HOUHC Cleaning Belles.
Bee the wild houao-oloaners, a* ihey scrub,
llow the paint and woodwork now they rub I
Ilow they splosh the soap and water
Over things they hadn't onght'or—
And the flics and spiders slaughter,
As they rids nib, nil), dipping brush Into a tub
And vehemently they scrub,
While the huidiand or the father
Whose patience thus they bother
Takes his dinner and his supper at the club.
Sec them mop, and splash around the smls.
And from every nook or cranny, bring old duds,
Tilings that were long slneo forgotten,
Oanneiits spnn from wool or cotton,
Worn and torn, in rags and rotten.
While they sweep, sweep, sweep, everything into
a heap;
And the house in uproar keep,
"Till the faithful husband's passion
Vexed at treatment of this fashion,
Into righteous wrath doth leap.
Martit/wn hultjx ndent.
WINIFREDS SECRET.
" There's only one thing wanting now,
Arnold dear, to make onr little house
perfect," said Winifred Moreton, as she
clung eoaxinglv to her young husband's
arm; " and that is a conservator.—a
wee conservatory to keep us in flowers
all the year round. Look here, in this
comer now, there are really three sides
of it ready built; we should only want
a front and a roof, and that old door we
took from between the lower rooms and
the shelves inside."
"And the apparatus to warm it, and ;
the plants to stock it," added Arnold,
with a smile.
"Oh, as for those, my friend, Mrs.
Wodehonse, has promised to send me j
most of hers; she is going abroad
shortly, and doesn't care al>out them,
she says; and she appears anxious that |
I should have them."
"So—so you are jealous of your dear ]
friend's conservatory, is that it? Yon
forget, little woman, that the Wode
houses are rich folks, while you have
been foolish enough to marry a poor |
young fellow in a government oflk-e. !
However, have your conservatory, my
Winnie, only don't lie extravagant alsmt j
it."
A month later the conservatory is
finished, and Winnie is superintending
the arrangement of a cargo of fine plants
jnst sent by Mrs. Wodehonse. All have !
as usual a label affixed to a little peg at
the side of the pot, on which the '
botanical name of the flower is written; I
but she suddenly observes that this, in
the ease of the finest plant, is not a !
label merely, but a carefully-folded and
sealed note directed to herself.
She opens it, and her blue eyes grow
first round with astonishment then
moist with pity as she reads. Finally
she sits down among the flower pots,
and looks at them as they stand jnst
where the men have left them, and there
is a sort of superstitious awe depicted
on her face, as if she fears lest the
arrival of these pots of flowers is also
the arrival of a great misery in her
home. All her pleasure, her almost
infantine delight over the new conserv
atory is gone ; it seems to have passed
away as rapidly as the short exclamation
of joy with which she has hailed the
advent of these floral treasnies. In her
hand she still holds the note containing
the cloud which, wreathing itself al>ont
her mind, is already beginning to dim
the clear horizon of Winifred Mnreton's
bright young life. She is reading it
once again with much intentness, when
ahe hears her hnsliand open the outer
door with a latch-key. She thrusts it
into her pocket with hurried eagerness,
and then strives, but rather vainly, to
compose her face into an apjs-atance of
creditable tranquillity. The first secret
has sprung up between her and Arnold,
and Mie keeping of it then and in the
fotnre will prove a heavy tax on Wini
fred's candid nature.
He cannot avoid [noticing that some
thing is amiss, and exclaims :
" Why, little wife, how grave you look
over your new toy I Yon have got your
conservatory; yon have some lovely
flowers to put in it—very kind of Mrs.
Wodehonse to send them—and still you
look as if you hail some heavy care on
your mind. What is the matter, my
dear Winnie?"
" Please, Arnold, let me send for old
RoflTey, the carpenter, to put up some
abutters and a liar across here, and a
couple of boita to the door."
"Foolish Winnie, do you think yonr
plants so very precious that all the
burglars in town will lie after them ?
