A Merry Christmas, they cry for it. mlxivrn, they sigh tor it, Gobbler*, they die for it, Aad good oo<>k.s *lwsy* make op extra large batehee ol well-aeatoned mi ace pioe for it. Stockings are hung lor it, Pwan* are sung for it, Chime* oil are rang for it, Ami oraaty oki bachelors open their wallet# and think they are young for it. Babies they squall for it. Met chant* all call for it. Auctioneer* bawl for it, Aad tweet, toying mammas Jnat empty their purees and squander their all for it. The New Tear's Log-Boiling. When it became known in Verdant valley that a Yankee hud settled on the vacant quarter over by the lagoon. Uncle Billy Barker expressed the sen timent of the community in bis terse disclaimer that, so far its he was con cerned, be "didn't have tise for no Yankees. You put a Yankoe into any range, and thar'il tie bad blood right away. They hain't content to leave things he as they found 'etn, hut wunt t to cram their free-school notion* down everybody's gullet" During the six years that Verdant valley had been settled there had never been a dissenting vote cast at the polls. It was the l>oast of the district that this was the banner township of California But now the laurels were about to lie wrested from them. How- Aver, there the intruder was, with his wife and daughter, and there he evi dently intended to stay. A comforta ble house and a substantial barn bore witness to that. This particular of- fender had a sturdy way of minding ibis own business which, with his uni form affability of greeting, soon liegan to tell in his favor, so that, notwith- standing his denunciation, I'ncle Billy was the first to visit the stranger and proffer his good services. For what ever of prejudice and narrowness Blight mark their minds, the class to which he belonged had none of those qualities in their hearts. Now this diplomatic call of the older jßarkcr had an important result. Win jthrop (the stranger) wanted to em ploy ,Bonie one to help hiin clear away the itimtier, and a bargain was soon trenched, by which the pioneer's son, Jim Barker, a fine stalwart fellow xvitli a hit of schooling and a handsome face • —just the stock, withal, by which the world is replenished—was engaged for this work. Jim xvas not the least averse to this arrangement, for—well, he had reason 1 of his own. Those who saw the land adjacent to the I ago, in before civilization hail apoiled it will remember that it was heavily wooded. Great oak trees lifted their brawny arms and sought with a hundred leafy lingers to clutch the delicious, impalpable air. Fir trees scattered here and there in stately pride. The madrono, aristocrat of the forest, showed it saffron hark and its j olive leaves. The undergrowth was thick. The poison-ivy was gorgeous with a fatal beauty. The man/anita tossed its ripened berries to the gre garious quail. There was no small work ahead in subduing the forces of nature. The field must he cleared and ready for ploughing by the first rains- Luckily the rains held off. There were a few inconsequential showers in Nov. etnbee, and then for weeks the heavens were almost skyless, one could see so far into them. By Christmas the undergrowth was cleared away, and almut half the trees felled. Jim, who seemed tohave some plan of his own, suggested that these be left where they had fallen; to lie trimmed and chopped afterward; so that as fast as one tree went down, another was attacked. But the pro- , grcss was slow. Christmas day Jim went home, and called his father into couat-il. After hearing his refwrt, the Old man replied: "We got to give him a log-rollio' The Lord has held the rains off about all he's goin' to. He hain't goin' to spoil the crops for the sake of no Yankee. He's done enough already, ■ad we got to do the rest. We'll have it on New Year'a And, by-tbe-way, Jim" —after a pause—"you take care that logs Is the only things that gets 'emaelves cut up over to the Yankee's." Jim's only Answer- was a blush- But, to lie sure, that was enough. New Year's morn, about half-past flve, there was a prodigious dog-flght lat the pre-emptor's front door. Now I the New Englander had but one dog; land it stands to reason that one dog Han't going to get up a fight all by him- Eelf; that Is, unleas he is uncommonly r pugnacious, which this one was not. A glance through the window revealed not only three dogs, but two wagons the horses already half unhitched from the traces. The occupants had alighted upon the ground. I'p the road several