VOL. LI 11. Til HOUSE OF CUT. Tbw* M * hone* of clay, Wharora the inmate eat all day. Marry an t po r. For Hope eat with her. heart to heart. Food and I n I, Vow nfr he n w would depart— W: all at oooe he changed hie mind: "Sweetheart , good by !" He akipped away And shot the door. Hut Love mm* paet, and looking With smile that p arced like euubeam thin Through waH ro f. floor, Stood in the midai of that poor room. Grand and fair, Makuu a *.lory out of gloom— Till si the window mocked grim rare; Love signed : * All loee. and nothing win?" He shot the AMU. Then o'er the cioee barrt-d honee of day Kiwi ohmtatu and woodbine * Crept more sad more; And hem hummed merrily outside. Lead and strong. The inner sd atneee to hide. The patient silence ell day long. Till evening touched with finger gray The bolted door. Most like the next etepe passing by Will he the Angel s, whose oalm eye Mark* rich, marks poor; Whs. fearing nek at any gate tihanda and rmlh. At which the inmate open* straight— Whom. r the cmmUi ng day bouse falls, He takes in kind arm- aiienky. And shots the doer. Turning The Tables- Tom Hills, sometime huntsman of the Old Surrey Hounds, were once sent to buy a fox in Ixwkr.hal: "Market for service the next day. The commission was not at all to Tom's liking ; but obeying orders, he Tode to town, cot his fox, and putting him, aeruwh strapped, ices upward, in a capa cious pockrt in his overcast, turned his bom * hoa-t homeward. Somewhere altout midnight be reached Streatham Common, lo he suddenly stopped with the once familiar challenge "Your incnw or your Hie'." "My money !" exclaimed Hills. "I haven't cm any; lam only a servant; and yon woolentake my life, surely ?" The highwayman toid him to look sharp, emphasizing the injunction bv pointing a piAdl at the huntsman's licad. "Well, my man." said the latter, "we WNMIT fall onri. 1 want my life; so, as I've no moorv. I guppoae you must have Binary's worth. You'll find something quite as good in my pocket here: so pray beip yourself.*' The robber's disengaged hand dived into Terns pocket instanter. and Master Rey nard's teeth closed as quickly upon it, caus ing the fellow to ye J in dismay, and drop piftoi! and rn: while Tom galloped off at his best pace, leaving his unwelcome ac quaintance to bandage his hand ami digest his duappoint inert at leisure. Relating his Indian experiences, Colonel Meadows Tayior Bells of his being beset by hundreds qf pilgrims and travelers, crying out against the hernias, or floor-hellera, who not only gave their customers short weight, hot adulterated the flour so abominably with sand that cakes made of it were utterly uneatable. The cokmei determined to pun kit tbe cbrstt; and this is bow he did it. "I toW," aays be, "sume reliable men of ray escort to go quietly into tbe bazars, and each bay flour at a separate shop, being careful to note arbour shop it was. The ftnar was brought to me. I tested every nafik. and found it full of sand as I paand it under my teeth. I then desired all the persons named in my list to be sent to me, with their baskets of (Jour, their weighte and scales Shortly afterward they arrived, evidently suspecting nothing, and wew placed in a row on the grass before my tent. 'Now.' said L gravely, 'each of you is to weigh out a seer [two pounds] of your flour f which was done. " 'ls it for the pilgrims !' asked one. "No, said i, quietly, though I had much rtjfflcnlty to keep my countenance. 'You must eat it yourselves. "They saw that I was in earnest, anil offered to pay nny line I imposed. "Not so,' I returned: *you have made many eat roar flour; shy should you object to eat it yourselves ?* "They were horribly frightened; and ■raid the screams of laughter and jeers of the by landers some of them actually began to eat, sputtering out tbe half-moistened flour. which could be heard crunching bc- Uw their teeth. At last some of them flung themselves on their faces, abjectly be pardon." And so, with a severe •irrtoohioa, they were let off. No more was beard of the had flour It is a pity rascals at home can not he served in the same way, pure food wooM be the rale, if the con coolers and vendere of vile make believers were liable ts cranpahaory consumption of their own Sir John McNeill, * shrewd Scotch diplo matic gained the repute of being the only European who ever got the better of a derv ish. During the New Year's festival the Peracan religious mendicants ply their voca tion most vigorously, not merely asking for ahm bat demanding such sums as they deem proper, according to the rank of the giver. A dervish tried to extract an ex travagant tribute from Sir John, and the ambassador proving obstinate, proceeded to *rd." The doctor promised to consider the mat ter. "But," said he, 'l'm glad to see you looking so well, man. "You're uot young. I rememlier you for many years; but you have a tine head of