Waiting. “They have gone through life together, They have braved its stormy weather, Many a year; Time has filched f beauty's treasures, But love scorns the hoard he measures, With a leer, “Mid the world’s turmoil and frejting, They'd no tears, and vain regretting For the past; All their troubles firmly breasting, They have found the time for resting Sweet, at last. There are graves upon the meadow-— Baby forms that lie in shadow, Dark and still; Ab! they felt life's fountain drying W hen they looked on baby, dying, But—*Thy will!" Wow with pulses throbbing steady, Hand in hand, they're waiting ready; Not a sigh For the time that swiftly fleeting, There will be a joyous meeting By and by, THE MYSTERIOUS LODGER. ‘1 don’t like it! and the more I think the worse it seems!’’ soliloquized ol her lap for a moment, ‘‘I made up my brigandi looking young feller taken y visiting him and acting so jueer, getting really dangerous. That omes of being a lone widow with no protector! I'm sure, when he here so pleasant and civil, and a good price for the room, and mind if. the irst-class, I could never xd to imagine—-"" Ane sffered have he lady’s musings; and jumping n a flutter, she hurried out into h piercing black eyes and long, wav- ng hair, and carrying a somewhat bulky paper roll, stood before her. “Mr. Brown in? Don’t trouble your- self to call him—1'll go right up.”’ Mrs. Benson fell helplessly back, derous strides. and shut, and after hesitating irreso- itely in the hall for a moment, the 1 & state of increased perplexity, ied to her sewing. -3 preposessing young had engaged a room in the months before, as a His pay was prompt, of Brown- house about two todger, sumply. and his wants few seart had quite warmed toward hi After a while, however, he fell into aying out late; when they y in the hall, or on the stair r salutation wore, to the itive ear, an element of v: and latterly, he had been receiving frequent and protracted visits from the nger she had just admitted. Once twice she had tip-toed up-stairs after itm. and listened al the door, but fail- ng to catch anything intelligible, an ing detection, she had been obliged at unenlightened. can’t consider it go any longer!” ing her meditations. ng what dreadful plot may be my house. I might be ar- , 48 an accomplice, It's weil that closet—the good-for- } villas! I'll eircuravent ’em! res, and get a reward, perhaps, for fur- 1ishing the information.” my duty to let said at last, “There's no she and stole softly up-stairs. The room adjoining that of her lodger, contained fallen, leaving a small crack. Creeping -autiously in, Mrs. Benson got down on wall, voice: ““Yes, that will do—leaves no trace «for suspicion. Did you use poison?” “Poison!” gasped the eavesdropper. +¢J thought he looked like a villain!” “No-—I decided that the dagger was better,”’ was the reply. “What kind did you use?” Brown, jocularly. Presently she heard Mr, Brown's with a jeweled handle. I left it there, 0 as to implicate the lover, you see; to a lonely house on the moors, 1 hope she feels comfortable—ha! ba! ha!” “Merciful powers!” choked Mrs, Benson, tised for in yesterday’s Herald! To think ing and abetting! It’s just a miracle that I'm alive to tell of it!” “Well,” she heard next, about the will and jewels?” *“They’re secured. I'll make a divis- ion to-morrow.”’ ‘Not forgetting me, I hope!’ laughed Brown, ‘‘And does that wind vp the plot?’ “Not quite, to develop.” ‘“Why what an insatiable fellow you are! Is it another murder?” “No; I want to secure an easy, unsus- picious body of middle age to act as duenna for the heiress. One with a small bank-account that I can with- draw after I have her safe, and then have it given out that she had moved into the country. That diverts suspi- cion again, you see.”’ “Yes, very clever! smanage that point?’ “Oh, I'll come in a ca with an invitation for her to spend the evening with some friend; then if she becomes icious and makes an y fix with a little ‘distilled sleep.’ I'm Bouud to bave her, nolens volens.” “First-rate! only don’t make the dose Hoo big!” said Brown, with a blood- eurdling laugh, “1'1 out for that; and-—I tell ‘wou, what Brown—"" “i. vhat?-—fon™, keep a fellow in “Dive Wig the “i or ot 1 person -did the wretch find out she had a Jittle money? Breathlessly she listened for the next words, = “Hal hal bal” roared the i A wmeodif to the vrofe sion! Whe would “How I have one more schemne How will you the poor woman think if she should chance to overhear us?’’ “I believe she considers me a suspi- cious sort of a character as it is, by the sidelong looks she casts at me every time I call lately,” said Moore. ‘‘But I regard that idea as a genuine stroke of inspiration, Brown. I'll step in and have a look at my victim before I go, and also see if I can arrange with her Or — cy Mrs. Benson could endure it no longer. The only safety for her property or life was to have these cold-blooded conspirators arrested without delay— before they left the house. ising diz- zily to her feet, she tottered from ihe room and softly closed the door. Inher perturbation she failed to hear the door of the door of the adjoining room open at the same instant, The upper hall was narrow and dark; plunging forward toward the head or the stairs, she ran violently fgainst something-heard a stifled exclamation—and found herself seized by a strong pair of arms. “Murder! murder!” shrieked landlady, hysterically. the | “Hush, madam!” spoke the visitor's voice, **We are only : ‘Oh, 1 know it all!” gasped his strug- gling captive. ‘Let me go-—you asas- | let me go Murder! tell you! 3 moment, I watch !—policel’ wrenched herself free in a last frantic effort to reach the stairs, and | the impetus carried her fairly over the An instant she wavered on arms flung wildly out in to regain her balance, and She the attempt with a most ear-splitting shriek, while the two men, with a burst of mingled consternation and ment, precipitated themselves after her, although in a somewhat fashion. Just as they reached the hall, and Mrs. Benson had succeeded in picking herself up, the street-door burst open, and a policeman’s astonished eyes The landlady on one hand, her face covered with perspiration and dust, and giving vent to shriek after | merri- arly More oracriy was rapidity as her breath would allow-—and the conspirators on the other scarce able their excess of merriment, holding their hands to their sides, con- vulsed with paroxysms of laughter, “What's the muss here?’ the public guardian. * Arrest two villains right sputtered Mrs, Benson gasping for breath, “Arrest ‘em?’ echoed the Brown and Moore went off into another convulsion. ‘*What for?” “What for?” sobbed the landlady. **A nice reliable set you police are, Here they've gone and mu and carried off advertising for, ey, and “they we demanded | those officer, as ¥ 1 Ue sure od § » oh, dea re 1 ¢, a lone widow isti to sleep, and away my hard e off to take care o and Ler over-wrougl vent in a second burst * “What asked t “Just wait till choked Moore, with a renes merriment, “Distill her to sleep O : exploded his friend, following suit, “Ain't them bee demanded Mrs, | her face witl she 1 (OES y officer, ' vou going to arrest Jenson apron. “Just hold on till I hear their the story!’ replied the officer, grinning. “Come. what’s the row about?’ He! turned to Brown. “Suppose we go in here and sit down 1% make it all clear in two minutes,’ mopping 1 ¥ sae Of “No, you don’t!" shrieked Mrs. Ben- son, plunging forward. ‘My bank-book is in there, in the right hand burean drawer, and I ain’t going to be robbed before my own face and eyes! Beside, they'd like as not jump out of the win- that's the way they Controlling his risabilities with difii- culty, Brown held the open roll of MS, toward the officer. “This will solve the mystery,” he aid, “My friend, Mr. Moore has lately paper, and is at present composing a thrilling romance for its columns, He the habit of bringing the several installments to me, for revision and criticism, and it occurred to him w~day, as we were talking over the plot, that it would be a good idea to have my | landlady figure as one of the subordi- nate characters, That is the entire ex- | tent of our conspiracy!’ “But how did she get wind of asked the perplexed officer. “Eavesdropping, of course! There's a | vacant room next to mine, with a closet i in it; and we were talking over the sub- | ject rather animatedly., We came out into the entry at the same time that she did, and ran against her in the dark. My friend instinctively caught hold of her, but she pulled away, and being elose by the head of tfe stairs, the rest can be summed up in a few words, Oh, what a fall was there, my countrymen!’ and the conspirators broke once more into a peal of merriment, in which they were heartily joined this time by the policeman. In some way the landlady’s mind had become suddenly enlightened, and she came forward with a beaming smile, “Oh! is that it?’ she exclaimed, cor- dially, ‘““‘Are you a story paper man?’’ “I have the honor to be associated with the , madam!