teams of oxen were advancing. The house was evidently being put Into a state of siege. And in a moment the voice of the senior Barker called out: "You'uns had better git up. You're goin' to have some company." By the time the family were dressed and a hasty breakfast snatched, the army of attack had taken possession of everything. Every moment brought new arrivals. There was a kaleidoscope of men, women, children, horses, dogs and oxen. The great festivals of West ern life are camp-meetings, barbecues and log-rollings. Those who believe that the American blood is running out, should strike an average on the children present at one of these occa sions. I'olly Winkle assumed command of the women and children, by no other right, that I know of, than that she most nearly reali/.cd Napoleon's dellnition of the greatest of her sex. It was soon evident that the house was too small to accommodate so many, and tho Winkle contingent were led to the commodious loft in the barn. Here from each wagon was brought such an array of dainties and sweetmeats as would have doubled tip a less hardy race for the rest of the year. A table was improvised, the stove was re moved to the loft, and by noon asiuok" ing dinner was on the board. Meantime more than fifty men were at work in the field. The Novemlier rain had carpeted the ground with wild flowers, but those were unheeded- The lupine bloomed in vain. The gaudy eschschnlt/ia flaunted its colors unheeded. The tiinid nemophila crept closer to the sod, and hid its maidenly beauties from profanation. But all were alike unsought Thero was men's work to he done. Great trees lay strip ped and deformed, like torsos of mighty giants. One-half the force were chopping at the trees yet stand ing. Every few moment some mon- arch would tremble, try to steady hiin *elf for a second and then fall with a resounding crash to the earth. A score of woea were upon him at once. His hundred anus xvere lopped from his tiody. His life-blood sank into the thirsty earth. The place that knew him in his pride knew him no more. As fust as the logs xvere ready, chains were passed around them, the oxen were harnessed to them and they were drawn to designated spots, and arranged in orderly piles. When Alice Winthrop came down to the field with a dozen girls about her own age, and looked out of her great brown eyes upon the strange scene, what splendid feats of strength were done! With what magnificent grace these men moved now who were so awkward in the housc>! and how Jitn Barker hated young Winklee for shouldering an im mense log with such apparent ease! Once in a while a couple of young sters got into a xvrest'.ing match. Then a rest xx A* declare I for five minutes to watch the throw. During tho nooning there were several of these, and Jim Barker had a set-to with young Winkle, which was more than half in earnest It had leaked out somehow that the former was very much interested in the new family, or in part of it at least, and Winkle had jokingly offered to "cut hiin oat." Now - Jiin was in that miserable state of uncertainty when the mere sug gestion of surh a possibility made him wofully unhappy. And it may be doubted whether Winkle ever got surh a toss in his life as Jim gave him that day—all in sport, though, of course. When night fell, tho circuit preacher, Methodist South, dcclarid that the field was ready for the Lord's vine. yard. Nothing but a few stumps re tnained to impede the course of the ploughman. The underbrush was hnrning from a dozen Area In a single day, in a hearty western fashion work hail l>en done which one person must have labored at for months. In the house the gossips had had a session of rare comfort. When all came to* gether at supper It was a season of great merriment. But after a while thyoung people began to get restless. There was a good ileal of whispering, and some half-suppressed secret seem ed on the wing. When the preacher rose to go th*re was a general expres sion ot regn-t. The w hole assemblage esc rtcd him and his family to their wagon. But he had not driven three hundred yards before there was an un mistaknble sound of dance music in the air. The good man wavered n moment, and then drove straight home anil never heard it The wind hail changed to the south early in the day. and the rain now liegan to fall. But in the loft Sandy Ballon was mounted on a nail keg, anil was !ldi'!'