What 1 Sav.
SSW th ™l fll*T t"l - V,T
Then (sit mi <1 * ;
The nccs m*ke their bright'
And then decay.
I saw a face, 'twas Tcimg and w.et.
But real* were It at ;
1 felt the fragrant I rcaih t f.' ms,
"T* autumn tixn.
Itnt wbi>;wred ye to si '.l my troubled hrsast.
The pica-nip tale,
" Though tints and change may rob the# of it>.
rest,
l.ova will not fa:!."
▼ain was tlis thought l ow rain '
1 utVr will love again.
The Valley Ride.
Tlte flist cool hre. re of early morn, with many
a whii-jx-re.l tale
Of new -bom Spring, came w afte-l down through
Hampshire's r.vky vale,
Where lmy tboeeaitds, newly wakstl to life,
tvade sleep away.
And joyously Nutated themselves to greet the
opening day.
Then into Williamsburg there came, all breath
less and forlorn,
A mnd-tait>d man - " For flflU'i sake fl) 1
Tlie banks are nearly gone !
The rasom i is giving 'way ' Fly for your
lives 1" he cried
Si>me anssered Tsas an id'.s tale ; some started
tetr.tiod.
Then np sp-Ve hottest Collins ttravee "If
this invited be so.
*Tia right that all the folka below their dat-per
great should knew.
Hark ' what's thai roar ? " and then, a- .
mind the dire truth flashed.
He jumped a;r.de the nearest horse. a--d .loirti
tlie reads ay dashed.
And, as be wet.t. behind him lood and loader
grew the roar:
One n-staot glanced ha qmek'y lack, and ia
thai glance he saw
A sighs that fr ie hi* tery Ihxol. and nab him
faster urge
His pa.iUi-.g steed, at breakneck speed, along
the river verge.
" Fly 1 Fly!" ho cri -I, " Fly, .nea' d all. No;
e'en an uisUut spare.
The reeerr.ir has giveaway. The torrent's
coming. There—
D'ye hear its i var ? l'here see, it c.-snes,"
and Col a-s tcraves was gone.
White c\- • wiwwi his horse's heels the flood
eatue rushing ou.
Through Shu.io-rvtile aud Raj.'.eusv.l'e, and
Leeds and Fiotwoca, too,
Like singed messcngor from God, the intrepid
rider flew;
Aad folios h-g ever close behind, the watery
wail came down.
Ecguiphuig in jts cruel wave. cc*. forest, man.
and town.
The handiwork that man had wrought, the
treasured work of years.
The wealth begot of wur.hy's sweat, or coined
in woman's tear*- -
The greedy iuc.e.s*er lussiag. roaring with a
demon laugh.
Cants plunging mercilessly down, and swept
them off as chaff.
Ah! alien that snr.ny morning dawned, who
eooid have told the tale
Which ers the -.i® fcwl set should shrond is
gloom that busy v ale .
Or seen ths facss that looked np to greet the
morning light.
Lie there beneath the eventide, so pallid, eold.
and white ?
God pity tbem, and pity those who, all bereaved
ye ino
To (ail tn i rfiifo wears tho shock that fatal
mora did give.
But long m each survivor power of speech and
memory saves.
Let speech and lowasary tell the deed of hone?'.
C"lLr On.r.'->.
THE WHOM; LETTER.
Mr. John O'.soit, a well-to-do business
man, was at his < ilice engaged in open
ing and reading letters. Mr. Olson had
ma le the long journey Irom his resi
dence to yl. 1 0l bn,-,iut s in a very
comfortable mind. Tne steady, cold
rain had kept mny people at home, and
he had a seat iu the car all the way
down, a something that did not occur
very often. "With" his whiskers still
damp from the short walk from the
point where be left the cur to his office,
with his feet comfortably uear the fire
in the gnte, with drafts, money-orders
and bank-notes turning up frequent .y
in his letters, Mr. Olson was happier,
possibly, than if no storm had been
raging out.-,ile. The contrast caused
him to feel delightfully secure in his
comfort, and lie smoked his morning ci
gar and leisurely read letter alter let
ter.
Mr. Olson was an enthusiastic and
energetic business man, bat there were
times when he irked to take things easy,
and this morning was one of them. lie
oonld not recall a morning, as he read
a letter enclosing a check for fifty dol
lars, when he felt so inclined to take
bis ea.*e or enjoy his cigar and fire and
easy-chair. The next letter, opened
lazily, with eyes half shut, did not con
tain any money, nr i theopening words,
" My dear husband," caused a general
change of uttitnde on the part of the
reader.
" Mistake. Not for me," thought
Mr. O.son, as he looked again at the
address on the envelope. "Yes it is.
John Olson, Esq., plain as the nose on
a man's face. And Olson is not a com
mon name. Onr family was the only
one in onr State, in the*east, and since
we came here, seven or eight montliß
ago, have not beard of a man of the
name. Let's look at the signature."
This was the tenor of Air. Olson's
thoughts,a* he took np the letter again,
turned to the last page and read,
" Your loving wife, Mary J. Olson."
"My wife's name ! What's my wife
writing to me for ?" questioned the
man, in a confused way, and for the
moment cntertai-.ing only the thought
that the letter Was from his wife, he
was reading.
" Mr 1)EAB HUSBAND: I have not the
heart to write much. It is all trouble
here. I am distressed beyond endur
ance. The men enmo last night and
took away the sewing-machine, and
talked horridly to ine because I insisted
we had paid twenty dollars, when they
said we had paid only five. I am sure
yon told me twenty.* I never thought
men could talk to me as they did.
Then the man who owns the "house
abused me and threatened me, and even
onr old butcher and groear have bullied
and insulted me. I have no money—
not a cent, when I pay the postage on
this letter—and there is scarcely a thing
in tho house to eat. I tried to pawn
my bracelets and pin this morning, aud
the man offered me three dollars for
them, and you know they cost fifty.
And he bullied me, and I thought I
should go distracted. Oh, it is terri
ble, John! I don't see why all the bad
luck comes to us, while others prosper.
wish I was dead—that's what I do.
Do send me a little money, if it's only
a dollar, aud tab me what "to do.
" Yonr loving wife,
"MARY J. OLSON."
Mr. John Olson, of the office-chair,
was shocked beyond measure. He
pushed the letters with money in aside
for his bock-keeper, and thinking the
man to whom the letter was addressed
must be found immediately (Mr. Olson
had resolved to go te him, explain how
the letter came into his possession, and
help him, if need be), he called:
" Mr. Bradford, take the directory
and see how many Olsons there are in
town, will you ?"
Mr. Bradford, from behind his high
desk in the next room, said, "Yes,
sir," and there was quiet. Mr. Olson
had been married two years. Here was
a woman wLo wrote almost as good a
hand as his wife—in fact, the writing
of ths two was very much alike—desti
tute and desperate. He could not
imagine what his wife would do under
l.ke circumstances, and yet, with bank
rupt firms all about him, he understood
lhat present prosperity afforded little
guarantee against poverty. He abeo-
KRK'rirrz, K.litornn.l I 'ropriotor.
VOL. VII.
lately shivered ** he thought of the lit
tle woman who had followed him to tho
door that morning to ki-.- him and eau
tion biiu about going down tho Mop*,
and ttlxuit eottuig on tho car?- ho
shivered as tie thought o( hor, d*-ati
tnte aud daspeaite, and subject* d to
rndenee*, and he < shaking hi. hat
mentally at tho offending ruffians, when
tho crisp voice of Mr. Bradford ejacula
ted with statistical bluutiu **, *' Two
hundred and seventy-five sir."
•• What do you mean ?" questioned
tho nurcalming Mr. Olson.
"That tlior<> arc two hundred and
seventy tive Olsons in town, sir
. " \Vhaft"
There was no much astonishment m
thin tremendous '"what" that Mr.