However, have your way. Bend for that
old carpenter with a face like a battered
halfpenny, and make your floral treas
ures quite secure. Meanwhile, perhnps
you will treat me to a amile and a kiss."
Days passed into weeks, and the con
servatory was never out of Winifred's
thoughts. Her plaything had become
her Ixl* >nr*, nor could all the care and
solicitude of her hnsliand, whom she
loved to adoration, lay the ghost which
seemed to be wandering about her
heart.
Arnold had some thoughts of sending
for a physioian, as he positively was tie
ginning to fear that Winifred had some
mental disease, which was developing
into a phase which ho wo* pleased to
call " plan toman is," and not a littlo do
lighted was ho to receive a telegram
from his brother-in-law, who had been
for some time absent, saying that " ho
is coming homo as fast as ship and rail
way can bring him, and that he may be
expected any dny."
•• Ho will perhaps bo able to throw
sorno light," he thinks, " on this extra
ordinary infatuation of Winnie's, not
only for watching and tending her
plants, but for locking them up and
thinking about them ceaselessly."
But Captain Verschoylo is not more
able to account for Ins sister's peculiar
mania than is her perplexed husband,
and after many conversations between
them on the subject and much confabu
lation they agree to consult the familv
doetor. Dr. Jones, however, laughs nt
their surmises and pooh-poohs their
fears.
" He has known Winnie since she was
a baby; he'll guarantee his reputation
that there is nothing mad about her."
Ho he says; but when he comes to see
her, at her husband's suggestion, the
pained, anxious expression of her face,
once so bright and smiling, the restraint
of her manner, once so lively and
gay, staggers even the belief of the
faithful old Hippocrates. What can it
possibly mean ?
"Look here, Mrs. Winifred"—he had
always called her Mrs. Winifred since
she married—" look here.Mrs. Winifred,
I believe the odor of these flowers is
making yon look thin and wan. I shall
tell your husband to have thorn all
carried away and that littlo # ugly conserv
atory pulled down."
" No, Dr. Jones, no. I wish to heaven
that it had never been built, but to take
it down would be worse than death to
me."
"I do not understand," said he.'
watching her keenly ns lie spoke.
" No, ]erliaps not; but plants arc
such a worry; they always die when you
want them to flower. lam very sorry
I asked for them. I was so much
happierliefore I had them."
The doctor wits nonplussed and began
to think, with her husband and brother,
that the worry these flowers occasioned
her ninst ho the result of a weak mind.
To his repeated suggestion, however,
that if they were troublesome to her the
wiser course would 1> to get rid of them,
she persistently ottered the most deter
mines] opposition.
Altogether, Winifred's conservatory
was a puzzle t<> these three men's heads,
the like of which they hail never
previously been called on to solve. She
was perfectly sane, perfectly coherent,
perfectly wise on every subject, except
alsmt these carefully-tended plants.
What conrse. then, remained to those
who were interested in her. save to
imagine she was afflicted with mono
mama ?
In the first week in May there was a
splendid ball given by Lady Olive
l-'amliam. The Moretons were there;
and Winifred, in a pale pink crepe,
which Arnold hail insisted on ordering
from Paris for the occasion. was sur
rounded by admirers; in fact, she was
on the straight jth for liecoming a
fashionable beauty—a state of affairs to
which Arnold would especially have
objected, hail he not been in the frame
of mind to hail with joy any event which
would make Winnie forget to devote
herself to that hateful conservatory.
Hho seemed to lie enjoying herself to
the very utmost; and Arnold felt quiet
happy.
While she was standing talking to a
distinguished French diplomat the
color snddenly forsook her cheeks, and
she looked as if she was going to faint.
Arnold, who had lieen watching her at
a little distance, was at her side in a
moment.
"My dearest Winnie, what is the
matter f he exclaimed.
"Oh, Arnold, the Wodehonses—how
dreadfnl!" ,
He looked round, hut he saw no one;
heard nothing that could give him any
clew to her meaning.
