pre THE WHEEL. Bee the wheeler with his wheel, silent wheel, : How many murderous thoughts piss through our mind as past he steals; As be glides along the pave With the silenee of the grave, And the cry tallicio glittering of nickel plated steel Bursts upon the enraptured sight, As it flashes dazzling bright, Till the gamins with delight {Which the ordinary mortal and pedestrian cannot feel), Yell out; “see the blooming hijit on his altitood’'nous wheel,” On his lofty and exalted and velocclpedio wheel, On his whee!, wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel, On bis lofty a 1d velocipedic wheel, Hear the th kiing of his bell, Lattle bell, As it warns the folks to give him room before be gives them Tophet, And he dings it all the while, With a feeble, vacant smile, As he works nis number twelve in arhyth mic kind of style, And the people, ah ! they think, ABS they hear that tinkle tink : “Here comes old Darwin's lost one! here comes the missing ink,” And they positively feel Like smashing up his wheel, And implanting cn his pantaloonsz some wounds that wouldn't heal ; That would cause him to stand upright as he takes his midday meal, And would give him heaps Of trouble ashe sat upon his wheel, On his wheel, wheel, wheel, wheel, whee’, wheel, wheel. On Li: nickel-plated, highly-polisbed wheel slime A Gambler's wife. s— “What new beauty have we here, Carl 7” I asked, taking a small color- ed pictare from among the mass of papers, pamphlets, wrapping ‘paper, ete., that covered the table and floor of the library and which would have told plainly enough to all acquain- tances that Carl was at home once more, after this, his longest rambie in foreign lands, without the corrobo- rating testimony of cigar smoke, or the lounging figure in the rocking- chair. Fcr this brother of mine never spent over six months of the year in the beautiful country home of his child: hood, giving the other six to whatever place or people promised most enter- tainment on short notice. The last three months had been spent in Paris, 80 I conjectured the little gem of art 1 held in my hand was a French beauty ; the pure outlines and exqui- site complexion looking most life like as they smiled up at me from the tinted eard. But notwithstanding the great beauty of contour and fea- ture there was a frightened, almost hunted look in the dark eyes that told of tragedy, or at least anticipated it. “Who 1s she, Carl ? The eyes affect me strangely, with their wild fright- ened look. There is a reign of terror in them equal to the one her ancestors passed through. I almost see the shadow of the guillotine in their vel vety depths.” “Let me see; ah, my little sister, may you never know so hard a fate as this poor girl encountered and suc- combed to. No, she is not French—a Russian—but married to a French- man.” And Carl took the picture from my hand and placed it on a small easel above his desk, **I will tell you sbout her, Louie, if you have an hour, and I will you why I told you. “It was while Tom Barnes was with me last June, and when we left Versailles for Paris, that I first saw Madame Literre—though I think the name an sssumed one. We had to run to prevent being lett, I remember, and Barnes, out of humor because of it, plunged his face into his book and left me to my own resources, “Assoon as I was comfortably set tiled I, as usual, began scrutinizing my traveling companions, and to try to imagine who and what they were There were four besides ourselves in the carriage. One a quiet, iniddle aged Eoglishman, who was soon ssleep in his corner. The two who sat next myself were evidently man and wife, though he paid ber none of the attention and politeness usually accorded ic public, even if dispensed with privately. ““He was a pale, quiet man of twenty- five perhaps, richly but quietly dressed, and seemingly taking no notice of any one around him. The wife, too, was pale, and much as she looks in that little piciure. Her dress, though sim- ple, was perfect, and evidently the production of some first-rate artist. Her whole siyle proclaimed her at once to be.ong to the higher order of society. “Ske seemed to be suffcring and frequently put her hand to her fore ;and I observed upon the deli- eately-formed, ungloved hand a costly diamond, Itwasabesuty; andl e Jjoyed looking at the flashing gems as she caregsed a smull English dog that often looked up at her with affection. ate recognition, “The other passenger I could not make out at all, He was elderly, com- monly dressed, and with secant gray hair and heavy whiskers, His plerc ing eyes were fr quently placed on the silent young married couple. And then he seemed as utterly oblivious of them as