Bradford ranie forward to explain.
"How many John Olsons?" ques
tioned the thunderstruck owner of the
much-used name.
"Two, four, eight, twelve, sixteen,
twenty, twenty-four- no, twenty three,
sir. Two artists, one blacksmith, four
carpenters, five clerks, two book-keep
ers, one glazier, seven laborers, two
merchants and
" That will do. Let me take the di- j
rectory, please."
One glance at the page* of the direc
tory convinced Mr. Olson that Mr. j
ltradford hud stated the ca.sc correctly.
He looked a' the long lit of Olsons in
stupid astonishment, not unmixed with
indignation. Here wa* a muddle. How
could he find the right man m such a
town? He settled one question, how
ever. Ho ench-sed five dolhus in a
blank sheet of paper, sud putting this
in an envelope, mailed it at ones* to the
unfortunate Mary J. Olson, saving to
himself that he vn uld look up Mr. John
Olson at lis* leisure. Ho returned the
letter to tho post-office, with the in
dorsement, "Opened by mistake, by
John Olson. 210 Blank street," and for
got the man for the day.
He told the story to his wife that
evening, and she was intensely inter
ested, and, practical little woman as
she was, she proceed, d to consider
p!ans for finding the man. It waa
fiuallv agreed that the campaign should
be opened by inserting an advertise
ment in the morning papers. Mr. Ol
aou knew that thou-ands of people were
out of employment, aud that all of
those who could find opportunity,
eagerly scanned the "want" columns
of the great dailies, in hope of finding
promise id something to do. And one
morning, not long alter, thousands of
eager eyes read : " Mr. John Olson,
formerly of Pittsburgh, is requested to
report at Jls Blank street, where he
will lenru of s >mething to his advan
tage." This, she argued, would surely
bring the nuu, whereas a oold, un
promising statt meat would not.
The second morning after the ap
, pearance of the advertisement, three
inen were waiting for Mr. Oioon when |
■ he entered his office. One of these en
tered his private office with easy ae
snrance, before ho hail removes! his
overcoat, and. placing the advertise
ment clipped from the paper on Mr.
Olson's desk, stated that he had come
in answer to the request ouutaiuod ;
. therein.
This man was not shabbily dressed,
and he affected the air of a superior
mau, compelled by circumstances to do
what he w> aid not do were he not in
distress. Mr. Oisou had imagined that
his namesake was a shallow man, with
! trectetdons promise on the surface,
like the cm >th-f iced, soft-haired in
dividual now Hef re him. and he was
about to tell the story of the letter ami
say plainly that he was ready to as-is:
the man to help his family, when n
giaiioe from Mr. Bradford canned a
change'of programme. This glance had
the confidence of " figures won't lie"
in it, and intimated that the visitor was
a fraud. Mr. Olson, without accepting
1 the estimate, resolved" to be on his j
guard. The man stated that his name
was Olson, and, in answer to a direct
question, said his wile and two small
children were in the city and in a con- f
ilition bordering on destitution. He
disliked to admit it, but sac'u was the
eas* ; he had come from Pittsburgh |
just after his marriage, and had tx*en i
been qnite well-to-do until the panic
spoiled ail his plans.
Mr. Olson informed the man, who
was much inclined to enlarge upon his
woes, that he was not the person want
ed, and was at once appealed to to give
the applicant enough money to pur
chase a breakfast. Tho money wa
given, and with a profound bow of
thanks the man departed, apparently
in a very happy frame of mind. Mr.
Bradford explained that the man's nam® I
was not Olson, and that he made a
business of aaswering advertisements
where asiruratice and a pathetic story
could easily be made to do duty.
Mr. Olson was therefore indignant
when the second mau entered and
stated that Mrs. O'Brien's boy had told
him, while he was putting in Mrs.
O'Brien's coal, that John Olson was
wanted at 215 Blank street, and there
he was. He was a laboring man, had
always lived in the city, and knew noth
ing about Pittsburgh. Ho departed
w-tli, "No harm douc, stranger.'"
The third man was stont and hearty,
exjept, as he remarked, in the matter
'f clothes. Mr. Bniitii had told his '
wife about the ndvt rtisemeut, and as he
came from Pittsburgh about fifty-nine. j
and us his wife had insisted that it
might mean him, he thought ho would :
call. Ho didn't expect a gold mine, or
anything of that hind, but thought j
somebody had a job of work that would
btlng in a few cents for the babies.
After answering several questions he
received tLe announcement that he wan
not the mau in the best humor. "1 ;
thought an. I never nm—but wife, you
know, she thought I ought to come, ;
This time Mr. Olson said, " No harm
done, sir. Leave your name, and I
may be able to throw some work in
your way." And tho man departed in
great glee.
Mr. John Olson was disappointed,
and as be laughingly related the cir
cumstance to his wife, bo asked,
" Well, what will wo do next ?"
They did nothing, although thoy felt
keenly that something ought to be
done. Two days afterwards, in the
midst of a heavy anow storm, a lady in
waterproof suit entered Mr. Olson's
office to report that, as one of the La
dies' Benevolent Society, she had
found, in her district, a man who an
swered to the name, John Olaon, and
who, she hod ascertained, ha.l lived at
Pittsburgh. This man had been very
sick for three weeks, and was still 7ery
low. He had been cared for during
this time by a family in not the best
circumstances, and although they had
borue tbe extra burden without com
plaint, if the man had relatives or
friends they should look after him. Her
attention had been called to the adver
tisement by a man who, the day before,
had shoveled the snow from the side
walk in front of her house, and she had
called with the hope of finding help for
the invalid and relief for the family.
Mr. Olson stated briefly the relations
he held to the caße, and then went with
the lady to tho house—a house with
three rooms, sheltering man and wife,
several children and the invalid. The
man had been for a few days a fellow
laliorer with the master of* the house,
and when taken sick they took him in.
They knew little about him, and had
not kDown, until the fever left him,
tLat he was married and that his wife
was living. •
TIIK CENTRE REPORTER.
Tho sick-lied scene waa not an tin
usual one, and yet it shirtlod Mr. Olson
when be entered the room. I'he atti
tude, exproasion, and general appear
ance of the man suggested an almost
forgotten something that lie could not
j recall. There was sotue element in this
picture that bad le*l present in some
other picture and yet be eould not re
call any features of the other picture.
He simply entertsl the aiek room, with
more superstitions uneasiness than lie
had ever felt before on Buob an occa
sion.
Tho invalid was very weak, and be
M(>oke with touching humility and ten
derness of his wife. He seemed a very
child in his over-anxiety to have the
listener* tlnuk well of her. His one
great desire now was that some one
should write to his wife and say that be
bail been sick—not that he was sick
and that this fact explained why lie had
not written to her. Sue was very ex
citable, and he hoped senin oue would
write very carefully so as not to need
lessly alarm her. H> had thought the
matter ail over, and hi- desired his wife
to dispose of their little property in the
eastern city iui l go to hi-* father's, who
was a farmer, and remain there u:at tl he
was able to atait a uew life.
The letter was written and mailed,
and Mr. Olson became much interested
in the sick man. Tho bearing of tins
man was peculiar. It was evident that
he had l>eeu greatly diaapp*dnted and
made desperate by misfortune*, and
that he was now suffering from rvm**rse
and busying himself with new resolves.
Ho did not grow stronger, and it was
gen tally believed he would not.
When Mr. O'son bad r* ad the com
plaining letter from the wife of the in
valid, he thought tho ease was bad.
When ho C>>uld not find the uiau ad
dressed it had seemed to him much
worse. When hedifi find the man, sick
and helpless, and remembered that a
wifo destitute and desperate iu oue
large city was appealing to a husband
not only destitute, but dangerously
sick, in another large city, he knew it
could not be much worse. And in all
his consideration of tho case, he
thought most of the woman.
