iflif familii (filth.
PAITH AND SIGHT Ilf 1 THE LATTEB DATS.
‘lprae: sequar. ’
Thou sayst, ‘ Take up tliy cross,
0 Man ! and follow Me:
The night is black, the foot are slack,,
fet we would follow Thee; 1 1 ’ ■ ’’ i
But 0, dear Lord, we cry,
That we Thy face could see! . .
Thy blessed face one moment's' spac'd—
Then might we follow Thee 1
Dim traots of time divide’' -<>•;
Those golden daysfrom me,;
Thy voice comes strange o’er years of change
flow can I follow Thee?
* s . \ < '; f■■ !
Coinedfai|(t and fnr'Thy .Vpice
From valeß of Galilee ;
Thy.yision fades in. ancient, spades; , , .
- 1 jffowsfiodli'we’jSllow Thee’? '- ■ : - -
' —Ah, sense-bound heart a'nd blind!
:.i " Is naught- but. what .we see?
, ~ undo what oncre,.was true ,
Can we not follow Thee?
TJnelianging law binds all, "
And Nature, all we.-se'fe:.; r. ■
Thou art a star, far off, too far,
Too far to follow Thee!
Is what ,we trace of law
' The whole of God’s decree ?
Does our brief span grasp Nature’s plan,
y ' And .bid ?( ) r >< *; j f
0 "heavy cross^—Of faith'
In what weipannot seeH >; ;
As once of yore, Thyself restqre
And help to follow Thee ! ‘ ' ’
If not. as once Thou cain’st.
In true humanity,
Come yet as guest within the breast
That burns to follow Thee.
Withinour heart of « ....
>. In nearest neariiesstbfe;'. . • -1-,,.r
Set up Thy,throne, within Thipe own :
. Go, Lord; r we,follow iheel. .
: '| ’ , ■ ; —Francis Turner Fahjrav'c.
JESSICAS pATER. „•
, IX. THE.. FIRST PRAYER ANSWERED. i
Tli6 barefooted and bareheaded child might
be every ,SundaY ev.enipg,, advancing
confidently',up to]the 1 chapel, where;rich,and
fashionable-people .worshipped God;., hut, bp;
fore talcing ehe arrayed herself : in
a little ’elbak'aWd bofi'Be't/wbich -bach once
belonged to the .minister’s elder daughter, !
and whibk’ iwhsf kept/w.ith ' Daniel’s serge
gown, gp.that.phe pres.epted a somewhat
more respectable 1 appbarance'in ’the ' eyes of
the congregation; ’ The minister had no lis
tener more’ attentive; iand r be .would jhaye
missed the pinched, earnest dittle dace if it
were not to be seen, in the seat just under <
the pulpit,, At the close of each service he
spoke to her, for a minute or two in; his ves 7 ;
try, often saying no more than a single sen
tence, for the day’s labor had wearied him.
Thq whiph'was
r he dhimrtby-piece', placed there 'by Jan'e'and
l sipnyjjin spurns, -was immediately-handed
over, according,to,promise,.to jjaniel, as she
left the ehgp.el, a,h(l .so/‘Jessica’s breakfast
was provided for her 'wCek after week.
But at last there came a Sunday evening
when'the minister, going up into his pulpit,
did miss the wistful, hungry face, and the
ihilling lay unclaimed upon the vestry chim
ney-piece. Dani.ol looked out for her anx
iously every morning; but no Jessica glided
into his secluded, corner, to sit beside'him
with her breakfast on her lap, and with a
number of strange questions to ask. He
felt her 'absence more keenly than- he; could
have expected. The child was nothing to
him, he kept "saying to himself; ahdyet he
felt that she was something, and that he
could - not help bdittg’uneasy and' anxious
about her. 1 Why had he never inquired
where she lived? The minister knew,'dnd
for' d'mihutfe' Daniel thought he would go
and ask him, but that might awaken suspi
cion." How could he account for so much
anxiety,* when, he-was.supposed oniy-toiknow
of her absence .from chapel one. Sunday eve
ning? It would -be running i-a- risk, and,
after all, Jessica was nothing to him. - So
he went home and looked over, his savings’
bank book, and counted his money, and’ he
found to his satisfaction that he had gather
-sejd, together ; ,nparlypbur hundred poupds; and
was adding more every week. ' i ' ‘'' ’
But when upon 1 the'next Sunday Jessica’s
seat was, again empty,, the anxiepy of .the
solemn chapelykeeper overcame his,prudence
and;his feaps.y'The , minister hadiratjred to
his vestry, and was standing with his arm
restingjippn'the chimney-piece’iapd.Ms*eyes
fixed uppn .the unclaimed .shilling, which
Winny.; had.: laid thei;e[ before. thq service,
when there was.a.tap at the door, and Dan
iel entered with a respectful but hesitating
air.
