DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF TRUTH, VIRTUE, AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. Vol. III. THE FARMER'S HOME. BY H. B. WHITE. 'Oh! if there be one spot ou earth, Thrice sacred spot! where friendship's light From The Mothers' Magazine. THE TWIN-BROTHERS. FROM THE GERMAN. BY W. H. STARR NEW-LONDON, CT. The twin-brothers were the pride and delight of the whole neighborhood. As they passed along through the village, hand in hand, every face smiled upon them, every heart blessed the beautiful and loving pair What then must they have been to their parents? To their mother especially, they had been, from the hour when they were first laid in one cradle, the objects of an affection stronger than a mother's common love, and she watched them by day and night like some unearthly treasure which she feared might vanish from her sight. There was something so strange in their perfect resemblance to each other; the source almost every hour of sweet perplexities, of innocent mischiefs. Nor was the likeness confined to their persons. The golden curls, the dark blue eyes, the voices, the size of these beautiful creatures were not more alike than their minds and tempers. Affectionate and gentle dispositions were united with the promise of rare gifts of intellect. They were perfectly healthy, and their gayety and activity kept the whole house astir. Nothing could be imagined more like the happiness of Eden than the life of these childen in their beau tiful rural home. Their mother's happiness in them, deep and full as it was, had always been tinged by an anxious foreboding, a secret feeling that they were not long for earth. She could never bear to be separated from them Thursday, December 6, 1860. even for a day. Often she rose again and again in the night, and with a lamp in her hand stood gazing at the cherub sleepers, unable in their perfect repose to tell which was Henry and which was William. After breathing over them a silent prayer and kissing a cheek of each as it lay glowing against the snowy pillow like the crimson of a rose's heart, she wonld seek her couch, still to watch over them in dreams. How her heart thrilled every morning at the sound of their voices, as if she had received them anew to life! It was their daily custom to wake her by singing some sweet, simple hymn at her door, and she used to say that often in the first confused moment of waking, as the music of their sweet young voices mingled with her morning dream, the idea of being welcomed into the gate of Heaven by her two boys as angels, was vivid as reality itself; a momentary rapture, succeeded by a keen, prophetic pang which told her that it would be even so. Thus, loving and beloved, had the bright current of their lives flowed on till they had reached their eighth summer. One day in June, their natal month, their parents were obliged to leave them to attend the wedding of a relative in the ONE DOLLAR A YEAR No. 42. As accidentally discharged, and a bullet had passed through the child's breast. William threw himself, with a wild shriek, beside him, the dying boy opened his lips as if he would speak, tried to stretch his hand towards his dispairing brother, and expired. Not a minute had elapsed since they had sprung into that fatal building, glowing with health and joy, and now they lay on the ground together, one dead, the other suffering a mortal agony far worse than death! The whole had been seen by a servant girl who was at work near by, but it had passed too quickly for her to interpose. She and others, who had been alarmed by the shot, now hastened to the place. The old gardener, who blamed himself as the cause of this terrible accident to the children, who were his pride and joy, fled and concealed himself. A physician was called, but he could do no good. In vain did they attempt to lead William from the spot. With fixed looks he hung over his dead brother, but no sound escaped his lips, no tear fell from his eye. When the body was taken to the house he followed silently, and took his place beside the bed on which it was laid. A servant was dispatched to meet the neighboring city. The mother was not returning parents and prepare them for The moment he was perceived easily persuaded to go, for it required an the scene. absence of two days. On the second day, from the carriage, the mother's voice was the boys having finished their lessons, heard calling out to know if all was well. were playing about the grounds. In their A flood of tears in reply told her to exeagerness to explore every nook and cor- pect some great misfortune, and she fainted ner, they had wandered into an outhouse in her husband's arms. The whole dreadwhere garden tools were kept. Here the ful story was at length drawn from the gardener had, on the preceding day, left weeping and agitated servant. When the a gun which he had been using to destroy carriage stopped before the door, and Wilthe hawks which of late had greatly dis- liam, whom no entreaties bad been able to turbed the nightingales and thrushes, those remove from the bedside, heard his fathquiet denizens of the shrubbery. As this er's voice, he grew deadly pale and dropouthouse was remote from the mansion ped without consciousness upon the floor. and seldom entered except by himself, he Thus when the poor parents entered their had laid down the gun without drawing late happy nursery, both their dear chilthe charge. William caught up the loud-dren lay apparently lifeless before them. ed weapon and pointed it at Henry, calling William was at length restored to life, if "Die now, theu bloody hawk!" the state can be called life in which he reStop, Willy, stop!" cried Henry, cov-mained from this day. That deathlike ering his eyes with his hands. But at the pallor never vanished from his cheeks. same instant there was a flash, and Henry Like a restless spirit, silent, with fixed fell lifeless to the ground. The gun had eye, he wandered round the house, taking out: 66 notice of nothing and seeming not to re- his brother to watch for their mother's him in her arms, spoke to him in endear-THE REPOSITORY: NEW-LONDON, CONN. BY W. H. STARR. SECESSION AND DISUNION. mouth, in order to bring peace to a distrac fed country, and silence forever the dis union cry, so revolting to American men? Yes, South Carolina knows this as well ing tones and kissed him tenderly, dim reas any one; but under the influence of membrances seemed to awake in his mind. strong passion, aud under the leadership He would for a moment look at her intelof men, lost to every sense of honor and Ilgently, and with deep sighs press his patriotism, she still wars against her bethands upon his breast, or lay his mother's ter judgement, but with declining success. hand upon his heart; but the next instant The conservative element of the South is he relapsed into his usual state. This was aroused, and South Carolina and ber conThis is a subject that we cannot contem- ferees in insanity will soon be brought to only interrupted by a strong convulsion every day just the hour of the fatal acci- plate with any degree of complacency. It reason. Let us aid in the good work, not dent. He took very little food, and this strikes at the root of confederacy, harmony by vain glorious boasts, not by threats, always with reluctance. His sleep was and public prosperity. Its advocacy is a not by attempts at coercion, but by Chrisunquiet and broken. Sometimes he would breach of good faith and sacred obligation tian reason, and in a spirit of Christian rise in the night and examine every part on the part of any separate State compris mercy, overlooking all wrongs committed of the room as if in search of something, ing a part of this noble Compact-the beau- under a baneful influence, and bearing in then with a deep sigh throw himself again tiful Sisterhood of States-the bright Gal-mind only the service rendered when, in upon the bed. His strength visibly de-axy of Nations. We cannot, in view of the the time of the revolution, her Marions disolution of this Compact-the dismem- and ber Sumpters led her sons on to vic. berment of the Union, forbear most strong tory, fighting for Liberty and Union. ly to declare against such a suicidal course. In regard to the South, we cannot see any good reason for such a proceeding. The Flag of Liberty, a Bell and Everett journal alludes to it in the following strong and pertinent language: creased. After a time he could not stand, row. She could not reject the hope that her child was about to be restored to her. Alas! this hope was soon to go down in darkness. In the midst of this blessedness, in the midst of the soft rapture of reunion and reconciliation, the angel of Death gently laid his hand on the bosom of the child. Once more he murmured the name of Hen ry, once more pressed his mother's hand to his heart, gasped-and had flown with jority is the ruling power,and that to it all PEN MAKING IN THE UNITED The Manufacture of Metallic pens in the United States has cost a very large amount of capital and in a majority of instances has resulted in disappointment and failure on the part of the manufactures. We learn from the Commercial Adverti ser that about the year 1886, the first stee! pen establishment in the United States, so far as can be learned, was started by a company at Hayden ville. Mass. After expending a large amount of money upon the works, and producing some excellent specimens of pens, considering the infancy, as it were, of that branch of manufactures, they were compelled to give up the enter prise, in consequence of a want of experi ence and the absence of proper tools, good tool makers at that time being very scarce. The panic of 1837 also militated against the success of the enterprise. The want of a proper knowledge of slitting, temper. ing and general finishing, caused the pens to be far from uniform in quality. At one time the product might be very good, at another the whole lot would be so totally valueless that they could not even be used for school pens. Another establishment was about this time put in operation at the village of Feltville, in New Jersey. This, after repeated trials, unfortunately followed its prede herself? Do not the leaders In this unho- cessor. ly agitation know, that the first overt act A company next started in Brooklyn, and made great efforts to obtain a footing in the manfacturing world; but after expending several thousand dollars, had also to give up the project as a failure. The next effort was made by two energetic men, one of whom was well known in his day as a proficient die sinker, and who naturally thought that hls practical knowledge would enable him to overcome those difficulties that had shipwrecked all the former concerns. By strenuous efforts COURSE OF LECTURES.-The Citizens' Course of Lectures will be opened on Tuesday Evening next at Lawrence Hall, by Mr. George Sumner of Boston. Mr. S. is a very popular and pleasing lecturer and cannot fail to interest his audience. No one, we are sure will be willing to forego the pleasure of the course for the small item of expense for a ticket. Every member of families that can attend should be supplied in season. We are not sure where the tickets may be obtained but doubtless at the bookstores and news offices. of the gold pen, but the earliest informa- think we can recommend this city as the tion obtained on this point is that in best stock market in New England. England some years since, a gold pen was made, the great desideratum then being to get in the metal all the flexible nature of the quill, and to conquer the corrosive quality of the steel pen. This was of a company was formed, in which were sev-course accomplished in the gold pen, but eral respectable men, many of whom are the precious metal was found to be too actively engaged in mercantile pursuits soft, and in a short time, with constant in this city at the present time. Their ex-use, the pen would rapidly wear away. penses amounted to hundreds of thousands Some doubts exist at the present day as of dollars, but still the enterprise failed. to who was the real inventor of pointing They built a large factory in New York,in the gold pen with a harder substance. A a location then considered far up town, clergyman in Vermont gets the credit for but which now is almost in the heart of the discovery from some parties; while a the city. Every improvement in machine- man named Hawkins claims the invention ry was procured, and many varieties of as his own. In either case it matters but LITERARY NOTICES. pens-some of excellent quality-were little to the commercial world at large, the results of their experiments. provided they get the benefit of the improvement. The Ramapo Coinpany was then started in Rockland county, New York; but unfortunately the whole establishment was soon after destroyed by fire. Two other companies, one after the other, tried to resuscitate this business, but followed their predecessors, and "expired," after expending large amounts of capital in repeated experiments. A joint stock company was next started, with great spirit, in Newark, New Jersey, but as in the preceeding cases, after disposing of about twenty-five thousand dollars without any return, and after an existence of twelve months they had to succomb and give up the struggle. Some private parties next undertook the production of a good steel pen, and established a factory at 37th street, for the manufacture of the same. Not being very successful, a number of persons possessing some enterprise, a little capital, and not devoid of experience, joined themselves into a company under the general manufacturing law, taking the title of the " "Washington Medallion Pen Co.," and by procuring the assistance of good workmen, have been enabled, after an expenditure of about fifty thousand dollars, to produce the first American pen, All the other companies had directed their attention to imitating the English article. It is estimated that about ten thousand gross of pens are in course of completion at one time in this manufactory. It is calculated that 1500 pounds of steel are used in this factory every month, and