|f A Flag that Reftosed U O* dp.
if Daring the last grand •• review " of
her troops ly the qneen of England, at
H Aldershott, the big flag refused to go up
m the staff, to the great mortifloation of
V the managers, A similar misadventure
at Nottingham, at a mwider of the troops
of the ilf-fate<l Charles 1., was thought
to have a sinister omen. Victoria, bov
ever, has none of the superstition of 240
years ago. Colonel T. W. Higginson,
who was present, writes to the Woman'
Journal this lively aoecnnt of the soeue
at Aldershott:
Two soldiers had long stood ready at
the flagstaff to hoist the great standard;
and, when the qneen was seen, the sig
nal for its raiaing was given. Up it
went, flapping in the strong wind; but
so clumsily was it done that the flag was
wrapped round the staff, and not half of
it blew oat freely.
The men twitched and tagged in
vain; there was no time to mend the
matter by lowering and rehoisting, and
her majesty trotted by, apparently not
noticing the mishap, but nodding and
smiling good-naturedly to some of the
ladies who sat in favored positions.
When she had gone past, and had
turned to drive aloDg the line of troops
opposite us, there was a subdued mur
mur of "Lower the flag and try it
again ;" an officer stepped forward and
gave orders, and down it came. Then
it began to go np onoe more, this time
blowing oat clearly, till it had reached
half-mast and stopped. There was a
general groan ; again twitching and
pulling were tried in vain ; the halyard
was plainly chocked in the block.
At last s soldier advanced to climb
1 the flagstaff; snbdned cheers greeted
him; the queen was now far away, trot
ting down the long line of soldiers ;
there was plenty of time.
Up and np he went, and when he
stopped half way np to rest, the choer
ing grew more outspoken. Bnt more
than half way np he never got, and the
cheering died into a muffled groan,
when the poor fellow with a sheepish
smile slid slowly downward, qnite ex
hausted, and the flag was still at half
mast, and the qneen was still trotting
on.
Then, after a pause and hurried con
saltation, came forward a cavalry-man,
and great was the relief when on strip
ping oil his coat he showed the tattooed ;
arm of a soldier.
" Bless him !" gasped a lady near me.
"There's bnt jnst trme,'' growled her
hnsband.
Up went the bold dragoon, not stop
ping even to take off his heavy boots.
No applanse met him till he had passed
the point where his predecessor had j
stopped ; then all seemed to take breath, I
ana the mnrmnr of triumph swelled. i
Bat as he went higher he went omin
ously slower, and ten feet from the top, !
utterly powerless to climb an inch I
farther, he stack helpless, an object of
' dismay to twenty thousand people.
Stretching oat his tired arm, bending
and unbending it as if to say, " If yon
only knew how I feel," the poor victim
of powerless patriotism slid slowly down,
ana there was the qneen in foil sight,
and rapidly approaching.
The commander ol her ad van cod guard
had jnst reached the flag-staff as the
poor cavalryman slnnk back amoog hi*
mates. " Pull down that flag I" shouted
be, or somebody. Down it came and j
her majesty, the qneen of England and
empress of India, reviewed her sixteen
thonsand picked troops without a flag
over her head.
Bnt so far as she was concerned, this
f annoying test only brought oat her finer
qualities. Her expression was, as all
said, nnnsnally bright and cheerful that
day; she oast one light glance at the
empty flag-stafl, and from that moment
seemed to ignore the whole matter.
What Bliad l Have Dene.
The long hat of the names of the blind
who have been eminent in the various
branches of learning from the time of
Diodatas, who lived fifty years before
the Christian era, to the present time,
is well worth remembering. The fol
lowing are some of those to whom we 1
refer :
Dkxlatns, of Asis Minor, oelebrated
for his learning in philosophy, geometry
and mnsic.
Ensebins, also of Asia, lived from 316 j
to 340 of the Christian era; became i
blind at five years of age; died at
twenty-flve. And yet, daring so short
a lifetime, this blind man, by his theo
logical writings, bos come to as, and
will go down to posterity, as one of the
fathers of Christianity.
Henry, the minstrel of Scotland, au
thor of "The Poetic Life of Waltae,"
was born blind in 1361.
Margaret, of Ravenna, born in 1606, j
blind at three months; oelebrated f£ [
her writings on theology and morals.
Hermann Torrentins, of Switserland,
born in 1646. and author of a history i
and poetical dictionary.