"Would you like to go home?" he
asked.
"Yes, please."
He took her downstair* and called
for the carriage. It was not till they
were sen ted in it that she told him that
while she was talking to M. do Mcrinan,
she overheard, from a conversation that
was going on behind her, that Mr.
■ Wodehonse was locked up in a French
j prison for some bubble-share transac
tions in which he had Wen concerned
I in connection with a Houth American
railway, and that Mrs. Wodehonse was
) -lead.
Arnold Morton was not an unfeeling
man, and he was truly sorry for this
heavy affliction which had fallen on the
family of his old friends, Htill he
i could not W brought to understand
why Winifred should W so des|>rately
1 upset by it; for no sooner had she been
released from her finery by her maid
than she threw herself on her sofa, sole
bing convulsively, and by turns rejoic
ing and lamenting over what had hap
| poned. Arnold grew angry for the first
time in lus life, really angry with his
little wife.
Dr. Jones had more than once recom
mended a certain amount of discreet
wrath ; for the Unit time, to-night lie
felt inclined to follow his advice.
He represented to Winifred thut she
was by no means fulfilling the mission
that either love or duty imposed, wound
ing lior sensitiveness, too, not a littlo
by telling her that, while le did every
thing lie could to give her pleasure, she
seemed to take a tacit delight in re
ceiving all his advances with indif
ference nay, almost with contempt.
Ilis words went like a sharp dagger
into poor Winnie's lie-art; but still she of
fered no word of explanation; only after
u while she raised her tcar-staine d face
from the sofa cushion on which she had
hidden it, and looked at Arnold with
her largo, swollen eyes.
"One more favor, dearest. I know 1
do not deserve it: but you will grant mo
one more, will you not?'
" What is it. my love? You know I
shall be delighted to give you anything
in reason that will make you happy."
"Send for Blanche Wodebouse and let
her come and stay with us."
Arnold's brow contracted into a frown.
It was not that he objected to Blanehe
Wodi-houso coming to stay with them, |
but thut lie was totally at a loss to con
jeeturo what the affinity was that exist
ed between bis young wife and those
people, even to the extent of rendering
her unlit for all her home duties. She
saw his hesitation, almost amounting to
displeasure, and threw herself into his j
arms with a sudden outburst of affeo- i
tion.
"Arnold, dear, grant nte this request j
—do, there's a darling Arnold—if you i
don't I shall he compelled to go off to i
the continent myself, in search of
Blanche!"
You, \\ iuifrcd ! Yon must lie quite ;
moil!"
"<>h, no, I am not in the least mad, ,
only I have a terrible secret to keep,
aml the keeping of it nearly sends me
mad, Arnold dear. Oh. ho* I wish I
could till yon all about it T
"A si-cret in connection with the |
W'nit-houses ?"
" Yes; and you will let Blsm-lie come,
will yon not ?"
" I do nut object to your having I
Blanche Wodebouse to stay for a little 1
while, if her coming is at all likely to
remove the ineubaa which has lain over
you of late.''
"It will, Indeed it will; at least 1
liojio so. ()h, you dear, darling old pet,
yon are mm h kinder to your little wife
than she deserves, though she is not
such a bail little woman as I know you
have been thinking her of iifii "
"Now let us to lied," he said, "or
you will look so jaded to morro* yon
will no longer merit the name of my
pretty Winnie."
To led for Arnold Moreton *.-i* not to
sleep. He was js-rjilexisl beyond every
thing to imagine what this extraordinary
secret could l* which had so changed
Wirnie. That the flowers in that con
servatory had something to do with it lie
felt sure ; luit turn the mutter in his
mind bow lie might be could make
nothing of it; and after thinking it over
inSll its varied phases for hours bede
villed that it was |*-rliaps as well lie had
given permission for an invitation to lie
sent to Blanche Wodebouse, since her i
presence in the house might throw some
light on the matter.
