lfilcPlKE, Editor and Publisher.
1 HE IS A FREEMAN WHOM THE TRUTH HAKES FKKK, AND AXI, AKB SLATES BESIDE.'
Terms, S2 per year, In advance.
EBENSBURG, PA., FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1877.
NUMBER 48.
jPAPEB ISOX nnu
.. .liinff ( out rai ts can T mnA
y .tin -
2 t0I.
w li. Just pub- ;
r,v I la ' ueld. l in.".
;" ., ,', C ;:; profusely illus ra. .
' ""'i. '',..' n;i' idem re by . ri Imr-;
" ' i.v r a, n ol iis beamy and ;
;;;: . r o".. pihitsiied i-eirttr j
:' '..:. ...r t! r warts of the present (
,;" i an r M)Mim: terirs n ii fir
V . "'i::. ii t.. .I. tt. STOUD4KT I
, s:rot:. Philadelphia.
. - ui u town. Terms and $i out
T Vi'-1-1 : it .V Co., Portland, Me.
ff3 WASTED FOR HISTORY
3TER-L EXHIBITION
,i: ,i. ' '" '' "'' ' Oll AMlt
. r -I.: ,v Th's i the only nutlicn---.'fi
j"ji)!:5li-il. Send torour
National I'ublisiiisio
,(,, j' !.-ti. Agents wanted. Oatfit
. ; Tiii t: Co., A uusta. .Ue.
vlrfir l!i!tilH--'l So
SiaL EXPOSITION
; U' A-vO UXUSU'IUTIU,
-. : i r::K ' t its HisiOtiv. r.RAM)
!'..!: . I I. r XBWtlTS. CCIlioSlI IKS,
, . (rlll-'lv i 1 Ills t ill t 41,
, I if v clii'o. f sijf ntf
. 3.. to. Mil ITS wnntnl. Send for
Hi i fiieclMiicr nrna
' t. 'i-t t!." ;!. reliable history,
v. 1 r1-,.. 73:5 .".nom M , Phils.
hssnr tiivki tkd by riiF.Ji ATi'ns
... ;i i! i-i". ti : nir to be oth-ial,"
-. ... , en in Acei'St and Skp-
'Oil
i?:!1.t-l r!, with name, IO c'.s '
. ..i. L. :-S x W., Xnssau. X.V-
;-W:.iAj't.!s. Snm.1s FliKE.
-''Ko. ViCii-LV, Auijusia. Maine.
, -... ( ,r , Samplr worth $5
y'.r-!. 'ti? :.i.S'.v, fortlnml.Mtt.
little Rock
and Fort Smith
RAILWAY -
0 ?n S A Xj 23
"4 r.r.:. Tru't I.flnl.'
' '! L :. Wfuvl f.:ind.4 ome t'ra!
. i i. in !!. -intl t pl.Tnd'. on trriti
six w r int. iatcresi ca der
" ' T ti - rr iTf. Ji.v.unt for ciJi''
;n.'i and Tr?nndilp5. iiprdr
!. Iiud Ojuiinisfioner. LiLile
v. rT".". vi cts. Samplf f"T
'i .-. 5! i.ii t (.. N'asiau. N J.
.1
1 LU I. MM KI) I AT EI
i lei .-in I w !n';n io learn
-'j.. villi, r-uu.i'ion ar'.iar-
Trr r .r i. v v r o i. v.
i.i. u Q v A K 1" r. a r, r k a w.
' i .!. Iu-1 January 2.1677.
"v i 1 1.OTTKRY COMPANY.
. i rc i. r-eii! .r! v incorporated by
'' " : ;!.' s;. i-. ,;r ; !a.;.iti.,n;il ptir
T 1 i t.'ii-.'a! o! 1 . 00. to triiicli
HM-rn Inn I of 3 O.tKlO II
V' "m"-f I'tawmiis wiU take p-a.-
- t i- n 1. 1 ii;; uem with the lol-
lb:TAL PRIZE. $15,000.
. i Hutzi 5,ooo
' s. AstorxTiso TO ftJ,6.
Ij.i)0 I l. ki-...
r0.G DOLLAR EACH.
- A .s a. ( ' r, , 4v- 4i-
0r4ttlrUiTlKAn on Feb-y4.
'iii.k.li ITiZe ui (1 .11
NOTICE. On Dee.
'f -ii f A. V. MaiUf r,
'r r ('.-.iniiria '')iintT np
"d :iudiior. to rpnnr'. ilit ri.
1 t ie ii.in.is vt Chnrles itux-
i ' r:vii tr Iowis licii.
' -''in i v h'i flr.'l fiorount.)
" I' r:i.. j I'Tiinifd to receive I he
'-'';' !') all par.iei in
1 ' ' ' i." i! u: ii-! ol s lid
' ' ' '" n K'-r.bnru on Ten-
I'. !-77. llt ii-,:ik-;. p. M .
'. :' 1!-','J4-;Uieri.l. or be doliarrod
'" . v. ovT.xr.VN. An l!ir.
N)TirJErTlie mi-
"' 1",ti at-p'iiiiifil Am.