Nicholas Sanderson, of Yorkshire, I
England, born in 1682 ; learned in math
"v ematios, astronomy, and wrote s book
on algebra.
Thomas Blscklock, D. D., of Soot- |
land, born in 1761 ; blind at six months;
oelebrated for bis learning in poetry, i
divinity and mnsic.
Francis Hnber, of Geneva, Switaer-1
land, born in 1610; wrote on natural j
sciences, bees, ante, and on education.
John Milton, Kirn in 1608, in London;
author of " Paradise Lost.'
John Metcatf, born in 1717, in Eng
land; road surveyor and rood contractor.
John Gongh, born in 1767, in Eng
land; blind at three years; wrote on
botany, natural history, etc.
David Maobeatb, born in 1792, in
Scotland; learned in mnsic at d msthe
fmnties, and inventor of the string alpha
bet tor the blind.
M. Focanlt, born in Paris in 1799;
invented a writing apparatus for the
blind.
M. Knio, of Prussia, bora blind; was
director of an institution tor the blind,
and wrote on the education erf the
blind.
Alexander Boded boob, of Belgium,
born in 1786: member of the Belgian
congress, and wrote several works on
the btind and the deal mate.
William Henry Churchman, formerly
superintendent erf the institution for
% the blind, at Indianapolis, Ind., and
author of architectural designs and re
ports for the institution.
Prof. Fswoett, member of the British
parliament, and an eminent phltoeoohi
eal writer. -
Concerning Diphtheria.
In spite o! the ooref nl study that bee
been given to the disease, diphtheria
most still be classed as an uuexplninable
physical disorder. For a long time it
was supposed to be of modern origin,
but medical historical research hu
shown that there is good reason for
thinking that it prevailed with deadly
effect in India as long Sgo as 600 B. 0.,
and that the fatal epidemic,called in the
Talmud " asknra," was essentially diph
theritic iu its character. But from this
time forward to the seventeenth cen
tury there is no disease described with
whioh it csn be compared. At thnt lime
there were many deaths from this cause;
but it appears to have made a complete
leap over the eighteenth century, and
not to have been taken into professional
account nntil about twenty years sgo.
Since that time, 1868, it has been inter
mittent in its severity, when any given
localitv is concerned, though it has
never disappeared, when this and other
large oountries are taken into account.
What regnlates its coming and ita going
is, however, an unsolved mystery. Of
the nature of the disease itself the same
uncertainty exists, some physicians
classing it with the very common dis
order known as cronp. while others, of
seemingly eqnal authority, maintain
that there is no connection between the
two. Indeed, almost as mnch is learned
by what it does not do as by what it
does. In this way it has been repeated
ly shown that it is governed by family
or constitutional attractions, sinoe,
when one member of a family has it,
other members of the household are
mnch more liable to be attackod by it
than friends or nnrsos who sre not re
lated by blood ties, even though the ex
posure in the latter case shouldbe great
er than in the former. In view of the
j number of cases of sickness from this
canse in this city at the present time,
says a New York paper, it would be well
for all to bear this last-named circum
stances in mind, for the frequency with j
which two or more members of a family ;
die within a short time from this din- j
ease is one of its most painfnl featnres. I
It is, at leaat, satisfactory to know that
the nnmber who recover is now mnch
larger than it onoe was, for in ancient
times it was stylod an incurable com
plaint, while the present rate of mor
tality from this canse is less than forty
per cent, of those who suffer from it. !
The fact of its complete absence through
long terms of years certainly indicate* its
possible proventability, and in these!
days of enlightened medical research it
will be strange if some way is not dis
covered of stamping it out as effectually
as small-pox has been eradicated.
. m
Flower* Under the Sea.
In the world nnder the waters ore :
lovely flowers of every hue, instinct J
with life and passion, which brighten
with pleasnre and pale with pain, which
wave abont on long stems in the shift
ing currents, as earthly flowers do to
the varying zephyrs, or sit in ooascions
beauty, thick clustered, on a rough -
ribbed branch of ooral, or, breaking
from their parent stems by a strange
■netabasis, unknown to the vegetable ana
logues, become wanderers ami vaga
bond" for the rest of their Uvea. Among
these hubm-rino flowers, none show a
rarer beauty or greater brilliancy than
the coral polype. The tendereet and
moat subtle grays, the most suggestive
and softest carnations, and royal purple
robe these little polypidoma—" daugh
ters of the sea "—creatures that were,
until a hundred and fifty years ago,
universally believed to be marine flow
era and trees.
There are strange flowers and trees,
stalks and branches covered with bark,
from which proceed bnda that open into
flowers, and bear Reeds that reproduce
the coral; bnt the stalks, instead of be
ing herbaoeons or woody, like those of
vegetables, are horny or calcareous;
the buds and flowers, endowed with
animal life and intelligence, are sensi
tive and perceptive beings; the petals,
opening out into rosettes, are so many
arma, feelers, or tentacles that move
abont in search of food, whioh, seising
upon, they convey to their common sxi*
or center, where is placed the month,
and devour. The animated corolla opens
and ahnts alternately, and on the slight
est bint of danger withdraws itself into
itself, nntil nothing bnt an inoonspicnona
little gray knob con be seen, where bnt
an instant before all was life, color and
motion.
Rome Seatlael Brevities.
"If yon nave nobingt to give the
poor bnt a little sonnd advice, yon bad
better retain it," says an exchange.
That's so. A bushel of sonnd potatoes
would be better.
The happy Newark father, who is
rocking bis son, writes to say : " The
reason I cradle him is because he's jnst
as good as wheat." He's the family
flower, probably.
The Hackcnssck Republican asks:
" Why don't yon pay twenty-flve cents
to some poor fellow and get your side
walk cleaned 7" We have; we've paid
thirty cents, and it isn't cleaned yet.
If you want to ascertain if a man is an
editor, jnst examine the seoond joint of
bis right thumb.— tlackeneack Repub
lican. Yon couldn't find out that way.
We don't use the kind they cat ready
made clothing with,
A notorious burglar known as " Piano
Charlie," was arrested the other day in
Toronto. We snppoee he playa on skel
eton keys. He ought to be made to
snffer the pedal-ty of his crimes
Cincinnati Sat, Night, He probably
belongs to an organ-tied gang that does
not pay-any regard to the law.
Jefferson's Farewell.
Two days before dying Thomas Jeffer
son told bis daughter, Mrs. Randolph,
that in a oertain drawer in an old pocket
book she would find something intended
for her, and, on afterward looking there,
she fonod the following venae, written
by him:
"Ufa's visions sre vanished, IU dream* sre do
mora.
Dear friend* of my bosom, why bathed la
tears?
ICQ to my fathers, I weleome the shore
Whioh arowna all my hopes or whioh buries my
Then farewell, my deer, my lov'd daagbtrr
adieu |
The last pang of Ufa is la parting with yoe I
Two seraphs await me long shrouded in death;
I will beer them year love on my last parting
breath."
FARM, HARDER AMD HOUSEHOLD
A rinur aa Cbesriesl Ktralai.
Mr. Conrad Wilson, in an essay on
" Chemical Fanning: its possibilities
and its mistakes," illustrates tbe neces
sity and value of chemical elements
wbeid he conditions are right, and the
danger of them when the conditions are
wrong; and further more includes an
examination of the Btockbridge form
ulas.
I In liia investigation of the subject
{ Mr. Wilson at the onset makes thia very
I essential distinction: While chemical
elements are of great value to the tann
er, it does not follow that chemical
formulas are either valuable or safe.
That they are in certain casee well
adapted and anocosafnl, and occasional
ly give striking results, ia not denied.
But the net reanlt of tbe yield, coat and
final profit that ia claimed for them, on
a general average can only be safely ac
cepted when definitely proved. In re
gard to the system of Professor Btock
bridge—the fundamental principle of
which Mr. Wilson admits is aonnu, and
that some of the conclusion a are true and
important-—he asserts it baa not been
successful in adapting its formulas in
very many cases to tbe needs of the crop,
and aaya that it is still more nnfortnnate
in not adapting them to tbe needa of tbe
soil. "It ia well known," be aaya,
'' that noils differ ao often and ao w dely
in their constituent elements that a fer
tilizer fitted to one ia not necessarily
suited to another; and that if wrongly
applied in a given oase it may entail a ,
loss instead of a gain. Yet tlieae formn- !
las make no distinction between rich '
and poor land, nor do they ever reeog- !
nixe the fact that some soils have already
in sufficient amount one or more of the
elements presented by thia theory. A 1
plan more inconsistent than thia, or
more opposed to true economy, can ;
hardly be conceived. It involv'ea the !
necessity cf applying more plant fcod !
than is needed, and the possibility of I
using, in some cases, three elements,
! two of which are not needed, in order to
make sure of one. Tbe farmer," be
I continues, " must adapt hia fertilisers to
tbe soil or else cease to apply tbem, for
; there ia no other way to make chemical
farming pay. If he does not fully nn-'
derstand the aoil he must be guided by ,
tbe light be has, and get more as soon
as possible. If the chemist can't en- j
lighten him he must look to hia own
; experience, judgement and skill, and
I juat ao far aa he ia in the dark on thia
, point, to that extent hia fertilising is a
game of chance. Every crop raised '
under a new theory ia merely an experi
, ment, however improperly performed.
