the case of bargains — the gainer and los er : and while the one is delighted j with the advantage he has obtained why is a restless man in bed like a lawyer ? j he thinks nothing of the necessities because he lies on all sides which have forced the other party to : accept the highest offer but few \ c \\ enl once burst into a flood of tears after buyers of bargains think or care he hud heard the statement of his counsel ex about taking this view of the subject claiming " 1 did not think i had suffered half phila dollar weekly nous \ so much till 1 heard it this day 1 ar ipotrait ballcrn j i we have the pleasure of presenting to our subscribers this week an ex act likeness of robert b rhett of south carolina just as he bore himself on the occasion of his late celebrated disunion speech in the city of charleston our artist has sketched him in one of his most interesting attitudes whilst delivering that address we present here the full length likeness of the rev theodore parker of boston this picture was got up at a heavy expense ex pressly for our christmas paper ! the daguerrean likeness from which it was at last copied was taken by a celebrated artist and is undoubtedly correct we have to regret the mutilation of the right hand of this pic ture in order to get it within the space assigned it mr parker is taken in the act of delivering his late disunion and re bellious sermon the most careless observer must discover the remarkable family like itess between mr parker and mr rhett a close observer however will see some difference in the eyes and nose : air r's eye-brows are heavier and his nose sharper than those of mr p who in fact appears to have brows completely encircling the eye a small difference is also discoverable in the shape of the heads : here again we think air rhett has it : his is the best formed ; and as well as our know ledge of phrenology enables us to determine is the best balanced head of the two but parker is undoubt edlv an extraordinary man no one can look upon that noble counten ance of his and go away unimpressed with the fact that he is fully equal in many important particulars to the chivalrous south carolinian scene at bethlehem by chahle3 eekciieil december's blasts are sweeping across i the lofty bights of bethlehem to ihe north we behold against the winterysky : the towers of jerusalem far to the j southeast the eye traverses successive de scents slope after slope till in the dis ; tance we espy the leaden gleam of the j waves of asphaltites and beyond them ;' the jagged conical sparkling almost | transparent peaks ot the mountains of the | arabian desert along the northern road we behold ; slowly approaching on foot the figure of ■ a sturdy traveler stall in hand closely ■ wrapped in his thick gabardine and lead : ing by the bridle a panniered mule and ; another bearing a muffled figure enveloped in her large winter veil and i in various skins and coarse fabrics rides j a young female apparently in suffering . and shrinking from tbe cutting northern ; blasts which now begin to come loaded i with snow as they drive relentlessly along j the rocky road she seems weak and i weary and scarcely capable of maintain i ing her seat without the support from her companion who supports her with his • ready arm from time to time while all i their apparel and the shaggy hide of their j brute companions are soon coated with | the fine driving snow and sleet and the road becomes so slippery that with many a slide they slowly urge their painful u r ay and is this alas ihe daughter of an ancient line of kings is this the molh t er of a universal conqneror ? young delicate never exposed to many hardships j how in this dreary journey do the pitiless fewoesof wititery war the gloom of frown ing nature spread a pail over thy spirit in thine hour o anguish ! soon they stand before the door of the hospitable inn confident at last of priva cy i*i re«t with what chagrin does joseph learn that not a corner of the spa cious edifice is unoccupied ! the great census has gathered here unprecedented j crowds and they are come too late from j far galilee thus ihey stand benumbed ] with cold in the open high way poor ' friendless and unknown jn despair he looks lor some friendly face to guide him but all are cowering around the fire he looks here and here for some temporary shelter if it be no better than a hut a shed or a hovel but all in vain at length a door presents itself to his view in the neighboring hill side uliord ing entrance lo a species of cave or grot such as are common in those mountain regions and which when additionally ex ! cavated by art as in the present instance are frequently fitted with a few rude ar ticles of stable furniture in fact it is a stable in the rock ; and thither as a last resort he bends his steps they enter and in the farthest recess of the cave which though tenanted by several steeds proves at least dry and warm joseph hastens to scatter straw and spread the matting he carries in his panniers upon this the trembling virgin j sinks grateful for so mean a shelter while having cared for the males her husband kindles a fire and dries their drenched garments and makes such other arrange ments for her comfort as the tenderest anxiety can suggest thus it is that at last the hour approach es for the entrance upon earth of that je hovah who lcwut-e it can we stand be neath the rugged rocks of lhat low-brow ed cave now wreathed in the stifling smoke listen to the stamping of the steeds and the sound of their teeth as they grind their food ; can we see in yon dim corner the figure of the sighing and exhausted young maiden the kneeling form of jo seph by her side ; can we hear the fierce december gale howling without and the rushing of the rain and sleet : can we call all these circumstances about us be fully possessed of the scene ourselves a part of it and then reflect that here in this ob scure retreat — this cavern fit to be the den of fierce banditti — this sombre fuli ginous vault is about to happen the great est event in the whole annals of time ! — i can we stand thus at the very crisis of the mighty spiritual drama for the enact j ment of which the world itself was made ' and yet feel no deep and solemn adora ! tion no profound awe ? t * * * * * how often have we all doubtless with i wondering curiosity brooded