".. ' "'i'n I'ieiw r,f Camttria
:ui: nn 1 1,,. ,M.S ,, K i.
' '" Zaiim .4 xbown
'i T-"i,nnr. b?rd irivi.n no-
'I i
'i' '.' iri J.:itn4l,urx. n
d A I A It Y Ili-xl. at
I wl!'-ra! pnriifs having
1 fi !
a
'ii. inoiu, or ie iieoar-
: 1 lU'i I
r KtRR, Auditor.
NOTICE. The
, ' ' ' T if-exist ma bed tveeu
- t'-.eroantiio busincM was
v.'-ta on the p.rctly .(
v.. ; ' id other .-'ecouiits of
1 .-. ''tin tie bands ol the
i , ''.nnd at ihe KMcns
,v .. wt"Tr all in lrhiMi are re
. uc .u-ipy ail,j BelUlriK tlie
-,.t:t' du n'.
J; L; 'Ft. BAXTER,
::llvron-s NOTICE.
I." ,t 11 . .
;( UAKT I'OKD, l'C'M.
ii.v, ,r!1' I'fr.sbip. ;ambrli
-a i ,1 15',""1 t the under-
,. f 'oitilvinir ail nere:ia
" "''t p.'yment mas b3
harinir elnlms
their own Interente
J- in,p m iy amlieiiiioated
J? oLAni;R. Administrator.
yT(nv$ .notice.
V ,.f 1..,.. .
- - .J
llvrue Ar.'A
:lTy"- the ettatn oUJenj.-inilil
- n t- , niiiTTi cinniy,
,ii r"'1 tnxhn onderftiKnl,
, ' l":Tn indebted to md
made lorihwlih. ,nd
fi, l -'"'"t the hifle will nfnt I
' 1'Ji'T. i f, ---- - , - - ;
Jl ill v V. ' ement. i
ticca or.
ri.,V. i ' " A Tf.F.V, O'il.
f 'I' J..k '
vQtininnntry on
-lliCV. l.lA A 1IA..1.AK..
. "y. lt ol AII.,Un
f ilcceapwl. the undcr-
u,-,, '" 11 pc Sons Iniiebtcd to
,;'-v"""1t without delay, nnd
a, ',,'""t ,he " should pre-
- Il!l::iv l ..,,,-
?Abl:- Atl'rney-atrLaxv, '
''Irgm nu0"06 Cenire street.
WEEKLY POST
M.h. ,r' ;nrP Wf-rfcJy rem! ror 1877
?. ' "ny nnd p.diticHl J.nirni.1 put.Iiphed In
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Bll respects "P,OVe,,1Cnt OVcr for,nt:r Tn ln
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Tlint ever tbieaH norl our Insi ifntfons is rtrnr
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.N. fp -per Pri'M. it !.- to tl- Ini. roslof all that
tbpy HiiMitin nn1 xup.rt It nnd Hf thp mmv
ttim; put tlit-iiiiHvrSiii pofsesf ion ol thrtt know
ftonl lucn anil current events. p. ts-ntinl
to lnti iHifi-nt. iiftinit mi the p;ir of five m'ii
cxorelsintr th ir.estimalilti bk-3Siii of tbe tlee
tive rruticliisiv
AMONG THE LEADING FEATURES
miii'l'1'' 'HJ bulove iln renders mny be enuin-
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mot i-nnipiete ir4!unt-irion of all the current
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IN ALL POLIT.CAL MATTEPvS
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lor treii'.i:ue , lii.otiuyh. pi rleet uml Listing Re
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litws, nnd u 8leetles vijil nice in aiuiiituiiiiiiar
tiie ifreut t;il eu tnls of
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It will cock to miiik' ite uml r.ot to nxzrnvate
the e4 i!3lnsep:irat.le Ironi Party (invi-rntiient
i:inFiee Countrj: toprntnoip (rood nnd not
ijl leel iiur aiitir 4ur Irih w o-iiiz-n of nil
creeds nnd c mi , siciioiiM uud tect.i : and
to advance both by iis precej t mid I y its pie
fjepss Mud by its example the reimi ol IteHjort
iintlol' IiNW iivtr Prejudice nnd Passion in nil
our euh:ic actiuii titid in tbo discussion ol ail
plibJiC aHair?.
rXlie aVTTTfT TOST
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isn-1 is the only' DeinoQratic daily ptili
iiylicd in Western Pennsylvania. It Is a live
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Jere, or by Uitfistered l.efter. ,
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copv top-.-tter iiool'cluo 2 '.50
1 t-orv. 4 t'ir, ntid 1 copy. 1 yur. of i'll"i'f
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No-. ii tbe time to su'ttcribe. (iet. all the news
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FlfTrOiSPLAY OF ELEGANT :
HOLIDAY dOOBS!
. AT
.Wattles & Slicafcys,
Fifth Av near Wood St.,
Pittsburgh, Pa.
WE rrw ftfTer the HOLIDAYS the most com
plete stock of fluo
Jewelry, ninninnrJs, Pearls, Opals,
Stone yttneos, (tni.v ami
' Pearl Goods
WATrnf axd rrtATN?.