Each ray of light struck from the soil
in these experiments creates a new value
in husbandry and is often a new factor
iuthceoat of production. It belongs i
not to one individual but to the whole j
community of farmers."— New York
World.
Orchard and liardra SMM.
Tacks were driven in tbe bodies of
trees from one to six years old on the
gronuda of tbe lowa agricultural college,
and at the end of tbe season it waa
found that tbe distance between the
tacks had not increased—thus illustrat
ing tbe fact, familiar to botanists. that
tree trunks do not elongate.
Avoid hollows, ravines and any spongy
black land. Even if well drained, such I
land grows tress which are likely to be !
succulent and abort-lived. Gold air set
ties in the hollows, which are oolder :
than tbe hills; For an orchard, choose
land that is high or relatively high.
The land may slope in cither dirrction.
There ia not much choice nnleaa the
land ia very steep .—Profewor AM/, I
Miehiyan.
The Rural New Yorker aaya: We |
condemn the practice of heaping up tbe
earth about the stems of fruit trees aa
generally recommended. Borne my thia
mound will steady newly transplanted
trees and will also tend to keep away t
mice. The only effects of thia mound, j
to our thinking, are to soften the bark
underneath, rendering it more sensitive
to the alternations of freesing and thaw
ing in February ami March, and to in
duce sprouts from tbe parts so covered.
One of its readers sends an exchange
the following note: Ont of twenty-six
witnesses I have examined in reference
to the beat way of managing an orchard
after the trees have matured, nineteen
of them say the less ploughing the bet
ter—keep in grass and clover, and top
dress with manure every fall. Two of
them recommend plowing shallow every
few years to let in the air, and five of
them believe in " hog cultivation;" that
ia, let the bogs ran in the orchard and
root up the gronnd as they please. AH
agreed that np to good bearing age, the
cultivation of hoed crops, with liberal
dressings of manure, was the only proper
way.
Piants are often frosted through neg
lect, and allowed to die through ignor
ance. Those that have been qnite
severely nipped may be saved if treated
rightly. An exchange says • The proper
way ia, when the frost has been partially
drawn out of them, naturally, to drench
them with cold water from a fine-rosed
watering pot, and immediately cover
again and let them so remain nntil tbev
regain their natural color. When they
are removed clip off all eneh parts aa are
blackened. As soon ae it ia discovered
that a plant has been touched by frost
remove it to a cool, dark room, and on
no account suffer the ann to ahine on it.
If they can be covered no as to exclude
air as well as light, it ia better still.
Dahlias, oannaa and the like need not
be removed nntil the frosts are severe
enough to blacken the leaves.
Calttvsttea Rw,.
1 have for sereral years cultivated a
few choice rosea. Last spring I added
twenty to (he number, and nearly all of
them I set oat in three or foarinch
pots. In Jane I plunged these into the
soil of my flower garden; two of my
older roses and three of my new ones,
however, were planted directly in the
soil. All these roses ware of the ever
blooming sort. One of the three new
rosea that were set in the ground, end
only one, grew more InxnrionUy and
bloomed more abundantly than those In
the pota. It was the charming roes ban
Mm*, It gave me six roses in midsum
mer, and then a new shoot sprang np
from tha roots, grew very rapidly, and
pot forth three bade, and a branch pat
forth two mors, so in the sotnmn I had
five roses (eleven in all) on that tiny
bnsb. After potting and removing to
the house in Ootober. I let it reet ■ few
weeks and then out off nearly all of ita
leaven; 1 ram the ahoot referred to I re
moved every one. At thia time, two
weeka later, there are vigorous ahooi*
more than an inch long, with three bml
already peeping forth, where I oat rll
the leaven.
Severn! years ago I waa forced to atrip
my btishce of their lervea, not knowing
then how otherwise to get no of tie
aphis, though I have ainee proved the
virtues of hellebore. Boon after thus
despoiling tbe plant, it would repay my
harabnese by putting forth nevs shoots
t the leaf joints, crowned with bnda.
Home people are ao careful of their bar
ren rose plants that not a leaf moat be
out off, net a branch pruned, ao tbey
have nanght but the nnaightly bnah to
care for, whereas, if they would cut
down the old wood, they might be re
warded by a new growth. A good rich
soil ia quite aa essential aa pruning;
also moisture and sunshine. I have
aeen people who have became disoourag
cd b' cause their new rose plants drop
ped their leavea. No matter how green
the stalk, tbey exclaim, " My rose bnah
ia dead ! " and by neglect tbey aoon kill
it Had I pursued the same course,
several of mv choice plants, that have
yielded lovely rosea two months after
setting ont, would have I sen a failure.
Bo long aa there ia life in the stalk there
ia hope that it will put forth and hud.
M. D, W., in Vick' Mayazine.
Volar ml Applr. Mr K.aSrr.
The value of apples for fodder lor
farm stock ia one point on which all
stock-growers agree who have had an
opportunity of giving thia fruit a trial
in connection with other rations. The
chief objection to apples for this purpose
—the liability of animaln choking on
them —disappeared with the Introduc
tion of root-cutters, and farmers, espe
cially those operating in climates which
forbid grass during the entire year, are
increasing the area devoted to orchards,
with a view of dispoaiug of any surplus
amount aa fodder. Borne of oui pro
greaaive dairymen, indeed, go further,
and urge apple culture as a necensary
adjunct to the dairy business, so
thoroughly oonvinoed are they that
apples given to milch cows in connection
with feed rich in nitrogen, during the
winter season, impart to their milk a
rich flavor, and to the butter a color akin
to that gained from grass. Where aoil
end climate are adapted to them, there
•H no doubt but that apples for abick can
be grown cheaper than any other kind
of food of corresponding value, gram
excepted.
Hogs art> rapidly fatU'u< d on apple*,
when grain meal i* intermixed, and
horse* and sheep thrive on them in
place of root*, when given with hay.
Apple* are of comparatively " little
vlue whon led alone. Thi* ia account
ed for by the small amount of nitrogen
they contain; hence the uecewity of aa
nociating them with ration* rich in the
element* they lack. The aarae rule
hold* good with apple pomace, which i*
valuable or almoat worthies* according
aa it it fed aeparatciy or in connection
with other material*. —JS'nc York World.
Health lllata
To HTOP XUHK ButKtuxd.— Pressing
on the artery that paaaea along the un
deraide of the right jaw will atop noae
bleeding.
Burma*. — Bathe had braiana u> hot
water. Arnica water hasten* a enre,
bnt ia injnrion* and weakening to the
parta when naed too long and too freely.
THI Hint BOOM.— An invalid require*
something beaidea physic. Qood nnra
ing and common aenae mice, gently and
pleasantly enforced, do more toward re
covery than the doctor can. Heat the
aick room, if poeeible, by an open grate
fire, or wood npon the hearth ; the lat
ter ia the beat of all mode*.
Br lor*. - In the caae of bad bnrna
that take off the akin creoente water ia
the beat remedy. If thi* ia not at band,
wood-(loot (not coal), pounded, rifted
and mixed with lard ia nearly aa good,
aa anch toot contain* creoaote. When
a drawing ia pot on do not remove it till
a akin ia formed under it. If nothing
elae ia at hand for a bad bnrn sprinkle
flour over the place where the akin ia off,
and then let it remain, protected by a
bandage. The chief rim ta to keep the
part without akin from the air.
CmnouaTn OABTKK*. Children'*
stockings should not be fastened with
elastic (or other) bands aronnd the leg,
aa any band so applied interferes more
or leaa with the circulation of the blood.
Bnttona should be sewed on the tops of
the stockings, on the outer aide of the
leg, and elastic strap* with button-boles
at each end should fasten ta these and to
bnttona on the under waiata, under the
arm*. There are patent stocking sup
porters much like thi*, only the strap
fork* above the knee and attache* to the
stocking on the ontaide, and also on the
inside of each stocking-leg. Home-made
garters can be arranged the same way,
bat I And one fastening
Hcufteriit.
What's la a Same.
The Hillman house—distingumhed tot
having been once noenpied by Washing
ton— in • groat hostelry just north of the
capitol, cm Delaware avenne. II ia much
affected by married people with fami
lies. In its grand old corridors and thr
staircases play the most charming being*
of children. Among the gronp is a boy,
whose dark, pi<junt face ia aa bright
and questioning aa the one of Mnrillo'a
Kci He i*(tailed "Tunale" and is
>n of Oapt. Meiga. The legend of
bis name ia that many yean ago in the
staid old State of Uonneeticnt a great
great grandfather of the little fellow
courted a young girl and aaked her to be
his wife. Her mother was anxious that
her daughter should marry so exemplary
a man, bat the wayward girl discarded
him.
The disheartened suitor begged her
to think of it, for if be left with her re
fusal be would never return- She gave
him no encouragement, so be left. He
woe still outside, loth to depart, when
the young girl, repenting, ran to the
door and opening it snddeniy called out:
" Return, Jonathan I return, Jonathan!"
He did return and they ware married.
Whan their tot child was born, wishing
to eommemoroie an happy aa anion,
they named him Return Jonathan Meiga.
The child wa* afterward appointed judge
of the Territory of Michigan, and ro
signed in 18MI. The grsu.ifsthnr of this
beautiful boy ia at present clerk of the
district court.— WtuAfepom JXer.
Where Poets are Bnried.
Ohanoer waa bnried in the oloiatera of
Weetminater abbey, without the build
ing, bat removed to the eoath aisle in
16M; Kpenaer liea near him. Beau
mont, D. ajtou, Crowley, Denham, Dry
, den, Howe. Addition, Prior, Congreve,
Gsv, Johnson. Hberidan and Campbell
all lie within Weetminater abbey. Hnaka
peare, aa every one knowa, waa buried
• a the chanoel of the chureh at Btrat
ford, where there ia a monument to hie
memory. Chapman and Hhirley are
buried at Ht. Gilea-in-the-Fields; Mar
low, in the ebnrchyard of St. Paul's
Deptford; Fletcher and Maaainger, in
tbe churchyard of Bt. Haviour'a, Bonth
wark; Dr. Dunne, in Old St. Paul's-
Kd ward Waller, in Beaoonafleld church'
yard; Milton in tbe churchyard of Ht.
Oilea'.Cripplegate; Butler in tbe church
yard of Bt. Paul'a, Oovent Oarden; Ot
way, no one knowa where; Oartb, in the
churchyard at Harrow; Pope, in tbe
chnrch at Twickenham; Hwift, in Bt.
Patrick'a, Dublin: Bar age, in tbe
ebnrchyard of Ht. Peter's, Dnblin: Par
nell, at Cheater, where he died on hia
way to Dublin; Dr. Young, at Welwyn,
in Ilertfordahire, of which place be waa
the rector; Thompson, in the church
yard at Richmond in Burrey; Oollina,
in Bt. Andrew's chnrch. at Chichester;
Oray, in tbe churchyard at Bloke-Pogia,
where he conceived hia " Elegy "• Gold- !
smith, in the churchyard of the Temple I
church; Falconer, at aea, with "all
oocan for hia grave;" Churchill, in the
churchyard of Bt Martin a, Dover; ;
Cowj>er, in the church at Dereham; 5
Chatterton, in a churchyard belonging
to the pariah of Bt. Andrew's, Hoi born; I
Burns, in Ht Michael'a churchvard' 1
Dumfries; Byron, in the church at
Hucknall, tear Newatead: Crabbe, at
Trowbridge; Coleridge, in the chnrch at
Highgate; Bir Walter Hoott, in Dry
burgh abbey; Bouthey in Oroathwaite
church, near Keswick
k Parrel's Piety.
Captain James Etcbberger vouchee
for the following bird story :
About thirty years ago when in Hon
duras in command of tbe bark Eldor
ado, bis wife then accompanying him,
he was presented with aparot, a spright
ly bird and a flnent disconrrer in tbe
Hpaniab language. The bird was
brought to thia city, where after being
domiciled in tbe house of the captain's
family it aoon acquired a knowledge of
the English tongue. The next door
neighbor of the captain was a garullons
woman—an incessant scold—forever
quarreling with some one or something.
Polly being allowed full liberty was
pleased to take an airing on tbe yard
fence, and in a abort tin e had learned
to mimic the scolding neighbor to per
fection and became aggressive. Polly
not (infrequently rued her impertinent
by being knocked off the fence with a
broomstick.
This brought forth a torrent of abase
from ber injured feelings upon the bead
of ber assailant Finally the bird's
language became ao abusive that tbe
captain aa obliged to send it away, aod
Polly waa transferred to a good Chris
tian family in tbe country, where in tbe
course of time abe reformed and became
to some extent a bird of edifying piety.
Home time ago, while she waa sun
ning herself in the garden, a large hawk
swooped down and bore tbe distressed
parrot off nn a prise. Her recent re
ligious train.rg come to ber assistance,
as at the lop >f ber voice she shrieked,
" Oh. Lord, nave me! Oh, Lord, save
me 1"
Tbe hawk became ao terrified at tbe
unexpected cry that he dropped hia in
tended dinner and soared sway in tbe
diatauoe.
Polly still survives ber attempted
alnlnction. Raltimorr (kid.) New.
A Hlagolar Bird Part.
It ban for a long tim been an enigma
to the ornitbologiatft how certain specie*
of email singing bird*, which spend
the winter in Egypt or Algeria, and
the summer in Honthern or Western
Enrope, ever succeed in crooning the
Mediterranean, as manj of them are not
able to fly one-quarter of a mile without
renting. The bedouins of Northern
Africa say that they travel on the backs
of the larger biros, whihng away the
dreary hrrnrs of the sea voyage by their
song, and bedouin poetry swarms with
allnsiona to this ebarming picture of the
song leas stork carrying on his powerful
back a cluster of small songsters across
the sea. And singularly enough, the
peasants of Southern and Western En
rope aay exactly the same. Every Eu
ropean country has thousands of stories
about the splendid gifts which the stork
bring along from the Nile, and among
these gifts are always mentiooed as the
first, babies and singing birds. But in
K'te of this remarkable unanimity in
lower spheres,none has ever dreamed
of finding a fact at the bottom of these
tales until lately, one great oruitholo
Sat after the other— Henglias, Rob,
edenborg,etc—declares himself willing
to accept the explanation; nor have
traces of positive proofs been altogether
lacking, _____
Peiseaeas Marking*.
A dyer writes to e New York paper aa
follows: So much baa been said about
dyed stocking poisoning, which remarks
hare been confined entirely to the medi
cal profession, that a few words from a
dyer may not be out of plaoa. It does
not appear aa if any of the gentlemen
bare given the matter any really praeti
eal teat in tha way of chemical analysis,
simply relying upon mere guess-work.
After many investigation* the writer has
concluded that in the eases where bright
snniline shades are desired, acids (prin
cipally sulphuric acid) are need to de
velop and brighten the oolora. and the
simple canes of so modi trouble lies in
the feet that the acid* t are not been
rinsed out properly. When the stook
lugs era won, perspiration releases the
acid, which causes irritation of the skin,
and eon tinned wearing naturally cause*
the inflamatkm complained of. Again,
if the stocking* are (through an econo
mical notion of the dyer) not properly
scoured, they will crook off and clor
tha feet, which, without the acid, hi
perfectly harmless. In concluding, 1
can add this simple mutton. Always
wash them in snap and wafer before
wearing. This will neutralise all acid*
in the yarfa and reader the ebjcti.abk
colored stockings perfectly safe to wear
Faaeral* la Hew Jerk,
" Uar* m modi ntnriaee ia
funerals aa there used to b®r Inquired
* ??If reportor of ao undertaker.
Ob, no I I suppose few trade* miliar
more severely from the hard *
onrs. Persons who used to epare no
expense at the funerals of their dead
now calculate every penny, and in aO
eaaes, except, etraoge to aay, the verr
poor, the dealre for displayhas gives
place to strict economy. There are ex*
oeptlona, of oonrse, bat they are few
and far between. In the peat twenty
yeara ao almost entire change has been
worked in one eeaential of funerals. I
mean the carriage*. In old timm it was
customary for familiea to send oat
funeral invitations, and provide car
riage* for those who came, bnt now the
practice ia for friends of the family to
hire their own carriages. This custom
was in vogne among the Irish many
years ago, bnt now it ia gaining gronnd
among the Germans and Americana. It
i no uncommon thing in Irish funerals
for four frienda of the dead persona to
hire a carriage and attend the funeral,
and the German* are rapidly adopting
the same economical habit. fence 1809
the falling off in the number of carnages
iiaa been gradual, but steady. Then a
hearse followed by one hundred car
riages was not regarded aa a rarity ; now
if half that number of carriages were is
line persons would wonder who is dead.
The French and Italians generally like
to provide carriage* for those invited to
funerals, bnt the former are gradually
settling into the Irish-American custom.
" But, talking about poor persons'
funerals," the undertaker resumed, after
having opened a case and gazed for a
while in silent ecstacy at a group of
polished caskets, •' you ought to go to s
colored person's burying. Yon have no
idea how provident and methodical the
better class of colored folks are as to
their funerals. Why, in this neighbor
hood alone they have established a num
ber of burial societies that are well sup
ported. The principle of these institu
tions is much like that of the building
associations so popular in Philadelphia
and other cities. The members psy so
much each per mouth until a certain
sum is reached. Should death overtake
them before that sum is paid, the society
buries them ont of its surplus funds. I
know of colored women who belonged to
three or four of these societies at one
time. One that we buried last week
had s burial fund of f2OO, and every
cent of it was spent on ber funeral by
the heirs. Poor things! They in
herited nothing. But in all colored
funerals, mostly, the family hire* the
ferriages, and friends are invited pretty
much as they would be to a feast. The
undertaker is banded a list of those who
are to ride to the cemetery, and seats
the persona accordingly. 80 thoroughly
is each detail arranged, that the load
for each carriage is designated, the pre
ference being given first to relative* and
then to frienda."
A KwrW T*wi.
The only rained town in the United
HUtcs.as far mwe know,and certainly the
one which possesses the moat singular
history ia found on the New Jersey ooaat,
hidden among the low wooded hill*
which stretch back from the beech.
Stopping at a little station on the Cen
tral New Jersey Railroad, the traveler
tlnda the nana! two or three new
yellow wooden buildings; bat half a
mile beyond, in the midat of thick
wooda, be oomee upon a deaerted,empty
town. There are rowa of solidly-built
block* erf brick dwelling*; there are great
fonnderiea, and milla, and churches.
The grass grows knee-deep in the
streets. Home of the buildings have
crumbled into rain, and are bedded in
mow, bat the walla of most of them are
standing. In the vaaant rooms of the
unroofed houses, trees have grown, and
rank weeds flaunt gayty, while the
American ivy climbs up to the top of
the gigantic chimneys, which used to
belch forth volumes of fire and smoke,
and wavea its crimson banner in triumph
Half a doaen laborers' families have
found abetter in the beet of the old
building*, bat their presence only seems
to make the solitude more apparent.
The town is enclosed ia a fence, and a
rusty gate creaks on its hinges to admit
the curious visitor.
The story (old by tbe superstitions
neighbor*, to soeount for iron works in
• lonely district where there M L either
ore, fuel, • market, or means of trans
portation, is that tbe works were a mere
shield for the operations of the noted
pirate, Gibba, and his gang, who used
them as a place of deposit, coming "il
going in tbe boats which brought the
ore np tbe inlet to tbe town, "ftey al
lege that on tbe vary day, forty yean
ago, when Gibba wae hang, tbe works
closed, and tbe buildings have stood un
used ever sinew.
Unfortunately for tbe truth of tbe
romantic story, tbe town belongs to a
eery respectable family, whose estate
has been in litigation for many yean—
a sufficient cine, probably, to all mys
teries,— YoutAt' Gbmpsswa.
Chinese MIUUM.
The salutations of UM Chinese, Ilka
j everything aba pertaining to this queer
people, are peculiar. The aalutatioa
between two Chinamen of the better
| claaa when they meet oonaista in each
: claaping hia own haada, instead of eaofa
| other'a, and bowing vary profoundly.
I almost to the ground, several times A.
qnaatkm more common than " How do
you dor is "Have yon eaten neat"
It is taken for granted that if you have
eaten ties you are well Etiquette also
requires that in oouvanataon each ahall
compliment the other and everything
belonging to him in the moet laudatory
style, and depreciate himself, with all
pertaining to him, to the lowest point.
The following ia no exaggeration, though
not the pnsotae words:
" What te your honorable namer
"My insignificant appellation ia
wo'jfcT
" Where ia your magnifioent palace 1"
oontemptibta hut te on Dnpont
" How many are vonr illustrious chil
dren p
" My vfla, worthless brats are five."
" How te the health of your distin
guished spousef"
" My mean, good-far nothing old wo
man to Km.
, • W "® U * appear
injabbneof glory the indulges in a little