1864 April 2, Saturday

              Written for The New South. 
SAND. 
( Suggestive of the Scenery at Hilton Head, S. C.) 
Sand, sand, sand, 
Yellow and limitless sand! 
Superfluous motes of creation piled On the Ocean's desolate strand! 
Feldspar and mica and quartz, And millions on millions of shells, 
Turned over and over for years and years, 
In the ocean's fathomless cells ; 
Then rolled with the rolling of tides, And tossed by the surf on the land, 
Then baked by the sun and dried by the wind, 
And this is the limitless sand. The traveller wearily plods, 
Through its toilsome depths, to find 
A place for his foot, but the yielding sand, Leaves never a trace-behind :  And the sun pour's down his heat, On the wearied traveller's head. But the sun above is never so hot, As the sand beneath his tread. And perchance 'tis a windy day, When the sand, so sluggish before, Flies high in the air, in a mazy cloud,—Blows into the eyes of the meek and the proud And the ears of the rich and the poor. To all it is ever the same,—So respecter of persons, the sand; 'Tie alike to the soldier pledged to obey, And the officer hired to command, 
Sand, sand, sand, 
Yellow and limitless sand! 
The lessons you teach in a moral way, Are curious, wonderful, grand. 
E, P. D., Tr. 
THE TOOTH-PICK CLUB. 
 
"Ah !" sighed the noble Expono, "I fear something ill has befallen our lively Existo, for he prides himself on punctuality, and the midnight hour has already tolled itself away on the good ship Fulton, yet he is not with us." 
" I have often," gravely discoursed the solemn Expiro, " reminded him of the brevity of human existence and his tendency to make it more brief by prodigal indulgence in those frivolities which ultimately cause their victim to founder on the sea of life like a ship cast upon the rocks amid the violence of a tumultous storm." 
" I conjure you," said the paliating Excuso, " not to judge too harshly of the conduct of our absent companion. We are all frail by nature, and Existo is wont more than any of us to participate in scenes of myrth and gaiety." 
"If the joyous Existo," remarked the doubtful Expungo, " has come to an un--, timely end through his own indiscretion, we must erase from our parchment a name that was once cherished by every member of the order : if the b[?] of 
foul cruelty has swept across his path let us drop a tear to his memory in the ever-open urn of sympathy." 
" The old adage live while you live," broke in Expecto, " has been his guiding star from the period of prattling child-hood ; let us avoid dwelling on the gloomy reverse of what may have happened and anticipate the bright obverse 
of a happy	 
"	jovial, splendid, brilliant en- 
tertainment," exclaimed Existo who at this junction bounded into the room with the agility of a catamount, but no sooner had he reached the centre of the apartment than he was surrounded by his gladsome friends who straightway congratulated him on his personal safety from harm. Indeed it was full five minutes before he could release himself from their hearty embrace, when at length free he was so exhausted by the endearing pressure that he could hardly find strength to utter a few syllables in astonishment at the unusual manifestations of delight caused by his presence. 
The noble Expono, disregarding the amazement of Existo, after joining the 
party in three rounds of vociferous 
as a token of their gratification, asked the new and sudden arrival to explain what terrible ordeal he had b en subjected to, also to give the names in full of each persecutor implicated in the heinous act that it might he followed by a just and speedy retribution. 
Existo quickly assured the party there was no occasion to knock anybody over ; he had simply accepted an invitation to meet with a few blithsome sons of Neptune at Quarter	 never mind the 
hour," interrupted Expono, " you are not in condition to take note of time. It is a duty you owe the fraternity to state explicitly the influences that have enveloped-you during the past and to us extremely anxious evening." 
Existo replied by expressing his intention to bet a heavy sum on a white horse that had lost his tail near Fort Gregg, and then he commenced to dance a jig in imitation of a real hopper that had been with him that evening. He was willing he said, to favor the worthy club with anything they might desire in the way of a speech, song, or dance, for he had been indulging in a whirlwind of ecstacy that night and must give vent to his surplus elasticity of feeling. With this brief and unexpected introduction, he, to the surprise of all, struck up the familiar melody of Watts commencing 
"The sun came peeping o'er the hills," 
with such a degree of enthusiasm that the- very building quivered in its frame. Not content with a single air, he insisted upon repeating a song that had a robin mixed up in it, on account of its having been frequently rendered with fine effect by a right good fellow. The exciting manlier in which he described his night's enjoyment completely cap sized the sedateness of Expono and the 
others, so that with one accord they went to a table and touched, tasted and hand-led a goodly glass of nectar. This simple act had such an effect on the hilarious Existo that he as induced to offer the Inexplicable sentiment- 
,	"If my father was a hen," 
and then apologized by saying he believed something was faulty in the construction. No further attempt was made at giving sentiments, but they all appreciated an effort at music by Existo who took from his vest pocket a little bit of metal which he applied to his lips and gently breathed upon, causing a thread of steel to vibrate five-hundred times a second, and producing the sweetest and most melodious sounds. When he had finished he fairly trembled from the emotion caused by his own success. The Tooth-Pickers applauded vociferously and avowed they had never before heard him perform with such admirable., skill. Expono suggested that it was a befitting occasion to practically illustrate the brief message reputed to have been sent by a certain governor to his near neighbor who occupied a similar position, whereupon the worthy party once again, disposed themselves around the table, filled the glasses, winkei twice with each eye, and bade good to the contents. 
" Your experience my jocund Existo," said Expono, "has been of a gay and frolicksome character, and we will wave the dignity which attaches to the Club for the sake, of becoming further enlight- This intimation was immediately ac[?]ed upon by Existo, who dragged three of his companions into the centre of the room and insisted upon their dancing with himself a very peculiar original reel—the fac-simile of the one he had witnessed that evening. In the absence of flute, guitar and banjo, it was arranged that the two remaining members should snap their tooth-picks at regular inter-vals. The reel having been finished, the party stepped toward the table and were just a single moment in performing one of the most brilliant feats, combining dexter, labial, dental and gutteral accomplishments that has ever been executed. While thus engaged it was the opin-[?] on Existo that he could not convey a more accurate impression of his night's experience than icy repeating the feat which combined so many accomplish several times in rapid succession. But on the last round it was evident that Existo could not again -wine up to time. He vainly endeavored to describe a banquet scene at which somebody insulted the host by renewing to him his distingui-shed considerations, and at which a pussy individual returned thanks for fa-vors received and various other things woo said and done by those present. At length it was advised by Expono, so feeble had Existo become, to conduct him with all honor to his couch and carefully cover him with the fleecy web. As three of the party were in the net of silentlytucking him in, one. Expecto, motioned to Expo no that the feeble toothpickian was muttering in his sleep. Expono bent his ear forward and thought he caught the words "	the ship for rolling." An interval of half a moment elapsed and then the renowned Existo in half audible accents breathed forth the touching lines 
Be a-a, Bee-e, Be i-i, Be o-o, And Bing—(hic) Bingo was his name." 
and then sunk quietly into a deep slumber. 
 
	  Correspondence of the New South: 
THE FLORIDA EXPEDITION. 
PILATKA, Fla. March 22, 1864. 
There is little of interest to report from here, which is now the Advance Post in Florida, COL. BARTON'S troops occupy their old position; making occasional reconnoisances towards the enemy's lines. Rumor says the Confederate forces have fallen back, not only from our front here, but also from near Jacksonville. A citizen living on the river, midway between here and Jacksonville, started last week for Savannah. He got only to Baldwin, where he was stopped and compelled to return. He says that a portion of Finnegan's forces, about five thousand, have gone back to Charleston. This statement is also corroborated from other sources. 
The Naval Expedition up the river to Lake George, have succeeded in capturing another steamer, the Hattie Brock. She was laid up in one of the creeks or lagoons of the St. John's river. She is a fine steamer, and formerly run between this place and Jacksonville. The Naval Expedition also succeeded in capturing over one hundred bales of cotton; also a quantity of rosin and turpentine. Citizens here say that large amounts of cot-ton, rice, rosin, tobacco and turpentine are secreted along the creeks and lagoons of the St. John's. Probably we shall find it before many days. Great credit is due CAPT. BALCH, of the Pawnee, for ferreting out these Confederate stores. 
The troops here are in excellent health and sire much pleased with this -locality. Pilatka is really a pleasant town, and our forces give it a lively and business-like aspect. More anon.	TUBAL-CAIN. 
 
I'm	--- - 
afraid you'll forget me, wife, 
when I'm away," said a brave volunteer. "Never fear, my dear ; the longer you 
are away in your country's service the better I shall like you." 
Ambiguous, rather. 
—An Indian and a white man were passing along Broadway, New York, when the former espied a window full of wigs, and pointing to the owner, who stood in the doorway, said : " Um—him great man—big brave—take many scalps. 
—"Did you know I was here? " said the bellows to the fire. "Oh! yes ; I always contrive to get wind of you," was the reply. 
—An Irishman caught a hornet in his hand, but dropped it and exclaimed, 
"Be jabers ! what kind of teeth do your birds have in Ameriky? "