The Last Watch. The stars shins down through tha ahiroriag bought, And thn moonaot tptrklas against the spire, There is not a light in a neighbor's huaas Bave one that burneth low And seometll almost spent. With shadowy forms in dark attira Flickering in it to and fro, As if in pain ami doubt, And heads bowed down in tears. Hat a l v Was there not lamont 7 Behold ! behold, tho tight boras out I The picturo disappears. Ye who with such sleepless sleight. In the chamber out of sight, Whi'pering low To and fro Your swift noodles secretly At tho dead of night do ply. What is it that yo sow 7 Hark I lUrk I Heard ye not the sounds aloof As of winds or wings that swept the roof 7 Band of hoamnly voices blending Choir of seraphim ascending - Hark I Hark ! Away! Away! Behold 1 behold, it is tho day 1 Bear her softly out of tho door. And upward, upward, upward soar! KirceylAe H'iiUtm. Twenty Pounds Sterling. There never was such a man to bet an Staining. lie won always no sure ho was right. Our mutual (riond, Marx well, ought to have sailed for Ilrar.il, but I felt confident I had seen him in the street; but Staining said it was nonsenso, and ho bet mo twenty pounds to one shilling I was wrong. Ho hardly finished speaking when Marx well camo in. Staining pulled out of his pocket a twenty-pound note and handed it to mo. " There yon are, old follow. 'A fool and his money,' oto. Another illustra tion of the wise adage." " Not exactly; for you don't expoot I shall take your money?" " Yes I do; and shall bo extromely annoyed if you refuse." I protested, but presently ho said, in considerable irritation: " Then be my almoner and giro the money away in charity." He left presently, and, as thoro are i objections to standing in the public I highways with a bank note in your | hand and a puzzled expression in your face, the note was transferred to my pocket, and I went my way wondering, when I was met full tilt by a clergy man whom I knew. " Halloa I" he cried, " Mr. Smith, you and I seem to hare our minds so much occupied that wo cannot take care of our bodies." "No graro matter of mine," I said, J but you look sad. Nothing wrong with you or yours?" "No, thank you; but I have just loft a depressing soeno. A young couple, married in haste, hare oomo to grief. The wife and child are ill. Ilelativos and friends have receded into the re mote background. And, worse than all, the husband—" " Has become intemperate or has gone mad T , "Neither one nor the other." " Something worse ?" " Yes; for to be dishonest is worse than going msd. And it is snoh a mere trifle that is needed apparently to pnt all straight, that 1 groan in my inability to find it." " What's wanted ?" ■"Well, it's only £20." "There's the money you require. Haste away, and do all the good you can with it." My friend looked astonished. He oven hesitated a moment. "11 is very good of yon," he aaid, nervously, "but really—" " I have the power to give this away. Good-bye." And I hurried off. Then I hasten.' 1 back to him. " May I request that you will ou no aoconnt mention my name?" "As you wish it 1 won't; but you should 'know the objects of your bounty." And he told me. Then we parted. I had only gone a dozen yards when there passed mo a yonng man with a flushed face and a frightened, anxious look in his eyes. He caught up to my friend and spoke to him. " That is the man," 1 aaid to myself, "whose proceedings here have been dubious, and who will, I trust, be res cued by Staining 1 * £2O Well, if the wheel should turn and this poor man should ever be in a poaition to deliver a fellow-creature from such trouble as he himself is now in, by the surrender of £2O, I wonder whether he'll do it? Smith, you surely know hnman nature well enough to answer your own foolish question. Not he—not a bit of it." This incident was soon swept from my mind by a sudden oall to go abroad, even to the place where Marx well did oot go—Brsr.il. Nothing hampered me then; I was a young bachelor, and could start for the antipodes at two days' notice. When 'I take my wife and children—l forget the number—for our autumns! trip, in these later yean of my life, I require weeks' preparation. Awsy ill on to Brazil; away to new life, new bopea and fears; awsy to fortune sod the yellow fcrer I Here occurs in my tale aa in torval of twenty years (my story duals in twontios.) I donbt if I should have eomo back hud not a young English lady one night sung in my hearing an old homo ballad, so well remembered in connection with some loved ones who in this world will sing no more, that a craving for my nativo land mas tered mo at onoe, and in a very short time I was on my return home. On tho way 1 had one night a fright ful dream. I fancied a terrible enemy hail me down and clutched my throat. Tighter grow his grasp and faintor my broatli. My staring eyes scanned every foatnro of my mnrderer. Slowly and painfully did I oall to mind the face above me. I gasped an entreaty for mercy. " Givo it to me; I want it; I must havo it instantly—instantly!"' was tho hoarso replv. " What—what can ho mean?'' " What!" ho shrieked in maniacal frenzy. "My C 20." 