YOL. LYI. HARTER, AUCTIONEER, MILLHEIM, PA. J C. SPRINGER, Fashionable Barber. Next Door to JOURNAL Store, MILLHKIH, PA. JGROCKERIIOFF HOUSE, ALLEGHENY STREET, BELLKFONTE, - - - PA. c. G. MoMILLEN, PROPRIETOR. Good Sample Room on First Floor. tyFrM BUM to and from all Trains. Special rates to witnesses and jurors. • 4-1 IRVIN HOUSE, (Host Central Hotel la the CltyJ Corner MAIN and JAY Streets, Lock Havei, Pa. 8. WOODS CALWKLL, Proprietor. Good Sample Rooms for Commercial Travelers on first floor. D. H. MINGLE, Physician and Surgeon, MAIN Street, MILLHKIM, Pa. JQR JOHN F. HARTER, PRACTICAL DENTIST, Office in 2d story of TomUnsoa'S Gro cery Store, On MAIN Street, MILLHEIM, Pa. R HINTKR, • FASHIONABLE BOOT A SnOE MAKER Shop next door to Foote's Store, Main St., Boots, Shoes and Gaiters made to order, and sat isfactory work gnanntead. Repairing done prompt ly and cheaply, aud in a neat style. ft. R. PKALK. H. A. MCKSB. PEALE Sc McKEE, ATTORNEYS AT LAW, Office opposite Court House, Bcllefonte, Pa. C. T. Alexander. C. M. Bower. A LEXANDER it," I said. "Not so eaily iu the spring as this," replied Hattie, sagely. Milly and house cleaning can't be separated. At this moment, mother, u-ho had sue -ceded in tearug off the envelope with eager, trembling fingers, and had commenced reading the letter, sudden ly tMisted tbe chair around sc as to turn her face from us, cleared her throat and wiped liei eyes on a corner of a ging ham apron, "Auytliiug the matter, mother?' questioned Kate anxiously, M'liile Hat tie and I sat in wondering silence. There M*as no answer for a moment, then turning slowly toM-ard us, she held out the letter, saying: "Read it alloud. Kate; Milly is taken ill with typhoid fever,and George has M'ritten for me to come to them. "Dear child, 1 wish I Mas so I could go." "Go!" echoed Kate, decisively; of course you'll go, and take one of us girls a'ong to help nurse, too." "But the work, mv dear. Hon Mil you inauage?" "Some May," said Kate. "Let's see ; the express goes at hulf-past six, and its hali-past five now—just one hour. Go and get ready, mother, and Cad and I will pack your valise." "But your father —" "We will take care of him, never fear, and he w ill be home before you go. Hat you are not tit for much at home except to run errands and keep awake nights, and you can do that there. Get ready as quick as possible and help mother; she la so "excited she will be sure to get ber dress ou hind side be fore, and forget to lace up her siio s." My energetic sister had by tbis time gathered together their clothes, and bringing the valise from the wardrobe, was packing them into it in a manner which foretold their coming out a mass of wrinkles, I, meantime, looking Help lessly on. By dint of her earnest ef forts they were ready in season, and when father came homo from work he found us hailing a street car to take them to the depot. "NOM-, what is to be done first ?" in quired Kate, after wo had seen them off, and had re-entered the house with something of the realizing sense of the responsibility we bad undertaken weigh ing on our iniii'is. "There is supper to get, of course, and now—Nellie can wash the dishes. That is all, isn't it ? '•Mother said something about bak ing to-morrow," I suggested, with a vague idea that a ceitain preparation M-as generally made concerning the bread the eveuiug before its manufactur . "To-morroM- ? Wll let to-morrow take care of itself," said Kate, so promptly, that I was at once silenced. "Let us see what is for supper ; light bread, cookied, float and cold beef. Very good. The clouds disperse and the skv is most serene and fair. Set the table, Cud, while I make the tea." And now, M hiie I am doing that, if the reader will take a little retrospective glance over our lives up to this point lie will, no doubt, the better understand why we Mere all so ignorant of house hold affairs. There was a large family of us—ten children in all; John, mas ter-workmen in one of the machine shops in the flourishing town of which we were residents ; Milly, the married sister, and a general favorite; Kate aud myself, twins but totally unlike, both in'looks and disposition ; Hattie, a stu dious girl of sixteen ; Ross, a boisterous school boy of 14; Nellie, a delicate, petted child of 11, aud three little boys m a row, aged respectively 9, 7 and 4, whom we called Tip, Eane and Benuy. And mother did the work for us all. I don't see how she managed it, but she did. Milly was the only one who had ever taken to house-work, and