hair still." "Eh, doctor!" exclaimed the unsuspect ing Duncan, "now ye're joking. It's long since I had my hair.' 1 l>r. Macleod looked shocked, and an swered, in atone of reproach: "Oh Dun can ! Duncan ! are you going into the hoqse of the Lord with a lie on your head t" Lie beard no more of the lie on the face of the church. - , - A well-merited repartee was dealt by a smart midshipman to the daughter of a K. C. B. at a hall given by the latter to the naval officers on the North Pacific station. The middy was bold enough to ask the young lady to accept him for her partner. >l\ dear, no," said the supercilious boauty. "Ma never allows me to dance with midshipmen." Somebody let her know the middy was a Ix>rd, and she repented, and reminded him tliat he was engaged to her for the next dance. The youngster however, was not so easily mollified, and remembering the lady had native blood in her veins, smilingly replied: "Oh dear, no. Ma never allows me to dance with squaws." Said one piay-going young fellow to an other: "I was at the Gaiety last night for the sixteenth time, and took a look round the pit to see if you were there." - But noways disconcerted by the insinua tion, the subject of his "chaff'' retorted: "What! been so many times to the Gaiety, and not know that vcu can't see the pit from the gallery ? Fairly paid in her own coia wasthe Pari sian dame wno, answering a wet-tooted visitor's request for the loan of a pair of slippers, by saying, "Certainly, my dear, if you think mine will fit you." received the clever rejoinder : "I (fare say they will, dear, if you tell your maid to put a cork sole inside them," "You have given me Scotch whisky; 1 asked for Irish, " complained a hurried im biber. "Never mind," said the publican; "fancy it's Irish." The man drank up the liquor, and made for the door. "Stop!" cried Boniface; "you haven't paid me." "Nevermind; faucy I have," said his customer, and away he went. Too Trusting. "Mary Jane Marsh, didn't I say to last week that the next time you came here under the charge of drunkenness I should send you up for sixty days?" asked his Honor of a five-rtnd-forty fe male. "I think you said so, Judge, but I think I had too much faith in you to believe you'd do any such thing," she replied. "Well, you trusted too much. You are regularly booked." "And I'm regularly sorry. Your Honor, because I can never believe In you again. It's a sad day when a man loses the confidence ot the public in his word." MILLHEIM, l'A., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1879. Hcu Kitncliliitr In California. This is a famous country for bees ami the making of lio.iey, and at many a breakfast table in distant Europe to-day the w n tile Is spread with sweets that have been tilched from the hearts of a thou sand California Ilowers. In the mouth of almost every canon there is a bee ranch or apiary, w hose owner grows indolent and prosperous from the labors of his industrious subjects, llere there are no long winters with dearth of flowers, through which the patient workers must he nursed and fed In order that they may live until theopcu ing of the next field season. These bee-ranches are models of neatness and domestic comfort, and the profession Of bee-keeping is rapidly becoming popular among persons of little physi cal strength or small financial capital, or both ; such as maiden ladies, broken down miuisters, bachelor students, and those dilettante farmers who fancy that the royal road to bucolic happiness lies through the flowery beds of a bee-pas ture. Their expenses are as light as those of a hermit in his cage, and what Btoreß of honey are laid up are RO much clear gain, as the bees board themselves while they work, uid work unceasingly in preparation for the winter which never comes. When the hive is full the cakes of comb are removed, the liquid is strained from the cells, and the empty cups are replaced to be filled again and again. This economical pro cess prevents a waste of labor ami time in the gathering of wax and the build ing of new bins in the store-house. Walking out in the morning in the green brushwood of these canon* you hear a loud and continuous buzzing of wings, and, although there may not be a flower in sight, it Is as ceaseless and strong as in a buckwheat patch or clover field at home. This humming of bees is nature's tenor voice, as the roaring of water is her bass. There is a cure for homesickness in the bees' mono tone, even though the authors thereof be perfectly wild, as, indeed, many of these are. In such a country you can not feel utterly lonesome and lost. The Most Wonderful of Calculating Hoys. When Bidder was ten years old he answered in two minutes the following question: What is the interest of JLA, 4I4 lor 4,444 days at 4j v ' per cent, per an num. The answer is £2,434 10s A fewwonths later,when hewasyet elev en years old, he was askea, io-- would a cistern on mile cube be tilling If receiving from a river 120 gallons per minute, without intermission 9 In two minutes lie gave the correct an swer, 14,200 years 285 days 12 hours and 40 minutes. A year later he divid ed correctly iu less than a minute 408,592.413,663 by 9,070. 1 have tried how long this takes me with pen and paper; and, after getting an incorrect resul* in one and a quarter minute, went through the sum again, with cor rect result, (51,629,838 and 5,875 over,) in about the same time. At twelve t ears of age lie answered in less than a minute the question, if a distance of 0 l 4 inches is passed over in a second of time, how many inches will be passed over in 305 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 55 seconds? Much more surprising, however, was his success, when 13 years old, in dealing with the question, what is the cube root of 897,339,273,874,- 002,153? He obtained the answer in two and a half minutes, viz, 904,537. 1 do not believe one arithmetician in a thousand would get out this answer correctly, at a tirst trial, iu less than a quarter of an hour. But 1 confess i have not tried the experiment, feeling, indeed, perfectly satisfled that I should not get the answer eorreetly in half a dozen trials. No date is given to the following ease: "The question was put by Sir William Ilerschel, at Slough, near Windsor, to Master Bidder, and an swered in one minute: Light travels from the sun to the earth iu eight min utes, and the sun being 98,000,000 of miles off, [of course, this is quite wrong, but sixty years ago it was near enough tothe accepted value],if lightjwould take six years Vnd four months traveling at the same rate from the nearest tixed star, how far is that from the earth, reckoning 305 days and six hours to each year, and 28 days to each month?" The correct answer was quickly given to tills pleasing question, viz., 40,033,- 840,000,000 miles. Oil one occasion we learn the proposer of a question was not satistied with answer. The hoy said the answer was correct, and requested the proposer to work his sum over again. During the operation, Bidder said he felt certain he was right, for he had worked the question in another way, and before the proposer found that he was wrong and Bidder right the boy told the company that he had calculated the question by a third method. The Cunning Wolves. It is said, a traveler in Germany writes, that whenever several of the larger wolves associate together for mischief, in the German forests and their neigliberhood, there is always a numerous train ol smaller ones to fol low in the rear, and act as auxiliaries in the work of destruction. Two large wolves are sufficient to destroy the most powerful horse, and seldom more than two ever begin the assault, al though there may be a score in the gang. It is no less curious than amus ing to witness this ingenious mode of attack. If there is no snow, or but lit tle on the ground, two wolves approach in the most playful and caressing man ner, lying, rolling and frisking about, until the too credulous and unsuspici- OUR victim is completely put oft bis guard by curiosity and familiarity. During this time, the gang, squatted on their In lid-quarters, look on at a dis tance. Alter some time spent in this way, the two assailants separate, when one approaches the horse's head, and the other his tail, with a shyness and cunning peculiar to themselves. At this stage of the attack their frolicsome approaches become very interesting—lt is right good earnest; the former is a mere decoy, the latter is the real assail ant, and keeps his eve steadily fixed ou the hamstring or ilank of the horse. The critical momeinenMstheu watched, and the attack is simultaneous; botli wolves spring at their victim the same moment—one to the, throat ami the other to the ilank—and it successful, which they generally are, the hind one never lets go his hold tilt the horse is completely disabled. Instead of spring ing forward or kicking to disengage himself, the horse turns round and round without attempting defense. The wolf before then springs behind to assist the other. The sinews are cut, and in half the time 1 have been des cribing it the horse Is on his side; his struggles are fruitless —the victory is won. At tliis signal the lookers-on close in a gallop; but the small fry of followers keep at a respectful distance until their superiors are gorged, ami then they take their turn unmolested. Witches at the Lewei. Now. my son Roderick—my young est son, who is twenty-one next month —was last year at the lierrin' fishery at Frazerberg. One night he went ashore, and met a strange woman and man walking. They did stop, and did ask who he was, and where he did come from. "From Loch Inver,"says he. "And so do we," says they (which was singular, us lie did never set eyes on them before) "Come with us, and we will give you a driuk—" of beer or of rum, or of whisky, or of gin, 1 do not rightly tniiul which it was wtiat effer. You must know sir, that eadi boat, at the lierrin' fishery time, takes a woman on board to cook meat and wash for them; there will be many women go to sea in this manner. Well, they ask my son at the tavern, "Did you have any good luck with ttie herrin' to day?" "No, very had." "Did you yesterday?" "No worse again." "Ah ! hut," says she, "you will •-"--Aw > Well sure enough he did All his boat next-nay with very many cratis of lierrin', and did get JLIS for his share that one day. It was a wonderful thing. But he did tell me that that gold did do him no good ; lie had no idea how it did get spent what- efl'er. That iliy lie did go looking about after the man and woman all over, but be did never see them again; I did not here of his ever again seeing them. "'Roderick! Ido hope you will never again have anything to do with these witches." "No, father, I will never again, so long as Ido live." He is away to Frazcrbarg this year again. I did hear of another witch in the Lewes, 15 year agone. She lived at Stornoway, and did sell winds to sail ors. One of our Loch Inver boats did not get away that autumn lor weeks. The wind was almost dead against them. Well, whey did go to her, and wnat they paid her 1 did not hear, hut she gave them a black string tied with three knots, and said, "Ye'll begetting awa' to morrow. Now, it the wind is not strong enough, loose one knot; if even then it is not enough, loose iho second; hut on your life! on your life! diuna loose the third!" Well, they got oft* sure enough next morning with a fair breeze; and then the skipper loosed one knot. On the boat sprang, and the wlnci rose. Soon be loosed the second, and they tore over the waves, and were very soon over the Minch near Loch Inver. They got to the en trance of the harbor near the store house —ye ken it? on the right—and the skipper says, "We're a' richt now; if the deil himself withstands me, I will loose the third !" He did loose it, and though so near home, the boat was only got ashore in little bits! She was al though broken up! The men were all saved. Adventure With >t Snake, Robert G. Pillow, a son of the late ex-Confederate General Pillow, lives on an Arkansas plantation, across the river from Memphis. A few days ago, accompanied by Aleck, one of the col ored men on the place, he was out hunt ing a wild hog that had been seen in the vicinity. Pillow had a gun and Aleck had armed himself with a pint bottle filled with whiskey. The hog was found and shot, and just as Pillow went up to the writhing animal an im mense "cotton-mouth" snake, whose bite is fatal as that of a rattlesnake, fas tened its fangs on the call' of his leg. Pillow is not easily frightened. lie took in the situation in a moment, and instead of exhibiting alarm he turned to his companion and quietly remarked : "Aleck, I think I'll try a little of that whiskey now," whiskey being consid ered an infallible remedy, lie poured every drop down his throat without stopping to venture any remarks as to its quality. Then shouldering his gun he rapidly walked to the house, a half mile distant, where he drank the con tents of three ordinary glass tumblers filled with whiskey. He was soon in what he calls a "Niagara Falls of a per spiration," which rapidly expelled the poison and saved his life. For a day or two after he says that he was the sick est man in all Arkansas. Tlic Century riant. The American aloe, or century plant —a rarely line specimen of which Is now growing in Brooklyn, and about to flower, seldom reaches that perfection which results in flowers, in temperate cliiuatea. lis growth here is so slow that its popular name is derived from the belief that a full term of 100 years is required before the blossoms appear Hut in its native soil, in tropical and semi-tropical climes, extending to the thirty-second parallel on either side ot tiie equator, it comes to perfection in much less time; often in twenty or thirty years. The same plant never blooms more than once. When the time comes the flower-stalk shoots up with great rapidity from the centre of the crown, around which the leaves radiate, growing often fifteen or eigh teen inches a day, until a height of thirty and sometimes, In an exception ally vigorous plant, of forty feet Is reached. The arms of this stalk, like those of a branching candlestick, bear the cup-shaped flowers, which have no remarkable beauty. The aloe belongs to the agave family of the order of Aniaryllidacete. The leaves are th ck at the base ami terminate In a sharp point. It is one of the most useful plants found in Mexico and Central America. From the fibres of the leaves a tliread is obtained which can be wo- ven into cloth and twisted into ropes, and these leaves make a substantial thatch roof. A part of the stalk is used for food, and the hard pithy centre at the base forms a good whetstone, as silica enters largely into its composition* while the fermented sap of the aloe, or maguey, ag it is called, is an intoxicat ing beverage known as pulque, which is largely consumed by the natives. Large specimens of the century plant are valued highly by florists here, and HS much as several hundred dollars is not uncommonly paid for a fine one. A Stranger's Note. Some of those chaps who wear their elbows down thin leaning on saloon counters have an artificial fly with a tine thread attached to the hack, and sometimes these toys can be handled to the amusement of a small crowd. When an unknown man fell asleep in a saloon the young man witli an artificial fly was there. He took position behind his victim, who was lying back on ilia chair, and presently the fly alighted on .u- umUI-mI up the bridge ami down, ammmicn nn mo ment on the tip end. The sleeper nev er moved a finger. The fly went over the old route, dove into the corner of the lett eye, galloped over to the right, ami came down to the graml stand on the dead run, hut the sleeper slept on. It began to appear that lie was used to flies, and so the game was changed. By sticking a pin through one of these tops you can make quite a bee of it, the pifl being the stinger. When the "bee" descended on the stranger's nose everybody expeeted to see a sudden start, but it did not come. After a jab at the tip end the "bee" crawled along up, waiting tor develop ments, and getting in an occasional sting, but not even a sigh escaped the sleeper. The young man with the in sect was getting tired, when the stran ger lazily opened his eyes, slowly rose up from his chair, and coolly remarked : "Now, then, if you have got through fooling with my nose, I'll fool with yours for awhile!" It isn't likely that particular young man will ever dangle artificial flies any more. He was doubled up, straighten ed out, choked, mopped and slammed so thoroughly that his appetite will run to chicken broth and arnica for some days to come. When the cyclone had passed the stranger called for gin, drank it, and said to the white-faced crowd on the bench : "Gentlemen, it any more of you see anything peculiar about my nose, please call around and let me know!" Two Little Shoes. Charley Bunnell was running mes senger on the J. M. and I. R. R. and tells this story: "Blufl'old Jack Mills, rough, but kind hearted, was the en gineer. About a mile and a half this side of Columbus there is a tine stretch of road, and Jack had 'pulled her wide open" to make up lost time, and the old engine and train were rocking along at a rate of about thirty miles tin hour. A country road runs parallel with the track here for some distance, and Anally crosses it. But a short dis tance, and finally crosses it. But a short distance from the crossing, on the day referred to, there was suddenly discovered a man, evidently half drunk in a two horse country wagon, and in it was his wife with him. The man was standing up driving like mad, but the train was so close upon him that no one dreamed of his attempting to cross, but making a sudden turn to the left, he endeavored to cross the railroad track. By the time the wagon was fairly on the track, the locomotive struck it, smashed the wagon to splin ters, killed the horses, and mangled to death the man and woman. The train ran some distance before it could be stopped, .and when it was finally checked Bunnell went forward and found Engineer Jack Mills, swearing like a trooper, his engine all 'mussed,' and he was damning the drunken fool in the wagon lor his criminal careless ness which brought on the accident. Jack was hot. As he turned to get on his engine to reverse her and return to the 6cene of the accident, his eyes caught sight of a tiny pair of baby's shoes, which had been among other of Lhe purchases of the man in the wagon and knocked out. They had fallen on the boiler of the locomotive, and there they rested as gently as a dove sitting in u cannon's mouth. A flood of recol lections of the little ones at home watching and waiting for their parents who would never come—thoughts, It may be, of the little feet at home—was too much for the true and tender heart of the rough and hardy engineer, and he leiiued on Charlie Bunnell's shoul der and sobbed aloud. 'Just look at them little shoes, Charlie,' he said, be tween his tears, 'l—l—didn't inlnd so much running over that drunken fool who tried to cross ahead of us when ho couldn't, but the little one, Charlie, the little kid that's waltln' for 'em, that's too rough!" The ItutllemiHke. It lias been observed by some natur alists that If wo withhold water from snakes when about to shed their epider mis, they are thereby prevented lrom divesting themselves entirely of the old skin. I always kept a small blrd,s bathing cup, filled with clean water cnce a dv. in the case containing my crotalus. The first skin he cast off, in July, was entire and without a blem ish. At the second change, however, about the last of September, I removed the cup one night, intending to replace it shortly afterwards, but I forgot to do so. The next morning I found por tions of loose skin all over the floor of the case, and much mote hanging in shreds from various parts of the body of the snake. Otiier parts seemed not to be detached yet. I had not sup posed that the ophidian was quite ready for a change. He was over two months in divesting himself of his torn trousers Was it due to the fact that water had been withheld at the last time? Both changes occurred in the night, and i failed to observe the interesting pro cess of divestment. To test the ques tion of so-called blindness occurring during the time when the pupil is cov ered by a whitish film or thin mem brane becoming detatched, and occlud ing the sight of the eye, I placed some very active mice repeatedly In the case during the period of change of epider mis. The ophidian attacked the mice in quick turn, without even missing his first victim. On other occasious, however, when his sig it was unob structed, I liav seen him strike at and miss the mark repeatedly. After mak- ahout with intensified fury. The snake never without first striking his victim. He did not eat more than two mice at a meal, and sometimes an hour lapsed be fore eating the second one He never killed his prey wantonly; on the con trary lie permitted mice to keep his company while his appetite was ap peased. Cutting (*IMI With Scissors. Many persons may not be aware that glass can be cut under water with great ease to almost any shape by simply usiug a pair of shears or strong scissors. In order to insure success two points must be attended to. First and most important, the glass must be kept quite level in the water while the scissors are aDplied, and, secondly, to avoid risk, it is better to begin the cutting by taking off small pieces at the corners and along the edges, and so reduce the shape gradually to that required, as if any attempt is made to cut the glass all at once to the shape as we could cut a piece of card board, it will most likely break where it is not wan ed Some kinds of glass cut much belter than others, the softer glasses being the best for this purpose. The scissors need not be at all sharp, as their action does not appear to depend on the state of the edges presented to the glass. When the operation goes on well the glass breaks away from the scissors in small pieces in a straight line with the blades. This method of cutting glass has often been of service when a diamond has not been at hand for cutting ovals and segments, and though the edges are not go smooth as might be desired for some purposes, yet it will answer in a great many casei. The hints given above, if strictly followed, will always insure suceess. Tame Hornets. There is no accounting for tastes Mrs. Lincoln, of Boston keeps two big pet lions, and now we hear of a West ern farmer who has domesticated a lot of creatures that belong quite as appro priately out of door. In a letter he says:—"ln the middle of my parlor I have a curious republic of industrious hornets; their nest hangs to the ceil ing by the same twig on which it was so admirably built and contrived in the woods. Its removal did not displease them, for they find in my house plen ty of food, and I have left a little hole in one of the panes of glass that an swers all purposes. By this kind usage they have become quite harmless. They live 011 the flies, whicli are very trouble some to us through the summer. They are constantly busy catching them, even 011 the eyel'ds of my children. By their assistant I am but little troubled with flies. All mv family are so ac customed to their strong buzzing that no one takes any notice of them, and though they are fierce and yet kindness has made them useful and harmless. When a person is overheated and ex hausted, both the hands and feet should be bathed in cold water, and something warm should be taken at once —hot lemonade, ginger water, or something of that kind. Ft Horaea HIKI Personal Equation* We hear much nowaday* about the extraordinary speed shown by thia or that horse at some race meeting. These tiuie tests are regarded as much a part or the record as the winning of the race itself. But while the general public may be satisfied with announced results some of us would like to know moM — about the contest than is told in the brief statement that "Rarus trotted a mile here to-day in 2 13," or whatever it may be. It has become so that a frac tion of a second makes a great differ ence in the record as well as well as In the value of a horse; and yet it seldom happens that two men in the timbers' stand agree as to the exact time made. While it is true that in the well regu lated mind of- man, the will poaesoes supreme direction over the whole cur rent of thought, policy and actiou, can it be said with positlveness that he who occupies the positson of a timing judge on a race course has a well-regulated mind? Sensation and perception are the two things most intimately con nected with the proper timing of fast horses. The horse speeds around the course, he approaches "the wire," and amid great excitement, passes under it. The timer, who may or may not be im bued with this same excitement, or who may have an active or an inactive brain, sees the horse and becomes con scious of the fact, but he is not done yet. There has to go back from the brain, so to speak, an electric spark along the nerves, which produces a contraction oi the muscles of the arm, and a motion of the thumb and finger follows. These press the spring, and the hands of the watch are stopped* But the activity with which all this is accomplished differs in men materially. At best, the nerves transmit their share in the work at the rate of only seventy feet a second, which is less than double the rate of speed at which the horse Is moving In the same period of tlmo. There exists a phenomenon called"per sonal equation,"and so long as quick witted persons and slow-witted person* are to decide the speed at which race horses travel, just so long will the time test be an irresponsible one. In making the common observation of the exact moment when a star travels across the fine vertical wire intersecting the field of view of a telescope some astronomers always anticipate the event, and others allow it to pass before they succeed in noting it. This is by nojueans the ef but is a persistent characteristic of each individual, however practiced iu the art of making observations he may be. The difference between the time of a man's noticing the event and that of its actual occurrence is called his per sonal equation, aud is carefully ascer tained tor every assistant la every lab oratory. The adoption of a similar plan on our race courses can alonegive us the correct time made by fast horses. Too Polite for Boarder*. The dull beaches of this sandy coast have been considerably stirred over an eveut that will be heard around the world. You know what Narragvustt is—at least you know wkat It has been, for the place, 1 believe is yours by dis covery. 1 would not like to say how many years ago you and Doctor Gama liel Bailey and his iovely family found by mere accident, tbat opposite New port was a beach quite as Javorable to bathing, andadjoiuing it was one hotel and one boarding house. The one was Whalley's, lineal descendant of Whal ley; the other a crude little place, half tavern and half boarding house, filled with people from Philadelphia. In those days one left the railroad at Kingston, and wended his weary way to the Pier by an old fashioned coach. At the Pier there was one horse, known as Old Smooth Tooth, that could be hired at a dollar a day, with a vehicle thrown in, that impressed one with the belief that it had been Noah's family carriage, and had yet clinging to its wheels, some of the mud left from the flood. Primitive days and primitive people. I remember the Taylor people took on airs and pre tended to look down on the Whalley's. They were poor snobs, whose pocket books would not permit life at New port, so they aped Newport at Taylor's * A good story was told of General Solienck anent this tavern. He was out bathing one day, when he encoun tered a couple of females splashing in the breakers, and very courteously of- r fered his services to them. After a lively time the General escorted his damsels to the bathing houses, and coming out himself was met by a grin ning friend. "I say, Schenck, we have enjoyed a laugh at your expense," he . cried. "How so ?" responded the grim M. C. "Why dont you know you have been bathing two oi Taylor's servant girls?" "Well, responded S., "I thought they were too polite for board ers." _ _ Length of the Days. At London, England, and Bremen, Prus sia, the longest day has sixteen and a half hours. At Stockholm, Sweden, the longest day has eighteen and a half hours. At Hamburg, Germany, and Dantzic, Prussia, the longest day has nineteen hours and the shortest five hours. At Borneo, Finland, the longest day has twenty-one and a half, and the shortest two and a half. At Wardhuy in Norway, the day lasts from the 21st of May to the 23d of July, without inter ruption ; and at Spitzbergen the longest day is three months and a half. At New York, the longest day, June 18, has fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes; at Montreal fifteen and a half hours. But the longest day of all, though one never seen by a civilized person, is that at the poles, where it lasts for six months, and is succeeded by a night equally as long. NO. 41.