I Bo to Red.
When I have lost all laitli in man,
Or lailod to consummate some plan;
When women lair are cold, unkind,
And things accord not with my mind,
I do not rashly seize my pen
And in a flurry there and then
Declare this gladsome world to lie
One endless rooud of vanity;
Ah 1 no, fbr this were mockery—
I go to bed.
When threngh my head there darts a paim
And life HC tns an increasing bane,
When Irion-ls their |-atronago withhold.
Aud credilois become too txilit,
I do not in seclusion mourn,
And curse the hour when 1 was born—
I go to tied.
When sumo It. 11. deserts his oreod,
And quiu ks their many victims bleed;
When editors write sharp replies,
And moneyed men keep hack supplies,
I do not then, in proso ami verse,
Implore the gods mankind to curse—
I go to last.
W hen couples marry in great haste,
And servants pilfer, tret and waste;
When general courts their terms prolong,
In short, when tilings get somewhat wrong
] do not bite my lips aud scowl,
Aud at tlie sliildren snap and growl—
I go to bed.
I go to bed and soundly sleep,
While friendly angels vigils keep;
Bat it, however, I swukw
Before ray ailments me tor-sake,
I do not ot my lite complain,
But try the rfltaiedy again—
And back lotted.
Tc who have griefs (and who has not*)
Let past preseaptiona Ist forgot,
My panacea tor old and yontig
Is given in the English tongue,
[t hath to untold millions wrought
Sweetest relief, nor cost them might;
And now if you, like these, would be
From every pain and trouble tree,
Light a small lamp and eme with me—
-1 go to bed.
_____________
The Wreck of the " Pioneer.'
Ralph Keystone was orit of those men
who combine a talent for practical
things with an active imagit 'ton. He
was at the same time a most unpractical ,
man in affairs of business. Like all im
aginative men, lie early found a woman
whom l:e could clothe in ideal charms, j
and then fell in love with her. Jane .
Rcsant was the only daughter o! Farmer i
lb -ant, who owned and operated an im
mense wheat farm not far from the vil- j
lag--of Musk.-iloutie. To Farmer I!- -ant
went Ralph in tlie first flush of his love !
(or Jane.
•' You wish to marry Jane?"
Tin- young man replied. " Not inim.dl- ;
steiyfor iust at the time lie wax out of
employment.
" That's just it. Keystone," said the
farmer; "you are out of work for the
fourth time since you came from tlie |
East How ran you marry on so un
certain a prospect? You are too un- i
stable; you do not stick to anything." !
Ralph admitted lie had been unfortu
nate in ids ventures; hut be still had a !
little money left, and he would now go
into some manufacturing business.
"Manufacturing, indeed! There's
nothing iut farms within fifty miles.
Wheat is tlie only tiling that pays here,
unless it be lumber, and there isn't a
sawmill Vithin a Itundnd miles."
" Then I might start one," said Ralph,
cateliing at tliis straw, for he felt him
self sinking. He could make no head
way against tliis hard, practical man,
who knew nothing b-yond wheat.
"Start a sawmill! Where's your
power? And, if you had it. how could
you eompeto witli tlie mills up tlie
river? lxxik here, Ralph, I don't wntit
to 1M- bard on you. I see you love Jan
nnd Jane loves you—at least she seems 1
to think so."
"That's tlie truth." said Ralph. " Wo
love each other dearly."
"Now I'll make a bargain with you.
If votyjfol go into some business, anil
make Hni ron. you shall have Jane—
that is.TT she want* you."
"Thank you,sir,"said the young man. !
" I'll start trie sawmill at once."
Tlie road to the village followed the
river for some distan •* through Farmer
Besant's land, and then turned east !
through the wood* toward tlie village.
Ralph walked along in a dazed fashion
mentally numb with his refusal, his bdv j
walking automatically, just as it will
when tlie mind isAbsoiU-d in > n'tii
plation. At the turn of the road i;i feet
look the riglit direction for home, hut ;
after going a few steps he stopped ,
abruptly, and turned back to the river.
Tlie Muskalontlc is a wide, shallow
stream, winding sluggishly through the
country, its banks being hereabouts
heavily fringed with WIMMIS.
The young man -left the road and fol
lowed tlie snore down stream, walking
quickly, as if looking for something.
Like nil Imaginative people, he had been
given to wandering alxiiit tlie country,
and was familiar with tlie land for mile*
around Muskalontlc. lie remembered
having seeßifaliing into the river, !<e
tween two low hills, a slender brook,
half I It in the wood*.
Just M be had supposed. It was n
living stream, still running, though it !
was August. He looked at tlie tiny ran
for a moment, and then started briskly
up its winding channel, carefully noting
the slope and character of the ground.
After walking a short distance be found
the little valley narrowed, and then
spread out into a slough, a niarah. where
toe stream was lost in pools and sedges. '
Like a prospector searching for pre
cious metals when he finds a vein, he
threw up his hat with a cheer.
" I've won her! I fancy the old gen
tleman will let us marry now."
Just then there onrao through tlie
woods the sound of a passing steamer on
the river, and the yonng man smiled.
" I'll heat those fellows yet. They
take all tills trade up the river, and leave
this farming region to stagnate. We
must have manufactures here, and Uiey
■hall begin with a sawmill."
Keystone sat up ad night over hi*
drawing-paper and pencils. Two days
after saw three woodman felling tree* by
the little brook. The land belonged to
• Farmer Benin t. and ho bad consented
that a dam should be erected thereon. If
Keystone wa* fool enough to sink his
money in improving tlie hit of water
power he thought he had found, he was
at liberty to do so. provided he gave half
the work when finished to the landow nr.e
with half the lumber cut on tho la.n
If he failed, then ALL tho lunilx-r WIU to
remain on the l:in<l. I'retty hard terms,
but Ralph accepted them on tho spot.
Axo in hand no lioadod tho woodmen,
directing the fall of each tree, so as to
save lahor In hauling the logs. >\ lion
about a hundred tree* were down he or
ganized his foroe Into chop|TH,and hegan
to get out logs of every also. A pair of
oxen were hired, ana things begun to
assume shaptf Heavy logs laid end to
end in a double row stret' lied across the
little vailey, ami marked the foundation
of the dam" Stout stakes were driven on
the low side, and shorter logs laid up
stream,with the ends realingon the heavy
timbers, raised the dam alsiut one foot.
The news quickly spread through the
country round about. Young Keystone
bad found water power —in other words,
wealth—in the little brook. Within
throe weeks the dam had been rnlccd
three feet, and tho water began to hack
up behind it, spreading out over the
marsh in a slowly widening pond. Then
tho people began to laugh. Keystone
was a fool, after all. What could lie do
with only three fe I fall of water?
The next day a small army of labor
ers appeared in the woods, and by night
they had dug a long ditch or canal from
the river up the bed of tlie brook. Two
days after it reached the foot of the datu, j
and brought the river water close up to
thole;"*. At the upper end it was live I
feet ili< in Five and three make eight. |
Eight f> t fall in the clear. Here's;
power in abundance. Thereupon the !
ho-lookers said the young man was a !
smart fellow, a good engineer, etc., cb\ j
Within a week the village carpenter had
constructed a water-wheel from Kaiph'a
designs. Within two weeks saws and
gearing arrived, a shed was put up, and
<be sawmill was opened for busfnosa.
The first job was for a lot <>f two-inch
plank for Farmer Bosun t. He claimed
that lie was half owner of the mill hv
tlieir agreement, and would only pay huff
the bill. Keystone took the job, and
soon had it finished, and even ran through
a lot of logs and piled up the planks on
sale. Sundry small jolts came in. and it
began to look as If he had started a good
business. One morning a stranger ar
rived, and introduced himself as a lumber
dealer from a town fifty miles down the
river. He was in scan It of n lot of small
stuff, light seantlingtwo it:c|< ■ - wide and
an inch and a half thick, in lengths oi
twelve feet ami upward, lie wanted a
million feet, luni he offered a good price,
and gave his name and r fcrwiccs. Tlie
offer was tempting, and It ilph took it,
and agreed to have the stuff ready in two
weeks. Encouraged by his success, lie
hired more help, and started on the new
order. In t r. nays he wrote to the party
to say that the scantling was nearly all
ready, and could he put on a raft arid
floated down the rivi r. No reply came,
and lie wrote again, and in a few il.ivrc
ceivcd a notification of the failure of Fh<-
I urn lier dealer, and an account of tin
winding up of his affairs.
Discouraged and sick at heart. In
wandered down by tlie river and sat
down on a fallen tree alone. Everything
was lost. He could never marry Jane.
A large part of his lunilier had le - n < ut
up into a useless and unsalable sl. ipe,
and lie was in debt to his nn-n. In fool- i
ishly trusting the word of a stranger he
had made a wreck of everything. When
the mind is ill at case a trifling circum
stance will often absorb tin- wb.!e att n
tion, and as tie sal gioomny brooding
over tlie ruin of hopes, he saw n sb nm
boat rounding the le-nd of the river
about a mile up stream, Sbe was steer
ing dangerously n-:ir a half-sunken
island in tlie middle of the river. He
watched lier with n vague curiosity as
she came swiftly onward Suddenly she '
turned, ami with apparent purpose ran
directly across the upper end of tin
island, struck, and ground's). H" could
s<-e the wheels reversed. and in a mo
ment after saw the wildest confusion
among the passenger*on board. Spring
ing up.lie ran at full speed along the
bank till he came opposite tie stranded
boat.
It win a fflglit and iiwityr'teinnr
—the I'ior - r by name. She blew b-r
whistle loudly, and a moment after he
saw a boat lowered. For an instant
there was some confusion on the steamer
ns if the people were(tctnornlized, but a
tall fellow interferes!, and order was re
stored. The boat came slowly abore.
and by the time it reached the bank all
his null hands and several farming peo
ple had arrived in an excited crowd on
tlie bank. In tlie hontcame the captain
of tlie steamer. Aa lie sprang aslwire he
aaid to Ralph :
" Are there any boats or barges about
h're ?"
" Nothing but a punt or two. Can't
you bring ><ur passengers ashore in your
own boats?"
"Botherthe passengers! I can land
them easy enough. It's the cargo. The
steamer will never corm- off. The tiller
rope broke, and she ran nose on at full
spiced. Tim old Pioneer had laid down
lier lw>ncs forev r. Poor old tub! I pity i
her."
'■ I'll take your rrgo ashore, or down |
stream to any point you say. In three
days, for fiv hundred dollars."
Oh, you've s liarge or two. Why
didn't you say so?" I'll hire 'ent of you. j
" I Itave no barge, but I'll make one
in twenty-four hours—for cash, I have
a sawmill iust hack of here."
" I'll give you five liundnsl dollars if ,
you'll ptit the cargo on a flat within 1
three days. T enn't get a steamer tip here |
in leas than two days, and it will cost
aimosl M much, tbougli I lon't see how
you're giiingtomake a flat in that time,"
" That's my look-out. I'll have a barge
'longiddc before to-morrow night."
"It will bik" two barges. Heavy
cargo tliis trip."
" If I leave a single liarre] behind, I'll
forfeit a bundled dollars You can take
the pvo'tigcrs to the village. Rome
of tin-folks will give them lodging till
the boats come up on Monday.'
The c aptain agreed to the bargain, and
put off to brii,,, ills passengers ashore.
"Johnson," said Ralph to one of tlie
young men, "go to tlie painter's, and j
tell him to send me throe men and a lot
of white-lead paint. Then get two kegs
of sixpenny nails itnd bring them to the j
mill. Take my horse. Pick up all tue
men you eati find. I want all the v*r
penters in the place to work daj ami,
night on a good Job."
Tint minutes later a down men, with
carpenter*' tools, stood ready In tle mill
yard waiting fot* <rders,
" I was born m xt door to a Massacnu
setts shipyard," said Ralpli, " and I
i know something alxiut boat-building. I
I am going to make a barge big enough
for a steamboat. fx-t every man do ex
j aotiy a* I tell him, and we will have lier
launched la-fore to-morrow night. Every
I man shall have double pay while at work
on the boat."
Tlie men gave a oncer, nnd said they
were ready tor anvtliing. It seemed as
if it tulglit IK- true, fr In a moment after
they Wife iwmlng long two-inch planks
down to the river hank. Here a space
was cleared next the water, and four
lines of timber "ways," or slides, were
laid down heading into the water, se
curely fastened together, and then liber
ally spread with grease and oil. Then,
under Kalph'Hilireet ions, two-ineh planks
were laid side by side on the ways till a
platform was utade one hundred and
eighty feet long ami about twenty feet
wide in the center. More men begun to
arrive, and every one who could drive
nails was promptly engaged, and within
an hour forty men were at work on the
new boat.
With chalk ami line Ralph struck a
line through the center of the platform,
and front this slruck out a curved line
on each side, and then hade t lie men
saw off the planks to the curved line.
This gave a long slender platform, ten
feet wide at the upper end, or stern,
twenty feet wide near the center, and
running tiff to a long slender point at
the lower end, or bows, of the future
boat. Then upon this platform was laid
a rough coat of paint, a dozen men ply
ing the brushes at onetf, and then eaiue
more planks, laid lengthwixq, The two
platforms were cut to the same form,
and were quickly spiked together.
The men suggested that such a long J
and slender raft would never hold to
gether.
" Wait and see," said Ralph, " Now
for the scantling we have been getting
out at the mill. Hring it down by the
cart-load. Now, tuon, have your bits
ready for lairing nail-holes in the stuff.
Make the hole* a foot apart the whole
length of the strips."
In a moment or two several pieces of
scantling were reatly, and taking one in
hand Ralph laid it along the edge of the
raft ami nailed it down, then another,
till a strip had been laid entirely round I
tlie raft. A* the strips were long and i (
flexible, they were easily bent to lit the '
curved lines of the platfoini. At the !
upper end the cross-pieces were nailed (
together, and at the Ix.w end the strips !
were brought to a point and fitted tonn I
ut.right piece M t up at the end of the 1
platform. TUen through the center of i
the plattorm was laid anotb* i" *trip from '
•■nd to end, wliife at intervals of about
five feet crow-pie<s s were laid from side
to side.
" Now, men, you *• my idea. Igiy '
stripover strip, and nailtlx m tlrrulvon",
to the other through the hole*, till the
Hides are six fist high; break the joint*
of the strips and nail-holes; lay on the |
paintTreefy a.s you go, and we shall
ms.ti have a steamboat without ribs. !
The crosa-pieeeg will brace 10-r, and
he'll carry a big cargo, even if she isn't
Very pretty."
The men. unaccustomed to marine '
architecture, greeted this novel *yst/-tn
of boat-building with pleasant -urpri.se,
ami went to work witn a will. Mon
men arrived, and the clatter of twenty
haiuiin rs going on at once made tin
wood* ring. The *un went down, and
ton-lie* and Ix.nlir. s w reiight'-d Ahoy
was .-.-nt round for the men's uppT*
that there might IK- nodi lay. The pos
.-< ngers of the wrecked -'. am. rv,• re be- !
stowed in sundry farmhouse*. Farmer
H-sant taking hi* *han at wo dollars
each. The news of the hoat-huilding
spread quickly, nnd the |K-np].- flock* d 1
down to the mill-yard to see the work, '
and with tlietn came all the pas-eng* r*.
Among tie in cam> Fanner R sant and
tlie captain of the |'i;>n* r. Thefarni-r
walked alKiut the curious structure now '
rapidly rising, and seeing the enormous !
eonsumntion of s- antling. lie remon
strated in no pleasant mood.
" What right have v..u to u ■ up your
< UMomer's stuff in tills way?" .
" He's failed," said Keystone, wiliioul
topping his work.
" ilow do you know? He may claim
it, and you arc sjioiling Uiousand* of
feet of gexid stuff on a pl> of folly.''
" Hon't know nl.otit that," sixid a big
follow nearby. " It's alx.ut the -mart- ,
•st idee I ever s'n. ttic--- yon belong ,
East, young man?"
"Massachusetts. I've seen many a *
Ix.at built without rib*, though n"tie '
quite o big. She'H carry your cargo, ,
captain."
"Ob, she will when she's <'.• V" <l. I (
say. young feller, don't vou want P> sell
lor iust .as -he stands?'
"No. Site is to lie a •toa*nlxat."
Farm r lb*ant fi It eonfirtu' d in ,
views of young Keystone. He was a ,
horn fool—come from the very homeol
lunatics and visionaries.
" I'll give you tliree hundr- d dollars ,
l<>r lier iust as she stands, and tlniali her ,
myiitf.
"The Jane Is not for sai'.''
"Jane for sab? Don't lnu!t the girl.
MT. Ralph." i,
"A little n. repaint—lay il on thick!"
Then lie turned away to drive morr
nails.
Farmer B>- an! went home, intending
to tell Jane of the insult she had received.
He would neverspeak to Keystone again,
neither should Jane. l,U'*ki!v Jnne had
goic to Im*l when he returned and knew
nothing of tlie building of the lw>at.
Morning came an<! -aw the sidcaof tfu
boat well advanced. Some men left for
homo and k r< -t, and others t>ok their
phwes. Fv. n some ot the pas.*"tigers
voluntMTed as painters nnd nail-driver*.
There was no thought of tli" Sabbath.
The excitement of the wreck, the arrival ,
of so many stranger- and the Is at l.ulhl- i
; ing brought everybody out of doors. 1
and the yard was tilled with people
watching the progr. - of tlm work.
Among tlem ram.- one witii shining
eyes and a rosy blush upon In r face. The i
ii.niie of her lover w , on every tongue, i
I The marked approv.>. of the . aptain of
the Steamer, and tie cntliUMf no of his i
. ngineer, won tiiecoi dd"iiee of the rural
population. Keystone had always been
! I'onsidered an eeeemrlr sort of fi'llnw,
' tint now, after all. tb re might besome
' thing in him. The • things she heard
1 and treasured in )i r I- art. She kept
i out of sight in the crowd, but nw every
tiiing and heard everything with the
i greatest interest and pleasure. Tliere
was a mnn painting letters in blue on
the stem of tlie new l>at. He had m.vle
a J, an A and an N, and was at work on
another letter, Ah. Jane —her name!
There was quite a company of people
, watebing tlie man. and win n the name
] was flnlslied there was a little shout ol
approval.
. " I alien said he was dreffie sweet on
Squire BesantHi darter."
" Sho! That's anretty idee, anyway."
She blushed sear!, t. and slipped awav
and went up to tie- dnfflw sawmil ,
and sat down on a log by the little water
fall, Suddenly some one stood beside
; Imr.
"Oil, Jane! It'a all over. I have
j failed, and to-morrow your father will
take the mill. That lumber dealer has
failed, and that brings me down."
"Can't you sell tlie lumberf" said
Jane, with ready common sense.
" 1 have used a part of It In maflng
the barge, if I get the money (or sav
ing tlie cargo, I shall have just enough
to imyeverv hill, but with nothing left."
She stood up, and nlaelng a hand on
eai h shoulder ealmlv kissed him.
"Thank you, love, for the compli
ment."
"I heard the engineer say the—tho
Jane would make a good freight steamer
if she were enghied."
"Did lie? That's not a had idea. 1
hiul thought hli<- would make some kind
of a craft. Oh! i'erhaps 1 could buy
the engines out of the steamer. They
will sell tlicm cheap.
" I thought yoti had failed and lost
every tiling."
" N. 1 can't fail while I have you."
What further sentiment he would
have indulged in csnnot lie known, for
some one called them.
" Bite's 'bout reaily to slide," said the
big captain. Seeing Jane, he took off
liis hat and said, politely, "Will the
youtip lady name the boat?"
"The boat is named the Jam lb*ant.
Let me present my friend Mis t liesant,
captain."
"(Had to meet you, miss I called my
boat tho Nancy K., after uiv wife. It
brings luck."
Thi-huilt-up si lcs of the boat anil the
interior cross-work that braced her nnd
held the hull tiigcthi r in every direction
had been raised six feet high. Hoards
were laid down on top to form a disk
and she was ready to lie put afloat. The
captain and the engineer. Ralph and
nlxiut a dozen men reted with long poles,
mounted thi-d>*ck. The word was given. '
tin- blocks wre knocked away, and
down slu-slid swiftly into the water
amid the cheers of the people. Khe set
tled down in tho water with a slight list
to one side, and the rural population
gave a little cry of alarm.
"The cargo will halln-t her," said
Ralph, "(let nut your poles, men, and
pu.-ii her along the shore till we come to
the steamer."
The Jane R. S ant was quickly brought
round, and went up stream, followed by
an enthusiastic multitude on th" shore.
Shortly after, the barge was secured
alongside the wreck, and tlie men hegar
to nut the cargo on hoard. Bhe did not
h ak a drop, and appeared to l.e as stif
and strong as the 1.1 lribi.nl boat afloat
Khe was very buoyant, and readily
minded the rud- rudder tluvt had h'.-n
hung at tin-stern.
" I shall he glad to eonsid'T your pro
posal. sir, to-morrow!"
"Come in mv cabin—l guess it i-n't
wholly V, r. k- d. Come, Jkati s, I want
you too."
The young man followed the captain
and hi.* engineer into th. ..bin and sjit
down, white tlf tat.t iin .i.| r- .1 -..p..
win" and lun- li. When the lunch < arne,
tlf captain IK-gan to he xj-aiudvc.
"Shoonly wants a little more sles-r,
nn.l a desk and house and engines.
She'll not h" a f:t*t Ixint, but she'll go ir.
shallower writer than anything on the
river, she'll be running regular trip
when tie- big Ix.ats are laid UP f..r low
Water. Tell you what I'll do, younf
man. I'll put engine* in h< r, and rnak'
lor a stera-wheeh r. Mehlx- you esin
r.ii- • enough to put a house on her. I'll
go halves with you in tie- husin* ss.
\V <-an hnukher ashore and sle nthe h' r
bottom to make it snuxitli. nnl make a
fOOd tiling of it. W l.at d' ji.u say l
it a bargain?"
"Then it would he a letrgain—if it
wa-n't Sunday. Ail right. We'll go
a*lion thi- evening and In art l.e parson."
Two months inter tlie jur-.r of the
n* w freight and pa*eng. r l>oat Jane R.-
■ant openrd .lie Itook- ol tie Iw.at fi.i
hiwines*. Tie r, was a line of ptuutcngeni,
h ad< d by one of the lxiat's -• r\ nnt*. nl
re.wlv waiting nt tie-ticket-window.
" Mr. and Mr*. Ralph Keysuine—oil,
yea—all rigid—fr- i.v-.*. Give tlem
the l.ridai-r<Kim. John; here's the key.
Next Utirper't
An Cnnianageshlc Prisoner.
A correspondent of the |>>nd< n Tinus,
wiiting from Geneva, SwitZ'viand. U-il*
nlsitit a priMiti" r in jail at Vaud, wlio
-.< m* t Ihj an unusually "hard com-
The name of the prison* r i* Christian
W\-*. and he appear* to have lcen an
evildoer fn.m hi* youth upward.
Though Mill under forty. In- Ixvan hi*
ear-or of • i:ne mom than twenty year*
igo, |>< ing i ■ nt< i. <*l in |s*sB t<< a P iin of
iuiprisonni. Nt for a rubbery committed
at Very. In tcu lie was condemned to
eight .years' - diio; confinement for
rools ry with > iolcmv and a murderous
atta. k on the gendarme by whom he
was arrcsred. During thi* itnpriscn- 1
in- nt lie made a ferocious onslaught on
a turnkey with a chisel.of wliich lie had
surreptitiously possessed liimwll, and
nearly kill'-d the man. No s<siner was
Wys rvleaml from prison than he ro
sutned lii< evil eoursea. Two years
thereafter he was hrought before a crim
inal court at l'ajerne on a charge of
breaking info the liouM>>f th# pastor <>|
R. ssudens, whom lie half *1 ranged and
left for il< .el, and. though her* ovotvxl
for a time, lie did at tually die not l<*ng
afterward of the iruuri' s inflicted on him
uy bb Mttilant. F'oi tblioflbw Wyta
was sentenced in 1873 to thirteen years'
solitary eon tin* rr.ent. Ib-fore the year
wa* out he attacked another turnkey, *
this time with a knife, and th* ugh the
poor mnn was hurt to death lie urvived
Ids wounds a fi w weeks, a circumstance
which, indi -ating as it did a possibility
of ultimate recovery, inducetl the mag
slratc by whom the murderer wa*
tried to bike an indulgent view of
the caiM and mid only two yarn to
his senti ie o. After this ev nt, hiil see
inr that Wyss. who is not only a crea
ture of for..ci< us I. inpr r, IfUtOf gieat
strengtii nnd a'niost iitrrp 1 rn propor
tions. continued to threaten his jaiurs, J
and made several attempts t*. escape, tlie
authorities resolved to provide him with
a prison 61 his own. A separate cell ol I
solid masonry ' as, tln-relore, l.uilt lor
hint. Eight w admitUsi by a single,
licavilv barred window, and the door
was of such str. ngth aateemingly to defy
the prisoner's utmost effort* to break
out. in this door wa* arranged a small
wicket, through which Wysa wax fed
like a wild beast,for no one ever entered
his cell, where lie remained day and night
heavily ironed. Rut one day when a
guardian ol the prison was ixinvevlng to
Wvss hi* matutinal supply of food lie
perceived that the door had been tarn pcr
*l with. An alarm wa* forthwith given,
nnd investigation made. It seemed that
the prisoner had managi-d. nobody could
tell how, to break piece of iron from
one of the bars of his window. This, by
dint of hard work—using the floor of his
rell a* a whetstone—he had ingeniously
shaped into a sort of chisel, with which
lie had forced hack one of the holts ot
Ids door, and would, doubtless, had ho
not been found out in time, have forced
them all and regained Id* freedom. It
required almost a regiment of gendarmes
to secure Wyss and enrry him to another
cell, there to be kept chained to the fbsir
until his own den aliould bo once more
ready to receive and, as his custodians
hope, to retain him. if. before his tiuio
he out, Wyss should commit any more
murder*, it is very likely, in the present
temper of the Vaudois people, that he
will be hanged.
Peculiar People.
Odd follcH here and there are described
in the newspapers. Roxbury, Miwu.,
ha* an eccentric tramp who liven in a
cave during the winter and spends the
summer in making legging exeurxionx
to liio neighboring towns, if•• never
nays a word, and Ida drew consist* en
tirely of oid bootlegs fastened together
with leather A Mm all wagon,
drawn by two goats, and containing a
helpicsM ahrivied man, attrac ted atten
tion in linger*town, Md. He said that
he h:"' traveled in that manner for many
year- ind called hlmm-lf" the American
I ' urint." He is i ntintly helph-M. Hi*
wife and tour children accompany him
ami attend to hi* want-, getting their
living by the sale of a temperance song
and other small articles, Jefferson
Stevens, who lives near Sulphur Springs,
Ky., concludes that lie i* gifted witii
peculiar powers, of which lie lately gave
a street exhibition He held a forked
dogwood sw it< h, like those used ly
wizards, in his mouth, and told the
crowd to ask any questions they pleased.
A pair of tramps turned up at I)e#
Moines, lowa—l'eti-r Carlisle and wil<-
—who were on their way to 1/ adville
from the Pennsylvania coal regions.
They Imd misled a handcart all the
way, < ntatning their lialiv girl and a
few hopschild utensils, Carson <'arr.
of Hoodla < al., will on no account walk
a step, ( ut always runs, no matter if the
distance i* only a few feet; while Mrs
Main, oft hicago. iviilmiUur walk nor
run, nlthougli physically able to do
either. liee.au- ■ she thinks her !• will
<irop u(T if she stirs them.
Words of Wisdom.
I.ile is too sliort to nurse one's misery.
Hurry th< 111 aero** tin* lowland, that
you may linger longer on the mountain
tops.
The keenest abuse of our enemies will
not liurt us w> much in the estimation
of the die- erning as the injudicious praise
of our friends.
The eJiii f art in learning is to attempt
but little at a time. The widest <xi ur
sions of the mind are made by short
flights, frequently repeated.
Opportunity is the flower of time, and
its the stalk may r* main win n the flower
is cut off. mi time may remain with us
when opportunity is gone forever.
Ahstcmiousn'+s and frugality are the
lest bankers. They sow a handsome
interest and never dishonor a draft
drawn Upon tie in by their humblest
customer.
Cheerfulness is just as natural to the
heart of a man in Mrong h< alth as color
to his che<k; and wherever then is
lint Hurl gloom, then- must 'ith<r b<
had air, unwlm.' some food. impro|gr!y
severe labor, or erring habits of life. *
Our fort urn d<| ■nd <ti ir- v tij r <x
t rnal causes, hut our liappinesi ip..n
ourselves. Its principal ingnslie ar.
a manly mind, an affo t innate In ai <. and
a temporal* imagination Tic first has
the power to disarm affliction; the mt
ond to double < viy enjoyment ; the last
to guard us froin wild wishes and vain
pursuits.
The Head President*.
A review of tic lives ~f the diff r<nt
Pn*sidcnt.s of tic United States is pro
dtn five of smic very interesting r. suit*.
For instance, thrt< of tln-in died on the
Fourth of .luiv. John Adam* and Jef
f rson Isitli died e>n tin country's birth
day. July 4. |H2fl. and Monroe di<*l on
th< Ith of July, IS3I Had toon died "n
Ikettthof JtUtt, IBM, iuid his friend*
were confident that lc , too, would liv*
until July 4th. If lie had. then the sec
ond. third, fourth and fifth Presidents
would have diedfupon Independence I lay,
Taylor and Johnson both dbsl in July.
F.vcry fourth 1 *r< -il*-rvt until Mr. Have*
wn* an old ha. lielor. Van Rur<-n did
not draw any of hi* salary until his term
expired, when h ■ dr. w it out in gold,
" all in a lump." Tyler died jssir. and
Was tine of (he Gottfi *!< i it' OOOUBIHh n-*
ir- at Montgoiu' ry. John Adam- ;iv<sl
he longest; In-w:i nine ty-one years old
when lie died. Madison was eiglity.
fi'e; J• ff. r son. eighty-three; John
Adams, eigUty-om ; Van Buron,
eighty; Jackson, seventy eiglit; Ru
clianan, seventy- .\n; Fillmore, s#v
ertv-four; Monroe. s*venty-two; Tvlrr.
" fnty-tw.i; Harrison, sixty-eight,
U Lshington.sixty-seven; Johns<>n.silty•
-. en; Taylor .sixty; Einroln. fifly-six;
Polk,fifty-four: Pien.*,fortv-five. General
Io ant i- the only living 'X-Vrcsident. Ty
ler and Van Ihiren botlidi''d in 1 .in
coin in tW'5. Huehanan in iwjs. Pierce
in IMiti, F illmon- in tK74 and Jolinson in
itca
Unshod llur*es.
It has lean before stated that an ex
perienced farrier in Knglsnd was advo
cating the alxilistinient of hnteshoelng,
and now a writer in the London itimes
has l>ci n trving thcexporinu nt, and tlius
reports: When my pony's shoes were
worn out I had them removed, nnd gave
him a month's r*t at grass, with an oc
casional drive of a mile or two on the
high road while his hoofs were harden
ing. The result at first seemed douhtftil.
The hoof was a thin shell, and kept
chippingaway until it hail worked down
beyond the holr* of the nails bv which
the shoes had Is en fastened. After this
the Imof gn w thick and hard, quite un
like what it had been before. I now put
the pony to full work, and he stands it
well, fie is more sure-footed; his tread
is almost noiseless; his hoof* are in no
danger from tne rough hand of the
farrier; nnd the change altogether has
Is-en a clear gain, without anything to
set ngninst It. Mv pony. I may add, was
between four and five years old—rising
four, I fumy, is the correct phrase. He
had been regularly shod up to the pres
ent year.
1 lie bright Hide.
looh on the bright side—it is the right
side. The times may lie hard, hut it will
make them no easier to wear a gloomy
and sad countenance. It is the sunshine
and not the cloud that gives beauty to
the flower. There is always before or
around us that which should cheer and
fill the heart with warmth and gladness.
The sky is blue ten times where it Is
black once. You have troubles. It may
Is'. Ho have others. None arefir*-e from
them—and perhaps it is as well that none
should he. They give sinew and tone tc
lift—fortitude and courage to man. Thai
would be a dull sea. and the sailor would
never acquire skill, were there nothing
to disturb its surface. H is the duty of
every one to extract all the happiness
and enjoyment he can from within and
without him. and. atiovc ail, he should
look on the bright side. What though
tilings do look a little dark? The lane
will have a turning, and the night will
end in broad day in the long run the
great balance lights itself. What appeal*
j ill becomes wall—that which aoooars
I wrong, rlghf
The Destruction of American Forests.
or a ,l*oktlon which is recorded fur
back of the days of Roman or even of
Grecian glory, we re d that " a man was
fiitiioUH HCI nrding aa he had .iftcd up
axes upon the thick tree*." In the days
wli'-ii Americari fonvta wT" -/>nsiflfred
practically limitless, „ur fathers wen
far 100 famous for lifting up axes upon
the thick trees, and the resultant destruc
tion is eve n now upon us, like the J'al
istines upon Horn son. This destruction
comes upon us in tpany forms, most of
wliich arc, in fact, rapidly and terribly
cumulative. M< re is a ls-autiful stream
of water, for example, which was a
great cl<-m< nt of wcaltii to the region
through which it flowed. It might not
only have continued to he at, hut to have
gained in usefulness instead of ln-ing
" r surely and swiftly pactting away.
Ihe numts-ru-ss little hollows on th*
hills when were the springs which
grew into rivulets to feed it have Isi-n
stripped of tiii- moisture-economizing
verdure with which the Creator . iothed
them, and so the springs arc dry, and the
rills no longer murmur their on< <- glad
songs of iutior as they hastened down
the \,l .eys to turn tie- mill-wheels of
mechanical industry. In this one matter
of destruction of hydraulic power with
which we have been already smitten,
hundreds of millions of dollar* of annual
darfiage has bw n and is the actual re
sult. That this drying up of the streams
is attributable not only chiefly to defor
' sting, but almost solely to it,'ommon
sen si—whii h is. in fa* t, the r< ry i>--nce
of Is/tii fiwt ami philosophy —must mak*
plain to.< very eand'd mind. Rain feeds
the Spring*. To food them nmnttniltillj.
it should la- gt title and frequent, not
violent and at long intervals. Inwlli
gent fori >-t i nglm-i ring would r<-|Uire
that u#h portion of hills be clothed
w itli a mantle of green tr**-* as hy its
cooling influen e it would more fre
•lU' iitly so contract the aerial sponge as
to give u" showers at short in
ti rv.iiS. This i" the case in fot'-sU
r.othed. beautiful itritain. The re
v< rse is true in tree-tipped Spain,
whose t>t->p)e have l- oui<- a- pro
verhial l-r their hatr-d of trees as tln-ir
country has for -terility of soil and sin-p
-in p streams. Then . "and on eastward
nil through tic Oiient, a r- I-nt.-SM.y
bri iant sky and nn appallin. abv-n'- of
vi r iur< will tea h one as nothing else
cat how t.-jiutiful an clouds that weep,
and, in i> propi r tim- . bow dt lit il us a
drizzling rainy day. Tin- ilefon-P-d
F.:i>t*-rn land* are a" famous for m-awing
of blinding storms, and valleys torn hy
t* i.-i e torrent". ns they are for tic- re
tire* He will soon find their count* r
part in nil these i haraeteristies in
A merit a. unios- vi< rou-w our—-lv- - with
aw ill t<> undi n-tand and to mast r these
evils. Fon sir promote stream" avail
able for our i.rn ious manufacturing in
terest*. a.so, by furnishing vast and al
mo-t innumerable b'-iis of fallen leavi-s
and of moss, which a-1 on tie earth
lik- a huge overlving [inge, TO CIMS k
tli • udden rush of tic rain-fall into ths
va.l- \ and down ii.• • ■ the stri-atns
Very rapidly in ren nt years are mourn
ful in-tan- •" multiplying in which these
manufacturing streams are teamforni-d
by freshet* from spirit* of bh ssings—to
give iiom- " tuiil lood and clothing :•
thousands who lira in the hanic t-. hy
turning tic- ma- liinert which heljig
them t,y thiir labor to help llwninliw
-•-to ib-mon- of destruction. Fore#-1* also
promote su- h st*adin--sof flow of the
streams a- to i ake them sources of
national wealth in giving employment
to skilled labor, by preventing the'rapid
evaporation of moisture. Probably
more than half lis- water that falls on
a deforested region in a dry season is
whisked ofr by evaporation jut at tlie
tinii' when it is nio-t needed to strength! n
the depleted mill-slnaius. The steam
mgine to bi of any practical use ss a
motive pow - r. must have its action eon
trolli-d by th' eon*-rvativo influence of
tb< b.-ilarc - wlii el. t Jtlierwise its who Is
would whirl nt one tine- witli a fury
whirli would result only in destruction,
and tbm tloy wouid move tKi slowly to
1M of service. Thus the for<t. by in
criasingtbe fri fluency of gentle rains,
wi wi dis leu*ing the volume and the
length of intervals leiwiin shower*, also
by regulating their too sudden plunge
intei the streams, is the great regulator
provided by nature fe>r their control in
the service of man. All over the manu
facturing |ertion of our country wo
may lindinstanei-s where large amount*
of capital have Iss n invested to -be- "p
and make- a\ aiUbleour once niagnifiei nt
and almost nutnberlisis bydrsulir
jmwers. Trusting to what seemed s
1 eiTtaintv of employment for themselves
and their famine*. tliou-ands of skillisl
lalx-rer* have in many cas. s confidingly
made their homi* at a |>oinl where the
stream seenud abundantly powerful and
permanent. Tln*n. as the summers
came and went, the river seemed to
si- ken. and grow more and merr fis-ble.
till there would be a week or two each
year in which the spindles and the looms
would be silent. A* time went on tln-se
period* of idleness have lengthened into
months, in which the lahor *1 niggle for
bread and clothing, for m ans to pay for
the humble little home, or debts incurred
in sickness, was compelled to be sus
pended. The cause of all this was that
the souriT-s of the river's life had been
destroyed or injured by the ignorance,
cupidity, or recklessness of men who
" lifted UP TBE axe on the thick trees"
far tip the mountains, where the mill
stream* bail their birth.—l?. W. Fbwcll. mi
Harprr'% Magazine.
fgii of Sudden Death.
Very few of the sudden deaths which
nro said to arise from disease* of the
heart do really arise from that cause.
To ascertain the real origin of the sudden
deaths, an experiment wa tried and re
ported to a scientific congress at Stras
luirg. Sixty-six cases of suddm death
wire made the subject of a thorough
post-mortem examination: in the**
rases only two were found who died
from disi-ases of the heart. Nine out of
sixty-six had died of apoplexy, while
there were forty-six cases of congestion
of the lungs: that is. the lunga were so
full of hlood that they could not work,
not being room enough for a sufficient
amount of air to support life. The causes
that produce congestion of lite lungs are
cold feet, tight clothing, costive because
sitting stiU until chilled after being
warmed with labor or a rapid walk, go
ing ton suddenly from a clnge room into
the air. especially after speaking, too
hasty walking, or running to catch a
train, etc. These causes of suddi-e
death being known, an avoidance ftr
them may serve to lengthen many valua
ble lives, which would otherwise he
lost un%!v the verdict of the heart eonj.
plaint. That disease is supposed to he
Inevitable and incurable: lienor many
may not take the pains they would to
avoid sudden death, if tlisy knew it lay
! In their power.