The Same Old Story. She nit within an easy chair. An open letter rprca'l before her, 80 bright ami dainty, round and fair, No wonder all the ladn adore her. Beaido her smoothly rounder! cheek The rosea lose their tinted glory, And, gazing in liia eyea so sweet, The poet telle her awitetcat story. Ami a she readn her lovely mouth Pouts in a manner mi beguiling, You'd think her prettier, jierhapa, Than when her face is glad and smiling, "Such impudenccl" aim says; "indeed. This man moires severer schooling, Kxpccting thus to have his way, My hotter Judgment overruling. "To steal a kiss, and then declare Ho only longs to steal another; Wlio would have thought hu'd lie so Isild ? I'm half inclined to tell his mother. ' But if I will forgive,' ho savs, He will at onco make reparation. And gladly what h< took iu liaate lteturn with more deliberation. " 'lt was my beauty tempted him.' Ah, that's the way they always Matter, And think a few beguiling words Will rectify the gravest matter. Jlo'U find I'm not a silly girl, To be cajoled"—but here alio pauses, And BOOH her quickly changing mood The soft relenting look indorses. And then (the little fraud!) alio throws Her glances upward, gently sighing. And with a pretty saintlinca*, Her dimples niutiuoua belying, She lays her hamls uism her breast, Ami eays demurely and benignly " 'To err is human—to forgive ?' Ah, then it is we act divinely." A'nioral did you ask of mr Before my story here is elided ' This : Tie so easy to forgive When we are only half offended. //. Tl.ay.r. RETIRING FROM BUSINESS. Ny ntti.T HAUTE. What the colonel's business was nobody knew, nor dnl anybody care par ticularly. He purchased for cash only, and ntver grumbled at tho price of any thing he wanted; who could' 4° more than that? X Curious people occasionally woudefwd how, when it hail lieen fnllv two Bince the colonel, with every ono abandoned Dutch creek to the Chinese, ' he managed to spend money freely and to lose considerably at cards and horseraces. In fact the keeper of that one of tho Challenge hill saloons which the colonel did not patronize was onre heard to wonder absent-mindedly whether the colonel hadn't a money mill somewhere, where he turned ont eagles and "sings" ('he coast name for £SO gold pieces). When so important a person as a bar tender indulged publicly in the idea, the inhabitants of Challenge hill, like good Californians everywhere, consid ered themselves in duty l>onnd to give it grave consideration: so, for few ond ency, and one of them occurred after a series of races in which he bad staked his all on his bay mare Tipsie and had lost. F.coking reproachfully at hi* beloved animal, he failed to heed the aching void of his pockets, and drinking deep ly, swearing eloquently and glaring de fiantly at all mankind were equally un productive of coin. The boys at the saloon symjiathizcd most feelingly with the colonoL They were unceasing in their invitations to drink, and they exhibited considerable Christian fortiearance when tho colonel savagely dissented with every ono who advanced any proposition, no matter how incontrovertible. Bnt unappre ciated sympathy grows decidedly tire some to the giver, and it was with a feeling of relief that tho boys saw the colonel stride out of the saloon, mount Tipsie and gallop furiously away. Biding on horseback lias always been considered an excellent sort of exercise, and riding is universally admitted to bo one of the most healthfnl means of ex hilaration in the world. When a man is so alrsorbcd in his exercise that he will not stop to speak to a friend, and when his exhilaration is so complete that he torns his eyes from well mean ing thumbs pointing significantly into doorways through which a man has . often peased while seeking bracing influences, it is but natural that people ■honld express some wonder. The colonel was well known at Toddy Flat, Come Hand, Blazer's, Mnrderer's Bar and several other villages through which he passed. As no one had been seen to precede him, betting men were soon offering odds tbst the colonel was running sway from somebody. Htrictly speaking they wcro wrong, bnt they won all tho money that hail been staked against them, for within half an hour there passed over tho same road an anxious-looking individual who reined up .in front of the principal saloon of each place and asked if tho colonel hud passed. Had tho gallant eolonel known that ho was followed, and by whom, there would have boon an extra election hold at tho latter place very shortly after, for the purtmror was tho constable, and for all officers of the law tho colonel pos sessed hat rod. On galloped tho colonol, following the stage road, which threaded tho old mining camps on Dutch crock, but suddenly ho turned out of tho road and urged his horso through tho young pines and bushes, which grow thickly by tlio road, while llio constable gal loped on to tho next camp. There seemed to bo no path through tho thicket into which tho colonel hud turned, bnt Tipsie walked between tho trees and shrubs as if they were familiar objects of lior stable yard. Suddenly a voice from the bushes shouted: " What's up'!" "Business— that's what." "It's time," replied tho voice, and its owner—a bearded siz-footor—emerged from the bushes and stroked Tipsie's nose with the freedom of an old ac quaintance. "We ain't hail a nip sinco last night, and there ain't a cracker or a handful of Hour in the shanty. The old gal go bock on yer?" "Yes," replied tho colonel, ruefully; " lost every blasted race. 