Best Fruit at the Top. Oh, the apple trees up in tho orchard! Like woo chubby faces I nee Tho ruascts and pippins, aly peeping, Between leaves a twinkle at mo! And on tho crisp breeze, a* I'm longing In vain for tho beauties to drop, A blithe, haunting song seeing to whisper, "The ix'st fruit is found at tho top." Oil, tho gnarled ami inoss'd houghs upward tossing 1 They cradle mo now in their arms, Ami onward I gaze on tho orchard, Tho rivvr, the uplands and farms. 80, gazing far, far out from childhood, That blithe, breezy song no'erwill atop; Fame, station, art' won hut by climbing; "The Iwst fruit is found at the top." • Qtorijf COOJMT. A SPANISH HEROINE. Poverty is certainly a blessing in one respect, at least, inasmuch as a fool without money has fewer opportunities for manifesting his follies than the wealthier animal of the same species. It would have been a piece of good fortune if Geoffrey Kendall had been born to work for his living like many a better man, since it is to be presumed that hardship would have rubbed a little common sense into his soft brain. As it was, his father left him a large for tune, and tho use he made of it was something between a joke and a tragedy, He was the legitimate prey of all sorts of sharpers. Hs got himself into terri ble scrapes and had to buy himself out of them at enormous cost. Without any real wrong he acquired for himself an unenviable reputation among the scandalmongers of the town. Ho was a vigorous young fellow, with a big beard, mild eyes, and hands as white as a woman's. He was, moreover, something of a dandy in his dress and manners. Yet, withal, a kinder, better tempered sonl you would not find in a day's walk. What such a woman as Alma Thorpe could have found in him to lovo is a mystery, unless, indeed, it was on the principle of woman's tenderness for children, birds and other weaklings. She was quite his opposite- a quiet, sober little woman, strong-wtlled and quick-witted, with a wonderful fund of patience for her blundering lover. Hhe seemed to have no object, no hopo or ambition aside from his happiness. Y'et, like the fool that he was, tho time came when he tlnng away this jewel for a piece of glittering sham. Luckily, he was made to pay dearly for his folly. Kendvll and Alma had been engaged for nearly a year, and their marriage was to take place shortly, when a lady appeared on tho scene, who created a sensation in the town. She called her self Donna Sanehica, an 1 was accom panied by her brother, Don Mar. o Dam as. They were supposed to be Spaniards of distinction making a tour for pleasure. Donna Sanehica was a woman of thirty, large and luxuriant figure, with coal-hlack hair and eyes of the same hue, as bold and keen as a hawk's. She was not long in working herself into the best circles, where she speedily became a great favorite. At the social gatherings her mellow voice and charming manners made her scores of friends and admirers. It was ob served by tho'wiser ones, however, that she devoted herself to the younger and wealthier men. " I have one jiassion stupendous for the American gentlemen," she admitted, with engaging frankness; "he is so brave, so superb, Santissima!" ;;i lt was at one of these gatherings that Kendall met her. She seemed to pene trate his character at a glance, and turned the batteries of her big black eyes full upon his weak head. It was simply a foregone conclusion. Like any other moth he Hew to the brightest caudle. She charmed, astonished, be wildered him. He had never seen such a brilliant woman—so brilliant, so un conventional. Moreover, she admired him. He could see that, and his vanity gave a great throb of delight. That night when he went home I fear that it was of the snperb Spanish heanty that he dreamed, and not of the pale little American girl. Without intending any treachery to his betrothed, he spent a good deal of his time with DonnaHanehica after that. He had 9 right to admire her, he said. She was his friend, his dear fricDd, that was all. Ho day after day he visited her, and came gradually to neglect Alma. The townspeople began to talk. Rumor •aid that yonng Kendall and the Span - ish lady were engaged to be married. Some envied him, whilo others, more sensible, pitied Alma, and cursed Ken dall's blindness and stupidity. As yet Alma had aaid nothing to Ken dall upon the subject, though it had not escaped her. But she patiently sought to keep him true to his faith by the thousand sweet devises of a loving woman. At length even her patience gave ont. One day, after a week's absence, Ken dall found a few moments to spare from his S|ianish infatnation to call npon his betrothed. He met her with a sheepish *nd embarrassed sir, ss if some con- sciousness of hi" own 11101111 nnmnnli noHH woro troubling him. Ho bent to kiHH her, as usual, but 8,10 Bto Pl loh, tho heavens 1 what agony