2
Qtljc mcs, Nod Bloomftelu, k.
party ; but I pleaded headache, and got
up to my room. To tell the truth, 1 was
anxious to be there before Myra, for I
wautedto think quietly as to what I should
do. It was a horrible secret for a wo nan
to bo burdened with, and I could not de
cide what to do with it. I sat on my bed
there thinking and utill perplexed, gradu
ally unfastening my ornaments and ball
dress, when Myra's step approached
quietly, and in another instant she enter
ed. " Then you are not in led after all,
Ethel," she said throwing herself careless
ly on the sofa, and beginning to tear-off
her bracelets in ncr usual impatient lasu
ion. " What have you been doing 1
" Thinking," I said gravely.
' Thinking I and of what ? What Cap
tain Taylor was saying with such cm-prcssmi-nt
as he took leave?"
" No, Myra, of something more more"
And then my courage i'ailcd me, and I
could say no more; but hurriedly begin
ning to undress, I threw myself into bed
and drew the curtains, to hide the view
of that beautiful figure in white satiu which
till sat by the toilet-table.
Whether I went to sleep I know not ;
if I did my dreams must have been vivid
as reality, for I was haunted by the
. strange secret I had discovered ; and at
length, sitting up in bed, I drew back
the curtains. The moonlight was stream
ing into the room, and I could distinctly
see the form of Myra lying with open
eyes, her face turned toward tho open
window.
Some impulse seized ine, whether good
or bad I know not, but 1 sprang up, and
crossed the room in my bare feet, knelt
down by my school-fellow's bed.
" Hush, Myra," I said, laying my hand
upon her arm ; " don't speak, don't move.
1 want tell you a secret."
" A secret I" she said in a frightened
voice.
"Yes; listen. Down under the lil
ies in your garden, Myra, lie all Mrs.
Fumival's sovereigns."
It seemed as if I were speaking in my
sleep ; but before me Myra's figure rose
alowly, and with a horror that was awful
ly life-like. I shall never forget her
face ; for a moment it worked till it was
all distorted ; then it calmed down.
" How did you find it out?" she said
in a whisper.
" By chance," I answered.
"When?"
" This evening."
" And who have you told ? Does Mrs.
Fur nival know."
" Not yet."
" And you will tell her ?"
" Myra, I must."
She sank back on her pillow and moan
ed ; and I buried my face in the coverlid
and began to cry quickly, for that moau
was so horrible to hear.
"Why did you do it?" at length I
said, clasping hold of tho soft white fin
gers and holding them to my cheek.
" 0 Myra, Myra ! why did you do it ?"
" I do not know," she answered quick
ly ; and then she turned away her face,
aud would not speak for all my questions
aud sobs.
She lay pcrfetcly still, with the moon
light playing on her faco , now and then
she gasped quickly, and her hands were
clenched, but other wise she seemed to
bar the accusation more quietly far thau
I could make it. At length, however,
she roused herself, and pushed back her
nuburu hair, pressed her hands tightly to
her temoles.
" You will tell them all tomorrow, I
suppose, Ethel, and I shall be sent to
.prison f
"I don't think Mrs. Furnival will send
you to prison."
Again we were Bilent; and then she
aid, " Ethel, it is very hard to bo burden
od with the sins of one's parents : this is
a hard world, is it not f
I bad not found it so as yet ; and ans
wered faintly, " I do not know."
Then she laid her hand on my head
in a quaint old-fashioned manner, and
uaid " I am quite Bane to-night, Ethel
mind that. When I took that that
gold ,1 was not perhaps; but to-night I
in. I keep my secret too no one
knows?" And then she lay back, cover
ed herself up with tho sheet, aud turned
away; and though I knelt by her for
nearly an hour, she would say nothing
more.
I sobbed a good deal quietly, and then
I grew weary, fori was very young, and
crept back to my own bod and there fell
asleep. ' It was a long sleep too ; for when
I woke, the sun was shining in my eyes
and it was four o'clock.
. I raised myself from the pillow with a
dim uneasy consciousness of something
wretched having happened, and looked
towards Myra's bed. Was I utill dream
ing, or was the bed really empty ? In an
instant I was up aud feeling with my
hands lo satisfy my eyes. MyraSvas gone 1
I turned to the window ; It was open !
I do not know how it was, but in a
moment I seemed to understand what
had happened, Htid to take in all the hor
rors of the reality. To put on my boots
and dressing-gown was tho work of a
moment, and then climbing out of the
window, I let myself fall on to the soft
mould beneath. I knew I should see
the print of small feet there. Then bare
headed and shivering in tho cold morning
air, 1 ran down the garden.
No idea of going to Mrs. luirnival, or
alarming any one, cutered my head. I
went immediately to Myra's garden, and
when I was there I turned from the
flower-border to the bank, at the foot
of which runs the river.
I shall never forget the scene of golden
light white mist, and shiny water, that I
there looked on. I seemed to note every
detail, though I was looking for one ob
ject. But no ; I could not see it. Thank
lieaveu, it was 1 was turning away
thinking that, when my eyes happened to
i'all on the flags below me. There was
something white at the verge .something
like a human hand caught iu the green
weeds that grew so thickly just there.
I did not exclaim, I did not utter a
sound; but I slid down tho bank, and,
heedless of danger, entered the water.
Up to my knees, then up to the waist
clinging desperately to the rushes ; and
then' under the water, held down by the
entangling weeds, I found what I sought.