mother was one of those domestic burden-bear ers who never consider their burden so heavy but that they can add another trifle. Father had never been fortunate, pe - cuniarily ; and beinar anxious to give all their children a good education, the labor saving for this end M r as added to their other toil. And then like many another go d and unselfish, but unwise mother, she ulloM-ed us our own way, and spoiled us through indulgence; and as we had often heard her say she would rather do a thing than take the trouble to teach us how, we felt as though M-e were actually conferring a favor upon her by letting her have her own way. To be sure M r e could sweep, dust, wash dishes and make beds, and M ere familiar with some of the minor details ol cookery; but to be able to keep the domestic machine well oiled and in con stant motion was like trying to converse in an unknown tongue. And so now, MILLHEIM. PA., THURSDAY. JULY 27,1882. | without any adequate knowledge of I work and its responsibility 8, we found ! ourselves with a mountain of difficulties to surmount,, and a pretty mess we | n ode of it for a few days, too. 1 It wuß not difficult to get through supper, for, thanks to mother's provi I dent hands, there was enough prepared i fur that meal; but when, next morning, we foumt the l>read was out, oookios all ! gone, and not astray pie for dinner, our j troubles began—and they broadened j and deepened with every passing mo ment, AM we became painfully awake to j the fact that making bread and pastry was a branch of our education which had been terribly neglected ; and when at 10 o'clock father, in blissful ignorance of the novices in charge at home, sent up a sirloin roust and the information that a stranger would diue with us, and fifteen minutes later the washerwoman In ought in the clothes for us to iron. I was ready to melt in teais, and Kate miis so cross it wus dangerous to sjkMik to her. Oh, that weary, weary day ! but only the begiuniug of many similar ones that followed. How we longed for mother's skilful hands to siraighteu out the tangled threads our UMkward fingers managed to produce. There was something to be done from early uioru till late at night; so that no soouer did we fancy ourselves free for half an hour than some duty undone would stare us in the face, or the children would come in with clamor ing tongues and empty stomachs, and in a few day* I became addicted to ciironic fretfulness, while Kate was transformed into a veritable scold. John cowled oyer the miserable meals ; Kate teased us in m every vulnerable point; but poor, patient father pitied our in firmitiies, and ate what Mas set before him for conscience sake. It went on this way about a fortnight, when,after a very quiet, day we took our books and sat down for a quiet evening. But alas for our hopes ! (July ten min utes of peace, and the houest "ahem" from father, caused us to look up. "I)o you know, girls," he inquired, "whether mother mended my pants be fore she went away ? I should like them to put on in the morning. She generally did her mending every week, I believe." "There !" burst out Kate, shutting her book with a bang, M'hile I, after one desponding glance at the fascina ting pages of "David Cooperfield," Ment to examiue the mending basket. Jt was full to the brim ; shirt-', socks, little gingham cocts with the pockets torn down ard the buttons pulled half off, with shreds of cloth hanging to them ; father's pants and Nellie's school dress, Mith a great rent clear across the frout. With a doleful sigh I lifted the bas ket, and without a word we sat doM ii to the uuwelcomed task. Nine, ten o'clock came and Ment, and the basket was not half emptied of its contents. Father, John, Ross and Nellie gaped and stretched, and one by one followed the children off to bed. Eleven, and still M*e sat,rilent and grim as ghosts.solemn ly stitching away at the endless rents. "Cad," said Kate, at lust, jerking out the words as if she bated tliem, "how do you like it ?" "Like what r" 1 asked, in astonish ment. "This life of slavery. This humdrum, ever-lastmg-stick to it, unsatisfactory existence. Without a speck of variety a)cut it. Just over and over,round and round, until we seek our rest low in tho ground." "Oh, Katel" I exclaimed, almost shocked, 'not so bad as that; not nearly so bad as that." "Yes; worse than that whith many, very many, Carl Rouucewell. My plain opiuion, very plainly expressed, is that women are fools." "Why, Kate!" "Don't 'why Kate' me. Just look at