“Well, Standring?” said the minister,
questioningly. vu.- ... g.. jsv.v.
“Sir,” he said, “I’.m uncomfortable about
that little girj, and I.knQjW .you’ve been once
to see aftersher.; she told! me l about it; and
so I make bpld tos a§b- you. w t here she lives,
and l’li see what’s become of her.” ,
“Eight, Standring,” answered the minis
ter; “I,am troubled about the child, and sp
are my little girls. I thought of going my
self, but my time is very much occupied just
now.” ; ;
“I’ll go, sir,” replied Daniel, promptly;
and,-after receiving the necessary.informa
tion about Jessica’s home, he put out the
lights, locked the door and turned towards
his lonel3 r lodgings.
Btff fflKOUgh: it was getting JateJupoti Sun
day evening, and Jessica’s home was a long
.way'distaritj Daniel found that his : anxiety
would not suffer him to return to'his solita
ry room. It was of no use to reason with
himself, as he stood at the corner of the
street, feeling perplexed and troubled, and
promising his conscience fhat he would go
the .very,.first ’thing'in, the morning after he
shut.ug 3 .his ln the plim,; dusky
li.gfi , t, ! ’ns; the . summer, evening drew to t a
close'; he fancied he could see Jeisica’s' thin
THE AMERICAN ’ THURSDAY; AUGUST 8, 1867.
figure and wan face-gliding on before him,
andturping'round fjrqm time, to tifiq® bojsee
if he/were following!. If/was
and he laughed a little at himself; but the
laugh was husky,-and there was a, choking,
sensation in his throat, so he buttoned his
ver watch ,and. lifthg temptingly, and
started off Vi; a raj Ad-pac - fortfre’-eentre of
the city.
< It'Wits notquitb'dark when he reached
the Court,-and'stumbled 1 up the narrow’ en
try leading >to it; 'but' Daniel did hesitate;
when he opened the stable-door, and looked,
into a blank, black:space, in which'he could
discern nothing.' He-bhought he;had better,
retreat while -he-could do sOßafel.y; but .as
he stillistood with.his hand,,up.on .the,;rusty.
latch, he heard a faint, small voice through!
the ,nicks of the uflceiled, bpapding aboye his
head.. y:',, • wi ~.!
, “Our Father,”, said the,little voice:,; “please,
to send sonipbody. to, me,,fpr Jesjis, Christ’s
sake, Amen.” . , ...,, ~... ~, ... .... .... .
' “I’m Jess,"cried Daniel, with a sud
den bound of his heart, such as ho had ’not'
felt for years, and which .almost took away
1m breath as he peered into the darkness,
until aiflast’he, discerned dimly the ladder.
Which'led up into thie loft.
1 Very ' Cautiously, ‘ but 1 with' an eagern ess’
Which'sufprised'he'rsielf, he climbed‘ tip the
creaking rounds of the ladder and 1 entered
the 'dismal room, where the child' wab lying
in ‘ desol ate darkn Css. Fortunately he‘had 1
piit his'box Of matches into his pocket,’and
the end of a wax candle, 'with which ' he
kindled'thc lamps,'and in another Tni'nutC"a
gleam of light shone hipon -Jessica’s’ white
features. 'She was stretched upon a> Scanty
litter of straw under ' the roof ' where ithe
tiles bad- not' fallen off-, r with her poor; flags
for her bnly "Covering,y abut- as i her ~e yes
looked mp irito Daniel’s face bending, over
her, a bright joy'sparkledin themn ~.