'Twasn't her fault—bless her -she dono her level best. Ev'rybody to homo ?" " Yon bet," said tho man. "All been a pravin' for yer to turn up with the rocks an' somcthin' with more color thau spring water. Come on." The man led the way and Tipsie and the eolonel followed, and tho trio sud denly found themselves before a log hnt, in front of which sat three solemn disconsolate individuals, who looked ap pealingly at the colonel. " Maek'll tell yer how 'twas, fellers," said the colonel, meekly, " while 1 pocket the mare." Tho colonol was absent but a very few moments, but when lie returned each of the four was attired in pistol .and knife, while Mack was distributing w>me dominoes made from a rather dirty Soar rack, w/' 'Taint so late as all that, is it 7" in quir.xdtho colonel. " Pernor bo an hour ahead than a miss in night," said one of the four. "I ain't been so thirsty since we came around the skecred." "Fact," chimed in the smallest and thinnest man in the party. " The Bible says Romethin* might hot 'bout that. I disromomber dzactly how it goes, but I've hern Parson Buzzy, down in Maine, preach a rippin' old sermon many a time. Tho old man never thort what a comfort them sermons wuz agoin' to l>e to a road agent, though. Tho time we stopped Hlim Mike's stage and he didn't have no more manners than to draw on me, them sermons was a perfect bless ing to me—tli" thorts of 'em cleaned my head as quick %■ a cocktAil. An'—" " I don't want to dispute f,ogroller's piona strain," interrupted the colonol; " but ez it's Old Blaek that's arrivin to day instead of Hlim Mike, and ez it's Old Block oilers makes his time, hadn't we hotter vamose?" Tho door of the shanty was hastily closed and the men filed through the thicket until near tho road, when they marched rapidly on in ]>arallel lines with it. After about half an hour Per kins, who was leading, halted and wij>ed his perspiring brow with his shirt sleeve, " Fur enough from home, now,'' said he. " "Tain't no nso bcin' a gentleman if yer have to work too hard." "Safe enongli, I reckon," replied the colonel. " We'll do tho nsual; I'll halt 'em, liOgroller tend to the driver, Cranks take the boot, and Mack and Perk takes right and left. An' I know it's tough— Vint considerm' how everlaatin' eternal hard np wo are, I reckon wo'll have to ask contributions from the ladies, too, if there's eny alioard—oh, boys?" " Beckon so," replied Logrollcr, with a chuckle that seemed to inspire his black domino with a wrinkle or two. " What's the nse of women's rights of they don't ever have a ohanco of exer cie'n 'em! Hevin' their purses bor rowed 'ld show 'cm tho full doctrine in a bran new light." " Come, come, boys," interrupted the colonel, " that's the crack of old Black's whip; pick yer bush- -quick I All jump when I whistle." Kadi man secreted himself near the roadside. The stage came swinging along handsomely ; thoee inside were langhing heartily at eomething, and Old Black was just giving n delicate touch to tho flank of tho off leader when tho colonel gave a shrill, quick whistle and five men sprang into the road. Tho horses stopped as suddenly as if it were a matter of common occurrence. Old Black dropped the reins, crossed his legs and stared into the sky, and the passengers all put out thoir heads with a rapidity equaled only by that with which they withdrew them as they saw tho dominoes and revolvers of the road agents. " SeoniH to he something the matter, gentlemen," said the colonel, blandly, as he opened the door. " Won't you pleasa get out? Don't trouble yourself to I draw, 'COH my friend here's got his i weapon cocked an' his finger's rather I nervous. Ain't got a handkerchief, hov yer?" asked lie of tho first passenger ; who descended from the stage, " Hev? Well, now, that's lucky. Just put yer ' hands behind yer, please—so—that's it." I And the unfortunate man's arm* were ) securely tied behind in an instant. The remaining passengers were treated | with similar courtesy, and tho colonel | an, l '*ia friends examined the pockctH of I tho captives. Old Black remnined un | molested, for whoever heard of u stage | driver having money? "Boys," saul the colonel, calling his brother agents aside und comparing re ceipts, " tain't much of a haul; but there's only one woman, and she's old euongh to ho a fellow's grandmother." "Like enough she'll pan out more than all the rest of the stage put to gether,' growled Cranks, carefully test , ing the thickness of the case of tin- Rold watch. "Just like the low-lived deceit- J fulness of Homo folk* to hire an old ; woman to carry their money, so it'd go safer. Mebbe what she's got ain't nothin' to some folk* that got bosses that can win money at races, hut " The colonel abruptly ended the con versation, and approached the stage. He was very chivalrous, but Crank's sarcastic reference to Tipsio needed avenging, and as he eouhl not con sistently with business arrangement* put an end to Cranks, tho only ladv would have to suffer, j "I ' ,f "K jour pardon, ma'am," said ' the colonel, raising hi* hat politely with ono hand while lie drew open the coach ■ door with the other, " hut we're taking up a collection for some descrvin' objeot. We was goin' to make the gentlemen fork over the hull amount, but ez they ain't got enough, we will have to bother you." The old lady trembled, felt for her poeketbook and raised her veil. The colonel looked into her face, slammed the stage door, and sitting on the hub of one of the wheels, stared vacantly into space. " Nothin' V queried IVrkin* in n whis per, and with a face full of genuine sympathy. No—yes, said the colonel, dreamilv. I lint is, untie em and let the stage go ahead," he continued, springing to his feet. "I'll hurry back to the cabin." Ami the colonel dashed into tho bushes and left hi* follower* so paralyzed with astonishment that Old Black afterward remarked that if thero'd l>eu aiiyiiodv to attend to the hnrscM ho rould have cleaned out the hull crowd with his whip. Tho passengers, relieved of their weapons, were unbound, allowed to enter the stage, and the door was slammed, upon which Old Black picked up hi* reins a* if he had laid them down at the ; station while the hones were being 1 changed, then crocked his whip ond the stage rolled off, while the colonel's party hastened back to their hut, fondly inspecting as they went eertaiu flasks they had obtained while transacting their business with the oecii|>ants of the stage. Great was tho surprise of tho road agents a* they entered their lint, for there stood tho colonel in a clean white shirt ami in a suit of clothes made from the limited spare wardrobes of the other menil>er* of the band. But tho suspicious Cranks speedily subordinated his wonder to his pru denee, as laying on tho table a heavy purse he exclaimed: " Come, colonel, business before pleasure, let's divide and scatter. Ef anylnxly should hoar about it, an' ketch thetra|>s in our possession,they might—" " Divide yerselves," said the colonel, with s white abruptness and a great oath, " I don't want none of it," "Colonel," said Perkins, removing his own domino and looking anxiously into the leader's face, "be yon sick ? Here's some bully brandy which I found . in the j>a*sengers' pockets." "It hain't nothin'," replied the col onel with averted eyes. " I'm goin' and I'm retirin' from business forever." " Ain't goin' to turn evidence V cried Cranks, grasping a pistol on the table. " I'm going to make a lead mine of you ef you don't take that liack I" roared the colonel, with a bound that caused Cranks to drop the pistol and retire precipitately, apologising as he went. "I'm agoin' to attend to my own business, and that's enough to keep anybody bissy. Homebody lend me SSO till I see him agin." Perkins pressed the money into the colonel's hand, and within two minntee the colonel was on Tipsie's back and galloped off in the direction the stage hod taken. Ho overtook it, passed it, and still he galloped on. The people at Mud Gulch knew the colonel well and made it a rule never to bo astonished at anything ho did; and they made an exception to the rule when tho colonel canvassed the princi pal barrooms for men who wished to buy n horse, and when a gambler who was flush obtained Tipsio for twenty slugs—only 81,' Xl", when the colonel had always said there wasn't gold enough on top of ground to buy her— Mud Gulch experienced u decided sen sation. But when the colonel, after remain ing in tho barber shop for half an hour, emerged with bis face clean shaved and his hair nicely trimmed and jmrtod, bet ting was HO wild that a cool-headed sporting man speedily made a fortune by betting against every theory that hud been advanced. Then tho colonel made a tour of the stores and fitted himself with a now suit of clothes, carefully eschewing all of the gorgeous patterns and pro nounced colors no denr to the heart of the average miuer. Ho bought a new hut and put on a pair of boots, and pruned bis finger nails, and, stranger than all, lie mildly declined all invita tions to drink. As the colonel stoo l in the door of the principal saloon, where the stage always stopped, the Challenge hill con stable was seen to approach the colonel and tap him on the shoulder, upon which all men who bet that tho colonel was dodging somebody claimed the stakes. But those who stood near the colonel heard the constable sav: "Colonel, I take it all back. When I seed you go out of Challenge hill it come to me that you might bo in the road agent business, so I followed you —duty, you know. But when I reed you sell I ipsie 1 knew I was on the wrong trail. I wouldn't MUHJKVI you now if all the stages in the eountrv was robbed; and I'll give you satisfaction any way you want it." " It's all right," said the colon d, with a smile. The constable afterward said that nobody had any idea of how curi ously the colonel smiled when hi* beard was off. Suddenly the stage pulled up to the door with a cra-h, and the male passen gers hurried into the saloon in n state of utter indignation and impetuosity. The storv of the robbery attracted overv liody, and during the excitement the colonel dipped out quietly and opened the door of the stage. The old lady started and cried. " George !" And the colonel jumped in the tage and putting his arm tenderly around the trembling form of the old lady, ex claimed: " Mother!" California 1 * Itig Tree*. We hitched n couple of farm horse* to a spring wagon, filled it with pro vision*, tents and blanket*, and struck out for the mountain*, travelin from fifteen to twenty mile* per day. The ftr*t place we reached of importance woe the big tree* of Calaveras county. I must admit that they staggered mv im agination, and exceeded anything in the vegetable growth that I had ever before seen. In the stump of one of these tree* a ball-room thirty-three feet aero** i* built, and it require* a ladder of eighteen steep* to a*cciid to the top of the log, on which was built a ten-pin alley. It ha* been burnt up but the body of the old, charred mon arch of the forest still remain*. Think o—it—a hollow log. through which on can ride on horseback one hundred feet and come out through a knot-hole! There are some ninety of these big trees, measuring from fifty to one hundred feet in circumference, and reaching up to tho skiea—from JOO to 4. r >o feet. They are the remnant of a past flora that one time was more common, but are now confined to some dozen groves scattered from hero to King's nror— granll old trees, that have withstood the storms of thousands of winters, and worn saplings when Moses was a little lioy, found in the lmlmshea of tho Nile. What a history could they tell! What a monument of growth I Enough to sliAroo tho vanity of proud Cheops, tho builder of the Pyramids. They liavo grown and lifted their head* higher and higher, while the proud kings and empires of Egypt, Persia. Greece and Homo have |**ed away. Tboy lived and flourished when Christ preached utterances to the .lews, and were full-grown trees when our Anglo-Saxon ancestors ran wild In tho woods and painted their faces like tho Indians. From tho rings that donote the annual growth of those trees scionce has estimated some of them to be four thonsand years old, while they stand over the fallon bodies of s much older growth, covered over with earth and large growing treea, as it ia one of the pocnliarities of this timber not to decay. It ap)>oari to be a species of redwood.- San Fmnciaco Kmmintr. It ia an error to consider the Pata gonians a race of giants ; the average height is five feet ten. LADIES' DEI'AIM'MKNT. The fnlnl ||„|, There in, possibly, nothing sadder in tho annals of our city than the death thi week of the young bride who. bo fore her honeymoon had waned, fell down u flight of stairs and received such injuries that she died. The cause wan a very dimple one, viz., the use of the high and nharp heels thai are worn by moat ladies all over America. It in only u wonder that any young lady de scends the stairs safely with them, and while the wad event calls for the strong- ' est sympathy, it leaves a lesson behind which young ladies will do well to heed. —N'ln J'V'inciH' oldne>; and prominence. Nothing adds in ore to female I icant y than mod esty. It sheds around the countenance a halo of lignt which is borrowed from virtue. Botanists have given the rosy hue which tinges the cup of the white rose the name of "maiden blush.' This pure arid delicate hue IM the only jstint 'lirwtian virtue shonl 1 me. It is the riche-t ornament. A woman without mode -ty is like a fad"d flower, diffusing an unwholesome odor, which the pru dent gardener will throw from him. Her destiny is inelati 'holy, for it termi nates in hlianie and repentance. Beauty |ra*scs like the flowers of the albe, which bloom and die in a few hours; but modesty gives tlie female charms which supply the place of transitory freshness of youth. Si- una Sole* fur IVmnri, Popp.'ei, wife of Nero, tised a mask to protect her complexion from the sun. Thecliair of Greek language and lit erature in the I'niversity of Kansas has Ixs-n fill's] f.,r three years bv Mi- Kate Stephens. It has l>e.