the mending basket; it has been filled and emptied year after year; filled up by our carelessness and emptied by our mothei's slavish toil, and we, creat, healthy, overgrown girls sat calwnly by' and saw her do it. And the weak, un selfish women that she is hadn't snap enough about her to rap us over our heads for our ugliness." I opened my mouth to say something, but she made a dab at me with her needle, and I desisted. "Don't expostulate 1" she exclaimed. —"I have it. Look at yourself as you are and as you have been ever since you were born, a little, useless bit of furni ture, and see if you don't look ugly. I have been taking just such a view of myself ever since we've found ourselves trying to fill mother's place and found we couldn't, and have got so full of in dignation at myself for being so blind, and at mother for being so foolish, that I shall burst if I don't out with it." "But we cannot hell) it now, Kate," I ven' ured to remonstrate. "No, of course we can't, you goose.— The past is not ours, but the present is, and the future may be. That is what I am coming at, exactly. We must not let mother and father die, yet a while." "Die 1" I exclaimed, shocked beyond expression. "Yes, Caddy, I didn't notice it any more than you have, until the past two weeks ; but it seems to mo now, that 1 could count every furrow in father's care-worn brow, and every thread of mother's whitening hair. They are old beyond their years, Caddy. They have been worked to death,and because tliey loved us so well as to bear it all patient ly, we never saw it. ' * Kate's voice was all of a tremble* and I burst into tears. "Mother is an intelligent woman," she went on in a moment, "with a mind capable of rare development. But how much time do you suppose she has had for reading and reflection beyond the wants and necessities of her large fami ly ?" And don't you know, Cad, how often we liave excused ourselves from reading aloud to her, letting her sit dig ging away into this very basket, soli tary and alone through the long evening hours ?'' I fairly hate myself when I tnink of it." I did too, by this time, and I said so. —"But Kate," I added, "isn't there a bright side to it somewhere ?" "We can make one," she answered, decisively. "I have been think.ng of that; how would it do to work ami get ' the house cleaning all done before alio ' gets home? It will in* a vacation next J week slid Ross and Nel ie Mill bo here to help ua." To this plan I gladly consented, ami then we went to lied. When we arose next morning it was with very diff. rent vioM's of life and its atom reali ies from what we had ever cherished before. But we Mere determined to enter into the conflict armed with a strength higher than our own and through that to conquer. And we did. Two weeks more aud the house wore a diffeieut as pect from garret to cellar; everything wus a" fresh anil clean as could be ami well repaid we felt for all our toil. One spot iu the house was an especial attrac tion, and that was mother's and lather's room ; hitherto a hare, sparsely furnish ed apartment, with the same stamp of self-denial upon it there hod always been upou everthing that, was individu ally their own , but Bow tho most chee ry, tastefully-atranged of any room in the house—We girls have planned the rouovatiou, and John, dear, good hon est fellow, htul lovingly paid the bills. And now with all 111 readiness for her coming, with a Moll-cooked meal UJM>U the t ,bio, with an air of thriftness upou everything, which gave us the utmost satisfaction, we looked for our mother home. But when she came—when we saw the dear face looking eagerly out of the carriage wiudoM' to catch a glimpse of home and its treasured inmuteß—the revulsion of feeling was t)o much for aud we ran behind the door to hide tho tours. Such a foolish thing, but wo did not stay there long. She called us a* she carni in ami wo came out of our 1 hiding place, all tear-stained as we were and greeted her. Aud such a time as we had taking her over the house ami witnessing her delight and surprise, mingled with little ,oft-hearted rebukes for our working so liar 1 while she was gone. But when she came upon her own room, and her eyes fell upon the bright new curpet, ami the hod with iTs little appointments, it was really re freshing to hear her exclaim over the extravagance we hud been guiltv of, and all for the sake of a womau who was fast growing old. But oh, when we told her that we had done it all that she might dwell in perpetual youth ; when we whispered in her ear the lesson we had learned by putting ourselves in her pluce, when we told her w hat we pro posed to do in the future, that she might live, not as a slave but as a queen among her .children, how her heart melted into tears, aud what manifest love she cluug to us. Aud as the years still come aud go we are reaping a blessed recompense. The rich reMord of struggle Mith idle ness and indulgence we see before us in the faces of our loved and loving pa rents, where sits a sweet content ami beams a look of youth once more. They share with us our pleasure and our en tertainments ; we share with them tho otherwise solitary hours, and iu the in terchange of tho ight aud feeling find M'isdom M e coulo have gained from no other source. Rejoicing in the knowl edge that we are something for them the rugged pathway of mortality, MO feel our recompense to be incorruptible being assured it is as gold laid up in the treasure hotiso of God, and bringing forth a huudrei fold. Flflnx Mitclilnvi lor ..arl'tei. Germany anil Russia are Imth push ing forward experiments in fly ing ma chines lor use iu M*ar or otlierM'ise. It appoa s that tho direction iu which these are M'orkiug is tlie only one likely to be successful. It ignor s tho ridicu lous inflated gas-bag, which is enor mous iu size, dfficult and costly to fill iu war, aud floats—a gigantic derelict— at the mercy of every current of air, a huge mark for the first gunner MIIO can hit and bring it to the ground. Buuci gar [en in Go many and Baranovski in Russia adapt tbe principle of the in clined plane pressed against the air; aud thus capable of making some at tempt at least to regulate its own cours<\ In the kite tlie force that presses the inclined piano is tlie hand of a boy acting through the string. In the sail of a boat the resistance of the M'ater to sidelong motion keeps the sails pressed against the wind. In flying machines the pressure is given by an engine carried by the machine and actiug by means of fans of one sort oi the other. The difficulty at present is the weight of etigin and fuel; but with the development of e'eclrical practical knowledge we may fairly expect to see accumulators which will supply the maximum of pouer Mith the minimum of we : ght. Then the problem of flying in still air will be solved. Whether MO shall ever bo able to ride the storm is another matter. Wine In Virginia. Virginia is another Statu in which wino growing has become a promising industry. The industry was commen ced in 18G9 by two Germans on favora bly located hill sides of the Blue Ridge range, aud the crops were disposed of in New York. By 1877 these pioneers were producing nearly 3,000 gallons of wine annually. Last year tlioy had thirty-seven acies under cultivation,and turned out 3,500 gallons. This year they expect to make out of their own grape crop, combined with those of neighboring vineyardists who have had the good sense to imitate their example, from 8,000 to 10,000 gallons.' At first they sold their wine through agents, but now they have determined to be their own middlemen, and ore doing well at it. The two counties of Nelson and Albemarle at the present produce together from 50,000 to 60,000 gallons annually. The Wttnliliigtuii .Monument It may bo mentioned as an interest ing feature in Judge Marshall's history that he was the projector of the Wash ington Monument. Tho facts are as folloM's: llie City of Washington had just been occupied as the National Capi tal when the "Father ol li s Country" wiut removed by death. When the sad event occurred a joint Committee of Senate and House was iqqioiiittd to "consider a suitable mode for com memorating General Washington." John Marshall, as Chairman of this Committee, presented a resolution "that a marble monument be erected at the City of Washington, and that the family oi George Washington be requested to permit his body to be deposited under it, and tliat the monument be s> designed as to commemorate the great events of his military and political life." It was u.'so resolved that Mis. Washington should be entreated to give her assent to the interment of the General in the above mentioned manner. The funeral, however, was over, and the General had been buried in the family vault before this communication Mas received, aud the idea of a removal of the remains M-as very distressing to the i lustrums widow. She replied, however, in an appropriate letter to the President, in M'liieh she submitted to the national request, but added, "iu doing this, I need not, I cannot say what a sacrifice of personal feelings I make to a sense of public duty." The r quest Mas therefore waived out of respect for thi3 truly uoble woman, but the monument has aluavs been a popular idea aud will eventually reach completion. Cow to I'irvent Fori.t Fires The destruction wrought by forest fires ou Long Island lately shows again, and for at least tbe thousandth time in the lnstoiy of the present generation, iioM' careless the American farmer is of such of his ground as is covered with trees. The "forests" that burn are generally small tracts of wooded laud which are parts of farms, but as they are utterly let alone except when the farmer M-ants fire-wood, they are full of uudergrowtli, brush heaps and dead leaves. Forest fires are scarcely ever heard of in Europe, for the poorest aud busiest peasant who owns a bit of wooded land finds time to cut aMay the under growth, remove dead treiq ana fallen boughs, and even to cart awav some of the leaves to his compost heap. German and English farmers who come here begin by preserving their wooded lands, but too often tiiey fail into the shiftless American May, aud frequently they pay the penalty. Any farmer can prevent fires on his owu forest laud; he can clear away undergrowth and leaves, the Mork being easiest done in winter, when he ha 3 little to do on any other part of his farm, or h can fence this ground and turn his cattle into it to eat or Weak down small growth and trample leaves to pieces and into the ground. Both plans have been tried with great success and neither is costly. Of course in great wooded tracts of hundreds and thousands of acres such preventives would be impracticable, but these are not tho lands most frequently' burned over. A Fighting Octopus The octopus is, without doubt, the mo t disagreeable creature to be met with in the ocean. They are found in nearly all waters, from the Coast of Maine in and on the borders of the Gulf- Stream to tlie cold M aters of the North Pacific Ocean. Imagine a bag of flesh, over which waves of color are constant ly sweeping, and from which eight arms radiate like the arms of a gigantic spi der, tlioir under sides lined with sharp suckers, and between them, M'here they join the body, two parrot-like bills. On each side of the lower part of the bag put two fierce green or yellow eyes, give the MLOIC mass a tremulous mo tion, and you have a general idea of the appearance of the octopus a second cousin of the giant squid. In size they range from a foot across upward. The suckers on the arms are so many air pumps, so that when they are pressed upon the body a piston-like arrange ment exhausts the air, and the suction presses (in many kinds) a sharp, 'saw. edge," bony plate, or ring, into the ttesli, making hundreds of terrible M'ouuds. In the Bahama Islands these animals are very common, and often of great sizo, and their capture affords consider able sport to the winter visitors at these isles of summer. The largest octopus ever caught was found upon the beaqli at Nassau. Each arm measured five feet, and the entire monster weighed nearly 300 pounds. Several years ago a party from Nen- York spent the winter at Nassau, und the boys—for there were four or five— had a lively encounter with the octopus. They had a fine cedar boat fitted for their benefit; her bow aud stern were decked over anil formed airtight com partments, while a row of airtight cans extended around under the seats so that their craft would float when full of water—a fact tested on many an occa sion. '****♦ Sometimes they had to drag her almost out of the water, but fiually the head Jof "Yellow Tail," Reef Mas reached, and they were upon unoxplorod ground. Tho reef Mfta about three feet andor Muter and covered with small heads of the coral known as Meandrina, inter spersed with fans and plumes. The boat was hauled between two of the heads, aud Tom, Harry aud the others were Hitting on her gunwale rest ing when they were attrae'ed by a shout from Will, who had M- tided away over the heads. "Here's a queer-looking something nmjer the coral!" lie shouted. "Come over!" The lnjys moved off in his direc tion. "It looks like a bundle of snakes," he continued. "Well, here goes!" and aiming his grains at the object, Will let drive. There Mas a commotion for a moment. Will cluug to his spear, the pole bend ing and writhiug about. 