that the average yearly sales of pens are between sixty and seventy thousand gross annually. Some doubt exists as to the exact origin The first manufacturer of gold pens was Mr. Levi Brown, of Detroit, in which city be started in rather a small way. He soon after established himself in Brooklyn, where he made a rapid fortune and retired from the business. Previous to this Mr. Bagley started in the business, and launched out extensively. At this time the trade became more and more in the hands of all classes of persons, some skillful, others possessing a capital and procuring the services of the talented. After some little time had elapsed and many experiments had failed, a factory was established, and by the aid of machinery, &c., the proprietors are enabled to turn out complete, if required, 12,000 gold pens weekly. CITY ITEMS. SALE OF STOCKS.-At a recent auction sale of Bank and Insurance Stocks by Messrs. Phillps & Smith of this city, the following prices were obtained, viz.: 4 shares Union Bank, at $106,50, to Ezra Chappell; 8 do scrip ($25 shares) at NELLY'S FIRST SCHOOLDAYS.-By Josephine Franklin. Author of "Nelly and her Friends." Boston, published by Brown & Taggard, 25 and 29 Cornhill. 1860. This is second in the series of the "Mar tin and Nelly Stories" by the author of the former volume, "Nelly and her Friends," and fully equal to it in juvenile interest. Written in that familiar and exquisitely beautiful and attractive style that captivates the youthful mind, and finely embellished, it will prove a rare treat to our young friends to whom we will guarantee in it a luxury scarcely equaled in the whole range of juvenile literature. We predict for "Nelly's First Schooldays" a wide circulation. For sale by Starr & Co., No, 4 Main Street. OLDER THAN ADAM.-By the Author of "Violet" "Daisy "Etc. Boston, Brown & Taggard, 25 and 29 Cornhill. 1860. This beautiful little volume is one of the popular "Summer House Series” and although distinct in itself, is a continuation of the theme of a previous story by the same writer relating to the habits of in $31,25; 89 shares New London Bank to sects, birds &c., and the resources and LADIES DEPARTMENT. POETRY. MY THREE TREASURES. BY THE LATE MRS. E. C. JUDSON. I HAVE a steed-a bounding steed, I have a lamb-a household pet; Like the blue of June, when the sun has set, He frolics and gambols the livelong day- I have a bird-life's dawning light, Sweet as the chime of silver bells, Rare, rare the gems in my love-crown set; Oh, heed a mother's prayer! FASHIONABLE FRIENDS.-The hardest trial of those who fall from affluence and honor to poverty and obscurity, is the discovery that the attachment of so many in cause. them, in modest privacy, enact many a Let every one, therefore, see that scene of beautiful wonder, and plaudits of you care for them, by showing them what angels. And upon the whole, fairly esti-Sterne so happily calls, 'the small sweet mating the glory and the uses, and the ac- courtesies of life,' in which is no parade: tual and possible prevalence of the friendly which voice is so still to ease, and which sentiment, we must cheerily strike the manifest themselves by tender and affec lyre and lift our voice to the favorite song, tionate looks and little kind acts of atten confessing after every complaint is ended, tion-giving others the preference in every little enjoyment-at the table, in the field, walking, sitting, or standing." that "There is a power to make each hour As sweet as heaven designed it; Nor need we roam to bring it home, Though few there be that find it! We seek too high for things close by, And lose what nature found us: For life hath here no charms so dear As home and friends around us." NEAT WIVES AND "TOUCHY" HusBANDS.-Women have their faults, 'tis true, and very provoking ones they some times are; but if we would all learn, men and women, that with certain virtnes we admire are always coupled certain dieagreeableness, we might make up our minds more easily to accept the bitter with the sweet. For instance, every husband, we believe, delights in a cleanly, well, ordered house, free from dust, spots, and unseemly stains; the pains taking machinery necessary to keep it so, he wishes never to see, or seeing too often forgets to praise. If, then, his wife, true to her feminine instincts toward cleanliness, gently reminds him, when he comes home, that he has "MOTHER."-O, word of undying beau ty! Thine echoes sound along the walls of time until they crumble at the breath of the Eternal. In all the world there is not a habitable spot where the music of that holiest word is not sounded. Ay, by the flower of the river, by the crystal margin of the forest tree, in the hut built of bamboo cane, in the mud and thatched cottage, by the peaks of the kissing mountains, in the widespread valley, on the blue ocean, in the changeless desert, where the angel came down to kiss the parched lips, the sweet waters of the wilderness, under the white tent of the Arab, and in the bark covered wigwam of the Indian hunter; wherever the pulses of the human heart beat quick and warm, or floats feebly along the current of failing life, there is that sweet word spoken, like a universal prayer-"Mother.” THE MOTHER.-A writer beautifully whom they confided was a pretence, a mask forgotten to use the door mat before enter/remarks that a man's mother is the repre to gain their own ends, or was a miserable shallowness. Sometimes, doubtless, it is sentative of his Maker, Misfortune, and ing the sitting room on a muddy day, let him reflect before he gives her a lordly, even crime, set up no barriers between her with regret that these frivolous followers impatient, ungracious "pshaw!" how the and her son. While his mother lives he has of the world desert those upon whom they reverse of the picture would suit him, viz: one friend on earth who will not listen a slatternly, "easy" woman, whose apart have fawned; but they soon forget them. when he is slandered; who will not desert Flies leave the kitchen when the dishes ments are a constant mortification to him/him when he suffers; who will soothe him are empty. The parasites that cluster about the favorite of fortune, to gather his in the presence of visitors. It is a poor return, when a wife has made everything gifts and climb by his aid, linger with the fresh and bright, to be unwilling to take sunshine, but scatter at the approach of a storm, as the leaves cling to the tree in summer weather, but drop of at the breath of winter, and leave it naked to the stinging blast. Like ravens settled down for a banquet, and suddenly scared by a noise, how quickly, at the first sound of calamity, these superficial earthlings are specks on the horizon! But a true friend sits in the centre, and is for all times. Our need only reveals him more fully, and binds him more closely to us. There are more examples of unadulterated affection, more deeds of silent love and magnanimity than is asually supposed. Our misfortunes bring to our side real friends, before unknown. Benevolent impulses, where we should not expect 2 GOOD ADVICE.—In a letter from Wm. Wirt to his daughter, occurs a passage which we give for the benefit of our readers. They are simple truths. He says: "I want to tell you a secret. The way to make yourself agreeable to others is to show that you care for them. The world is like the miller at Mansfield who cared for nobody-no, not he-because nobody cared for him. And the whole world will serve you so if you give them the same in his sorrows, and speak to him of hope when he is ready to despair. Her affections know no ebbing tide. They flow on from a pure fountain, and speak happiness through this vale of tears, and cease only at the ocean of eternity. IMPROVEMENT IN SKIRTS.-A new skirt has been invented which sustains the dress without any assistance from whale. bone, simply by a harmonious and skillful disposition of the muslin folds of which it is composed. The Multiple Skirt is formed of a series of overlapping flounces, arrayed in a fan shape, readily expanded by means of metallic eyelets. One or two flounces are at most required for a morn. ing dress, and nothing can be more simple. The skirt is put on or off in a minute; when on a journey, divided in pieces,it may be smoothly folded and scarcely occupy any space." REGISTER OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERvations, AT EAST NEW LONDon, FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1860. REPORTED BY H. E. CHITTY. HORTICULTURAL. CELERY. We find a good article in the Tribune on the culture of celery. It is well worth remembing by every lover of this healthful and nutritious vegetable. It is as follows: N. W. N. W. vals of ten or twelve days throughout the cloudy Chilly. ripening. This may be done the first of December, and by the middle the whole may be covered six or eight inches deep over the sides and top. It can be drawn any time during Winter for use or market. The near contact of the stalks with the manure while thus stored does not affect the Celery any more than it does while growing before it is taken up, nor any more than it does potatoes or any other vegetable that we eat. About topping the plants when transplanting, a large grower of Celery says: "I mow off with the scythe "some three inches of the tops of Celery plants twice "in the season before transplanting," As soon as the Celery gets to be 15 or 18 There are but few farmers who attempt inches high, instead of the hoe-harrow use to grow Celery, yet it is not a difficult mat- a plow to throw a slight furrow to the ter; and it is an excellent vegetable, not Celery; then the "handling" or straightonly as a sort of condiment, but it is nour-ening-up process is gone through with, and ishing as food. And every farmer's wife a heavier furrow is then thrown against who has a taste for setting a handsome ta- it. It is then allowed to remain eight or ble, either for her own family or when ten days to extend the hearts, when the she has company, will always be glad to banking process is finishel by the spade. have a handsome dish of celery as a table This is the practice with what is sold THE YALE AGRICULTURAL LECTURES. ornament, if it was not touched as food. in September, October, and November. The experiment of the Yale AgricultuWhere there is a market for it, it is con- That which is put away to preserve for ral Lectures of last Winter was so succsidered as good a paying crop as almost Winter use is done the same with in every cessful as to induce its repetition this any one that can be grown with so little respect, except that it is not banked up by Winter on a more complete scale. The trouble as this grden vegetable. The Hor- the spade nor blanched in any way before course will commence February 5, and ticulturist says: being put away. continue through the month. These lecThe crop being all handled and straight-tures are given under the auspices of the ened up, begin to put away what you want Yale Scientific School, or Scientific Defor use through December on the first drypartment of Yale College, as a supplement day after the 25th of October (dates are of to its newly instituted practical course,and great importance for localities of the same for the benefit of the public at large. A temperature), and so continue until you new and important feature of this course finish, which may be about the 15th of will be its complete illustration by speci November; any later, in our district, is mens, drawings, models, and animals.dangerous for frost; earlier, the Celery Life-sized pantings of groups from celebrawill whiten too quick, and rot. ted herbs will be included in these illustrations. The lectures on the training and breaking of horses will be accompanied by practical illustrations on living animals,in a large amphitheater which has been secured for the purpose. It is quite possible that Mr. Rarey may be engaged for this specialty. We learn from good authority in Connecticut and Massachusetts, that a very large number of students may be expected from those States. "Nearly all the Celery sold in the New York markets is grown as a second crop. The ground is first heavily manured in Spring for crops of early cabbages, beets or onions, which are sold off usually by the first week in July. The ground is then cleared off, plowed, and harrowed, and at once planted with Celery, if the ground is moist enough to receive it. The Celery is planted in rows four feet apart for early, and three feet for the late crop-planted in each case six inches apart-all on the surface of the ground. nically termed the manure The best manner of preserving is to choose a sandy, or at least a dry spot, in This is what is tech-an open exposure, stretch a line, and dig a 'flat' system. Never trench or drain 10 or 12 inches wide, and specially for Celery unless the of the depth of the Celery to be put away. crop preceding it has been neglected, and It is then dug up, the earth wel! shaken then manure over the whole surface, as from the roots, and packed perpendicularly any one of experience knows that the in the trench or drain, just tight enough feeding-ground for the roots is not con- not to bruise the stems. No earth is put fined to six inches on each side of the to the roots; the damp soil of the trench plants, but that they will meet in the cen. gives moisture enough. You simply dig ter of four-feet rows; hence the absurdity a trench and pack it full of Celery, and let N. L. COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIEof manuring only in the rows. The cul- it stand until there is danger of hard freez-TY-A meeting of the New London ture of the crop by the 'flat' system is very ing: then throw strawy stable manure on County Agricultural Society, for the simple. In a week or so after planting, each side, leaving a strip of the green choice of officers, will be held in the Town the ground is run through by the triangu-leaves in the center uncovered. This Hall, at Norwich, on Wednesday, Dec. lar hoe harrow; this is continued at inter- gives ventilation, and prevents too rapid 19, 1860, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, |