over those j hidden years of the incarnation preced i ing the public ministry of the b»ing now ! approaching to view as a star here and ! there in a dark night looks kindly out from ', the gloom of the overcast heavens speak ing of the universe beyond and assisting our faith to realize its glories though shrouded in darkness so from the canopy of those thirty years look kindly forth to meet our gaze a few dispersed star beams of the heaven inspired gospel what then is the first personal dawn ing upon us of this being whose name is " wonderful v what attitude does ho assume ? where do we first behold him 1 the answer is in those simple remarkable words " wrapped is swaddling clothes and lying i a manor.p the careless menial of tbe haughty ro man plies bis evening toil and passing from cbarger to charger providing for the wants of the warlike steeds glances oc i cfisionally with trans'enl curiosity upon thy sleeping form d rays of heavenly : effulgence circling round iby brow reveal the presence ol a god the distant songs of angel choirs reach not his car there ihou best in thy first earthly slumber weak helpless and visibly he mere off spring of a despicable jew so he thinks '■ let him pass on with his thoughts and la 1 bors little wotting that before the name i of that child ihe ihrone of cesar must go down the eternal city sink in lire but near thy side vigilant of thy slum ber reclines now a maiden young and pale and of a deep heart who shall fa thom the thoughts of her breast who di vine its emotions as now a virgin moth er mary gazes on thee thou sleeping babe are not the voices of angel mes sengers yet ringing in her ears ! feels she not the overwhelming influence ol tbe almighty father ? and as the silent foun fains of a mother's love are first unloosed how do their waters gush forth only to mingle with the ocean of love that rolls shoreless through the bosom of the eter nal ! there loo lies buried in sleep the over weary artisan seizing at length the first hour of quiet for repose his manly visage in the ruddy light of the flickering fire marked with calm and resolute integrity #»#*»♦ doubtless an infant's feeble wail oft smites upon the ear of night in that rever berating cell and there like angel warb ; ling rises in the night-watches the soft | cradle hymn of the wakeful mary sooth 1 ing that artless voice lhat wild and an cient language the slumbers of a god night at length wanes over the inmates of this humble cave the hum of busi ness has not yet commenced the raging . blast has died into silence and iu the east pale phosphorus alone declares the orient day his tremulous beams sparkling every where upon ihe snow which lies , like a silvery mantle upon the gloomy pines and evergreens that crest the slum bering mountains yet in this hour when deep sleep fall j eth upon men the tramp of feet is heard i and voices break the stillness of ihe night : mary roused from a moment's oblivion ! starts towards her child and looks forth : with sudden alarm while joseph cautious j ly removes from the mouth of the cave j the rude and heavy door a flood of torchlight streams in upon j the dazzled eye of mary now used to the i darkness and with increased tremor she beholds her unexpected visitors a nomad ! shepherd in red tunic and white urban ' stalks forward poniard and sword at his belt quiver and bow upon his shoulder ! and in his hand a torch and a long spear i after him troop a horde of rugged follow ers in pastoral garb some armed some '■ bearing only shepherds crooks and some | with torches before mary can find courage to utter ' a word io ! every knee is bent and every j forehead bowed lo the ground -, when ris ing from this posture of adoration before ; the sleeping infant the aged shephcrj ; with a snowy beard thus speaks j " we were abiding in the fields keep ! ing watch over our flocks by night and j lo ! the angel of the lord came upon us j and the glory of the lord shone round about us and we were sore afraid ! and i the angel said unto us ' fear not for be i hold i bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people f<»r unto ; you is born this day in ihe city of david \ a savior which is chiist the lord ; and this shall be a sign unto you ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes ; and lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angid a multitude of the heavenly host praising god and say ing " ' glory to god in the highi.-tt and mi earth j»aoo good will toward m.-ti !' and it came to pass that when the angel was gone away from us into heaven we ! said one to another ' let us now go even j unto bethlehem and see this thing which the lord hath now made known unto us now therefore will we return glorifying and praising god for all the things we have seen even as they were told unto us so saying they reverently depart and ; the cave is dark once more and its in mates see outside upon the snow the j star light now growing wan before the luster of the dawn can not we all see with what emotion the youthful mary looks first upon her si lent husband and next upon the now a wakening hoy ? is this helpless infant thinks she ' now l ing in mv arms one day to sit up on a golden throne blazing with jewels . with a scepter iu his hand and a crown of diamonds on bis bead ' siihii this weak and wailing voice ever he heard above the din of battle loader than the clangor of the trumpets and the shooting of the captains ! shall these tiny fingers one day grasp a cimeter red with carnage f ah woman ! that tiny hand shall bear no curved cim»ter but thou shall see it mangled by the driven nail ! that head shall indeed wear a crown but — of thorns ' arrival of signer blitz — a wag in a country bar room where each man was reciting the wonderful tricks they had seen performed by signor blitz and ibe rest of the conjuring family expressed his contempt for the whole tribe declar : ing that he could perform any of the tricks especially that of beating a watch in pieces and restoring it whole it being doubted he demanded a trial several watches were at once produced for the experiment " there said he '• there are the pieces " yes all exclaimed '• now let's see the watch hn used mysterious words shook up the fragments and at length put do an the pestle and mortar observing well 1 thought 1 could do it but bj george 1 can't !*'