(Il)c imc0, New Bloomftclb, Ja.
MY BROTHER'S WIFE.
I HAD been in the employ of tho Wa
tertown road ever since I was four
teen, and at twenty-one was running the
Whatcly locomotive attached to the morn
ing train between Springfield and Bing
liamton. Tho rebellion broko out soon
after I was promoted to my present posi
tion, which,though it was a lucrative one,
could not induce mo to refuse tho offer of
a first lieutenant's commission in the
tentli regiment, which was being recruit
ed in our county. My brother, a ma
ehincst and older than myself, determin
ed to accompany me and accordingly en
listed in my company, though I afterward
obtained him the position as first ser
geaut. Well, I gave up my situation as
engineer and was soon in the land of cot
ton and hoc-cake. Our regiment was en
camped near Fairfax for a long time, and
while there, my brother became smitten
with a dark-eyed damsel at whose abiding
place ho often tarried while on out-post
duty. He was a quiet sort of a fellow,
my brother, and I knew nothing of what
was going on until he informed mo oue
afternoon, that ho was about to marry,
and gave me an account of his courtship
and tho manner in which he had become
acquainted with his intended bride.
She was tall, dark and stately, ono of
whom ho knew comparatively nothing,
and so I told him, but he smiled in his
calm determined way, and I knew how
useless would bo any dissuading words of
mine ; and so tho marriage took place at
tho residenco of tho bride, only the fami
ly and myself being present, tho chaplain
of tho regiment performing tho ceremo
ny. As soon as an opportunity offered,
she went to live with our father and
mother at Northampton. My father never
referred to her in his letters to me; but
I knew from the tons of those received
from my mother, that her new found
daughter was not all her heart could wish.
"She is haughty and cold," said ono of
tho letters, " will not have my love though
I try so hard to make her homo happy."
When our term of servico expired we
went home, my brother and I, fortunately
without a scratch. I at onco resumed
my old post on the Whately and began
my regular trips. I did not like my
brother's wife as grew to know her, for
thero was imperious air of reserve and
disdain about her that repelled at onco
any advances of friendship on my part.
One day, late in autumn, I received a
letter in an unknown hand, from Boston,
stating simply that business of vast im
portance to myself aud mother necessita
ted our immediate presence as tho office
of Sharpo & Flint, attorneys in that city.
Of course we proceeded immediately to
tho " hub of the universe," and found
the senior member ot tho legal firm alone
in his office.
The object of the summons was quickly
made known. My uncle Gilbert, an ec
centric old bachelor, had died, leaving to
us a vast wealth, but nothing lor my
brother, who had grievously otiended him
in his boyhood: a codicil however, provi
ded that my share of tho wealth should
fall to him at my decease, which was ccr
tainly not likely to occur for some time to
come, for I was strong, robust and hardy.
There was a slight feeling of pride in my
heart as I made known our good fortune
on our arrival home ; my mother was Un
clo Gilbert's only sister and I had been
his pot, in the days of my infancy. My
brother's wife betrayed not tho slightest
emotion at tho announcement of our sud
den rise to aflluencc, but her husband felt
it deeply and 1 secretly determined to
give him ono half of my portion as soon
us 1 should possess it.
About a fortnight after my return from
Boston I was transterred to tho night ex
press, a train which was run at great
speed and with lew stops. 1 had given
notice to the company, that after the pres.
cut month I should no louger be at their
service, for I intended to live easier than
I had done ; I littlo knew of tho danger
in store for mo before the month should
pass away. That very night as we passed
a highway crossing near Hatfield, I heard
the sharp report of a pistol, and a bullet
crashed through tho cab window, almost
grazing my head. We were running at
a lightning speed aud' the spot was far
behind before I fully realized what had
happened.
Singularly enough, on tlia return trip
tho tire of a driving wheel broko when
within a short distance of the place, and
whilo waiting for anothor locomotive, for
which we had telegranhod. I took mv lan
tern in hand, aud armed with a heavy
iron bar, proceeded to inspect the vicinity
or tho crossing. iNo ono was visible or
within hearing, and I was about toreturn
when my attention was attracted by some,
thing hunging to a bush by the roadside
My heart roso within mo as I placed tho
object in my pocket, for I recognized it
as a fragment of a veil I had often seen
my brother's wife wear, nnd the startling
truth flashed upon mo that she hail fired
tuo shot so nearly fatal to mo ; her ob
ject was plain enough, for at my death
her husband would inherit my portion ot
Uncle Gilbert's property. My first im
pulse on arriving home was to show the
would be murderess tho token of her
guilt and wring a confession from her but
on tho second thought I resolved to re
main silent and watch her movements
closely ; my duty called me away from
homo all night, and the greater portion of
the day was necessarily devoted to sleep,
yet I generally managed to know of her
whereabouts.
A day or two after the attempted mur
der she left tho house suddenly, no one
ono knew or asked whither. I wasunusu-
11 y alert that night, aud when we ncar-
ed the Hatfield crossing my nerves were
strained to their utmost tension. Noth-
unusual occurred ; as we rounded a
curve, tlio nguro ot a woman, stooping
over the track, was sharply defined in the
headlight. As wo came in sight tho
form became erect and motionless, the
arms folded across tho breast, and the
head thrown back defiantly. I shut off
the steam and whistled for brakes; an in
stant later wo rushed over the spot, and
the woman was a quivering mass beneath
our wheels; as soon as tho train could be
stopped we went back with a lantern and
gathered up tho remains of my brother s
wife. From the appearance of the body
its surroundings it would seem that
while endeavoring to place a sleeper up
on the track to throw us off, she had by
some means wedged her foot tightly un
der a rail, and there was held in a vice,
until wo struck her down.
My brother drew a long breath when
wo had borne tho body home. It seemed
to me like a sigh of relief, and 1 certainly
breathed easier when I gazed for the last
time upon all that
brother's wife."
remained of "
my
Mr. Buckle's Law of Average.
The late Mr. Buckle, in his "Intro
duction to the History of Civilization in
'.ingland, somewhat startled the world
by announcing a theory of average, which
lie applied to all human actions, and from
which ho argued that wo might foro cast
the future. It was philosophy, teaching
by statistics. In such a space of time
there would bo so many forgeries, ar
son, murders. Not only this, but the
murderers would repeat themselves in tho
manner of their preperation ; just the
same number would be by poison, by the
pistol, by the bludgeon, etc. It in any
three months of 1820 six sons had killed
their fathers, tho like number of cases of
parricide, with a certain uiereaso for the
increase of population, would occur in the
same three months ot IMOU. Wo were
under a law seemingly beyond our con
trol or recognition.
This extraordiuaryjtheory has seemingly
just received u striking counrmation in
tho Begistrar-Gcncral s report ot acci
dents in tho streets ot London, ror
many years past it has been observed that
tor tho first nineteen weeks ot the year
just 7-lpersous havo been killed by being
run over in the public tliroughtarcs. It
was therefore expected, from the unfailing
law of average, that tho same number
would be killed for the first nineteen
weeks in 1809. On the 8th day of
May. after the lapse of eighteen weeks,
the number of fatal accidents of this
kind should havo been seventy, but it
fell four short of that number. Obvi
ously, then, tho law of average must fail
or the accidents for the week ending the
15th of May must bo doublo. Curiously
enough, for the seven days, from the 8th
to 15th, eight persons were actually killed
instead of four, and thus the seventy-four
victims demanded by tho merciless ar
ithmetic were fully niado up. X. Y.
Evening Post.
An instance is related of a pious
Irishman who was discovered by a priest
reading tho scriptures in a cabin to save
poor.Koman Catholics, who were delighted
with hearing the precious truths of Gods's
Word. When tho priest camo in, he
asked him, in a most dictatorial tone,
" How dare you road tho Scriptures
to any of my flock '(" " I'leaso your
reverence," said tho man, with the
readiness with which an Irishman is
always distinguished, " I have got a search
warrent to do it." " Produce it," said
tho priest. " I am suro that it cannot bo
from tho bishop, or from his holiness the
Pope." 'No,' said the Scripture reader,
'it is from God ; and hero it is John v :
39 ; 'Search the Scriptures."
A Case of Ileal Honesty.
IN THE year 1847, a young man nam
ed Colbieigh, who had been ' engaged
as locomotive engineer on the Eastern
Kailroad, went out to Cuba to take charge
of the engine of a large sugar factory at
Cardenas, Before leaving he remarked
to a friend that ho meant to purchase a
lottery ticket as soon as ho got to Havana
as ho believed those schemes were tair
and honorable as a lottery could be, be
ing under the direct supervision of the
Government. His friend a young, un
married man, handed him ten dollars,
saying : " There, get me a ticket too.
I'll try it ju.it for luck, and shall set tho
ten spot down to profit and loss."
lime passed on. Uobleigli remained
a year in Cuba, and then returned to the
States aud ran a locomotive for six months
on the Eric Koad, after which he went to
Columbus, Ohio, where ho remained
nearly four year.'. During this time the
young man who had intrusted to Cobleili
the ten dollars for a lottery ticket, h 1 1
married, and become tho father of two
children, lie was a sailmaker by trade,
and worked hard for tho support of his
family.
At length Cobleigh came on to New
York, where, by chance, he met his old
Cuban employer, who informed him, in
course of conversation, that a prize of
twenty thousand dollars, drawn five years
before by a sold ticket, had never been
claimed. What was tho number '! Cob
leigh obtained it, and then went homo
and overhauled his trunk, and among a
lot of old letters he found the two lottery
tickets which ho had bought in Havana
over five years before and ono of them
was the fortunate number.
A few days after this, tho young sail-
maker, in Boston, received a letter fiom
the engineer, enclosing the lottery ticket,
and giving directions for obtaining the
money. The poor mechanic was thunder
struck, and would not believe that his
friend had written truly ; but upon en-
quiring
of tho Cuban Consul, he
found that his claim
claim was good, and in
time he obtained the twenty thousand
dollars, lie tried to find Cobleigh, to
to give him a part of tho money but
could not.
A year more passed, and Cobleigh
visited Boston. lie was going to the
gold country where ho was engaged to
superintend tho running of engines for
quartz mining. His pay was to be ample,
so he would not accept any part of his
friend's fortune.
" But'" urged tho sail-maker, " why
is not the money as much yours as mine?
Both tickets were together.
"Aye," replied Cobleigh; "but it
was yours that drew tho prize. When I
bought them I selected mine first. Then
I selected ono for you, from which I
nipped off a bit of the upper right hand
corner. When I found the two tickets,
after learning ono of them was entitled
to a prize, I discovered that tho nipped
corner bore tho fortunato number! Sj, of
course, the prize was yours."
That is what we call ' Inborn Honesty.'
A Chicken Story.
.Near Erie there lives a colored per
son tho . name of James Stewar-t, whom
tho community by common consent havo
dubbed Commodore Stewart. Ho is a
talented but eccentric individual, and has
a weakness for chickens. On one oc
casion being found near a poultry yard
under suspicious circumstances, ho was
interrogated rather sharply by the owner
or tho premises as follows :
" Well, Jim, what are you doinghcre '("
" Oh, nuffin ; niiffin ; jess walkin roun."
"Wha.tdo you want with my chick
ens '"
" Nuffin at nil. I was only a lookin
at em, (ley looks so nice."
This answer was both conciliatory and
conclusive, and would have been satisfac
tory had it not been for Jim's hat. This
was a rather worn, soft felt, a good deal
too largo for its wearer's head, ami it
seemed to havo a motion entirely unusual
in hats, and manifestly due to soino re
markable cause. It seemed to coutract
and expand and movo of itself, and
clearly without Jim's volition. So the
next inquiry was :
" What is tho matter with your hat ?"
" My hat ? dat's an olo hat. I'se fond
of dat hat.
" Well, take it off and let's look nt it."
" Take off dis hat ? No, sail, I'd ketch
cold in my head, sartain. Always keep
my hat on,when I'm out doors."
And with that, Jim was about beating
a hasty retreat when, at his first step,
a low " kluk, kluk, kluk," was heard
coming only too clearly from tho region of
his head-gear. This was fatal, and Jim
was stopped and forced to rcmovo his hat,
when a plump, full grown chicken jumped
out and ran hastily away. The air which
the culprit gazed after it was a study for
a painter. It expressed to perfection
wonder and perplexity blended, but not
a trace of guilt. Slowly ho spoke, as
though explaining the thing to himself
and accounting for so remarkable an
incident.
" Well, if dat ain't de funnies ting I
ebcrb did see. Why, dat dar chicken
must licvo clum up do leg of my panta
loons." Dili not Understand.
I once heard a pretty 'good thing in the
Supreme Judicial Court at Portland.
The case was one of sevcro assault upon
the first officer of a Yankee barque, by
one of tho crew, which assault occured on
shore. Judge S. was upon the bench.
He was a very small man : very neat in
dress, and very fastidious; resting firmly
upon his indicia! dignity ; a first class
lawyer, and withal inclined
to bo self
attorney at
sufficient and crusty. No
the bar ever ventured to take
liberties
with Judge S.
The principal witness in tho present
case was an old weather-beaten sailor,
named Jack Miller. Now Jack was
called to testify against his shipmate, as
he had witnessed the assault, and had
interfered to terminate it ; but ho was anx
ious to tell as littlo against his chum as
possible, and, furthermore, to soften down
and excuse what ho did tell ; and this
led him to be a little rambling in his
testimony. The Judge had been making
notes with a pencil, and as Jack was
wandering off into an unnecessary ex
planation, he lifted his head, and, evi
dently forgeting for tho moment tho ex
act standing of tho witness, with his mind
partially upon his notes, he testily ex
claimed
" Come, witness ad rem, ad prodosi
tum ! Don't wander so."
The witness stopped and looked up at
the Judge wonderingly. Ho repeated
the abstruso words to himself as nearly
as he could pronounce them and then ,
with earnest simplicity, asked
" Yer honor what does them words
mean V
" Never mind, never mind, "returned the
judge, with a wave of tho hand. ''They
are technical terms, used in law, not for
men in your position to understand."
There was a tittle in the court-room
as poor Jack turned, rather crestfallen,
back to the examining counsel. Soon
the witness sought to explain that his
shipmate, when ho made the assault, was
not himself. Said he, half to the counsel,
and half to the jury
'' Tom was pooty hard an for it.
He'd spliced the main-brace, an' doubled
tho tub, an' tapped tho admiral
more'n "
The littlo smooth head of Judge S.
bobbed up at this point.
" Stop, witness; I don't comprehend.
What do you mean by " doubling tho
tub," ' tapping tho nduiiral," and tho
other equally ambiguous expressions?"
Jack's eyes snapped just a single spark,
and then his faco was as calm and serene
as tho bark of an old gnarled oak.
" Why, your honor," ho replied, with
patronizing respect and deference, " them's
technical terms, used on shipboard,
which it aren't expected 'at men in yer
honor's position would understand."
Whilo his honor was subsiding, a titter
broko looso in tho court-room, which
would havo swelled t a roar if tho
sheriff had not sternly bitten his lips and
loudly commanded " order !"
What a Piano Is Hade Of.
The actual materials used in a piano
forte may bo worth stating. In every
instrument thero aro sixteen kinds of
wood, namely : pine, maple, spruce, cher
ry, walnut, whitewood, apple, basswood
and birch, all of which aro indigenous,
and mahogany, ebony, holly, cedar, beech
and rosewood, from Honduras, Ceylou,
England, South America and G.ermany
In this combination elasticity, strength,
pliability, todghness, resonance, lightness,
durability and beauty are individual
qualities, and the general result is voice.
Thero also used of the metals, iron, steel,
brass, - white-metal, gun-metal and lead.
There aro in tho samo instrument of seven
and a half octaves, when completed, 211
strings making a total length of 787 feet
of steel wiro. Such a piano will weigh
from 900 to 1000 pounds, and will last
with constant use (not abuse) fifteen or
twenty years. Tho total manufacture of
pianos in New York alone averages 15,
000 per annum.
For The fitoom field Time.
Jackson-vim.;, Fi.a., Feb. 15, 1870.
Mr. Editor I havo been afloat again. This
time, I reached tho land of llowcis "Tho
Italy of America." On my way hither I
slopped at. Fernandia, a considerable town
in sine. Tho general appcarnneo of tho
piaco indicates an entei prising ami go
idieadativc people but its location is irregu
lar and operates materially against its pros
perity. iMiorts are being made to connect
it wiili terra tinna by means of a bridge.
