On the Channel-Boat.
"What' Krod, you here? I didn't soe
Ton come aboard at Dovor.
I met the Drowns last week : they said
t'hat you were coming over,
But didn't say how soon."
"Oh, yes,
I saint- by the Britannic;
And what a rush there were lor berths '
Twas almost like a panic.
I'm mighty glad to meet you, Willi
Where aro you going!"
" Paris "
" Good !soam t. I've got to moot
My cousin, Charley Harris,
To-morrow, lie and I have planned
A little trip together
Through wit norland on foot; I hope
We'll have onto decent weather."
Take caro there I hold your hat : It blows."
" Ye*; hew this steamer tosses '
I'm never seasick: Charlie is,
1 hough, every time ho crosses.
Who's with you, Will!"
"I'm traveling with
My sister ami my mother:
They're both below. 1 camo on dock
It's close enough to smother
Down there. These chaps don't care a smtp
For ventiliation, hang 'em !
Where did you stop in London! We
Wore stopping at the Istngbatn."
Yon were! Why, so was I. But tin*
I only got there Sunday
At break tost time, and went away
The afternoon of Monday;
And yet within that short sojourn
I lost my heart completely:
Brich style ! such eyes 1 such rosy cheeks '
Such lips that smiled so sweutly '
I only saw her twice, and then—
Don't laugh—'twiui at a distance;
But, Will, my hoy, t tell you what.
In nil my blest ■ vistenco
1 ne'er before m.; . yes upon
A girl so realty plendid.
But. pshaw ! I < >.udn't stay, and so
My short-lived visions ended.
I don't sup|>oe<. she'll ever know
How I, a stranger, love tier,"
"Who was she, Fred!"
" Ah ! that's just it
I couldn't e'en discover
Her raitne, or anything at all
About her, Broken-hearted,
I saw it wasn't any use
To try; so off I star tot,
And here I am, disconsolate.'
" Alt tor an unknown charmer !
Your're sott, my boy. Let's stroll ahalt
The sea is growingcalmer;
Or lorward, it you like. The view
May make your leelings rally.
We're drawing nesr to France, in hall
An hour shall lie at Calais.
See ! there's the town, and, just this side
The port with shipping in it;
And, there, liejrond, you sec the spires,
And "
" Here, Will, stop n minute.
By Jove ! look there ' that girl in gray,
With ro.l flowers in her bonnet '
I do declare—l—yea it a she:
I'd take my oath upon it.
What luck It I had only known '
How can it he I missed her!
Look ' here she comes '"
"Why, Krod, you tool '
That girl in gray's my sister !"
Cto. L. Cailin, in i.ipptnrott.
FOUND ON THE TRACK,
Wet and dreary. It is midwinter: the
scene is Kirklington. on the London and
Northwestern; the time 10.45; just after
the night mail has flashed through with
out stopping, bound for Liverpool and
the North. The railway officials— points
men, signalmen, porters, platelayers
are collecting preparatory to going off
duty for the night.
"Where's Dan?" asks one of the
crowd upon the platform.
" I saw him in the liut just after the
10.45 went through. Can't have come
to any harm, surely."
"No; he said he'd seen something
drop from the train, and he went down
the iine to pick it uj>."
And Dan had picked up something.
It was a basket a common white
wicker basket—with a lid fastened down
by a string. What did it contain?
Refreshments.' Dirty clothe*? What?
A baby! a child half a down weeks
ld, no more; a pink and white niu-e of
human china as fragile as Dresden and
a* delicately fashioned and tinted as bis
cuit or Hose I'ompadour.
"Where did you come aeross it?"
ask< d one.
"Lying on the line, just where it fell.
Perhaps it didn't fall; perliap* it was
chucked out. What matter? I've got
it and got to look after it; that's enough
for me. Some day maybe I'll come
Across them as owns it, and then tliev
•hail pay me and take it back."
"Is there nothing about him? Turn
him over."
The little mite's linen was white and
of fine material, hut he lay upon an old
■bawl and a few hits of dirty flannel.
Ail they found was a dilapidated purse
—a common snaplock hag-purse of fluled
brown leather. Inside was a brass
thimble, a pawn ticket and the half of a
Rank of England note for £IOO.
"What good's half a hank note to
you ?"
"Half a loafs better than no bread."
"Yes; Jiut you can eat one, but you
can't pass the other. Won't you catch
it from your wife! How'll you face her,
Pan? What'll she say?"
"She'll say I done quite right," replied
Dan. stoutly. " She's a good Bort, God
bless her'j
"So are you, Dan ; that's a fact. God
bless you, tot)," said more than one
rough voice in softened accents. " Per
haps the chlld'H bring you luck after
all."