.ng as if his life depended on his zeal. What pigeoti-wlnga were cut! What pressure of hands xvas ex changed when Handy authorized "ahr mande left"! What maddening whirls when he called, "swing partners"! The rain came down in torrents. It seemed na if the reservoirs of the heavens had given way. About twelve o'clock a wagon-load who hail started for home came back and reported portions of the 1 road caved in by the creek. The dark ness was almost palpable. It was un safe to venture out. There was noth ing to lie done but to make a night of It. Sandy Ballon started in afresh to Ihldle till daylight A new relay of candles was lighted. Some of the older folks went to the house, and took turns at getting a little sleep. But the younger heels knew no rest. Antique | country dances that had not been seen for generations were resuscitated. Sandy was king, and his brain seemed a store-bouse of forgotten figures. During the afternoon Jim Barket had picked a bunch of delicate nemo phi his, and handed them to Alice Winthrop, saying, "My fate goes with these flowers." The senior Barker had observed this action, and was not slow in drawing his conclusions when, later in the evening, the fair I'uritau appeared with the dainty offering on her bosom, aud Jitn hail an awkward expression of uncontainable happiness. A little after four o'clock horses were har nessed, and as Jim helped his father into the wagon, the latter said, inter, rogatively, "Well?" But Jim kept his eyes resolutely toward the east, and answered, "The dawn Is just breaking." Whereupon I'ncle Billy whipped up his horses, and responded, quizzically, "Yes. Jim, 1 s'pose it is."— Harper'i J taijiUiH*. SCIENTIFIC HCRAPtt. A Norwegian geologist has meas ured the glaciers of Iceland, and found them to be the largest ice-rivers in the world, thoee of Norway, tho Alps and the Pyrenees seeming quite small by comparison. Instead of establishing his theory to the contrary, the results of Baron Nordenskjuld's expedition to Green land confirm the general belief that the interior of that country is entire ly covered with a the k sheet of JHT petual Ice. A corespondent of Nature believes that such vast quantities of gas as must have been free 1 by the Java catastrophe have necessarily affected the earth's atmosphere, ard thinks that tho line weather of Septemler prevalent over a large part of the earth, may have l>oen a ri-oilt of the great eruption. Dr. <'. C. Abbot, of Trenton. N. J., has destroyed another old l>eliof in j weather lore. For twenty years he has kept a re onl of the building of their winter houses by muskrats, the storing of nuts by squirrels, and other habits of the animals which are com monly regarded as indicating the character of the coming Winter. Hi# conclusion is that the habits referred to have no connection with the rigor or mildness of the approaching season Mr. Meyer, of Paris claims have in vented a paper indestructible by lire. Specimens have been exhibited which had previously been placed for font hours in a pottery furna-e. Mr. Meyer has also invented incombustible colors ami ink. The invention is likely to Iw of great value, and the incombustible paper will he in demand for wilLs, deeds, account book*. Ac. Fifty thousand francs is the prize which France offers for the discovery which shall enable electricity to tie applied economically in one of the following directions: As a source of heat, of tight, of chemical action, of mechanical power, as a means of the transmission of intelligence, or of the treatment of disease; the prize ts-ing open to all nationalities, and to lie awarded in December, 1887. How to Grease a IVuron Wheel. The Coach Maker'n Matrix tut indor ses the statement that few people are aware that they do wagons and car riages more Injury by greasing too plentifully than in any other way. A well made w heei will endure constant wear from ten to twenty-live years if care is taken to use the right kind and proper amount of grease; but if this matter is not attended to, it will l>e used up in live or six years. Lard should never lie used on a wagon, for I it will penetrate the huh and work its way out around the tenons of the spokes, thus spoiling the wheel. Tal i low is the best lubricator for wooden axletrees. anil castor oil lor Iron hut*, hut many of the patent axle greases 1 are also excellent, ami have the merit of lieing cheajaw and more conven ient to handle. Just grease enough ' should lie applied to the spindle of a xvagon to give it a slight coating. This is lietter than more, for the surplus put on will work out at the ends and tie forced by the shoulder bands and nut washer into the hub around the outside of the boxes. To oil an iron axletree. first wipe the spindle clean, wet with spirits of turpentine, and then apply a few drops of castor oil near the shoul dor and end. One is suf ficient for the whole. .. * 15 , V- TUB COLOR OF AKIIALH. war r*lM SMri Arm wait* and f-ar rota Uraaa Haaaa t'urlau* Informa tion Any one attending a zoological gar den or noticing uny large collection of animals is at once struck by the varie ty of colors, both of the plumage and hide or skin, suys the Cincinnati Kn~ qnirtr. Some animals are highly col ored, others huve hues somber and dark. What is the reason of this? Why are some animals adored? What is the use of any coloring? These questions can only l>e answered by a consideration of the habits of the animals, the means provided for their procuring food, and the weajions they have for defense. The adoring of an imals is to a large extent protective. It enables animals to hide from their enemies, who would other wise extinguish their species, and in other Instances, where they have means of defense that warn other animals to keep away, they are highly colored, so that other animals are warned to I give them a wide berth. For instance rats, mice, hats and moles, which seek for food at night, are dark, of dusky hues, while in the light of day they conceal themselves in their holes. Vet the skunk, which is a nocturnal ani mal, has much white about it, and a large white tail which it carries erect ; hut the horrible odor it carries makes It universally dreaded, and its conspic- i uous white tail is a signal-flag to all carnivorous animals not to attack it, j which they seldom do. All the liearsin the world aro either brown or black, except the polar bear, which is while. So are most of the an imals of the polar region white, that Is, of the same color as the snow anil ice they Inhabit, which similarity of color is a means of proteeton from their enemies, inasmuch as they are not so readily seen. Perhaps the rriusk ox, or musk *hfep. which is of a dark brow n color, would seem an exception, hut the habits of the ani mal explain this. They are grega rious, live in (locks, and this is their means of protection, hence, if one strays away from the flock it is neces sary that they l>e of a dark color, so that it can see its comrades at a dis tance. The raven is another instance; it is black, yet it inhabits the regions of snow and ice; but it feed* on car rion, and has no enemies that think its I*>dy fit for food. Armed insects are highly colored, such as wasp* and bees. Their very high coloring shows to other animals what they are, and their poison protects them. Nunc in sect s have so hard a covering that they a-o practicably uneatable These arc frequently highly colored, others can fly rapidly, and tins is a protection, so they are given a gaudy coloring, like the swift-living rose-chafer. Butter flies are gaily colored, but they are un fit for eating; even when given to young turkeys they spit them out. In sectsare often found on trees and leaves which an- the exact color of the food that they seek. This is a protec tion. The voice of the tree toad is heard before the rain, yet so exactly is it the color of the limb on which it li-s that it is hard to find it. Gran cater pillars feed on the green leaves, and their very food serves to hide them from their enemies. Pertain insects called loopers ean stick themselves out rigidly like sticks, which they so much resemble as to 1h taken for them. Cireen and brown caterpillars are greedily eaten by birds, and even by frogs, li/anls and spiders, hence they generally feed at night, and during the day remain motionless upon the leaves or txvig* of the same color as themselves. Bright colored caterpil lars, however, are discarded by hints and always refusal by frogs, li/ard* and spiders, as if they tasted bad to them. Parrots that live In the dense foliage of green trees are invariably green, and the hlnls of high-colored plumage are tropical where the colors of the flowers and shrubs are brilliant Birds that almond in the region of dc j ciduoiis trees are never green, but brown or olive is the prevailing color. This lint is least perceptible among the leafless tree* and hn*hes which prevail for the greater portion of the year, when protection is so much need ed. There Is a butterfly called the or ange-tip|>cd; when on the wing it is most conspicuous, hut when in the evening it rests on the wood parsley it can scarcely lie seen, so lieautlfully do its colore blend with those of the flower-head of the plant. 