4 I can't see what it is!" he shouted. "Come quick!" The boys pushed hard, but were yet twenty or thirty yards from Will when he jumped upon a coral head with a scream, and up from the M'ater, clinging to his le. s, appeared a slimy, writhing, clinging mass of flesh that horrified the boys. Will had lost bis hold upon the spear, bpt courageously drew his case-knife and cut at the monster, that had now crept up to his M iiist. "It is an octopus!" shouted Tom, as tlie l>oat rushed in to the head of coral, and seizing his spear, overboard he went, aud as Harry grasped Will's ex tended arm and tried to drag him into or toward the boat, he hurled his spear again and again into the creature and endeavored to push it from Will s knee, where it hail now settled under the vigorous bloM's of the knife. Two of the arms were severed in this way, but the others clung like leeches, winding about his legs, doubliug and twisting all the while. Will MAS faint and M'eak, but the rest encouraged him, and finally he struck a deep blow iuto the body of the monster, aud Tom settling down almost under the water, with a tremendous lift tore the ugly creature from its hold. At the same moment the boys in tbe boat, M*ho had clung to Will, fairly jerked him into the boat, with some of the arms of the octopus still clinging to him. Tom was not a moment behind, as the creature had escaped from him, and he Mas likewise hauled aboard. Will was badly cut; his legs, arms and neck were covered with round marks, as if ho had been cupped; and some of them bled badly, while other sharp bites were evidently the marks of parrot-like bills. The water for many feet about them still showinl evidence of the struggle. beiug as black as ink from the sepia the animal had ejected iu its fear or rage. Will was determined to have the body of the octopus. So. after the water had cleared, they oommenced the search, and fiually the ugly fellow—or what was left of it—was found under a clump of branch coral. Tne boat was held over the spot, and three spears were sent into it at once. Even now it strug gled bard, and as they lifted it aboard the creature dragged at 'least fifty pounds of dead coral with it But once lm the boat it M'as soon finished with a hatchet and packed away iu half a barrel, which it nearly filled, and was found to weigh afterward 170 pounds. "You wouldn't believe a creature like that would have so much strength," said Will, as they started for home. "As soon as I hit it it seemed to run up the sjrear, and nearly twisted the pole out of my hands, and the water became as black as ink; and the first thing I knew I felt something like a red-hot band clasp my leg, and then another and then I made a jump for the 'head,' and the animal tried to climb upon me. I don't know whether he was trying to attack me or escape; but I've learned one lesson —never to strike' an octopus unless you are in a boat." Maria wai Sulking. "I see ihe Armstrongs have gone to light housekeeping, ' said Mr. Jones, laying down the paper he was reading, "it will be qnite a change for them." "I wonder if they will use gas or ke rosene?" asked Mrs. Jones. "Perhaps they will have the electric light," mused Mr. J., "it ought to be just the thing for that purpose. "Why, you cau't cook by the electric light," retorted Mrs. J. "I dou't see what cooking has to do with it," growled Mr Jones in a dis - gusted tone. "They can cook as other people do I suppose." "But you said that they had gone to light housekeeping. "Yes, I know I did," answered Mr. J., sarcastically;but I should have ex plained it more fully and said explicitly that Mr. Armstrong was light house keeper on Shad Island, and that the American Government had sent him and his family there. Understand Maria?" But Maria was sulking, and wouldn't answer. Up the Hudson. The beautiful aud varied scenery along the Hudson river is familiar to all sum mer tourists. But the constantly chang ing lights and shades cannot be studied from a railway car flying along at a speed ef forty miles an hour. The travelling public will, therefore, be gratified to know that the passenger department of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company will on July Ist again place upon this popular route the .magnificent steamer Richard Stockton, owned by them, and make re* gular excursions to West Point, New burg and Xona Island during the summer sea son. The boat has been put in complete repair and subjected to a rigid inspection so that ooni fort and safety are insured. Its speed has been increased and six matallic life boats, six Woolaey life buoys with 1600 new life preservers have been provided, furnishing provision for over 2000 passengers, while the carrying capacity is only 1000. The time of leav ing Pennsylvania Railroad docks, Jersey City, will be tine o'clock every morning, including Sunday, and arriving time on the return trip at Jersey Uity, 630 P. M. Connection may be made with regular Pennsylvania Railroad trains every day as far west as Trenton, and with a special train every Thursday, from Broad street, Kensington Station, or foot of Market street, Philadelphia, aad the principal points on the New York and Amboy Divi sion. Good meals are served on board. The refreshment privileges are rat&ined by the Company, and no intoxicating liquors are sold, consequently perfect order id pre served. These excursions have, also, the merit of economy which is a consideration in these days of high prices. Fare for the round trip from Jersey City, Brooklyn, and Newark, will be 60 cents, and for chilcken between the ages' ot 6 and 12 years, 25 cents. Low rate excursion tickets will be sold from stations on Penn sylvania Railroad, and special arrange ments for large organized parties can be made by applying to C. W. Woolsey, Bupt., Femes, Jersey City, or H. J. Fill man, Div. Ticket Agent, Philadelphia. A Hard Trial. Last winter a great religious revival wag held in a certain Ohio neighbor hood, and several good men brought all their influence to bear on a certain farmer named Harris. After many efforts he was brought to the anxious seat,and then they had the happiness of hearing him announce that he felt himself saved. In the course of tjiree or four days the minister met liim and asked: "Well, brother Harris, how do you feel?" "Oh, kinder plaguey mean," was the reply. "You do! What is the trouble?" "Well, I hadn't found the Lord over twenty minutes before I run across a fruit tree agent who beat me out of fif teen dollars last year. There I was, ready to flj into the gates of Heaven, and* here he was, chuckling to think of how he worked off a lot of crab-apple trees on me for a new kind of pear! I couldn't even break his neck, and the old woman she got in and said I was alius gittin' in a box and the hull thing has sorter stirred me up till I can't say whether I'd rather lick a lightning-rod man or be an angel." Petroleum in Mexico. Petroleum has been discovered in the State of Chiapas, Mexico, but oil de posits are so far distant from any prac ticable means of communication that their utility must remain dormant until the time when railways shall penetrate southwestern Mexico. Oil is also re ported to flow from a spring in the centre of the great lake of Chapala, on the borders of the states of Jalisco and Miohoacan. The usefulness of this spring must remain undemonstrated for years to come. Meantime, the oil de - posits ID the State of Vera Cruz, now be ing d-vjlo.-vd by a boston company, must form the reliance of the natives, to whom the discovery of petroleum is of great importance. Should the fuel question reman unsolved by the dis covery of abundant and accessible coal, the introduction of ttie American patent oil stoves would afford large profits to their manufacturers. The matter of fuel supply for cooking purposes is one which is every day discussed by the Mexican press both of the capital and of the provinces. Two-Handed Swordß. The claymore, once famous in Scottish history, was a very long sword, with a hilt so large that it could be grasped by both of the hands of the warrior who wielded it, when there was verv reason for the opposing soldiers to want to get as far away as possible.* Long, two-handed swords were in use in vari ous parls of Europe during the Middle Ages, but it is from Scotland that we have heard the most about them. Some of the German swords, used by the mer cenary soldiers in the French religions wars, were enormous two-handed wea pons, with sharp po nts, jagged edges, and great spikes near the base of the blade; but these heavy swords were used only by soldiers who were uncom -1 monly strong aud skillful; for any | awkwardness on the part of a man ! swinging such a tremendous blade,was 1 apt to inflict as much injury on his companions as on the enemy. Some of the long swords of the Middle Ages were used more for show and ceremony than for actual service. The sword of Edward the Third, which is pres*. rved in Westminster Abbey, is seven feet long, and weighs eighteen pounds. This, it is said, was earned before the King in processions, and was probably • never used in any other way. NO 30.