Oue evi ning as Mr. Olson was about
, to leave his office, a woman entered
hurriedly, and announcing that she was
Mrs. Olson, wife of th sick man, de
sired to be informed where she could
find her husband. Her agitation, the
misery expressed on her faee, the
eager, pitiful questioning of her eyes,
almost called tears from the man, who
answered her inquiries and then asked :
" You received my letter containing
tho directions dictated by your hus
band ?"
" Yea. But do yon suppose I would
jdoit ? I was nearly frantic. I deter
mined to come to John if I had to walk
every step. The people helped nie, and
I here I am. Is he very Mck ? Poor fel
low, audi didn't know it! Why didn't
yon write me sooner ?''
Mr. Olson explained and went with
the woman to see her husband, think
ing that the features of the case did not
improve. After meeting her husband,
I the woman was so much distressed and
i agitated that it seemed as though the
family we e to have two invalids on
their hands instead of one.
A week of anxiety passed, and the
man was pronounced out of danger.
Something had caused him t take a
more cheerful view of life, and he was
alreadv considering plans for the future
and talking incessantly about them. He
was corning up from his sick-bed a
changed man. lie had Iwen suspicious,
defiant, reserved, through all the pre
vious years of his life from boyhood.
He had been uniformly unfortunate
even in his married life. Tho great
trouble had hetu that he had convinced
himself that his wife did not love him.
His jealousy once aroused, he attached
great weight to every trifling circutn
j stance, and many of his projects failed
simply because he had m> great desire
to succeed. His wife's complaints were
I reproaches that maddened him. And
finally he left home with the iutcntiou
never to return. He sent what little
; monev ho earned home, but his wife's
I complaints followed him in her letters.
I He forgot that she did not understand
his intentions, and took a monrnfnl
satisfaction in denying himself that h
might send her m nev. Finally there
came a time when he could earu no
money, and the frenxy incident thereto
made him oao of the wildest of the
workingmcn appealing for aid, and the
excitement and exposure incident to hi
destitution ended in sickness and de
| tpair. Hp had go lie down with a hem:
■full of bitterness and suspicion. H<
camo up with a heart tender from us
' over-fuilneas of thankfnlneas. The fact
that his wife had overcome so many
, difficulties ir comii.;: ■ a, and hod
i exhibited such anxiety as to his re
covery, and snch untiriug devotion, hod
cleared his vision wonderfully. A wo
j mnn that conhl so care for a man must
love him, and, casting ail suspicions
aside, he had resolved to commence life
anew in more ways than one.
This confession was made to his
friend, John Olson, when the latter told
him the story of receiving tho wrong
! letter.
j There wore several happy people in
that little bouse when John Olson, in-
I valid, took his first step, supported by
i John Olson, his friend. That there
was a nearer relationship that they did
j not know until the grandmother of the
latter, weeks afterwards, traced it out,
I and then were all the mysterious,
'shadowy suggestions of the nick bed
t scene explained. And this good old
grandmother says, very reverently, that
God'a hand was in the letter that went
I wrong, and that both men ought to rec
i ognize it. And while the yonng men
, tako a slightly different viow, they
thank God all the same.
————
Curious Transpositions.
A -writer has given tho following
litornry curiosity. There are twenty
readings of the same line, without add
ing or exchanging a word, or changing
the ending or injuring tho sense. The
line is from Gray'a Klegy:
"Tlie plowman homewsrd plo.lt hit wrary tup.
Variatjoua:
Tb wearjr plowman homeward ptorf* hi* way.
Th* wrarir plowman plod* liiw homeward war.
The btmevrard plowman plod* Ilia weary way.
The homeward p! wn.aii, w*jry, plot la hia way.
The hoinvwar 1. wanry plowman, pl*!* hta way.
The weary, homeward plowman, plodi hit w ay.
Homeward the weary plowman plod* hta way.
Homeward, weary, the plowman plod* hit wtiyj
llomoard the p'.t.wmau jlod* hi* wr-nry way.
Homeward the plowman, weiry, phd* hi* way.
Wtary, the homeward plowman ploda hi* way.
Weary, honv-ward, the plowman phxla hi* way.
Weary, th plowman p!ola hi* homeward way.
Weary, the plowman homeward phd* hi* way.
Tho piowman ploil* hi* homeward, weary way.
The plowman plod* hi* w ary. homeward way.
The plowman, hornewird, weary, ploda hi* way.
The i low man, weary, homeward, pmda hi* way.
The p.owman, weary, ploda hta homeward way.
A FoKTfNK. —.Tames Colter, a quarry -
man in tho iron works at Paducali, Ky.,
and lately a street laborer, has gone t
England* to get a fortune left him by
his uncle, who died about seventeen
years ago. The executors of the latter's
will have been looking for the heir since
his uncle's death, and only found him
recently by accident. They are satisfied
of his identity, and sent him money to
pay his passage to London, where the
property is that he inherits. The valno
of the property is in tho neighborhood
of $200,000, part of it being a fine resi
dence worth $50,000.
CENTRE IIA Lb. CENTRE CO.. PA.. THURSDAY, JUNE IS, 1874.
V X.|tO-US KAI !>.
NAILI) IR ll* U* IIUH tlir> I'lnUll'il line
rMK'i Muncy until Uanutu nl 111*
I !-)•
Tho \ -Hoods had been dry for day*
' liter tho ladles Hindi' :t raid on Bus
' coin's, mid the state of affairs wan t<r
' rtble.
At lust one Biornin Huscoiu's old* it
sou, Jehiol, who hid kept at tho Hta
dn'ii nt Si'cetMniiiillo all tho time fur
two wet ks, with ii single wugou, wins
soon a rid in down tho lull urjiu tho
| mule to Its utmost Kilned.
"Hooray!" lis) Basootn, "it hex
' come at hint J"
Irutut jitly thoro wuz a change. Deo
kin Pogrom riz, mul fslhti oil his k'n-m
*aid devoutly, " Thank Kevins !" l*a
ker sprang to hia feet and IJlder IVnnl
i backer and McPelter shouted "Ha '
ha!" witli ea much power m they hatl
i lolt in "em.
Thank tho Lord, tho nmlo didn't
baulk. Ex f impressed with tho tiu
i t ortauoe uv it* mmhen, it come up gal
lantly to tho door and huckt d up
squarely, that the precious Uuul mite lo
S easily and quickly taken out. It wins
unloaded safely ; tho apigot wuz druv
iu, a bottle wuz tilled, we drunk the
revtviu draft and wuz saved !
llut how to ported our treasure wuz
tho question. Lueiud/ Gavitt had
swore tliut she Wood bust every barrel
uv hkker that wuz brot to the form i*,
and we kuowd she woovl keep her oath
ef It w uz possible.
1 snaker sejisted that she bo pizened,
but that idee wuz veKiumiiiuouslv re
! jeeu-d.
" He* I no friends?" uskt 1-aker.
" Do yoo all hate uio ?"
A good many other plans wuz Jis
! eust to head off this t-. rrible female,
hut uouo uv Via seemed fecsiblo.
At last I hit it. I fed that wo mtisj
guard it with our strong rite arms. Hi t
us arm ourselves with aso-helves and
go out ou each uv tho four roads mid
atop by fores every womau who appear -
on the street, onless it is e.-rtatu she
hrz no hostile intepshuua. lot us go
in twos—eight wiil suffice. Let us be
ste-ru ami indelible.
Has com thought the sujestion wuz a
! good one'.
" I'v course," sed I, "the pickets
will bo entitled to their sustenance,
gratis, while in active service."
" Certainly !' sed Baacom, "at regu
lar intctvais, when no enemy is in site,
they may ixiuio iu and get a refresher
and git back to their dootv."
Then came a trouble which I l t d not
anticipated. Every man in tho Cor
ners volunteered hi go on guar.l duty.
That free drink wuz a bounty wick
i fetched them.
It wuz ffuallr nnnonnced that
wo should take turns at it. Myself,
lii-ekin Pogrom, lwikir (iavilt. Cap
tain McPelUr, Abtuium I'ettus, Zooh
Porgeous, Elder IVumbacker aud him
Motirath I sebtctcd for the first day's
dooty. 1 put myself in tho 'first day,
for 1 wanted the firs! null at tho ar
rangement, bavin' aU idea how it would
come out.
The Deekin and I volunh-ered to take
tho jHtst uv dauger, which wuz the
South road, onto which Luciudy Gavitt
lived.
We went out and took otir stashuus,
and looked up the road and Jowu the
road.
" There is no wirnmiu in site, is
there?" sed the I)o kiu.
" Nary," soil 1; " tho coast is clear."
| " Parson, tho coast bain' clear, isn't
it time that we go down to Hasoom's
for the refresher ho *|>oke uv? This is
j fearfully tryiu' dooty."
I agrc d with tho Dcekiu, that, bein*
old men, we ueeded suthm' liraciu',
aud d'>wu wo went. Ez we entered the
door we wuz astonished to see the
| other six at the bar, alia tukin' their
drinks.
We got ours and went hack, ami
again viewed the field. It wuz still
quiet. Luciudy, was, it wuz evident,
not vet ready to move.
"Dcekiu,' sed I, " does the foe ap
pear ?"
" Nary foe !" sed he, " the enemy is
not in site."
"England expex every man to do his
dootv, Deekin, but hadn't we better
amble gently to Basoom's aud git a
, susttuner? This is fearfully exhaust
in'."
Before the words wuz out uv my
mouth tho Deekin bed made a dozen
rods. I wuz pleased to see the old man
so active. We reucln-d Bascoui's in a
very short time—very short, indeed—
and there, somewhat to my surprise,
stood the other six, all erookin' the
pregnant hinges uv tho elbow. Bas
cem did not liev a pleased expression
ou his eouutenaucc.
Agm we departed for our jvosts, and
we peered up and down the road. We
saw sutliiu' moving out nv Issaker's
house ! It wuz a female. The second
look reveeled themnskeler form uv Lu
ciudy t She bed her sun-buuuet on mui
a axe in her hand !
" Deekin !" sed I, "stand firm. That
enraged woman is ngoin for Baseoui.
Li't us acquit ourselves like men."
The Deekin's nose grew blooer, but
his lips closed omirinsly. I felt I eood
depend on him. But Luciudy did'nt
igo out the front door vsrd. She bed
come out to split wood, and she split it,
aud tukin an armful went back into the
house.. Ho wuz nervous with excite
ment.
" Parson !" sed tho Deekin, " I'm all
. unstiung. I thought the hour uv con
flict had come. This drain ou my ner
vous system is too much. I must hev
a soother."
' And wo went. 1 wnz frozen with as
tonishment. Tho first site that met ray
eyes ez wo entered Hoe corn's wuz tho
other six a standing hack from flic bar
I and lissenin to Baacom, who wuz gestio
! ulatin wildly.
" This littlo game is played out," sed
> liascom. " You git no more hkker nv
me except in the reglar way."
"But Baacom," sed I, "ef wo guard
your property, its ez little rz yoo kin
jdo to keep us iu refreshments. Con
sider our iirdooiiH servis."
" Bah I" wuz his reply* " Yoo've
bin on dooty mi hour and yoo've drunk
four times, wick is to say thirty-two
drinks in an hour. I've been exorcism
a little arithmetic while yoo wus out
tho yoo didn't stay away long enuff to
give me the time to do a sum in simple
| multiplication decently. But in a bur
1 rel there's about 1,200 drinks—at thi
rate yoo'd drink a barrel iu two days.
' This looks to me as thoyoowuzpertek
| tiu yoor property justed uv nuue. 1
: don't want my property pcrtckted on
these terms. Such pertekMhen may ho
sufflsheut, bnt it's rather Mfwhtk
" But, G. W.," I replied, "do yoo
want these wimiuin a rnidin on yoor
premises? Do you waut this precious
flooid u rnnnin all over this floor
agin ?"
" I wood ez soon see it a runnin all
: over tkiH floor ez to seo it a rnnnin
down yoor throats, gratis. I don't see
I that it makes any difference to me
where it runs, ef I don't git nothin for
P. Gentlemen, it's money, or no lik
i ker."
And here it ended. Baseom wuz in
flexible. Tho groscrv hcz no organized
pertekshun. Ef we liev no money we
kin git no likker, and without hkker,
we shel get too weak to hev the power
to resist. Whenever Luciudy and her
petticoat hosts appear, they will hev an
easy victry. I urn without hope.
A MAN-t IIII.D.
Scene : in the country. / >rutitaH
persona : Opal, aged seven ; Inspired
i Idiot, aged tlve.
Opal (fw/uitur): "Kb! I. 1., won't
you feel nice by-and-by, wheu wc go
buck to town, and you have to have a
nurse following you round < very where?"
I. I. feels the iron enter into hi* sou),
but t!* far Hlf shilling sail of uiuuhood
ris * with healing in uin wings
" Hut one of these days. Opal, 1 hall
be a big boy. 1 shall be thirteen year*
< old. 1 shall be lug a* Yaughau, ami
, then 1 shall go every where. llut you.
Opal, you never will bo a boy. You will
. alwttvs be a girl."
"Yea, but 1 shan't have a nur*o al
ways. ! shall go by myself."
This 1. 1. cannot gainsay, and he
- squares himself as bravely as may be to
endure the degradation of a nurse. Or
to fling it off. Which shall it be ? I
know of a boy nine years old who has
nt vrr lieeu oul-doors in the city with
out being under the eyes of his nurse.
There is a certain sense of safety and
protection in this which must be verv
comforting to the mother ; but does it
not mar *, lf-reliance, aud irritate the
love of ml venture that ought to exist in
boys? The Inspired idiot gradually
Wears away from the thralidorn of
nurse and guardian, and fronts the
world alone. A thousand danger* mcu
sec him. lie is caught swinging under
carriage* in the thronged streets, and
violently brought home. He strays in*
I to home -car*, ride* into the suburbs,
and is brought back by the police. He
wand'-ra into hop Is, and motherly wo
rn* ii lay bauds upon him, uad wash his
f.:eo— :tu attention which he seem* to
! consider as much in order a* unr other
rite of a fashionable call. Here ho
comes now swing up the steps, overcoat
unbuttoned and flying open, cap brave
ly Sri on the back of tiis head, both
hands in his pockets, well content Wrilii
all the world.
•' Eh ! Opal! Yob ! See w hat I've
bought for you ! Bertha Hlonde, eh ! "
" Hut where aid you get tlic money?"
" Mr. OSde gave it to me and all that
is her die*sea. lxok-a here. Opal."
•* But who is Mr. Olde ? What Mr.
Olde gave you the money ? "
" Mr. Olde gave it to me. That's up
where father is."
" How did vou know his name was
Olde?"
'• 'Cause I know him. 1 tumbled over
his leg uuee."
This must be accepted a* proof of in
timacy.
"Hut. I. 1., did yon ask him for
money ? Beggar Imya do that."
•' No, I didu't ask lutu, neither " —in
an aggrieved tone.
" How came he to give it to you, then ?
Tell na all about it. Whtre did VOU see
him ?
" On the avenue."
" Ai 1 you went up and asked him fur
monev ?
" No, I didn't oak him. He gave it
to me."
" Tell me just what he said flr-t.
Did you sjveak to Lira first, or he to
you ? "
"He spoke to me. lie said w hat waa
I crying for aud I said a boy got my
rattle-bones ami tie aaid all right aud
he gave me twentv-five cent*."
" Hut where dii you get your rattle
bones ? "
" I l*myti< 'em."
" Where did you g<t that money?"