• • • * ♦
Winter-tide again six years later, but
this season is wet and slushy. Once
more we are at Kirklington, a long strag
gling village, which might have slum
ered on in obscurity forever had not the
Northwestern line been carried close hy
it, to give it a place in Hradshaw and a
certain importance as a junction and cen
ter for goods traffic. Hut tiie activity
wasftli about the station. All the per
manent officials had bouses and cottages
there; in the village lived only the field
laliorerH who worked at the neighlior-
Ing estate, or sometime* lent their hand
for n jobof navvyingon the lin"- These
poor folk had ii gruesomo life of it, a hard
hand-to-mouth struggle for burn exis
tence against perpetual privation, ac
aompanlert by unremitting toil.
A now parson—Harold Irwflry—had
oomo lately to Kirklington. lie was an
earnest, energetic young num. who had
won bis spurs in the East End parish,
and hint now accepted this country liv
ing because it seemed to open up a new
field of usefulness. He iiad plunged
bravely into the midst of his worn; lie
was forever going up and down among
his parishioners, solacing and comfort
ing, preaching manful endurance and
trustfulness to all.
lli is now paying a round of parochial
visits, accompanied by an old college
chum, who is spending some days with
him.
" Yonder," said TrefTry, pointing to a
thin thread of smoke which rose from
some gaunt trees into the sullen wintry
air, "yonder is the house —if, indeed, it
deserves so grand a I ame—the hovel,
rather, of one who ■ ocii the hardest
of all the hard one. in my unhappy euro.
This man is a mere ledger and ditcher,
one who works for any master, most
often lor the railway, but who is never
certain of a job nil the year round. He
has a swarm of young children, and he
lias just lost his wife. He i. absolutely
prostrated-, aghast, probably, at the
future before him. and his utter inca
pacity to do his duty by his motherless
little ones. .Jack!" said the parson,
stopping short suddenly, and looking
straight into his companions face, "I
wonder whether you could rouse him?
If you could only get him to make a sign;
to ery or laugh or take the imalM in
terest in common affairs. Jack, 1 be
lieve you're the very man. You might
get at him through the children?- that
marvelous hanky-panky of yours, those
surprising tricks; a child takes to you
naturally at once. Try and make friends
with these. IYrhnps, when the father
sees them interested and amused, he may
warm a little, speak, perhaps, approve,
perhaps smile, and in the end give in.
Jack, will you try P"
Jack Newbiggtn was by prof* -ion a
ei >nvev.uieer, but nature bad Intended
him for a new lloudin, or a Wizard of
the North He was nion than half a
professional by the time he was fuil
grown. in addition to tie qui -k eye and
the facile wrist, he had the rarer gifts of
suave manner and the five of brass.
They entered the miserable dwelling
together. The children—eight of them
—were skirmishing all over the floor.
They were quite unmanageable, and be
yond the control of the eldest sister, who
was busied in setting out the table fur the
mid-day meal; one other child, of six or
seven, a bright-eyed, exceedingly Is-auti
ful hoy, the least —were not nature's va
garies well known—likely to b> Imrn
among and belong to such surroundings,
stood between the legs of the man him
self, who had bis back to the visitors
and was crouching low over '.lie scanty
lire.
The man turned his head for a mo
ment, gave a blank stare, than an imper
ceptible nod, and onoe more he glowered
down upon the tire.
" Here, tittle ones, do you tee this It n
tle.Tian? he's a conjuror. Know what a
cotyuror is. Tommy?" i-ried the pars*in.
catching up a mite of four or live ftoin
the floor. " No, not you; nor you, Sarah ;
nor you, Jacky "—and lie ran through ail
their names.
They had now iva-msi their gambols,
and were staring hard at their visitors
the moment was propitious; Jack New
biggtn began. He hod fortunately filled
bis pocket* with nuts, oranges, ami cat < ■>
before leaving the parsonage, so lie had
half his apparatus ready to hand.
The pretty Ixiy had very soon left the
father at the fire, and bad come over to
join in the fun, going hark, however, to
exhibit his share of trie spoil and des< riiie
voluminously what had occurred. This
and the repeated shouts of latigiiter
seemed to produce some impression on
him. Presently he looked over his
shoulder, and said—but without Anima
tion—
"It be very Rfuxl cf you. hit. surely;
very good for to take so kindly to tin'
liltfo chicks. It does them good to laugh
a bit, and it ain't much ax they've Lad to
make 'em lately."
It is good for all of us, now and
again, I take it," said Jark, desisting,
and going toward him—the children
gradually collecting in a far-off corner
;u>ii comparing notes.
" You can't laugh, sir, if your inait's
heavy; if you do, it can ho only a
sham."
While he wa speaking lie had til i
the Bible from the shell, and resuming
his s'-at, liegnn to turn the leaves slowly
over.
" I'm an untaught, rough countryman,
sir. hut I have heard tell that tlnne
strange things.you do are only tri'ks;
ain't It so?"
Here was. indeed, a hopeful symptom!
He was roused, then, to take some in
terest in what had oecurred.
"All tricks, of course; it all come* of
long piai lire,"said .lack, as he proceeded
to explain ome of tlie simple proc<*v s.
hoping to encliain the man's attention.
"Tliat's what I thought, sir. or I'd
have given yoit a job to do. I've been
in want of a real copiuror many a long
day. and nothing iess II do. See liere,
sir." he said, as he took a small, care
fully-paper from Iw'tween the leaves of
the Itible; "do you sec tills?"
It was half a Bank of England note for
£ino.
" Xow, sir, could any copjuror help
me to the other half?"
"How did you come by it?" Jack
asked at once.
" I'll tell you, lir, short as I can make
it. Copjuror or no c.'pjuror. you've got
a kindly heart, and I'm main sure that
you'll help me if you cnn."
I)an then descril)cd how lie had picked
up the basket from the 10.45 Liverpool
express.
"There was the linen: I've kept it.
See here; ail marked quite pretty and
proper, with lace around the edges, as
though its mother loved to make the
little one smart."
Jack examined the linen; it horc a
monogram anil crest. The first he made
out to mean 11. L. M.; and the crest was
plainly two hammers crossed, and the
motto. " I strike"— not n common crest
—and lie never remembered to have seen
it Ix'fore.
" And this was all?"
"'Copt the banknote. That was in a
poor old purse, with a pawn ticket and
a thimble. I kept tliem all."
Like a true detective, Jack examined
every article minutely. The purse bore
the nnme of Heater Gorrigwi. in luile
letters inside, nnd the pawn ticket was
made out in the same name.
" I cannot give you much hope ttint I
shall succeed, hnt I will do my best.
Will you trust mc with the note for a
time?"
"Surely, sir, with the crcatcnt of
pleasure. If you could hut find the other
half, it would give Murry—t)Hit's what
wc <'all him—such a grand *tsrt, in life;
schooling and the pries of binding turn
to some honest trade."
.'nek shook (lie man's lianil and prom
ised to do liiH licet, and left the cottage.
When Jack Newblggin got hack to tlie
parsonage lie found that his host had ac
cepted an invitation for them both to
dine at the "Big House," as it was
called, the country seat of the squire of
the parish.
Tliey Wile cordially received at the
" Big l!oue." Jnek was handed over
forthwith to his old friends, who figura
tively rushed into his arms. They were
I/Omfon acquaintance*, no more; of the
sort we meet hero and there and every -
whert during the season, who care for
us, and we for them, as much as for the
South Sea Islanders, hut w horn we greet
with rapturous effusion when we meet
tlieni in n strange place. Jack knew the
lady whom he escorted into dinner as a
gossipy dame. who. when liis hack was
turned, made as much sport of him as of
h<-r other friends.
" I have been fighting your battles all
day," began Mi's. Sit well.
•• \V: it ndcetiary t I should havt
thought myself too insignificant."
" 1 liey were talking at lunch of your
wonderful knack in conjuring, andsonie
one said that tic kill might prove in
convenhnt —when you played cards, for
instance."
"A charitable imputation' With
whom did it originate?"
"Sir Is'wis Mullaby."
" l'lease jwiint him out to me."
He was shown a grave, scowling face
ujion tlu'riglit of the hostess —a face iik<*
a mack, its surface rough and wrinkled,
through which the eye* shone out with
baleful light, like corpse-candles in a
sepulelu r.
"Pleasant creature! I'd rather nit
meet him alone on a dark night."
" 11a has a terrible character, cer
tainly. Turned his wife out of doors
because she would not give him an loir.
It is this want of children to inherit hi*
title and estates which preys upon his
mind, they say, and makes him so
morose anil melancholy."
Jack ht his companion chatter on. It
was 11i4 habit to get all the information
possible about any company in which lie
found himself for his own purpose* a* a
clairvoyant; and win n Mrs. Sitwel
flagged, lie plied iter with questions, and
led her on from one person to another,
making mental nob's to *> rve him here
after. It is thus by oareftil and labor I -
ous preparation that many of the strange
and seemingly mysterious feats of the
clairvoyant conjurer are performed.
Wlien tlie whole party was oss< milled
in tlie drawing-room after dinner, a
chorus of voices, headed by that of tlie
hostess, summoned Jack to hi* Work.
There appeared to lie only one dissenti
ent. Sir I,' wis Mallahv. who not only
did not trouble himself to lia< k up the
invitation, liut when the performance
was actually begun was nt no pains to
conceal his contempt and disgust.
The conjuror made the conventional
plum-pudding in a hat, tired wedding
rings into quartern love*, did all manner
of card tricks, knife tricks, pistol
tricks, add juggled on conscientiously
right through hi* rc/~ rtotrc. There was
never a smile on Sir I/wis' face; lie
sneered unmistakably. Finally, with
an ostentation that -avorVl of rq<l"ic -s,
he took out lus writ' h, a gr> at gold r> -
P' iter, looked at it. and unmistakably
yawned.
Jack hungered for tlint watch directly
he saw it. Perhaps through it )■< might
make it* owner uncomfortable, if only
for a moment. Hut how to get it into
hi* hands? lie o.sk d for a watch—a
dOfB wett? offered. No; none of these
would do. It imi*t lie a gold wat< h. a
r> p< iti r Sir L wis Mailaliy's wn.* the
only one in the room, and )<• at first dis
tinctly refused to lend it. Hut *" many
entreaties wire addr - lo him, the
hosti s* 1< oding the attack, that lie couid
not .n common courtesy continue to re
fuse. With something like a growl h<
took lii* wstcli off th idiain and hande<l
it to Jack Nowbiggin.
A curious old-fashioned watch it was,
which would have gladdened tlie heart
of a watch collector; all jeweled and
enameled, adorned with cr<*t and in
serintlon--an heirloom, wlii.li had pro
heibly been in tlie Mallahy family for
years. Jack looked it over mrtouslv,
meditatively, then suddenly raising Ins
eves lie stared in tint lv into Sir Lewis
Mallahy's face, and almost as quickly
dropped theni again.
"This is far too valuable," he said,
courteously, "too much of a tr< isure to
l*> ri*ked in any conjuring trick; an
ordinary modern watch I might r-place,
but not a work of aft like thi* "
And be handed it back to Sir I/ wis,
who received it with ill-con'-'-ali-d satis
faction. He was a* much pin*ed, pro
bahly, at Jack's expression of po*jii!e
failure in lli< propoa.! tri k t- at tli<- re
covery of hi* projMTty.
Another watch, however.was pounded
Up into a jelly, and brought out whole
from a cabinet in nti adjoining room;
and this tri> k successfully accomplisticd,
Jn<-k Newliiggln, wlio wn* now mm-
I'letcly on hi* metal. pMMd on to higher
flights. He hnd spr nt the vacation of
the year previous in France as the pupil
of a wizard of F.uropcnn fame, and had
mastered many of the strange feat* whh h
arc usually attributed to clairvoyance.
There is *onv-thing especially un> anny
about lliese tri - ks, and Jack's reputation
rapidly increased with thi* new exhibi
tion of his powers. Thanks to liis cross
examination of Mr*. Sit well *t dinner,
lie was in possession of many facts con
nected with the company, although
most ly strangers to him; and some of
his hits were so palpably Inyipy that lie
raised shout* or surprise, fid lowed hy
that terrified hush which not uncom
monly succeeds tlie display of seemingly
supernatural powers.
" Oh. hut tliis is too preposterous," Kir
I,owi* Mallahy wn* heard to say quite
angrilv. The continued applause pro
foundly disgusted liim. "This is the
merest charlatanism. It must be put
an end to. It is the commonest impos
ture. These are tilings which lie lias
coached up in advance. Let him be
tried with something whi.h upon the
face of it he cannot have lenrned before
hand.by artificial means."
"Try liim. Sir I/ewis, try him your
self." cried several voices.
" I scarcely like to lend myself to such
folly, to encourage so pitiable an exhibi
tion."
But he seemed to I** conscious tliat
furttier protest would tell in Jack's favor.
" I will ndmit that you have consider
able power in this strange branch of
necromancy if you will answer a few
questions of mine."
"Proceed." said Jack, gravely, meet
ing his eyes firmly and without flinching.
"Tell me what is most on ray mind at
this present moment."
"The want of a male heir," Jack re
piled, prompt.y, and thanked Mrs. Hit
well in his heart.
"Pshaw! You have learned from
Kurke that I have no children." said Bir
I/wis, boldly; iiut he was a little taken
aback. " Anytliing else?"
"Tlie ni"inory of a harsh deed you
now strive in vain to redeem."
"This borders upon impertinence,"
said Kir Lewis, with a hot flush on Ids
cheek and passion in Ids eyes. "Hut
let us leave abstractions and try tangi
ble realities. Can you tell me what. I
hare in this pocket?" Ho touched tho
left breast of ids tail-coat.
" A pocketbook."
"Hah! Every one carries a pocket
book in Ids pocket."
" But do you?" asked several of the '
bystiuuh rs, all of whom were growing |
deeply Interested in this strange duei. |
Sir I/ wis Mallahy confessed that he
did, and produced it—an ordinary mo- ■
roeeo leather purse and pocketbook all!
in one.
"Are you pr< pared to go on?" said 1
the haronct haughtily to Jack.
" < ,'ertalnly."
" What <!.. - this pneketliook eon
tain?"
" Evidence."
The eont'st between them was now to
the death.
"Evidence of what?"
"Of fact* that rniisi sooner or later
come t" light. You have in thai pock
etbook lirik* in a long chain of l ircuin
stance* which, however carefully con- ;
coaled or anxiously dreaded, time in its
inexorable course must bring evontuaily j
to light. There is no Ixind, snys the 1
Spanisli provi rh, which is not some day
fulfilled ; no debt that in the long run is
not paid."
" What ridiculous nonsense! I give
you my word this pocketbook contains
nothing - alisolute.y nothing—but a
Hank of England note for one hundred
pounds."
"Stay!" cried Jack N'whiggin. facing
him ibfUptl* and speaking in a Voice of
thunder. "Iti* not no yw knowit—•
it isonlv the litrif!"
And a* he spoke he took the crumpled '
paper from the hands of the renllv stu
pefied baronet. It wa* exhibited for in
-pection—the half of a Hank of England
note for i'lno.
Then 1 was much applause at tliis
harmless and successful iltnmcmcnt of
what threat'Tli-d at one stage to haul to
altercation, perhaps hi a quarrel. Hut
Jack Newhiggin was not satisfied.
"As you have dared me to do my
worst," said Jack, " listen now to wliat
I hare to *ay. Not only did I know
that was only the half of a note, but I
know where the other Imlf is to !*•
found."
" S<i mii' i, the better for me," said tlie
baronet. with an effort to appear humor- |
,u.
"Tliat other half was gir nt I
saw Sir l/'wi*?'
Blf E wi- nodded indifli r< fitly.
"It woe given loom Ilc-tcr tiorripui, 1
an Irish nurse, six year* ago. It was i
On price of a deed of whichyou—"
"Silence! Say no more," cried Sir,
1/ wis. in horror. " I see you kn"w ail.
I swear I hare h.vi no peace since I was
tempt d k> sorely, ana to weakly Ml.
Hut I am on par"! to uiak' ail tic resti
tution ami reparation in my power—un
less. unhappily, unless It Ik already too
late."
Even whie lie was speaking hi- face
turned ghastly pale, Ids lip- were cov
ered w itli a fim white foam, he ruadc one
or two convulsive attempts t* steady
himself, tli'-n with a wild, terrified look
around, he fell heavily to the floor."
it was a | aralyti * ir.urc. Tie y t/s.k
llim tip stairs anil h-nded Idm; t>ut tie
•a i wm d'-sje rate from the first. Only
iu*t 11 fore the end did he so far recover
the power of speech as to Is- able to make
full confes-ion if what had occurred.
Sir I/ewi* iiad been a younger son;'
the eldest Inherited tlie family tit!", but
died ' arly. leaving his widow to give
jiim a posthumous heir, the liticremain
ing in abeyance until time showed
whether the infant wa a boy or girl. It
proved to t>e n boy, whereupon l/wi*
Mallably, who had the earliest intima
tion of tlie fart, put into execution n no- ;
farious project whi"h he had carefully
concocted in advance. A girl was oh- !
tain d from a foun ing hospital nnd [
substituted by l/uiy Mallahy'* nurse,
who was in l/ wis'pay. for the newly-1
born son and le ir. This son and lo i.W
was hanth-d over to another accomplice,
ll'*ter (iorrigan. who was hrilsd with
£l0, half down in the shape of a half
note, tht> other half to be paid when she j
announced her safe arrival in Texas
with the stolen ehild. Mrs. (iorrigan
had an unquenchable thirst, and in Tier
transit between London and Liverpool
allowed her precious charge to slip out
of her hands, with the consequences we
know.
It was the watch borrowed from Sir ;
I/ewis Mallably which first amued
Jack's suspicions. It laire the strange
crest—two hammers crossed, w'tli the
motto "I Strike"—which was tanrked
upon the linen of the ehild t! it Han
Hloekit picked up at Kirklington -tntion.
Tlie initial of tlie name Mnll.ahy coin
cided with the monogram 11. L. M
Jack drew his conclusions, and made a
bold shot, which hit the mark, as we
have seen.
(/•wis Mallahy's eonfe- ion soon rein- .
stated the rightful heir, anil Irin Hloekit.
in after years, had no reason to regret
lite generosity which prompted him to
give tlie little'foundling the sheltirofhis
rude home.
The Sweet Hay of Moneton.
(•rowing in tlie meadows here and
thereon the marshes nt Moneton, Ont.,
there is a "sweet hay" tiint would,
startle a western hayffeld. Tlie per
fume it exhales is very sweet and
very lasting. Little ornamental and
work_ bosket* are woven from it.
nnd it retains its sweet perfume for
years. You can smrll tliis hay when you
drive pasttlie meadows, and It is enough
to make you wish you were a horse, to be
fed on such ambrosial hay a tliis. It is
a perfume not altogether unlike, al
though much tweeter than sweet elox-er; I
but grows in much sweeter nlaces.
Sweet elover grows more thickly In
Happy Hollow than in any placet know
of. But sweet liar grows in the plena- I
ant meadows on tlie sea marshes and by I
the tidal creeks and rivers. It mingles
with tlie home like odor of the new- i
mown liav ; while you smell it you ran
hear the cheery song of the mowers, nnd
now and then the elink of the scythe
stone ringing a pleasant accompaniment
to t lie song. Tliere is a smell of brine too,
In tlie breeze that steals in from tlie sea,
and a scent of pine tlint it catches Irom
the 111 ll. flurlinytOH liaukfyc Cbrrea
potultnre.
Mr. Barry Kulllran, the English actor,
prides himself on having played Hamlet
more than 9,800 times In all quarters of
the globe.
TIMELY TOPIt'H.
———— •
Tlie product of oil from the menhaden
fisheries exceeds that derived from the
American catch of whales by about
200,000 gallons. Man lakes from the
water very year nearly 000,000.000 of
menhaden, weighing from 200,000 t/<
300,000 tons, valued at shout ♦ 1,600,000.
They swim in enormous school*, packed
as closely as sardines in a box, and sink !
at the slight alarm. They are caught
all along t!: • New Jersey coast.
(.'•or, a is nisitit to erect a monument '
to .h rgeiuit William Jasper, of South
Carolina, who fell in the assault on
Savannah, October it, 1770. This is tin
liero who leaped from the parapet of
Fort Moultrie olid rtgainea the flag
which had le-'-n *hot away by a hail
from tin Isriti®h fleet. On another <>• -
elision, aided by n viugle eonipanion, he
eaptureil ltritidi guard ot I' M soldi TS
and rew ued twelve Aniciicnn captives.
" Wild Hill," tlje fronti' raman, wlio in
hi* day was a* notoriou . - Kit (.'arson,
and who was killed three years ago, ha*
turned to stone from scalp to toe'. Mis
r< ii.ains, which were buried at Mead
wood, in the Black Hills, were tas'-n
from tin* grave for re interment at an
other place, when they wei* found to
have become petrified. The feat tins :U'
its natural a- life, save that a whiteness
overspreading all givi-s.lo tin fioethe
appearance or chiseled marbh
Oeorg*' Baxter has b< < n until rc -' nliy
a sort of Jriphet in search of iii* grantl
umlher. He is a middle-aged man of
(Jrecnshurg, Inn.,and heard many y-ar*
ago that his only living relative was
Mrs. Margaret Baxter, liis dead father'*
mother. ll' noildedaround tie country
for a long while in search of Mrs. Mar-
I garct hi I'-arn by some :e eidentalt*' ur
-1 renec a few days ago that lie had lK* n
serving her with milk for a decade. He
had strayed off froin tie family wlien a
mere lad.
At tlie present time the United State*
is making more than one-third of all
th< paper made in the world. The
product I* ali"Ut IJM t'.n* daily,
amounting to jilsiut fttO.soo t#m* per
vear. There are niw U27 mill*, r' prc-
M-nting a < a pita! of at l<-a*t
Tbaae mills employ 98,000 persons, who
draw aisiut in salaries per
year. It is estimated that the cntin
paper interest, including manufiv turing.
printing and publishing, furnishes em
ployment to 7f,(Sio persons.
Tie- following statistic* will prove in
teresting to tho*e who rai*' ' ith<T <i"g*
wr sli'-. ji In HP Mi. ce iiuf tt* liad
I !(.(**• sliM-p and 112.000 dogs, and it is
I believed that the present numier of
sheep in that State is a< tually iw'ow
55,000, while iier< are good r a*<ir for
lieiieving that it lias more than n,
i perhaps nearly three dogs to ev< ry>n'*p
kept in th< State. Muring tlie y<ar H75,
11,489 kiil'd 1.'>73 shoep; and in
IT*, th'T' were 10,000 dog* taxed, and
*li*'p hill'-d by tip til to the value of
910.5 M 55.
The cotton crop in tie- South hi* yeat
will corrcMKind well with the n"rmou*
crop* of wfp at and corn in the W< *t and
N"i th wi *! "IT, r't*>rt of the < x<* uiiv
committee of the National Cotton Ex
change, just rec ived, say* tliat "dur
ing the last five y or* cotton-culture in
tlie United Stat'* has outstripped the
most sanguine exp<* taUons; that tlie
probi'm of fri-c lalsir .ho* tsce-n virtually
solved, and that the Soutii niu*t he re
garded a* the future reliance of the cotton
manufacturers of Iwtli America and F7u
ropie."
It is net gen< rally known that Mere
< xisi* in tlie nortliern part of Arizona
I.'Xni Indian* who subsist entirely upon
what they con pi< k up in tlie way of
acorns, ts-rrie*. nut*, grass sc<*l and a
little wild game. Still ru- Ii is the c ase.
The WalLnpal Indians, including a small
hand of some 150 A va-Su-I'ais, if any
tliing. ex'vsal 1.000 in number, and for
several year* have lived without aid
from tlie government, preferring to
suffer almost anytliing. even starvation,
rather than give up their country in tlie
North and go on to tlie reservation at
San Carlos.
Of medical novelties there is no end
One Mr Christian, not satisfied "with
any existing patliie*. ha* proposed in
the principal Herman and Swiss jour
nal* something which he regards as bet
ter than water cure, miik cure, whey
cure or grape cure, viz.. night-air cure.
"O|K-n your windows," says Mr. Chris
tian, "and allow tho'*>nl spirits of the
night to enter your chamber ant
sweeten and calm your dream*." Some
time ago Mia* Nightingale advanced the
theory that night nir was ni*"lut'iy
harni.rs* to the sick; hut l>r Christian
go< further, and declares that it will
make them well.
The plague of rat* in the Iteccan.
Bombay, for the second season in suc
cession. is occasioning serious alarm.
Those animals overspread the i<.\intry
like locust*, destroy the <roj>s almost as
thoroughly, and arc even m>rc iliflicult
to keep down. So grave lisd leconie the
aspect of affairs that a" Itat Cotnmittc"
was nppoint'*! to inquire into the liest
means of disposing of these creature*.
Tliey have a<l vised tlie people to turn
out en moMf and fai-e the enemy. He
wards are to l>e offered for dead rats. and.
in fact, the invasion is to lc treated a* a
matter to lie dealt with rigorously by
the whole community. In the meantime
the question has arisen a* to how the
rats liave multiplied.
On the 31st of December. 1N77, there
were 58.466 postofllees in Europe, with
223,517 persons employed, or ooc postal
(*etalili*()ment for every 6.134 Inhabit
ants. These postofllees are most thickly
, planted in Switzerland, and after Swit
zerland in (ireat Britain and Ireland.
A striking contrast to these two coun
tries is afforded hy Russia and Turkey,
tliere being in the former only one post
office to everv 5.70 H. and in the iatternne
to every 1,105 sq uaro miles. Altogetlier,
5,6H9.(kirt.000 letters, papers, etc.. were
sent hy post in Europe in 1877, 3.6U7,-
000.000 being letters or postcanls. 1.522,-
000.000 newspapers, and 563.000.000 pat
terns and 111 1- like; and the griatest
number of letters, papers, etc., w ere sent
in (ireat Britain and Ireland, the total
number dispatched being 1.403.075,000.
or at the rate of 34 7 letters and 9.4 news
papers for every inh ihitant.
Lieut.-Heneral Maxwell writes to the
Lifr float Journal, an English periodical,
to give to the puhlie, or rather to swim
mers. a valuable hint for use in case they
are called on to save a drowning man.
He picked up the idea while in service
in India. A man had fallen into a large
reservoir u*ed in *tor the rainfall, and
a native, who hsppcnrd to be passing by
with a long staff, jumped in, taking the
Mt*ff with him and pushing it forward in
I''ont ft" I)'' (twain. 'lre- drowning man
eagerly clutched tli staff and w.ut thus
towed slowly in hy the swimmer, who
wiui obliged to keep hid ixxiy nearly up
right, A person who is not used to tlis
water lose* hid wits a A well na hi* breath 1
when he suddenly find* himself over
board, and is apttosei ze upon tli<*wim
mer wlio would rescue him in iu>ii •
way u to earry both down together.
Tin* lesson (<n. Maxwell lay* down is
that if you have to jump into the water
to wave a man, take with you a long
stick, an our, a plank, a broom, or a hit
of wood of Home kind, if one i* at hand.
It will then he* possible to keep the
drowning tnan at a safe distance and
still get iiim out. .
The Longest Heard in the World.
A correspondent of the Detroit f\jit
and 'JrUnitf. w rites from Adrian, Mi' h.,
'if a certain Kdwin Smith, who i the
possessor of a remarkable (xgid. The
* orn spojident says' Ordinarily .Mr.
Hmith and his board would not attract
'■special attention. lie do< - not let it
sway at it*own freewlil at all time*, hut
keeps it tied in a compact huie ii under
hi*i chin, holding it fast with ihriaii and
hairpins. Wli'-n thu* " done up"it does
not ajipi ar to b< of unusual length unlets*
the oli-'Tvation is ok)** . So while it ha*
OOBtO to Ix* generally known in the vi
< inity of .Mr. Smith'* resident. tiiat lii*
beard i unusually long, but f w ixople
have *(< n it in ail Its'-norrnou* xngtb
••x< <pi as |), r , in after sUtvi. JJ ( Dfurty
*ev< n year* of ago. He is alxiut six feet
high ami W" i .'hs H. r > pound*. His hair
and Ix-ard are Handy and ting'-d with
gray. Ih- b:i* a pah: faoe, (due eye*,
a high forehead, and an intelligent and
pleasant appearance. At thirteen year*
of age he began to raise a beard, and
while yta yung; schoolboy wa* i*,*.
messed of a liglit silk' n eovring to face
and n< k, rivaling in 1< ngtli that of many
of hi- senior*. Hut h< oeeaine tired <>f
thift, and (haved almost daily for
several year*, keeping hi* fat e smooth
and 1* ardlcst. He eontinu'd to attend
school in what used to lx- known a* tlie
Bherman district, Huron county. Tha
growth of lii* Ix and w;is not, however,
sufficiently rapid to attract any pecial
'not!'". In fsje he came to Michigan,
Wh'*.** he I allied. His ll'dtll frotn
hoti.'xxlha I><>l txen of U, b t. bilious
anil lung tro.iiile* Ix ing mo't common.
In I*ol liis h'-aith failed, and he will
to California in the hope of regaining it.
Jt was tli' fashion among the miner*
of those day* to allow their bear<i* to
grow. It was agreed among several of
Uiem, Mr. Smith among the number,
that they would allow th'-ir beard* to
grow for six month*, and see which
could at the md of that time boast "f the
longest. Mr Smith outstripped ail
rival*, and allowed his beard to gr<>w
from then on. The nature of the minkrs'
work made it convenient to tie or fasten
tie- board under the chin. In ihi* way
Mr. Smith first became accustomed to
wearing it long, with the superfluous
length tied up out of the way. "And '
now," said lie, " you see- what it ha*
grown to." And a* your correspondent
jook' d from the smiling face of the man,
and th'Ti turned to go on a search forth*
nth' r ' nd of the beard, he thought of t lie
story of the do pie which was so tall
that you had to look t wiee to we the top
"fit. There could ix* no mistake at* >ut
It. Each individual hair stretched it*
silken, wavy length from face to floor.
' Now I will show you how long it is."
said .Mr. Smith, and he stepped upon a
chair and sUxxl erect. Stii! it* length
wax w i great that the foot could ix- piaccd
on the ends, which touched the floor.
Tli' beard has been carefully trimmed.
<> that it is of even weight and size to
the r< ry end. I'nrolling a little paper
whi'h was laid away in a drawr, lie
said, "That's itxlengtli Jast'winter," and
unwound a wemingly cnilfo** hair.
Winn measured it was found to t*
seven feet four inches long. "Now we
will measure the beard ax it i* to-day."
said be, and looked for tli yard-stick
Seven fc<s six inches and a half wa* tLt
length.
A family's Tragic End.
A f< w mix* from Wittshuig,St. Fran
cis county, Arkansas, lived a widow
named Hammett. The woman was en
gag'd in farming, and. though *he had
two grown sons, was compelled to em
ploy a young man to superintend farm
lalxTS. Mr*. Hammett was alxiut forty
year* of age. The laborer wa* a mere
lioy, hut an attachment soon sprang up
betwc n the widow and the youth,which
• nded in n matrimonial proposal. Tlie
wdding day was fixed. The two son*,
hearing of the matrimonial arrange
nients that had lieen made between their
mother and the stripling. called Uf>nn
her and trid t" dissuade her from
marriage Tin widow reftised to accept
h<T sms' counsel. The *on* made threats
but tlie widow affirmed tiiat she loved
tlie young man. and would marry him at
all hazard*. Tli<- sons went away, and
at the appointed time t he young man ap
poami. attired for the wedding. The
minister came, and fiicnds were assem
bled. "Tliou art man and wife" had
hardly been pronounced, when a flash
at the window, followed by a loud re
port. terrified the women and astonished
the men. Another flash, another report,
and the newly luade husband sank to (
tln'flixir. The widow 'a younger son w'as
the murderer. He flou. but was cap
tured. Next day the young husband
died, and shortly sfi'-rwani trie widow'*
youncr son. in attempting to escape,
wa* shot and killed; and report says
that shortly afterward the elder brother
went to hi* mother's bouse and boat Iter
brains out with a club.—lMtft /tocA
(Ark.) (hVtttt*.
The Xnle and the Small Hot.
A boy, apparently very much agitated,
rushed into a house yesterday and aaid
to the lady:
" I don't want tor alarm yer, but I'ts
got big news. The man sent roe up fmm
the iircrv stable to tell yer,"
"(looif heavens! what is it ?"
" Why, you know yer little bnv. A leek,
what the man can't keep out en the livery )
stable 'round the corner P"
" Yes, well P"
" 1 told A leek just now not to go inter
the stable among the horses, but he
wouldn't mind me—"
"Oh, dear! What ha* happened P"
" He said he wanted ter see what a
mule 'ul do when yer tickle! its hcela
with a straw."
"Oh, heavensr gasped the lady, and
clung to the mantel for support.
" Well, sir, yer boy Aleck got a straw.
Knuck up behin' a sorrel mule, tickled
him on the hcela. an'— '
The lady started lor the door.
" An' tlie blamed eiliter never lifted a
hoof," called tlie boy. " Never as muck
j as switched Its cussed tail. It's a mighty
i (p*d thing for Aleck that he didn't, too:
an' I Utoitghl I'd come up and tell Jer.
' And he dodged out at the side entrance.
I -tVimwMti fhpitrrr.