SrEHMNt HLVKII WARB.
FRENCH AM VIENNA
ilAXi'V GOODS, HROXZns, &C.
A t the fda-n of I be BIO CLOCK" on the sidewalk.
All it-oods bought rti trrl from manulacturers at
lowest au't prices, and will be sold rrtorr thnn
tKtr. . ' ' U2-a.-lin.l--
CAUTION. Whereas my wife
fr intpvTi vfc I'housk Ii. left my hifl
anl board without Just eauso or prtwooa I ion I ,
hereby enn'on nil per-ons salnsl hnrlmrln r or
trusting tier on tnv account ns I an determined
to i.ny no debts stiotnay contract unless compelled
to do so by law. JOHN tliOl SL, j
Chest Springs, Dee. 15. lS7.-Ct 1 j
IiEX. TA IT, M D., PnTsiciAN
Uxn SUROEOW, of CHrrolltovrrt,)
row located at St. Auirustlno. Cambria county. .
r-'lht calls pliould te uma1 at Ul Posb-OiQ. I
Jly 14, lvre.Hf, J
GOO P11V TIIK POOH
The wil.l rushing wings of the tempest are
sweeping
Tbe frost-fettereil land like a spirit of
Tvi-atli ;
The fierce, icy lireath with keen arrows is
piercing
Tbe breaMtH of tbe wand'rers who stand in
lis path ;
Tbe c.nrib in a trance lies enshrouded in
silence,
Tbe storm king knocks loudly at window
and door ;
Th prayer of the pitiful fervently rises
God shelter tbe homeless and pity tbe
poor !
God pity the poor who are wearily pitting
By desolato hearth-stones, cold, cheerless
and hare,
From which the last ember'a pale flicker
has faded.
Like Hope dying out in tbe midst of des
pair; Who lofik on tbe wide world and see it a
desert,
Where ripple no waters, no green branches
wave,
Who see in tbe future as dark as the present
No rest ltit the death-bed, no boiue but
tbe grave.
God pity the poor when the eddying snow
drifts Are whirled by tbe wrath of tbe wiuter
win. la by,
Like showers of leaves from tbe pallied star
lilies
That float in the depths "of tbe blue lake
on high ;
For thoujih they are draping the broad earth
in beauty,
And veiling jiome flaw in each gossamer
fob I,
That beauty is naught to the mother whoso
children.
Are crouching around ber iu hunger and
cold.
Ood pity the poor, for the wealthy are often
As hard as the winter, and cold as its
snow ;
While fortune makes sunshine and summer
around ll.em.
They care not for others nor think of their
woe ;
Or if from their plenty a trifle be given.
So douhtiiip, prmlningly, often 'tis doled.
That Io the receiver Ibeii "cliarily" seenici h
More paii fill than hunger, more bitter
than cold.
God pity tbo poor! for though all men are
In others.
Though all say "Our Father," not mine,
when they pray,
Tbe proud oues of earth tnrn aside from the
lowly,
As if they were fashioned of different
clay ;
They see not in those who in meekness and
patience
Toil, poverty, pain, without mnrmer en
flu re,
The image of Him whose first couch was a
utanger.
Who chose for our sakes to he homeless
and poor. Yoxtrig Crusader:
THE DEAD LETTER ROMANCE.
A TRUE STORY.
It was very long ago as far bnck as 1S33,
if the old cleiks in the Jcw Vui k i'ust
ofHce remember correctly that sbe hist
bean to come to tbe gcneail delivery
window a modest, platu-clad luiy, with a
sweet, sober face, and a gentle manner.
Hie whs as regular as tbe moon, and like
tbe moon came monthly, generally on tbe
tir.-t (Saturday of each month, and always
found a letter awaiting ber, folded in the
same sort of an envelope ; always addressed
in tbu same crumped, angular hand, to
. j MARIA II. RUSSELL, j
; Ktw York Fostoffice.
r : :
It was alwnys a "drop letter," one of the
many thousands thai lound their way
tbiougb '.he little device iu the wail daily,
and no one ever knew who bioiiubt it; al
tbottgb, vvlieu (be legiilaiily ot her viMts
began to all: act attention, I be unknown
correspondent was carefully watched lor
alioul ilis liist Friday of eveiy month. liuV
it vvnS never known who brought that
strange yellow envelope, nor did anyone
ever grt a glimpse of its contents, although
its outside; was examined with cuiiosity a
gieat many limes. And the mysterious
letter pasM-d along like tbe thousands of
daily messages of love ami hate, of mortifi
cation and plcasute, of good cheer a '.id
evil bidding Ihu duns, lcmitlauces and
promises to pay.
Yeais passed. The delivery clerks were
changed one after another ; some of thetii
died; others were promoted : some went to
olhcr employment; but as each left lie)
told the stoiy of the strange woman lo bis
successor as a part oi tbe instructions of
the ofKce, ami lite new cluiks soon become
'familiar with be Visits as the monihs went
by.
iShe was often questioned ; inquisitive
glances were often cast into ber face, ami
several times she was followed by curious
fellows; but noone ever discovered whence
she came fir whither site went.
Une day a new cleik who bad concieved
a scheme to discover ber identity told her
be was not sure the letter belonged to her,
as l.e knew other ladies in tbe city of the
same name, and staked ber if there was
not soti.e one iu the neighboibood wboiri
site could call to identify her.
'l am a stranger iu this part of the city,
sir," was her quiet, digndietl reply, 'but. i
have been beie a good many limes and
never before was asked to prove my identi
ty. If it will be any aatislaclifiii io yori I
will desci ibe the appeal ance of tbe let ler I
expect but wait; 1 am quite sure it will
correspond with this one" and she took
from a little reticule she always can ied the
one she had icceived a month before.
A whole generation had passed away.
Men and women bad been bout and buried,
but slid the queer letters came, and were
called for by the queer woman. '1 be clerks
in the postollico imd heard of ber Iroirt
those who bad preceded I hem, and ber
mystciious appearances bad gained A ro
mance with age, and strange sloiies that
bad been invented by the clerks lon be
fore weio fold of bor as true.
Her face was smooth and round and
placid when she first came, but it was gel
ting wiinWi-d, and her liair was getting
gray. One lime, only once lor twenty
vnrss an nearly na could be remembered,
bho Tailed to come, nnd one, two, three
letters were waiting for her in tbe pigeon
IhiIm. The dark did nut advertise them
nor send them to the Dead Letter Oilice I
with tbe lest, for lie knew il .Maria itnsseu
was living she would come for them iu
liuap, and if alio was dead, ootbiug could I
be gained by hurrying them off io tbe
great morgue where all unclaimed letters .
go. But after four months ber famil'ar '
face appeared at the window again, and
tbe clerk was aa glad to see ber as if she
bad been an old friend. But it was not
the face be used losee. Its calm smooth
ness was shrunken ; its fullness was wasted :
there were deep drawn lines around the ,
mouth and eyes, and the fresh Hush bad i
I nt iud to a wan paleness. A friendly j
greeting was on t lie tongue or tbo cleilras
be turned to meet ber; bur, when he saw
how pale she was, bow wasted. And how
the calm expression of Hie face bad been
erased and covered with the autograph of!
I. ......... a . i -, , .. . I
I'mii, no nuj'i esseu uie coroiai woros inai
weie pushing bis lips open, and simply re
marked :
''You have been sick?"
"Yes, I have been sick," she said, and
gathering her letters iu ber band she left
tbe window, and, like a snowflake in tbe
sea, melted away into the surging waves of
humanity that was roaring iu the stieet
outside.
After this she came regularly again, but
tbe paleness never left ber face, and the
wi inkles lengthened aud deepened instead
of growing less.
The cleiks began to talk of her changed
appearance, ami concluded that she was
siiiicring from some cause, they could not
decide just what, although there were
plenty of reasons suggested, nnd it was
concluded at an informal meeting behind
the wall of lioxes in tbe pfistofnce one day,
that tbe next time she came it was their
duty to find out if she was needing any
thin that they with their ill filled purses
could supply. So when she crime the clet k
who happened to bo at the window held
her letter in his band a moment to delay
ber, and said with a great del of trepida
tion for the mystery of her life ami the
distant self-possession of ber manner dis- j
contngnaaiiy inquisitive attacks.
"I pray you to excuse me, madam ; but
I thought that if you were iu auy sort of
need "
"I am very well cared for, thank yon,"
she intennptcd. "You have a letter for
me, I see."
And she was gone again.
Tbe clerk went back to bis fel'owp. and
being a person of pi ide, related tbe iuci
dent with some details that were not sup
plied in the occurrence. He said lie bud
tendered tbe lady iu their name, as deli
cately as possible, any aid that she might
n- ed, explaining to her that they bad
learned from long association Io feci an
interest, in ber. and hoped if she was in
want of any of tbe necessaries of lif-, or if
she needed assistance of any kind, that
they would assist her to tbe extent of their
abilities.
Tbe cleiks applauded the deftness with
which their fellow had performed the duty
and inquitcd anxtoii: ly for ber reply.
"She told me," bo said, "that she was
in good circumstances, and was not just
now in want of any assistance, but, with
our permission, she would remember out
kind oiler, anil if ever in need would not
hesitate to call upon us."
And if she had been a heroine formerly
she beeamo a goddess from that hour out
a goddess in an old-fash ioncd. shabby
leghorn bonnet, a rusty brocbe shawl, ami
a i iticnle like the fine their grandmother
carried. But she was as divine tj those
habit-haideucd ixistoffico cleiks as ever
was St. Cecelia to the tone poets of the
mediaeval, or i?r. Agatha to the suffering
women of tbe cbuicb. The gray hair of
tbe gfiddess had grown much thinner in
tbe last few years, her eyes were sinking
back under her temples and glowing dim,
and the bands that clasped the letter as
each month came around were getting
very guant anil shriveled.
