- ; ; : : 7 " : ' '
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
NIL DESPEEANDUM.
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. VIII.
EIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1878.
NO. 34.
The Old Grist Mill.
By Willow brook, beneath the hill,
Stands quaint and gray the old grist mill,
Spring moiees on its steep roof grow
Where broad thotr shade the willows throw.
The pond near by is dear and deep,
And ronnd its brink the alders sweep i
The lily pads spread gay and green
The lilies white and gold between )
While grinds the mill with rambling sound,
The water-wheel turns ronnd and round.
Among the reeds the muBk-rat dives ;
And swift " the swallow homeward flies i"
The robin sits In cedars near
Where Willow brook runs swift and clear ;
The children by the school-house play,
Where slumberous shadows softly stray,
And warm and low the summer breeze
Is whispering thro' the willow leaves j
While grinds the mill with rumbling sound,
The water-wheel turns round and round.
The crows now wing their southern way )
The squirrels in the nut trees play j
With merry shouts the school boys run i
The mountains blush 'neath autumn's sun j
Their grain they bring adown the hill,
The farmers, to the old grist mill ;
And faint from far o'er hill and dale
Falls on the ear the thresher's flail ;
While grinds the mill with rumbling sound,
The water-wheel turns round and ronnd.
Long years have come and passed away
The mill with age is gaunt and gray j
The roof gaps wide to rain and sun ;
With cobwibs thick the walls are hung.
The pond is overgrown with weedB j
The mursh-wrcu Uii ds among the reeds (
The night ttinds-thro' the willows moan j
The school-house gone, the children grown 5
The farmers Bleep where wild flowers grow,
Who brought tber grain so long ago,
When groend the mill with tumbling sound,
And the water-wheel turned round and round
HANDSOME JACK.
All was commotion this evening in
Sandy Flat ; the excitement was great
est, though, in the "Nugget," the gener
al rendezvous of the miners. In fact, the
conversation became ho interesting that
some of the moi-t reliable and regular
players puxbed their chairs back near
to the stove, and, assuming a comforta
ble position, determined to discuss the
subject thoroughly and have it settled
at once. There was a silence of a few
moments after a while, each face wearing
a thoughtful expression, as though each
man was at his very wits' ends what next
to say.
The silence was broken by Jim Mar
shall, whose face was barely discernible
behind the dense cloud of smoke that
floated before him, and which spoke
volumes " in proof of the profound
thought in which he had been absorbed.
"Boys," said he, "they're a mighty
fine-lookin' pair, anyhow, 'specially the
little 'un."
This remark had. been made no less
than a dozen times by Jim since the ar
rival of the two ladies by the evening
stage, and every time he reiterated it he
added more Btress to " 'specially the lit
tle nn."
" The big 'un isn't to bo sneezed at,
neither," added Bill Turner.
Bill Turner's name fitted him exactly,
for he was ready at all times to " go
into " every new thing heard of or that
happened to come his way. First in
starting off to any new diggings that
were heard of, and first to return with a
big disgust y first to get into a row, and
first to beat a disgraceful retreat. Bo
to-night he was, as ever, ready to take
part in the discussion ; and, in fact, he
took a most lively interest in- it, for he
had cast more than a friendly eye on
the ' little 'un " as she alighted from
the stage, and, true to his fickle nature,
he was immediately a captive to her
charms ; for indeed she was very pretty,
as in fact was the larger one. The cause
of his remark in reference to this latter
was that made by Jim MurshalL Bill
had a wholesome dread of James ; and
well he might, for their natures were
as unlike as the stately pine and the
scrubby chaparral, which difference had
often been proved to Bill's shame ; so
when ho heard Jim Marshall express
such a decided preference for the small
er of the two ladies, he, true to his
name and nature, immediately trans
ferred his affections to the larger one ;
still he felt a little nettled, and ventured
a deprecatory remark :
" But, boys, you know she looks a
little well " catching the eye of Jim.
" Well, now, how does she look ? Out
with it," said Jim.
" That's what I was goin' to say she's
a mighty fine lookin gal," added Bill.
But Jim knew that was not what he
had intended to say; sti 1 he remained
silent, and as the night was pretty far
spent and adjournment in order, the con
vention disbanded.
There was a little scene that night,
however, not witnessed by any of the
miners, which took place outside of the
Nugget. The actors were two, namely
Jim Marshall and Bill Turner.
" Now, Bill, I want you io tell me
what you was goin' to say about that
little un," said Jim.
"I wasn't goin' to say anything, I
swear I wasn't," gasped Bill, for by the
fierce visage of the man before him he
know that he was wholly m earnest.
" Now, see here, Bill, if ever you say
a word agin them unpertected gals "
Bill did not wait to hear the rest, but
" You can jest chaw me up, if I do," he
put in.
