My Neighbor. Whst If my neighbor Ilea alied, Until the morning is half spent; While wife ami I haro workod instead. And earned euough to pay tho rent; He sloops and has no ront to pay, We toil and sing tho livelong day. What if my neighbor drives a pair Of blooded horses sleek and (loot; We save enough to pay our fnre, And lake tho horse-oar down tho strool; He makes a picture on the way, Wo look and have no charge to pay. What if my neighbor goes to church And proudly sits whero all can see, While we are left quite in the lurch. And in a corner l>eud tho kiioe; Of piety this is no test, Hie poor in spirit are the bleat. I know my neighbor rich has grown. But cannot aoo hia heart within; I only nesd to scan my own And kesp it bee from envious sin; To Him In whom there's naught obscure. All men alike are weak and poor. —C. P. Rutfell, in Detroit Free MISS MINKLEY'S MISTAKE. " Don't you kuow me?" said Martha Minkley. The Reverend Paul Blossom was dig ging np the bed for late peas, nnder the pink clouds of the apple boughs, with his straw hat tilted on the top of his head, hia linen coat fluttering in the wind, and his brow beaded with per spiration. One little Blossom was following at his heels with a toy rake, smoothing down the lumps of fragrant earth ; a second was bnilding houses with clam shells in the angle of the garden wall, while two others wero engaged in the wholesale manufacture of mud-pies at the kitchen doorsteps—all four dirty, happy and demoralized. Mr. Blossom looked hard at tho trim figure, with its neat chip hat, black and-white checked plaid shawl and flonnoed alpaca dress. He was a little near-sighted, a little absent-minded, and yet—surely this sweet-voiotd, cher ry-cheeked woman was none of tho listers of his (lock I " No," said Mr. Blossom ; " I —can't say—that I do." Miss Minkley smiled and colorod a little. " Try and think back," said she, "to the days of the Wesleyan seminary on Boee river, where we recited lloman history in the same class, and old Doc tor Dodge heard us in rhetorio and English literature—old Doctor Dodge, who wore green spectacles and talked through his nose 1" Mr. Blossom dropped his spade. "It's Matty Minkley," said he " But, dear me, hor -ou've changed I" "I haven't grown any younger, I suppose,' said .Martha, biting her lip. " But that's a complaint that is common to us all, Mr. Blossom." "Yes, I know—l know I" Paul, turning red to the very roots of his hair as be realized what an awkward mistake he had made. " Time doesn't spar. any of us." And then, feeling that ho had not bettered matters, ho ma le haste to ask: " And how came you in Toppleton village." " My cousin's hnsband, Hiram Dodd, keeps the hotel," said Martha. " I'vo some to see about a situation as house keeper for a gentleman that Mrs. Dodd knows; for I am not above earning my own living, Mr. Blossom." Bhe spcke with a little fullness in her throat, for she had somehow cherished Paul Blossom's memory kindly since those boy-and-girl days, and now lie never even asked her to "Come in I" "He might have introduced me to his wife, at least," said Miss Minkley to herself as she walked, swift and lightly, along the green path under the spread- ing maple trees. " Thai wouldn't have been too much for old acquaintance ■eke. Bat if he chooses to forget old times I can only follow his lead. I wouldn't have thought it of him, though." And the waving billowa of the dis tant apple orchard swam in the disks of two big tears, which momentarily ob scured Miss Mink ley's bright, black •yea. And Mr. Blosaom mechanically dag the pea bed up, planted the " wrinkled marrowfats," and went into the honse, whore his sister, a middle-aged spinster, of a care-worn aspect and a very un - certain temper, was engaged in single oombat with the children. •' I declare, Paulshe croaked, catching sight of her brother, •• them children are enough to try the patience of Job. All washed clean this morn ing, and mended and darned—and now look at 'em I Why, a gypsy gang couldn't be moro discreditable in their appearance I*' Mr. Blossom looked feebly at the chubby, rosy, dirty flock. "It never used to be so when Mary was alive," said be. * Well, and that's jast what Ism •eying," mid Miss Blossom, tartly; "and what I my every day in the week—you eugbt to marry again." ••Tea," said Mr. Blossom, with a *gh, "I suppose I ought." And by some onrions link of ideas he thought of Martha Minkley, standing act thero among the spplo blooms, with the delicate