PFERVERSITY.
Riches we wish to get,
Yet remain spendthrifts still;
We would have health, ana yet
8till use our bodies ill;
Bafflers of our own prayers, {rom youth
life's Inst scenes,
We would have inward peace,
Yet will not look within;
We would have misery cease,
Yet will not cease from sin;
We want all pleasant end, but will use no
harsh means,
We do not what we ought,
What we ought not, we do,
And lean upon the thought
That chance will bring us through;
Bat our own acts, for good or ill, are might.
ler powers.
But next, we would reverse
The scheme ourselves have spun,
And what we made to curse
We now would lean upon,
And feign kind gods, who perfect what
man vainly tries.
TREE LEE.
THE ROUK SCORPIONS,
The screw steamer Jenny Jones was
lying alongside a coal bulk at Gibraltar
one October afternoon, By three o'clock
her bunkers were nearly filled, and the
captain was getting ready for casting
off. when one of the natives came
aboard. Captain Hindhaugh looked
about for something to throw at the
visitor, and only the difficulty of select-
ing an efficient missile from a large and
varied assortment prevented him from
lettmg fly at once,
The Scorpion said, ‘Ah, no, mo,
Qapeetan! No been throw nothing at
myself, Beesiness!—I'se been com’ for
beesiness, Big thing, Capeetan!”
The last phrase was spoken with such
a profound wink tbat Hindhaugh neld
his hand, and, addressing the man as
one would an ill-conditioned dog, said:
“Don’t keep bowing and scraping there,
you tastrel. Get it out, sharp!”
The Beorpion whispered: “No been
talk up here, Keep ship one hour, two
hour, three hour. You'se been com’
with me, and I speak you somethin’
myself.”
Like niany of his tribe, this interest-
ing native spoke a kind of Enghsh
whieh is not heard anywhere else on the
Mediterranean shore. A few of the
people on the Rock learn to speak very
well to our men, but most of those who
onme about the ship use a preturesque
lingo 1m which ‘‘myself” takes the
pirce of quite a vanety of parts of
speech,
Hindhaugh invited the man below,
and asked him to explain himself, The
fellow leaned over the 1able and chat-
tered on, throwing quick side glances
at every few worde,
“This been big thing, Capeetan,
You get away a little; drop your anchor
a little, Then three felucea com’ along
side, smd you'se been hoist bales,
Then youw'se go where agent say you.
Very big thing, Five thousand sover-
eign.”
“What is il? Tobacco?”
“That been if.”
“Where for?”
“Huelva.”
“I'm not going out of Portugugse
walers at any price.”
“Ah, no, no, Cheesu, Capeetan—no!
Five mile. We have felucea there ready,
1'se been seen him myself.”
“What's the figure?
money?’
“You com’ shore and see agent with
mysell,”
Hindhaugh put a revolver in has
pocket aud went on deck; the Scorpion
got ushore and hung about with an aur
innocence, The Captain was about to
foliow, when the man in charge of the
hulk calied out, **Do you inteud to keep
bumping us like thus all night? Why
don't you cast off? You're knocking us
to flinders.”
Hindhsugh beckoned. ‘Look here,
my good chap, 1t won't matter to you
for a couple of hours; let us lie till
dusk, and then I'll get away. [I've got
important business ashore,”
“That's very weil, Captain, But
look Lere, if there's anything en, 1'm
in it, You understand—I'm 1a 18.”
“Yeu understand that, do you, Well,
then, 1'll tell you to keep your mouth
shut just now, or never another ton of
coal will yon put aboard of us as long
as 1 run here,”
“*All right, Captain, No need to
You'll do the square thing, I
What's the
Then Hindhsugh went ashore, and
the Scorpion walked on ahead, gazing
on architectural beauties with an easy
interest, Presently the two men came
to a narrow stairway, and the English-
man gripped hie revolver, A dark-eyed
Spamard was wailing on a landing, and
held up two fingers when the guide
passed, ‘The Beorpion knocked at a
greasy door, and an ugly fellow, with a
cowl on, locked out and nodded, Hind-
haugh stepped into the room that reeked
of garlic und decay. Two men sat in
the steamy dusk at the far side. An
oily gentleman rose and bowed. “I'm
the interpreter, Captain, You and this
merchant must do bushess through
me, What'll you take Ww drink?”