for mo to say it r " Why not 7' cried Kendall, aghast. " Do you not love mo?" "Ah, idol," she cried, "as my own soul! Ah, misery! But let me con fess. Wo are poor, senor—my brother and I. We are exiles from our own country. Because wo arc noble and poor wo cannot live among our equaln. Wo have great pride. Wo leave our homo and wander like tho Arab." " What difference dooa that mako 7" said Kendall, in a generous glow. " I have enough for both." "But my poor brother?" cunningly interposed the donna. " And for liim as well," answered Kendall. " Will ho not lie my brother, too ?" " Bantissima ?" screeched the lady, flinging her robust person against him with am h force that he reeled against the wall. " What noble ! What superb I I adore yon f Yea—yes, I will 1e your wife, and my brother shall lie your brother, eh T' " Of eourae," assented Kendall. Ami so the matter was settled Tilings took their natural eourae. The jxHir but noble Don Canaia was to take Kendall into his favor, and, being given to the ntterances of the highest senti ments, soon won the young man's per fect confidence. There were times when Kendall's heart misgave him, when even his dull J perception* were troubled with a vague di*tru*t. At these times Donna Han chiea's passionate protestations sickened him and tho brother's pompon* airs maddened him. At such times the memory of tho days when Alma's love was all to him would ami to liini with a miserable heartache. Ho would com pare her sweet, pure presence with tho lurid and unhealthy influence of the Hpanish woman and wonder at hi* own blindness. But Donna Hanchica wa* a diplomat. Hhe knew how to deal with his dark moods so as to profit by them. At such moments she would look at him re proachfully and sigh as if her heart were broken. Then Kendall would melt, and cursing himself for a hard hearted villain, submit more abjectly to her blandishments than over. They were soon to bo married, and as the donna claimed his whole time, it came about naturally that the solemn don, her brother, consented to take charge of Kendall's affairs. Ho devel oped so keen a talent for business that in a very short lime tho young man's property quietly changed hands. Of course, being all in the family, it made little real difference in whose name the money was held. But one morning Kendall culled at the residence of the Hpaniards and found them gone. A letter in tho handwriting of tho donna was given to him by tho housekeeper. It rati as fol lows: Farewell, most obliging of men! Business engagements* call us else where. Horry that yon have been dis appointed. Wo have leave our most distinguish regard in place of the money what we have taken. How say you the fair exchange is not the rob bery? Hantissima! no. Wo have tho pride and the honor. Aha! Also my husband, Don Can&is, have remark that it is the just payment of you to him for the long privilege of making nie, his wife, the love. Is it not so? Your de voted HAXCIIHA. Kendall read the letter in a state of stupefaction; then quietly tore it to pieces and went away wt'th his head drooping and a deep frown upon his face. Tho smallest examination into his affairs showed how egregriously he had been duped. Of all his jiatrimony not enough had escaped the clutches of the adventuress and the husband to af ford him a decent subsistence. In spite of his overwhelming shame and anger there was a feeling of intense relief in hi** heart. Ho had imagined that he loved tho .Spanish woman, but now he felt that i' wonld have licen a sacrifice could he have married her. He was really quite satisfied to pay even so high a price at financial ruin to have es caped it. His resolution was speedily taken. He wrote a long letter to Alms explain ing everything, but offering no excuse and asking for no hojie. He then left town silently. For two years he was not heard of. At the end o' that time he returned, a grave and thntightfnl man, with lines of sorrow and hardship in his face. Misfortune had come late, lint it made a man of him at last. He had not yet called npon Alma, when he met her in the street one day. He made no attempt to avoid her, but took ber hand quietly. " Alma," said he, " I have come back solely for tho purpose of seeing your face and taking new courage from it lie fore I go ont in the world again." " Are you going away V she askod ( with a faint shadow upon her face. "Yes," said he. "My ro|>criUnce is not yet worked ont. I have repaired the rain caused by folly, but I have not suffered enongh for my treachery to you. Thcro is a worthy and admirable life before me. I must attain it." "Can yon doit alone?" she queried, with sweet gravity, 11 Do yon need help?" " None conld help me but yon," he replied, tremnlonsly, " and I have sinned too grievously against yon for forgiveness. I need it—oh, how sorely ] Not once in all these months have yon been absent from my mind. I have lal>orod with yonr image at my heart, to lie worthy of yonr pardon and approlia tion, but I fear it wa4 a hopeless task.' " I am tho beat judge of that, Geof frey," she replied. There mnst have lieen something in her downcast face of A doe per import than her words, for his face suddenly brightened and he took her by the waist. "It is trno, then, Alma ! I am for given T* Of conrse he wa*. And some one said that, woman like, she loved him all the dearer liecanse he had no nearly broken her heart. That may lie, but I advise him never again to mention in the hearing of hia wife the name of Donna Hanchica. High-priced guides abound in the White Mountains, and to exterminate them an Appalachian mountain clnb has been formed, with 400 members. The plan 1* to out paths, blase trails, open waya to lwantifnl spots, build sub stantia) camps, and in other ways make guides unnecessary. Paths have already been cut to the anmmits of Moosilank and Adams, and orach work is to be done this year. LADIES DEPARTMENT. A I'rlMMM* HMlna llsbli. The change in the riding habit worn by the Prinoes* of Wale* La* been the Nubject of much talk and discussion among lodic* in England, and may be interesting to horsewomen here. The new riding habit i* made with a *hort skirt gored to the knee*, BO that the position of tlio rider i safer in the wul dle, being on incumbered with the heavy fold* and useless length of drapery hitherto worn. The *kirt cannot be blown about, and is thus prevented from revealing the foot and ankle, which can never look graceful when stretched over the Hide of tho horse to reach the Htirrup. Tho Hkirt worn by the princess is not much longer than an ordinary drawing-room costnrne, and light, easily raised by the wearer with out tho danger of causing a stumble, which so continually happens with the riding habit initially worn. I In t lot** Of all the dress stuffs in the market tho cheviots are tho favorites of the season. These come in checks, plaids and stripes of every color, the prevail ing tones being dull reds and browns with a cross of yellow, neutral grays with blue and invisible green and nega tive reddish-purple shadeß. Some are rather large in the square or stripe, and perhaps a tritle loud, but the aver- 1 age run in warm combinations of color, . which, by giving the effect of a single tone, lend an air of simplicity at a dis tance. Cheviots are never combined with other materials. A certain rigid air is maintained in these costumes by the avoidance of bouffant draperies in the overdress and a strict adherence to the Amazon cut in the basque- a se verity a'bich is favored, and well suited to this fabric. It is not becoming to j the fac<-, and iH a hard material for un- 1 skilled hands to manage, besides being ; somewhat heavy for midsummer wear; ' but the English rules which govern so many of our toilets at present have or dained its use and may not be dis obeyed. lla:tr. NfM* Mid Nnle* for \l umrh. A Buffalo girl wore a $l5O pair of hose to get married in. A barber shop at Jackson, Mich., has four girl apprentices. One stock raiser of Texas expects to send 20,000 head of cattle to market this year. Hir Frederick Lcighton's picture of Nellie Grant Sartois is said to make her look like a girl of fourteen. Mrs. Howe, the mother of 4 the wife of the late Vice-President Henry Wilson, is living at the old homestead at the age of ninety-four. The majority of tho girls married in Warren county, Ky., last year were more children, their ages running from thirteen to eighteen. A New York physician of extensive practice has been effecting many cures of his lady patients complaining of lame backaby prescribing slippers and woolen stockings for a week, to bo followed by wearing low, broad heels to their shoes, in place of tho high French heels that had caused their ailment*. The Ducheese d'Alencon, the cx •pieen of Naples, and the present em press of Austria, have often ridden horses standing, ami have uttered those atndrnt crio* which come from the throata of the nymphs of the ring. They have dashed through the classic lioop* with pnjier and without paper. A woman lielonging to the aect called Perfectionists undertook to run herself to death at Dallas, Texas. Hbe got the idea from a Scriptural passage about " running the race to the end," that ll she ran till she died she wonld go direct to heaven. She conhl not kill herself by pedestrianism, however, and resorted to drowning instead. Panr|r. Dnstcr cloaks have gone ont of fashion. Terra cotta shade* will be mncli worn. lied is the prevailing color in fall goods. Low coiffures and close hair-dressing are in fashion. Long mitt* are the favorite hand wear at thi* moment. White toilets aro destined to great popularity this fall. Hmall broken chocked suitings and plaids will bo worn. Women with long, stick-like arms shonld not wear tight long sleeves. Hkirts and their draperies continue to give the figure a lance-like shape. Hhaded effects will probably appear in the heavy plnshes to be worn next winter. In England monrning is worn only one year for the nearest relatives and crape but six months. Terra cotta in all shades from dark salmOh to deep copper is the favorite color for fall cashmeres. New plnsh goods have extremely long pilo, which is cnt in irregular depths, to form the fignrea of the fabric. Plaid, striped and shaded goods will be combined with plain or solf-colored if ' ' fabrics in the composition of the fall dresses. English spy is tho name of a new color in silk stockings intended to wear with black gowns. Heavy satin in rich shades of color, with stripes of long pile plush or che uillu, will be used for the most expen sive dress accessories. A pretty way of fastening the strap* across a puffed or shirred waistcoat is to fasten them high on one side and low on the other, insLeud of straight across. J Horn A. the new silk goods show moire stripes alternating with stripes of bro caded or damask flowers and leaves en croaching on the edges of the moire stripe. Muslin dresses with embroidered flounces reaching from belt to hem, and kerchiefs embroidered to match, are pretty for tlio country or for watering places. The demand for ostrich feathers has increased and seems likely to go ori in creasing, for the fall huts aro not lik'-ly to bo less abounding in plumage than those now in wear. White lace stocking* ere worn over colored ones of silk or Lisle thread matching the dre> * for evening toilets. The low slipjier display* all tho beauty of the lace inserted in the instep or tip the ankles. Tho latest tablecloths arc of fine linen rnomio cloth with fringed edges, and sham openwork six inches above tho fringe. Home intended for lunch eon cloth* hare color introduced in the o]x-n woik and in the fringe. The latest novelties in stockings show shaded (ombre) effects; for instance, a shaded stocking has a tor? of the most delicate shell pink tint, shading gradu ally to deep crimson on tho calf of the leg, and again to i .ell pink at the top> where it is sometimes finished with a lace frill. The earliest water color design* of dresses for fall show no decided depart ure from tho general make up of cos tume* worn thi* season. I'loited collar ettes of mull, plain white and dotted, lace edged, embroidered, and jerfertly plain, are much worn, with scarf bow* to match. A Novelty 111 Money Order*. Postmaster-General .lame,* has hit upon a plan of facilitating the trans mission through the mails at a cheap rate of small sum* of money. The new device is an improvement upon the sys tem of postal order* recently adopted by the English postal authorities. The improvement consists of three column* of figures, one to represent dollars, the second tens and the third units. Two denomination* of these orders are to be issued—one for all sum* within $2.50, and the other for all snms within $5. The $5 card lux* four figures and a cipher in the dollar column and all the numerals in each of the other columns. The postmaster selling the order will designate the amount to be drawn by punching tho figures in the respective columns. The orders xi ill lie payable to bearer, and the post-office will not le resjionsible for their saf de livery any more than for fractional cur rency, for which they are intended a* a substitute. Both acts of order* are to lie printed on bank-note paper, to be finely engraved and other precaution* taken against counterfeiting. It is ex jieoted that the department will lie aide to sell them at from two to three cent* 1 for a 82.50 order, and from four to fire cent* for a $5 order. The postmaster I will enter the amount of the order in f writing on n stub, which will ho the 1 only eheck the department will need, I and will contain only the amonnt of the f order, the date of issue and the name of 1 the office upon which the order is f drawn. This will do away with a great I deal of clerical labor, since the namea j of the remitter and payee will not lie entered at all in the records as is done in money order transactions, nor will • any advices bo issned. In order to pre vent the nse of the postal orders as cur rency, they are to bo redeemable only I for three months after date of iasne. | Tho bill introduced by Mr. Money at tho last session of Congress providing for a reduction of the charges for money orders and allowing an increase of amounts that may bo sent through the mails from SSO to SIOO will be reintro j dnoed next winter. It mot the approval of the postoffice committee last winter, but Mr. Money did not get a chance to report it. The reduction of charges will l>e about one-half and tha passage of the bill will lie coupled with measures looking to the adoption of the aystem explained above. In this way the two systems will supplement each other, money orders being available as now for any purpose, and the small orders being for service for newspaper aubaeriptiona and for other purposes for which frac tional currency was formerly ttsed. The redaction in the price of money orders will also make the price of safety but a trifle more than that which it will he necessary to pay for the proposed new postal orders, with their attendant risks.