COMPENSATION, —— The truest words we ever speak Are words of cheer. Life has its shade, its valleys deep; But round our feet the shadows creep, To prove the sunlight near. Between the hills those valleys sleep— The sun-crowned hills, And down their sides will those who seck With hopeful spirit, brave though meek, Find gently flowing rills. For every cloud, a silvery light ; God wills it so. For every vale a shining height; A glorious morn for every night ; And birth for labor's throe. For snow's white wing, a verdant field; A gain for loss, For buried seed the harvest yield; For pain, a strength, a joy revealed, A crown for every cross, THE BDLUECHAMBDBER. A small party of ladies and gentlo- men engaged in conversation were sit- ting after dinner in the grounds of an ancient manor. open. The evening breeze the huge lindens, the shadows grew longer and longer, ink-black beneath the leafy roofs of boughs, lighter on the patches of turf, the soft breeze floated into the doors, bearing with it the heavy fragrance of the flowers. members of the group could scarcely see each other, Conversation languished, passing cussion. relate an anecdote of a ghost he had seen on an evening like this, was successful. Anna, continued to ask for more, It velous stories, imagine the white and black spectres moving dense shadow or dazzling moonlight, ing safety in her embrace. taking these stories; his scornful com- ments tore ugly rents in the dreamy veil in which she wrapped herself, witnessed many similar things in the hospital. acting upon different individuals. Either the patient, when his imagina- which the moon was shining, for a phan- tom, and the shrieking of the wind in the old houses for ghostly cries and the was pure hallucination. healthy, ghosts, The whole party opposed his view. There bottom of all these tales. There were a thousand things which could not be explained by natural causes, Anna was warmly A person in a normal condition never saw seconded by had arrived at the house with him that morning; more by courtesy to the pretty young girl, thaa because he really felt any fear ot ghosts, He could not bear to have his brother appear to place him- gelf in such contemptuous opposition to a pair of such beautiful bright eyes, so he fought a stout battle against his own convictions, “The history of such things,” said the candidate, is contrary to sound sense and reason. They are misereble sounds and sights; none of them like to pass it after dark.” “I was sitting thinking that I should be delighted to occupy a real haunted chamber,” said Holst, quietly. *‘It isa sin to have it remain unused for- ever, Perhaps I can help dispel this foolish superstition, for I am convinced 1 shall sleep undisturbed.” At first the mistress of the house would not listen to such a plan, but when the whole party urged. and Anna clasped her arms besechingly around her neck she at last yielded. Anna thought the scene wonderfully interesting. “It 1s really terrible that you dare venture, Candidate Ilolst,” she said, “but I hope you will look really frightened, when you come to break- fast in the morning.” After supper the whole party went to the “blue chamber,” which mean- time had been put In order to receive the guest, Every corner was examined with the utmost care, The atmosphere was somewhat op- | pressive, though the windows were now open. The room was seldom ventila- ted, and the half moldy air took the | liberty of settling in the furniture and { curta ns. It had evidently always | borne the name of the *“‘blue ber,” although the thick carpet was now faded, The furniture was very old-fashioned. While time had trans- | give way {and the old chimney pieces to | stoves, this room seemed to have pre- gerved its former appearance. It was An article that did not | contribute the least in enabling it to retain its ancient character was the huge, exquisitely carved four-post bed- | the present, ! of the room. The apartment was the last in one wing of the manor, looking { out upon the ground, but so near the ground that a person, by the display of some little agility, might climb up. “It is not impossible,’’ said Holst, noctural made chamber, “that the noises mentioned may bave by | vagabonds who settled here for a com- night's rest. Victor, do me been | with the triggers; they are loaded.” {| soon after brought the pistols to his | brother, The latter primed them freshly, put on new caps and laid them on the table. “Now, good-night, ladies and gen- tlemen, I wish you all as comfortable rest as I expect to have myself.” “Good-night, wicked free-thinker, i hope you may have different opinions in the morning.’ As they all wentout Victor whispered to Anna: “I'll answer for it that he shall be thoroughly frightened.” The door was locked and Candidate Holst remained alone in the blue cham- ber. The sound of footsteps and voices died away; he listened at the door, but all was still. {at the grove, The soft night Lreeze | stirred the leaves and branches. Only | guished. Beyond, all was dense, im- { penetrable darkness, for there | neither moon nor stars in the sky, “It’s really very rare to be fise from Madame Luna,” said he, *‘she is so It would be an utterly idiotic proceed- ing for dead folk to walk abroad and such tales from generation to genera- tion, and if not subjected to severe scientific criticism they retain their vitality and are believed. It isthe same kind of superstition as that which makes simple folk afraid to sit 13 at table. In nine cases out of ten noth- ing happens, and there isn’t even one person who thinks of the matter, In the tenth, perhaps one of the company dies, which is certainly in accordance with the course of nature. Instantly it is said: “You remember; we sat 13 at table that day.’ So the superstition obtains nourishment for a long time, No, thank God, the fresh breeze of knowledge will sweep away all such things like dank unwholesome fogs," “Yes, we old people must be pare doned.” the mistress of the house gently interposed. ‘we don’t come so much in contact with the fresh breeze of science as perhaps we ought, We live, they say, wholly in tradition and this thrives nowhere so well a8 1n an old manor like this. It is very difficult to release ourselves from the ideas in which we were reared, and which our ancestors believed, I am far from being what is called superstitious: I bave never been in contact with these strange spirits-—~yet not for all the world would I sleep in the blue chamber.,’’ “The blue chamber?” cried the whole party in tones of astonishment. “Yes, we have here, as in 80 many old manor houses, a room that is said to be haunted. Many hundred years ago a man was murdered there, and since then the ghosts have taken possession of it. The servants talk of strange | good a bed to lie in as my lucky self, **So a man was murdered here, and i now stood empty hundreds of years, If anything of the sort, What matchless power superstition has, even in enlightened days! I shall consider ita good deed to drive it from this com- fortable stronghold,” Lighting a cigar, he paced to and fro smoking, then walked around the bed and closed his eyes with a half shudder. “How timidly the young girl, Anna, is pressing her pretty face against the pillow at the thought that any human being dares to sleep in the blue cham- ber. She won't even venture to put out her night-lamnp for fear of seeing the frightful white shape that must speedily come here and destroy me,” While thus solilquizing he undressed, opened the canopied bed, and resolutely extinguished the lamp. There was no sound in the room only it seemed as if he could hear a rustling noise like crickets and a mysterious ticking, as though the famous death- watch was under the carpet. He lay listening a mcment, heard the night wind sigh through the trees and the great clock of the manor strike 11, then he fell asleep. At the end of an hour he suddenly started up in bed, having heard a sound like the opening of a door. A strange shuddering sensation ran through his limbs as he stared fixedly into the room and beheld a white form moving slowly towards the bed, Terror overpowered him, but the next instant he regained his coolness and shouted in a *firin voice: “Who's there?” No answer, but the shape remained standing in the middle of the floor. “Who's there? Answer, or as sure as I live I'll fire,” he called again, cocking his pistol. He was ence more the quiet, cold- blooded physician, he had surely heard the creaking of a door; it must be a man, a rascal, » murderer, perhaps, but no specter, Yet, in spite of the pistol’s warning snap, the figure did not move. “Who goes there?’ he called again. Still no.sound disturbed the silence of the room, The physician stretched out his arm and fired, A flash of light illumined the dusky chamber and the report shook the old tapestry. Scarcely had the sound died away, when a burst of discordant, jeer- ing, tiendish laughter greeted him, and something hard struck his forehead, It was the bullet. the other pistol at the motionless white form—again the frightful laughter echoed through the room and the bul- let fell heavily back on his own breast. With a loud shriek, he sank down The form glided noselessly out of the door. was watering her flowers, Victor came “Where is your brother?’’ she asked. “He isn’t up yet, poor fellow, He has had a terrible fright.” “What was it?” “If you’ll promise to keep silence, 1'll tell the whole story. To revenge my- self on him I played ghost, first taking care to draw the bullets from his pistol that he might the weapon recklessly, Wrapped In sheets, I visi- ted him and threw the balls back at his head when he fired.” not use **Nothing could be better!” exclanned Anna Bat promise me not to speak of Your mother might be vexed and he himself must not “Trust I'l be grave,” The physician did not come; breakfast warted in vain, be undeceived.”’ me, a8 mute as the At last spme to wake him. He lay with his head strelched of the gentlemen went Over he his mouth was eyes were starting from their sockets and his hair was white as chalk, Life had vanished, His discharged pistols were found by his le. Ope week atter Victor was taken side, to the insane asylum, the edge of dk bed ; his wide open, ——— A Midnight Cremation, The body of an [odian gentleman has been cremated at Etretat, France, in Baboo Sabed Chatjay, a Marableu gentleman, curious circumstances, who had accompanied his son-in-law, Sam- patras, the brother of the Maharajah Gaekwar, of Baroda, one of the princes of India, to Europe, died cently at Etratat of an abscess the throat, requested of the mayor to cremate the boldly, and he 1 hief a Permission was for authorization enabling the Indians to perform their sacred rites, He aided them in every possible way to carry out their intentions. The permission hav- ing been granted, at midaight wood was carted down to the north end of the beach, behind a jutting point in the cliff hidden from the town, and there a pile of two or three feet in height was carefully bmlt of logs crossed and re. crossed, with the ends toward the north The ceremony of sprink- ling the sacred powder over the body and annointing It was very simple, But souvenir in of have it with her. The body was laid upon the pile, with the ered with more wood saturated with It was now two o'clock, and the funeral pile was carefully built, The secret of the cremation had been well kept, so that not more than twenty in all were on the spot towitness it. The bowl upon the north end of the pile, Indians, with raised hands, again re- peated, “Ram, ram!” mass was wrapped in a flame that climbed np the cliff, brought the spec- tators out strongly against the dark background and lit the foamy crest of the waves. In an hour the flames be- gan to subside and more wood was piled on. Gradually the moming dawned upon the ceremony. The wind had blown away most of the cinders, and among those remaining only a few pieces of bone, keeping their form, could be found, and those crumbled when they were touched, What human ashes could be distinguished were gathered up, a part being thrown into the sea and the rest sealed up to be sent to In- dia. By six o'clock every vestige of the cremation had disappeared. a MAI Past labor is present delight. One ill word asketh another, Opportunity makes the thief, Once a use and ever a custom, Political confectionery-taffy. Of two evils, choose the least, Passion is ever the enemy of truth, Detter do well late than never, Every may-be has a may-be-not, FPolecats, Polecats are not by any means night hunters, although, no doubt, they filch a good deal of their prey under the cover of darkness, Their favorite time for hunting seems to be the early morning, and as soon as they leave the shelter of their domain they, as a rule, set off for some rabbit burrow-—whether tenated or not is immaterial-—and indulgein a run through its winding tunnels, After this they will get to some hedgerow and hunt it down. If there be any old pal- ings or a gate adjacent, they are sure to stop and rub themselves against the woodwork; and if several of the ‘‘var- mints” be together, they may throw off thelr sober exterior and indulge ina little play; and then they set off ina serious fashion to obtain their food, which they draw as a rule in small por- tions from many victims, Like all the weasel tribe, the polecat seems to pos- sess an extreme and bloodthirsty rapac- ity. It is never content to capture and but will Hence the large amousnt this predaceously inclined little creature will commit, The cata- logue of what is to its taste in the shape 1 $1 of damage kinds of furred and feathered game, somewhat easy capture in its burrow, where, lying probably unconcious impending dauger, it may suddenly find the enemy at its throat, whence few seconds the sucked its life-blood. of powers of scent far keener than any hound, the polecat can and will track hares long distances in Possessed weir wanderings, and dr capture. Upon the 1 nut rown partridge or the more ing grouse t Hg grouse, is 2 Ye ; * rans’ mtitlv 1 sp 1 dawn or at ‘even’s stilly hour, sometimes before the former y . the polecat’s presence, it bite transferred it and perhaps several beyond the will have, by a sharp irresistible into its brains, others of the sport reac gun. Jeing at need a strong and rapid polecat has often the streams; but scarce, it usually refrains from entering element in search of food. Among poultry, its operations are often wholesale, and must be disheartening to a degree to the industrious henwife, for, as we have said confine i itself to supplying its actual given of wholesale killing, it indulges its cruel -_ 3 1 4 wants but the chance Some inst than for the neccessity ( habit, It is this % iim animals and birds if the thing. 14 common 0 all Lhe under the which coming definition of **vermin,” them so extremly thing may be said in the polecat’s favor, is a very determined enemy of the rat, although the latter's flerceness often prevents former from braiging to a successful may have opened which is, that it the sion any crusade it { — : PN | # i all it. jut the polecat is all the sane a most courageous little animal, against - -——— ns Pooket Artillery. In El Paso New Mexico, the other day I dropped into a large store which enjoys the reputation of selling more arms than any other house in the city, While inspecting a glittering array of 111 a7 “ed entered. He was dressed in frontier would take three days to walk around the rim of, while ioosely round the neck, blue shirt, pants stuck in his boots and large Mexican He wished to buy u gun. In the expressiveness and laconic tongue rifle is called by the name of the maker curtailed of its fair proportions, is Selecting from a case a handsomely mounted Colt’s 45-caliber. revolver the “How would you like this? It is the newest thing out—a double- action 45." “Ain't worth a row of beans. No man ‘cept a tenderfoot wants that kind of thing, Give me an old reliable all the time. Ye see a man that’s used to the old style is apt to get fooled-—not pull her off in time—and then he’il be laid out colder’n a wedge.” He was handed out a single-action Colt’s of the same model, which, after carefully examining, he proceeded to cock and fire, twirling the pistol around his fore-finger and cocking and pressing the trigger the moment the butt came into the palm of his hand, After some little kick about the price, the weapon was paid for and the customer left the store. “There are few men,” observed the clerk as his customer left, ** that can do that trick. I have been 10 years on the southwest frontier, amongst the worst classes and don’t know more nor half a dozen. *‘Bill the kid could do it ; #0 can Pat Garret, former sheriff of Lincoln county ; so can Dan Tucker, deputy sheriff of Deming, Curly Bill could do it best of the lot, and that’s how he killed Sheriff White at Tomb- stone,” “How was that ?”_ queried the cor- respondent, “Well, you see, Curly Bill was trying to paint the town red, and White heard of it, and going up to him, covered him with his six-shooter, and told him he had got to give up his gun, Bill handed the gun out butt first, but kept hls finger inside the guard, and as the sheriff reached for it he gave it that twist you've seen, turned her loose, and the sheriff passed in his checks.” “What kind of revolvers are in de- mand 7" “Forty-ive and 44-calibres, models are the favorites, then comes Smith & Wessen, and a new model called the Merwin Hulbert. The latter is a favorite with men who are often in town and like to pack a gun. It has an interchangeable barrel, The long bar- rel is taken off and the short barrel put on, and then jt can be carried in the hip pocket. The great trouble with all these pistols is that they are hard on the trigger. The boys get over this by having the catch filled down. The pistol of the cow-boy is as fine on the trigger ai were the hair-triggers of the old dueling days.” 32-calibdrs 7" “No; that is to say, very seldom, A Texan or New Mexico boy would con- “Do you sell 22 and He may stoop When for such tools,’ “I want to show you a kind of shot~ gun that has a limited use.” continued way to the half a where about dozen double - barreled shotguns They barrels being mek ot the store were 1 ail rack. had u only ahant tw n 1g } ‘ only about two feet in length, but other- “These guns are prime favorites with sheriffs, deputy wise they were perfect. Viorifl Teed SLES, Un if th thao States and d when marshals, ers law generally, an ' { 4 * + ie » 1% 3 v wiey gel Grop on yO 1 with one of § of throw ip sitter how mud 3 8 1 Cane Your 1 you They are very handy e A no have and you can st hands, bh san may w them away under the rith ease, Wells- CAITY iy urg, took in Curls r out of the corral, ationed himself just by As Bill rode out he and called to him 3 0 atl the weapon and up went his hands. Had it been a Bill was r Horn had st he door-post, JL i iA overed him 0 1 Yur 1. Bill only glanced six shooter A fool ugh the dining-room he'd have { taken chances, went and rode in the railroad Deming flourishing his pistol, lady passengers 4-0 T'% fis, an into on the street, lled ‘bands up.” The idiot | mux-shooter, and | full of buchshot.”’ A New Hampshire Judge. Levi Woodbury, once a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Uni States, was an indefatigable worker, So much 80 as to be in some respects a terror to | the bar, for he always seemed to think | that other people could work as many | hours in the day as he could. He was { an immensely large man and did not like to move about. When he got his seat on the bench in the moming, with | a large tumbler of ice-water before him, { he was ready for any number of hours’ work. He would occasionally have re- lays of cases, That is, when the jury ted ase in equity where no jury was needed with that. George W. | Cooley, of the Boston bar, was an able lawyer but fearfully long-winded, and | in one case Judge Woodbury kept him When | there was nothing else doing, he would | send for Mr, Cooley and set him going | until the jury came back or until coun- sel in some other cases had returned from lunch, Some lawyers would have got restive at such treatment, but Coo- ley never yet objected to hearing him- self argue if anybody would listen. The worst of it was with Judge Woodbury, however, that, while cases were going on, he would amuse himself by writing lyceum lectures or letters, or by draw. ing up opinions in other cases which had been held under advisement, He never lost any time and when everybody was tired ont, and the cdurt :hust in deocen- oy be adjourned, he would slowly and reluctantly retire, and sleep the sleep of a righteous judge, who meant business and a good deal of it. Richard Flet- cher, one of the ables of all the Boa. ton lawyers, came from New Hamp- shire as Judge Woodbury did, and had a great prejudice against the judge. Once, being annoyed at the dilatory proceedings, he whispered that the lat- ter always seemed to “string out’ mat- ters as much as he could. “Yes,” said gome one, “but he is always patient.” “Oh, yes, patient as a jackass,” Our greatest ills are self-produced, Do as little as you can to repent of, Think much, speak little, write less, Wounds given to honor never heal, A thin bush is’ better than no shel- ter. Gain got by a lie will burn one’s fin. ger, FOOD FOR FEHOUGHT. » He that sips of many arts, drinks of none, Draw not your bow till your arrow’s fixed, Due deliberation is half accomplish ment. He who has no shame has no con- science, Every great passion is but a pro- longed hope. Be charitable and indulgent to every He who lives but for himself lives but for a little thing, Innocence is like polished armor, it Human government is imperfect be- Modesty and civility are prime fac- Speaking without thinking is shoot- Natural abilities are like natural Love is the beginning, the middle, You may profit by folly—if you make use of the faults of others, Our acts make or mar us; we children of our own deeds. Fiction pleases the more in are propor- All life aims are vain that aim at Being found true of heart, Heaven i the goal of the humblest life, Nature supplies the raw material; education is the manufacturer. Next to love, sympathy is the divin- t passion of the human heart. Pity is the virtue of the law, and 1 but tyrants use it cruelly, “5 nol Falsehood always endeavors to copy the mien and attitude of truth. To count b i} Lie ut few things necessary is fannd: nF v viet iouncatl OL Nanny virtues Happiness is like the statue of Isis, Malice sucks the greatest part of h own venom, and poisons herself. Without earnestness no man ~ . a5 Flattery is mos: Live means o He wi 40 Can + “GY } than he who Noth » bad man’s ferricirny IR LOTAlIL = who ha have the m Kind hearts are more than corone and simple faith than Norman blood, it is expen human nature to love to mak« ents al the expense of others, Whoso tongue keepeth keepeth his mouth and his trouble, gense of her o i his soul from A fa loses the Wile 108 vit + 3 Try 1 value in her love There for a distinguished \ 18 no kuife that cuts so sharply ery. To succeed one must sometimes bx very bold, dent. and sometimes Sincerity is the think how to be sincere is man. Fortune often rewards those that have patience he h way to in and misery are not they walk hand in hand just a were, He who cannot command his thou must not hope to command lus The virtue of prosperity is temperi tude, The company in which you will im- prove most will be the least expensive void of offense before is an inheritance for A conscience and man husband: a husband truly appreciates when he loves a noble wife, It it easy to love our fellow men, Do love them. As to trouble, who expects to find Vanity keeps persons in favor with We need not be much concerned about those faults which we have the courage to own. Discontent with one's gifts destroys the power of those that one, has, and brings no others, Let no man complain of the shortness capacity of a day. All the whetting in the world can never set a razor’s edge on that which has no steel in it, The “simplicity” which allows itself to be blindly led, does credit to neither the head nor the heart, When truth offends no one, it ought to pass out of the mouth as naturally as the air we breathe, He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. Silence is generally safe, and gener- ally prudent, but there are times when it is disgraceful to be silent, Wear a cheerful countenance, If your mirror won't smile on you, how can you expect anybody will? Recollect every day the things seen, heard or read, which make any addi- tion to your understanding. It 18 a sign of wisdom to be willing to receive instructions; the most intelli- gent sometimes stand in need of it, In the blackest soils grow the rich. est lowers, and the loftiest and strong- est trees spring heavenward among the rocks, “Oh, Ma!” exclaimed a little girl, glancing at the steam-guage on a sta- tionery engine, *'it's 60 o'clock. I didn’t know it ever got so late as that,
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