WHY HEARTS DREAE. A Phyiloltn'i Matlei-ot-Kucl Solution of the Vtllnv l-rolilcm. "A healthy man or woman does not die of a broken heart," a well-known physician said. "A healthy heart is only big muscle, and nobody can liavo grief enough to break it. When, therefore, a blooming young widow shows apparently inconceivable grief at the deuth of her husband, and in a short time recovers her equanimity, sho Ought not to be accused of hypocrisy. Neither may it bo concluded that another woman who soon pines and dies has had more affection for her husband than the first The first widow may have even inoro affection than the other, but have been sustain ed by physical health. "It is erroneous to suppose that death by heart disease is always sudden, it is very commonly protracted for years, and exists undetected by most skillful phyiscians only to bo developed by some sudden occurrence. There was an eminent physician of Brooklyn, in active practice, who died within an hour of the time when he was about to lecture. He was so well, that after examination by skillful physicians of a first-class insurance company, he was declared perfectly sound, and a policy for 10,000 insurance on his life readi ed his home before his body was cold- The cause of death was a mystery until the post-mortem examination, by Dr. John G. Johnson, of Brooklyn* Bhowed that a little piece of chalky do posit in the heart hail become loosened and formed an embolism. The man ha- aerved cases, thirty-seven were male . Another record showed that in sixty, two eases of ruptureof the heart, them was fatty degeneration existing. In other words, where fat is substituted for muscle, the organ is easily broken- If any of these people had lieen sub jected to sudden grief, they might have furnished illustrations of heart-break" ing. One medical observer records one hundred cases of rupture of the heart where there was no grief to account for it In fact, grief is a very raro cause of heart-breaking. "Disease is the real cause of heart breaking. and the various kinds of dis ease which leads to It are so many that volumes would Ik- neces-ary to describe them. The cause of these diseases arc manifold, and are very much under the control of the individual. There are, of course, hereditary tendencies to heart disease; but aside from traumatic causes, these tendencies may exist for years without fatal result. "It is a curious fact that the least dangerous heart disease often creates the most apprehensions. Frequently patients who have only a functional or curable disorder will not lie persuaded that calamity does not impend, although there may be no real danger On the other hand, organic een bleached by rain and snow, while bolts, ropes, and pegs are sadly out of repair. It is a poor tent The male inhabitant is out on some predatory or hunting expedition, while his wife has to tend the flock in close proximity to the dwelling, or is en gaged in spinning or rolling a new piece of felt to l>e laid under the new member of the family whose arrival Is expected soon. On perceiving the pious stranger frotn a distant land she utters a few words of joyous surprise, and soon coines forward with a wooden dish of sour milk, with a piece of cheese, fir with a bundle of sun-dried fish. The visitor partakes of the offer ing with a loud "Rismillah," i. e.. "in the name of God," while his hostess sits opposite shedding tears liecause God has given her the opportunity of feeding a guest. As soon as he has satisfied his hunger she brings before tiini the plain-colored camel-hair, the the material for the new carpet, in order to have bestowed upon it his Messing, as a sure sign of happiness to tier coming child. For a while, the Turcoman woman will remain quite S motionless, her eyes fixed upon the movements of your Hps, every sound of which is most anxiously caught, and it is only after having finished the recital of the Koran, of which she does not understand a single word that she gives vent to her blissful satisfaction, by uttering a sigh from the depth of her heart, or by a tear, of which the poet justly says: "The lip* rosy Iwgulla With dlmpl* or trail*. Hot th* *• ol tffiM-tioe't a tr." I have often witnessed scenes of this nature that were indescribably touch ing, and it may lie easily understood how this comes back to my memory, whenever I have to picture the lights and shadows of life among the primi tive Inhabitants of the desert. No wonder, too, that during my abode among the Turcomans on the Ourgan feelings of admiration were mingled I with the deep aversion and horror that j agitated my heart.— Good Wordt. THE Dill TOKTI'MAH. IntrrrlllMK ! < About it !\olr.il MIIL tnry l*ilur guard consisted of only about two hundred men, and there was plenty of Work for us to do. The records bad been but imperfectly kept.and the term of sentence of some prisoners had long before expired. These were hunted out and sent home lirst. Then l'o or more of the liett'-r men were recmn mended f.