8o that on the whole, the gorgams colors of the sornlier shades with which various *n imals are adorned, while beautiful have a use to the animal that Is not mere display, but protection as well. The Foolish (loose. A g*wee having t>een placed in a pen and fed until she amid scarcely breathe, happened to catch sight of a lean old hen on the fence, ami called out; , "You can now see which of us states highest In the estimation of our mat ter. Here I atn provided with u warm pen and fed until my crop is bursting, while you have to roost any where, and have not an ounce of fat under your feathers." "That's all right, my friend." re plied the hen, "but while your goose will be cooked for Christmas, I shall live to see many months yet." Benefits ef Advertising. The subject of advertising has lieen more carefully and thoroughly studied dur.„g the past few years than in all the preceding years, and conclusions have been reached which are demon strative. Koine of them are these : 1. The judicious advertising of a good, legitimate business always pays, sometimes enormously. 2. The best advertising medium is the live newspaper, bringing us it d- catise of competition, changes of pop ulation and the habitual forgetfulnesv of mankind. 5. To derive the greatest possible benefit from business advertising it should be systematically kept up and the advertisements frequently changed. There is one reason for advertising which business men rarely consider— its general effect on the prosperity of their place. The newspaper gfws out into the world from day today or week to week, as the representative of its city, and men judge of the city more by the newspaper than any thing else. If this is newsy and able and many focal firms are represented in its advertising columns, they assume at once, and generally correctly, that it comes from a live place a gtl place to trade in and live in— and thus they are drawn thither. The effe< tis not slight, ami the suggestion is one which deserves the consideration of every tradesman. The above statements have come to !*• almost axioms with the successful class of business men. and they are act ing upon them more and more every year The largest business houses of the great cities have long employed men at large salaries to look after their advertising. A gentleman who was connected with the dry goods house of A. T. Stewart stated a few years ago that the great merchant paid his adver tising man a salary of ♦ll '.OOO a year* It is well known that lie was an exten sive, persistent and careful ail vert iser. and was in the habit of often announc ing sjwrial lines of gissls and reduced prices. His advertising was one of the secrets of his wonderful success. The Hoy and the ttslunt Tree. A grandson of the Governor of Vir ginia. a child of some four or five summers, was on a visit to his mater • nal grandfather, who is a wealthy land holder in < fhio. < ne day after making his first x isit to >unday school, with the religious instruction of which h seemed duly impressed, he accompa nied his grandfather to gather the fruit of a large walnut tree. On the way the little fellow said : "Grandpa, whom do all these woods and fields belong to'? " "Why." said the matter of fact gen tleman. "to me." "\"o, sir." emphatically responded the chiltl." they lielongto God." The grandfather said nothing till they reached the richly laden tree, when he asked : "Well, my boy, whom does this tree belong to ? " This was a j*er, and for a moment the hoy hesitated ; but casting a long ing look ii|sin the nuts he replied : "Well, grandfather, the tree lielongs to Hod. but the walnuts are ours." railed hat not Fonndrred. "Yes, George, dear, I accept your prolTcrod love: and will be your wife;" and a pair of strong arms clasped her tightly, lovingly. "You have heanl. of course," she said, from under the lapel of his coat, "that father has failed?" "So, I hadn't heard that," said George, weakening his grip a little. " Yes, she continued, nestling more closely to him ; he failed last week ■ and"— "That puts a different phase upon ; matters entirely," said Ceorge, strng i gling to break loose. Hut the girl held : hi in fast and continued : "And settled with his creditors at twocents on a dollar; and"— "Nay, dearest," interrupted (leorge, passionately, "do not s|eak of such sordid matters. Let us think