— Wonhinf/lon Letter. Flies err- caught by molnsass. Man and women by "taffy." ,/i.t I'KARI.M OF THOI'OIIT. Nothing in no good a:< it teem* lief ore hand. Love dies of disgust and is buried by oblivion. No man can be wine on an empty stomach. He who has lost his honor can lose nothing more. There ih no grief like the grief that does not sjx-ak. One ungrateful man injures all that,* are in distress. Politeness is the expression or imita tion of social virtues. Never anything can coine amiss when simplencss and duty tender it. \\ hen one gets so much humility that he is proud of it, he is just too good to live. Del iterate with caution but act with , decision; and yield with graciousneas or | oppose with firmness. There is no f< eling, perhaps except the extremes of fear and grief, thatdoc s ! not find relief in music. It is better to do the most trifling thing in the world, than to think half an hour of a trifling thing. Costly followers are not to l>e liked; lest while a man maketh his train longer, he makes his wings shorter. Men will never know us by our faith, for that i within us; but they know us by our works, which are visible to them. There never were in the world two | opinions alike, no more than two Lairs jor two grains. The most universal quality is diversity. Talent is the rapacity of doing any- thing that depends on application and industry, urid it is a voluntary power, while genius is involuntary. A man has no right to occupy such high moral grounds that he is constant i ly so far above his fellows that he can be of no earthly assistance to them. Let a man take time enough for the most triii.il deeds, though it lie but the paring of his nails The buds swell irn jK'Tceptibly without hurry or confusion; as if the short spring days were an eternity. What Ancient Religions Taught. Worn* n were admitted to the Grecian priesthood, sharing its highest dignities. In .Sparta was a law that men should worship the goJs with as little exjense as |>ossible. <>l the Iloman Sibyls it is said that Apollo threw then into a kind of ; ecstacy in which they could foresee the 1 future. With the Greeks superior power, not moral excellence, was the essential element in their conception of divine lieings. So fearfnl were the Athenians that they should omit the honors of worship | to some deity, that they even erected altars to unknown gods. The Greeks offered sacrifices, but no prayers to their deities, for it wa* be lieved that not even Jupiter himself could change their inexorable decrees. , It is claimed that Zoroaster received his book of laws, the Zenda Vesta, upon a flaming mount from Ormudx himself; also that he finally ascended to heaven on a thunderlxdt. The Greeks believed that departed human souls lingered around their former habitations and families to pro tect them; and hence their Lares and J Penates, household gods. The idea that heavenly luminaries were inhabited by spirits of a nature intermediate between God and man, first led mortals to address prayers to the orb* over which they wore supposed I to preside. Among the Greeks the unity of God, the immortal progress and destiny of the soul, and other sacred doctrines, were taught in the sanctuary to an in itiated few. bnt elsewhere they were veiled in symbols. The Parseos were a persecutes! com | pany of the followers of Zoroaster, who fled to India. They are a poor, harm less people, industrious in their habits and honest in their dealings. They worship one God and detest idols. A sect of devil worshipers exists among the Parsecs. They believe in one God also, and that Satan was once at the head of the angelie host, and will eventually be restored; hence they think it well to conciliate him. Orpheus, one of the old sages and bards of the Greeks, taught that souls are in this world as a punishment of sins committed in a pre-existcnt state; that the body is a prison in which the seal is kept till its faults are expiated. During the last ten day* of the year the Parsees Where that the spirits of the dead come to the earth to visit their relatives, therefore they never leave their homes at that season but make great preparation for their reception. The ancient Persians worshiped Are ® with peculiar reverence because they thought it represented, though imper- 1 feetly, the original Are from Ormwdr, J the vitil principle of Ufa and motion. ™ Also, because Uiaibe moat purifying of wTtika J