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ARNOLD, THE

MONG the most remarkable natural | curiosities of the age is the Bearded Boy, who has recently been exhibited to crowds of wondering spectators in this city.

The portrait of this singular freak of nature was taken by daguerreotype in this city, and copied by our engraver, and is an excellent likeness. He is but three years and six months old, as proved by well-attested documents, from high official sources in Prussia, the boy's native country.

His head, above the eyes, is rather large, and is thickly covered with a very stout growth of wiry black hair, which appears like that of a man of thirty. His upper lip is covered with a downy mustache, a considerable beard is on his cheeks and chin, and his back and chest are covered with a perfect swamp of hair from half an inch to an inch and a half in length, which is smooth and silky. He measures thirty

BEARDED BOY.

two inches in height, is almost as wide as he is long, and weighs ninety-six pounds. He has a very black but pleasant eye: a dark, full, childish face, but the expression is old and calm. His abdomen is enormously developed, and he drinks very copiously of water. He appears to have good sense, but not to be precocious in mental development.

He was born in the town of Culm, in Prussia, September 24th, 1853, of parents having no peculiarities, and whose six older children have nothing to distinguish them in appearance. The press of Berlin and other continental cities published long accounts of him, and the scientific and curious from all parts of Prussia thronged to Culm to see him.

We understand that after leaving this city, those who have him in charge will exhibit him in different parts of the country.

THE SMALL TRADES OF NAPLES.

HE famous market of Santa

T Lucia is set, like a many-colored

bit of enamel, in the midst of the silver horn of Naples. It draws itself out, along the very verge of the bay; just lifted above the break of the gentle swell, but catching every fresh breath of the sea, and every ripple, sob, and murmur of the waves. Here are displayed all those differing shades of character which go to make up the brilliant mosaic of Southern life, and here flutter every cut and color of national costume. You had better resort thither very early in the morning, before man grows drowsy, and before Nature seems to swoon away, in faint and dreamy luxury, under the resistless spell of the midday sun.

"Bono!" we are in good time this morning; so early that the coffee-seller is making his first round; but not too early for that portly brother of the Order of Sant' Antonio to be out in his white serge gown, ringing his obtrusive little bell to warn the votaries of the Romish Church that they had better not eat or drink, buy or sell, until the

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morning he encounters the stout brother in a point-blank way, which admits of no doubting; so he pulls off his broad straw hat, and stands reverently by, while St. Anthony's deputy mutters his Latin incantation over the little portable stove, with its boiling coffee and its tray of small cups.

merchandise of the day be blessed, and the | confessional. However, on this bright monkish fraternities receive their due. There is something ringing on our memory that sounds strangely opposite to this scene of the bell and the blessing; but let us quote the significant words with solemn reverence: "And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

Poor Andrea looks chafed, though he strives to preserve a smooth and placid brow; for he knows well, by many a dayly calculation, that the fee for St. Anthony's blessing sorely infringes upon the little earnings of the day, swallowing up the profits of many a cup of smoking coffee, and leading him into many crooked devices in order to elude the white brother with the blue and red cross on his breast; while these palpable evasions make him feel very uncomfortable at the sight of a

Shortly after this sacerdotal mockery, he may be seen carrying his small establishment to the foot of the turreted gateway which spans the entrance to a meanlooking court. A little lattice opens high up in the old building. A pale and worn man appears, glances rapidly up and down the passage, and, seeing that the way is clear, lowers a little tray carefully balanced by strings, bearing an empty cup and a small coin. Andrea silently takes the money, exchanges the empty cup for a full one, and, without a word, moves on. The pale man at the window carefully draws up the precious drink, closes his lattice, and, raking out his hot chestnuts from the wood ashes of a small chafing-dish, pro

ceeds to enjoy his slight and lonely breakfast. We are much mistaken if that scared and haggard look belong not to a suspected, perhaps to a proscribed man; and we query whether St. Anthony's stout servitor would have pronounced his "benedicite" over the cup of coffee, if he had known what "pestilent fellow" it was about to refresh.

before him down to the Mola, the great pier of Naples. They are right; the old man is bending his steps thither as fast as his treacherous shoes will accompany him ; and now he stands in the midst of a little square of wooden benches, places his hat on the lava pavement, and arranges therein a bundle of papers, which form his whole stock in trade. The sailors precipitate But now for the attractive stall of the themselves upon the benches; the peasant seller of frutti di mare-"sea fruits." man feels doubtfully in his pocket, and And what may they be? queries the reader. hesitatingly takes his seat; the poor facThey are shell-fish; and here you may chini nervously hover round the outer edge make that great moral effort which is of the group, and betray the surreptitious called into exercise at the moment of design of eavesdropping. The old orator swallowing a huge, cold, raw oyster. selects his subject; it is the oft-told but Here you may attempt to digest that tough untiring story of Rinaldo, one of the difficulty, a great Mediterranean muscle, doughty paladins of Charlemagne. "Most or a leather-like cockle, under the illusion dear friends! honorable gentlemen! noblethat you are all the while feasting in the hearted fellow-countrymen! you shall cool, delicious "fruit" gardens of the sea. hear, in the name of the Immaculate VirBut Filippo, the marine market-gardener, gin, how Rinaldo lived, how he loved, how is a man of taste, and gracefully he adorns he rescued, how he bled! Bonissimo! his stall. He must have cultivated the Ah, now we are ready." And away goes beautiful pleasure-grounds of the blue the old man into the wild regions of roMediterranean, as well as the “fruit beds ;" | mance, over deep seas and broad contifor here he has a grove of branching coral nents, now fighting with dragons, now trees, ruby-red and glistening, fresh from with false knights, now with the turbaned the deep sea fountains, spreading forth Moslem. His whole frame trembles; his their mimic boughs and their little grap- voice, clear as a silver bell and mellow as pling roots. And here he has the more a distant echo, now rings out loud and high fragile shrubs of those same groves and with triumph, now bursts with fitful pasgardens, delicate corallines, shaded from sion, now flows on softly, caressingly, and brilliant rose color to pale pink. then dies away in the low moanings of unutterable distress. And what effect has all this upon the belt of inflammable materials which surrounds him? Those fieryeyed men are like tow dipped in camphene, or like cases of gunpowder or bundles of lucifer matches. Their whole moral and physical nature is bituminous or sulphurous. Drop a spark upon it, and it will ignite; bestow a little skillful friction, and it will explode. Ha! those few ringing words about fratriá, libertà, tiranniá, are working wildly within them; teeth are ground, hands are clinched, and, half rising from their benches, they growl under their breath like caged tigers. The Signor Enrico looks around into the glaring eyes that hem him in, and knows he has said enough-said too much, it may be; for there are two evil-looking lazzaroni who are stealing furtively away along the Mola. What for? what if it be to give a hint to the police, with whom they are leagued?

As we turn away from Filippo's stall, with its various "frutti di mare," we observe an eccentric-looking old man moving along with a theatrical air through the busy groups of Santa Lucia. He is meanly clad-his poor clothes, like himself, looking as if they had known better times. In his hand he holds a roll of papers, which he waves with a lofty scenic effect, as though he were a senator in the great republic of letters. As he steps airily on, one after another separates himself from the masses, and follows, as if drawn into his train by some irresistible principle of fascination. Here a facchino, (porter,) forfeiting his chance of a job, eagerly joins his train; there a countryman, who has driven a wine-cart into Naples from Portici, deserts his dove-colored oxen and follows in his wake; and now a large group of sailors, who had been vociferating over their game of "mora," clap their hands and fling up their caps at sight of the old Signor Enrico, and crowd tumultuously

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The speaker knows well enough that he must have no eruption from his little crater;

and, changing his tone accordingly, he pours forth a gentle tide of liquid melody, made up of love, of beauty, of fair flowers, of blue skies and sunny seas. The antidote works well; it is chloroform stilling the fiery pain of those fever souls. Their eyes swim in a sea of soft languor, their heads bend, and their hands move responsive to the measured melody. And now that the old enchanter sees that he has fairly charmed his serpents, and stroked his tigers, he breaks off like a bird in midsong, and handing round his battered hat, smiles as the small coins chink musically together.

WOMAN'S DEVOTEDNESS; OR, THE
WIFE OF THE PALATINATE.

ANY will remember a very affecting

steward or bailiff, a gentleman named Christopher Theim, rendered to the pfaltzgraf a statement of his accounts, which showed a yearly return of many thousand rix-dollars. Herr Theim was married to an amiable lady, named Catharina Herpin, and was a man of considerable wealth and property, possessing several estates at Neustadt, Wachenheim, Rockenhausen, and Hachdorff, besides houses and money. All the estates belonging to Herr Theim had embraced the Protestant faith, and consequently they, as well as the secularized abbacy of Hirt, did not fail to attract the rapacious eyes of the Spaniards, who ruthlessly claimed and seized whatever seemed desirable. They broke open cabinets and coffers, feasted on luxurious dainties and rich wines, and, within a very few days, had rifled the whole place. To these outrages the steward opposed what

Minstance of conjugal devotion which resistance he could, endeavoring, as in

duty bound, to protect to the utmost of his power the property under his care.

This

was detailed in the newspapers of 1855. The heroine was the wife of a poor man, who, having been dismissed from an En-interference being regarded by the lawless glish infirmary in cureless agony from soldiery as a presumptuous infringement chronic rheumatism, longed eagerly to get of their rights, they seized the bailiff, and back to his native village. The only means forced him to swallow a liquid poured from of conveyance, however, he could afford- a silver cup, which immediately paralyzed the common carrier's cart-was not to be his whole body. His muscular and robust thought of it would have tortured him to frame became powerless; his sinews condeath; and the devoted wife took her hus-tracted so that he could not move a limb; band on her back, and carried him, over rugged country roads, full fifty miles. This goes quite beyond the spasmodic strainings of romance; yet it is far outstripped by another instance of the heroism of conjugal love, equally well authenti-hensive that something worse might befall, cated, although it occurred two centuries ago.

In the year 1621, at the commencement of the Thirty Years' War, the rich province of the Rhinepfaltz, or Palatinate, was overrun by Spanish troops, who with lawless license plundered and destroyed wherever they came. The princely abbacy of Hirt, about two miles from Germersheim, on the Rhine, was one of the most desirable spots in the whole province, and its widespreading domain afforded occupation to a numerous staff of stewards, bailiffs, herds, plowmen, and foresters. Twice a year the Pfaltzgraf, or Count Palatine, held court at Hirt, whither he repaired with his princess-Elizabeth, daughter of James I. of England-to enjoy the deer-stalking in summer, and to hunt wild boars in winter. On St. Peter's day each year his head

he could not even stand without assistance, and his digestive organs became impaired.

Catharina Herpin, his wife, viewed his helpless state with dismay; but, appre

she determined to fly from the scene of danger. Secrecy was necessary to insure safety; the use of a carriage could not be obtained; and to add to her difficulty, she had two young daughters whom it was expedient to take with her. In these trying circumstances, Catharina resolved to depend solely on herself. She fastened her husband's powerless arms around her neck, and, with a little girl at each side, she hastened onward toward the Rhine. A sympathizing fisherman ferried her across the river, and on the opposite bank she entered the recesses of a forest, where she remained three days. At the end of that period, hunger compelled her to proceed, and with increased burdens and diminished strength, she slowly advanced by stages along the road. First carrying her helpless husband, in the same manner

as before, some distance in advance, she set him down in an easy posture on a grassy bank by the wayside, and returned to bring her children. With one of these in her arms, and dragging the other wearily by her side, she traversed the same ground for the third time, till she reached the spot where she had left her husband; then changing her load, she advanced in the same painful manner another stage, and so continued till in a few days she arrived with her triple charge at the town of Rheinzabern, to the astonishment of the admiring populace. The sufferings and privations of the journey proved too much for the young girls: their piteous cries for food while on the road had been incessant, and had pierced their mother's heart with anguish; but a sharper thrust was in reserve for this courageous woman. Though received with kindness by the inhabitants, and provided with shelter and food, the children survived only two days, and then died in the arms of their mother. Public admiration having been excited, an allowance was granted to the family, which proved a valuable assistance; but the paralysis of Herr Theim's whole frame continued unalleviated. Every effort made to subdue it proved fruitless; and the only method by which nourishment could be administered to him, was to introduce it into his stomach through a quill.

On

The only effect that increasing trouble had on Catharina was to elevate her courage and intensify her devotion to her husband. Though unaccustomed to bear the gaze of curiosity or the drudgery of burden, she overcame her natural repugnance to these, and determined to pursue her journey to Strasburg, in the hope of enjoying better medical advice. She accordingly set out, with her helpless husband fastened on her back, and made her way-a distance of ten German, or fortyfive English miles-to Strasburg. her arrival in that city, her case met with the same kind consideration and help as formerly; and her husband enjoyed the gratuitous advice of an eminent physician, who enjoyed a salary from the town. This doctor, after careful examination, pronounced the recovery of the invalid to be hopeless, unless he could be conveyed to the Swiss baths at Baden on the Aar. Nothing daunted by the length and difficulty of the route, this indefatigable woman at once determined to undertake the jour

ney, and having again saddled herself with her precious burden, she started on her wearisome pilgrimage. At each town through which she passed, she seems to have sought out some medical man, from whose advice she hoped to gain some useful or consolatory hint; and even in the face of bitter discouragement from some of these, she persevered. At Neuburg, thirty miles from Strasbourg, she consulted Dr. John Melscher; and at Ensigheim, eighteen miles further on, she consulted the town doctor, both of whom affirmed that her husband's life would not last a week; but her hope was proof against despair; and with indomitable perseverance, she pressed on her way.

The old chronicle from which these particulars are drawn, enters minutely into the details of her progress. At Russach, ten miles further than Ensigheim, the household physician of the Archbishop of Strasburg again held out hopes of ultimate recovery, and confirmed the advice on which she had resolved to act, by pointing to the Swiss baths as the most likely means of improvement. At Gebs weiter, ten miles further along the Rhine, an old physician was consulted, who also spoke favorably of the baths, but gave it as his opinion that, if they failed to effect a cure, sudden and speedy death would probably result. The next stage of Catharina's progress was across the river forty miles, to Freiburg, where she consulted the famous Dr. Fedderer, and placed her husband under his treatment for eight weeks, but without any perceptible improvement. For eighteen weeks now, Herr Theim had been unable to receive any nourishment, except a little wine or soup introduced into his stomach through a quill, and nothing had been found which could afford him any relief. Before leaving Freiburg, however, a slight improvement was effected by means of a desperate kill-or-cure remedy, suggested by a brother-in-law of Dr. Fedderer. But it was too slight to alter Catharina's resolution to carry her husband to the Swiss baths. Still forty miles further on, at Rheinfelden, she consulted two eminent practitioners, and was gratified to find, even on the borders of Switzerland, that the baths of that country were thought likely to be beneficial. With elated hopes, she persevered, and soon bore her beloved burden into Baden. Here she immediately began to apply the rem

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