®’ replied Moore with a low bow, ‘‘And one part of my errand here to«lay, was to ask if you could accommodate me with lodg- ings. I will pay whatever Mr. Brown “Oh certainly, certainly!” cried the delighted widow. “So long as you ain't " “Quite such a villain as I to » a ' ity’ be, eh?” laughed Moore, * shall have complimentary copies of sem bit,”” while Somiyleuing the arrange- ments in regard to her prospective lodges. . Moore took possession of his room the next day. Mrs. Benson’s bank-book remained undisturbed, and her “*savings’’ gained monthly. Mes- gers, Moore and Brown are two of the brightest stars on the staff of the Thun- derer, and Mrs. Benson has never been tempted to repeat the dangerous experi- ment of eaves-dropping, but stoutly maintains that she always did and always will consider her two lodgers as “the two very nicest, cleverest gentle- men in the whole ecity.”’ ——— AI A —————— ENGAGEMENT RINGS, The Fashion Now Permits Using Col- ored Stones. “Just now there is,’ said Mr. Frank G. Smith of the firm of M. 8S, Smith & Co. in a recent conversation, ‘‘a decided fancy for colored gems as engagement rings. A diamond of course, is the ring, but these new colored stones are very taking, Light, graceful settings are the rule for them, and this style of ful relief, Especially is this done Bronze, canary, amber, i They make a Of course it is a fancy.” “What colored stone 18 lar?”? “We sell a pretty ring. the most popu- many sapphires, some prefer rubies for engagement rings, bronze and canary-colored diamon pretty blended with white diamor “How do the colored compare the white diamonds in price?” “The value of fancy-colored diamonds is a style, There was a time had a fixed standard of value, but the great i ds great when dia- increase of diamon makes the value now a relative “What has decreased the value?’ “The market is oversto : African mines have very prolific and these new tinted diamonds Anything purple tir 1: Ri I are 1 itKe an opal al One. sked. been color is sought, A incandescent shade “How is 1t with “Pearls Is gentlemen associate it with emblematic of tural. Opals would lar were it not for but it u and warmth “Do 1 seasons than others,” “In the spring after the holi in the fall after the summer season « quests we notice somewhat of a l i 1 5 4 InN Ke amber. 4 You se more 1AYS ana in engagement-n IAAT PT v ariel more rings, ana in i n for ‘the best g gentlemen sub rosa.’ “What is the nsual ¥l much prefer rings chosen ht expressly for themselves, ting can come afterwards,’ ot ll canna Modern Songsters, There is no talent less remunerative than musical composition, but song- present, was formerly considered adequate pay- ment for a successful song. The English song-writers of the pres. ent whose works are more popular are Arthur, Sullivan, Stephen Adams, J. H. Molloy, Ciro Pinsuti, *“*Claribel,” Frederic Clay and Frederic Cowen, *Claribel’s”’ songs have had remarkable popularity. Some of Stephen Adams’ songs have also had a great run, ‘‘Nancy Lee" probably leading, as it is said that the author has realized a snug fortune from royalties therefrom. “Stephen Adams,’’ by the way, is the nom de plume of a Mr. Maybrick, a baritone well known in London, Molloy who wrote “The Kerry Dance,” ‘The Vaga- bonds,” lish barrister whose talent is all natural and it is said that he canvot read or write a note of music, Ciro Pinsuti once complained that his poser regarded as insignificant and which he was tempted to destroy after it was completed. The verses for many of the prettiest of contemporaneous songs have been “eoach” at Oxford. He writes grace- ful verses and has a fancy for the bizarre and the picturesque. American song-writers are addicted to the composition of trash, but as trash is in active demand the musicians are scarcely to be censured, Millard, the late Alfred Pease, G, H. Osborne, Dr. Root and a few others have written pleasing songs of a high class, but the large royalties are paid to minstrels and alleged comedians, who put together d srel and jingle, sing it 10 auiences and m it into popularity. Sn The successful results attending the putting down of wells for gas illumin- ating and heat at Paines- ville and W ., during some rami RATTAN AND ITS USES, An Important Business of Which Even the Schoolboy Knows Comparatively Nothing. Among the smaller, least known and most profitable of local industries is the preparation of rattan for the various uses to which it is applied. There are said to be only five other establishments in the country, the one in the Eastern district being the third largest. A re- porter, desiring to learn something of the rattan industry, went to this factory and soon found there was an air of secrecy about it, He was met at the | door by a pleasant gentleman, who ob- | serving the reporter closely watching | the splitting of the rattan into threads | as fine almost as whip cord, by being | run through a curious-looking machine, | asked him if he had any special business | with the