pink color on her chocks anil the old roguish sparkle in her blaok eyes. "Certainly you ought," said Miss Blossom, thinking of Hester Hendor son, the village dressmaker, who had money in the hank, which ought fairly to compensate for her Qorgon-like severity of countenance. "Borne one of matnroage and ripened judgment"— "Of course I of ooursol" said the Reverend Paul. " Who will befit her position as a clergyman's wife, and keep your house for yon in a model manney, as it should be kept," wont on Miss Blossom, "and govern your children with discretion and mildness." "Yes, to bo sure," said Mr.Blossom. "I believe I know tho very person to realizoall these ideals." "Bo do I," said Miss Blossom, orao ularly. " And not a hundred miles away, either " " In this very village," said Paul. " Exaotly," nodded his delighted sister. "It is oertainly my duty," said Mr. Blossom. ' And somehow, upon this very day of all days, I feel moved to fulfill it" And ho put on his best suit, and went straightway to the Eagle hotel, kept by one Qiram Dodd and Elvira, his wife. "Is Miss Minkley to be seen?' he asked, politely, of Mrs. Dodd, who came out from the kitchen with car mine cheeks, and wiping her hands upon a snowy roller towel. "Oh, yes, I guess sol" said Mrs. Dodd, smiling and oourtesying to the clergyman. "Squire Telwright has just been to see her; but I'm pretty sure that he has gone now. Mat— Matty, where are yon ? Oh, she's in the blue parlor! Please to walk in, Mr Blossom." And tho clergyman walked solemnly into the pretty blue-carpeted room, with its mtich waxed mahogany chairs, gaudy rug and stiffly-starched muslin curtains, where Martha Minkley sat knitting. " Miss Minkley," said bo, entering without unnecessary prelude on the subject which was at present absorbing his mind, "wc Lave known each other from childhood." M Yes," said Martha. " And I believe you to be a devout Christian, a conscientious woman and a good housekeeper." " I hope I am," said fMiss Martha, rather iluttered _by this unusual ad dross. "In my home," said Mr. Blossom, abruptly, "I need all three. And I be lieve Providence has pnt it into my had and heart to appeal to you at this critical opportnnity." Miss Minkley neither blushed, giggled nor burst into tears, she rocked back and forth, went composedly on with tho rod worsted sock that she was knitting, and lifted her black eye br.ws just the least little triflo, " I'm very sorry,".said sho. "I only wish yon had been a little earlier; but I'm engaged already." " Engaged ?" Mr. Blossoms'* lower jaw fell; ho stood blankly looking at her. "To Mr. Tel Wright I" explained Miss Minkley. " Bnt he's sixty!" cried Mr. Blossom. " Ho is not young," admitted Martha. "Surely, suroly, Mrtha," argued Paul, forgetting all formalities in his eager interest, "you cannot care for him V " N—no," said Martha, "I can't say that I do. But bo offers mo a very good heme." • Is it possible, Martha," mid the good clergyman, reproachfully, " that you can allow yourself fo be swayed by considerations like this 7" •• One must do tho host one can for onosclf," said Miss Minkley. "Well, well," sighed Mr. Bloeaom, •• it would be downright sinfnl to doubt that all is ordered for the beat. It is the will of heaven. I always liked you, Martha, and I believe your life with me would have !>een both nsefnl and pleas ant. At loaat, no effort of mine should have been lactlng to make it so." 'To very sorry," said Martha, de murely. "But flrst come first served, you know." "I should like occasionally to oall and see you," said the olergyman. " You will still be in my parish, you know?" "Ob, certainly," said Martha. "I hope we shall always be the best of friends" And Mr. Blossom almost fancied that, for a quarter of a second, the tender grasp of bis hand was in some measure returned. He walked dejectedly out " I am too late, Mrs. Dodd," he mid, meeting the cheery landlady, who was ootning in wilh a pair of newly-bright ened brass candlesticks. •'Dear, dear, airf mid Mrs. Dodd. "She has already promised herself to Mr. Telwright. Thongh how, to be sure, she oould ever have made his acquaintance—" "She wasn't acquainted with him* air, H said Mrs Dodd. " Not at all* At least, not until I introduced 'em, an hour ago!" The Reverend Paul looked horrified. " And yet," ho gasped, " she is going to marry him 1" Mrs. Dodd, in her consternation, dropped one of the brass candlesticks. " Bless your heart alive, sir I" she cried oat, " sho ain't a goin' to do