At last Mr. Moreton fell ash-op, to
awake after a while with the sort of
nightmarish conviction that some one i
lind arrived, anil that this some one was
Miss Blanche Wodehnnse. It was 8 \
o'clock, and the sun was streaming
gladly into the room. He was not dream
ing then, and it was actually the voice
of the butler outside the door, inform
ing him that a young lady in deep
mourning bail arrived irom abroad ami
wanted to see Mrs. Moreton immedi
ately. Of course it was Blanche Wode
bouse, and of course Winnie, in her
dressing-gown, rushed off without
further delay to receive her ; and " moat
extraordinary," muttered Arnold, as be
|>cc|iod over tho stairease to see them
meet, " they bavo actually gone into the
conservatory and locked tho door." He
went into his dressing-room to perform
his morning toilet with a sort of desper
ate resolution to give up attempts at
guessing the very difficult ennnndnim
that had lieen presented to him. He did
not hurry himself in the least ; having
resolved to give tho matter up, he
wrapjied himself in a sort of gloomy
resignation.
finite an hour later, when he came
out of his mom. thinking that if possi
ble he would get a little breakfast and
go straight to his office ont of the way,
he met Winnie at the door. She had
dressed very quickly, and appeared in
the freshest and prettiest of morning
dresses, a glad atnile on her lovely face,
an open letter'in her hand.
"Oh, you great, dear, nanghty Ar
nold, you look as grave as if you had
the weight of the whole world on your
ahontdera 1"
The cloud partly passed from his brow
when he saw the changed look on her
face, and he held out his hand for the
letter.
It wan the same that hod been attach
ed to the largeat of Mrs. Wodehouse's
flpwcr-pot*. With no small astonish
ntcnt Arnold read aa follows:
" Forgive mo, my dearest friend, for
the subterfuge to which I nm compelled
to have recourse; for the truHt and re
sponsibility with which, without oven
ilaring previously to ask permission, I
am ulKiut to burden you. Sooner or
later you must know the ami secret of
my life; my husband is u continued and
dei)]ierate gambler. Thin fatal passion
ban gradually mr.de our whole life one
miserable acted lie. It was necessary
to keep up appearances in order to avoid
suspicion and retain his business credit.
The more deeply we sank in debt, the
more wildly lie sought to retrieve his
fortunes at the gaming-table. Ib-uven
only knows how soon and desperately
this may end. My own little fortune,
which by the culpable carelessness of
my guardian was left in his power, has
been dissipated. The only thing left
for me and my poor daughter when the
crash comes, as come it must, is the
handsome pamre of diamonds I inherit
ed from my mother. These are indeed,
by every right, my own, but already my
infatuated husband has his eye on them,
and I dread lest any moment they may
be gambled away. For my child's sake,
I entreat you, help me to save them.
They may some day realize a sum which
to her will be invaluable. Deep down
in the mold of the flower-pot* you w ill
thai them buried. There, for the pres
ent, lot them remain; keep them till a
day comes when I or my daughter may
recluim them. Do not betray mv sis-ret
even to your huslnmd. I trust entirely
to your goodness and your loyalty.
Your unhappy friend,
" MAUI AN Woni.iioi -in."
" So," exclaimed Arnold, putting his
nnu round his wife, " this is the t< rri
hie secret, little woman, which has been
wearing your life away, I do not feel
obliged to Mrs. Wodebouse for not let
ting you confide in me."
" Oh. Arnold dear, |*>or Mrs. Wodo
house, she is dead."
He shrugged his shoulder and fol
lowed Winnie downstairs into the eon
servatory. where they found Blanche, a
rather sad-looking, tearful b--.uty of
seventeen, whom Winnie's brother,
Captain Verschoylo, was not altogether
quite unsuccessfully seeking to console
os they stood together taking the plants
out of the flower pits and shaking the
diamonds from their roots.
Arnold looked at Winnie and smiled
as In- saw the picture; perhaps he had a
vision Of a matrimonial pendant. A
few minutes later they all four w. Nt
down to breakfast together. Blanche's
dot lying before them in lustrous
Ix-auty on the white cloth.
Mr Moreton l>eing a busy man. Cap
tain Versi-lioyh- undcrt**h the sale of
the diamonds; but though lie was
always on the point of clinching a good
offer somehow or other lie never quite
achieved it. and already Blanche Wodc
house had lieeu nearly a month ntiiler
the Moreton'* hospitable roof, when she
rushed into Winnie's conservatory one
morning n--w. since the finding of the
diamonds, become oni-c more the voung
wife's plaything and threw her-elf into
her arms.
" Dh, Winifred, he has asked me to
marry him. and says I am not to sell
the diamonds after all. as he has quite
enough money for ns Isith "
'■ My dear Blanche, 1 am so very
glad. Yon will make the sweetest,
dearest little sister in law Only fancy
a marriage arising out of my building a
conservatory, and then having, as Dr.
Jones says. ' diamonds on the brain*'
Finland Dairy Maids.
In Finland dairying is taught the
women in the most tborongfi style at
government expense.* In !*"• traveling
dairy maids were appoiqfed throughout
the country, and, being paid from pub
lip treasnrieis, every inhabitant had a
right to claim instruction or assistance.
The next step was the founding of
seventeen dairy-sohools, of which ten
were established by owners of private
dairies. Each school hail a teacher at
its head, who gave theoretical instruc
tion and a female teacher, who taught
the principal part of the work. Each
school is calculated for eight pupils
who are admitted by the teacher, and
required to lie able to read and write.
After a course of two years they have to
pass a formal examination in the pres
ence of memls-rs of the agricultural
society. The instruction given them
during tho first year comprises animal
physiology, tending of animals in gen
eral, the most common diseases of cattle
and their treatment, the nse of the
thermometer, the different methods of
cooling milk and their effect as to the
formatio> of cream,.the treatment of
tho cream and the making of butter,
the manufacture of cheese from skimmed
and unskimmed milk, and, finally, hook
keeping by single entry. The contract
for the erection of a dairy-school with
the owner of a dairy applying for one is
generally made for five years. During
the first year only four pupils are re
ceived ; none during the last. Hence,
only sixteen pupils can be fully edu
cated during the term of contract.
Tlitee firms are now engaged in can
ning Boston baked beans, and their an
ntial production is not less than 4,000,-
000 or 5,000,000 cans.
SMF.NTIKIC SfRAFN.
A line specimen of the aerolite dis
covered at Cohahuilo, Mexieo, in 18W,
has been purchased from Professor J.
Lawrence Smith, of Lonisville, Ky.,
for the University of Rochester, New-
York.
Dr. W. Beigler suvs tlmt the <juan
tity of rain-water which finds its way to
the ground along the trunks of trees is
very considerable, but that some kinds
of trees discharges this function better
than others.
A curious fact lias been noted by Pro
fessor Von Tieghem. The cells iu the
roots of an apple tree underwent alco
holic fermentation when the soil was
very damp. Tho tree then presented a
very sickly apfiearance.
It is stated that Dr. Hchliemann has
resumed liis work of exploration at
Orchumenus, where lie is likely to un
earth historic and prehistoric relics of
value not only to the student of the
classics but of archa ology.
Home SH:J miles in a northwesterly
direction from Sydney, New South
Wales, a most promising new gold field
has been discovered at Wileannia, and u
great number of persons within ac
cessible stations have caught the gold
fever.
According to Mr. A. Rcnvuord the
water in which hemp has lieen stecjs-d
produces no evil effects on the health
of a district when such water is allowed
to flow into running water, but always
ib -.troys the fish and some varieties of
vegetable growth.
There is an effort making in London,
England, to test the system of com
pressed-air clocks which have been in
troduced in Paris, and of which long
descriptions with pictorial illustrations
have apjiearod in our scientific and
mechanical journals. Ten stations an*
projmsed for the British metropolis.
It is niaintniiic 1 by Professor E. W-.0l
ney that soil hca]>ed up around plants
ha. during the day, a higher tempera
ture than earth not ao treated. Dnring
the night the hilled earth 1 ieromi-s
colder. The explanation advanced is
that earth which is heaped up around
plants dries much more rapid);- than
level soil.
At the instance of the sern-lary of
state for tin- colonies of Great Britain,
Professor K. Ray Lankcstcr has pre
pared a report on the artitleial growth
of sponges, which shows that thev (4>uhl
Is-grown in localities where none* now
exist. I'.xjicriments in the Adriatic sea
were rnadc by sinking small bits of
sjsinge in suitable localities, and in the
course of seven vests tbe-e fragments
of a single sponge bad each grown into
a sjKinge itself, large enough to lie
salable.
< .itching Woodnlpe In ( tiili.
In tin- interior of the Province Val
di via. South Chili, a species of wood
snijie is often caught by the natives in
tin- following manner: When the bird
flic* into one of tin- low bushes, which
in sjiots of about three to six meters in
diameter are found frequently in the
nod-mi-adows there, twomen on horse
back go round it in tho same direction,
swinging their lazos over the bush.
After ten or more rounds one man slips
down from bis horse, while the other
continues, leading his companion's
horse behind. Carefully, then, the
first man creeps on to the jioint where
tin- woodsni|x is sitting nearly motion
less or stnjiefieil with the rider's circn
lar movements, and kills it by n quick
blow of a stick. When I first was told
so I would not believe it; but in IKY.'!
or 1854 I took jart myself in this kind
of capture in the hacienda San Juan, in
Yaldivia. In-lunging to my chief. Dr.
Pliilippi, now professor in the univer
sity and director of the museum in
Santiago. I had left the house without
gun. accompanied by a native servant,
when, in a part of the wood called
Qnemas. I observed a wood*ni|H' falling
into a dense but low bush of the above
mentioned kind. Desiring to obtain a
good specimen of this not very common
bin! for our collection. 1 expressed my
regret at not having the gun. but the
servant replied: "Never mind, if yon
wiah we will get the bird." And he
caught it, with my assistance, in the
atwive way without injuring it.—AVitare.
The Sulphur Slaves of Slelh.
The sulphur is extracted and brought
to the anrfacc by tinman I icings, and,
indeed, chiefly by children. Mrs.
Browning's " Cry of the Children'
might have lieen written in the sulphur
mines of Sicily. Hundreds and hun
dreds of children who hare scarcely the
form of human lieinga, are sent down
theatecp. slipjiery stairs into themnddy.
watery depths. Here they are laden
with aa much material as they can sus
tain. and they must reoaccnd with it on
their backs, stumbling at every step,
often falling 4iack into the bettom of
the pit with broken limbs, or even dead.
The elder ones, writes an eye-witness,
arrive at the pit's month shrieking, the
little onee crying and sobbing. Tbe
mortality exceeds that of any other
province of Italy: the statistics of the
leva show an incredible number of lame
and deformed, and of young men of
one-and-twenty totally unfit for military
service.
Maudlin? bun*.
A fcj>ort*man, who thought himself
very careful in handling firearm*, tell*
of an accident which made him enter
tain a more humble opinion of hi*
thonghtfnlnesH. Ho write* to ni "/,</
Sir if an OH follow*: A peraon may be
careful in a great many points, but he
generally ha* a weak ]>oint somewhere,
ami 1 did not prove myself to 1- an
exception to what 1 believe to be a* .1
rule.
One day in the spring I lael been out
hunting for half a day without succe**,
and wa* going home when I met a team
that wa* taking a party to a lake to fish.
J made up my mind to accompany
thorn and see if I couldn't find a few
duck*, and so laid my gun in Ijcliind the
seats and then sat on top of it.