“Get through with your business,
Mister. I'm not wanting any drink.”
In bnel, jerky sentences the inter-
preter expluned what was wanted.
“You steam slowly nll you get near
the fleet. Then put sll your men on
and get the staff up, This man goes
with you, and he'll tell you where to
go. Lie tive miles off Huelva.”
“§ shan’t go except to Portuguese
waters,”
“Good. Then the lighters will come
and the men will discharge you,”
**And now,” said the captain, '‘what
about we? How much?”
*One hundred and twenty »
“Can't be done, Make it two hun-
dred aud fifty,”
After some haggling a bargain was
made for Iwo hundred and twenty.
Then Hindhasugh went further:
“1 want one hundred and sen down
before we sturt, and the balance before
you take an outice of tobacco out of
us.
This wan settled; io marshant powel
and the skipper went a
Shel Bia han? on the Tovomer. Every
cranny 1a the walls seemed to hide a
murderer—seemed made for nothing
else, and Hiudbaugh thought what a
a fool he must have been to venture un-
der that arch,
On getting aboard tho captain sent
for his brother, who sailed mate with
him. He said: ‘Now, Jack, I'm going
to run some rick. Yon take this pistol
and get her oiled and put right. When
you see three felucoas coming alongside
get all the chaps on deck-—the Dora's
crew as well as ours,” (Hindbaugh was
taking home a shipwrecked crew, and
he was grateful just then for the acces-
sion of toree.) “‘Whaek on everything
you know and get the bales up sharp
Tell the engineer to stand by for driv-
ing her, and leave the rest to me, If
we're nailed we'll be detained, and I
don't knew what may happen, so you'll
have to look sippy.”
8 ack replied, "All right, sir!” Qoar-
terdeck manners were punotiliously ob-
served by each of the brothers.
+ The shadows fell low, and the crown
of the rock grew dim. The creeping
wind stole over the Pearl Rock, and set
the sinister ripples dancing. The
bugles sang mysteriously through the
gloom, and the mystery of the night
was in the air, The Jenny Jones stole
quietly toward the broad sheet of water
where the vessels of the fleet heaved
up their shadowy bulk above the lap-
ping flood. A'l the English sailors
were stripped to the shirt, and a low
hum of excited talk cams from aoud-
ships, Suddenly the raking yard of a
felucea started out from smid the haze;
then oame another and another, A
seilor shipped a cork fender over the
side, and there was a muflled bump and
a slight scrape. Jack, the mate, whisp-
ered, **Now, you cripples!” and a brief
scene of wild harry and violent labor
ensued, Bale after bale was whisked
on board; the Englishmen worked as
only English sailors can, aud the Soeor-
pions excelled themselves under the in-
fluence of fear and black wine. When
the last bale was up Hindbungh said to
man who had first boarded them,
“Who's got the money?’
“Me, Capeetan, All right. Honest
man mys lf. You'se been have every
dollar,”
“Well,
We have
into the
out,”
The Scorpion counted out one hun.
dred pounds in gold, and then asked:
“That be enough? Other money be
all right other end.”
“Dence a nt,
ten or L'll sliver you."
The Beorpion did not know what
sliver meant, but the gleam of the
skippers cold eye was enough for him,
He paid up and went on deck,
Iindhaugh had just said to the en-
he
ther it's nothing
half
Hal
Gut,
neck or i
our to clear out
below and shell
an
Come
when a panting sound was heard, and a
water, The captain had let the feluceas
go, and the Jenny Jones was moving,
He waved for the mate. “It's all up.
Here's a mess, You must go home over-
land-—suppose you swim ashore, Sleady
the men down.”
Jack perforthed ofie or two steps of a
He rather enjoyed a scrape, did
this frivolous chief officer, The white
shape came nearer, and a sharp whistle
sounded, Hindhaugh had known well
enough that it was a steam-lanneh that
made the panting noise, and he got
ready for the worst, The launch drew
right across the bows of the steamer,
and then the throbbing of the little en
gines ceased. Again the whistle sound-
ed; the launch gave a bound forward;
then she struck away in the darkness,
and Hindhaugh drew a long breath,
In an instant every possible ounce of
steam was put on, and the Jenny Jones
went away at eleven knots toward the
Gut, All night long the firemen were
kept hard at it, and before morning the
Bock was far asterc of the driving
steamboat,
Three of the Scorpions had staid
aboard, and Captain Hindhaugh noticed
that they carried kmves, He noticed,
too, that the cringing manner which the
fellows had shown before the Rock was
cleared had given piace to s sort of
subdued swagger.
About noon the engines were slowed
down almost to nothing, and the Jenny
Jones crept on slowly toward the shore,
By 4 o'clock the vessel was well into
Portuguese waters, avd Hindhaugh was
prepared to dofy any quantity ol Span-
ish coast guards, When the sun had
dipped low the Beorpion-in-chief came
and puinted mysteriously to the north-
east,
‘“You'se been look where I point my-
self. Feluccas! You'se follow them in
and drop anchor.”
Hiodbaugh smiled. “Do you think
you're talking to & fool? Come you be-
low there, aud let me have the other
money sharp,”
“Ab, Capeetan, Wait till agent's
man come with felucen, ['se been have
no money myself.”
Hindhsugh was not a person to be
trifled with, He quietly took out his
revolver, ‘Now, do you see that pretty
thing? First shot for yon, Look at
that block forrad, and see how much
chance you'll have if 1 fire at you.” The
pon of the revolver sounded, and then
Hindhaugh went forward, pulling the
Scorpion with him, ‘Do you see that
hole, you image? How would you like
it if that was your gizzard? Now, no
games, my joker,’
The Boorpion begged for time, and
Hindhaugh was so sure of his man that
he made no further objection. He had
another eonference with Jack, and, to
that worthy 's great delight, he expressed
gong to have a fight over
this job,” said the “I'm dead
sure of it, Co down and load the two
hen the ters do come,
row the wy en rods, I've lent
the steward my bowie that I at
Chiarismon, snd you Sai hold
at straig © mustn't
show I of funking.
Then Hindhsugh and brother
called for tea and fed solidly,
usual scraping bump, and then he heard
a sudden thunder of many feet. The
second mate sung out, ‘Here's half a
bundred of these devil's, sir. They're
all armed to the teeth.” And sure
enough, a set of ferocious-looking rap-
sonllions had boarded the steamer,
They looked hke low-class Irishmen,
browned with walnat-jnice, Each man
had a heavy array of pistols in his sash,
and all of them carried ugly knives,
The Beorpion waved to the gang, and
they arranged themselves around the
pile of bales that stuck out throngh the
after-hatoh, Hindhaugh had fully dis.
counted all the chances, and had made
up his mind to one thing—he wouldn't
be “done.”
The Scorpion imperiously observed:
“Come below, Capeetan,” and Hind-
haugh went, Then the defiant native
of the Rock pnt his back against the
cabin door, heaved ont his chest In a
manly way, and smd:
‘*Now, Capeetan, you no have more
money. You spsak much and I'se been
get your throat cut myself,”
‘You've got no money?”
“No; not a damn dollar,”
“You won't keep your bargain?”
‘No. You come shore for your money
if you want him.”
Hindhaugh made up his mind in a
flash, In spite of his habit of wearing
a frock-coat and tall hat, he was more
than half a pirate, aud he would have
ruffled it like his red-bearded ancestors
Lad fighting been still the usual employ-
ment of the Norsemen, He marked
his man's throat and saw that the in-
solent hands could not get at a knife
quickly, Then he sprang at the Scor-
pion, gripping him by the windpipe,
and swung him down. The fellow
gurgled, but he couldn't ery ont, Hind.
haugh called the steward, and that
fanetionary came out of bis den with
the long bowie, *'Sit on him.” said the
captain. *‘Af he stirs cut his throa:,
Now, you, if you move a finger you're
done” The steward straddled across
the Scorpion and held the knife up in
sarcastic way.
x and
ring
though
but wnen he
man lay hold of a bale he
him, “Tell them I'll shoot the
first man that tries to iift a bale till I'm
res iv.
iis message brought on a torrent of
talk, which gave the captain time, He
whispered to Jack, “"Bueak yon around
through the engine room, That lighter’s
made fast forrad; the second one's fast
Get a hatchet from the carpenter
him alongside of the second
When I whistle twice both of
you nick the ropes, and we'll jink these
swindling swine,” The eugineer also
received orders to go full speed ahead
on the instant that the whistle sounded.