nothing of the kind. Hint's only going to bo housekeeper for bim at twenty dollars per month, and two servants kept. You wasn't a-moanin' sir, to—" " I was asking her to bo my wife," said Mr, Blossom, solomnly ; "and I fully helioved that sho understood me to that effect." Mrs. Dodd grospod eagerly at the sleeve of his coat. "Uhe couldn't!" said she. "Just wait a bit, sir—wait a bit. Martha! Matty 1 come out hero this minute! You haven't understood a word that the Reverend Mr. Blossom has said to you. lie has asked you to marry him I" The knitting fell from Miss Minkley's bands ; she turned vory pule and began to tremble. Was it then true—the crushed-out, forgotten dream of her whole life? the reaching instinct of her hungering heart ? Did some one really love her at last—even her ? "I—l didn't comprehend 1" said she. " 1 supposed that he wanted me to be his housekoeper. I believed that his wife was living." " Hhe's been dead thoee four years," interjected Mrs. Dodd. " And if evei there was a saint upon earth, Martha Minkley, and a man as any woman might bo proud to marry, it is Mr. Paul Blossom." Martha held out her handa. "Paul," said she, forgetting all the years that had elapsed sinoe they were boy and girl together at the Woeleyan seminary, "do you care f r me? Do you love me, Paul?" "I do," ho nnswered, solemnly. "Then I will bo your wife," aaid Martha, with a little sob. In this world nothing is altogotber satisfactory. The Reverend Paul Blos som was happy; so was Martha Mink ley, so were the children, and, in a lesser degree, Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Dodd. But Miss Jemima Blossom was not at all ploased, after haviDg selected Miss Hester Henderson as her brother's second wife. Neither was Miss Hender son herself, who had alroady settled on the color of her wedding hat. And H]uiro Telwright was oompellod to ad vertise in the ps|>er for a suitable housekeeper after all. But Love, a late-blooming flower in some lives, was beginning to brighten Miss Martha Minkley's solitary ex istenoe at last; and what mattered any thing else?— Rrln Fi-rml Qratvt. I'KtRLK OP THOUGHT. A face that cannot smile is never good. We like to give in the sunlight and to receive in the dark. Prosperity unmasks the vices; adver sity reveals the virtues. Experience is the name men give to their follies or their sorrows. Sometime* we may learn more from a man's errors than from his virtues. The waves of happiness, like those of light, sre colorless when unbroken. Strong thoughts are iron nails driver in the mind that nothing can draw out- When was a man over weak that the devil did not charge down npon him ? Eternity is long enough to make up for the ills of our brief troubled life here. If you would not have affliction visit you twice, listen at once to what it teaches. A man in any station can do his duty, and doing it oan earn his own respect. Do not oast yonr hardens npon otherr Hest thorn between youraelf and heaven I If yon assume the garb of a fool, are you very sure that you have not a natural right to it. There is nothing more neooesary than to know how to bear the tedious mo ments of life. Retribution stands with uplifted ax, and culture, rank and robes of sanctity cannot stay its blow. It is always safe to learn even of ont enemies —-seldom safe to venture to In struct even our friends. It la true wisdom to speak but little of the injuries you have reoeived or the good deeds you have dona. If our whole time was spent in amus ing ourselves we should find it more wearisome than the hardest day's work. Never speak evil of another while you are under the influence of envy and mslevolenoe, but wait till your spirits are cooled down, that you may better judge whether to uttor or auppreea the matter. There is, perhaps, no quality which hns a more pervading influence in giv ing color to the whole character than the strictest truthfulness, for it is the foundation-stone of honesty end an su perseding integrity. Alwaye say a kind word if yon oan, if only that it may corns in, perhaps, with singular opportuneness, entering eocs mournful man's darkened room like a flre-fly whose happy circumvolutions be cannot but watch, forgetting his many troubles, AS EltA OP I'AIUtIUDF.H. Th Farmldiitila Mat Alrnidy Iteportad In INS*. The conviction of a boy twelve years old of murdering his father in Missouri recalls a rather formidable Hat of par rioidos this year, and it further raises the question of the propriety of hang ing a