only of love and the happiness which tho bright futurt has in store"— Bat gentle reader, let us leave them in their ydung love and perfect trust. ■ (LIJPISUS FOK THE CURIOUS. According to an English statistician, who ha* boon at pain* to collect data on the subject, early riser* live the longest. The system of paying workrneri's wage* in good* instead of money was prohibited by the English Parliament in IS3I. The "art" of chiropodist first attrac ted attention In 1H4.1, when a German practiced on the corns of the Queen of Kngland. Boards were not worn in Kngland un til after the ('onquest, and at the I'astor ation the practice of wearing them fell' into desuetude. The (argent oyster shell in the world is in the Church of St. Hulpioe, in Paris. It weigh* over 500 pounds and is used a* a Baptismal font. There are two cats at the Crystal Palace Exhibition of London priced at $50,000 ca'h. Five hundred dollar* is a common price fixed on the exhibit*. • Friday is Iwggar*" day in Havana, ami then the halt and the blind in every phase of filth and misery take possession of the streets. Strange to say, the beggars in Culm are mostly Chinamen; while in the Western States of America the almond-eyed Olestial is a pattern of industry and frugality. Among the Goths, Iberian* and Moors, the licking of the thumb was regarded as a solemn pledge or prom ise. Another custom of even greater grace and elegam-e was common in Scotland, where among the lower classes bargains were concluded by "lieking and joining of thumbs." Total al>stinence, even for IKIVH. was a thing unknown in Engl; n i early in the century. When Charles Matthews, the younger, wrote to his mother de scribing the visit of the Isjys at Mer ehant Taylor* to the Mansion House he *aid: "We went to breakfast. There were very good things. I eat (sic), viz.. a bit of fowl, a |>ear, an apple, half a jelly, a role, five glasses of ne gus, half a tumbler of ale, three cups of coffee and a glass of water " The South Carolina Kailway is the first railway built in the South, if not in the United Mate*; its mileage has never lxs-n added to or reduced since its completion; it has never pawed out of the hands or management of its stockholders, and has always leen suc cessful and profitable. It runs from Charleston. S. to Augusta Ga. and from Charleston to Columbia. Oplnm Smuggling. Opium is surreptitiously supplied by San Francisco Chinamen to their coun trymen in the Sandwich Islands, where it is forbidden. The drug brings sso to #'.* a pound, and the smuggling of a few hundred ]*ninds makes a China man rich. In numberless ways they try to introduce it. A large safe was consigned to a prosjierous merchant. An officer demanded that it l>e opened. The Chinaman declared that he had forgotten the combination. That night the safe, weighing four tons, was taken out of the isinded ware house, carted away several mile*, emptied, and left in a sugar cane field, where the officers found it the next day, with evidence that it had been crammed with opium. A man had a contract for w ashing the linen of the Pacific Mail steamers. Hundreds of bundles, each containing a can of opium, were pitched from the steam er's deck to the wharf and carted to his laundry. lie happened to be sick on one occasion, and his assistant, who was ignorant of the contraband trade. 1 handled the linen in aurh away that a can of opium fell out. A great num ber of sewing-machines were sent to Honolulu, and by accident it was dis covered that the legs were hollow and packed with opium. Opium has been delivered in theiwlandsin fruit cans,the can being divided into three compart ments. the two outside ones fillet! with fruit and the larger one with opium. Large quantities have also been shipped to the island in atnve wood, each piece of the wood Iwing Ixired. Masses of coal have done service in the same way. _______ Wandering. Talking of dinner parties, a gentle man not long since was dining with a friend, and was asked to take down a certain lady. Now there were two la dies present, one a widow, whose hns band had not died in the odor of sanctity; the other a married woman, whose husband had gone to Ceylon. The unfortunate thought he had the married lady on his arm, but it was the widow, and turning to her with his most fascinating smile, he said: "Nice day this has been." "Do you think It has been so awfully hot r "Do you call this hotr said he, archly. "Why, It is nothing compar ed to the place your husband has gone to."