they of him, What was his nationality ? Was he with them or a stranger like myself? I could not tell, And the more I looked the more a uncertain I became. I thought, too, there seemed an effort at disguise, He kept his tace averted all he could, consistent with his watchfulness of the quiet young husband whom he eyed at times so persistently, “We sped along over the beautiful road, each absorbed in his own reflec tions, broken only by an occasional low sigh from the lady, and soon ar- rived st our destination. The train 8 odped, and, as none of my compan- ions showed any disposiiion to move first, 1 aroused Barnes from the depths o’ his romance and we left the car- riage. “Dinner over, we went to the thea- ter, and afterward by the persuasion of a friend, to a private gambling. house, I was greatly surprised, on entering, to see my elderly traveling companion seated at the table, his eyes and manner keen as ever, and deep in a game of rouge ef noir. It was early yet, and very few people were present; but every sound was hushed and the the game went on in dead silence, broken only by the volces of the dealers, calling the result of t'e games, and tne ratthng of the gold as it was raked from one to another, The old An seemed in luck, for the time being, snd wop ev ry game. I thought a gleam of satisfaction shone over his face as the door opened and our other traveling acquaintance from Ver sailles—the quiet, careless husband,en- tered and sat down to play. “I did not play that night ; and my whole attention was given to those two. The young man lost from the first deal. Rouleau after rouleau was swept from the table by his watchful old opponent ; but still he played on. The large sums he lost, and his pile, excited face, deeply interested me, and I stayed on and watched him un- til late at night, when he left the room his last napoleon gone, “After supping at a coffee-house I went back to my room at the hotel, but for some cause could not sleep. The heat was oppressive and my room small; besides, the game I had been watohing had excited me strangely, and I only fell into a troubled sleep near morning. “1 was awakened about daylight hy voices in the adjoining room—those of a man and woman, evidently. The man's voice was low and pleading, and the woman seemed to be crying. I could hear enough to understand that she was refusing him some request, for his tone became loud and threatening and at last I heard him Say : ‘If you refuse me, you seal my ruin and your ewn. I have no more gold —and I must have the diamonds to retrieve myself,’ Hysterical sobs were the only answer he received, and he contin. ued : “Something tells me I shall win to- night, and I must have the ring.” “ ‘Never, Charles! Icannot givelit up. It Is all I have left. It was my mother's, and I will not let it leave me,’ “The man’s voice was so choked with passion that his words were in- articulate, but with a burst of wild anger he left, slamming the door after him. The woman's sobs became lower, her crying ceased, and 1 fell intc another nap, not waking until near 10, “ I saw neither of my gambling ac- quaintances that day, and the night found me again in M. Carlo’s rooms. The old man was again on hand, not satisfied, I thought, with his winnings otf the night before—and again I saw a gleam of satisfaction croes his face as his victim of the previous evening came in and got ready to play. “ Make your game—the game is made up!” cried the dealer, and was about to deal the cards when the young man who had just entered called out in a loud voice : * Fifty napoleons upon the red!” Seeing he placed no money upon the table, the croupier paused a moment, then said ; * Bir, vou must stake the monny.” The gambler started and turned paler than ever, a long, shuddering gigh hroke from hin as he felt first in one pocket, then in another, and final. ly grasped nis hst and fled from the room. The playing went on for a while longer, and then one by one they went out, leaving only the st tendants, the old keen eyed gambler and myself present. Bomething--an undefinable feeling of interest in the unhappy young man who had left the house in such despair a short tim» before~-held me there. I must see if he returned. ‘Suddenly the door opened and he ran in, as if fleeing for his life. I shall never forget that sight, Louie, His face was ghastly, his dress disor dered, and he trembled as though with ague. As he rushed up to the table, in the strong glare of the lights I saw grest drops of perspiration standing on has brow, He thrust his hand in his pocket and tossed a ring down before his cpponent, “There! itis worth 10,000 francs. Now cover my giakos,” he cried. Sul instantly