establishment, The reporter { replied that he had been attracted to it by curiosity, The Rev. Dr, Talmage, which he saw the warning sign: admittance” assured that there was something with- in worth looking at. “I'm sorry,” remarked the superin- tendent, ‘but my instructions are to admit no one who is not armed with a permit from the firm in New Recently,” he continued, ! two ver they as vou have, gentlemen, and reserved in their ity that 1 forgot to be 8 and wheneve quired about OOK Ing CUT it sr they It this i858 construction, s class of cane it learned gentlemen were seek- Since 1 about 1 & receiving the chair-maker, or | other classes of ware, i i hrown out on machine very They are valueless finest work.” “Much o 2 the foreman answered (4) 4 helps to get up steam, but those fibers, nearly as fine as vour hair, by deft han are used in ii miracles if art. Yo stowed AWay in ginal pa Kages——oau h pau kage Wiel between sixty and seventy pounds.” rom what part of Asiado yo | ingly import the “Our mattan comes oo us direct from ports in Borneo, Sumatra, the Celebes and the Moluccas, and from the Malayan peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra are considered the voy vig Pt CAL] $ ETI SURLY vote the cane. We do not import many tons of the thicker growth, which often | has a girth of six Inches. What we seek is the finer grades, such as are worked up into chairs, bedsteads, bodies, baskets, picture frames, brushes, brooms for streets and so on. | 80 in diameter, are made into walking | canes, whip handles and other useful | things. Good fishing rods are also manu- | factured from it. In this and tor many { other things it is preferable to the bam- boo, another, as you are aware, of East India growth.” “‘Have you any idea of the tonnage of the rattan that is shipped to this coun- fry?" { “I roughly guess it at about 400 tons.” i “I notice,” continued the reporter, ! finding the foreman in a communicative { you make brooms of the rattan-—strong, | coarse ones-for stables and yards, I pre- | sume?’ them.” he continued. “That man over there is stented, to make six and a half dozen each day. He accomplishes his work in about nine hours, for which he is paid $2.” “Do you manufacture chairs, baskets { and soon?" “No; we take them mm exchange for repared rattan. The firm in New young them to jobbers and dealers in furniture, There is a large business transacted in that way. Theres quite a colony of workers in willow and rattan goods in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth wards, and they regard suchexchanges as an accoms modation.’’ “Then, beyond making these brooms for yards and stables, you manufacture but little that can be put immediately on the market?” “It is not necessary that we shoula,” was the answer. ‘Our leading business is to prepare rattan for the different trades that find use for it. Of the pre- canes we always keep a marketa- le stock on hand, For example, we have rattan enough for hatters’ use at this moment to supply that trade mate- rial for a million The rattan trade is in what may be called its youth with us, It is growing rapidly. : being used largely where whalebone t needful. An can prepare and dress it at an aimost nominal cost, It can be used in so many ways in the lines of utility and art that it has become a necessity. Its flexibility is wonderful, Like a stout string it can be bent and twisted and tied in knots and afterward straightened without breaking or weakening its fiber. Why, sir, it conld be introduced as an element in rope-making—you see it often grows to a height of 100 feet, and its strength would at least be three times that of hemp of the same bulk and many times its weight. This almost thread-like piece, which is similar to that used by hatters, will lift twice the weight a string of its size made of hemp could do, and yet it as light as a plece of tissue paper or ag a feather!” The reporter was not permitted to in- spect the machinery, ans————————— THE MANDOLIN. Arn Italian Musical Instrument That is Just now in Fashion. The mandolin is the reigning fash- ionable caprice, having quite supersed- ed the banjo in the esteem of the ladies. really a charm- little mstrument when at all learn, and has a good deal and finish about it Ho more style may be mother-of-pearl, latter $k i 1 34 nickel-piating 4 ‘34 iL rau 3 Hi wever the udy ornamentation, 3 a plebeian look about it sy idea of a Wells fF iL8 OWL ly unpleasant that press them Of cot hen each | with a irse that Wal 1 * player . [¢ Yery pleasing tones by ii a ly, and d he tones of a guitar, or Expert players Ning al unceas- have a way « vy keeping the little in nt in a constantly quiverin ion while the) hat at least