With an approving nod, Jim walked
away toward his cabin, and Bill toward
hi".
Away down among the chaparral there
glimmered a faint light that sent its
timid rays out through the little window.
which were soon lost in the surrounding
darkness of the wooded mountains. If
we take a look into the cabin through
the window, what do we see ? Two ladies,
evidently tisters, but not the least alike
in oppenrance. One tall and rather dark,
with long dark hair, that hangs careless
ly down her back as she sits gazing
affectionately at the sweet face before
her that of the one who had been
christened by the miners the "little
uu." She, the smaller one, is fair
"-set-faced and ohild-like: her face as
mooth and soft as the velvety wing of
putterflyj and now, oyer the met,
deep blue eyes the lids unconsciously
fell, and her nodding head slowly drops
and is caught by the hand of her sister,
who lays it gently on her breast; and
there, like an innocent babe, she lies
sleeping, with the arms of her sister
encircling her, while two dark eyes look
down with a love akin to pity upon the
face of the unconscious girl. But why
did they come here? The question
might well puzzle the brain of the most
thoughtful miner. Here in this isolated
oabin, far np in the Sierras, miles away
from any of their kind why did they
come here, and what do they intend to
do ? These questions were again passed
upon the next night at the Nugget, with
the same result as the night before, al
though Bill Turner had called at the
cabin that day " Jest to see if they want
ed anything, bein' strangers." His ac
clamations were loud in praise of the
new-comers; but his ourioBitv was as
great as before, his call not having elicit
ed anything whatever that would give a
clue to their mysterious presence in this
rough mining camp.
The next evening Jim Marshall had
disappeared from the Nugget, and re
appeared (to but few) in his best clothes,
scaling the rocks around the edge of the
camp, trying to avoid the gaze of his
companions ; for well he knew that if
ho was seen making his way toward the
little cabin down iu the chaparral his
peace of mmd would suffer utter ruin.
So, unobserved as he thought, he
reached the door of the cabin, and, in
answer to his knock, the door was
opened by the " little 'un," who invited
him in and spoke in the kindest and,
as he thought, sweetest manner he had
ever heard ; and she offered her sister's
excuses for not being present, she plead
ing illness. During the conversation
which followed he plied questions, but
in no way did he make himself offensive ;
but, adroit bb were his questions, he
elicited little more information than Bill
Turner bad. He was ashamed to let the
fair creature before him know that he
bad not yet learned her name the fact
being that no one in the camp had so
he coutiously ventured :
" Hem, mum, how you spell your
name ?"
A Blight twinkle was visible around
her eyes as the slowly Bpelled
" S-m-i-t-h."
" Thankee, mum, thankee," he said,
very much confused ; " rather a pe
culiar name ;" and his tanned face grew
almost blue with what would have been
a blush had it been of a fairer hue. Jim
whs sorry he had put that question, for,
as he expressed it several weeks after in
the Nugget, he " had held his own " till
then. What added more to his confu
sion was lust the slightest ripple of
laughter from the adjoining room where
the ill lady was. He soon, however,
pleaded the lateness of the hour, and,
after a kind invitation to " call again,"
departed toward his own cabin, where j
he divested himself of his present clothes
and put on more comfortable ones, ap
pearing in his accustomed place in the
Nugget, looking as innocent as a lamb,
only an hour late. That night every
miner iu town knew what the name of the
two young ladies was, which information
Jim Marshall had the honor and indis
cretion to impart.
" But how did you find it out?" asked
one.
" Oh, I got it from the stage driver
this evening," he replied, and resumed
his pipe.
" Why, I asked him last evening, and
he said he didn't know nothin' about
'em," was the bombshell that Bill Tur
ner dropped on Jim Marshall's head.
There was a short silence ; tbem Jim
added, slowly :
"Well, mebbe he forgot." But it
would not do. There were a few winks
passed around, and then Sam Noyes put
in, significantly :
" Say, Jim, where was you goin' to
night with your store clothes on when I
see you crossin' the little canon ?"
Jim arose and made quick time for the
door, to escape the roar which he knew
was approaching, but which caught him
before he reached the door.
For a week after this disastrous night
Jim Marshall was not seen at the Nug
get,' and did not care to talk with any
one whom he met; but one thing was
noticed, that he no longer made his visits
to the cabin chaparral a secret; and
these visits grew more frequent, as did
also those of Bill Turner. Jim soon re
turned to the Nugget, and, after suffer
ing a little from the sport of the " the
boys," settled back into his original con
dition of comfort.
So the weeks passed on into months;
still the same impenetrable mystery
hung around the occupants of the iso
lated little cabin. At the end of three
months it was pretty well settled that
Jim Marshall and the " little un were
engaged, and Bill Turner frankly ad
mitted that he and the larger one were.
One evening Jim called at the cabin,
and as it was no unusual occurrence,
found that Bill Turner had preceded
him; and, as was always the case when
ever Jim called, the adored of William
pleaded illness, excused herself and dis
appeared. This seemed singular to Jim
as well as to Bill, but still it was never
spoken of; and on such occasions the
latter would don his hat and also disap
pear; but this evening he saw fit to re
main, and, aa bis chief topics of conver
sation were narrations of wild and ro
mantio adventures, he started in with
some of the most startling and blood
curdling, of which he generally was the
hero. Jim took no interest in these re
citals of imaginary adventures, and only
wished he could have administered his
boot to this loquacious gentleman and
retained the good graces of the fair one
before him. So he smothered bis wrath,
and forced himself to listen to Bill's
stories until he heard him mention the
name of a person who had been suspect
ed of the murder of the sheriff in the
adjoining county; this man's name was
Jack Redman, but better known as
" Handsome Jack." Bill said he knew
that Jack was guilty because he saw the
murder. Both of the men were a little
confused when they looked at the girl in
front of them, Her face was deathly
pale.
"Did yon say yon saw him kill the
sheriff t said Miss Smith, timidly.
"Yes, 'urn; saw him shoot him," re
plied Bill.
" Say, Bill," put in Jim, what kind
of a lookin' man was Handsome Jack ?"
' Well," lie answered, Jie fti bput
six feet, had a heavy beard, and was a
pretty fine-looking feller."
"Did he have his thumb and fore
finger on his left hand cut off?" asked
Jim. a.
"Yes. ySf: come to think of it," be
replied.
Jim thirsted for blood; so, seeing his
chanoe, he bore down upon his enemy.
"Beggin your pardon, mum," said
he, this feller has been lyin' all this
evening. Now you see I know Hand
some Jack "
" Do you !" broke in Miss Smith,
quickly.
" Yes 'am-do you"
"O. no. no," she replied, "but I've
beard of him."
" Yes ,'um: I know him." he went on,
"and he was one of the best-lookin' fel
lers I ever see,"
" Yes," said she.
" Yes, 'um, he's about five foot six."
Then turning to Bill. " And he ain't
got his thumb and forefinger cut off."
After a pause, he continued:
"YeB. 'um, and I'll jest tell you all
about it. He was 'spected of killin' the
sheriff; they caught him, and he had his
trial; everything looked purty blue for
bim; the jury went out, and when they
came back the next morning they was
kept locked np ail nignt they brought
a verdict of,' Not guilty.'"
The fair face before the speaker grew
still whiter as he spoke those words
which have made so many hearts lean
for joy, and then she si-obo and looked
him in the face, and with trembling lips
she asked:
" And he was saved ?"
" That's more'n I can tell." said ho:
"'cause when we was let out in the
morning the bird had flew."
" When who were let out? she said,
quickly.
" Why. the jury. I was foreman of
the jury that acquitted him," he re
plied. "Thank God," she said. The rair
head fell back, and Bhe would have
fallen had not the strong arms of Jim
Marshall caught her.
At the same time there was a sound
from the adjoining room, like a sigh of
relief; then the inanimate form which
Jim held in his arms began to revive,
and soon the 'ids rose from the blue
eyes, a smile flitted across the sweet
face, and Jim, much agitated, and for
getting the presence of any one else,
kissed tho white brow of the lovely girl.
She soon revived sufficiently to sit, and
Jim, after putting some water to her
hps, excused himself, and, followed by
Bill at a distance, moved away from tho
cabin. Strange were the thoughts that
passed through the minds of the two
men that night and the next day. They
felt that the mystery of these two per
sons was daily increasing, growing
deeper and more insoluble. How do
they live? Why do they live here?
W hafa il 1 (1 tl-inv mmA fivm 9 inrl monv
other questions, equaliXmystifying, ar
rayed themselves denantiy before tneir
minds.
The next evening, at the Nugget, the
incidents of the previous evening were
fully detailed, for, sure enough, Bill
Turner had told the whole thing, inclnd-
lug the kiss, and it was with much
trepidation and misgiving that Jim
Marshall ventured to face the frequent
ers of this rendezvous ; but when he
entered, the excitement in the immedi
ate vicinity of Bill Turner was so great
that he slipped into his place almost un
noticed. In a few moments, Sam Noyeso nme
running out of the Hack room, Into
which he had just stepped, and cried :
" Where's Jim Marshall ? "
Seeing him at the same instant, he
beckoned him into the room which he
had just left, and the men waited breath
lessly for his return ; and, in fact, some
of the more curious followed him, and
then they saw a sight that made the
blood of at least one of their number
boil.
But what was it? Through the win
dow of the cabin down in the chaparral
they saw the sweet little Mis 8 Smith,
with her bead lying affectionately upon
the breast of a man, bis arms encircling
her waist, while be imprinted kisses
upon her upturned lips. It was too
much for Jim ; ho ruBhed out through
the saloon, and down toward the cabin,'
with pistol in hand.
"Foller him, boys, foller him," cried
Sam Noyes, fearful lest the infuriated
man should commit a rash deed.
The saloon poured forth its occupants,
Bill Turner heading the crowd, and who
reached the cabin at almost the same
instant that Jim did, and in a moment
the cabin was full of breathless, pant
ing men. Standing at one end was a
fine-looking young man, supporting the
trembling form of the frightened girL
In his hand be held a pistol, ready to
shoot the first man who made a move.
No one seemed to know the stranger.
His eyes were fixed on Jim Marshall,
who in return glared at the intruder like
a panther, and was the first to speak.
" Handsome Jack I " said he.
"Jim Marshall I " was the reply.
Who is she ? " gasped J im, pointing.
" My wife 1 " came in a firm, manly
voice.
The next morning there were two de
serted claims over in the canon; the
cabins that the day previous had cover
ed the heads of Jim Marshall and Bill
Turner were now untenanted, and at
night, when Sam Noyes looked out of
his back- window toward the little oabin
down in the chaparrel, all was darkness.
The Suirits He Smelltd,
At a recent trial of a liquor case the
witness on the stand was under examina
tion as to what be had seen in the defend
ant's domicile, which he said he had
visited " a number of times."
" Did you ever see any spirits there,
or anything you regarded as spirits ?"
asked the presiding justice.
" Why, yes I don't know but
have " was the renlv of the witness.
" Do you know what kind of spirits ?"
" xes."
" How do you know ?"
T binder smelt it."
" Well, now," said the judge, straight
ening himself lor tne onnviumiB Lwr,
nriiinh he snrmosed would be given,
" will you please tell me what kind of
spirits it was i
it Hninti n' tnrnentine I
As soon as the roars of laughter that
resulted had subsided, the witness was
at once discharged, the opinion being
that his testimony wa D0 " tu PoitJt!
Gen. Jnckson Takes the Responsibility.
The following anecdote is from a pos
thumous paper by Robert Dale Owen,
in Soribner's Magazine:
It is well known that Jackson, on bis
accession as president, appointed Martin
Van Bureu secretary of State, and that
Mr. Van Buren, in April, 1831, resigned
that ofiloe. Thereupon Jackson appoint
ed him minister to England, and it be
came neoessary to supply his plaoe in
the cabinet.
At that time there was in the United
States Senate, from Louisiana, Edward
Livingston, a gentleman who had al
ready won an enviable reputation as
author of the code which still bears his
name a work which has had its in
fluence on the jurisprudence of succeed
ing times. Livingston at that time
stood very high, not only as jurist, but
as statesman; his name had eome up,
along with many others, and he had
been spoken of ai one eminently fitted
for secretary of State. It so happened,
also, that the Senate was then nearly
equally divided between the two existing
parties, Whig and Democratic; it need
hardly be added that the president had
been elected by th latter party.
Now, when rumors became rife that
Livingston might be finally selected by
Jackson as cabinet officer, a small depu
tation of the Detnooratio leaders and
personal friends of the president, unwill
ing to face the general directly, called
on Mr. Tristto talk the matter over with
him. They began by adverting to the
fact that barely a Democratic majority
of two could at that time be safely count
ed on in the Senate; that if Livingston,
an influential Democrat, was appointed
secretary of State, one of these votes
would be lost; and that if (as was prob
able in the then state of parties in
Louisiana) a Whig was appointed to take
his plaoe, it would result in a tie. They
represented that such a contingency
would very seriously embarrass the presi
dent, perhaps in the way of thwarting
his policy, more certainly by endanger
ing the confirmation of his appoint
ments. And they finally begged Mr.
Trist to take an early opportunity of
expressing to the general their earnest
desire, both for his own sake and that of
the party, that he would give to such
considerations their due weight before
calling Livingston from his place in the
Senate.
Mr. Trist at first demurred to the un
dertaking of this task, alleging his belief
that it would be fruitless; but was finally
persuaded to reconsider his tefusal. Ac
cordingly one evening when Jackson,
after a hard day's work, was seated in his
arm-chair, his head sunk on his breast
and his attitude betokening repose and
reflection, Trist with great reluctance,
however, and after suitable apology
kid before him the fears and wishes of
Mb friends. At thu first broaching of
the subject (so Trist informed me), the
old man drew hiwwilf bolt upright, so
cording to his military wont, fixed his
thoroughly awakened eyes full on the
sneaker, and. as the latter went on with
fus report, the flash from those stern
eyes sufficiently indicated in advance
to one so familiar with his manner as
his secretary was the probable result.
He listened patiently, however, until
the conclusion. Then, after a pause, all
he said, in his usual brief and unflinch
ing manner, was: "Mr. Trist, my
friends ought to know that no considera
tions of that kind can influence my
choice of a secretary of State. It is my
duty to select for that important office
the man best fitted to fill it, and to leave
the rest to Qod. Tell these gentlemen
" Aud the very next day Livingston
was appointed to the vacant chair in the
cabinet.
Waking np the Baby.
Just at dust the other dismal day
r the children, the oldest of whom did
not seem over ten years old, were hud
dled together on the rickety steps of an
old bouse on Beaubien street. A pedes
trian peeped over their heads to read
tne numuer on tne aoor, ana me cnii
dren looken so frightened that he asked :
" Children, where are your father and
mother r
"Father's been gone way off for ever
so long, and mother goes out to wash
and hasn't got borne yet," answered the
eldest, a girl.
" And you are all alone ?
"Yes, sir, but baby is on the bed.
He's been asleep an awful long time,
and we can't wake him up. If we could
we'd play hide and seek and let bim find
us."
" Is the baby sick," inquired the man.
"We don't know, sir, but we can't
wake him up ; I touched him and touch,
ed him, and Charlie he tickled his feet
but little Sandy never moved onoe. I
guess he is awful sleepy. Don't you
think you could wake him up ?"
"I'll try," replied the man as he
went in, and when the girl had lighted
the lamp he followed her into a bed
room in which there was neither carpet
nor furniture. Fashed back against the
broken wall was a poor old straw tiok
and a single quilt. He bent over to look
at the child, and the first glance showed
him that little Sandy was dead. On the
window sill were some pieces of bread
and a cup of milk which the ohildren
intended to feed bim. The dead child's
hand clasped a rag doll made of an old
calico apron, and its thin little feet and
pale face were evidences that it had
known sickness and hunger throughout
its brief life. While the children waited
for him to open his eyes and romp with
them and drive the gloom out of the
house, the angels had whispered to
him and bis eyes bad unclosed to behold
the splendors of heaven.
" Won't he wake up ?" asked one of
the children, standing baok in the
shadow.
"Children, you must hot come in
here until your mother oomes I" he said
as he left the room.
" Won't he be afraid to wake up in
the dark, they asked.
He will sleep a long time yet 1" be
whispered, not daring to tell them the
truth, and as he went out they put the
light in on the bedroom floor, that little
Sandy might not find darkness around
him when his sleep had ended. Poor
things They knew not and they could
not see the crown of glory on the dead
child's brow a orown whose light all
the shadows of earth ean never darken
in tha least, -ved rreit,
BELL1NU THE RAT.
How R Fnmooi St. l.onl. Rat-Vatcher
Capture, the Rodent,
Tom Oostello, of St. Louis, Mo,, is
famed as a human rat-catcher. He
captures and removes these animals alive
from hotels and houses where they are
an annoyance and a pest. They are thena
taken to the rat-pit to become .martyrs
to the superior ability of the well-bred
black-and-tans. Oostello catches rodents
by means of a " belled rat." A reporter
accompanied him' on an expedition to a
wretched and worm-eaten hotel, fairly
alive with the vermin, and gives the
following account of his experience :
The arrival was made after midnight
Silently and cautiously the rookery was
examined until the circuit run by the
rats was determined.
Rats in a building are as the inhabi
tants of a city or the inmates of a large
building. Certain boles in floors and
wainscoting, drain-pipes, dark-nans,
passages in the walls, etc., are to rats
what streets in the oity are to pedes
trians, and hallways in buildings to the
inmates. Just as one avenue, by reason
of superior width or light, is raised by
people to the dignity of a promenade, or
as some alley-way, by reason of being a
hort cut between two points, is made a
thoroughfare, is a drain-pipe, a noisome
hallway, or a hole in the floor put in
constant and general use by the rats.
well, on the occasion referred to, uos
tello looked around and found that a
dumb waiter, or band elevator, leading
rom the basement of the building up
ward, was the boulevard, the main
street, as it were, of this rat colony.
He laid for a rat and caught mm. A
small bell was tied about the captive's
neck by means of a ribbon, and then
the rodent was released. It was off like
flash. Minutes passed by without
results. At last the skurrying of. rats
through the walls and upper pascages
of the house was heard. It gradually
increased. The principle the rat-catcher
worked on was that the bell would
scarce the rat. His terror would com
municate to his fellows, and they in turn
would flee before him as from a pesti-
enoe. He had calculated correctly.
The noise became like that of the rat
tling of a heavy rain. The bright-eyed
vermin shrieked and squealed as they
fled in their terror.
The reporter and Gostello stood in a
small room the elevstor ended in it.
There was a rattling noise in the eleva
tor. The room was darker than an
Egyptian night. The noise increased
and pervaded the room. Then the re
porter realized that the rats were in the
room in a myriad. He could hear their
squealing, and at laBt observed the phos
phorescent gleam of their eyes. They
crawled over his feet. The perspiration
stood on him in drops and his hair raised.
He lost a year's growth right then.
" No danger ; keep etill ; don't movo,
and they won't bite you," said Oostello.
The reporter groaned in terror. Oostel
lo then lit a lamp. The floor was covered
with the rodents. With a pair of tongs
he picked np and bagged them all.
There were 128 of them. When they
were in the bag the reporter was very,
very happy.
African Spiders.
Livingstone was once bitten, when
half asleep, by a light-colored spider.
Feeling something running across his
forehead, he put up bis hand to wipe it
off, when he was sharply stung on the
hand and head, and the pain was very
acute, but it ceased after two hours.
The natives declare that there is a small
black spider in the country whose bite
is fatal, bnt the great traveler did not
meet with an instance in which death
could be traced to this insect, though he
saw a very large black hairy spider an
inch and a quarter long, and three quar
ters of an inch broad, which had a hook
at the end of its front claws similar to
that at the end of the scorpion's tail.
When these hooks were pressed the
poison came out. There- are spiders in
South Africa which seize their prey by
leaping upon it from a distance of sev
eral iuches. When alarmed they can
spring about a foot away from the ob
ject of fear. A large reddish spider
obtains its food in a different manner
from either by patiently waiting in am
bush, or by catching it with a bound.
it runs about with great velocity, m and
out, behind and around, every object,
searching for what it may devour, and
from its size and rapid motions, excites
the horror of every stranger. It does no
narm to men except to make the nervous
and those that hate spidi-rs very uncom
fortable. This active little insect is very
clever, for it imitates the mason-spider,
ana manes a nest in tne earth, lined
with beautiful, soft silk, covered with a
nioely-fitting trap door about the size of
a shilling. When this is shut, it is so
closely covered with hard earth that it
cannot be distinguished from the rest.
in some parts of the country there
are great numbers of a large, beautiful,
yellow-spotted spider, the webs of whioh
are about a yard across. The lines on
which these webs are spun are hung
from one tree to another, and are as
large as coarse thread. The fibers of
the web itself are so thick that it is a
common thing in walking through the
forest to get one's face covered by them
like a lady's veil. Another kind of
spider lives in society, and forms so
great a collection of webs, plaoed at
every angle, that the trunks of trees
oannet be seen through them. A piece
of hedge is often so hidden that the
brandies are invisible. Another is seen
on the walls inside the huts of the na
tives. It is round in shape, spotted
brown in color, and the body is half an
inch across. The spread of the leg is
about an inch and a half. It makes a
smooth spot for itself on the wall, cov
ered with a white, silky stuff. There it
is seen standing the whole day. It has
no real web but the soft, silky carpet,
and is a harmless though an ugly neigh
bor. Travels in Africa,
This is a boy's composition on girls :
" Girls are only folks that has their
own way every time. Girls is of several
thousands kinds, and sometimes one
girl can be like several thousand girls if
she wants to do anything. This is all I
know about girls, and father says the
less I know about them t.he hotter off
FOR THE FAIR SEX,
New. and Note. About Women.
A Spanish woman walks in the Paris
boulevards leading a dove with a ribbon.
No woman can be employed in an
Austrian railway office unless she is
rnder twenty-five and will promise not
to marry under three years.
Elizabeth Cody Stanton has prepared
for the coming season three new lectures:
Home liife " " The Bights of una-
dren " and "The Peterkin Family."
M'lle Marguerite Gidel. daughter of
the prinoipal of Henri IV. college in
Paris, has just passed with success the
first part of her examination as Bachelor
of Arts at the Paris Faculty of Letters,
The young lady is only sixteen years of
age.
All honor to that brave Wisconsin
woman, Mrs. Uhorles Honievs, who leit
a luxurious home in Milwaukee to nurse
the sick in the yellow fever hospital at
Jackson, Miss. There is more heroism
in such an act than leading a cnarge
amid the fear-forgetting excitement of
battle. Vtica Herald.