>r pardon, which was freely granted by President Johnson, for he was in a pardoning mood at that time. But the main interest centered around the four conspirators, Mudd, Arnold# sq-anglcr and O'Loughlin. They were supposed to be terrible fellows, ready to < tit all our throats any time on a moment's notice. Dr. Mudd was the central figure. He was a fair-haired man of good sire and rather prejossea sing appearance. His one all-absorb ing thought was that be was the victim of great injustice, and whenever he could gain a listening ear, into it be always poured hi* griefs. He was de tailed a* general nurse in the hxq>itaj and did g oscaj>e by se creting himself on board a steamer. Of course he was found, sent hark in disgrace, and afterward kept in solitary confinement Arnold was a young man, not more than twenty-four or t w enty-th e, handsome, highly educated, refine*] and retiring in his manners He said little, never complained, but felt his disgrace most keenly. He was kept as a clerk in the provost marshal's office, and many a descriptive or mus ter-roll in his beautiful handwriting went to Washington. He had the ability, and ought t<*-*iay to be taking good care of himself somewhere. Spongier, the stage * arpenter at Ford's theater, was a jolly German, and, to all appearances, as happy there as mortal man ever is. How well I rememlier his portly form, bustling atiout at his work, the happiest looking man in the fort Lastly was poor O'Loughlin, an Irish, man, I think a shoemaker by trade. He had left a family in Washington, and Could not l>car tip under bis punish ment. He drooped from tho day he reached the place, and dW*l soon after 1 left I have to day a letter from Mudd and one from Arnold, written after I had left the service, asking my aid in procuring some mitigation of their pun ishment. While I did not pity them as I did the more than 150 soldiers sent there for the most trilling breaches of military law, I can still see how they were all, perhaj*. more unfortunate than criminal. The (Most W underfill Thin?. A correspondent asked a Zuni chief who came Last last fall: "What of all you saw in your jour ney impressed you most with the supe riority of the white men over the Indians?" Tho father of the Zuni* turn ed his eyes toward me, and answered slowly: "The ease with which they can get water. The whito man takes the river into the wails of his house. By turn ing a little iron stick lie ran get that which we pray for all our HvcsH' This was to the mind of the Zuni, the inhabitant of the barren, rainless land, the triumph of civilization. I asked him If he wanted to go back to ; the States, and he said: "Yes, I grow strong with anxiety that I may go again."— Chicago Inter-Ocnan. The length of the submarine cable* in the whole world Is estimated at 64*000 miles, And their value to lie t20a.00j.000. PEARLS OF THOUGHT. The brave man carves out bis own fortune. A life spent worthily should be measured by a nobler line—-by deeds, not years. JIo is most to blame who breaks the law—no matter under what provoca tion he act. Nothing can constitute good breed ing that has not good nature for its foundation. Men are sometimes accused of pride Tneroly because their accusers would he proud themselves if they were in their places. By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise man may make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm. Some people are nothing but money, pride and pleasure. These three things engross their thoughts, and take up their whole souL l'ersevcrance can sometimes equal genius in its results. There are only two creatures," says the eastern prov erb, "which can surmount the pyra mids—the eagle and the snaiL" The beginning of hardship is like the first taste of bitter food—lt seems for a moment unbearable; yet, if there is nothing else to satisfy our hunger, we take another bite and find it possi ble to go on. One ought to love society if he wish es to enjoy solitude. It is a social na ture that solitude works upon with the most various power. If one is misan thropic, and betakes himself to loneli ness that he may get away from hate ful things, solitude is silent emptiness to hira. Peace i* bettor than Joy. .Toy is an unea*v gu*-.t, anil is always on tiji-b-*- to depart. It tries and wears us out, and yet keeps us ever fearing that tin next moment it will be gone, Peace is not so. It comes more quietly, it stays more contentedly, and it never exhausts our strength, nor gives us one anxious, forecasting thought. I.EMS FOR THE MONTHS. Tilliinanlr "Innri - Hup* rat I llaua lieTftrnra for Jrtrrla. In more modern times each month has had a gem consecrated to it, and the wearing "fa particular precious stone, an a talisman, by a lady lx>rn in a given month Is supposed to t>e more than usually fortunate. The system of divining applies only to women and theoretically is infallible. She who is Ixirn in January should wear only garnets, which would insure her th friendship anil fidelity of her a*sociat-- and w ill also render her true to them. Those Imrn in February inti*t wear the amethyst, which will make them sin cere with others, and will insure them against poisons and pas-ion* and ear**. Those who-e birthday fall- in March will lie wise, brave and firm by nature, and will Is- assi-ted in these qualitie by wearing a blood-stone. The dia mond Is sacred to April, and will keep her who is born in that month Inno cent till death, while the lady born in May should wear an emerald, which will lie certain to make her a loved and happy wife. Those Imrn in June should wear an agate to bring them health, wealth, peace ot mind and long jife, while the ruby clears away tie doubts, anxieties and pangs of love for th gain husbands and happiness; with out it they are tiound to live alone, ami to die unwept, untmnnred and unsung The sapphire is good to prevent or cure insanity, and is especially beneficial to those born in Septemlicr, while the topaz, an emblem of friendship and love, is dear to those who first saw tin light in November, and the turquoise, the emblem of success, must lie worn by those whose birthday comes In December. Thesuper-t itious reverence with which jewels an- often regarded also apjiears in the habit almost uni vcrsal in the East of naming the more valuable stones. The Kohinoor and the Kohitoor are examples too well known to need more than mention, but there are scores of others. The treas uries of the East from the earliest time have abounded with diamonds,various ly known according to their beauty. There were the .Sea of Fire, the River of Light and the Son of God, the Eye of God and the Star of Gabriel, the Ocean of Love and the Mountain of Beauty, the l)elightnf Women, the Pleasure of the King, the Delight of the Eyes and thePrideof the Treasury* stones were often the Gift of Allah, the Angei of the Mountain, the Boast of the River, tho Soul of the Queen and the Star of the Ocean. Nor were diamonds alone in being named, since ether equally favored In this way, and the superstitious reverence felt for them is quite clearly manifest.—Giob*- Democrat. A CHINESE DINNER. Tlir Plctnra<|u ftmi<|u*t In a *fanrl* rln'ft lluUMhuld. Our party of five English guests, met in (j.'i office, and proceeded in In dian file, ea-h in hia sedan chair threading our way through narrow streets dimly lit with Chinese lan terns, says a writer in tho Pall Mall Gazette deseibing a Chinese dinner. We stopped In a narrow lane on the outskirts of tho town, entered a shab by-looking doorway and mounted a ladder-like staircase. This led into a suite of rooms, where I found myself wishing for Argus' eyes to take in the hundred new aspects. They were not large or gorgeous, like Hidonia's apartr mcnts in Holywell street, but quaint and curiously furnished. A long ta ble of black lacquer, arid square-cut chairs with marble blocks down eith er side, at the end a smoking divan with embroidered silk hangings. This was the ante-rooru. Two doorways led from it into the dining room, and in the space between them was a sort of kaleidoscope pattern of a adored glass, In-low which were rich hang ings, with grotesque dragons in gold thread sprawling over a crimson silk ground. Over the doorway was open arabesque work of ebony, and beyond the dining-room was a veranda with orange trees and creepers. While we were being Introduced, tea was served in Chinese fashion an invert ed saucer is dropped into the cup to keep down the tea leaves (teapots are unknown in China, j ami you sip, or, if you are a novice like myself, you spill, the tluid that finds its way between the two. Then we went to dinner, a party of t wel •> e. (in my right was an old merchant, sagacious and humorous, to judge by his look* and what I could make out of his broken English. On iny left was a young half-caste, edu cated in the government w hool here— fluent, sallow and con cited. Chairs, knives and forks had I provided for the English guests, but we soon discarded the chairs for th<- comforta ble lounges on which our hosts were seated, and also took to chopsticks, with the occasional assistance of a -ji-ion. Those chopsticks were a j-r -fort godsend, and I never should ha\e *ur\iveid without tlior help. But I must explain. The dinner which con sisted of some thirty courses, was all served in teacups. Cup followed cup, each filled with some kind of mince, *oine in broth and some dry, but all satisfying a* raspl>erry vinegar. Now the chopsticks allowed us to ta*te each one in succe*jon, and though we were not skill"-! enough to consume all we might have liked of the few gixxl, we could toy with the many nas ty ones and leave them without giving ofT" n*e. The bird's nest soup with which we began was negative—a sort of stringy arrowroot ; but the shark's lin and fishes maw stewed with ham were as rank a* conger eel. Quail, partridge and lobster are good all the world over, and the bamboo shoots and wood fungus with which they were served were n<> bad substitute for as paragus and mushrooms. But the stewed seaweed and sinews cery man asked the had hoy. " You haven't been dlt ( charged have you?" And the grooefjf man laid a little lump of eon rent rated lye that looked like mapl- sugar, on ft cake of sugar that had been broken, knowing the bo y vv