This place (Jacksonville) is situated on tho
St. Johns River a largo but sluggish stream
and not near as beautiful as our Susquehan
na, Juniata or Hudson. Jacksonville con
tains about M)00 inhabitants, am! is cer
tainly located beautifully, but the character
of its buildings and streets aro decidedly
southern in appearance. About ono half
of tho inhabitants aro colored, most of
whom aro industrious. Tho whites are a
mixture of chivalry and adventurers, with
a huge proportion of invalids from tho
north. Thero is no doubt in my mind as
to the benefits to be derived hero by tho
consumptives, from tho mildness of tho
weather. Fire seems useless,tho streets are
lined on either side with live oaks covered
wiui green lonage. in the yards and gar
dens aro roses and other llowcis !n bloom.
Green peas arc common as well as most ol
our garden vegetables. The orange trees
aro loaded with golden fruit. 1 saw ono
twig with fourteen tine oranges on it, ono
measuring fourteen inches in circumfer
ence. They are worth about as much here
as ap iles are in Perry. The soil is sandy
beyond any I ever saw and were it not for
tho evidence of vegetation, I would not be
lieve that anything would grow hero, but
when I see cabbage and other vegetables
growing in mid winter as luxuriantly as wo
havo there in mid summer, I must acknowl
edge that this soil is productive. The in
habitants hero aro generous and ready to
take in tho stranger whoever lie may be.
Hoarding is from twelvo to twcnty-livo dol
lars a week, and is only tolerable in quality.
One of the peculiarities is tho colored pop
ulation walking about tho streets, munching
sugar cane. Almost every grocery is sup
plied with a stock ot sugar cane, which is
sold at a dime apieco about tho sizo of a
largo corn stalk. I am informed that ono
of theso contain about thrco half pints of
juice when properly ground. Laziness is
the only characteristic I observo in tho na
tives here. I deem them indolent beyond
any peoplo I ever saw. When I told them
of my impression, they readily acknowl
edged its truth, but insisted that wcro I to
remain a few years, I would become as lazy
as they are. AH with whom I come in con
tact express a hearty desire to havo north
ern men como among them, and they cer
tainly seem kindly disposed toward such as
make their homo among them, yet thero
arc hero a class who havo brought with
them the shrewdness of their native soil.
New England has her representatives here,
who are ready to mako tho most of those
who visit this remote region. They talk
north or south to suit customers. Most of
this class aro concerned in land agencies
and aro not delieato as to how they
mako their money. My next will probably
bo from the interior of this Stato.
XXX.
Scene in Court.
The Judge of one of the New Orleans
municipal courts sat gloomy and grand on
his bench, clad in his ermine. Tho
prisoner occupied tho dock, apparently
meek and downcast. Sho had a merry
twinkle in her eye however, that promised
mischief, and had tho magnate but per
ceived it, ho would havo been more care
ful in his questions :
"How many times are you coming
up here '("
" What, yer honor V
" How many times are you coming be
fore me '!" This is tho third time tho
present week."
11 Oh no' yer honor !"
" Didn't I see you hero yesterday "
" Why, no, yer honor, it was last night
yer seed mo, in tho concert saloon. It
was a bit of drink wo had together, and
yer honor did talk beautifully, and yer
cunnin' way3 and saucy jokes. Aye, yer
honor's the man for tho gals ; yces aro
smart"
" Stop your tongue you can go !"
" limine ye, yer honor.
Tho prisoner wcut out tho
blushed, and the audience roared
Judge
A Miniature Steam Engine.
Tho ingenuity of tho American mc
chanio has fouud an ececntrie interpreter
in W. I. Traften, of Manchester, N. II.,
who is making the smallest possible speci
men of an engine. Every part of it is
constructed out of a silver half-dollar.
Tho boiler is to hold about eight drops of
water, but with four drops tho engino can
bo worked several minutes. When
finished, it is to bo placed under a glass
case three quarters of an inch in diameter,
and an inch and ono eighth in height.
Somo of tho parts will bo 8 o fine and deli
cate that they can not bo mado without
tho use of a magnifyiug-glass
SF A Missouri gentleman carries about
with him a mctneuto of a lost brother in
the shapo of a cano cut from tho trco o u
which that relative was hanged for horso
stealing.