child. Pomeroy, the youthful Boston fiend, escaped the gallows nar rowly on account of his years, but as there was little doubt in his oase that ho was a brute in human form, a freak of nature that oonld hardly bo called human without straining language, it isn't elear that there was any reason for exempting him. If he were really more animal than human, as those who pleaded for his life claimed, the fact was rather for treating him like a mad dog than for extending unusual clem ency to him. Tho Missouri parricide is also represented to be so peculiarly bad that ho ought not to be hunged; tint if ho is so much more diabolical than other very bad boys, it is evident that he is not the sort of youth to ra'se. Conviction in this case has fol lowed quickly on the crime. On the Oth of July Ouy Hmitb, a boy of twelve years of age, of Kirkwood, Mo., having been punished by bis father for fighting with his brother, got a revolver and shot his lather, Milton Hmith, Ho has been tried and oonvicted of murder. There have been severs! canes of the most de liberate and cold-blooded parricide", in some of which canes the criminals were of tender years, though in most they bad reached semi-maturity at least. In January last a protracted quarrel be tween a man named Hmitb,in Richmond, Ind., and his wife and two BODS culmi nated in his being shot by bis son Dan, aged nineteen, after which Dan and an older brother threw the body into the well. The wife and mother was a party to the affair and locked up tho smaller children, so that they would be out of Ibe war when the enme was committed. The son who did the shooting got a life sentence in the penitentiary. All the criminals were very hardened, and con fessions were raadily extracted from them. In February Holomon Iticbards, of Charlton, Mass., was shot and killed by his son, s young married man. Tho murderer claimed that his father had abused his mother. There wan some evidence that he shot bis father to get possession of the farm. On the 17th of the month James O. Allison wsi hanged at Indiana, I'enn., for the deliberate murder of his father two years before. The father and mother were on bad terms, and the aon sided with his mother, and had long entertained a bitter hatred against his father on his own account. He was thirty when executed. Later in the month Charles B. Oillem, aged seven teen, shot his invalid mother in her bed. Having bad a dispute with her, he went into another room, got a pistol and killed her, and when arrested manifested no remorse. This occurred in Macomb county, Ohio. In the aam month- February was productive of parricides— John Lanalia, who lived twenty miles from Roolf Rapids, lowa, was shot by his daughter, aged twenty. The girl's lover, to whom the father objected, fnr uished her with the pistol, and her mother and younger sister were in the plot They bad been intending to kill John since last November, hot neither the wife nor the younger laughter could muster up oonragn to do it *o they sent for the older girl, who was awsy, to come home and do the bloody work. The family oom plained that John lanaha was cross and did not provide well for his family. A somewhat similar crime occurred in May in the same Htate, near Muscatine. In this case a man named McMonomon was sbot by his young son, his two daughters, both young, being parties to the crime. They said they wanted to have things tbeir own way at home and they couldn't ao long aa the father lived. Tbey planned that the young est sister should confess that she killed her father, their idea being that her sex and age would shield her from eevere punishment, and so all would escape. But the plot fell through. On the 4th of July Frank Dagon, of Har winton, Conn., puahad his father back ward, breaking his neok, beeauaa be was not allowed to take the bone and go to ride. It is worth noticing that all of these parricides occurred in the rural districts, and, with one or two ex ceptions, among farming people.