Now, it never occurred to me that tl.i
gun wa* in danger of going ofr during
that entire ride, but if it laid the only
damage would be no end-board in the
buggy, HO we will leave that "weak
point" and |>as* on. When we arrived
at our destination 1 jumped out and
reached for my gun.
I rawed the gun up with the muzzle
pointed sideways, and thought it wa*
coming out proj*-rly, but one of the
trigger* Htrnek thecn<l-board and threw
the gun around, jointing it at my h' d.
or nearly HO.
The gun wa* discharged, and the
charge of ahot pass' 1 under the rim ot
my hut, one shot grazing my cheek,
taking off a little *kin. The barrel
was within a few inches of mv ear at
the time of the discharge, and you may
imagine how much I could hear with
that ear for the remainder of that <lav.
If anyl**ly would have told me la-fort
tlrnt event took place that such a thing
could hap|*n to me, I should have
thought him very presuming and foolish.
And so it is with a great many other-:
1 they are careless, and only realize tlx
fact too late that they are only humar
and arc apt to forget them*' Ives.
A IVunian of (rit.
Some days since a fanner's wife in
tl ray son county, whose m.rne v,.- hav
not obtained, uas frying meat f r dinnet
•it her house, situate.l ne..r a mountain
range in a rather wild and w jnestcre 1
place, her husband in the ni'antim<
l>eing engaged at work some distance
from the house. The savory odor'of tin
bacon was scented by a couple "f young
bears that were ranging on the premise*,
and enticed them to follow the direction
from which it came. Tlu v kept tin
scent until it even drew them into the
house where the meat was on the fry
The holy of the IIOUM secured the
*tra.ige visitors, and her knowledge of
bears led her to think that these young
one* Lad strayed from their maternal
parent, which would aoon follow then
trail and hunt them up. Her judgment
j was correct. for it wa* l>at a few
i moment* Wforo the ol>l she Isvir came
j in sight—an enormous l<l*fk bruin, of a
kind which. as many of onr render*
| know, will light to the death for their
young The woman drew down from
it. rack the old. true, tried, and trusty
mountain rifle, and fastening the dooi
I she made a loop-hole of the window and
waiU-d the approach of her Warship
• within a sufficient diatanee for a shot
She waited not long and fired, the hall
j taking effect but not proving fatal. The
' report of the rifle drew her laltoring
i husband from his work, who, coming
■ear the honse. was cha*ed several
| hundred yard# by the bear, which then
| gave up the pursuit and returned in
j quest of her young. The plucky back
| woodsman's wife had in the meantime
reloaded the rifle, and with the second
shot the old she l>e*r keeled over, under
side topmost, and yielded np the ghost.
Tin- cnbs. we are told, sold at Independ
ence, the county seat of Grayson, for
826. and the skin of the liear, which
was very large, brought the sum of $8 at
the same place.— WylhetiU* (11a.) AVr
prim.
The ** Boss** System Among Equi
mans Ibtgs^
There is always one bnlly in every
team, who gets all the choice bits that
are stolen by the others, and generally
manages to keep fat. no matter how
short they are of provisions. He wait#
for the others to make the raid, and
then stands on the ontaide to take it
away from them. These bullies are in
several grades. There is the chief, of
whom all are afraid, and then there is
the next in rank, of whom all arc afraid
but the chief; a thiol, of whom all are
afraid bat the two, and so on down.
Sometimes the food is out into small
pieces and thrown out upon the ice for
all to help themselves, and then there
is a rough-and-tumble fight, and snarl
ing and growling, as if a whole cage of
hyenas hail broken loose. But here the
bullies have no advantage ; indeed, the 4
advantage is with the small, lively fel
lows that alip in and get the meat while
the big ones are fighting. When a dog
manages to steal a piece of meat he has
a lively time of it, for soon every dog in
camp is after him, and he has to eat it
on the n>fi all, headed off at every
torn by one of the bollioa, and wh'ning
and choking at the same time. It cer
tainly is one of the most oomical exhibi
tions ever witnessed,— Scribnm.