Mrs. Van Cott. the preacher, was born
in New York city, and she is nearly fifty
years of age. Her father was Major
Newton, manager of John Jacob Astor's
estate. He became insane. Marrying
and soon becoming a widow, she attend
ed to her husband's business of drug
broker. She was oonverted on a Fulton
ferryboat while thinking about religion.
Becoming a preacher, she traveled
through the country, and she counts
more than twenty-seven thousand con
versions as the result of her labors. She
weighs 225 pounds, and is now in Cali
fornia. Chicago has a woman's medical col
lege which has lived through some
eight years of varied existence. It is
called the Woman's Hospital Medical
college. Dr. W. H. Byford is president
of a faculty of sixteen members, and Dr.
Sarah H. Stevenson is professor of physi
ology. Candidates must be graduates of
a high sohool, or its equivalent, or they
must show a teacher s certificate from a
county superintendent of sohools. In
the absence of either of these tney must
pass an examination before the faculty
on the branches of a good common school
education.
Fashion Note.
The old scoop bounot is revived.
Trains are not so long as last year.
Elbow sleeves are very fashionable.
Lace pendants are attached to the
fronts of wide lace collars.
The latest novelty in veils is black
dotted, net lined, with white illusion.
Corduroy velvet will be largely used
for the underskirts of winter costumes.
The embroidered handkerchief caps
worn over a round; mob cap of Brussels
net, edged with a frill, are called
"creole caps."
Twelve and six button white kid
gloves are shown for evening wear, with
the small mother of pearl buttons in
stead of gilt ones.
White barege is used for inexpensive
bridal dresses. Such dresses are trim
mcd with white satin and garlands of
orange blossoms.
On some of the dresses for next sea
son are to be worn accessories that is
to say, plastrons, pockets aud cuffs
composod entirely of feathers.
Black felt bonnets in close princesse
shape, trimmed with a band of cashmere
feathers, or elso with an Alsaciau bow of
velvet and satin ribbon, will be popular
ly worn during the fall and winter.
Bullet-shaped buttons come in colored
pearl, in brass, in steel, and crocheted
in colors and in black, for winter dresses.
When two colors appear in the dress
goods, the round silk button is of the
lighter color, nearly covered with cro
cheted netting of the darker shade.
Satin, this season, bag unusual con
sideration. Plain satin will be very
much employed, especially black satin
in combination with block silk. There
are also satin-striped gros grain and
lengthwise oorded silks, with satin
striped, and plain moires antiques.
The newest black velvet bags are em
broidered in gold and in other colors in
floral patterns. Wide velvet belts are
wrought in the same colors to be worn
with them. Plain velvet bags have gilt
bands and monograms. The old-time
beaded reticules are again revived.
Hosiery for the fall is in hair-line
stripes around the limb, and is embroi
dered up each side. This is not new,
but promises to be the popular design.
More expensive stockings are of solid
dark color, with the instep and ankle of
a light shade, striped aoross with pen
cilled lines of the dark color.
Time Lost,
Most of us fritter away a great deal of
time. We are wasteful of the minutes
when we are wasteful of nothing else.
Nothing is easier than to fritter away
time iu matters of no use to ourselves or
anyone else. The habit is readily form
ed. It grows upon us unawares. Keep
a stnot account of every hour of your
time for a single- week, setting down
correctly the exact manner in which
every hour is spent, and see whether,
when you come to review the record,
you do cot find it full of admonition and
instruction. In this simple way one
can readily understand the secret of his
want of time. He will disoover that be
has given hours to idle talk, to indolence
and to inconsiderable trifles, which have
yielded him neither profit nor pleasure.
What is the remedy ? Arrange your
wora in me oraer oi its comparative un
portance. Attend first to the things
which are essential to be done, and let
the nnessentials take their chanoe after
ward. The difference in the amount of
work accomplished will be astonishing,
Duty before pleasure. Those who rao-
tioe this precept have plenty of time for
pleasure, and enjoy lar greater satisfac
tion than those who reverse this rule,
For there is great satisfaction to be ob
tained in the simple performance of
one s auty.
Old gentlemen to troublesome boy ;
"uook nere, my rxy, can you tell me
why you may be said to be playing at
hide-and-seek?" Troublesome boy ;
"No, sir." Old gentleman t "Be
canso you are seeking a good hlcjing.''
The Invisible Land.
There was a land that lay beyond my sight
For which I vainly searched the great earth
through.
Thither, right often, my companions flew
At daybreak, or at noontide, or at night,
And never came again. I took my flight,
Explored all portions of the globe, yet grew
No nearer where that mighty retinue
Had fled into the stately fields of light.
But onoe, when evening her dusk sails bad
spread,
And I was sleeping, a swift dream came o'er
My spirit, and in It I, rising, said i
"Now is the country mine long sought
before 1"
Aad one I heard lament that I was dead )
And lo I the land stretched just beside my
door I
ScrWner.
Items of Interest
Edison is neglecting the waste power
of Vesuvius.
A plain speaker One who is the re
verse of handsome.
Best things with which to open a dead
lock A skeleton key.
There are twenty-five different kinds
of springs in Saratoga,
"In speaking of a person's faults,
Pray don't forget yonr owu ;
Remember those with homes of glass
Hnould never throw a stone."
Why is a cornetist always poor ? Be
cause he is continually blowing his
notes away, and the report of his wealth
is all in a horn.
Mrs. Janville has " put up " twelve
cans of peaches, nine jars of plums and a
bushel of pears, while her husband has
only " put up " two stoves and his gold
watch. Norristown Herald.
Mules are credited with being stub
born. Their obstinacy, however, is no
circumstance to that of the strip of card
board one endeavors to coax into posi
tion in an overgrown soft felt hat.
New York boasts of a man who can
make a straight jump of over fourteen
feet. A Chicago man, however, has
beaten this. He " jumped the town,"
and hasn't been seen since. Some of
his employers' funds went with him.
A young lady hesitating for a word in
describing the character of a rejected
suitor said: "He is not a tyrant, not
exactly domineering, but" "Dogma
tic," suggested her friend. " No, he
has not dignity enough for that; I think
pnpmatio would convey my meaning
admirably."
At an auction art sale, the other day,
a marine view was about to be knocked
down at a handsome figure, when a
bluff sailor, who had happened to wan
der in, exclaimed earnestly: ' My stars,
if there isn't a vessel drifting on to the
rocks with a strong breeze blowing off
shore." The artist took his work home
to rearrange the wind.
Acorns from remote antiquity have
been used for man and animals. The
ancient Britons lived mostly on acorns ;
so, says Galen, did the Arcadians.
They were prepared in many shapes,
boiled and roasted, dried aud ground
and made into bread. At present they
ore chiefly used for fattening hogs, deer
and poultry, though in Norway and
Sweden they are boiled and mixed with
cornmeal to make bread.
Dan Newman, of Sierra valley, Cal.,
killed 205 blackbirds by emptying only
two barrels from a shotgun into a flock
of them the other day. This may appear
a rather improbable story, but it is
vouched for by a half dozen or so reli
able wituesses. The birds were huddled
together in a grain field where a thresh
ing machine had shortly before been in
operation, when Newman fired at them,
and each shot seemed to have brought
down a separate victim.
They were sitting on either side of tho
garden seat ; silence had bossed the oc
casion for several minutes, when she
finally wagged her tongue thusly :
"Jim, how many miles away do they
say the moon is?" "Well," said be,
with studious gravity, "astronomers
differs ; I believe Hcliogabberlus cal
kerlated it was 'bout forty-seven bil
lion miles, but Dan Webster didn't
think it was more'n a couple of million
or so." " I wish Gab'lus was right,
and I was the moon," was her sweet re
joinder. And in about five minutes it
would have required an awfully clever
astronomer to calculate Jim's remote
ness. In the years 1601 and 1603 Russia ex
perienced great scarcity, aud provisions
were extremely deor. The spirit of the
times and the want of intelligence pre
vented the application of remedies
suitable to the circumstance ; but
Boris Godounof, the oz ir, in this crisis
showed himself the true falher of his
people. He employed thousands in
erecting large stone buildings, furnish
ing everything that was necessary, and
giving them wages corresponding to the
increased price of the necessaries of
life ; and he distributed 30,000 roubles
daily for the relief of the poor. He at
the same time compelled the boyars to
let bim have the overplus of their maga
zines at half-price, to give to the poor.
Those who, notwithstanding his care,
perished iu this dreadful calamity, were
interreu at nis own expense.
in Editor Who Wouldn't be Cowliided.
We find thiB story in tome rominis-
cencies of Justice Miller, of the United
States supreme court, written up for
the Cincinnati Enquirer, by George
Alfred Townsend : Judge Miller related
another incident of the fighting days in
Kentucky, when an editor by the name,
I think, of Matthewsos, was applied to
by a citizen of Richmond to furnish
bim with the name of the author of a
personal paragraph in his paper. The
editor replied that he required until the
next day to see the author and get his
permission. "Very well," said the
caller, "you give it me to-morrow, or I
will cowhide you for concealing the
name of the miscreant?" Next day,
at the appointed time in came the
gentleman in pursuit of revenge, with a
cowhide in his hand, as be had promised,
Matthewson said : " I decline to give
the name of the anthor. I have Been
bim, and he withholds his permission."
Very well," said the mun drawing his
cowhide but at this instant the editor
shot bim dead. No judicial proceedings
followed theslittlj Keutllky privileges,