Hindhangh kept up his good humor,
although the full sense of the risk he
ran was in his mind. His threats of
shooting had made the NSpania
picious, although they were usad to big
talk of that kind. One peep iuto the
cabin would have brought on a eoliwsion,
and although the Eaglishmen might
have fought, there was nothing to gain
by a fight, Eversthing depended on
swiltness of sction, and Hindhaugh de-
termined grimly that if rapidity could
do anyihing he would tesch the "fur.
riners” a lesson for trying to swindle
bam,
He said, very politely: “We're all
ready now, You get your men aboard
the lighters and we'll soon
cargo over the side.” This was trans-
mitted to the smugglers, and immedi.
ately they swarmed abourd their own
voats, They had rather expected a
quarrel, and this pacific solution pleased
them, As Jack afterward said, “They
blethered like a lot o' wild geese,”
All these foreigners were goue but
three. Humduasugn stepped quietiy up
to the interpreter and ssid very low;
“I'm covering you with my revolver
from inside my pocket. Don’t you
stir,
paid?”
The interpreter bad been innocent of
all knowledge of the wild work iu the
cabin, He stammered, ‘I thought by
your way that it was all nght. Where's
our man?”
“I've got him safe enough, Ask
those fellows in the lighters if any of
them ean pay the freight for the job, If
doe
jadi
JA
swiftly on
among Lhe
smiled
Hindvaugh went
stepped night
Spaniards. He
“an
one
and set
and 1 can’t wuss you,”
No one, not even the consignee’s man,
bad any money: the smugglers had
meant to trick the revenue and the
English captain as well,
whistled and then roared out, *‘Lie
down, all of you; ram her ahead.”
The hatches went orack, crack;
steamer shuddered and plunged for.
ward, snd the lighters bumped swiftly
take you out to sea and drown you,"
, The three Spaniards rushed to the
side and took flying leaps into the
lighters; Hindhaugh stooped low and
rau to the compsnion, *“‘Let that beg-
gar up!” he shouted. The Scorpion
scuttled on deck, **Now, Mister, 1'li
see if you'll take me in. Over you go.
Over the stern with you, and unnd the
propeller doesn't carve you,” Two
shots were fired, but they went wild,
The Boorpion saw the whole situation;
he poised for a second on the rail and
then jumped for it, and Hindbeugh
Inughed lol a8 his enemy came up
blowing. J performed a trinmphant
war dance on the steamer’s bridge, and
the Jenny Jones was soon out of pistol
range.
All that night Oaptain Hindhaugh did
not sleep a wink, He was quite per-
suaded that he acted th
Bn
onging to the ruling
18 to do as he li
Hindhaugh da his sayin
slowly, “Not pn a by veo
to overboard, my boy.”
Oo Preteen Botums coniused., He
had been me assuring the cuble vviatent
lot the smuggled goods, aud the thought
i of wasting such a gift of the gods fairly
stunned him. Had ii been cotton, his
imagination would not nave been
touched, But bacoy! and overboard!
It was too much, and hs groaned, He
was ready with expdients at once
“Why not ran 1t to Holland?”
“Can't be done; where's our bill of
lading.
“Make one np yourself; you have
plenty of forms,”
“And suppose the luck goes the
wrong way. What's to happen to me
and to you, too, for that matter?”
“Run to a tobacco port and ware.
house the stuff in your ewn name,”
“We're not bound for a tobacco port,
What's to be done about the eargo of
ore that we're carrying? No, John, the
whole five thousand pounds must go
over the side.”
Next morning broke joyously, The
sea looked merry with miles of brisk
foam, and thelittle Portugnese schooners
flew like butterflies hither and thither,
Every cloud of spray plucked from the
dancing oreets flashed hike white tire
under the clear sun; it was oné
of the mornings when one
speak for gladness,
thonghts were fixed on material things,
| ence affected him like a sarcasm. The
{men were called aft, and the shovals
| used for trimming grain were hronght
up.
{of you take a pound or two of this to.
shovel the rest overboard.” The pre.
cious packages were burst and the sight
of the beantiful leaf, the richuess of
the tender aroma, affected the sailors
with remo:se, It was like offering up
a saerifl But the eaptain's orders
were definite, so until near noon the
shovels were plied smartly, and one
hundred weight after another of ad
mirable tobacco drifted away on the
¢ wreless Rea,
Hindhaugh watched grimly until at
lags | emotions overcame him. He
growled; * Confound 1t! I can’t do it,
Belay th men, I'll have another
think over this job,” And I think he
did, with bsinoss-like solemmty all day
long. He saw that he might make a
small fortune by risking his liberty, and
the curious morality of the Dritish
ik
18
of right or wrong where contraband
business was concerned. Had you told
him the tobacco was stolen he would
have pitched vou overboard: he felt his
morality to be unimpeachable; it was
only the question of expedienc that
troubled him, For three diye i! was
almost nuns to go nesr him, so io-
tently did he ponder and plan. Oa the
fifth day be bad worked his way through
his perplexities, aud was ready with a
plan. A pilot cutter came in sight, and
Hindhaugh signaled her.
boat was rowed alongside,
bronzed
up to the captain with much sordiality,
No one is so cordial as a pilot who has
scoured a good ship. The two men ex-
changed news gradually slid into
desnltory talk. Suddenly Hindbaugh
said:
‘Are you game for a bit of work! Do
yon ever do anything?”
The pilot was virtuously
He drew himself
that the
i
vy
ile
he puols
and the
ald
agitated,
up acd, taking care
»"
got a wife and children, sir,
“All right, pilot, never mind; come
down and have some tea,”
Then Hindhsugh gradually drew his
man ont, until the pilot was absolutely
confidential, The captaiu knew by the
very excess of purity expressed in the
| pilot's first answer that he was not deal-
kept away from the main subject which
{was in las (and the pilot's) mind. At
{last the man
{ Masonio sign. * “What was that job you
home now, you know,
too near.”
Hindhaugh played a large card.
said, carelessly: “act
Better not get
m swarmed up the side, and the off-
¢ in command shouted, “Bring up the
Peenxes, aud go to work” The
behes were pulled off befors the
#imer had taken up her jmoorings,
al the men went violently to work
apng the ore. Hindhaugh looked in.
nent, and inquired, “What is all this
alt, officer?”
Faot is, Oaptain, we've got a tele-
gm from Gibralter saying that youn
h# contraband aboard. You may
8% trouble if yon make a clean
brist,”
( Pontraband! Who told you that?”
| Dh, we should have known without
| thwire, That gentleman on the quay
| the came overland, and he put us up
| to pu.”
{ Indbaugh looked ashore, and saw a
dal face that he knew well, He
| witled and smiled, Then he said to
| thaffioer:
| fou may just as well stop those poor
| bears from blistering their hands.
| Xot won't find anything bere except
{ whi the men have in tha forecastle,
| Yode done this journey fairly, Come
| on and liqnor, and I'll tell you
| all font it.”
Tho Hindheugh gave an artistic ac-
i coujof the whole transaction, and put
| the fatter in such a light that the cus-
| tombuse officer cordially congratulated
| himpn having escaped without a slit
weand,”
Tq Jenny Jones went back to Gib-
{raltda and Captain Hindbhsugh was
veryarefal never to go ashore without
| a copanion, Oue day he was passing
| @ chadier’s shop when a sunken glitter
lof drk eyes met him,
qualfance, the chief Beorpion, was
looky stilettoes and poison at him,
jut linahaugh went by in his big,
buriyway, and contented himself with
settig on three watchmen every night
dari hws stay, To this day he is
pleas{ with himself! for having given
the freigners a lesson in the elements
of mdulity, and he does not fear their
A visitor to Cuba says: Now I wish
I conld tell you something abont the
fair senorita which would picture her
correctly in your eye- something that
would tell you how attractive and allur~
ing she is In some things and how un-
inviting in others, As a rule she moves
along with a languishing ease that I was
almost going to say reminded me of a
duckling on its way to the nearest water,
Bhe wears the most ridiculons small
shoes, with prodigies of heels that are
in about the centre of the foot. No
wonder the dear creature cannot walk,
The daughter of Cuba is not stylish in
her bearing, she inclines too much to
dumpling shape, but whatever she is,
she 18 never what the Americans call
“scrawny.” It is at the opera—at the
Theater Tacon-—that you see her in all
her elegance It is there she blooms in
all eolors—secarlet, crimson, white and
blue, Bhe wears no boavet or hat, Bhe ex-
pects and wishes to be gazsd at and
never seems conscious of it, Her fan is
before her and she is going through
those thousand and one graceful man-
ners with it that only a Spanish weman
knows the secret of. It opens and
shuts, is waved, fluttered, flipped and
flapped about till your head swims and
you are only conscious of seeing a dizzy
array of bright colors through which a
pair of soft black eyes may be looking
at you and through youas innocemtly as
possible, I have nos seen the Havanese
maiden within the sacred precincts of
her home, but I have been told I have
seen her at her best, under the floating
gas lights of the plazaand at the opera,
but 1 have heard a little gossip about
them that I canuol refrain from giving
you in this idie hour, They de say
they are passionately foud of dress and
sacrifice everything for personal adorn-
ment, They will purchase costly jewels
which sometimes they cannot afford and
even forget to pay for. They are pas-
sionately fond of perfumes and are con-
tinually sprinkling themselves with ean
kunivelone whit,
HR OLEATE I,
A Brave Naval Officer.
Tharew of the United States steamer
Powhsan was being exercised on the
21st ollast month while she was lying
off Pa au Prince, and daring the ex-
exclset a petty offiser fell from the
yards, His body struck one of the
guns ki shot through the porthole into
the s¢ The Quartermaster, who was
on dec at the time, immediately sprang
overbard and brought the body along-
side, 1%
petty Hoer was found to be dead, the
shock { tne fall on the deck having
evidenwy killed him before the body fell
into th water
The sptain of a vessel which arrived
from brit au Prince at New York, in
descrilng what he had heard concern-
ing the sad accident, says that the
Quartenaster was sent for by the Com-
mandenf the
{ the setty officer had been taken out
ot the ‘ater, and that a oolloquy sub-
stantial as follows took place:
*“Doyou know the risk you ran in
jumpin; overboard?” the Commander
asked,
“Butlittle risk, sir, I think; I'm
good symmer.”
“Butdid you kuow that the vessel
has ben all day surrounded by
sharks 7
“] di, sir,”
“*Ancyet you went overboard?”
“I tbught 1 might save a life, sir.”
The pport of the Commander of the
Powhasn will no doubt have an honor-
sule motion of the brave Quartermas-
ter. Te merchantcaptain who reports
the inadents narrated above adds that
the maz who was killed was buried with
| military honors, the remains being es-
jeorted o the cemetery by a guard of
marines and the Catholie bishop and
| his assytants being in attendance in
their roves of office. The name of the
{dead ran was uot ascertained by the
| merchag captain,
Four Bays Dia it.
’
board; I shall risk no more.’
| “Mercy me, Cap'n.
{ How did I know who you were? 1 see
{I'm in it, you know, if the dimes are
right?”
“How?”
{ “Why, if the job's big enongh; you
{stand off for a day. Go down to the
| Bieeve, and hang sround, and I'll find
you a customer,”
“If you do, I'll pay you three hun-
jdred pound as soon as his money's
down,”
“Done, then, My boat's not gone
far, Whistle her, and 1'll go slap for
Bristol. Never you mind for a day or
two. How's your coals?”
“They're all right, You scool now
and etch your man over this way. I'll
go hall-speed to the sou’-west for twelve
hours, another twelve hours’ half-speed
back. “You'll find us,”
came back, and a Hebrew gentleman
boarded the Jenny Jones from her. Af-
ter a long inspeetion the visitor said:
“Now look here, [ must heye a hundred
per cent, margin out of this. What's
your figures?”
“Two thousand five hundred,”
“Won't do, Say two and
you pay the jackal out of that?”
“Done. And how do you manage?”
“I'll split the lot up among three
Another pight passed, and the dawn
was breaking coldly when the dirty
sails of the trawlers came in might,
Ship after ship had hailed Hind
aud offered to tow him if hm
happened to his engines, Ie knew he
It was nothing-—nothing but the body
{of a laboring man suspended to a limb
| of a tred on Seventh street, moving like
apendoum as the night wind swayed
tit. A roman who was returning from
| the groary caught sight of the ghastly
| spectach and dropped two bars of soap
{ and a paind of candles on the walk and
| ran screaming away, Two boys came
{ along ani took a skip through the mud
jand raid a yell, and the driver of a
milk wagon stopped his horses and
rang his bell in a way to bring a dozen
househollers out doors. A half circle
was forupd about the tree, a policeman
sent for, and a sudden hush fell upon
the crowi,
“Prosbly out of work and driven to
it,” whispered ona,
‘No doubt be Lad trouble with his
wife,” sighed a second,
“Looki to me hke a man who had
drained the cup of sorrow to its dregs,”
said a third,
By aadby a policeman came hurry-
| ing along, pufling and blowing and fol-
lowed by a crowd of boys.
“Stand back! All of you stand back!”
eried the «fficer,
Nobody stood back, of course,
“Now, lomebody get me a step-lad-
der!”
Fifteen or tweuty persons suggested
that somebody run for the coroner, but
no one sarted, A dozea others sug-
gested that it was against the law to cut
a down unless the coroner was
present, ut the ladder came and the
officer moanted it and opened his knife
de cologne, spirit of lavender, ete., and
| when the lady of the house wishes to
sliow particular attention to her visitors
she offers them perfumed waters, drop-
! ping it iu the bosoms of the ladies and
on the handkerchiefs of the gentlemen,
| They are usually good musicians and
| most of them play the piano and guitar
| and sing when they are not eating fool-
| ish little sweets and bon-bous, Daring
the sultry hours of mid-day, as they
langmidly swing, swing, in their ham-
| mocks, I have beard that they indulge
| in their pure Havanas, rolling from out
their ruby lips pretty little rings of
smoke that quietly float away sad dis-
i solve in thin air, it is when the dark-
{eyed Cuban maiden falls in love with
| some gay Lothario that your heart gosh
out in pity for ker, She must always
have some elderly dame with her—the
inevitable duenna must be in constant
| attendance upon the streets, When a
i Cavan lady becomes a wile she is do-
mestic, faithful and patient, devoted in
| every word and thought to ber lord and
| waster, to an extent! unknown among
northern women, You never heard of
| a woman's rights convention cr a Dor-
| cas society all the fair island of
| Cuba
| Inthe streets you meet all manner of
| strange-looking people. Spaniards,
negroes, Cabans and Chinamen mix
| hilariously together, It is hard to teil
whether the white, the black, the black
and white or the genuine and unaduliter-
ated yellow are in the majority, The
whites of Cuba are bBpaniards of old
Spain, or Cabaus, sons of the soil, very
much diflering from each other in per-
son and political belief, yet alike in the
general coaracteristics which come of
blood and race, The Cuban of Havana
is a born dandy. He pinches his feet
in agonizing shoes that run out toa
point and turned up like a butten-hook
His shirt collars are prodigies and his
whole head is sunk down and hidden
within them, while the little display of
bosom is plastered over with jewelry of
the gandiest nature. On his hands are
rings set with high-colored gems, while
the nails of his fingers grow long like
those of a Chinese nobleman. When
you shake hands with him you feel as if
you had grasped some damp, wet peany-
a-grab cigars, with ciay mouth-pieces
to them. His coat, which seems te have
been made for a taller man, always has
ths appearance of trying to creep over
the back of his neck, but his pants are
his crowning glory, Commencing small
at the top, they continue to enlarge as
they run downwards, much after the
style of a cornucopia. Each leg looks
like a couple of long belle, Altogether,
be is a tropical dude. 1 have spoken
of his general appearance as farcical,
and so you will find the largest number
of them in Havana, for there is no city
in the world that has so many youths
engaged exclusively in smoking paper
cigars and fondling canes, and to whom
personal adorament is the sole ambition
of their lives. Yet with all his vanity
he is courtly and elegant in manner,
for he comes of a race among whom
courtesy and deference and amiable
demeanor are oardinal virtues. When
he enters the dining-room of a hotal
be salutes all, even those who are
strangers to him, with an sir of defer-
ence and courtesy. He coaverses with
a lady on the street and Lis hat is always
heid in his hand. He is never obira-
sive or noisy, but moves about in the
calm mauner of one to the manner
born,
————————
A Bisse avenue child tried to say
yesterday, "A little of that is "
but said, **Too much of that is enough.”
Then, somewhat disconoerted at the
laugh this raised, sho corrected herself,
and said, “*Evsough of that is too mach,”
Mus, Pisarmon rhein a man
“holding his seat in or thirty
yoars,” and shecan’t understand why
ete
he 1s an
member will steal it if he takes his
hands off it.
mn
sid