looks as her hard to effect and harder continue for any length of time, but the : $ asia wads Ing remoianad are executing a td + 5 s+ 1:4 if it would be yet oo prettily supplies the lack of a support- The power of control- performer 1s really surprising and ex- tremely effective in rendition of the to which the mandolin is best adapted. While the mandolin is easy to learn, up to a certain point, it is, like all seem- ingly simple instruments, very difficult to develop to its highest artistic capa- bilities, and the Italian who has achiev ed complete mastery of it not only very but is gree by his countrymen. The best players are said to come from Naples, where a native who does not at think that he can play upon the man- dolin is a curiosity. Here in New York : A EASE Prof. Dominico Tip- and but in expression and delicacy of tone shading Signor F, A. Errico, who is proprietor of an Ital jan art and curiosity store in John street, and only an amateur mandol- high as experts, in teaching the mandolin to the young jon returns to the town with the early frosts, A good mandolin costs from $25 to $50, and all procurable here are import- ed from Naples, Peaks of the Cascade Range. ng almost height of from 10,000 to 14,000 feet, iso- lated and predominant, they are more impressive and beautiful than the promi- but a few hun- nent peaks of equal Mountains, which dred foet above their fellows, THE LANGUAGE OF STAMPS. A Method of Exchanging Seatiment Without the Possibility of Detection, If you have a distant creditor who &' capable of taking a delicate hint, you should, without comment (silence iy golden), inclose his unreceipted bill ix an envelope bearing his address, and having placed the stamp upside down on the right upper corner, mail it. Ir the language of the post-office, says the New York Star, this means, **write nc more,’ “Just about this season of the year,’ said the veteran assistant postmaster o Brooklyn, Mr. Smith, “a very larg proportion of the letters mailed to the various summer resorts, and in ninety nine cases out of a hundred addressed to Miss So-and-So, have the stamp placed in some peculiar position, This doubles the work of the canceller, and sometimes results in these letters being rejected at first as unstamped, It is only of recent years that the practice has assumed the proportions of an { annual nuisance, The force of habit | impels all sensible men and women te put the stamp on the upper right-hand corner of the envelope, straight up and down. Only lovers and lunatics stick it on where the canceller has got t Wer address K aaterskil drovoed if $L i Lreul ‘ou see, ot exactly enga- it wasn’t fo vii on me, ang ht daug On avenu 3 snd, ge-st the and moment “My 1 MIVEeVel s glamp crosswise By tle parallecigram to a right adful confession, “1 hate revealed, nt of your wife becoming interested in the nature of your correspondence as to wish it | cease, all that she need to do is to stamp your letters for you, in a thoughtful, wifely way, and by simply putting the head of George Washington upside down on » right hand-upper cerner, tell the unknown to ‘write no may be « 0 $4 to more, ”’ Very covly the maiden you love maj say you by putting the stamp in the center of the lower edge of the en- velope, which may contain only a formal pote of inguiry after your health or nothing at all. With equal coyness she may conv.y the glad tidings of her “yes’’ by planting the bust of George in | the middle of the border, Perhaps you are in serious doubt as to her real feelings towards you, despite t that she danced with you until comment was excited. You | dare ask hér if she loves you. To write might seem equally presufptous. { Just pen a passionate note of invitation { to the theater and mail it with the usual | tax receipt adhering to the lower right hand corner at an angle of forty-five | degrees towards the name of the State. Her perfumed missive, politely declining your invitation, will reach you with the | stamp affixed; still you might have im- | pressed her with the humility of your spirit by placing the stamp at the right angle on the lower corner of the left, which means “‘I seek your aocquaint- | ance.’ Later on youn could have asked | her to accept your love by gluing the { mask of the hatchet here rigidly up and | down on a line with the surname to- wands the left. Should the stamp be at right angle, although in the same place, she expresses her longing to see you so unmistakably that it is doubtless a case of love at first sight, It sometimes nay, but very sel- the letter is sealed and directed, much trouble may be saved by the stamp to cling on the right Se
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers