A lost Elephant found.
A femaleelephant belonging to a gentleman at Calcutta, being ordered from the upper country to Chotygore, broke loose from the keeper, and was lost in the woods. The excuses which the keeper made were not admitted. It was supposed that he had sold the elephant; his wife and family, therefore, were sold for slaves, and he was himself condemned to work upon the roads. About twelve years after, this man was ordered into the country to assist in catching wild elephants. The keeper fancied he saw his long-lost elephant, in a group that was before him. He was determined to go up to it; nor could the strongest representations of the danger dissuade him from his purpose. When he approached the creature, she knew him, and giving him three salutes, by waving her trunk in the air, knelt down and received him on her back. She afterwards assisted in securing the other elephants, and likewise brought with her three young ones, which she had produced during her absence. The keeper recovered his character; and, as a recompense for his sufferings and intrepidity, had an annuity settled on him for life. This elephant was afterwards in the possession of Governor Hastings.
Anna Maria Schurman.—Anna Maria Schurman was born in the year 1607. Her extraordinary genius discovered itself at six years of age, when she cut all sorts of figures in paper with her scissors, without a pattern. At eight, she learned to draw flowers in a few days, in a very agreeable manner. At ten, she took but three hours to learn embroidery. She was afterwards taught music, vocal and instrumental, painting, sculpture and engraving, in all of which she succeeded admirably.
She excelled in miniature painting, and in cutting portraits upon glass with a diamond. Hebrew, Greek and Latin were so familiar to her that the most learned men were astonished at it. She spoke French, Italian and English, fluently. Her hand-writing in almost all languages was so beautiful, that the curious preserved specimens of it in their cabinets.
An Indian Youth.—A native gentleman of India, in relating his history to one of the missionaries, said:
“My father was an officiating priest of a heathen temple, and was considered in those days a superior English scholar; and by teaching the English language to wealthy natives, realized a very large fortune. At a very early period, when a mere boy, I was employed by my father to light the lamps in the pagoda, and attend to the various things connected with the idols. I hardly remember the time when my mind was not exercised on the folly of idolatry. These things, I thought, were made by the hand of man, can move only by man, and whether treated well or ill, are unconscious of either. Why all this cleaning, anointing, illuminating, &c.?
“One evening, these considerations so powerfully wrought on my youthful mind, that, instead of placing the idols according to custom, I threw them from their pedestals, and left them with their faces in the dust. My father, seeing what I had done, chastised me so severely, as to leave me almost dead.
“When I recovered, I reasoned with him, that, if they could not get up out of the dust, they were not able to do what I could; and that, instead of being worshipped as gods, they deserved to be down in the dust, where I had thrown them. My father was implacable, and said he would disinherit me, and, as the first step to it, sent me away from his house. He relented, however, on his death-bed, and left me all his wealth.”