—Chi cago An English statistic says that no less than 7,000 swans' skins are annually im ported into London alone for the ex clusive manufacture of the "puffs" used for the purpose of laying powder on the fees. Every swan's akin makes about utxty puffs, which would make an annual consumption of 490,000 puffs. Is, thee, tha natural whiteness of the English f in a myth f The aamr English statistic says that tons of rior and wheat powder an consumed an anally in England, and he regrets iht waste of so mnoh rice end wheel, which might be better need to feed the starving. A Cartons Mnuff-Hox. Shortly after the breaking out of the French revolution, ite advocated o aiA grope Among the shadows of old sius, hut let Thine own soul's light shins on the path of bop* And the 'larlui'M. Waste no tear* Upon the blotted reward* of lost years, lint turn the leaf, art'! smile, oh ! smile to see The fair white pages that remain for thee. f'raUi not of thy repentant*, But believe The spark divine dwells in thee ; let it grow. That which the npreaching spirit can achieve The grand and all creative fortes know. They will assist and strengthen, as the light Lifts np the aoorn to the oak tree's height. Thou hast but to resolve, and lo ! God's whole Great universe shall fortify thy aouL Ella WtumUr. PCNMEJfT PAIIAUItAPIIH. Bluefisbing—Not no much a* a nibble. A pair oI pumpn: Two special re porters. The way to treat a man of doubtful credit is to take no note of him. " Oh 1 for a better half,'' naid the sor rowing widowrr. when he found a coun terfeit fifty-cent piece among bia coin. "I shall follow her soon," said a sad eyed man at the grave of his wife. Within a month he was following another woman. The great demand of the age is an invention by which a man may be en abled to deacend a fire escape without breaking his neck. "Is that marble T said a gentleman, pointing to a bust of Kentuek'vs great statesman. "No, sir; that's ( lay,' quiet ly replied the dealer. A dull old lady being told that a eer • tain lawyer wan lying at the point of leatb, exclaimed: "Oh, dear ! won't even dtath stop that man lying V" The man who is as bold as a lion six days in the week covers bis fishing rod with the horse blanket on Sunday and drives through the back streets. • A borne thrust.—Doctor: "Now, tell me, colonel, bow do you feel when yon have killed a man?'' Colonel: "Oh, very well, thank yon, doctor—how do you?" A letter addressed "gin oshed, mas tusit," mailed in Champlain. New York, was forwarded by a sharp-witted clerk to Indian Orchard, Mass., and found its owner. " Whst a change," exclaims a novel ist. "one little woman can make in a man's life 1" " Exactly," aays a victim; " and what a heap of change' she re quires while doing it I* "What building is that?" aaked a stsangcr of a boy, pointing to a school house. "That?" said the boy. "Why, that's a tannery I* And he feelingly rubbed his back as he passed on. " I know," said a little girl to her sldsr sister's young man at the supper table, " that yon will join our society for the protection of little birds, be cause maiums says yon are very fond of larks." ntlfl was s oiue-eyed, sweet-faced girl, and when she asked at the country fair, "Where are the beetles who made the beets r the honest granger in charge stuffed half a pear into hia mouth and crawled nnder a table to get ont of sight. A preacher was called upon by aomt of his congregation to pray for rain, of which the crops stood greatly in need. His reply was, that he would pray if his congregation desired it, but he was very ■are it would not rain until the wind changed. An exchange tells of a railroad bag gage-maater who missed his train. Probably on account of a struggle with a trunk that didn't break so easily as usual. Of course he woul 1 have felt ashamed to put a trunk on whole, and go took it out behind the station to finish it m pionao, sir, I want a Bible," said a bright youth. The Bibls was handed to the boy, wbo bad been sent for it and was aboot to carry it away. But be stopped a moment and inquired: "Is it this year's r That boy had heard something about the revisoo of the New Testament, but couldn't tell exactly whet it was. A bibulous gentleman wua introduced to a lady who had been represented to him as quite a talented artist. H# greeted her by saying: "I understand, that you paint I" She started, blushed deeply, and, recovering herself after a few eeoonda, raid, with aa mueb acidity of tone and style aa ahe could command: " Well, if 1 do paint, I don't make any mistake and put it on my nose." Boms objects just found in Nenl -hatel are oonsidetwd by Swim arebia alogists to throw n new light on the history of the lake dwsUets. Among thorn ws n carriage wheel with iron rim, iron swords and many human bones. ___ On his big Dakota farm ex-President Hayes has, it Is said, this year 265 ■ores of wheat, 275 acres of oats sod 10 MTSS of miscellaneous crops. From the peasant outlook he will harvest not tar from 20,000 bushels of grain.