recognized the beauti. ful diamond as the one his wife had worn in the cars, and the conversa- tion I had heard that morning came back to my mewory, and [ knew my fellow travelers were the man and woman I had heard disputing in the early morning hours. But he had succeeded in overcoming her deter mination, for he had the ring, and my heart ached for t he poor wife as 1 wondered how he had obtained it. “Red! I bet on the red!” again shouted the young man; and in a moment the croupier ealled ‘Black wins!” and the ring was no longer his. “With a wild ery the wretched loser fled from the house; and com- pletely unmanned by what I had seen, I returned to my hotel, hoping the young man would soon follow me, “I found them all—travelers, pro prietor and servants, wild with excite- ment over the murder of a beautifal Russian lady. An hour before her maid had gone to her room and found her deluged in blood from a wound in ber head, and dead. The husband had been in and left some few mo- ments before. I went up to her apart- ment and to the bed where she lay. Her exquisite face was fairer than In life, for it had lost the unhappy look, and seemed at peace. As I turved to leave the room I saw this pictare among a heap of things turned out of a man’s traveling case, and appropri- ated it. Probably the husband had tossed it there in his search for some valuables to 1isk at the gaming table “The miserable man took his life be- fore he was at prehended for his crime, and the old gambler who, first in one disguise, then in another, had follow ed the easily-duped victim from city to city and won many thousands from nim, left Paris before the husband and wife were carried to their last resting place in the beautiful burying ground where his forefathers slept. “Loule, this is why I refused to play even with Howard, last evening. I have never tHuchel cards since, and 1 never can again.” ————————— A ANI ARS — A Milanese Beauty. —— Yet I cannot help being inflamme. ble, especially in the neighborhood of Milan, which is surely responsible for the prettiest women in the world. With their wavy figures, nut-brown eyes, marble-veined complexions, and rich, black dresses, they would move an anthropoblologist (whatever he means in English), Jet alone a poet. So it was I fll in love, in and for ten minutes, under Mrs, Bdbus' eyes, at an open-air breakfast on the Isola Bella—and that my passion was re- turned. We never spoke, but we loved, Bhe was obviously engaged to the gentleman who was with her, but that did not matter. Bhe was so pleased with my frank, but I trust respectful, adoration from the next table, that she changed her seat, and put he rself, with a grace beyond the reach of art, in the light best caleu- lated for me tostudy her. When she left she made a Parthian turn, and gave me just one bow and smile, in which the moet presumptuous of men oould have detected nothing wrong—which were a privilege. 1 rushed to the strangers’ book, and found her name was Antonleita Co, of Milan. Burnames are as Coarles Buarface says, too formal to be regis. tered in love's calendar. Besides, the gentleman looked flery and might see this. And Italians fight duels, and I do not. Bat the surname was even more beautiful than the Christian, And, oh! Antonietta C——, If ever you should read this, remember a poet who for that one glimpse would goto the world's end for you, if he had not #0 many other things to do, and if Mrs, Balbus did not say : “Tom, you are simuply foo lish 1” Sst The Philosophy of Mad." “I don’t believe in bein’ afraid of your temper,” suid Mrs. Johnson, eu- ergetically. “1 say fight it out and conquer it. If the Oid Harry comes into my family I want to mect him right off, The other night my boy came home ugly as ein, He was all tired out; somebody had been sassy to him, and he had been nursing the devil all day long, preparin’ an over. powerin’ reply. I went up to his room, Now, he's never cross to me; but that night he growled out: ‘Mother, i wish you would go down stairs and mind your business.” I sstdowo and took hold of his hands, and taen I boxed his ears a little. [ wanted him to realize my presence before I began wasting my breath, Thea I scolde. him. I scolded him steady for an hour and a half, and when I got through I could wind him round my little finger. * Mother,’ he sald, ‘I sup pose I am sort of hot-beaded.’ * Hot headed !' says I, ‘you're just Hke a little busted pepper.’ Folks ask me why 1 don’t get mad, I tell 'em I ain't rich enough. It's as disablin’ asa fitof slok« ness. When 1 keep my own carriage I'm going to stir up just as many rows se my neighbors; but as long as I keep boarders for a livin' 1 hain’t got no time for temper or tears,” “ Getting Ancient Toilets, EE The use of cosmetics 'n connection with the bath prevailed among wie wealthy women of a very remote period At the magnificent court of Ahasuer- us, in the seventh year of his reign, the following elaborate processes of “purification” were prescribed for the maidens destined for the King’s ha rem : Being ‘gathered together into Bhushan the palace to the custody of Hegal, keeper of the women,” they abode in the "women’s house’ and “'s0 were the days of their purification accomplished, to wit: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odcrs, and with other tnings for the purifying of women” (Esther ii, 8 12), The Bong of Bongs is rich in figurative allusions to these “sweet odors,” its last rapturous note echoing from ‘‘the mountains of spi- ces,”” myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the m+ rchant,” “cam- phir, with spikenard and s:ffren ; ealamus and cinnamon, with aii trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices ;” “my hands dropped myrrh, and my fing rs sweets smelling myirh ;"” “his cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet floweis; his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smel- ling myrrh ;” the “mandrakes’”’ and the “pleasant fruits.”’ It is most interesting to learn, in connection with another couplet of this equisite song, "My beloved is un to me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi,” that En gedl is ths eneonly place in all Palestine where camphor still grows. This plant is better known by its Arablan name henia ; itis a tall shrub, whose white and yellow flowers grow in clusters, like our familiar lilac. The Eastern women are still fond of wear- fog these fragrant blossoms in their hair or their bosoms; but itis as an ancient dye thatthe plant has come into special notice, The dried leaves of the henna were crushed and made into a paste with water, and applied to the palms of the hands, to the nails of fingers and toes, and to the hair, if the discovery of gray threads should be unwelcome, It was used by the men to dye the hair and beard, and even applied sometimes to celcr the mane and tail ofa favorite horse. The an- tiguity of this custom is demonstrated by its frequent mention by writers of a very early period, and even more con- clusively by the fact that the nails of some Egyptian mummies (especially those of women) still retain the ttain of dye. Painting the eyebrows and eyelids with kohl was another Eastern fash- isn (not yet extinet) of equal popular- ity. Tle large languishing black eye shaded with long derk lashes, has doubtless always been the distinguish- ing feature of beauty in the dusky daugl ters of the East; and it is not surg rising that they have tenaciously retained a practice supposed to en- hance its size and brightness. The black powder called kohil was made of several substances ; stibium, or anti mony, with zine and oll; or burnt alwond shells, mixed with liban, a sort of frankincense, also burnt; an other sort was made of powder of lead ore, and was considered not only or- namental, but beneficial, by reason of e+ rtain medicinal properties. This kohl was kept in boxes or vials of wood, stone or pottery, having several compartments, and often highly orna- mented. It was applied with a small stick ef wood, ivory or silver, which was first wet in rose water dipped into the black powder, and drawn carefully along the edges of the eyelids, both upper and under. In the same way the arch of the eyebrow was darkened and elongated. This practice of eye painting must have been 1n great pop- ularity as early as the time of Job ; for Keren-happuch, the name of the youngest of his three besutiful daughters, signifies ‘a hom for paint;” that Is, ‘“‘a bottle for kohl" It was esteemed a great mark of beauty that the eyebrows should meet over the nose in the form of a bow; and It was common to imitate nature in this respect by the use of kohl ; but this had to be removed in seasons of mourning, snd, if the hair sclually grew there it must be 1 locked out. In ‘he toilet of that rare Jewish beauty of the apocryphal story Judith, the widow of Mansses which was made in the highest interest of re ligion and patriotism, as expounded in the day of that historical fiction ,— there is so full a recapitulation of the several customs in connection with women's dress, that it secms appro priate 10 introduce the description in closing the subject. The narrative reads thus: “She put off the garment ot her widowhood, and washed her body all over with watir, and an. ointed herself with precious oint- ment, and braided the hair of her head and put a tire upon it, and put on her garments