4 U
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher
NIIj DE8PERANDT3M.
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. XI.
MDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1881.
NO. 9.
Work and Wait.
A husbandman who many years
Had plowed his fields and sown In tears,
Grow weary with his doubts and fears.
" I t((il In vain 1 These, rocks and Bands
Will yield no harvest to my hand;
Tho bent seeds rot in barren lands.
"My drooping vine is withering;
No promisod grapes its blossoms bring;
No birds among its branches sing.
"My flock is dying on the plain;
The heavens are brass they yield no rain;
Tho earth is iron I toil in vain 1"
While yet he spake a breath had Btirred
His drooping vino, like wing of bird,
And from its leaves a voieo he heard:
"The germs and fraiU of liit-mnst be
Forever hid in mystery,
Yet none can toil in vain for me.
' -A mightier hand, more skilled than thine,
ilufit hang the cluster of the vine,
And make the fields with harvest shine.
' Man can but work; Ood can create;
Hut they who work, and w atch and wait,
Hrtvo their reward, though it come late.
" I-ook up to heaven ! biliold and hear
The clouds and thmiilcrinKs in thine car
An answer to thy doubts and fear."
no looked, and lo ! a cloud-draped car,
With trailing smoke and flames afar,
Was rushing to a distant star.
Aud every thirsty flock and plain
Was rising up to meet tho ram
That came to clotho tho fields with grain.
NABBY'S HUSBAND.
A knock at the 'squire's door.
Au eager ' conic iu" from the 'squire,
tp htm any outside diversion is an in
eetiniuble boon, lie having just reached
that uncomfortable stage of masculiue
convalescen .c when life becomes a bur
den not ouly to the so-called " patient"
himself but also to those unlucky femi
nine relatives whose duty it is to offi
ciate as his " ministering angols."
Mary, the servant, came in.
" Please, Mr.- Hosier, there's a woman
downs'airs who says she mupt see you.
She's been here to see you before since
you were sick, and now she won' take
no for an answer."
''.'Show her rigi.1 up. Mary," said thi
'squire,' alertly, brightening up visibly
like the w ar horse who scents he battle
afar oil'. Not all the cozy comforts of
his'sui r iiiiiding-. 'lie Sleepy-Hollow-liesV
of his chair, the pleasant pietur s
on' the wail, the nood tire which now,
that the wintry twilight was Bettliiu'
il'iivu over tin- bit ft pray sky, left vis
ible b the cnrtiiins heavy folds, danced
ami Hashed i ll over the room in ros
shadows, emild r nt ri eoneile the 'squire
to his i.ifoiceil seclusion. Secret 1 he
pirti.'dfor his dinsy old d n of an ofliee,
and chafed at the doctor's restrictions,
wlrie.li as yet forbade all thoughts of
business. But now the moral police
force, represented by his wife and
daughter, being luckily oft' duty, there
was nothing to prevent this probable
client.
" Show her up, Mary," and the
'squire cheerfully straiuhtened himself
and assumed as much of legal dignity
as dressing-gown and slippers permit'
ted.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. "Why, Nabby," said
the 'squire, "is it you? How do you
do?"
" Yes, 'squire it's me," said Nabby,
dropping down with a heavy sigh into
tho chair, " and I don't do very well."
Nabby was a short, squarely-built
woman of fifty, with considerable gray
in the coarse, black hair drawn stilHy
and uncompromisingly back under a
bonnet about fifty years out of date.
She had sharp, black eyes, and a reso
lute, go-ahead manner. Evidently a
hard-working woman ; yet in looking
at her you could not help the conviction
that something more than hard work
had. plowed tho deep wrinkles which
ran across her forehead, aud threatened
to lift her eyebrows up to her hair.
Nabby had lived with the 'squire's
mother hiteen years from tho time
when. Mrs. Hosley took her in, a ten-year-old
orphan, who was, as the good old
lady sometimes expressed it, "more
plague than profit," until she grew into
the steady and reliable hand-maiden who
finally, with every one's good wishes,
married young Josiah ould, and set up
iu tho world for herself. Ol 1 Mrs
Hosley had long since gone to her
reward, but her family still kept up a
friendly interest in Nabby and her for
tunes, tho 'squire in particular being for
her "guide, philosopher and friend" in
all the emergencies of life.
"Why, what's tho matter now, Nab
bv ?"' said the 'squire, good-naturedly.
" Are you sick ?"
"Yes, I am," said Nabby, emphati
cally, with a snap of her black eyes.
" I'm sick to death of Josiah. I can't
stan' it anv longer, aud I've come to
talk with j ou about gettin' a divorce.
You see he's been a growin worse and
worse now for a good while. I've kept
it to myself pretty inue) because I was
ashamed ou't, and then kep' Jhopin' he'd
do better. I've talked an' tulked to him
and said and done everything a woman
could, but it seemed as if the more I
talked the worse he grew."
The 'squire looked at Nabby's rather
sharp, hard face, and erhaps was hardly
so surprised as .Nabby expected that
Josiah had not been reformed by the
"talking to he Lad undoubtedly re
ceived. "He grew more and more shiftless
and good for noth.i ?," continued Nabby,
" till finally he didn't do much but sit
around the kitchen fire, half boozy. If
there s anybody I hate," burst out
Nabby, " it's a man forever settin' round
the house under foot. And there I was
a-takin' in washin and a-slaving early
and late to be kinder decent and fore
handed, and him no better than a dead
man on my hands, so far as helping any
was otmcerueu. Ana bo I told him,
time and again. He worked just about
enough to keep himself in drinl . He
knew he couldn't get any of my money
for tlmt. But I stood it all till about a
fortnight ago.- I'd been working hard
all day helping Miss Dai ber clean house,
and it seemed as if every bone in my
body ached, I was so tired. I came
along home, thinking how good my cup
of tea would taste. Then first thing I
see when I opened the kitchen door was
old Hank Slater settin' there iu my
oekin' chair. He and Josiah were both
runk as hogs," said Nabby, slander
ng an innocent animal in her haste for
0 simile.
"They'd tracked the mnd all over
my clean floors. Tho cookin' stove was
crammed full of wood, roaring like all
possessed. I wonder they hadn't burned
ed the house up before I got there. And
they'd got my best teapot out to heat
some water, and the water'd oil biled
away on dthe bottom came out. But the
worst was to see my husband a consort
in' with such a scum of the earth os
that miserable, low-lived llauk, Slater.
1 tell you, 'squire, I was mad. I just
hung that kitchen door wide open, and
sez I:
"Get out out of this houee, Josiah
Gould, and don't ever let me see your
face inside on't again."
" Sez he, meek as Moses: ' Where
shall I go to, Nabby ?'
" Sez I, 'I don't care where you go
to, so long's you don't come near me.
I've always been a respectable woman,
and I don't want none of Hank Slater's
friends round my house.' "
" Well ?" queried the 'squire, as Nab
by's narrative came to a pause.
" Well," said Nabby, in a rather sub
dued tone, " he went off. And he hasn't
come back. And I want a divorce."
"Now, Nabby," remonstrated the old
'squire, "you don't want a divorce. I
know you better than that. You are not
the woman to give Josiah up and let him
go to the bad without a struggle. You
feel a little vexed with him now, and I
don t blame you. It s hard very hard.
But you know you took him ' for better,
lor worse. Do you think, yourself, it s
quite right to break your contract
because it proves the worst for you
because you are the strong one and he
ue weak one of the two lhat doesn t
strike me as good Bible doctrine, Nabby.
'We that are strong ought to bear the
infirmities of the weak,' nnd not to
please ourselves you know."
" Well, I dunn'o," said Nabby, twist
ing the collier of her shawl, dubiouslv,
"I hadn't thought ou't in that light, "l
must say. It's so aggravatin' to have
such a man for a husband. Besides, I
dunno's he'd come back if I wanted him
to."
"Hasn't ho been back at all ?"
"Why, yes, he came back once for a
pair of pantaloons. But I didn't take no
notice of him."
" Now, Nabby, you may depend upon
it, it wasn't the pantaloons ho was
after. He wanted to see if you wouldn't
relent. If he comes again be a little
pleasant to him, and I'll warrant he
ill stay. Give him another chance,
Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fellow in
he world, by any means. He has his
.edeeming traits, after all. I believe
he will do better if you will tiy to help
him. Yon know Josiah is one that
bears encouragement, Nabby."
"Well, 'squire, I'll think it over.
Anyhow, I'm obleeged to you. You
talk so sorter comfortin' to a body.
Your mother's own son; just the same
good heart. Would you be able to eat
some of my cheese, 'squire ?"
" Try me and see, Nabby," said the
'squire, smilingly, not impervious to
N abby 'h compliments. Nabby made her
exit just as Mrs. Hosley rushed in full
of wifely indignation that the 'squire
ha 1 been allowed to see a "client."
Vabby's home was over at the " Cor
ne s," three miles from the village. She
wa Iked rapidly along in the fast thick
en ng darkness, with the steady, strong
gait becoming the self-reliant woman
that she was. Yet even her unimagina
tive nature was not proof against the
depressing influence of the chilly, raw
November evening. The wind whistled
through tho bare tree branches, which
creaked and groaned, mournfully, and
waved wildly in the dim light overhead.
The wind seemed to cherish a special
Epite against Nabby. It blew her bon
net off and her hair into herteyes, strug
gled madly -with her for her' shawl, took
her breath awoy and firmly resisted
c,very step. Finally it began to send
spiteful dashes of cold rain drops in her
face rain that seemed to freezo as it
fell.
"Josiah used to come after me with
an umbrella when I was caught out in
the rain," thought Nabby. "He was
always real kind and good to me after
nil. 1 uuno s ho ever gave me a cross
word in his life, even when he's been
drinking."
Here the driving sleety rain, and pierc
ing wind pounced down upon Nabby
with renewed fierceness, hustling her
madly in fiendish gloo.
" An awful night to be homeless,
Nabby," something seemed to say.
"1 don t care, saul iauly to herself,
beginning to feel cross again, and gen
erally ill-used as she grew wetter ami
colder. " It serves him right. He s
made his bed and he can lie in it."
At the " Comers," light streaming out
cheerfully into the night from other
homes made Nabby's little house par
ticularly gloomy and uninviting. Nabby
fumbled under the mat for the door-
key, fumbled with stiff fingers for the
hey-hole, and finally succeeded in un
locking the door, and felt her way
through the little entry.
There is always something "uncanny"
about going alone at night into a dark
and shut-up house. Every person of
the best regulated minds experience a
vague suspicion of something behind
them, a sense of possible ghostly hands
about to clutch them in the darkness.
Nabby was a woman like Mrs. Edmund
Sparkler, with "no nonsense about
her;" but nevertheless a cheerful tale
she had read only yesterday about a
burglar and a lone woman, kept coming
into her head, and she curefully avoided
the blackness of the corners and the
pantry door as she groped around the
kitchen for a candle. Of course the
fire had gone out.
" Two heads ore. better than one, if
one is a sheep's head." Nabby might
have been heard muttering out in the
woodhouse, aa she stooped painfully
down, picking up chips; by which orac
ular utterance I suspect she was think
ing what a good supply of kindlings
Josiah always kept on hand for her, and
how much more comfortable it was in
the old times, coming home to a house
bright with light and warmth, and Jo
siah's welcome.
For Josiah cherished the most pro
found admiration for Nabby an admi
ration not ' uhmingled with awe. He
thought her a most wonderful woman.
She was just as beautiful to him now as
in the old conrting-dayr, before tho
brightness and quickness of the black
eyes had degenerated into sharpness;
before the smiling month had acquired
its hard, firmly-set expression; before
there were any wrinkles in tho smooth
forehead. People thonght Nabby had
done well in marrying Josiah Gould a
pleasant, good-natured young fellow
that every one liked, a young mechanic,
not very 'rich yet, it is true; but with a
good trado and sue'li a vife as Nab'iy,
thero seemed to bo nothing to prevent
his figuring as "one of our first citi
zens." Anybody can bo somebody in this
country if he is only determined. But
that was the difficulty with Josiah. He
never was determined about anything.
He fell into the habit of drinking be
cause he lacked sufficient strength of
will to avoid it. Then Nabby's sharp
words and his own miserable sense of
meanness and self-contempt, of utter
discouragement and despair, drove him
lower and lower into the slough of
despond without effort or hope.
By a beautiful dispensation of Prov
idence, whenever a poor, shiftless, good-for-nothing
man is sent out into our
world, some active, go-ahead little
woman is invariably fastened to him to
tow him along through and keep his
head above water. It is for the best,
of course. What would become of the
poor fellow without her? At the same
time, she sometimes finds it a little
hard.
Nabby was ambitious and proud
spirited, willing to work hard to save,
to do her part anxious to get on in the
world and stand well among her neigh
bors. The fact gradually realized, that
in her husband she had no support, only
a drag aud a burden, and finally a dis
grace, had been a disappointment em
bittering her wholo nature. To have a
husband that no one respected, that
even the boys around town called " Si
Gould," was dreadful to Nabby. Per
haps it was hardly strange that she grew
hard and bitter.
Meantime Nabby had succeeded in
starting the fire, and, having changed
her dress, sat down to dry her feet until
tho tea-kettlo boiled. But even the
ruddy light and warmth with which the
kitcLen now glowed could not send off
the dreariness of the night. The rain
"tapped with ghostly finger tip upon
tho window-pane," and the wind howled
and wailed around the house like the
spirits of tho lost pleading to be once
more taken back into human life and
warmth. Such a wind stirs in even the
happiest heart a vague sense of loss, of
change of all that goes to make up the
iinsatisfaetoriness of life. Dead sor
rows creep forth from their graves on
such cold nights, and stalk up and down
the echoing chambers of the heart.
Nabby could not help wondering
where Josiah was to-niijht. It was so
lonely sitting thero with no one to speak
to, listening to the moaning wind, the
creaking of the blinds, the loud ticking
of tho clock.
The wind wailed and wailed, and
Nabby thought aud thought. Tho fact
of having "freed her mind" to the
'squire had relieved her long pent-up
indignation, and now she felt more sad
than angry. Up before her seemed to
rise a picture of her life tho youthful
dreams and hojies, the changes and dis
appointments, tho love turned into
wrangling. She even thought of Josiah
with pity. For the first time " she put
herself in his place," and realized how
impossible it was for one of his weak
nature to resist, unaided, the temptation
which would cost a stronger will an
effort.
" I'm afraid I've been a little too sharp
with Josiah," thought she, "I've sorter
took it for granted I was a saint and he
was a sinner and scolded him right
along down-hill. A nice saint I urn!
As proud and high-strung as Lucifer
himself! Oh, dear I" sighed Nabby.
"A pretty mess I've made of living ! If
we could go back and begin over again,
seems to me tilings would go better."
Just then there was a faint noise, like
the clicking of the door-latch. Nabby
started and looked around. All was
still again no one visible. Yet Nabby
could not rid herself of the impression
that some one was near her, that odd
sense we have of another's individuality
near us, though not present.
"There's some ono hangin' round
here, 1 know," said she to herself.
Nabby was one who always met
things half way. Accordingly she walked
to the outside door, and opening it
quick'y, peered out into the darkness.
There stood Josiah, wet, sheepish, sorry.
Once he started to go in, but his moral
courage failing, he lingered iu dubious
hesitation on the doorstep.
"Why don't you come in, Josiah?"
asked Nabby.
"I didn't know as you'd want me,
Nabby," replied Josiah, with all the
meekness becoming a returning prodi
gal.
" Want you ? Of course I do," said
Nabby, heartily. " Come right along in.
I'm going to have good griddle cakes
for supper, and you must tend them
while 1 set the table." Griddle cakes
were one of Josiah's weaknesses, and
Nabby knew it.
Josiah came in. If he ever gets into
heaven probably his sensations will not
be one whit more delightful than they
are now, as from forlornness of his
wretched wanderings he came into the
cozy brightness of the kitchen, and felt
that hj was home once more. How
good the tea smelled. The fire roared
and snapped, the tea kettle boiled and
bobbed its lid up and down, and from
the griddle the savory odor of the cakes
ascended like homely incense. Josiah's
face, shining with mingled heat and
happiness as he turned the griddle
cakes, was something worth seeing.
Nabby stepped briskly around getting
supper ready. It seemed so pleasant to
see the table for two again, to have some
one to praise and appreciate her cook
ing. The November wind might howl
its worst now. Its hold on Nabby -was
gone. In place of all the bitter sadness
that had hung heavily round her heart
was a warm feeling of happiness, of
comfort and hope.
All the explanation they had was
this: Josiah drew from under his shabby
coat on exceedingly owkward and knob
by bundle.
"I've bought somethin' for you,
Nabby, ' he said.
The " somethin' " undone proved to
be a very 'handsome brittania teapot.
The teapot must have known that it
was a peace-offering, with such preter
natural brightness did it shine and
glisten. Something in Nabby's eyes
shone and glistened, too, although she
hod winked hard, and scorned the weak
ness of a pocket-handkerchief.
"Thank yon, Josiah," she said; "it's
a regular beauty, and I shall set lots by
it."
Which, so long as they understood
each other, was perhaps as well as if
Josiah had made a long-worded speech
of repentance and reformation, and
Nobby another of forgiveness.
I wish I could say that Nabby never
scolded Josiah ogain. But I can't.
However, sho " drew it mild," and there
was a general understanding between
them that this was only a sort of exer
cise made necessary by habit a barking
by no means involving biting. And
Josiah was so accustomed to it that he
would have missed it, and not felt
natural without being wound and set
going for the day by Nabby.
One day, later in the winter, Nabby
was washing for Mrs. Hosley.
" So you've taken Josiah back again,
after all," said Mrs. Hosley.
" Well, yes, I have," said Nabby,
giving tho last twist to a sheet she was
wringing out. "Josiah mayn't be very
much to brag of; but then, you see,
he's my own and all I've got. We're
getting to be old folks, Josiah and me,
and we may as well put up with each
other the little while we've got to stay
here."
" How has he been doing since he
came back ?"
" First rate. He's walked as straight
as a string ever since. He's a good
provider, now he's quit drinking, and a
master hand for fixing up things around
tho house and making it comfortable.
I tell you what it is, Mrs. Hosley, we've
got to make 'lowance for folks in this
world. We can't have 'em always just
to our mind. Wo got to take them
just as they ore and make the best
on't."
" I'm glad to see you so much hap
pier and better contented, Nabby."
" Well, I used to fret and complain
a good deal because things hadn't
tinned out as I expected 'em to; but
lately I've thonght a good deal about it
all, and I've made up my mind that
there's considerable comfort for every
one in this world, after all. We mayn't
git just what we want, but we git some
thin'." In which piece of philosophy I be
lieve Nabby was about right.
A Substitute tor Earthquakes.
Queer how the iorce of habit will
catch hold ol a man. There was old
Major Dogshow who was a terrible vic
tim of it. The major when a small boy
went down to Pern where they have
earthquakes and revolutions every ten
days or so ; where a man works to get
his enemy elected president, for the
sako of seeing him assassinated. The
major lived in that country till he was
nearly fifty years old and he had go
by tliat time, wonted to being mixed up
in a civil war or fleeing from an earth
quake about half the time. Finally he
moved back to tho United States. At
the end of a week ho was unhappy. He
missed tho revolutions and the earth
quakes. Occasionally, he contrived to
dream there was an earthquake, and
then he would hop out of bed aud rush
out of tho house, without stopping to
dress, and would ran half a mile, howle
ing, before he got sufficiently awake to
realize his mistake. This kind of got
tho neighbors to thinking the major
,'had 'em." But this didn't afford
much relief. However, a political cam
paign came on, and the major moved to
Philadelphia and used to go to ward
caucuses aud take a prominent part,
and he was elected to tho board of al
dermen, and got his head thumped
with a cuspadore at most every meeting
and that, iu a measure, made up for the
loss of revolutions. But tho major han
kered for earthquakes, and at last the de
sire to experience one became almost un
controllable. He consulted a doctor. The
doctor said he thought he could help
him. Tho doctor owned an old Mexican
mule with a back as sharp as an ax. The
mule had been in the army ten years.
He took it out in an open field and put
the major on its back. Then the mule
began to buck. Did you ever see a
mule buck ? It jumps about four feet
into tho air, and comes down stiff-
legged, ana tho jar the ruler gets is
enough to loosen his teeth. And you
can't get off unless you fall off, and then
the mule may jump on you. The major
knew that, and he hung on for dear life.
The doctor danced wildly about as the
mule bucked, and the major swore and
screamed. "Is it equal to an earth-
f quake ?" he yelled. And the major
howled: " Hang it ! yes; it s six of em,
with a volcano and a stroke of lightning
thrown in !" The mule finally quieted
down, and he took the major off. Ho
was the sorest, lamest, maddest man in
the State. And he says he has had
enough earthquake to last him a life
time, but he hasn't got through with the
doctor, who had better leave the country
before he gets well. Huston fast.
Satisfactory.
A gentleman writing to the Danville
Trihuue says :
Dr. Bittle, in a lecture to his meta
physics class, was once speaking of the
shrewdness of children's replies, their
perplexing questions, etc., and said to
us :
" Yon just try asking some child why
the sun doesn't rise in the west." When
opportunity favored I tried the experi
ment. I said to a bright little girl :
"Who made the sun?" "God."
"Where did He make it rise?" "In
the east." " Well, can you tell me why
he didn't 'make it rise in the west ?"
" He wanted that place for it to set at,"
was the reply.
THE FARM AM) HOUSEHOLD.
Canada Thistle.
An effective method of eradicating
Canada thistles is as follows : As 'soon
as they appear in the spring strike them
off with a sharp hoe below the lower
leaf or even with the solid earth. Re
peat every time a sprout starts, and
your efforts will be crowned with suc
cess the first seoson. Cutivating about
them increases their growth as it does
other plants. They cannot, however,
live without a top. It is a waste of time
attempting to dig up the roots. Mow
ing closely when in full bloom will check
them seriously, but the only sure method
is that first mentioned above. Thistles
are such a nuisance that farmers can af
ford to spend some time in their effec
tive eradication. A few may appear the
second year after this treatment ; if so
repeat the cutting of the stalks, and if
thoroughly done sure death is the re
sult. American Cultivator.
Transplanting aud Culling Back.
Whenever a tree is transplanted many
of tho roots are injured a part de
stroyed. Those that remain when set
out in a new place arc in no condition
to feed the plant s it was fed previous
to removal. Hence the top must be cut
back to rest ore the equilibrium. Let us
instance the case of a newly-transplanted
grapevine. If many buds are permitted
to push aud grow, tho growth of each
at the end of the season will be found to
be of a feeble, immature kind. If, on
tho other hand, but ono bud be per
mitted to grow, a strong, healthy cano
will be the result. Thus we see in the
former case the sap is distributed among
many buds and shoots, while in the lat
ter it is supplied to one. Tho tree or
plant of any kind may live in either
case. While, however, cutting back
renders the chances of life greater and
insures more vigor, we have still to con
sider whether a few strong shots are not
more desirable than many feeblo ones.
liwal New Yorker.
(iood Food lor Fowls.
All varieties of poultry can be kept
well and economically upon screenings
composed of all manner of seeds. They
can uo also kept upon table retuse, sour
milk and decaying meat scraps and
musty grain. This may be an induce
ment for keeping poultry, but tho ques
tion arises whether it is the best way to
keep poultry where an excellent quality
of eggs and flesh is desired. Beef may
be fed on distillery slops, but the quality
is very much inferior to corn-fed beef.
Onions, cabbage, clover and filthy water
affect the taste and quality of the butter
and milk of the cows to which they are
fed. Pork made from corn is very much
superior to the swill-fed article. When
a tine quality of eggs and chickens is
desired poultry should be vigorous and
healthy, in order that their digestive or
gans may do their duty. Care should bo
taken to see that the poultry-house is
properly ventilated and not kept too
warm, as a vitiated atmosphere has very
much to do with the profit and health
of the flock. Poultry, to be kept prof
itably, must bo watered, housed and fed
abundantly, with frequent changes in
diet. The poultry- keeper who attends
to these details may reasonably expect
to realize considerable profit. Some
profit may, however, be realized when
kept simply as the scavengers of the
farm, if ordinary caro is taken to see
that they get sufficient food and shel
ter; but tho quality of the product is
inferior. Corn and wheat produce the
richest flesh aud eggs, and should be
tho principal food employed. Buck
wheat and decayiug vegetables are the
poorest foqds, not only for quality but
color of flesh aud eggs. Corresj'Ontience
country Uentlmnnn.
HrcnliliiK C olin.
Thero may be something good and
useful thus far unwritten as to how to
break a colt well. I may be allowed to
try. When only about one week old
put on the foal and let remain the head
part of a halter. Soon after attach
hitch-rein, by which to teach it to be led
and stand hitched quietly without pull
ing backward, But, if not before, as
soon as weaned break to halter ; then
commence to take up all its feet and
clean hoofs with hook aud short broom,
thus serving a double purpose, by clean
liness to prevent thrush and slipping,
and also to get it well used to having
its feet handled preparatory to being
shod. If of very large size and showing
considerable "high stuff," it may be
well to commence breaking to harness
at one and a half years old. First, in
stable, put on all the harness and spend
considerable time in adjusting each
part and buckling and unbuckling every
thing. Tie traces into breech rings,
pretty closely drawn, buckle both girths,
use no blinders on bridle and only loose
check-rein. Let the colt stand several
hours at a time with the harness on.
After some days of this usage, a small
string of bells may well be attached
to the girth, lake the colt out of doors
with harness cn, and first in lot, after
ward in street, teach it to handily be
driven by the reins and to turn out
on meeting teams and turn around cor
ners. Go different routes daily. Then
teach it to back, first by taking hold
of the bridle, afterward by long reins.
Always on return home teach your colt
to stand still w hile being unharnessed.
Three weeks' daily lessons of this kind
and your colt will be fit to hitch to a
light but s.rong sulky. Not less than
two persons should be in active attend
ance now; and first commence by sim
ply placing one off shaft in thill holder,
and let the attendant barely keep it in
place with left hand, while beholds tho
large ring of the bridle bit with tho
right, yourself meanwhile leading the
colt forward by the opposite bit ring.
Should the colt show signs of much
fright tho shaft may be removed from
the holder and gently let down on tho
ground ; then try again, and so on;
when it cares nothing for the sulky
then traces may be hitched, etc. Thus
the ultimatum of good and easy break
ing may be accomplished, and so mod
erately and gradually done that the colt
will never know when he is being
broken. National Live Stock Joun.al.
Furoi and Garden Kale.
Never overload a team nor discourage
it by a too heavy pull at first starting ;
nor 'start from a bod place, if possible to
avoid it.
A change in sei d is often very bene
ficial. It is said that a pullet's first eggs are
not so good as those laid later.
Fowls seldom tire of milk. They
may eat too much grain or meat for
health, but milk in any form is both
palatable and healthy.
One of tho most deleterious systems
of gardening, says the London Chronicle,
is to spade about a foot deep, while the
subsoil remains untouched.
Decayed grain of any kind is highly
injurious to stock. It has a paralyzing
effect upon the animal fed with it, often
times causing death.
A single horse or a pair will draw far
more and easier after - getting up to
their work thonwhen firs,,1 srting. Never
draw the check-rein tight in heavy pull
ing or in driving a fast gait.
A New York farmer says that potato
tops make the best mulch for etrawber
ries. They are free from weed seeds,
heavy enough not to be blown off an 1
will pack and smother the plants as
straw or hay will sometimes do. In
spring they aro so well rotted as not to
need removal.
" W. S," asks if cutting potatoes to
one or two eyes in a hill would be too
small to produce good results. The best
crop of potatoes we ever saw was from
potatoes cut to one eyo and planted one
piece in a hill. Thero is a great waste
of seed potatoes every year in our coun
try through ignorance. New York Her
alt. A compost heap should bo a perman
ent institution in every garden, aud it
will be found surprising how much fer
tilizing matter can be Accumulated dur
ing a year. Such a structure need not
present an unsightly or objectionable
appearance ; it may bo built behind
some hedge, or in a fence corner, and
protected from sight by a few ever
greens. Tho most successful fruit growers,
East and West, have decided that there
is no better remedy for the codling moth
than to pasture hogs in the orchard, to
eat tno wormy apples ana tho worms
therein. If the orchards are too large
for tho number of hogs kept, sheep are
turned in.
Tho prevalent idea that shallow plow
ing is sufficient for grass seed is an er
roneous one. Unlike corn, tho roots ol
which keep near the surface and require
heat, the roots of grass require depth,
moisture and colder soil.
There is said to be no cure for the
disease in calves known as black leg or
earbuucuJar erysipelas, when the swell
ings on the Hunks and legs have ap
peared. In fact, cure niav be said to be
impossible at any stage, but prevention
is easy. To prevent danger, give each
ono ounce of linseed oil daily lor three
days, and do not lot the calves overfeed
themselves.
Recipes.
Jellv. Custard. To one cupful ol
any sort of jelly add ono egg and beat
well together with three teaspoons
cream or milk. After mixing thorough
ly bake in a good crust.
Braided Sauce. Beat a cup of sugar
and a heaping tablespoonful of butter to
a cream, make into a pyramid on a
small plate and grate nutmeg over it.
Very simple, but a favorite for apple or
berry puddings.
Simple Lemon Pie. Five eggs, two
cups of Biigar, one-half cup of butter,
one cup of warui water, one cracker
pounded fine, rind and juice of one
lemon; bake with an upper and under
crust. This should make two pies.
Chocolate. There are several meth
ods of making breakfast chocolate. A
very old French recipe has been care
fully tested and found perfect by the
writer; simply place a square in a cup
aud pour upon it enough boiling milk
to dissolve it into a paste; meantime
have the milk boiling in a saucepan
until it boils to a bubble, then gently
stir in the paste, stirring until thor
oughly mixed, and sweeten to taste.
Tho white of eggs foamed on top is an
improvement.
Household Uinta.
To Make Shoes Waterproof. A
coat of gum copal varnish applied to
the
soles ol boots and shoes, and re-
peated as it dries until the pores are
filled and the surface shines like pol
ished mahogany, will make the soles
waterproof, and make them last three
times as long.
Stained Marble. A small quantity
of diluted vitriol will take stains out of
marble. W et the spots with the acid.
and iu a few minutes rub briskly with a
sou linen cloth until they disappear.
To Clean Silverware. Frosted sil
verware or frosted ornamentation on
plain silver should ue cleaned with a
soft brush and strong lye, accompanied
by freqent rinsings in soft water. After
the frosted parts are dry, tho polished
parts may be rubbed carefully with
powder.
To Clean Brass. Brass is cleaned
with pumice stone and water, applied
with a brush an old tooth-brush will
answer polishing with dry pumice aud
woolen cloths. This will clean lamp
burners, candlesticks, knobs and fau
cets, also pedals of pianos, and gas
burners.
Use d to Suck 'Em.
A young college student was visiting
his grandmother, and at the breakfsat
table ho took an egg, -and holding it up
asked her if she knew the scientific- way
oi ootaimng the contents withou, break
ing the shell Y"
She replied that she did not.
" Well," said he, " you take the spher,
oidal body in your sinister hand, and
with a convenient diminutive pointed
jusrrument, new in the dexter hand,
puncture the apex ; then in the same
manner make an orifice in the base,
place either extremity to vour labiiils
and endeavor to draw in your breath ; a
vacuum is created, and the contents of
tho egg are discharged into yonr
mouth." 3
" La I" said the old ladv. "when
. , ti '
was a Bin we used to mnba
Ah n. m " "
Give Them Now.
I f yon have gentle words and looks, my friends,
To spare for me if yon have tears to shed
That I have Buffered keep them nof, I pray,
Until I see not, hear not, being dead.
If you have flowers to give fair lily buds,
White roses, daisies, (meadow stars that be
Mine own dear namesakes) let them smile
and make
The air, while yet I breathe it. sweet for me.
For loving looks, though fraught with tender
ness, And kindly tears, though they fall thiekand
fast,
And words of praise, alasl can naught avail
To lift the shadows from a life that's past.
And rarest blossoms, what can they suffice,
Offered to ono who can no longer gaze
Upon their beauty? Flowera in coflius laid
Impart no sweetness to departed days.
IIUMOIt OF THE DAT.
Dear at any price Sweethearts.
The fishery question Got a bite
A man who was formerly a night
watchman refers to it as his late occu
p.- tion.
No star ever rose and set without ir?
flnence somewhere. It is the same way
with a hen.
A woman's work is never done, be
cause when she has nothing else to do
she has her hair to fix.
Wb,y is a dandy like o mnshroom ?
Because he's a regular snphead
liis waist is remarkably slender, .
HiB growth is exceedingly rapid,
And his top is uncommonly tender.
The hog cholera excitement is tho
biggest thing in the porcine line since
Theodore Thomos hod to leave Cincin
nati because ho retuscd to beat time
with a ham.
Many a wuman who would like to put
down a new Brussels carpet in her par
lor will be obliged to bo content with
putting a new hoop on the second-best
wash-tub, New Haven Jieyister.
Philadelphia has discovered that
colored lard is being palmed oil' as but
ter. Passing off pigs' feet for spring
chickens will probably be tho next
deception. Phitatleljihia Chron ale.
" You don't know how it pains me to
punish you," said the teucher. "I
guess there's the most pain at my end of
the stick," replied the boy, feelingly.
" 'T any rate I'd bo willing to swap,"
" Yes, sir," said Gallagher, " it was
funny enough to muke a donkey laugh.
I laughed till I cried," and then he saw a
smile go round tho room, he grew led
iu the face, and went away mad. Boston
fait.
Tho favorite girls in Washington have
big, brown eyes and large mouths. As
the latter qualification enables them to
eat ice-cream with a coal shovel, i.
promises to be an expensive summer
for unmarried government clerks.
When a member, in the course of a
very long speech, called for a glass of
water, a member sitting near exclaimed
sotto voce to his neighbors: " This is
all contrary to the laws of mechanics a
windmill running by water. Hartford
Conrant.
It is said that two French philoso
phers have kept nine hogs drunk for a
year, and say they are none the worse
for their tippling. Which proves that
hogs are natural drunkards, or that nat
ural drunkards are hogs, we've forgot
ten which. New Haven Keyhter.
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.
Mr. G. Phelps Beven estimates the
grand total of gold produced during the
historic ages to be 817,500,000,000, and
that of silver 814,000,000,01)0, making
the produce of both the precious metals
to be worth 31,000,000,000.
Eschnit has confirmed, by a new sta
tistical table show ing tho duration of
lifo in the various professions in Bavaria
the general impression that medical
men are shorter lived than any other
class. Out of every 100 individuals
fifty-three Protestant clergymen, forty
one professors, thirty-nine lawyers or
magistrates, thirty-four Catholic priests,
but r.nlv twenty-six doctors reach the
age of fifty.
The government telegraph depart
ment in Calcutta obtained last Novem
ber a sample supply of the loud-speak-iug
telephones oi the Gower-Bell com
pany, and the experimental trials of their
instruments have given so much satis
faction that the company received lately
an order for a large number of their
telephones. The government of India
will not sanction the establishment of
telephonic exchanges by private per
sons.
Although Dr. J. Gwyn Jeffreys has
during a period of between forty and
fifty years, dredged, as a explorer, oil
the seas of the British isles besides
a considerable part of those cn the
coasts of North America, Greenland,
Norway, France, Spain, Purtugal, Mo
rocco and Italy, he has never found
an) thing of value except to a naturalist,
nor any human bone, although many
thousand human beiiifis must have per
ished in those seas, lhe gems, "dead
bones," etc., that was thought to form
the floor of the ocean appear to exist
only in the imagination of the poets.
The artificial means by which drowsi
ness may be induced have been investi
gated lately in Germany by Preyer.
The ordinary drowsiness of fatigue sup
josed to be caused by the introduction
into the blood of lastic acid, a compound
proceeding from the distingeration of
the bodily tissues of nerves and muscle.
To ascertain whether this view was cor
rect, Preyer administered large quanti
ties of the acid to anim tin, nud found
that it would induce a drowsiness aud
slumber apparently identicul with formal
sleep, and from which they awaken
seemingly much refreshed. Not only
lactate soda, but sour milk aud whey,
fed to animals which had been lasting,
produced this artificial sleep.
Some one who has had a sad experi
ence in the purchase of a horse says that
he asked the dealer how much he would
take to warrant the horse good, and that
WAV ' .muw uiDuifina kuuu. uuu iiiuii
F""f"OIu repneu aL once ina
Wnuid warrant mm trnrui for nntl.incr