-n averred that a lady with a diamond ring will scratch her nose, in a given period, four times as oft'-n as any other woman. A cape lately sold to a New York lady was made of humming birds' breasts. Each bird from whom the spot of emer ald gold was take n was valued at five dollnm. In Han Francisco a handsome Italian woman of eighty, with silver hair, is a professional beggar, notwithstanding that she owns three houses, for which she receivt s sl*ndon, and is said to adorn herself with chains of diamonds from shoulder to shoul der." The Empress Augusta, of Germany, is a woman of great courage and pa tience. For many years she has suf fered tort n rev of intense pain from a wearing disuse, and ha* borne it with a remarkable energy, firmness and quietness. A home-car conductor, who had wait ed five minutes at a crossing for a lady, impatiently remarked: "I am of the opinion that when Gabriel blows his last trump that those too late to get seats will all lie women." At the lUgshot fancy fair, in which royalty shared so active a part, a young gentleman took a fancy to a certain arti cle and remarked to a lady at the stall that it was very pretty. Hho assented, adding: " My mother sent it." " lteally," softly resumed the customer. " Why, let me see; I almost think I must have met your mother. Her name is—?" "The Queen," replied the ••saleslady." 'fnsblM N •<**. Striped grenadines are the most sty lish. Finger rings are not worn in the street * Black silk mitts are Hie favorite gloves. Lace and muslin fichus grow larger snd larger. Handsome parasols are edged with Hpaniah lace. Very little jewelry should he worn with summer toilets. Both high end low coiffures are worn, but low ones are preferred. It ia the height of feahion to hang s piece of old fated tapestry on the wall. Fantastic flgareft are eabsotd#ifi jti ■i bright colors on artistic and fancy lawn tennis costume*. Puff* of mnll an-1 tulle illusion in the nock bid fair to take the place of jilaitings and ruches, Cretonne fan* in Trianon design a match parasols and miit* of printed sat teon, cambric aner' Iln.'tr tells of dr*-***-* that have flounces composed of silk oak leaves overlapping each other. Red corraigos, rod hat and red fan* and parasols are adopted by many women i,l ((uy tastes at watering place*. The fashionable artificial flowers ar<- jonquils, rows, peonies, oxeye daisies, white lilac* and hiinfiowcr* of various sizes. Iho muslin skirt composed of two plaiting*, falling one over the other, is as old a* the hill* or thereulrouts; sar about fifteen years old. Mull*- and batiste dresses in pale tints of color, trimmed with imitation Valen ciennes and Flemish |oint and Vermi celli lace*, make lovely afternoon and evening watering-place toilet*. Much surah gowns made up with two plaited flounces, a simple apron dra pery, a perfectly plain basque, ami Span ish lace trimming a! the throat and wrists, are among the cbeaje*t of sum mer dresses. Hunches of roses as larg* as a fa]] ■ • iblmg* ar<- fastened above aned down the lane or narrow road, running in the r ar of the Seventeenth Corps, at an angle of forty-five degrees fr >m the main line, lowarl the point where the firing was hoard. General Dodge, commanding the S.xtcenth Corps, had been ordered to the left with instruction* to form nt right angle with General Blair's line, but he had not had time to get into josition, consequently the firing could not be on his skirmish line, which led to the conclusion that something unusual wasgoing on. Hood's tactics Wing well known to MoPherson, h" was on the lookout for dashes, hence his anxiety. It was not more than fif teen minute* after Mcpherson and Knox. a*oomf*ani**l by their orderlies, Ld dashed down the lane until 41 Blackie," the general's horse, eiaie galloping back with a wound in the shoulder, from which the blood was pouring in a per fect stream. The cry was instantly raised that "The general fis !>een shot. Close following the horse came Captain Kuox and the two orderlies. Knox dashed up and in an excited man ner exclaimed, 44 He is dead. Get an ambulance, quick " General William lk Strong, now of Chicago, and Captain I>. H. Buell, ordinance officer, started at j once with the headquarters ambulance down the lane, followed by several of J the mounted men. Iluell rode ahead and skirmished with the Confederate pickets keeping them lack until Gen eral Strong got the body into the am bulance. Tliey drove lack with all speed to where General Logan and the other officers were. Dr. Hewitt hastily opened his coat and discovered that the bullet had passed directly through hi* heart, killing him instantly. The body was taken at once to General Sherman's headquarters, from where it was aent, in charge of General Mcpherson's per sonal staff, to Marietta, where it was embalmed and scot, with the same es cort, to lho ho:.:e of his aged mother at Clyde, Ohio. Captain Kuox, who aocorajianied the general, said that they had gone but a short distance down the lone until a shot was fired from on ambush, taking effect in the shoulder of the general's horse. They reined up, but had DO* time to turn until another was fired sad the general fell heavily to the ground. He neither spoke nor moved a emsate. After the fatal shot sever si skirmishers made their appearance, one of whom rushed up and took off the general's waist belt As noon as be red red a member of the Union Pioneer Corps ran up and rifled the general's pockets, tak teg a pwk"