The Farmer's Seventy Tears. Ah, there he is, lad, at the plow; He beata the txiya for work, And whatsoe'er the task nier Dominie Che no's Hybil T " Welcome to Maplowood," said a gay voice behind him. Gerard started and bit his lips. " Why did you not tell mo Kato Ir win was here !" he said, in a vexed un dertone to his annt; lmt Mrs. L'Aymar had glided away, and Gerard had noth ing for it but to seat himself resignedly by the lady—a dashing brunette, bocom ingly arrayed in a muslin dress and garden hat, who was watching Mr. Fay with a somewhat amused smile. "Again I say, welcome tx Maple wood," she repeated. "It was vastly kind of Mrs. L'Aymar to send for you. VThe country is such a bore, and per you can amuse me; you did not use to be quite so stupid as the rest in town." "Cool, that!" thought Gerard. Then aloud: " I should be most happy to be amusing to Miss Irwin had I not en tered a solemn protest against anything of the sort. I came hero to be enter tained. 80, to commence, who's here?" " Why do yon ask, since the villa is the inevitable rechanffoe of tho town boose. Mrs. Poplin is here with Des demona, Araminta and Amanda. You should see how they tako to innoeonee, white muslin and new-laid eggs. Des demona, who was a young lady when I was in short clothes, sits on a low stool and wears baby waists, and Amanda has got a kitten and puts up her hair in curl papers regularly. Then there's Ada Golbe :k, the blue; and Cobham, who waltxes so divinely; and that fasci nating little Mrs. Temple Htowe; and Captain Gresbam, whom everybody is crazy about, and yonr humble servant. That's all, I believe." "Who is that young lady?" asked Oerard, pointing to Mies Parker, who •till oat at the window. "T really don't know," coldly an swered Miss Irwin; "but she looks stupid enough, however, to bo the daughter of some country magnate whom your polite aunt conceives it her duty to propitiate. There's the dress ing-bell I" "Thank heaven I" ejaculated Oerard. aloud, as Miss Irwin swept from the room. •• Now that the womankind are refe at least an hour, I may get a nap. What a bore this gallantry is, to be sure ! Why couldn't I havo said to that eonaummate ooquette: ' I'm coufuund •dly sleepy ! If you'll permit me, I'll go and dream of your eye*.' " All the whilo ho ww leisurely extending him self on a light scttoo that ho had drawn op before ono of the deep bow windows, every now and then making a Holly at an impertinent mosquito, who hummed and boozed in luh ear with irritating persistency. Through the waving curtains ho could dimly seo tho level, Hloping lawn, tho trees motionless in tho noon heat, tho cowh standing in the pond beneath their shade, the low sploHh of tho water; tho shrill song of tho grasshoppers grow fainter and fainter on his ear, his oyes closed—" buz," " hum thoro was that mosquito again! "Confound the rascal!" he exclaimod, jumping op in a rogo, " if ho hasn't bit ton my noso! Ho is a greater torment than a woman, and that's—" He stopped short in disomy, for from the recess of the window issued a peal of clear ringing laughter, and before him stood tho young lady who had already attracted his notice. " Don't bo alarmod, sir," she said, still langhing. "It is only tho last of tho 1 womankind,' whom you accident ally made u prisoner, and who promised not to betray all tho treason you have uttered against her sex, if yon will per mit her to retire." " Not till I hare convinced von that in no way could my remarks apply to yon," answered Gerard, " since I was not talking of the angels." "Bpareyour compliments," returned Nolly, with a curling lip, "or reservo them for Miss Irwin or the Misses Pop lin. lam a simple country girl, incap able of appreciating them." " Ah ! I see you aro revengeful." " On tho contrary, I forgive you." " Proof is—" "How?" " By permitting mo to act as your es cort to dinner." Nelly seemed in danger of another lit of laughter. Hho, who conld have set tho table, cooked the dinner nnd eaten a good share of it afterward, escorted to the table like cne of thoso languish ing city ladies, who screamed at the sight of a cow, and didn't know corn from asparagus, except when it was cooked! What would father, and mother, and Bob say to that ? Con trolling her mirth as well as she was able, sho signified her assent; and when Miss Irwin sailed into the dining room it was to find the elegant, fas tidious Gerard playing assiduous court to the little country girl, who received it as a matter of course. Still, that was not the least provoking part of tho affair. Poor Cobham, whoso evil genius had decreed that on that day ho should act as cavalier servantoto tho angry belle, Kate's angry glances chilled his very marrow, and scared all tho small talk out of him. Mrs. L'Aymar looked on in silent con sternation. Miss Irwin was not only a belle, but eligible to tho extent of 8100,000; and who knows what schemes had licen run ning in tho little lady's politic head when she invited Kato to spend tho summer with her. " At any rate," as she observed to her husband afterward, " I couldn't sit there, you know, nnd seo Gerard mak ing himself ridiculous, nnd tho Poplins and Mrs. Temple Stowo looking on— who, of course, would tell of it all over town." 80, after a side glance at the bronze timepiece, Mrs. L'Aymar said, in her softest tones: "My dear little Nelly, I am sorry to lose you, but I promised your father that yon should return tho moment tbe clock struck ' three,' and you know how exact he is!" Nellie flushed to her very templea, for she had been invited to spend tho day, and well understood the r< ason of tho sudden changes in Mrs. L'Ay mar. "John shall drive yon home," said the lady, fearing, pcrha]>H, sho had gone too far, "and I shall try to persuade your father " "To be a little less exact," broke in Gerard, with scornful emphasis; "but John need not take tho trouble to harness his horses, for mine, if my ordors havo boon obeyed, are already at tho door, and I shall bo only too happy to drive Miss Parker home." And he did take her home, spite of tho ill-concoalod wrath of Mrs. L'Aymar and tho fascinating Miss Irwin; and when he reached the old farmhonse, invit.d himself to go in (Nellie would never have had the courage), and claimed acquaintance with hor father on tho strength of a boxed ear once re ceived from the dominie when a boy end at home during the vacation, and complimented brother Bob on his farm ing and Mrs. Parker on her house wifery, and stayed to tea, and talked politics and theology, and everything but love, for which ho contented him self with looking at Miss Nellie. Day after day saw his stylish turn out dashing down the green, shady lane that led to the dominie's; and it was a standing joke of his groom that " Maa'r was going for the consolations of ro ligion." The very dogs round the place came to know him, while no damask rose ever glowed as did Nellie's cheek when she heard tho music of his horses' hoofs gnlloping on tho road. Mrs. L'Aymr's indignation knew no bounds. " Tho way Gerard gooH on with that girl is ridiculous," she said to Kate Ir win, "and I consider it my duty to in terfere." " Thon ho will assuredly marry L r," responded tho lady, coolly. "Can yon not see ho is only amusing himself? Oppose him and he is capable of any folly. Leave him alone and ho will soon tiro of his new-found toy." Reasoning on widely different prin ciple?, Mrs. Barker had arrived at tho sanio conclusion, and sadly and anx iously sho watched tho gradual change in Nelly's demeanor. " Old Martha tells mo yon never visit her lately," she said to her daughter one afternoon. A bright flush crimsoned Nelly'H cheek. "Ho she has been complaining, has she? Tiresome old woman!" " And Miss Goodwin has mentioned to me," continned her mother, without appearing to notice Nelly's tone, " that yon are seldom or never at the Thurs day prayer-meetings." " I don't believe," returned Nelly, "that we ought to bo always singing and praying and visiting old women. I am young, and I want to enjoy life." " Who gave you life V" answered Mrs. Barker, "and how long is it since you found it wearisomo to praise and serve God? Ah! Nelly, Nelly, sinco Mr. Fay—" "There it is again,"J interrupted Nolly; "always Mr. Fay! Everything is his fault. What lias ho done, I should like to know, that you all hate him so?" "Hate him! Ah! Nelly, how blind you are ! You love that man !" " Well, I do," retorted Nelly, " did yon never love? Am I the first one in the family who has boon in love?" " Nelly, has Mr. Fay ever asked yon to marry him ?" Nelly was silent. "Has he ever even told you that he loved you ?" " I don't care if he hasn't," answered Nelly, sobhiag. " 1 know he does, and I don't see why you want to make mo so miserable; and I wish I was dead—l do." At this interesting juncture arrived Mr. Gerard Fay. Mrs. Barker, not feel ing desirous to meet him, vanished through a side door, and Nellie, unable to regain her composure, or dissimulate without intending to do so, allowed Gerard to guess the secret of her dis tress; and he, feeling unusually mag nanimous after an extra bottle of cham l"Ugne. and moved by the sight of lieantv in tears, forthwith offered himself, and was accepted. "There, I told you so," said Mrs. L'Aymar, furiously, to Kate. " Keep cool," wa the rejoinder, "and let us go ami call on tho bride-elect. Frank Kashleigh will lie down next week, and then we shall see what we shall see." And Mrs. L'Aymar, having no small confldenco in her eool-head<'d friend, waited patiently nntil Mr. Bashleigh, Gerard's intimate friend, should arrive. When that irn)>ortant personage made his ap|>earanee, it is to lie presumed that the ladies enlisted him at onoe—as shortly after his arrival he took occasion to remark to Gerard: "That's rather a pretty girl (pointing to Nelly). I'ity she's snrh a dowdy flguie, ami dresses in such a Sandwich island style." Gerard said nothing—Wing abso lutely dumb with astonishment. Nelly dowdy, and badly dnvised ? Was that the judgment of Frank Itashleigh, who was a well-known connoisseur in female beauty—on his pearl —his lily of maidens, as ho had fondly termed her? Was he indeed so blind ? Itashleigh saw the shot had taken effect, and wisely forbore further com ments at that time. He then turned his attention to Miss Irwin, whom he pro nounced "a perfectly elegant woman, and faultlessly beautiful." " MayW so," dryly answered Gerard, but I prefer the half-opened rosebud to the tulip." Hpitc of which, ere long, lie virtually transferred himself and his attentions to Mies Irwin, who concealed her de light nnder an affectation ot cold dig nity. Sometimes Nelly's paling cheeks after an unnsually protracted absence smote him with a keen sense of self reproach—" lint she onght to have un derstood me from tho first," he argtied. " Reason shonld have shown her onr entire incompatibility." Singularly enough reason had en tirely failod to |erf irm her duly in tho first stage of Nelly's lore; but she had stepped in now, and suggested that a man who had liehaved like Gerard Fay must be alike devoid of principle, char acter or common good feeling, and could not, therefore, be considered a very se rious loss by any aonsible girl. Wh jreupon Nelly took heart, grew prettier and moro blooming than ever. One day as she was walking leisurely along the little path that wound through the hesutiful woods from whence the village derived its name, aho auddenly fonnd herself face to face with Gerard Fay. Her first impulse was to turn back. Her second, to bow stiffly. Her third, to Hpoak in tho most cordial manner im aginable, which she accordingly did. Gerard's salutation was by no means so uncmbarraHHcd, but instead of pass ing on, aH be might liavo easily done, ho continued to walk by her side, dis coursing of the weather, tho scenery, tho lad new novel, and growing more and moro dosjieruto at Nelly's unmis takable indifference—till, at last, ho frankly told Nelly the story of his short comings with regard to her, taking caro to color it slightly, and practicing a little arithmetic on it, in tho way of ad ditions and substructions, winding up by asking Nelly to take him this time for better or worse. Whereupon Nelly, who listened to the whole with a perfect immobile countenance, quietly asked : " Have you finished, Mr. Fay?" "Yes," replied the gentleman, some what doubtfully. " Very well, sir. I have only to say that I cannot marry a man 1 do not love —could not marry a inan I did not re sjieot, and could qot rcfqieot the man who baecn taiee married, her present husband be ing Henry Ingram, a teamster. In girl hood, as Miss Nellie Dunn, she was hearty and robust, a specimen of bloom ing health, and had a more than ordi nary fine constitution, which she re tained as she advanced in years. On Octolier 11, IKMO, she stepped into a Dr. N. Mcrntt's ofli o to have atooth ex tracted. Hhe was then in the most jwr feet health, and weighed not far from IKO pounds. The tooth ass a double one, far back in tho jaw, firm and fast and very troublesome from a cavitv. Undoubtedly the pain and annoyance she had experienced from it had excited her nervous system to that degree that it took but little to produce a decided shock. T1 e tooth was extracted with much difficulty, and produced intense |in. Mrs. Ingram 1-oeamc greatly ex cited, which culminated in a nervous shock. A hsck was called, and she was taken to her homo in s prostrated con dition, and Wiks itum< diately afterward seized with a severe pain in tho bowels, which has continued night ami day ever since, arcnm|>auicd by sickness and nausea Hhe repeatedly attempted to eat food to sustain life, but it only pro duced a loathing and deathly sickness, and was at length given up. These spasms occur, however, whether she is given food or not. As soon as it became certain to her physician that all attempts to keep her alive by introducing food into her stom ach were useless, he liegan giving her injections, thereby sustaining life by a process of absorption by the walls of tho intestines. Life has also lecn sus tained by !ra{*nied by an inordi nate thirst, but she cannot drink any more than eat. Tho case has excited tincommon in terest in the medical fraternity through out the State, and many have come to see her. It is curious to see hunger ap|>ceaed and thirat quenched by out ward applications. Never were there so many contracts or new vensels held by the shipbuild ers ol Milford, Delaware. They aggro gate about a down, and as many more could be obtained, a number ha? lug been refused. LADIEH' DEPARTMENT. An Kn^rtu 1 Mumnnrr, There is a bit of romance yet in the Austrian empress' heart, though she is credited witii lieing such an Amazon. Hho cherishes in a beautiful jeweled box, not a stone of grrat price, but a little faded nosegay of edelweiss, that monntain flower, white and delicate as a snowflako, which Austrian peasants attach to their buttonholes an a sign of love. The little nosegay was given the empress by her husband the time they were betrothed. Twrlvr llrldnnnlda' Dresses. The twelve lockets worn by Ijady Brooke's (Miss Maynard's) bridemaids at the great wedding at Westminster Abbey, are described as exceptionally beautiful, being very costly works of art. Each was formed of diamonds and jxarls, worked with the greatest skill into the most exquisite representation of the form and petals of a daisy—ap propriate emblems of the youth and in nocence of the bride and her bride maids, as well as souvenirs of herself, the pet name bv which she has been known to her family and friends since her birth being Daisy. A Htiiiplr I lulUMir , A number of gentlemen at a party the other evening were wondering why all young ladies did not dress in the plain, simple style of a young belle pres ent, whose toilet they greatly admired. The dress was certainly very beautiful, as was the young lady- which had a great ileal to do with the effect of the dress, which deserves description. The underskirt was of plain white surah, covered with tiny rnflles of the earn<- goods. The overdress was of nun's veiling of an exquisitely fine texture, adorned with frills and cascades of cream white lace, and caught up with clusters of white snowdrops covered with crystals. Upon lior hea l of golden hair was a delicate wreath of snowdrops glittering with white jets. She wore not a jewel, but carried in her hand a large antique fan of white' feathers spangled with crystals. After the party was over the wearer of the dress, who had heard of and enjoyed the compli ment, laughingly informed one of her admirers a doting uncle that this "simple" dress, at an exceedingly mod erate computation, not including "Mad am's" bill for making, had cost 91 GO, all the undo did was quietly to hand the young lady of the "simple" dress his new spring hat, with a Im>w of acknowledgment and a ware of the hand whi h expressed more than wordsconld have done, his unqualified admission of the utter incaimcity of the masculine mind to comprehend the magnitude or to gue s the price of n woman's dress, even though that dress simulate "simplicity" to jwrfection.— .Nor York /vroti>/ Punt. Pnahlen N|r. Plaids are much worn. Tucks arc again fashionable. Skirts are made longer and fuller. Low shoes in fanciful forms grow in favor. The favorite waist is the box-plaited blouse. The white pocket handkerchief is moribund. Coaching lmnquets are very large and brilliant. Belted short basques are worn by young ladies. Cuffs are not worn when long-wristed kid gloves are. Full-gathered bodices are worn under peasant waists. Corsage bouquets are r. Edwin C. Mann, of New York city, in an article upon this subject in one of the medical journals: To avoid sun stroke, exercise, in excessively hot weather should be very moderate ; the clothing should be thin and loose, and an abundance of cold water should bo drank. Workmen and soldiers should understand that as soon a-, they cease to perspire, while working or marching in the hot sun, they are in danger of sunstroke, and they should immediately drink water freely and copiously t-o i fiord matter for cutaneous transpire tion, and also keep the akin and cloth ing wet with water. Impending sun stroke may often be warded off by thesa simple measures. Ik-side* the cessa tion of perspiration, the pupils are apt to l>e contracted, and there is a fre quencyof mictniition. If there ismarked exhaustion, with a weak pulse, resulting from the cold water application, wo should administer stimulants. Thn free use of water, however, both ex ternally and internally, by those ex posed to the direct rays of the sun, is the best prophylactic against sunstroke, and laborers or soldiers, and others who adopt this measure, washirg their hands and laces, as well as drinking copiously of water every time they come within reach of it, w ill gene rally enjoy perfect immunity from sunstroke. Straw lasts should be w-orn, ventilisted at the top, and the crown of the hat filled with green leaves or wet sponge. It is l>etter to wear thin flannel shir's in order not to check perspiration. We may expose ourselves for a long time in the hot sun and work or sleep in s heated room and enjoy perfect im munity from sunstroke if we keep our skin and clothing wet with water. Had New* for Water Printer*. The age of the earth is placed by some at fiTe hundred millions of years; and still others, of later time, among them the Duke of Argyll, place it at ten mil lion years. None place it lower than ten millions, knowing what processes have lieen gone through Other planets go through the same process. The rea son that other planets differ so much from the earth is that they are in s so much earlier or later stage of existence. The earth must become old. Newton surmised, although be could give no reason for it, that the earth would at one time lose all its water and liec too perfectly dry. Since then it has been found that Newton was correct. As the earth keeps cooling it will be come poron* and great cavities will be formed in the interior, which will take in tlie water. It ia estimated that this process is now in progress, so far that the water diminishes at alxint the rate of the thickness of a sheet of writing pa per each year At this rate in G,000.000 years the water will have stink a mile, anl in 15,000,000 years every trace of water will have disappeared from the face of the glolie. The nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere are also di minishing all the time. It is in an in *ppreeiable degree, but the time will come when the air will lie so thin that no creature we know could breathe it and live; the time will come when the world cannot support life. That will be the period of old age and then will come death lYnchw. Klx ng t'p. " Yes," said he, •• Tve been fixing up a little. The old woman postered me to death about the garden, and so I slicked it up a little, and fixed about the house, and it looked so nice I went at the farm fence* and the brush and saved more manure, and kept killing the weeds, and the crops got I letter, and ao I kept going on, and things do look ' pretty good now. Wife takes a paper and I take one, and I get time to read it too, and I need to think that 1 hadn't time for anything." And so he ran on, seemingly well pleased with what h had done, and hi* life and hi* home without doubt the Jiaj pier tf f Ex amples of a like kind be jfeund all over the country. * ' . t