Bellefonte, Pa., Oct. 9, 1891. men, TO A CLOUD. Under the bending mountain skies 1 lay, with half-shut, dreamy eyes. In the sweetest month of spring— § When a little cloud eame, so soft and white, It seemed but a fieecy streak of light, Or the flash of an angel's wing. I had marked the mountain’s fitful mood, Its tall head wrapped in a flame-red hood, Or its base in a misty shroud ; But through all its cliffs where sunbeams played, And in all its shifting light and shade, There was nothing like the cloud. So fair, so far, it seemed to float, With the airy grace ot a white winged boat, $8andithe deep, biue sky for a sea. t might have been that an angel crew ‘Were voyaging the distant blue With the. Pilot of Galilee. O winsome ship of the upper sea, My fettered thoughts look up to thee, In thy supernal place, And longs thine airy deck to tread, Thy cloudland eharted eourse to thread Through realms of trackless space. In vain does blinded science guess The texture of thy dewy dress With earthly mechanism ! I view thee through another glass, And make thy borrowed beauty pass Through faney’s finer prism. But, ah! no cloud-compelling Jove Will hear the prayers I breathe above To stay thy wayward flight ; And while I strain my yearning eye Thy trailling banners through the sky Are bidding me good-night. . a — William Rice Sims, in Lippinooti. ——————— HOW A TRAMP ENDED. The season at the White Mountains was at its height. The great hotel and many cottages scattered in every direction were filled to overflowing with gay and joyous guests, : No one location had a larger share of these “birds of passage” than Beth- lehem, standing on its lofty hill with the grand old mountain rising all about it, Every hotel, boarding-house and cot- tage was filled with guests, and every day and evening something was plan- ned and carried out for their entertain- ment. : One day it was a ride or tramp to one of the many points of interest lying ic every direction, and in the evening a ball, or hop, or parlor theatricals at one house or the other. Pleasure for the few days, or the few weeks, reigned supreme. One evening two young men were seated on the broad veranda of the Maplewood. The great hotel was filled to reple- tion, and gay promenaders passed and repassed before them to the sound of the music which came floating out on the evening air. One of the men, the darker of the two, at length broke the silence which had for several minutes existed be- tween them by saying : “I think we shall have a good day for our tramp to-morrow. It doesn’t look now as though we should get rain again for some days.” “I hope it will not be too hot, Thur- low. It's along way up to the Black ravine, and for part of the way we shall find no shade at all. I was up there two vears ago and found it no easy job.” / “I guess we are good for it, Hartley. Wedido't take a back seat for any- body when we were doing the Alps to- ; gether. Englishmen pride themselves on their power of endarance, on foot, but for once they had to give in to the | _ Americans.” “I remember the party very well. They were loth to give up, but they had to when we left them so far be- + bind.” “Quite a little party are going up also, to-morrow, I understand—ladies . and gentlemen—some from here and some from Sinelair.” “Yes; but they will ride more than half the way and that makes the dif- ference. I thought you would like to go along with them.” “But I had no invitation. Did you?” éNo.” “Isn’t that a good reason why we -should tramp by ourselves 7” “Yes; but Maud Ashley is to be -one of the party. I've seen the time when you would have moved Heaven -and earth that you might be one of ‘the party.” “But I would not have to perform so -small a job as that, I should surely ‘have had a pressing invitation to go.” “Thurlow ?” “Well 1” “Why was it that you and Maud ‘broke off with each other? At one time I would have wagered my life ‘that you would have made a match of it.” “There was another who had more gold and more influence. than I,” he said in a bitter tone. “God knows I loved that woman as I never shall an- other.” | was not wholly so. “Then I would have married ber iu spite of pe “Hinsh { Here she comes !’ A small gay coterie passed by where they were sitting. They were laughing and chatting, and Mand Ashley seem. ed the gayest of the little group. If she saw Chester Thurlow she gave no sign that she did so. No laok of re- cognition came athwart her beautiful dace, ‘I'he next morning gaye promise of a beantifu) day to follow, Thurles aud Hartley were actir early, It was a long, hard tramp to the head of the Black ravine, and the clamber to the summit of the great cliffs which overhang it. By starting in good time they would have the ad- vantage of the cool of the day. An early breakfast had been ordered the night before, and as soon as it was dis- patched, and a goodly lunch bestowed in their knapsacks, they started off be- fore many of the guests had showed themselves out of their rooms, Half of their upward tramp was over, when they came to a spot where -arude path branched off to the right from the rough wagon road that they had been pursuing. High above them they could see the deep depression in the mountain which went by the name of the Black ravine. A hard, long tramp was before them yet, but they felt as though it would be boys’ play, for they were used to this sort of climb- ing. A % sparkling brook came out from under a rock, and here they quenched their thirst and rested for a short time. The sound of wagon wheels and the ring of happy voices down the road told them that the party was approach- ing. This was a signal for them to go on, for they did not wish to mingle or to be in the way of those that had said plainly enough that their company was not wanted. Thurlow knew that Hugh Tilden would be there, and that if he could help it he would not be five minutes away from the side of Maud. He knew something of him of old and felt that the girl was giving herself to a man with whom she could never be happy. People would have said that this was jealousy on his part, but it If they were mar- ried, in due time, it would be shown that they were not fitted for each other, Upward they clambered, following a rude path which had been cut along side one edge of the ravine, The sun beat down upon them and there was hardly a breath of air. But this they did not mind, and in due time they reached the head of the ravine and rested in the shadow of the great rocks which towered above their heads. These they had yet to surmount and then the end of their tramp would be reached. ; This, a little later, was "accomplish- ed, and they gazed around them upon the wild, half-eavage scenery which lay upon every hand. A little later and again the sound of voices and of laughter was wafted up- ward to their ears. The party reached the head of the ravine and was about to clamber up over the cliffs the way they had come. They knew that the ladies had no easy task before them, and that they had some little time to stay before they moved aside, or farther on, if they still wished to avoid them. 5 So they lingered, taking in the view until the forms of the party appeared in sight only a short distance below them. “Come, Hartley, there are some stunted trees out yonder where we can find shade. We will take refuge there until they are gone. “I'll make the move for your sake, Thurlow; but mind, I won’t do it again. We have as good a right here as they, and if Miss Maud Ashley doesn’t want to meet you she can go in some other direction. If it were my case I should stay here, and if she wanted to cut me in the presence of the rest of the party she would be at liberty to do so. You can afford to do it if she can.” Thurlow made no answer but start- ed off in the direction he had indicated. He could not bear the thought of be- ing slighted by the woman who in the past had been so dear to him: In the shade made by the gnarled and stunted trees they partook of the lunch they had brought, dividing their time between the wild scenery about them and watching the movements of the party on the brow of the cliff. In this way the time passed until Thurlow, on looking at his watch, ob- served that it was nearly time for them to be starting homeward. “Will you wait until they are gone ?” said Hartley. “I think they are about starting. Their moving about looks like it.” Hardly had these words left his lips when a cry of mortal terror fell upon their ears. They sprung to their feet and gazed out toward the party on the cliffs. One of their cumber was missing. Horror stricken they gazed for an 1n- stant into each other's face, and then, with the utmost speed they could com- mand, they flew in the direction of the spot. “What has happened?’ they cried to the awe struck group, each of whom bad ventured as near to the edge of the cliff as they dared and were look- ing down into the fearful abyss below. “Maud Ashley bas fallen over!” was the answer from pale lips. Thurlow uttered a ery which came from the inmost recesses of his heart. Then with a powerful effort he master- ed himself, and sprung to the path leading down to the edge of the ravine. “She has gone to the bottom,” said Hugh Tilden, as he carefully made his way after him. She has fallen upon a shelf in the rocks, and we can hear her crying for help.” Thurlow turned for an instant and gave him a look which should have erushed him into the earth, and then sped on his downward way, followed close by Hartley, who almost thrust Tilden from the path as he passed him. In a few moments he was opposite the spot where Maud was clinging for her life to the narrow shelf of rock on which she had fallen and which had saved her from instant death. “Have courage, Maud, I will be with you in a moment. Here, ITartley, lend me your hand until I cross this slippery rock.” The latter did as requested and then with a bound Thurlow gained the shelf and grasped Maud by the choulder. For a moment it seemed that they would both loose their balance and go plunging down to the fearful depths below, but they held their footing and braced themselves up against the rock behind them. “Are you much hurt, Miss Ashley 2" he said, “No, thanks to this bed of moss,” she answered. “But why Miss Ash- ley?” Why don’t you call me Maud, as of old 7” “May I have the right to do so?" “Yes, you always had.” “Maud, will you be my wife?” “Yes, dearest, if we leave this place alive.” ? “And Hugh Tilden ?" *Do not mention his name to me. | fastened about Maud, and Thurlow | Then, with a spring, she caught the | A Fearful Arraignment. He has no claim upon me. I am if you will tak Jone and Yours alone, yo 2 From the Democratic State Platform. “Thank God, my darling! Now let We arraign and condemn the Repub- us make our escape from this spot as | lican Legislature for having refused to soon as possible. If we are careful we | enforce the Constitution by appropriate can do it without harm to either.” | legislation ; for having failed to pass Hartley and Tilden were looking on. | honest and equitable apportionment bills, They could uot hegre what passed be as required by the Constitution ; for tween the two, but the former was sat- peg isfied that all had been made right at having ignored the demands of labor for last. ? relief by law ; for having denied the “Take the wraps the ladies have and | righteous popular demand for such laws your coats and tie them together, mak. as would distribute the burdens of public i ul Tone 2 i a aad taxation equally upon all clases of pro- Thurlow. | perty, end for having refused to reform This was soon done. long-existing abuses mn the mercantile "appraisement laws, as recommended by | the Democratic Executive in 1885. outstretched hand of Hartley and was | W¢ i condom, 2h Pople safe. A minute more and Thurlow | lican Auditor-General for having per- stood by her side, and then a shout of | mitted John Bardsley, the Republican joy went up frow the throats of all at | Treasurer of Philodelphia city and their deliverance j JO iho Ford | county, to embezzle $500,000 of State There was joy in Bethlehem that | tax collected by him, which he was per- night. The Maplewood was thronged : : 1 it seemed re all the town was | mitted {0 retain for a long period after | the same was due and payable. there. Joy was in the hearts of all We arraign and condemn (he Repub- but one—Hugh Tilden. The day’s | tramp had an ending for him that be lican Auditor-General for having per- 0,70 way 1elished, miited John Bardsley, the Republican Treasurer of Philadelphia city and county, to embezzle more than $360,000 of State license moneys collected by him, | which he was permitled to retain for a long period after the same was due and payable. We arraign and condemn the Repub- lican Auditor-General for having con- spired with John Bardsley, the Republi- can Treasurer of Philadelphia city and county, to appoint and retain corrupt Mercantile Appraisers, who abused their offices for their own private pecu- niary advantage, robbed the State of its Just revenues, and imposed the Common- wealth hundreds of thousands of dollars of needless costs, and we demand the dismissal of the Mercantile Appraisers of Philadelphia. We arraign and condemn the Repub- lican Auditor-General for having con- spired with John Bardsley, the Repub- lican Treasurer of Philadelphia city and county, to speculate in public adver- tising and for having received from the publishers of the sane bribes to influ- ence their official conduct in placing such advertisements. We arraign and condemn the Repub- lican State Treasurer for wilfully and knowingly permitting Bardsley to retain in his possession over $1,000,000 taxes collected for and owing to the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania, by reason of which dereliction a large portion of the money has been lost to the people. We arraign and condemn the Repub- lican State Treasurer for having con- spired with John Bardsley, the Repub- lican Treasurer of Philadelpha, to se- cure to him the payment of $425,000 of the public school fund, long in ad- vance of the usual time, and when Bard- sley was already known to the State Treasurer to be a defaulter for over $500,000, which sum thus improvident- ly paid to Bardsley was bf him embez- zled, to the loss of Philadelphia city and the shame and scandal of the State. We arraign and condemn the Repub- lican State Treasurer and the Republi- can Auditor General for having con- spired to pay to John Bardsley, the Re- publican Treasurer of Philadelphia city and county. on December 389, 1890, $150,000 out of the State Treasury, ostensibly on account of Philadelphia county's share of the personal property tax ; but actually before that tax had been paid into the State Treasury, and when John Bardsley was already a de- Sfaulter and embezzler to the amount of $622,013.11. Woman's Rights. The end was steadied her out as far as possible. Sick-Room Suggestions. Never stand or sitat the head of the bed, or where the patient will be obliged to turn both his eyes to see you ; place yourself where he can look into your face. I have seen people enter a sick-roora and take their stand out of sight, under the mistaken im- pression that they would not attract attention ; but invalids are peculiarly sensitive to an unseen presence, and they will turn their head, or even try to raise themselves -on the pillow in the effort to ascertain who has come into the room. Keep a small table spread with a white cloth, upon which to lay glasses, spoons and bottles ; this should be, if possible, in an adjoining room, or if that is not feasible, as far as can be from the bed. Always use the same utensils, washing them as soon as pos- sible after using, for if they are carried away, in nine cases out of ten the article that you need will not be on hand when required; and waiting at such times is almost tortue. It is well to have a napkin, or soft towel, always at hand. Ask your physician to write out his directions ; do ‘not depend upon your memory. You will find it & great as- sistance to keep a daily record, both for your own use and for the information of the doctor. The following is merely a suggestion : 1 p. m., quinine ; 2 p. m. beef tea. If the patient is sleeping quietly when the hour for medicine, or nourish- ment arrives, except in very extreme cases, it is better not to waken him, as few remedies are so valuable as sleep. This, however, is a point for your physician to decide. _ Follow implicitly the physicians direc- tions. : —— A Petrified Horse Found. There was recently taken from a small creek near Stringtown, I T., a genuine curiosity in the shape of a petrified horse, which had, beyond doubt, been lying in the bed of the stream for many years. The creek, which is known as Mason’s Ford, has been dwindling away for some time, owing to the failure of the springs by which it 1s fed, and is now but a shallow rivulet, and 8 num- ber of Indian relics, human bones, ete., have been taken from its bed. The horse was nearly covered by a deposit of sand and loose limestone, and was discovered only by chance, some boys wading in the creek catching sight ofa portion of one leg. Examining this it was found to have turned entirely into stone, which led to the whole being dug out and carried to shore. The horse, a large, white one, seems to be the work of a cunning sculptor, so completely bas the petrification been, even the hairs of the mane and tall being convert- ed into stone. In the neck and piercing one of the largest veins is an arrow, in all proba- bility the cause ofits death, and which probably struck it as it stood on the banks of the creek, into which it rolled in its death agony. Its sides still show the marks of a saddle and its flanks are cutas by spurs and with desperation, but no brand or other mark gives a clew to its rider. Inremoving it from the stream one hoof was unfortunately broken off, but with this exception itis perfect. It is now on exhibition in Stringtown, but is shortly to be presented to the Smithson- ian Institute, though several agents for dime museums have endeavored to secure it for their enterprises. An Interesting Experiment About to ' Be Tried in New Zealand. Although New Zealand lies within the extreme southwestern boundary of the Western Hemsphere its relations are almost purely Oriental, and such are its associations in the minds of the reading public. Hence, it is somewhat of an as- tonisher to Occidental minds to learn that Sir George Gray, the new Premier of New Zealand, proposes that a new legislative chamber shall be formed, which shall be the principal of two leg- islative bodies, and most interesting of all, shall be composed entirely of wom- en. By this plan women would not on- ly be given their “rights,” but would be placed where some of them, perhaps, imagine they belong, in authority over the men. There is one other Oriental couniry where this rule is practiced in a modified form—the Kingdom of Corea, in which women not only choose and divorce their husbands, but practice a form of polygamy common no where else in the world, every women being entitled to ~tfour or five husbands, while few of tle men are fortunate in undisputed pos- session of an entire wife. Government. however, Why Russia Welds aloof, ViENNA, September 80.—The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Polit- itical Correspondence of this city tele- graphs that the reason for Russia's de- claration to co-operate with the rest of the powers, nealing China to an ac- count for the recent outrages upon for- eigners is that Russia does not desire to streagthen England’s influence in Asia, and also because the Russian govern- ment is of the opinion that the disturbed condition of China will assist in extend- ing Russian commerce in the direction of the projected Siberian railroads. OMELETTE WITH BREAD CRUMBS. — Take eight eggs and one teacup of brend crumbs coaked in milk. Beat the ewes the same way as for the plain omelette. Put the bread crumbs into a bowl and pour all the milk on them that they will take up. Str them with the yolks of the eges and a little salt ; then add the whites and proceed as for plain ome- lette. is left to the with iron hand each in the small com- munity which she is the head. Woman's righters the world over will watch the New Zealand experiment with anxious eyes. ——Miss Fisher, of North Carolina, the lady who once wrote many novels under the name of “Christian Reid,” is now Mrs. Tiernan and publishes no more. Sheis the daughter of the Col- onel Fisher who gave his name to Tort Fisher. EE ————————— ——The proprietors of Ely’s Cream Balm do not claim it to be a cure-all) but a remedy for catarrh, cold in the head and huy fever. Tt is nota liquid or a snuff. is easily applied into the nos- trils. Tt gives reliof at once. SE ———————— ——After all, the best way to know the real merit-of Hood’s Sarsaparilla is to try it yourself. Be sure to get Hood's. A man whose soul is harrowed is not necessarily a cultured individual. | roads. The General | men, the women being satisfied to role | Better Roads. The Engineering Magazine takes up the subject of road-making in the Unit- ed states to point out how much bad roads have cost this country. It insists that the United States has the poorest roads of any civilized country,’ and that it does not understand road-building in least, the American idea of improving a country road being to shovel more dirt on it. The roads in England, France, and Germany are constructed quite differ- ently. England’s roads seventy years ago were like ours, but it recognized bow much they cost it and went to work to construct better ones, and it did not, like us, stop thi- work as soon as it began the construction of railroads ; on the contrary, it has recognized that pub- lic highways are just as necessary as railroads. It was in 1820 that attention was called to the bad condition of the English roads, and Parliament then passed the General Highways Act, un- der which New Kugland has since been working, until now its roads are the equal of any in Europe—and even those in, Ireland are far ahead of ours. As for France, it has always recogniz- ed the importance and necessity of good roads, and bas to-day 130,000 miles of macadamized highways, and spends $18,000,000 a year on them. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium all have adopted the same system and Lave excellent roads, The principals which control the policy of Governmen- tal control of these roads are that the public road, like the public Post Office and the Court House, is public property established by law for the use of all the people, and that the true resources of the country are brought out by the con- struction and maintenance of good roads under an intelligent head. We once built good roads in this country—most of them constructed by lottery money—but unfortunately gave up this work when the railroad era came upon us, apparently believing that the railroads would suffice to do all our transportation. Latterly we have awakened to the fact that this is a mis- take, and now we are shouting for bet- ter highways. In Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire the im- provement of our roads has been urged injthe Legislatures by the Governors in New York and Massachusetts it has also been brought before the Legisla- tures, and in Georgia, Louisiana, and other States there has been a vigorous popular agitation for better roads. We are doing to day just what England did in 1820, when "it recognized the bad condition of its highways and took steps to improve them. The American mistake is to believe that the railroads take the place of good roads. This is far from the truth. The cost of transportation isin no wise re- duced, and the effect of the railroad is to completely destroy the agricultural value of property any distance from it by making the cost of transportation so high over the bad roads as to render farming unprofitable. The unanimous experience of all the European nations is that the maintenance of the common roads 1p the very best condition is neces- sary, and their experience ought certain- ly to satisfy us on this point. It is calculated that the lower cost of transportation and the improved value of farm property would pay for the reads in a few years, and that if one tenth of the money expended on rail- roads had been put on public highways, the agricultural classes of the country would be far better off to-day, the inter- ior towns and villages would not be suf- fering and there would be no reports of decayed and deserted farms, such as come to us every day from all portions of the country. : However, now that the agitation has begun, now that we recognize our defi- ciency in this matter, we are on the right path to success. We are seventy years behind England, however, in this matter, but we have the benefit of its experience and of the many improve- ments made in road building in the last half century. But the needed improve- ments should be pressed as vigorously as possible. —New Orleans Times-Demo- crat. me ——— Forests Aflame. Terrible Fires in the Nothwest, and Several Cities in Danger. PINE Cry, Minn.,Sept. 30.— Terrible fires are raging in northwestern Minne- sota, much timber land having been destroyed. The loss to farmers will be high. Two school houses were destroy- ed Tuesday, the pupils barely escaping with their lives. The teachers bravely led their little bands to places of safety. The loss will amount to $700 an hour at the rate the flames are now raging, and it is useless to attempt to extinguish them. The fire is approaching Pine City, and 500 men are fighting them. Heavy timber fires are raging on the Red Lake reservation near Milaca and Esterbrooks, A Great Northern crew has beer sent out on a special train to fight the flames. The country is sparse- ly settled and the farmers are completely atthe mercy of the flames. Matters have been made worse by a cyclone storm near Alexandria. northwest of the town gigantic trees were broken like twigs and buorled into the lake and Farmers through North Dakota have suspended the threshing operations and all are busy forming fire-breaks to protect their property. The railroads are also taking every precaution to pre- vent the spreading of fires. Furrows are ploughed along the border of the right of the way, and between these fur- rows and the track the grass is all burn- ed. , A special from West Superior, Wis, says that the city is shrouded in smoke, from destructive forest fires, south and eust, The village of Comstock, Barren 2ounty, is nearly destroyed: A special from Bradley, S. D., says that the whole of the business portion of the city is in ashes. Nine stores, one church, one hotel and one residence burned. Loss forty thousand. Word from Vilas says that town and the surrounding country were greatly damaged by prairie fires Tuesday afternoon. It was only by hard work that the town was saved from total destruction. The fire was driven by the wind blowing forty miles an hour and everything in its course was wiped out. No estimate of the damage can be had, but it is especially heavy to grain and farm property. Ee —————————— Snap Shots tor Women, Do not introduce proverbs and can’t phrases. No woman is really beautiful until she is old. Most women want to be men. Sweethearts and wives are entirely different women. The newest combination is old rose and dim blue. The newest millinery flower is the yellow primrose. : . The newest shade in straw is bee- tlee’-wing green. Women are apt to critcise women with undue severity, The newest color is golden yellow shading into mauve. A woman is seldom prosaic until she 1s some man’s mother-in-law- To keep your own secret is wisdom to expect others to keep it is folly. The newest sleeve is wid~and full at the top, but not so high as fomerly. A flirtation is a smile to-day, a cry to-morrow and a blush every day there- after. The newest umbrella handle is in beach wood, with pierced monogram in gold. It is not too long, for it cannot ex- pect to be lifted also. It clears the ground. The newest hat is the flat picture- shape of black horsehair trimmed with yellow flowers. To remove grease stains from chil- dren’s clothing, wash 1t out, while fresh, with alcohol. Cautiously avoid relating in one house any follies or faults you may hear or see another. On meeting a friend in any public place do not boisterously salute or pro- claim her name aloud. The newest bonnet is a small jet coronet with a tiny bunch of flowers in front and a large one behind. Always bow when meeting acquaint. ances in the street. To courtesy is not gracefully consistent with locomotion. It is in general bad taste for ladies to kiss each other in the presence of gentlemen with whom they are but slightly acquainted. The uaderdress adjusts itself to the situation with a care which indicates that the arrangement is expected to be more than temporary, The most noticeable change the au- tumn dress will inpress upon you is its more respectful attitude toward the un- derskirt. For some time past the un- skirt has not counted. The sweeping back breadth must frequently be lifted ; it must always be lifted when a woman is out of doors. This means that the underdress must be handsome enough to show. Tt is made usually of the same ma- terial as the outer dress and some- times it is adorned with a velvet strip cut in Vandykes, or again it carries a lace flounce or a series of narrow ruf- fles. It has uot been recognized in polite society, but is recognized now—and : trimmed. This recognition has a meaning; it means that the train has attached itself to the street dress to stay. The newest way to arrange a lace flounce is to festoon it twice across the front of the skirt, first half way down and then near the edge, turning over the top in a hem and running in a rib- bon.—New York Fashion Bazar It is not good taste for a lady to say “Yes, sir,” and “No, sir,” to a gentle- man, or frequently to introduce the word “sir” at the end of her sentence, unless she desires to be cxceedingly re- served toward the one with whom she is;conversing. Abjure punning and exercising even the most refined raillery. The latter requires both observation and talent, and most people mistake satire for rail- lery. The one may be the offspring of a vicious, the former must be of an en- lightened and benevolent mind. are ambitions; they 3 It is vot contrary to good breeding to laugh in company, and even to laugh heartily when there is anything amusing going on; this is nothing more than being sociable. To remain prim and precise cn such occasions is sheer affection. Avoid, however, what is called the ‘‘horse-laugh.” After we are informed of the health of the persons we are visiting it is prop- er to inquire of them in relation to that of their families ; and in case of ab- sence of near relations, if they have heard from them lately, and if the news is favorable. They on their part usually ask the same of us. It is proper to vary the phraseology of questions concerning another’s health as much as possible, and to abstain fram (hem toward & saperior or a per son with whom yon are but little ac- ‘quainted, as such inquires presuppose some degree of intimacy. Custom for- bids a lady to make these inquiries un- less he is very ill or aged. Rather be silent than talk nonsense unless you have that agreeable art, possessed by some women, of invest ing little nothings with an air of grace and interest. This most enviable art is, indeed, very desirable in a hostess, as it often fills up disagreeable pauses, aud serves as a prelude for the intro- duction of more intellectual matter. M. DeCandolie, a French investiga. tor, has come to the conclusion from his researches that women have a larger proportion of brown eyes than men. He also finds that where both parents have eyes of a like color the chances are eighty-eight to twelve that their children, when they arrive at the age of 10 (when the color of the eyes is fixed), will have eyes of the same col- or. When the parents have eyes of different colors the chances are fifty- five to forty-five in favor of brown as against blue or gray eyes in the chil- dren.