" I got it :,t home. Father gave it to
me and I went down street and 1 went
into a store and I bought my ratt'o
bones and—"
" How much di<l you pay for them ? "
" Twt nty-five cents aud 1 and—luok
a-here—l bought my rattle-bones and
1 come out ami a boy came along -e-h
--h" (gasping for breath >u the rapidly
itieicasiug rush of narrative!—lomme
tell von and a loy came up and naol
would I lend him my rattle-bone* and
he would give me some cake and I gave
him my rattle Iwwics and he aaid he
must go round the corner and get the
cake and ho took my rattle lames ami
-e-Lh —be went ivund the corner—
Opal, would yon rather have Bossy
111 ic* than Bertha Blonde 'cause I'll go
down thavenoo and change it !"
" Xe, no; never mind llcsny Bine.
What did the boy do when *he got
round the eorner?"
" letnmc tell you! He got my rat
tlo-bones and ho went round t>
get the caka and never came ln-ok and
1 went ronnd to get him and he woan't
there and the man that hud the cake
said he had not l>ecn t':< ro no more
never and eh-h-h—ho had my rattle-
Iwines and never came hack and—he
ought to 'a told me he'a a thief I" with
a Midden yell, as it dawned upon him
that he had been cheated.
"Then Mr. Olde came up, and you
asked him to give you some money, did
you ?"
" No, T did not ask him. Mr. Olde
came along and I was crying 'cause that
boy he didn't come back with ray rattle
bones ; he'd gone off with my rattle
bones and Mr. Olde asked mo what
was I crying for and I said a boy had
run off with mv rattle I>one—Opal,
don't you want Bessy Blue?"
" Yea; I said Bessy Blue all the
time."
" Well, T asked for Besfy Blue and
alio gave me Bertha Blonde nud 1 didn't
know 'twas Bertha Blonde till I got
home. Oimmo here, Opal ; I'll go and
change it."
"You said a boy had run off with
your rattlo-boius. What did Mr. Olde
any then ?"
" And Mr. Olde said"—resuming his
rnpid recitative—"Mr. Olde said lie
said what did my rattle-bone# cost aud
I said twenty-five cents and he gave mo
twenty fire cents and said go buy some
more—e-h-h —and I raid I wanted to
buy Opal some paper dolls too and be
said what would that cost and I said
twenty-five cents and he Raid all right
aud he gave me twenty-five cents more
and I bought Opal's paper doll. I
asked for Bossy Blue—e-h-h—and alio
gave mo Bertha Blonde and it was dark
and I couldn't sec till I got 'moHt home
and csnfldn't go hack to buy mv rattle
boiios 'cause 'twas too far and Mr. Olde
said all right and I've got my quarter,
I've got him ! There he is !" brandish
ing his scrip aloft with a shout of exul
tation.
" Ami then yon camo directly homo
alone ?"
" No, Mr. Oldo camo with mo. At d
1 went into a store with him like where
you go, mum ma. I have boon there
with yon, mamma."
" Did Mr. Oldo ask you to go in with
him ?"
" No ; a man came out and made
him go in and mc. And ho gave him
•ome champagne and me too ami I
tasted it and 1 did not like it and then
he guve me some more and I did not
like that either and 1 said that wasn't
the champagne my father drinks aud
ho said * Try him with the sherry ' aud
I did not like that either and they
laughed and then we came home and
Mr. Oldo went to the Clarendon and he
said 'Now you know the way home?'
aud 1 said yes. Hob ! jus' if I didn't
know the way homo !"
And now approaches bed-time for the
Inspired Idiot. Repeatedly during
dinner, when he is tired of swallowing,
has ho plumped his head deep down
into the folds of his mother's dress to
rest and refresh himself for new de
glutitory efforts. After dinner he de
ploys on two elmirs, or on the floor, it
may be, in an ecstasy of flatness. Rut
when ho goes up to bed his spirits re-
vivo, lie kicks off flint oue slice, then
llie sllit-r, und rutin n rare sroiiuii the
ru en in bis stockings. Then be is
moved with n-miiii secures sf the
marionette*, uiiti he teij* you how the
I'uuob or some other puppet fell from
a gust height nnd wits broken to picses,
and then gathered himself together,
nnd "he rose nud he rose and ho rose
till ho hud us runny roses as there were
before!" lie is teixod also With tho
spirit of prophecy, and glows with the
guns aud swoida aid jamiea that he is
speedily to become possessed of, aud
which gradually mount from one of
each kind for himself to a thoroughly
equipped cavalry force ready fsr but
tle. " Aud won't my pouy look funny
when he sees mo coining ?
Aud uow the outer layer of iutegu
meuts is eitjoled off, and ho stands in
the df*hut>ille of Angola, eloquent and
gesticulating, till the spirit of fun and
frolic comes upon him, ami ho eaaters
about the room once more, jumps upon
the sofa, buries himself among tho pil
low m, kn-ks up flrst one little red leg
and then another, and only regrets that
tho supply ceases so soon ; and finally
consents to hive the rabbit skinned,
but with u demure sml watchful look
during the process, which shows that
tho rabbit must be riosely watched, for
he does not mean to rehabilitate him
self when he is skinned, l-ut to take a
leup and a turn around tho room in all
the freedom of Paradise.
And so presently the Inspired Idiot
stand* all white-robe J and clean and
sweet and still, ready fur tho most
earnest talk about thing* m heaven or
carlli or under tho earth. His final
funey is to give a party, to which who
shall bo invited—-Bertie Fletcher ?
" Oh, no, mstnma ; because he wears
a kilt and all tin- bovs would think he
woe a girl aud would not play with
him !"
'* 1* that so ? I suppose, of course,
you will invite fcitnphcii Sletaou ?"
" So, I con t have Stephie Htetson
because he is a naughty boy. He
curses ami swears."
t "1. 1., what do you mean by cursing
ami swearing ? What is it to swear ?"
" It is " —tu a husbe<l, reverent voice
—" why, it is to say God out of your
prayers !"
llut the worst of it is that the In
spired Idiot js not exempt from the
I evils of life ; but just as painfully as
the rest of us he must pay the penalty
of nature's violated laws ; so he moons
out of his sleep with the toothache, and
is effectually aroused by mighty pangs
quite out of proportion with tLe tiny
tooth that causes them. He has sense
enough not tu iuen-ase the trouble by
trying to bear it in silence, and ahrieaa
: and wails relieve his burdened nerves.
" I never will forgive Ood for this,"
he cries, outraged and indignant, m
the midst of hi* paroxysms. " I never
will forgive o<hl tor this."
It is u living and logical faith, how
ever en ic in it* philosophy.
•• Hut I don't think God is to blame
i for it," suggests au older and perhaps
a wis. r head.
'• Who is, then ?" asks I. I, opening
to a new idea.
" Little I. 1., who staid oat in the
cold too long olid too late."
And then another uang arises, strong
er than the lot, and he Conga himself
down to the foot of the bed and shouts,
" Vow, I am mad ! "
Poor little luspired Idiot, grappling
with feeble hands the grrst question of
the origin of evil, bearing with ques
tionable fortitude the fangs of evil it
i self, a little salt and soothing will lull
: your relx-llion to sh ep, but neither TOU
nor I can go far m the wrong direction
without running against the Almighty,
even upon the thick bose of I! is buck
lers. SVemay believe in His goodness,
but we are certain of llis power.
Ily-aud-br, when all has been long
•till, and care takers have departed, a
voico is heard, " Mamma, come tip
stair* !" A white figure stands sturdy
and smiling at the head of the staircase.
" Mamuia, 1 heard it was ten o'clock.
I got tip to take my med'eine. and I
spilt it on my night-gown." Then as
he aita warming, drying, and comfor
table 1 fore the fire, thus he muses :
"Think I'll die, mamma ?"
" What makes you think of dying ?"
" 'Cause 1 didn't take my med'eme.
I spilt it."
" Oh, no ! 1 don't think yon will die
for that."
A pause.
" Then I won't die, then ?"
"Not at all."
" How will I MS heaven, then ?"
" But you don't want to die, do yon?"
" No"—hesitatingly ; "but I should
like to see heaven."
Another long pause.
"If I should get n very long ladder,
couldn't I go up and look into heaven?"
"No."
"If I should get a hundred and
tbirtv ladders, couldn't I ?"
" No."
"If I should get all the ladders in
all the world, in all the countries, and
tie them one atop of another, couldn't I
climb up and just peek in ?"
" No,"
" Why couldn't I, mamma? GiTe a
reason.'
" Because you would be dizzy and fall
down !"
Go your ways, Inspired Idiot, man
child—tiny packages of loves and liatea
and hopes and fears; timorous where
helplessness itself is safe, and bravo
where the boldest quail; |>eering with
calm eyes iuto unfathomable mysteries;
treadiug with eonally serene feet the
valley of the shadow of death and the
remotest fastnesses of life; tilled with
great longings for airy nothings, aud
violent passions over petty grievances,
and deep interests in passing trifles;
boisterous and ineff.ihly gentle ; brecsv
and noisy and riotou*, yet tender ami
nestling and delicate and soft; ignorant
and wiso; blind aud baffled, yet shrewd
aud far-seeing; pliant to a word, a
touch, a laok, a hint, yet as firm aud
fixed, as clearly outlined and as steadily
set, as the veriest patriarch of the na
tions ! I wouder if EVE knew all she
said when she lonkinl njou her queer
little, new little, first little man, and
solemnly concluded her marveling medi
tations—" I have gotten a man from
tho Lord I"— Gail Hamilton.
A California Rodeo.
The great herd,. numbering about
3,(XX) head, i# huddled in the middle of
the opcu plain, and the proprietors and
ysequeros nro riding aronnd them.
What few footmen there are present
keep well out of tlio way, for these
Spanish cattle have a great curiosity to
inspect a man'a heels. There are a few
to be branded, aud as there is no corral
to confine them IU, they are compelled
11 resort to the Mexican plnu. The ani
mal is first separated from the herd,
and then a yacvuero rides him down and
lassoes him by the horns. Another
rides up and lassoes him by the hind
legs, if lie is skillful enough, or if not,
throws oue side of the loop on the ani
mal's baek aud the other on the grouud
behind him, and he presently backs
into it, when it is quickly drawn tight.
Then the two horses set out in opposite
directions, the animal's hind feet are
pulled from under him, and he comes
down, oue would think at the immiuent
hazard of breaking his baek-bone. A
mnn rushes up with tlio branding-iron
and claps it on his right hip, where it
makes a cruel singeing ami fizzing and
a sickening stuoh.
r T< 'fins: &2.00 a Yoar, in Advance.
The Mill River Dam.
Mr. William T, Clement, of tb
Clement A llawks Manufacturing Com
pany, Northampton, who was tho 11 rut
President of the Reservoir Company,
testified Iksfore the Mill River Ham in
vestiguting committee, that several com
plaints were inado of the contractor's
work, ltlt only one, and that immate
rial, to him. Too witnefs romemborod
that (lov. Hayden at some time express
ed his f. eling that tho work was not
done thoroughly, aud desired that Mr.
Osrduer should bo kept there more
than be was ; but the witness oouhl not
tell what the special cause of complaint
waa. There never was an agreement
that they might depart from the speci
fication* about the main dam, bat aucb
permission was given with regard to
the stone used in the cross well for the
outlet pipe. From the time the dam
was tint tilled the water ooged, and at
the lower part of the dam at two pointa,
one near the waste way, and one, a large
stream, on the east side, partly from
the natural slope and partly from the
embankment. It waa known that there
were springs under the embankment
when it was built. No jiains were taken
to divert them from injuriug the em
bankment. As the late Gov. Hayden
had been quoted in the papers, lines*
said that within six monthsof Lis death
be bad expreaaed himself, in die pres
ence of witness and of Thomas Harden,
bia sou, at the reservoir, as bcingTvet
tcr satisfied with the dam than he bad
ever been before.
In uaswer to questions from the jury,
Mr. Clement sail ho had visited tho
broken reservoir, and there was noth
ing to show that any trench had been
bnilt, as per contract, "It looks," he
said, "a* if tb main oarth had never
been taken away for the dam." Ho al
*o stated that iho consent had a very
bad appearance, not being properly
mixed—that in front of tho outer wall
living of good cement, while the inside
wall was so soft aa to lie all washed
away. Bring asked if he should have
approved of *uch a foundation had he
seen it, he responded : " Not for a mo
ment" Once too much sand was used
in the cement the witness bring sorry
to any that more than six parts of sand
appeared to one of oemcct. He wras
nire that the wing walls, which have
been questioned, were built according
to the contract
A Sat age Lot of Bees.
One o! the terrors for till" \ile trav
kr is bet-s! At one time the adverse
wind made it necessary that Dr.
Sehweinfurth'e boat should be towed
by the crew. As the rope was being
drawn along through the grass on the
hanks it happened that it disturbed a
swarm of bees. In a moment, like a
great cloud, they burst upon the men
who were dragging. Every one of them
threw himself headlong into the water,
and hurrnd to regain the boat. The
swarm followed them, and in a few
seconds filled every nook and cranny of
the deck. Dr. Sehwcinfurtb was sit
ting quietly iu hia rude cabin arranging
Ins botanical specimens, when he heard
s scampering round the deck, which he
HI fir>t took to be the usual frolicking
of his people; but as the noise in
creased, he called out for an eiplana
lion <>f the disturbance. Koran answer he
received only the terrific cry of " Bees'
be< ■*!'' Springing up, he endeavored
to light his pipe, hoping to protect
himself with smoke, but it was too
late ; the bees were already opon hum
Thousands surrounded him, and he
was merrileaalv stung all over his fscc
and baud a. He endeavored to protect
liis face with his handkerchief, but all
to no purpose; the more violently be
flung hia hands about the more violent
became the impctnoaity of the irritated
insects. At length, almost xnaddcuid
he Uirew himwif into the river, but
the stings atill rained down upon his
head. He tried to gain the main-land,
hoping to find shelter iu the woods,
but somoof his faithful servants, know
ing that course to be certain death, j
forced him back into the boat. Here
he wrapped himself up in a sheet,
which, after he had crushed the lew |
inside, afforded him aouie protection,
lie crouched down in this way for full
three hours, while the bnxzing continu
ed uninterruptedly, and solitary stings ,
penetrated throug*b the linen covering.
Every one on l*ard pursued the same
course, and gradually the buzzing sub- j
sided. At length some courageous fel- j
lows crept stealthily to the bank, and *
set firo to the rords. The smoke which !
rose blinded aud stupefied the bee* ao j
that the boat was successfully driven ;
lwyoud their reach. Free from further
apprehension, the sufferers proceeded
to examine their injuries. Some of the
stings were extracted with pincers, but
those which remained produced ulcers,
aud even fever, which kept the whole
Itoat's company in an uncomfortable
state for several days.
An Karnes! Young Printer.
Lieut. J. K. P. Bsgsdale, of the l*ni- j
ted States Navy, died of dropsy, in the •
thirtieth year of his age. The Helair, i
Md. ASgit says the story of Lient,
Hagsdale's admission into the navy is a
romantic one, and adds : " He was born
in Mississippi, and when a youth en
tered a printing-office oondncted by his
brother at Waco, Texas. After learning '
to set type, he determined to enter, if j
pos ible, the United States Navy.
Being without influential friends, he
decided to make application in person
to Hen. John H. Reagan, then a mem
ber of Congress from Texas, Not bar- j
ing the means to pay the expenses of a
journey to Washington he set out on
foot, working his way from one print
ing-oftice to another, until, after a toil
some trip of two months, he reached
his destination. The boy's story en
listed tho sympathy of Mr. Reagan, and
through his i-iduauoe he obtained the
appoiutmeut he sought. He graduated
with honor. While at the academy he
formed the acquaintance and friend
ship of the late Lient. Fred. MoCor
nr.ck, of Bel air, who was also a cadet
at the academy. Visiting tjie home of
yonng McCormick, he fell in love with
a sister of the latter, a beautiful and ac
complished young lady, whom ho mar
ried iu 1869. Iu a i-hort time Mrs.
Ragsdale died. Last fall Lieut. Rags
dale, who was then on duty in the Pa
cific Squadron, obtained a furlough on
account of ill health, and came to Bel
air. Ho remained hero until the Cu
ban trouble* broko out, when he ap
plied for orders, and was assigned for
duty on the United States steamer Col
orado. His health still being bad, he
was again granted a furlough, when he
returned onqp more to his adopted
home, where ho remained until his
death."
Steam.
One of. the first successful attempts
to propel a boat by means of steam
power of which there is any authentic
record occurred in 1786, when James
Rumsey, an American inventor, made
tin experiment on tho Potomac river
with a boat movod by machinery of his
own construction. The motion was pro
duced by reaction of water taken in at
the bow of the boat by a steam engiue
and foroed out at the stern. In the
same year John Fitch made an experi
ment with a steamboat on the Delaware
driven by an engine having a 12-inch
cylinder, but the speed obtained was
very slow.
NO. 24.
BEAUriE* OF LIFE IS PAItIS.
A I'lsaaaal M* of Affair, nhlth VUllara
l„Ukf Huliaill I*.
Mr*. Lacy U. Hoo-er write* from
Pari# to tbe Fhilad Ipbia J*rrt: I
have of late heard much of tho trial*
<-n<lnmd by thoM American* in Paria
who live in their own apartments and
undertake to keep French servant*,
Mid tbe experience ef one gentleman
really merit* special attention. His
wife discovered one day that the
greater part of her underelotbing had
disappeared a* well aa a valuable iaw
< led watch. The police were called in,
search waa made, and tbe minting un
dergarment* were fonnd in the trunk of
the lady's maid, u well aa a variety of
other article* abstracted by her from
the store* of former employer*. The
woman was arrested and committed fur
trial. When the trial took place her 1
counsel adopted a novel but extremely 1
auooeaaful hue of defense, " ttentla j
men of the jury," said be, "thapar
tie* that have come here to prosecute
inj client are Americana. They ars
Wealthv ; tb<*y could well afford to sup- .
ply this p *>r"woman with un<lercloth- ]
log ; she did not steal the thing* ; she
n-cded them, and she merely b*>k them.
Moreover, the lady waa culpably care
leas in leaving her drawers and trunks
open to expose my client to temptation; |
and besides, aa I said before, these peo
ple are rich Americana, so I hope yon
will acquit the prisoner." Tbe jtirv did
acquit the prisoner immediately, where
upon she turned round and sued her
employer for false imprisonment, and
he was obliged to get a permit fiom the ■
police to euable him to quit France, be
being on the point of returning home
with nia family.
Another friend of mine heard one
evening a low crash in tho kitchen, and
on burning thither he fonnd bis waiter
man jtist scaping through the doer,
with blood streaming from his head
and face, while the enraged oook was
in the set of poisonings heavy cat-glass
cacafe to hurl after him. " What is
tho matter 7" the gentleman indignant
ly asked of the coachman, who had
been a witness of the scene, Jean
merely shrugged his shoulders. " A
little political discussion, monsieur ;
that is alh Monk called Antoine a
coward, whereupon Antoine thrsw
some wine in her face, Marie then
stuck a fork into Antoine's cheek, and
cut his head open with a sauce pec. It
was all about Gen. Trooha and the
war." My friend has Mure packed his
trunks and gone to boarding, and he
swe-ars that ii ever be lives to get back
to Sow York, he will look upon the
biddies as slandered angels, after his
experience of French servants. Add to
tlu-se little disoomfitnrea the fact that
wages for really good—that ia to say,
accomplished—servant* are nearly as
high aa they arc with ns, and one will
readily pel reive that bouse-keeping on
this side of the water ia not any more a
bed of rosea that it is at home.
An American family oomes over here,
they take a furnished apartment the
rent of wbieh may range anywhere
from sixty dollars a*month to five hun
dred. Xisoy engage their servant*, and
think they are settled in Paradise for a
little while. A month's experience
teaches them they have got into a very
different place. Everybody that they
come into contact with looks upon that
American family aa a gold mine, to be
worked few his or her profit, and it i*
worked accordingly by all manner of
petty tlWfts, exactions, and cheating.
The waiter breaks glass and china, and
the oook wastes food and fuel in order
that the household bills may bj Urge
and the per rentage which they inva
riably receive from the tradtci eople
who supply you may be gTesU-r. If yon
51 TO your cook a fixed sum fur your
ally expends, she will inevitably ap
propriate a certain portion of it. The
wit and ingenuity srhtrewith French
servants carry on that eternal chase
after half irancs (ten-cent pieces),
which is the characteristic of the lower
orders in this couutry, would be admir
able and amusing, were it net at once
immoral and exasperating. Such are
some of the minor miseries; of the
greater ones I have spoken before.
The Cool I* Traffic.
The Pull Mall Gazette remarks:,
•• Before the Macao coolie traffic is for
gotten it may be aa well to recapitulate
tome of the terrible disasters which at
tended the emigration of the wTetohcd
Chinamen from that port. These are
shown in a statement drawn tip in the
Ctnerland China Mail of the ooolie J
shins on board of which mntiniea broke
oat, or disasters occurred, from the
vea* 1845 to the year 1872. From this
we learn that evil befell thirty-eight
ships daring the period named. On 1
board twenty-three vessels out of this '
number the coolies mutinied, and in
thirteen cases murdered the whole or t
part of the crew, including the officers.
But the mortality among the Europeans
was trifling in comparison with that j
which prevailed among the coolies. On
board the Lady Montague, which sailed
with 450 coolies, 300 lost their lives. In
the WaverJv, carrying 442 coolies. 395
died. The same fate befell 110 on
board the John Calvin. Light hundred
and fifty coolies, making up the entire
number of emigrants oa board the Flora
Temple, were lost in the ship off the'
cosat of Cochin-China. Out of 950 who
sailed in the Dca del Mare, only 162 !
got aa far as Tahiti alive. The Jed do,
which sailed with 480 coolies on board, |
lost 200. Only 42 out of. the 380 who
Started in the Providenza were found ]
in her when she was discovered off Ha- j
kodtuli, in Japau, and 600 were burnt !
to death on board the Dolores Ugarte, S
in the Are they themselves had kindled
in the vain hope of escape. In several j
other eases, where numbers are not j
given, it is stated that great mortality
prevailed. Of the tatal number of the
ships referred to, fifteen were British,
four were American, three were Peru
vian, eight were French, five were Ital
ian, nnd Holland, Belgium, and San '
Salvador each contributed one.
Baulky Morses.
A baulky horse is understood to be
an animal which, when harnessed, re
fuses to start. Various expedients,
many.of them cruel, are resorted to in
order to overcome such obstinacy, and
it may, therefore, be well enough to
pleasi) note the California method. It
is to put a rope nnder the horse's body,
bchiud his fore legs, and let two men,
one at each end, draw the rope back
wards, as if " rawing" at the legs. It
must not be done too roughly, but still
with force sufficient. The animal, to
escape something he does not nnder
stand, will soon move a few slept, and,
after a lengthening but quiet applica
tion of such a "peruasivo" process,
will not fail to move on. Repeated ap
plications will work a thorough cure.
THAT LETTER.— The Jackson Whig
and Tribune, says :—ln a case now
pending in the Supreme Court, in
which $2,000 is involved, the sole ques
tion to be determined in whether a cer
tain letter on a promisory note is "I"
or " J." In type the difference between
the letters are plain enough, but when
written they are identical. Was the
note executed to J. Blanckensee or I
Blanckensee— to Julius Blanckensee er
Isaac Blanckensee, The representa
tives of both parties claim the money
Item* of Interest-
False eoostructions moke unsafe
dwellings.
The beat thing to take before staging
hmtt.
A rude dry goods salapmnn acts aa •
counter-irritant.
Fruit amiwbeatproipcrta at fbe Waat
u rojarlfcMj good.
A shoe dealer advertises " WomaM'a
Rights and Left*."
Tha wine crop of tho United States
ia f,000,000 gallon*.
A Mamachn—lt* BW> %6la*tat>lc ha*
cloned 210 ram sb'^a.
Traveling agent* fpr whisky hevsea
oomplaiu of poor snips lb lowa.
Five tliouaand fcdrwn arc nnr.uslU
cotared for eating-house h-ak* ifi I'aris?
Liocola'a monhmcnt at SpringQwld,
Illinois, will bo dedicated ut-st Octo
ber.
I Yon rosy know an oh! batobah* t#
] the fact that he alwafs s|*aka of a I>SSJ
' aa M it."
Bo long as men are imprudent if) tlffn/ •
i diet and business, docufta ana lawyers
j will ride in carriage*.
Tbe proposition 4> introduce ladies
Jjla railroad conductors fa frowned iQVia
in view of tbe fact that their trains are
) always behind.
A wag said: "I loved my wffe at
I first. For the fiipt two metgh* I felt as
j if I could eat hepaip ; kriir
i been aorty I didn't"
At Line -la, New., tnecnwadJng ladfse
! are tisfHog the saloon* in psias, to avoid
tha ordiuan which prohibit* praying
, asaembliC a
A Land -a merchant, who waa f%raUf
; created a bkronet, gav%a " UmnkUlffer
ing " of SIO,OOO to the pnblie chantiee
• of his country.
A manatee, or sea eon, lis* takgn up
;t* home in a creek near St.
' which ia to be fenced in and the crew
tore exhibited.
Many millions Of caterpillars, accord
ing to the Bait Lake AVw. arc lifttdbing
on the trees ia Utah, and threaten to
destroy the fruit arop.
"We aee," said Swift, in one of his
moat sarcastic moods, " what God Ah
! mighty thinks of riches by the people
to whom he gives them
A prwfiinent physician dnclaira that
sfnee ieed tea came into fashion the di
gestion and the n*rv* are disappearing
more rapidly than ever.
Postal cards may now be sent frtgn
tbe United States to Srozerland for
' two oenta, in aoeortlanOe with the late
treaty with that oonuriy. •
A hesntifu! thought -that two little
-treat Arabs will sit down ond suck ma
lasses off their fingers with more real
joy than kings or princes ercr feeL
" It i# not generally known fbat ficrath
Carotins exempts all newly-esUmiebed
man ul acta refs from State* taxation tor
ten years after fiber begin business.
A young lady who had lost, or raUn
laid, her bean,' waa advise* to * hang
up her fiddle." Hhc said Um advice
did great violenee to her heartngringa.
Life u an auction where w% hc*r htt'a
t4ne than " going, gofhg, gone !" He
doa not always gat the inwt ha%sic
who makes that " last bid " —farewell
A Chinaman thus describes a trial it
onr country : " One man is alcst, an
other talks *1) the time, and* twelve wise
men condemn tbe man who lip not said
s word.
Aahantee gold, which ha* jiftt been
analysed in England, is found to con
tain about 10 per oent, ef alloy, mainly
silver. It has a peculiarly neh odor,
partly due to red oxide pi iron.
The dull time in spring shopping has
come, when a woman feels that aUr
wants to bay something, bat doesn't
know what, and stands before a counter
for forty-five minutes at a times and
purchases nothing.
A Cincinnati reporter says that there
is something grand in tbe sight of a phir
of runaway burses, but We believe that
a good deal depends on whether a msa
ia on a fence or trying to dlimb over tho
end-board of the wagon.
The Supreme Court of Maine hold*,
in a roc. icoudoo, that not to exclude
from railroad ears persons so drank as
to be noisy and quarrelsome ia newlir
genre which will make tbe railroad c®a
paar revjfeusihle for damages.
An ortei.bilious undertaker of Trey,
having charge of aa aristocratic
lately, mounted the altar stwos end de
livered the following idmedl "Ladies
i and gentlemen will please keen theH 1
• seats till the corpse passes out. *
As the season for patung aifey furs
has arrived it may he well to mention
that in Russia furrier? are said to pre
serve skins from moths by |fee sipipla
expedient of wrappm g grb a 4ki ns
quills containing quicksilver loosely
corked.
When asked by a friend how She
liked her new name MisS Nellie Grant
was able to packer np her pretty dionth
enough to say that "'lt is .Stfterisfae
tory," and her friends feel a calm con
fidence that after thai she cannot be
sea-sick.
There is a woman Living in Pcncador
Hundred, New Castle ootinly, Dela
ware, who his been married fwenty
fonr years, and whq last week gave
birth to her twenty-third* chilck wbtfch
makes her record one child per yaar
since Iter marriage.
A London street performer, nick
named " Iron Jaw," recently died In
the Larness. He lifted enorcibns
weights with his teeth and some jitnes
flung them over his head. In attempt
ing to perform thia latter feet with a
weighted cask he broke his back.
A gentleman speaking of a friend who
was prostrated by illness, remarked that
"he can hardly recover, since his rim
stitution is all gone." "If h consti
tution is all gone." aaid a bVkUndef,
** I dot see how he lives at all." " O,"
responded the wag, "he lives on the by
laws."
The Alabama State Journal has a
picture in its " mind's eye ** wherein,
the time being ten years the
Southern rivers will be dofftHi with
manufactories like the r.vera of New
England, and fringed vita towns
swarming with Lionel t, industrious op
eratives.
A keen witted servant girl in Troy,
N. Y., told the milkman the other day
that he gave his oowa too much salt.
" How do yon know that I" said the
lac teal-is t. " Sure I kin toll be the milk
that tbey dhrink too much warier i
--tirely !"*s:ud the girL The milkntmi
drove off in a harry.
A dlvoroe suit in Georgia has result
ed tragically. Mrs. Brinklcy of New
nan, applied for a divorce faom her
husband, Stephen B. Brinhley. A*
she was likely to win, the husband
stabbed her to the heart, killing bfr
! almost instantly. She .eaves two
little girls and a* baby.
It is complained In Canada that
skilled mechanics come out by aiwh'ted
passages from England, and are there
; given a free ticket from Point Lewis to
i London, Hamilton, Toronto, who
j have no idea of remaining a day in On
tario, but get through to the United
I States as quickly as possible.
Gen. Totleben, the defender of Be
bastopol, has been sent by the F.tnperor
oi Russia on a mission to the Meuuen
ites with the objeot of deterring them
frdm emigrating to America. They
were about to fly from the severity of
the new Russian military law. It now
appears that the Czar intended to grant
special exemption to the members of
thijs sect, but his instructions were mis
understood by the officials. They are
to be subject only to duty in military
hospitals.
This story comes from Brittany : A
passenger train arrived at St. Bileuo
recently hulf an boar late, ft quarrel
having arisen between tbe engineer and
stoker, which they determined to fight
ont, hk> et nunc. The train was stopped
in an open space, and tbe oombattants
fought their duel in an adjoining field,
despite the protests of the terrified
passengers. They were, however, pre
vailed upon to resume the regulator and
tbe poker, and the train taiely lauded
at St. Brieuc, where the pugnacious
Automedon and his mate were arrested.