The war came on, the mails were laden
down with messages of sorrow'and bereave
ment ; tbo clerks were bin l ied off as sol-diei-s,
and the widows and sisters of those
whose places thev wnt to fill camo into
the postoflice to do the public service : but
the wan old woman came just the same as
ever, ami the yellow wiappcd letter was
always wailing ber there.
Tbo war was fiver ; the clerks who went,
out to tight came back limping and arm
less, to inquire after the mysterious friend.
She was st ill coming, but soon after, in
March, 1305. she was seen for the last lime.
The letter came as usual, mm of tbe liist
days of April, but noonc called for it. Tbe
clerk, who was a lady, then putjit aside as
if it was too good fur its company, and
kept if near the window, so that it would
lie ready when Maria llussell camo. An
othei month went by, and another letter
came, which was put away with its mate.
Two more months anil two more letters,
and four oft hem were lying there iu a pile
waiting for tbe queer old woman "the
mysterious woman of the delivery window"
they called her now to come for them.
How trten fh'ose letters were examined.
How closely the address and the seal were
scanned, how they were held np to the
light so that, maybe a word of their con
tents might be discovered. What a temp
tation they were.
Tbe chief of the delivery office ordered
them advertised.
"Xo," said the cleiks. "She will come
fori hem. She know they are here. She
must be sick or something. She has come
for them for thirty years, and they nevei
have been ailveri istd yet. Let them wait
another month."'
So I hey waitetl another month, two more,
and still the queer old woman didn't come.
And they bad not been advertised. On a
long list in the newspapers, near the bot
tom, under the bead of "Ladies' letters,"
were theso words :
Russell, Maria II., 6.
People glancing at them almost every
body looks fiver the list of advertised let
ters losee if by some chance one belonging
lo them bad strayed in among the vaga
bonds, and the people remarked :
"I wonder who Maria llussell is; she
has six letters ad vert ised."
To the cleiks in the iostoffice it seemed
a shame that old Mr, or Miss (pet haps she
was an old maid) Russell's lei let s should
be advertised, ami stuck off into a dirty
corner with a lot of soiled envelopes, aud
there was quite an indignation meeting
he h! over tbe matter. But still tbe queer
old woman did not come.
"Perhaps slie is dead," they paid, "poor
thing. Perhaps she is dead."
But if there were wliispersof displeasure
when the letters were advertised, there
was a storm of wrath when the clerk an
nounced that they must be sent to tbe
dead letter office. The postmaster was
appealed to. He was a man of business,
aud uido't care oiucb for romance,' so be
said the letters must go, and the rules of .
the department carried out, and that Ibe
.co in h iici which u,iu uoiiie in since lug
six were advertised must go with them.
Cut through all tho sorrow there was
gleaming the sunshine of relief. At the
dead letter olEco it would bo found out
what these mysterious envelopes contained.
And the Hdy who mnde np tbe packages
for the tlead-letter office pinned ibis note
to Maria Russell's seven letters :
"These are very peculiar letters. They
belonir to a woman who has been coming
to tbe postoflice regularly every month for
thirty years ; but she has ceased to come,
and we think she isdead. . Whoever opens
these letters will confer a great favor by
informing the clerks of New York postoffice
of their contents, as we have a great curi
osity to know who Maria Russell is, fir '
was, and Something about the peison who
has been sending ber these letters regularly
for so long."
This note was submitted to a convention
of clerks and dcclaied unanimously to be
the proper thing. A reply was awaited
anxiously. Before it came two more let
ters had followed their fellows in, and were
waiting for Maria Russell ; but she never
came to get litem, and they were sent off
like the rest lo have Iheir secrets revealed
at the great mail morgue at Washington.
Finally theie came addressed to "I he
clerks of the New Yoik postotDce." and it
was fiened by the first person included in
bat category into whoso hands it came.
That person read the inclosure hurriedly
through, and culled a convention, to which
he read tbe following :
"Although it is directly against tbe rules
of the ofiioe, I take the responsibility of
gratifying your curiosity. Xine letters
addressed to Maria II. llussel have come
to my bands. Each one contains a brief
note, calling attention to an inclosure with
out date or hign.it lire. Each inclosure was
a five dollar bill. We have a great deal of
cuiiosity ourselves hereto learn something
about this strange matter. Won't some
of you write us what you know? and if
any fuilher disclosuies nie made we will
inform you."
Here was a romamce, indeed. Nine un
signed noU-8. each with a similar inclosure
01 money. Was it possible, they thought,
that for thirty years these same sort, of
letter, with tlio same inclosure s, had been
coming to .Maria Russell. And whydidn't
they stop, if since she was dead, as she
certainly mut be. The w hole pivsf office
was excited and perplexed in its tfivrts to
Add a solution ofthis mystery. But there
was no clue to Mrs. or Miss Russell; no clue
to I C;' mjsteii us correspondent. I can
not re 'eat the many theoi ies that weie ad
vanced, fr the many speculations that were
put. out to explain tbe matter; but each
was a diffluent one, and each had as good
ground for believing his the true one as
any til her, because' none ff them bad any
ground at all. To add to the mystery,
someone brought in a daily paper which
Contained the lollowiug advertisement ;
Peuson Ar Any p rs-m hv!n any knowt
ci'ku or Hie whercii bouts of Maria II. H;iss ll,
who lias been a resident of this city forthirty
ye.os, will re.ievi- n leirinle anxiety t j- eom
iniuiicaliiiif with C. 11. It., Ptistolli-e.