1 had quite forgotten about the bet and £2O; but tho dream set me think ing of what rumors I hail heard respect ing Staining since I left England—that his money had wasted, he had fallen in position, and oven into poverty. " Toor fellow!" I thought, " there may bo something in that dream. If his pride will accept it ho shall have the money back, and very glad I shall bo to restore it." Buck in England, settled down in tho old country. Main matters disposed of 1 began to think of minor onos, and among the latter the discovery of Stain ing. He was not in his former hannts, and I failed so long to find him that I was beginning'to despair, when one night I met him in tho street. The brillia.it light of tho ballroom may increaso tho luster of a woman's eyes, but if you want to see a broken down man in his worst aspect, survey him standing disconsolately under a street lamp, and he with folded arms presenting a picture of muto despair. Ho did I Ixho'.d Htaining. I put my hand upon Jlis shoulder. 110 sprang from me as though I were a wild beast. "Ijdid. not want to ran away," ho said, hoarsely ; " tlioy knew that. Oo on; I'll walk quiotly enough. Why— what—can it be—" " Yes, it is Hrnitb, yonr old com panion. Come out of this and conllilo in me. If you are in trouble and money can helpjyon, you shall not want." And I took his arm and wo went together. And then I heard poor Htaining's con fession, and it amounted to this: When wasted his money ho had ob tained a situation in a merchant's office. The pay was sufficient to keep him; bnt even now nothing could restrain him from betting on horse-racing. As a consequence he was soon penniless, and worse—dishonest. He bad p i id a bet ting debt oat of a £2O note which had been intrusted to him. Ihscovery had ensued, and though the luckless man bad explained that it was only through a failure of another member of tho virtuous fraternity he could not replace the money at once, he had been dis charged, and hail reason to sup ( ooro he wonld be prosecnted. " Many, many thanks," replied the poor fallow to my otTer. "You can see the firm in the morning; hat I donbt whether they will take the money. I believe they are bent on my ruin." Early the next morning 1 was at the office of Blendon, Baydon A Co., and having stated my errand, I proffered my £2O. Mr. Baydon tru a aleon old grntle mn. There wan an air of wealth and ease all over him. He bowed compla cently and said: " T can appreciate yonr kindneaa to thia poor man, and I myaclf would paw the matter over at once, bat my part ner tak< s a different view, and I cannot interfere." "Can I see Mr. Blenden?" " Yea; if yon will call again in two hour*." "In the cab I kept muttering to my self: " Blenden, and Robert Blenden, too? lam sure of it. Still, if it be so, it is very strange. I think I should know that face again. We shall see who will be master." Back to Messrs. Blondon, Baydon k Oo.'s office, and then in the presence of Mr. Blendon. All my anxiety for my poor friend faded away. I was master of the situation. I stated my desire to pay the amount of Staining'a defalca tion, and my hope that under the ex tenuating circumstances no publicity would be given to the miserable wrong doing. Mr. Blendon heard'me with some impatience, and, before replying, drew a check to "self or bearer" for £IOO. Having given it to tho clerk, he said to me: " Yon will exense my answering somewhat shortly. It cannot be. It is not the money we care about, but we must vindicate tho law." I declare I was pleased at'the grandi ose style of bis speech. How beauti fully ha was working into my net. I anggested that in a case like this there was no imperative call to suoh a course, and that forbearance might be shown. " I do not see it," answered Mr. blendon. "Yon do not appear, sir, to observe the immcnso importance of punishing a delinquency of this kind. I cannot tako yonr morey. If I wero to let this man off I would be ashamed of myself. I have just overcome some foolish hesitation of my partner. lam always Arm myself." (Not always, Mr. Blci.don—not when I last saw yon. But wait a bit. ' A little further into my net, please). " And, thoroforo, how ovor sorry may be, sir, 1 must say no. If I wore myself to commit an a?t of tk s kind and—" Why did ho stop ? Ibe wed quietly, and rising, said : "Yon are quite right, Mr. Blendon, for dishonesty is a tcrriblo thing, and while not for a moment pressing my re quest, I know you will forgivo my calling to remembcrar.co a curious ease known to myself. Home twonty years ago a poor young couple, not long married, had fallen into poverty. The wife and infant wero ill; tbo husband was distracted; ho must get mcnoy. when his young wifo and infant child were almost starving what was to be done? The monoy was obtained—Mr. Blendon, you know how. But in what way was it repaid beforo mischief came, and how was the husband savod from ruin and degradation—saved to bccomo a rich and respected merchant? Whoso money saved him ? That you do not know, but I w'll toll you. The X".! 0 noto which rorcued tho husband, rested only ten minutes beforo in the pocket of this very Staining whom yon are about to prosecute. Then Htaining was as rich as you are now; but lie was a kind, (Christian man. Mr. Blendon, I have a right to ask you to what char actor do you loy claim ?" I have often thought since what ad mirable advantages are a clear head and calm temper. I'd worked myself up to a white heat. It was only when he first saw my drift that my listener mani fested any strong emotion. Then ho rose from his chrir with flushed face, but ho resumed his seat, and by tbe time 1 had finished ho was almost as calm as when I entered. There was a slight pause, and then he said; "You have acquired some knowledge of an incident in my life which I am not called upon to discuss. Is this knowledge confined to yoursclf?" " I lieliove it to be confined to my self and my informant, and I have no desire it should Im> otherwise." Mr. Blendon bowed " I will not conceal that 1 shall be glad if that goes no further, and on that footing I will say that your friend shall bo freely absolved, and I will even aid him if 1 can. You must excuse my taking yonr £2O. lam obliged to you for coming. OcoJ-morniug." I felt ns 1 left him that tbe enemy had well corercd his retreat, and had not left me a morsel of triumph more than he conl 1 help. But my object was accomplishes), and I hastened to meet Htaining. He was not at the ap pointed place, so I went to his lodg ings. The landlidy told me be had come in early and gone to his room— not wel', she thought. Hhc and I went np together and knocked more than once. Then I went in. Poor Htaining lay npon the bod d ad. Ilis enfeebled frame bad not been able to endure the recent wear ar.d tear, and he was now beyond the reach of his follies and his trouble*. How Old are Trad* Mark*! Probably nearly aaold a* the indnatry of the human race. Ancient Ilabylon hae made in the United Btates tho manufacturers would gladly patronize home talent. One carjx-t Arm alone pays §IOO,OOO a year for its designing department, and of this sum several thousands of dollars go to for eign markets. In the Franco-German war the Ger mans lost over 40,000 men by disease or the casualties of battlo. It ie to be remembered that every one of these was a picked man. in tho fall vigor ot life, when he ought to have been adding to the wealth of the country and raising up a family to strengthen tho Ktatc. Besides the ofllrial cost of the war, the voluntary contributions amounted to §12,000,000 in money or kind. Tbi was the price of a successful war, waged by the most economical of nations. A 1-slse or Tamo Fi>h. Mrs. r. H. Barges# lives in .Sandwich, Maw, on the bank of a lake. It ha* been her custom once or twice a day for qnitc a period to fool the fish in thia lake. She drat apleahea the water with her hand, when in a moment there may be aoen approaching from every use dwelt in bat unfurnished. When wo speak of obedience we should always speak of faith first. Fai'.h is the first and fundamental act of obedience. Faith is the mainspring of obedience. It is not by a person's seeking his own happiness directly that it is attained; but by a forgetfulness of self, and a consecration of thought, feeling, property and time to the interest of others. Worth Twenly Thousand Dollars. .Tarr.es Halfstop, in order to apf ear at a bondsman, swore Ixjfore a Littla Hock justice of the peace that he was worth fSCMMM. S tartly afterward the justice, learning that Halfstop was not worth twenty cents and that he lived on a rented swamp farm, sent ont a warrant for his arrest. The man ap peared in eonrt, bringing with him his wife and two boys. *' Mr. Halfstop," said the jnstice, " what hare yon to say why yon ahould not bo committed for perjnry 7" " llow Lave I committed jierjury 7" " Yon swore that yon are worth twenty thousand dollars, bat the fact lias been established that yon are not worth anything. This is a clear rase of perjnry —so clear, sir, that the peniten tiary gate is opening to receive yon." "I said," exclaimed Mr. Halfstop, " that I am worth twenty thousand dollars, and I stick to it. Jim,*' he added, addressing one of his seas, "stand np here before the judge. Now, sir, this boy is worth five thou sand dollar*. Hanged if I'd tskc that price for him. Ned, my son, yon stand up. Jndge, this boy is also worth five thousand dollars. Kae," be continued, addressing his wife, " stand op. Now smile for the judge. Now langh a little. See that, jndge 7 That woman's worth ten thousand dollars if she's worth a cent That makes twenty thousand dollars. Now I am worth five thou sand dollars—would n't take that am ount for myself But I didn't claim to repre sent more than twenty thousand dol lars; don't you see?" The jndge reflected for a moment and said: " I gueaa you're right air- The statutes are not plain on the subject lint HI disc barge you ."—Little Rock Gatrfit. Method* of Avoiding Suitors. All tho unmarried women in tbecom munity will sympathise with the Wil liamsburg maiden who recently leaped from a window in order to escape from an importunate suitor. As s rule women are so altogether lovely and men so intolerably common that it is only by special effort and self-control that women endure men at aIL Still, if the sweet creatures must have ways of es cape they can do better than jump from third-story windows. Ten minntea spent in vigorous talk about dress will generally suffice to banish any lover who is not deaf. A few praises in de tail of some man or men whose per sonal appearance differs diametrically from that of an obnoxious visitor will quickly secure the eolitude desired by the lady. A h ; nt that a visit to a church fair is desired has often been very effective. A abort diaaeitation on woman's rights usually will clear a par lor in five minutes, no matter how many masculine visitors may be present whan the speech begins. A statement that after marriage tbe lady expects to be accompanied to ball or theater three times s week will dispose of any man worth marrying, and aa intimation that ahe has no taste for housekeeping will banish any other man, aitbar good or bad. Ia abort, there are numberless wsys of getting rid of annoying suitors Any woman of sense can afford to give tbe tlurd-story window a wide berth.— Ntv York Herald. There are 252 femalee and 194 males (a the Mississippi lunatic asylum.