of gladness. She took sandals upon her feet, and put about her her bracelets and her chains snd her rings and her esrcings wnd all ber ornaments, and decked herself bravely.” - Why ia a oateryillar like » fresh loaf of bread ? Because it is the grub that makes the butter fly, ¥ Human Wear and Tear, Itis not desirable to enter very fully into the duties of railway men, for these must vecessarily be tedious to the reader. With regard to the work of signalmen, engine-drivers, and guards, it mey be well to polut out that the pature of their employ. ment is more difficult, and involves a geater mental and physical strain than the work engaged in by the ordinary artisan, while it is also very much longer continued. A signalman is of. ten called upon to work a stretch of twelve hours (many signalmen work their whole number of hours at one stretch), during which he can barely find leisure to swallow his food. He nas to manage the levers (many are extremely heavy), the disk, bell, and single-needle instruments, and the line-clear book. Net only does his work involve great physicel fatigue, but it is also harassing and anxious to a degree incomprehensible to one who has never been inside a signal-box, and who, consequently, cannot realize how easily a mistake may occur. The signalman knows the terrible results that may follow upon an set of care- lessness, and when he ls depressed or out of health the verdict of man- slaughter looms before him, The engine driver must look out for signals, regulate the runniug of the train, and keep his engine under con- trol. He remains standing the whole length of the journey, exposed more or lees to snow and storm, lightning and burning sun ; sore feet and rheu- matism are frequently the result, The guard is obliged to watch the white light or all-right sigual, the green light or caution signals, and tne red light or danger signals ; to regulate the breaks of the slip coaches attached to some express and fast trains, and in case of accident to protect the train by going back one mile to place deto- uators on the rails. The day’s work of the artisan is nine hours, and his week's work fifty-four hoars; the day's work of the railway servant varies from ten to twelve hours, and his week's work from sixty to eighty- four hours. The artisan’s nine hours are done regularly in each twenty-four hours, walle the railway servant, ow ing to the exigencies of his occuration, is sometimes called upon to perform two days of work, or twenty to twen- ty-four hours, at one stretch, and then he is sent off duty for an equal period. The artisan is paid at a greatly en- hanced rate for time worked on week days over his nine hours, while the rellway servant, with some exceptions, is paid at the ordinary rate for such time; and on some railways, and in some grades, he is not paid at all The artisan ends his work at 2 o'clock on Baturday, and resumes duty at 7 o'clock on Monday, afl<r en- Joyiog a day and a half of uninter- rupted rest; the railway servant's week Is often without beginning or ending, and he capnot be said to possess one regular day free from toll The evil consequences resulting from the systematic overwork of rallway men may be summarized as follows: Incressed mortality and ill health from alleged natural causes, overwork being without doubt productive of premature death and premature old age ; loss of regular rest and neces:ary recreation ; non-pariicipation in home life and consequent non-fulfiliment of the fanctions of heads of families ; loss, wholly or the part, of the rest and privileges of Bunday ; demoral zation, the outcome of physical fatigue and exhausted energies. Bystematic over. work, it will be allowed, is not com- patible with continued attention to da: ffl ult and important duties, It pro- duces listlessness, and this adds to the risk of sccidents happening to both railway servants and passengers; for excessive periods of labor cause men to fail asleep at their posts, and force them to neglect the constant care and unceasing witchfulness necessary in ordir to insure the safety of their own lives and the lives of the public. It cannot, therefore, be doubted that many of the casualities on the line are indirectly caused by the de moralizgation produced among railway men from excessive toil and want of rest, A man who wo: ks sixteen hours daily, when the strain is over, returns to his family too tired to take interest in home matters, too cross io attend to wife or children, only fit to drone over the fire or to creep worn oui to bed— again, sfier a few hours of sleep, to be roused, half-rested, with aching body, "heavy limbs, and jaded spirit, fer the renewed performance of a round of