. Qh ! ”;iSha,,cried,.gladly, but ,ra..arfechle
voice,. “it's Mr- DanfeTl Has God .told you .to.
come here, Mr. Dan’el?.” , ~, , ;i .
“ Yes,” said Daniel, kneeling beside her,
taking hpr wasted hand in ; his,., i an,d, parting
the. mattpd, hair,upon,her damp forehead.
“ Whah.did He say to, you, Mr,, Daniel ? ”
said Jessica . ....... , . .. .. .
“He told me I was, a, great sinner,” re
plied Daniel,. . “He tpld me I , loved a little
bit of. dirty money better than a poor,
helpless, childj whom he had sent
to me, to see if I would do her a little good
for His sake. He loOked at me, pr 't’he min
ister did, through'and througM/Arid'He’said,
‘ Thou fool, this night thy s'oul shall be' re
<pii red’of thee 1 : ‘then whose shfilltbo'se' things
bb Which thdii hast provided? 1 ’ And I cbu’ld
answer him' nothing, Jess. He Was code to'
a reckoning with me;'and‘T could not Say'a
word to' him.” " ! ' " " ■ ' ' ' ■- •“
“Aren’t you a good man, Mr.-Dan’el? ”
whispered’JesSica. :r ::
; “Ho, I’m a wicked'sinner;” he cried, while
the tears rolled-down his’ solemn face.. “I’ve
been constant at God’si bouse, but only,to
get money; .I’ve been steady and industri
ous, but only to get money; and now God
looks at me,' aud He says, ‘Thou Fool! ’ Oh,
Jess; Jess.! . You’re m,ore,fl,t for heaven than
I ever was .in my ilifei” ..
“ Why;flpn’t >yqu :ask hira >to, make : y;Ou
good for Jesus Christ’s sake ? ” asked the
child. ... ; . ■[j . ,
“I can’t,” he said, “I’ve^ been kneeing
down Sunday after Sunday when the minis
ter’s been praying, but all the time' I was
thinking how rich some of the carriage peo
ple were. I’ve been loving money and'wor
shippirig. money all along, and’ I’Vei nearly
let you die rather than run’the irisk'of losing
part of my' Parnings; ' I’m ia -very- sinful
man.” -
“But- yon knownwhat-the minister often
says,’t .murmured Jessica. <;P
not, that^we,loved God, but that.Ue loved us,
and iSenfcHis Son to he the propitiatipa .fqr
our sins.’,” i
I’ve h' ard it so often that I, don’t feel'
it,” said Dphiel,, “ liused to, like to heaE ;: t,he
minister say it, ,bu't now it goes in at one ear
and out at the other. My heart is very hard,
Jessica,” . T o--.ii.xo 0 o' -o,
. Dyi.Jhp.’f’eeDle glimmer of the'candle Dan
iel saw Jessica’s wistful eyes fixed upon him
with a sad and loyingjglanee; and then she
lifted up her weak hand to her face, and laid
jit pv§r,her closed /eyelhis, and herjfeyej-ish
lips moved slowly.
“God,” she said;’ “please to make Mr.
Dan’el’s heiß& i fh'Pffi,Sfhb'' J’esu’sjGheist's sake,
Amen.” r, ; r .jv;r
She did:,not. speak nor P&niel, for
some, time.. Ho took of? his' Sunday coat
and laid it over the; tiny, nhivering frame,
which was shaking with cold even in the
Bumpier evening; and as ho did iso he ;re
membered the words’ which The ‘LoVd says
He will .pnofiounee at' the reckon
ing,, Eorasinueh-as ye have done it unto
one pf th'e," least pf these, my brethren, ye
have done, it unto me.” Daiiiel Standring
felt his heart turning with love, to the Sa
viour, and'he bowed his head upon his hands,
and’ cri dd in th e depths of his contrite spirit,
“God be* merciful to .me; a sinner.’,', . j, ;
X. THE SHADOW ..OF DEATH.
There was no coffefestali. opened under
the railway arch the following morning, and
Daniel’s regular customers stood amazed as
they drew near the empty corner, where
they were accustomed to get their (early
breakfast. It would have astonished them
still more "if they could, have.jseen how he
was occupied in the miserable loft. had
intrusted a friendly woman r out of the court
to buyfood, and fuel, and all night long fie
had watchfed, beside ;3eissicajcwho, was light
headed and delirious, but in the wanderings
of her thoughts and words often spoke to
God, and prayed for her Mr. Dan’el.' The
neighbor informed him that the child’s
•mother’had gone offVbme ddyl beforfe,dear-i
ing that she wasdU of some infectious fever, 1
and that she, alone,-had taken a little care
of her from time to time. As soon as the
morning came ho sent for a doctor,;and, af
ter receiving permission froin him; : he ; wrap-
iped the poor deserted Jessica in his coat',
and bearing her tenderly in his arms dowii
;t.he ladder, .'he carried her to a cab, which,
the.neighbor brought .to the.entrance .of the
icourk -If was to no other than his own soli
dary-borne that he had resolved to take her;
land W,hen the mistress of the lodgings Stood
at her 1 door with her arm’s a-kimbo, to for
bid the, admission of the wretched and neg- ;
lectediehiidj.-jtier tongue..,was .silenced bythe:
igleam of a half-sovereign; which'Daniel slip
ped into the palm of her hard hand.
: ;• 'Byith’at afternoon's pobt the minister re^ !
beiyed'the fdliovving lettbp:—‘ '
“-Reverend: Sir., '' ,
“ If you will’condescend to enter
ble roof, you will have the pleasure of’see
ing little Jessica, who is at the point of
|death;unless (&od in,-His mercy restores-her.
Hoping,you will excuse, this liberty; as I
cannot leave the child, I remain with duty,
• “ Your respectful Servant,
■" ■! -■ • ' “D.' StaWdring.
“H S. Jessica desires her best loye and
duty 'tp.jMiss,!Jaue apd Wihny.” . .
• The minister laid' aside ;the book he was
reading, and without any delay started off
forjhis, chapel-keeper’s dwelling. There.was
Jessica lying restfuUy upon .Daniel’S bed,
hut.tho .pinched features were deadly palp,
and ithe sunken eyes shpne with a, wauing
light. .She was too feeble to turn her head
when, the door opened, and- he' paused for a
mibtftej looking at, her and at Daniel, who;
sfeated at the head- of the bed; W-as turning
over the papers in ‘his. desk . a'nd reckoning
up pnee mpre the, sayings, of.his .lifeUnie.
But when .the mini.stey ad yap pe.d into the
middle of the room, Jessica’s white' cheeks
flushed into a deep red.f;
“Oh; minister 1” 'she cried, “God has given
me* eyeiythihg I 'Wadted, exe'ept paying
Mr. Dan’el for tho' cbffee he used to give
me.” ’ " " . ~ ;c.'i.
“Alii but God has paid; me over and oyer’
again,” |said Daniel;'rising] to.', reeeiye' the
minister.' -“'He’s given me my own soul 'id
exchange for it. Let rne makp bold to speak
to yon this brice) sir.' You’re a very learned
man, ahd !i ;a' ; great preachcrj .and many ped
pie flo,ek,tp hear you,..till I’ni hard put to.’
to find seats for them at times; but all the
while,"hearkening toiyou every blessed; Sab
bath, I Was losing my : 8oul; and you never
once said to’me, though you saw me scores
and scores of times, ‘‘Standving 1 are you a
saved man?’”
■’ i( Sfandrihg,” said The ml nister; In a tone
of great distress hn& ’iregret, “ I always
took it for granted that you were a Chris
tian.” .' /, ,
' “Ah',”" continued Daniel, thoughtfully,
“but Hod .wanted somebody.to ask me that
question, and lie did not find anybody in the
congregation,-so;he sent this : po.oc little lass
to me. Well,‘‘l don’t mind telliAg now, even
if I lose the place; but for a long time, nigh
upon ten years/ I’ve ; kept‘ a-' f eoffee-stall on
week-days in the eityjflnd'Clearedj.-one week
With 'another, about ten shilliDgsi. but'l was
afraid the chapel-wardens wouldn’t approve
of the coffee business, as low,, so I kept it a
close secret,,and al ways ;shut up early of a
morning. It’s mo that sold Jessica her cup
of .coffee which oti, paid for, sir,” . '
“ There’s no;lt ! a : rm !: in it; 1 my good fellow,”
said the .minister kindly “.you need make
no secret of it.”
“ Well;”' resumed Daniel, “ the ‘questions
tms'ppof little creature has asked me, have
gone quicker and deeper'dovrn to my con 7
science., than all. your ..sermons,, if. I may
make so free as .tpjsay it,. ; She’s, cpjpe.often
and often of a morningjhand looked into
iny face \vit‘li’'fHbte‘ a aear'eyes of',her’s, s *iitid
said, ‘Don’t you love Jesus-'Christ; Mr.
Dan’el ? ’ ‘JJqpgn’t itimakp yqu very glad
that God is your Father, Mr." Dan’el,? ’ .‘Are,
>ve getting flpiirer t.Q heayepi every day,.Ml’. ]
Dan’el?’ And one, day says, she, .‘Are .you
going to give all your money to*God, -Mr.
Dan’el ? ’ Ah, that question' made nie thiiik
indeed, and ,it’s never been answered till
th’is day. While I’ve beeh*sittirig bpslde : the
bed here, I’ve counted up all my savings:
3971 17s. it isl and iL’v'ei s'a’id,! Lord it’s all
thine; and I’d give,every penpy of it-rather
thkh ldse/tho’child; if it be thy bleshed will
to spare her life.’ ”
Daniel’s voice qnayered at.the last words,;
and his faee>'eank upon’ -thd pillow where
Jessica’s .feeble' apd| mptipnlesp head lay-;
There was!a--very sweet'yPt surprised smile
upon her face, and she ; lifted her wasted fin-.
.geEa‘tOjresbi.itpomtheb.owedfhead;'beside)‘h.er,
while she shut her eyes and shaded them
with, her other weak hand. > : - :
‘‘Our,Father,”, she, said, in a faint whis
per which still reaxihed the ear's of the- min
ister and the beadle', '“.L asked you, to let
me come home to heaven j but if Mr. Dan’el
wants me, please to let mestaya little longer,
for Jesus Christ’s; sake-, Amen ” ,
For some minutes after Jessica’s prayer
there was : a’ ‘deep and unbroken silence’in
the roopi, Daniel, Still hiding, his. face' upon
the pillow, and the minister, .stahdiug beside
them with bowed head and closed;eyes, as
if he also* were praying. When lie looked
lip again at'the desolate and forsaken child;
he. saw that her feeble hand hiid falleii from
her face,which looked full of rest aiid peace,
while her breath came faintly but regularly
through her parted lips. He took her'little
hand into his own with a pang Pf fear and
grief ; hut 'instead'.of the mortal chiilness of
death, he felt the pleasant warmth and moist
ure of life. He touched Daniel’s shoulder,
and as he lifted U'Dhis head in, sudden alarm,
he. whispered to him, “The child is not
.dead, but,is only asle'ep.”, . t
Before Jessica was fully recovered, Daniel
rented a .lit,tie, house .for himself and his
adopted daughter, to dyrell in. He made
many inq;uiries after her mother, but she
never appeared again in her'old haunts, and
he was well pleased that there was nobody
to interfere with his .charge of Jessica.
When Jeskica^ifew' strdngjfeddugh, many a
cheerful walk hadrtheytog.ether, in the early
mornings,. .they^yfsendqd.,their w.ay to jthe
railway 5 ■briSgerwhere little girh-Ueob
her place Jj'dhmdrtli'e ’Stall; an d soon "learn ed
to serve l the r daily customers; and'ffiany a
happy day was spent in helping to sweep
and dust the chapel, into which she had
crept so secretly at first, her great delight
being to attend to the pulpit and the vestry,
and the pew where the minister’s children
sat, while Daniel and the woman he em
ployed Cleaned the rest of the building:
Many a Sunday also the minister in his pul
pit, and his little daughters in their pews,
and Daniel treading softly about the aisles,
as, their, glance fell, upon Jessica’s eager,
earnest; happy face, thought -of the first
time they saw her sittingamongst the con
gregation,- aiid of Jessica’s 1 -first p'rayeri
A DI®NEB Of TONGUES.
• JRsop was the 'servant- of a'philosopher
darned Xanthiisi Orie’day'his master, being
desirous' of entertaining some of bis friends
to ! 'dinner, ordered provide the best
things, he could find in, the- market. iEsop;
thereupon made a large provision of tongues,,
which he desired the cook to.serve up with
differen t sauces/ W hen 1 dinner' cam e, thb'
first - and 'second courses', the" side-dishes,
and the removes, were'all tongues., ' ! ,
“Did'l'hot order yon,” said Xapthug, in
a 'violent; passion, “to,bny the,victuals
which the market afforded 1”
“And ha've’l-'ndt b ! beyed'-ydhr' , 'orders ?”
said,-iEsop. ; -Mis there "aDythiog'betterthan
tongues ? : Is not the tongue the bond of
civil society, the key of science, and Organ
of truth and rehsori ?It is;by means,of the
tongue., cities are . built, and governments
establish,od and ndininjstere.d; with it men
instruct, persuade .and'preside,in assemblies;
it is the.instrument with which .we acquit
ourselves of the chief of all our- duties, the
praising and adoring of the Deity'.” ' '.
‘ “Well, then,” replied Xanthus, ! “go to
market to-morrow, an d, buy mo the .worst
things you pan find. This same cqmpauy
shall dine, with-me, and I have , a mind to
change rav entertainment.” ; - - i
■ ; - When'Xanthus Assembled bis' friehds the
next day,’ lie' was astonished to 'Arid 1 that
fEfeop had . provided nothing but ‘the ypry
same dishes.. ; , „Y " ' -\
“Did I not itplii you,” said: Xantbiua ,“,to
purchase, the worst, things for this day’s
feabt-? How comcs itj then, that you' have
placed before us the 1 saEhe kiiid" of;;fobdJ
which', bhly -yesferday', ’you declared 'to be
the. very best ?” T " /
j iEsop,not.atall abashed, repjied: lir f he
tongue is the worst, thing in the. world as
well as theAesf ;,for it.is, the instrument Of
all strife, and contention, the tormentor of
the source Of 1 "division;'and war',
the organ of error, of calumny, of falsehood
and' even of profanity.” '”, i;
Tiio conduct of in this affair, my
friends,, is ; instructive.;. For, it is, certainly
true that the tongue, .according-.to. circum
stances; may be, and is thb AeS'f or ; tbe"itwrs<
thing in the' world. ; 'lRightly used,'it is the
the .fittest orgari of ;wisdom';wrong]'yused,
it becomes the foulest, medium of fplly and
wickedness. , .
‘/For,” says ,: the Bible, “ every kind of
beasts, nod of'birds, and of serpents, and of
things in the sea, is tamed; and hath been
tanied of'triankirid; but the' 'tbngqb''pan rip
niari tiu'ne; it is anunriiTy evil, full o'f dead,-
ly, poison. Therewith bless we God, even
the Father.,-; [antf therewith curse we men,
which are made afteivthe: similitude of God 1 .
Out, of th’eisamesmorith proceedettr- blessi n'g
an'd" , c‘ursing. "My brethren these •’things
oiightnot so.to'be:”"" "■ ■ ■
HTJHEIOHS:; EFPEOTS )OF! TOBACCO.
: “ Doctor;” we said, to a splendid specimen
of the' professi on, “ cell "us’ : something about
thje baneful effects of tobacco.” ; ' V '
“Jfts elfeci|, . sif i ”j i ,he,,i;eplj.e3, “ are evil
andionly oyij;, ajid that .continually;, and. it
is a.perfect, mystery that igentlemen of my
profession ■ care so little, do- and -know ! >so
iitti'e'about a poison’ that'is doing niiseHief
at sp r t4’mble a 1 fate;”' ■’ ‘ r '' ’" -- f il,l 1
C the d'pctoj continued,T was on a
council of physicians, the 'other day on tb <3
border pi' this townthe patient was a young
man, prostrate,>by paralysis,; he was de
prived of the use of his lower limbs from
the abdomen to the toe; we overhauled him;
.we L \y i.th drew, and, .talked: about- an teceden ts
■■. and probably causes, anebeame .to
factory conclusions.' Dissatisfied and impa- 1
tientj I inquired of' his attending- physician'
tyhether tiie poor fellow used tobacco. ;
O,noj”ho replied, “ I'giiess' no't;” and
.'with an air.pf npnehaianee, added : 'What if
h;e does, that, can have, nothing to. do with
his case.” ..., .... .., .
“ I did.not ask you,”lreplied, “about.the
effects of tobacco, b‘ut* simply if the patient
used it ” .' ’ " ' ;
Gi-uffly he said, “Go and See.” Stepping
to his bedside, 1 said,
“ My young,friend, dp.you useto.bacco
.With a squealing voice, more cat-like than
human, ho answered: . -
“ I use a' little.” .
‘‘ How do yO'u use it ,?’*
“ I smoke a littie'” . '
‘‘ Did you smoke this morning ?”
.“-Yes,,a little,,” i,. :
“ Did youismoke at noon
“ Yes-a- little.”
“'Before I qui t’h is side-I ascertained that
fie had actually consumed sixteen cigars a.
day, and thp,poor fellow’s soul was So ob
fuscated by smokethat h o considered .that
prodigious amount;.but‘little !’’ . ’.
“ This,’ -continued the doctor, ‘may seem
strange but the strangest of all is the fact
that ‘ his attending physician—regular and
well bred—did' not know in the first' place,
that his. patient used tobacco—-and second
ly. jf. be did, he did not.know, that a" rank
and deadly poison could have anything to
dotwith his ease ?” ■ , , ,
- We are indebted. t‘o the'medical profession
for the most effective testimony against this
pop’ular.poison, ; henpe ; 'we 'have no wisht'o
arraign it and denoubfahit in. Vholcsale
-style. But.account for,it as we may, on the
score of: selfishness,iOr ignorance, the mam
body of J the profession are mournfully deiie
lict in duty touching the ruinous effects of
this great and fashionable narcotic.
EVILS OP GOSSIP.
I have known a country society which
withered away all to nothing under the .In
rot of gossip only. Friendship once as firm
as granite, dissolved to jelly, and then ran
away to water, only because of this; love
that promised a future as .enduring as heaven,
and as stable as truth, evaporated into a
morning mist that turned to a day’s lonn
tears, only because of this; a father and
son were set foot to foot with the fiery breath
of anger, that would never cool again be
tween them, only because'’df this; and a
husband and his young wifefeabh straining
at the hated, leash, which in the beginning
had been the golden bondage of a (God-bless
ed i love, sat mournfully by the side of the
grave where all their love and joy lay buried,
and bejgagae of, this. ( I have seen faith
transformed to mean doubt, hope.give place
to grim despair, and charity take on itself
the features of black malevolence, all because
of the spell-words of scandal and the magic
muttepingS of gossip. ....
.Great crimes work; great wrongs, ( and the
deeper tragedies of human life spring from
its larger passions; but woful- arid most mel
ancholy are the uncatalogued tragedies that
issue frqm.gossip and detractionimostmourn
fully the shipwreck often made of noble na
tures arid lovrily lives by the bitter winds
and'dead salt-waters of slander. So easy to
say, yet so; hard to disprove-r-throwing, on
the, innocent; and prinishittg them as guilty
or unable to pluck Qrit the,stings they-never
see, arid "silence the Words they never hear.
Gossip and slander are .the deadliest and the
crudest weapons -man has for his brother’s
hurt. —All the Year Round.
; : THE AHTS TOP AEEIOA.
M. Dp CHATLIic thus describes ohe of the
irisect tribes of Equatorial Africa :
“ This evening time'forbids that I should
speak 3(t any length :of the natural history
of the country. .In these equatorial l forosts
there are found a, vast number of ants,, some
.of, which are so terrible to man, and even to
the beasts of the woods, from their .venomous
bite, their fierce temper and voracity, that
their path 'is frequently abandoned to them.
The most remarkable and most dreaded of
all is the black Bashikopy,„ Ehshikony is
the name .given : it tby the,Bakalai, There
are two other varieties .of the Bashikony be
sides the black kind/ These black Bashikony
may well be drilled" the lords ‘of the forest.
It' is the most voracious creature I ever met.
It is the dread of all living animals, from
the leopard to',the smallest insects.:.
It is their habit to march through the for
ests; in 1 a; long, re.giilar lihe a]bout two
inches broad, and often several , miles in
length; all .along this line.are larger ants,
who’ act as offioers—stand outside the ranks,
arid keep this,' singular'"army in order. flf
they come ’iota, place/where there are no
trees, to .shelter them from .the Sun, whose
heat they cannot' bear; they- immediately
build an underground tunnel,'through:.which
the whole army pass in columnsto.the forest
beyond., When they grow hungry^: as "by a
•sudderi dong''file' 'spreads' itself
through the'fo.rdst; 1 J ad,vancirig • forward, at
tacking arid devouring all .jivirig’,things with
a furyjthat is,,quiteifresistible.j The,elephant
and gorilla fly before them ;, the black men
run away; every animal that' lives in their
line of "march is chased! In .aft'incredibly
shortjSpace .of jime that are caught are
overwhelmed, ,killed, .eaten, anil only, the
bare’ skeleton- remains.'" i
' They seem' to travel day and night. Many
a time I have been wakened out of ,a sleep
-and, obliged to rush; into the water to save
myself from - them. I 'Wheti they'enter l a house
'th ey clear i t offevery living thing.' Cockroaches
ar.e deybure|i ; in, an, iristanifi fats, anil mice
spring round, the room, in vain. They will
•not touch vegetable matter, thus : they are
very 'useful, clearing the, cbfifitry’ of many
insects. When on .their inarch the insect
world flies before-them, and I have often had
the approach of a Basliikony army heralded
to me by'this means. Wherever they go
they make .a, clean \gWfeppj eyen ascending to
■the top of .trees in pursuit.of their prey.
Their manner of attack is animpetuousleap.
Instantly the, strong, pincers are ~fastened,
and they only let'‘go when the piece gives
way. At subh a tirhe this' little insect seems
animated by a kind, of -fury which causes it
to disregard, yentirely its jown safety,. The
negroes-relate that ,criminals, by .which they
generally mean wizards, have some time been
exposed on : the path, of the Bashikofiy ants,
tied to a,. tree that they might not, escape,
and they were devoured to the bones. -They
are larger-than any ants we have in America.
The number of "one' of' their armies is so
.great that one,does-hpt'llke to enter into cal
culations, but T Have seen a -continuous line
passing, at a »good speed, a particular place
for twelve,hohrsi ' So you may imagine how
many-millions there may have, been.”
'Franklin, the' St. Benjamin of the typo
graphical prbf&sSion; made one of the great
est blunders on record in Mis day. ‘ In put
ting to press, a “form” of the Common
Prayer, the letter >“ c ” dropped out of the
passage, “we shall-.all be: changed in the
twinkling of ■an eye'” ! Withctat his noticing
it.' When 'the bdok caine-into nse, what was
the of the -vh' —‘thr
po,. Ol „..e devout when . iey
„read, “we shaUall ; b>e hanged.) in Ihe twink
| ling: of an oyo.” ~V .. , .