What a sensation that personal made in
the Postoflice Department. Here at least
was a clue lo the unknown correspondent
who was wondering why he bad received
no acknowledgement to his letteis for nine
months; and to add to the excitement
another letter, in the same pale-yellow sty le
of envelope, atldrcsed in ibe same similar
chirography, was tossed with hundreds of
others to the distributor's table, w here it
came to light. Fifty letters were addressed
to "(J. B. R.," each of which stated that
they bad iniiortaiit in formation concerning
Maria H. Russell ; but before many of
them were mailed it leaked out that tbe
peisonal was put in the papers by one of
the clerks who Imped to reach iu advance
of his fellows a clue to tbe mystery. But
nothing sat isl'.ictoiy resulted even from the
personal. Several Maria Russell's turned
up to answer it, and were very much dis
gusted to tind they weren't Ibe persons
wanted ; but it brought no clue to the
cm ions old lady aud her curious corres
pondent:. Four, five, six years went by, and each
month brought as regularly as tho inou'.li
came around a letter for Maria II. Russell.
Tho reverence wilh wh;cli these letteis
were treated was a new feature in the post
office depai tineiit. It was a satisfaction
even to handle them and feel of the thin,
iimsy inclosure, and with what agony of
interest they were advertised, ami finally
sent away to the Dead Letter Otlice each
thirty days to be deposited with tlieothcts,
jiir-t like ibeiu that had gone before.
One tlay nearly two years ago a clerk in
the postoflice told a friend who was con
nected with a newspaper of the circum
stances, and a lu ieT statement of facts was
published. Tho paragraph was widely
quoted republished in almost every pa per
in the Utnierl States. Ami with this pub
lication the letters stopptd coming, The
last one was post mat ked March 4, 1S75.
It is thought that the mysterious corres-
Mndeut saw the paragraph, and knew iu
that way that Mai ia Russell was dead for
she must be dead, or sue would have called
for her letters in i lie years that had gone
since she got the last.
But it may be asked why tbe unknown
correspondent doesn't send t:t the Dead
Letter Office and claim his money the
money he sent so faithfully each month to
Maiia Russell, even for ten years after she
was dead ami gi tie. A huge number of
claims have been marte for the money since
the publication last year, and a variety of
singular stories have been told to account
for the manner iu which the correspond
ence was coml uct'd.
One man wrote to inform tbo postoflice
department; that be was tbe person who
had been sending tho money to Maiia
Russell theso forty years agone, but as bis
manuscript was in every way dissimilar
from that in tbo original letters be was at
once considered an imposter.
A man in Siurgis. Michigan, has told
the strangest story and put in the strongest
claim. He savs that he is one of a family
of five childien, four brotheis and one
daughter. . In 1335 his father and mother
separated, thd father taking tbe boys and
the mother the girl, and the father agree
ing to pay $.1 a month for his dauKlUer's
support as long as he lived, but to have no
communication with her'in any way what
ever. He says, tin man in Michigan, that
his father used to Rend the money in thoj
manner described as long as lie lived with
him, but having some) differences about
18tfi, they, the father and son, separated.
the latter going West, where he has resided i
ever siuoe, wit hoc t bariog beard ooce from '
the lest of his f;:m'ty. He said be w as in
no need of tbe money, but would like veiy
much to know if the strange correspondents
were his father end sister. lie could iden
tify the writing, he thought, if they would
send him one of tbe letteis.
Mr. Russell's letter was strongly indorsed
by seveial prominent residents 4,f Sturgis,
who bore testimony to bis good character
and general woithiuess.
Mr. Dallas, the Superinlendant of the
Dead Letter Office, replied that while bo
greatly desired to oblige Mr. Russell, it
was not permitted to send any of the letters
out of tho office ; but if Mr. Russell was
ever in Washington ho would be glad to
give him any information iu his ower,'
and show him any pa pel s in the depart
ment relating to the case. Tbe law re
quired that these lette.-s and tVeir contents
bo reclaimed in three years. At the eud
of which time tbe money enclosures i evert
to the U.-.ited States Treasury, from which
they cannot be recovered w ithout a special
act of Congress.
On a recent visit to the Dead Letter Of
fice I saw the silent, inauimated relics of
this strange mystciy. A pile of plain, yel
low envelopes, marked with some hierog
lyphics peculiar to the dead letter men,
indicating their reference to the books of
the bureau. If they could talk what a
s: range Hory they might tell. What a
theme foi romance aie these dead letteis
dead in every respect. Forlorn, tin), tbe
speechless wanderers, with neither their
writer nor their intended lecipieot to re
claim them, I opened one of them thero
was no date, nosiguatuie ; and written in
the centre of a page of blue note paper,
with p;lu ink, iu an old fashioned band
that apiieared to have been uncertain with
age, were these few utisuggesl i ve words :
"I enclose you the money as usual. I
will send more the first of next month.
You ueed not write."
Tuxjth Stranger Tiiak Fictiox. A
week or two since a gentleman whoieside
iu this vicinity went to Philadelphia and
put up at a hotel, and while resting alter
tea in the i fee pi ion loom, ovcrheaid two
gentlemen conveising iu regard to a trial
then in progress before one f the courts of
that city. Our neighbor learned from this
Conversation that a man had obiaim-d
money upon bis wilVs pnqierty, the wife
giving a mortgage. The money was spent
in dissipation, Ibe wife, became a laving
maniac, ami was confined in the asylum,
wheie she now is ; the husband died, and
that the childien of this unfoi Innate couple
were furnished with a gu.iidi.in by the
com t, who was maintaining the suit then
being tried, against the holder of the mort
gage on the ground that the wifo was not
of legal age when the instrument was exe
cuted. Tho gentleman then recollected
that a niece of bis, who left this vicinity
when a child, had married a man of the
same nam as the one mentioned as having
squandered his wife's patrimony, and con
cluded lo investigate. He matlo bis way
to tbe court bouse fn tho following morn
ing, and to bis intense surprise and e rati
fication was tbe very person needed to
establish, to a certainty, the age of tbe un
fortunate woman, ami save to ber worse
than orphaned childien property valued at
$2,500. Did the God tf the fatherless nnd
tbe orphan, ibe fiiend and helpmate of the
poor and oppressed, direct our neighbor to
the city of Philadelphia and caue him to
appear at the proper t line, or w as it chauce
blind chance ? ATuney Luminary.
The First TIk'd Heard About It. A
blacksmith, having failed in business, a
fiieml, to enable him to start again. loaned
him some it tin, which a ci editor attached
at the forge. The fi iendly owner sued in
trover for his iron. Rnfus Cboate appear
ed for him, and pictured tbe cruelly of the
sheriff's proceeding as follows :
"lie arrested the arm of industry as it
fell towards the anvil ; be put out the
breath of bis liellows ; he extinguished the
fire tioii bis hearthstone. Like pirates in
a cale at sea, his enemies swept everything
by Ibe Imard, leaving him, gentlemen of
the jury, tint so much not so much as
hoiveshoe to nail upon his dooi post to keep
the witches off."
The tears came into the blacksmith's
eyes at this affecting description. One of
his friends, noticing them, said to him,
"Why, Tom, what's tbe matter with you?
What are you blubbering about?"
"I had no idea," was the reply, in whim
pering accents, "I had no idea I bad been
so much a-a-a-abnsed !"
Nor had he, till Cboate told him.
DrrHTHERTA asdChocp. Diphtheria is
more frequently mistaken for croup than
for any other disease, and as this is tbe sea
son when both diseases are prevalent, the
following hints, which are found in an ex
chauee. w ill not prove amiss, as show ing
the difference between the tao diseases:
Croup is ushered in by cough ; diptheiia
by a chill ; croup is most frequent when
there is great humidity in the atmosphere
and east wind. Dipt hei ia does not depend
upon changes of the weather. Croup is
not contagious; diptheiia certainly is.
Croup comes on suddenly ; dipthei ia may
be tardy. Croup is known by the croaking
sound ; diptheiia is known by the patches
of membrane on the throat. Croup must
be iclieved. Diptheiia is tardy in its res
olution. Croup il'ies not affect the system;
dipthoria is very prostrating. Pronpoccurs
most frequently in childhood ; diptheiia
occurs at. ail ages. Croup is apt to occur
often in the same case ; rlipiheria may oc
cur moie than once, but the patient is not
so liable to a second attack.
Widely Distributed Asimat.5. The
family of rats is found in neatly every
quarter, and bats in every quarter of tbe
globe. None of the larger miimals are so
widely distiibnled. Among biids, tbe
most extensively found are swallows, king
fishers, pigeon, falcons, owls, rail, sui .,
plover", herons, ducks Culls, petrels, eli
cans ami grebes. All of these are found iu
each of Mr. Wallace's regions and also in
each of their subdivisn ns. Crows and
swifts are universal except iu New Zealand
and Ibe cuckoos except the noith of
North America. Among reptiles snakes
may lie mentioned as nearly cosmopolites
being found everywhere except in New
Zealand and the tropical islands of the Pa
cific ; while geckoes or wall lizards i
absent only from the north of North Amer
ica. Toads are dispersed over the whole
world except Madagascar, New Zealand,
and tho Pacific Island ; and frogs have the
same area with the addition of Madagascar.
Chamb4r' Journal.
r.X( LAW .4 To It I
At church Int within her pew.
O Pew !
But there 1 beard
j4o pious word
I saw alone bor eye of bine !
I saw ber how her head so gracious,
O Gt scions !
The choir sang.
The oruati rang
And seemed to fill the building spacious.
I could not bear the gospel law,
O Law !
My tut urn Pri.le
Whs by my side
I found all else a mighty bore.
And when pesded forth the organ thunder,
O Thunder 1
I fixed my eye
In mute surprise
On her, whose tieauty was a wonder.
To me tLat maiden was most dear.
O Deat !
And she was mine,
Joy ion divine
For human words to picture here.
Her love seemed like a prayer to bless rno,
O tilesn me I
Ttefiire she came
My life was lame.
My rarest joys could but oppress m.
The service dont, we sought the shore,
O Shore !
And there we walked,
And sadly talked
More sadly talked than e'er before.
I thought she waf the type of gotdness,
O Goodness !
But cn that day
I heard her say
Plain worils.w hose very tone was rudeness.
We strayed tievond the tide-mill's dam.
6 Dam !
She jilted tpe.
And now I se)
That woman's lore is sill a sham.
Lining Jlocm Magazine.
The Jirave Little Skater.
Notable among tbe pretty stories that
history bands down to us is the saving of
the little town 4f St. Geniet, fii the Upper
St. Lawrence, by a boy aud a pair of spates.
The town was besieged by Indians, auJ
the few settlers, hardy Frenchmen, tooic
refuge iu the block-house fort. For days
and flays Ibe besiegers held on, worrying
their victims where Ihey might, well know
ing ihat hunger must at last force them to
surrender. But still the Frenchmen kopt
their li.ig flying, meted out their provisions
in scant rations, and hoed and prayed for
help. To get out and attack tiie Indiana
was certain defeat and death ; to surreucer
was no better. They must wait and starve
unless succor came to them from tbo Biit
ish fort, twenty miles below. So Ihey w ail
ed and wailed, but no help came. J uld
Ihey but eet a message to the fort I bey
were saved. But the redskins surrounded
them on all sides, and to show bead or foot
beyond tbe wails of their narrow prison
was to couit death by a poisoned arrow.
Every day their provisions grew less till at
length their only choice seemed lobe be
twecu death by hunger or massacre. Men
were weak and dying from starvation;
women and children wereciying for bread.
The last ration bad leen given out, and all
hope was gone. Nothing to cat; ammu
nition nearly exhausted, and no help from
the but. But just then the wiud veered
round to the north and it began togior
cold. Every minute it grew colder, and a
gauzy film of ice farmed oil the surface of
the St. Lawrence. In an hour the film had
turned to a sheet ff glass. When the sua
went down the i iver was covered with Laid,
spriucy ice.
Then a brave little French boy, whose
name history has forgotten, but whose no
ble deed will be remembeied forever, said
that he could save his countrymen. The
block house fort stood on the iiver bank ;
the British fort was within gunshot of the
shore, twenty miles below. He had skates
aud knew bow to use them. At midnight,
when Ibe ice bad thickened, bis father
should lower him with a rojie from the
rampart o the ice below, and well-aimed
should be the arrow that would harm him,
in bis speed through tbe darkness. W hen
his mother protested that be was rushing
into certain death, that the river bank was
line; with bosti'e Indians through all the
dangerous mute, "Is it not better," be re
plied, "that I should tiie trying to leacli
the fort than that we all should stay here
and starve?" So he went. At midnight
be droptied quickly down the rope, with
skates already snapped to bis feet, and
almost before bis friends knew that be bad
touched the ice be was flying down the
dark, dangerous river. On be went, over
the slippeiy ice. Now and again quick
strokes were heard on the shore and a lau
dom arrow sped after him. Flying over
thin places narrowly escaping one obstruc
tion after another as il came in his way, on
he flew. The fierce wind was at his back
and helped him on bis voyage for life.
The moon, as if to shield him from danger,
hid herself behind a big, black cloud, till,
exhausted and panting, be reached the fort,
aud then she shone out in ail her sliver
glory in honor of bis heroic deed. Iu an
hour, through darkness and danger, he had
made the ti ip. Before the sun shone again
Ibe King's red-coated men, equally swift
in their mission of meicy, wetc at tho block
house fort. St. Genteie was saved. Tbe
brave boy aud the Urt&ty skates had done
their woi k.
Old Si went to the theatre to see the
magici.m performance the other night.
Next day we asked him: "Did ycu see
that man handle that money last night?"
"I did, fer a fact?" "He made it nng
and go in all sorts of ways?" "Your.g
boss dat man's powerful stick wid si 1 ber
muniiey." "What do you think of hi.-n,
Si?" "Dat man he fooled 'rouud dar wid
dat ntfliiney tell he 'mused op my 'sL-ish-ions,
be did." "Suspicions of what?"
"Hit teks lots of practiss fer to make a haf
dollar 'poar and dis pear in d.t stile."
"Of course." "D.U's what makes me bab
a 'spishun dat dat white man wuz one t ime
de casheer ob a freed men's bank, an' I jea
want to h.iunel him a few minits, sLo'syoa
born."
This is the time of year when the
young man with a bundle of mixed candies
sits in the oold extension room, waiting for
his sweet heart, while the stands "primp
p'tng" before the looking glass in her com
fortable chamber for three-qnarters f an
hour, ntteily oblivious of the rich coloring
that the fnt flrcd is uttiuj ca ber ador
er's a cm.
IV-