monotonous toil. Hoch aman, living at a mile's distance from his place of employment, is roused at five o'clock in the merning and reaches his work by six o'clock. He returns at ten o'clock in the evening, and if he goes straight to bed obtains six hours of sleep. How can the habitation of that man be called a “home 7" The Nineteenth CO, enryut MB A. | Small Jokes. Sn Perhaps you like conundrums 7 Very well, here is a few dished up just on purpose. We have lots more that we may let fly some othér time; Health journals insist upon reposing on the right side only, and claim that it Is injurious to lie on both sides; but we don’t know where they will find a healthier set of men than lawyers. They were out sleighing. '' Gussie, dear,” said she, us she leaned a tender cheek on his manly.-checked ulster, “why are these snow flakes like your mustache 7’ This pleased him, even to have it noticed. * I don’t know, pet,” he murmured innocently, * Why are they 7’ *‘ Because they are slow coming down.” He drove with beth haude, after this. An Iowa paper has supplied s longe« felt want by giving to the public an obituary notice that bears upon Its face the stamp of honesty. It says: “He gained his riches by loaning money snd handling notes and mort. gages, had a state-wide name for his litigation in various counties and in the Bujreme Courts, was grasping and hecriless in his transactions, became divorced from his wife, and died with. out a friend.” Ajlivery stable-keeper nawed Spurr would never let a horse go out without requesting the lessee not to drive fast. One day a young man called to get & turnout to attend a funeral. * Cer- tainly,” sald Spurr, * but,” he added, forgetting the solemn purpose for which the young man wanted the horse, ‘don’t drive fast.” * Why, jest look s-here, old fellow,” sald the somewhat excited young msn, “IL want you to understand that I shall keep up with the procession—if it kills the horse,” An old story is being revived of a prayer-meeting held tor a poor fellow’s relief who had broken his leg. While Deacon Brown was praying a tall fel- low with an ox-goad knocked at the door, saying, ** Father could not come, but sent his prayers in the cart.” They were potatoes, beef, pork and corn. “] ean't give you this paper, Tommy, to read, because there are some things you mustn't see.” “Well, Auntie, just put a mark against the m, and I'll know which they sre, Tit-Bits of Humor. What is that which a cat has but Do other animal has 7? Kittens. What is the difference between a girl and a night cap? One is born to wed and the other is worn to bed. Why Is it easy to break into an old man’s house? Because his gate (gait) is broken and his locks are few. What is the difference between = hungry man and a glutton ? One longs to eat and the other eats too long. What is the diffcrence between a cashier and a schoelmsster? One tills the mind while the other minds the till What is the difference between a fisherman and a lazy school boy ? One baits his hook and the other hates his book, What is the difference between = tube and a foolish Dutchman? One is a hollow cylinder and the other a silly Hollander. Why is a watch dog larger at night than he 18 in the morning? Because he is let out at night and taken in in the morning. W. D. Banks, of Clayton Ga., has the boss cow. He says a man can pick her up and tote her; then set her down and milk her, and he can’t tote the milk. A woman bas suggested that when men break their hearts it is all the same as when a lobster breaks one of his claws, ancther sprouting immedi- ately and growing in its place, When a boy falls into the walter what is the first thing he does ? He gets wet, Women seldom stop to think. True enough, but they never fail to stop and talk. The husband who finds himself cone futed in argument by bis wife ine stantly begins to out-roar her. sy Corp BLAW.~Beat the yolks of four eggs to a light cream, then stirgradusle ly into them five tablespoonfuls of cider vinegar. Add two or three tesspoon- fals of sugar and stir the mixture over the fire until it begins to thicken like boiled custard ; then remove and add a tesspoonfal of butter and nearly a a teaspoonful of anchovy mustard, Set the sanoce apon ice to become cold, and pour it over the sliced cabbage Just before serving. Celery Is often mixed with the cabbage for this salad. Hittite Inscriptions never before noted have been found by two Gere mane, Dre. Bester and Puchstein, on a lofty cliff of the mountain called the Nimrod Dagh, a part of the Taurus moge in Asin Minor, where the Euv phrates breaks through. The inseripe cn the terraces of (Le mountalx
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers