The Furlough.

AN IRISH ANECDOTE.

OME private affairs called me into the sister kingdom; in the autumn of 1825, and as I did not travel, like Polyphemus, with my eye out, I gathered a few samples of Irish character, amongst which was the following incident:

I was standing one morning at the window of "mine inn," when my attention was attracted by a scene that took place beneath. The Belfast coach was standing at the door, and on the roof, in front, sat a solitary passenger, a fine young fellow in the uniform of the Connaught Rangers. Below, by he front wheel, stood an old woman, seemingly his mother, a young man, and a younger woman, sister or sweetheart; and they were all earnestly entreating the young soldier to descend from his seat on the coach.

"Come down wid ye, Thady,"--the speaker was the old woman. "Come down now to your ould mother. Sure it's flog ye they will, and strip the flesh off the bones I giv ye.— Come down. Thady, darlin!"

"It's honor, mother," was the short reply of the soldier; and with clinched hands and set teeth he took a stiffer posture on the coach.

"Thady, come down-come down, ye fool of the world-come along down wid ye!" The tone of the present appeal was more impatient and peremptory than the last and the answer was more promptly and sternly pronounced "It's honor, brother!" and the body of the speaker rose more rigidly erect than ever on the roof.

"O Thady, come down! sure it's me, your own Kathleen, that bids ye. Come down, or ye'll break the heart of me Thady, jewel; come down then!" The poor girl wrung her hands as she said it, and cast a look upward, that had a visible effect on the muscles of the soldier's countenance. There was more tenderness in his tone, but it conveyed the same resolution as before.

"It's honor, honor bright Kathleen !" and, as if to defend himself from another glance, he fixed his look steadfastly in front, while the renewed entreaties burst from all three in chorus, with the same answer.

"Come down, Thady, honey!"-"Thady, ye fool, come down!"-"0 Thady, come down to me !"

"It's honor, mother! It's honor, brother! Honor bright, my own Kathleen!"

Although the poor fellow was a private, this appeal was so public, that I did not hesitate to go down and inquire into the particulars of the distress. It appeared that he had been home, on furlough, to visit his family, and having exceeded, as he thought, the term of his leave, he was

going to rejoin his regiment, and to undergo the penalty of his neglect.— I asked him when the furlough expired.

"The first of March, your honor-bad luck to it of all the black days in the world, and here it is, come sudden on me like a shot!"

The first of March!-why, my good fellow, you have a day to spare then the first of March will not be here till to morrow. It is leap year, and February has twenty-nine days."

The soldier was thunderstruck. "Twenty-nine days is it?-You're sartin of that same ?-O mother, mother!-the devil fly away wid yere. ould almanac a base cratur of a book, to be deceaven one, afther living so long in the family of us!"

His first impulse was to cut a caper on the roof of the coach, and throw up his cap, with a loud hurrah!-His second was to throw himself into the arms of Kathleen; and the third was to wring my hand off in acknowledgment.

It's a happy man I am, your honor; for my word's saved, and all by your honor's manes.-Long life to your honor for the same!-May ye live a long hundred-and lape years every one of them!"

Fear of Storms.

At the season in which nature presents to our view the most delightful scenery, and everything abroad conspires to procure us joy and felicity, there are some people who still murmur and complain. They say the summer would be very pleasant if storms did not so often disturb the harmony of nature, and stifle every sentiment of joy in the heart. This fear of storms and thunder is principally founded upon the opinion that they are the effects of the wrath of Heaven, and the ministers of an offended God. For if such people considered how much storms contribute to purify the air from various noxious exhalations, and that they increase the fertility of the earth; if they did but employ the necessary precautions to shelter themselves from the dreadful effects of thunder; storms would loose their terrors, and would be regarded as benefits, more calculated to inspire gratitude than terror.

It may however be objected, that the thunder and lightning often occasions great devastation; that they have often struck men and animals, and destroyed towns and villages. To this we may reply, that in this, as in many other things, fear often increases the danger, and magnifies the evil. To be convinced how rarely it happens that people are killed by lightning, we have only to be informed that out of seven hundred and fifty thousand persons who died in London during the space of thirty years, only two were destroyed by lightning. We may also observe that during a thunder-storm the generality of people prolong their fears without any real necessity.He who has time to fear, and be alarmed at the effects of the lightning, is already out of danger; for as that is the only thing which can be fatal to us, the moment we have seen it, and remain unhurt, we are safe; as the roar of the thunder which soon follows, whether rolling at a distance, the peals break upon our ear, or bursting with a sound that seems to rend

asunder the concave of heaven, immediately above our heads, is harmless. as the echo that dies on the breeze.

If by reflecting upon the cause of these phenomena our fear does not subside, the surest means of preserving our firmness and strength of mind is by endeavoring to acquire a good conscience. The soul that is just and pure firmly relies upon the merciful goodness of his God, and camly reposes amid the convulsions of nature. He hears, without dread, the thunder roll. His Creator, the God whom he loves and adores, directs it; and knows when to terrify, and when to strike; with storms and tempest he sometimes visits the hardened soul of the impious wretch that dares to deny his power, and dishonor his attributes.'

Brilliant Exploit of Colonel Barton.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL BARTON, of a militia regiment belonging to Rhode Island, with several other officers and volunteers, to the number of forty, passed by night (July 10th, 1777,) from Warwick Neck to Rhode Island, then in possession of the British army; and though they had a passage of ten miles by water, eluded the watchfulness of the ships of war and guardboats which surrounded the island. They conducted their enterprise with such silence and dexterity, that they surprised General Prescot in his quarters, about one mile from the water side, and five from Newport, and brought him, with one of his aids-de-camp, safe to the continent, which they had nearly reached before there was any alarm among the enemy.This adventure, which with impartial judges, must outweigh Colonel Harcourt's capture of General Lee, produced much exultation on the one side, and much regret on the other. But more than a month before, Congress had received information that Lee was treated by General Howe with kindness, generosity, and tenderness, which had led them to desire that Colonel Campbell and the five Hessian officers should be treated in a similar manner. Congress presented an elegant sword to Colonel Barton.

Flight of Horses.

It is a fact well known to the readers of history, that panic fears often seize whole armies at once, and deprive the vast multitude not only of courage and self-possession, but of all reason. Some of the most signal and disastrous defeats on record have resulted wholly from this cause; and have enabled the victors to claim, as the fruits of their own valor and conduct, what was the consequence of the outrageous fears of their opponents. This fact, as we have observed, is well known. It is not so well known that the war horse, "with his neck clothed with thunder," is subject to the same disease as man, viz.: panic fear acting on the multitude. The following anecdote illustrates this.

About the 10th of June, 1810, at 2 o'clock in the morning, while Col. R. M. Johnson's regiment was encamped on the Peninsula, below Fort Wayne, in a beautiful grass plain, some of the horses that had passed the line of sentinels and got some distance up the St. Joseph, became alarmed and came running into camp in a great fright. This alarmed all the horses in the regiment, which united in a solid column within the lines,

and took three courses round the camp. It would seem almost incredible, but it is a fact; they appeared not to cover more than about 40 by 60 yards of ground, and yet their number was about 600. The moon shone at the full, the camp was an open plain, and the scene awfully sublime.They at length forced their passage through the lines, overset several tents, carried away several pannels of fence, passed off through the woods, and were, in a few minutes, out of hearing of the loudest bells that belonged to the regiment. The next day was spent in collecting them, some of which were found ten or twelve miles from the camp up the St. Joseph, and about 20 or 25 were never found, although pursued above 20 miles. This alarming flight of the horses of that regiment injured them more than could have been supposed; for they had run so long in such a compact body that very few had escaped without being lamed, having their hind feet cut by the shoes of those that crowded on them.

The writer of this was an officer of the guard, and then on duty. The night being clear and calm, the moon rolling in full splendor, the flight of the horses, which resembled distant thunder, the idea of an immediate attack from the Indians, and the ground of our encampment being paved with the bones of former warriors, all combined to furnish one of those awfully sublime Night Scenes that beggar all description.

A similar flight of the horses took place about the 22d of June, after the regiment arrived at Fort Meigs.

Valuable Recipes.

Stimulating Anodyne Liniment.

1 b. Black Pepper, dried in an oven, ground fine, sifted, boiled in water till reduced to the consistency of thin much. Put into this, b. Cayenne Pepper, as fine as possible: 1⁄2 lb. fine ground Mustard; 1 tb. gum Camphor, dissolved in Alchohol; % 5. Oil Wormwood; 1 tb. Oil Oraganum ; 11⁄2 fb. Oil Spike; 1⁄2 lb. British Oil;

b. American Oil; 14 b. Spirits of Turpenti..e; 2 oz. Spanish flies; 1 qt. Sweet oil; and as much lard as will make it into a thin salve when cold. Boil all together, and when warm enough to how freely, put into small bottles and seal them. Put b. Spirits Hartshorn in just before bottling.

This Liniment is almost an infallible remedy, for the purposes recommended in the July No. of the Miscellany.

Hoarhound Expectorant.

1 gal. Strong hearhound Tea. 2 pt. Syrup Squills.

2

Hive Syrup:
Tincture Labelia.

Pbarb.

66

Taragoric.

Senna.

Balsom Telu

1 oz. Benzoin Acid, dissolved in 2 gal. Alcho

pt. Essence of Anise.

[hol.

As much Sugar house molasses, as will make

it into a thick Syrup. Take 1 Table Spoon full from 3 to 5 times a day.

White Wash for out side work.

Put into a barrel 1 Bushel good white Lime. Pour over this, one and a half gallons of Lime mixed to a cream, after adding to the mixed lime 1 lb. Spanish Whiting; then put in 1 gal. Strong Vinegar, 11⁄2 lb. Gum Shellac, dissolved in Alchohol or Whisky; 3 lbs. Rice made into a Starch; 6 lbs. Alum or Salt; 10 Hs. Tallow. The Gum and Rice are to be put in, after the other articles are well mixed together. Whatever water is necessary to make it the proper consistency for use, must be added. Any colors, that can be mixed with lime, without destroying them, can be used.

To Smiths.

It is said that a strong current of cold air is found to be much more valuable in hardening steel than water, which is commonly used. The manufacture of the celebrated Daniascus blades is carried on only when the north wind occurs. The colder the air and the stronger the blast, the more effectual the process of tempering, but these are proportionate to the thickness of the article hardened.

To Prevent Iron and Steel from rusting.

A blacksmith, who was formerly engaged in the manufacture of sickles, informed us, that the method he adopted to prevent them from rusting after grinding, was to immerse them for an hour, in water strongly impregnated with lime.