Page images
PDF
EPUB

of ceremony, now broke forth spontaneously, under the melting influences of wine. The fiddler struck up a merrier tune, and even Alfred's rueful visage seemed to catch a gleam of jollity. The tambourine boomed and jangled with redoubled power as the excited Simon rapped the sounding sheepskin consecutively with knuckles kneepan, pate, and elbow. Alfred's legs and arms worked like the cranks of a grasshopper engine, going at thirty miles an hour. The spirit of the dancers kept pace with the music until the approach of evening warned them to get ready for the train which would bear them back to Salisbury. Things were packed up, and the necks of several bottles of Champagne, discovered among the stuff, were broken off to pass away the time while they waited for the train."

"What a delightful day we've had! How charmingly every thing has passed off! not an incident to mar the enjoyment!"

Just then Alfred appeared on the platform, his trembling knees knocked together, his bosom heaved like a blacksmith's bellows, his face was ashy pale, and his eyes rolled upward with a mingled expression of terror and despair. For some moments he was dumb; but his attitude and accessories told his story-a grief too big for words. In one hand he held an empty bag, and in the other his tuneful friend and companion, the fiddle. But in what a case! splintered, smashed, mammocked, bridge and sounding-post gone, the tail-piece swinging by the idle strings.

Simon looked on aghast.

"Somebody done sot on her!" he exclaimed.

Alfred at length spoke: "Da! dat fiddle is done ruinged!" and again relapsed into dumbness, while two big tears gathered in his eyes. The hearts of the spectators were touched, and they crowded round the unhappy negro.

"Why, Alfred," cried one, "it can be mended."

"Never, massa, she'll never sound agin."" "Pass round your hat, Alfred."

That was a woman's voice. God bless the ladies! May their kind hearts never know sorrow!

The hat circulated, and substantial sympathy showered in it so freely that there was presently enough to buy two fiddles. A glow of happiness overspread the minstrel's face, and as he acknowledged and pocketed the contents of the hat, he glanced again at his mutilated instrument.

"I specks I kin mend her up yit."

Now Simon was an interested spectator of these proceedings, and when he saw the turn things had taken he grew thoughtful and began to scratch his head. Anon he disappeared, and after a short time returned with tears in his eyes, uttering groans and lamentations.

"Well, Simon, what has befallen you?"

"Oh, master," replied Simon, with a tragedy countenance, "I wouldn't a had dis to happen for five dollars; jis look at dis tambourine--busted clean through."

[graphic][merged small]

"DAT FIDDLE DONE RUINGED."

"How did this occur, Simon?" said the gentleman, examining the broken instrument.

"Why, master, I don't know exactly how it come; but I specks somebody put dere foot in it."

"I would not be surprised," returned the examiner, "if some one had put his foot in it. Now, Simon, you perceive the frame of the tambourine is perfectly sound, and the cracked

sheepskin can be easily replaced. Your esti-
In
mate of five dollars damages is excessive.
my judgment, a judicious expenditure of ten
cents will put every thing in statu quo ante bel-
lum. Here is a dime, Simon."

During this discourse the tambour-major looked very sheepish and restive, but habitual deference for the opinions of the dominant race induced him to accept the award without demurrer, only observing, as he joined in the general laugh,

"I mought as well not a-broke it."

Meanwhile one of the company had got hold of the broken tambourine-head, declaring that the events of the day deserved to be written on parchment.

A call was made upon the company for poetical contributions, which was answered by a shower of couplets. A committee appointed to collect and arrange the proceeds reported the following:

VERSES WRITTEN BY A PICNIC PARTY ON THE HEAD OF
A BROKEN TAMBOURINE WITH A CORKSCREW.

"Of all the year, the time most dear
Is buxom, blooming, merry May;
In woodland bowers we gather flowers
From morning fair to evening gray.
"Time we beguile with beauty's smile,

And sweetly while the hours away,
Champagne sipping, lightly tripping,
Like lambs skipping in their play.
"Music sounding, mirth abounding,
Old care drowning in the foam
Of sparkling bumper-fill a thumper
And we'll drink to friends at home.

"Pray mind your work and pop the cork,
Just take a fork if corkscrews fail:
'Think'st thou, because thou'rt virtuous,

There shall be no more cakes and ale?"
"To ladies eyes 'neath southern skies,

To those we prize on earth most dear,
Another brimming goblet fill-

But, hark! the warning whistle near.
"Drink quick-'tis time to close our rhymc-
To Holtsburg's halls a farewell-hic;
To Yadkin's bowers and fragrant flowers-
Quick-transit gloria mundi-sick."

[graphic]
[graphic][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

WHEAT AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS.

BY T. B. THORPE.

considerable vigor on the verge of the tropics. The highest condition of man-the perfection,

OF all the plants cultivated, wheat is the most indeed, of the race has always been associated

important to the welfare of man; for pure wheat is the standard of food, and, more than the precious metals, the standard of all values. It is chiefly the product of temperate climes, but it is successfully cultivated within seven or eight degrees of the polar circle, and flourishes with

with wheat-producing and wheat-consuming countries; and this is true from the days of the Pharaohs downward to the enlightenment of the present times. The rice-eating nations are inferior to the consumers of wheat. In the Arctics, where fish is the chief food, and in the Tropics, where acid fruits predominate, man approximates the inferior animals, and his civilization is of a physical character. As we descend in the scale of human degradation, we find the root-eating Indians of America at the lowest extremity of the scale. We are, therefore, justified in looking upon a grain of wheat with an interest bordering on veneration, and every thing connected with its history assumes positive importance.

No record remains of its first cultivation, and the best-informed differ as to its origin. It is maintained by some that wheat, as at present known, is an artificial product. In confirmation of this hypothesis is adduced the fact, that wherever the early history of the cultivation of any species is known, it is found that the husbandman first applied to his use the imperfect plant growing wild about him. He finds some berry, the taste of which is agreeable, and in order to have it more plentiful he begins its improvement; the desired object is accomplished, and, finally, a fruit is produced so superior to the one found growing wild that it is impossible to trace any necessary resemblance. Analogous to this example, it is thought, is the origin of wheat; and botanists distinguished for their acquirements profess to have found the important progenitor in a grass growing wild on the shores of the Mediterranean, known to scientific men by the name of agilops.

Strabo mentions the spontaneous growth of

[graphic]
[ocr errors]

GROWING WHEAT AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

[merged small][graphic][merged small][subsumed]

THE WHEATEN LOAF AND THE FAMILY CIRCLE.

wheat in the Persian province of Mazenderan, | and in the country of the Musicans, to the north of India. More modern travelers profess to have found wheat and barley growing wild in some parts of Mesopotamia, and upon the undulating prairies of Texas. According to the soundest judgments, however, wheat, as we know it, is really one of those products in the development of which by special culture man has done the least, for through all time it has not changed its character. The various kinds of wheat, when grown together, never cross; and hybrids, when they do occur, are not maintained beyond the second generation, without an infusion of new vigor from the parent stock. Hence, if the ægilops and wheat mingled, the hybrid would either have perished after a year or two, or would have returned to its original type. It must also be remembered that it is the very nature of the plant for the flower not to open itself until after the process of fecundation is accomplished.

utterly de

stroyed, and

yet, on the

subsidence of the waters, it has sprung up from the root, and come to perfection. Quite recently a scientific gentleman, making archæological researches in the south of France, in some of the ancient tombs, fourteen centuries old, found imbedded with some preserved bodies a species of wheat, it being the habit, in the days of the first Gallic kings, to place in the coffins of embalmed persons a few of these almost indestructible seeds. Some of this wheat was sown, and the gentleman was surprised to see it sprout forth from sixteen to twenty stalks from each grain. As they grew they became angular, and much stronger and more vigorous than the common wheat.

The family of Sir William Symonds, of Hampshire, England, brought into that country some wheat from Thebes. The mummy from which it was taken must have been embalmed more than three thousand five hundred years ago. This wheat was planted and thrived, and produced over one thousand six hundred grains from fifteen stems which sprung from a single seed. One of the most interesting circumstances connected with this reproduction of ancient wheat was this, that the specimen produced was such as Pharaoh saw in his dream:

It is remarkable how slight are the differences among the known varieties of wheat, particularly when compared with the changes wrought by culture in the apple, the peach, and, above all, the dahlia, which, in the course of half a century, has given more than four hun-"Behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full dred varieties, many of which are at an im- and good." From this great increase it is natmense distance from the original type found in urally suggested that wheat now grown is a deMexico. The unvarying nature of wheat is generate class of the same species formerly strikingly demonstrated in the fact that, how-common in Egypt; else, it is argued, how could ever degenerated it may become, it is instantly the Egyptians have supplied the Assyrian, Grerestored by attentive cultivation; that the selec- cian, and Roman empires from their supertion of the finest grains for seed has no influence | abundance above their own wants?

SEED FOUND IN THE MUMMY.

The agricultural wealth of the most ancient of countries, Egypt, consisted in its wheat. Not only was her dense population supplied with a profusion of the necessaries of life, but Egypt was a granary where, from the earliest times, all people felt sure of finding an abundant store of corn. Seven years of plenty afforded, from the superabundance of the crops, a sufficiency of food to supply the whole population during seven years of dearth, as well as "all countries" which sent to Egypt "to buy," when Pharaoh, by the advice of Joseph, laid up the annual surplus for that purpose. The contrivances for irrigation among the people were perfect. Sculptures are quite common representing canals conveying the water of the annual inundation into the fields; and the proprietor of the estate may sometimes be seen plying in a light punted skiff, superintending the maintenance of the dykes, or other important There is still an- | matters connected with the lands. According other inherent vir- to Strabo, the system of agriculture was SO perfect that "art contrived sometimes to supply what nature denied, and by means of canals and embankments, there was little difference in the quantity of land irrigated, whether the inundation was deficient or abundant."

tue about wheat over every other seed. This is its power to thrive at a temperature destructive to ordin- In working the soil the Egyptians were equalary vegetable life. ly remarkable. In one of their memorable While the farmer paintings (still fresh in outline and color after a sits cozily by his lapse of two or three thousand years), we find evwinter fire, and idences of care calculated to shame the boasted looks out upon the improvements of modern agriculturists. In one frozen landscape, picture in which the sowing of grain is reprehe can not help sented, is to be seen a plow drawn by a pair thinking of the del- of oxen, followed by the sower scattering the icate young wheat seed from a basket. Following on is another ANCIENT EGYPTIAN WHEAT, FROM plants, of what is plow, while a roller, drawn by two horses abreast, their condition: completes the performance. In the preservado they vegetate when all else in nature is tor- tion of wheat the Egyptians also excelled all pid? Covered with snow as it is, the agricul- other people, their granaries being perfect. It turist knows that his young wheat still vegetates, is a curious fact that recent writers, in discussstill "works," and in spite of the freezing blasting this subject, after the most laborious reand the pervading death chill, which rests upon the landscape, extends its roots down into the soil in search of nourishment. The botanists inform us gravely that, in wheat, this is "a specific vitality." So wonderful, indeed, is the power of wheat to resist cold, that a grain dropped upon the thick ice over a congealed river has been known to sprout and send out through a small orifice a blade two or three inches long, the roots at the same time penetrating into the very heart of the hard-ribbed ice.*

[graphic]

* Staunton (Va.) Vindicator.

search, have suggested the very modes employed by Joseph-that of stone repositories under cover, hermetically sealed; and it is probable that wheat thus disposed of in the dry climate of the Nile would last perfectly sound for untold years. Unhappily for the welfare of society in modern times, our ingenuity is not taxed for the erection of granaries, as we have no surplus crop to put away against years of scarcity.

The Israelites may also be reckoned among the great agricultural people of antiquity. Their sojourn in Egypt made them more particularly acquainted with wheat. Nearly the whole pop

« PreviousContinue »