Though with all my strength, I battled
to bring her to laud. I knew that she was
dead drowned. 1 knew that she suc
ceeded, and then my misery burst silence
and, winding my arms round tho poor
dead form, i uttered wild cries.
There was an inquest, a ' funeral, and
then Myra Richardson disappeared from
amongst us. The girl's strange death was
talked of as a nine-day's wonder : " tem
porary, insanity," had beeu tho verdict
returned, and, for a time, all tho odd
ways of the poor child were talked of
and commented on, and she was forgotten
That she was concerned in the mysterious
robbery was never known; and no one
but Mrs. Furnival ever heard the story
of tho stolen sovereigns from my lips.
It was not till months afterwards that
I heard some details of Myra's history
It appears that she was the daughter of a
wealthy Australian merchant, who had
married a female convict, whose history
was scarcely clearer thau her daughter's.
Though well-born and educated, Mrs.
llichardson had been convicted of some
theft and, in spite of tho evidence-that
insanity was in the family,and had before
exhibited itself under this form, was trans
ported for seven years. At tho end of
the time, still retaining magnificent beau
ty, she had won the affections of a trader
aud married linn. The secret or her
mother's disgrace had been kept from
Myra for some time ; but, by some chance,
she came to know it, and whether insani
ty was really already in the blood, or her
vivacious nature was too strongly im
pressed with the story, was not known -
but from that time tho wild-elfishnoss of
character took possession of her, and her
father terribly troubled, hoped to mend
matters by change of scene and climate,
resolved on sending her to England.
Tho wild Australian had probably made
up her mind that her mother's evil fate
should never bo hers. Still, after all
we can but surmise ; for as her last words
which sounded in mortal ears declared
no one knew her secret. It was hers and
hers alone ; and till she rises from her
quiet forgotten grave, and tells out the
sad story to One who will not judge her
harshly, it will remain forever a mystery.
A Stupid Witness,
rp HOSE who are in tho habit of at
I tending police and other courts must
have observed the difficulty under which
tho lawyers and judges labor somcimes
iu getting witnesses to testify in legal
form. Tho following, which recently
took place at a Cincinnati court, is an
amusing and perfect example : A man
had been caught in the act of theft, and
pleaded the extenuation that ho was
drunk : Court (to tho policeman who was
witness.)
" What did the man gay when you ar
rested him ?"
-Witness. " H Ba'1 he was drunk."
Court. " I want his precise words,
just as he uttered them ; ho didn't uso
tho pronoun he, did he ? He didu't say
' he was drunk.'"
Witness. " Oh, yes, he did he said
he was drunk; he acknowledged tho
corn."
Comrt getting impatient at the wit
ness' stupidity. " You don't understand
me at all j I want tho words as ho utter
ed them ; didn't ho say, 1 Iwas drunk?'"
Witness dcprecatingly. " Oh, no,
your Honor. Ho didn't say you was
drunk ; I -wouldn t allow any man to
charge that upou you in my presence."
.Prosecutor. " 1 shaw, you don t com
prehend at all. His honor means, did not
the prisoner say to you, 'I was drunk?" '
Witness reflectively. " Well, lie
might have Haid you was drunk, but I
didn't hear him."
Attorney for the prisoner. " What the
court desires is to have you state the pris
oner's own words, preserving the precise
form of pronouns that he made use of in
reply. Was it the first person, I, the
2d person, thou, or the third person, he,
she or it ? Now, then, sir, with sever
ity, upon your oath, didn't my client
say, ' 1 was drunk ?"'
V ltness getting mad. ' vo, he did
not say you was drunk either, but if he
had, I reckon be wouldn't have lied any.
Do you s pose the poor fellow charged
tho whole court with being drunk ?"
A. Curious Case of. Defense.
TN days gone by, when tho objeetiona-
JL ble military laws were in lorcc in old
sober Massachusetts, the customary draft
was made in a country town a few miles
from Boston, and a notice to appear
"armed and equipped according to law,"
was left at the boarding house of a wag,
who had but little martial music in his
soul. Determined that he would neither
train nor pay a fine, and entertaining
withal a very indifferent opinion of the
utility of the system, he took no notice of
the summons.
Having been duly " warned," however
as lie expected, at the expiration of a few
weeks the sergeant waited upon him with
a bill of nine shillings for nou attendance
at the muster.
" You're fined, sir nine shillings
for non attendance at the muster."
" What is it?" said the wag, pretend
ing to misunderstand the collector.
" A fine for not training," bawled out
the other.
" I shan't pay it, fellow."
" It will be three dollars the next time
I call," said the sergeant.
But the wag couldn't hear a word he
said, and in the Course of another month
he received a preremtory suuinions to ap
pear forthwith at a court martial in the
district, instituted for the purpose of try
ing delinquents and collecting such as
could be scared out of tho non perform
ance of duty.
At tho appointed tinio ho waited upon
said court, which was held iu an old
country house, where ho found three or
four persons seated, attired iu flashy reg
imentals, and whoso awful " yallcr" cpau
letts were enough to command the atten
tion and profound respect of tho beholders.
Though somewhat disconcerted at this
exhibition of spurs and buttons, he put
a bold face on tho matter, and responding
to the directions of the junior member
of the august court, he advanced to the
table aud tho chief functionary commen
ced the examination.
" Your uame, sir?"
Tho offender placed his hand quickly
to his ear, without uttering a word or
moving a muscle of his face.
"What is your name?" repeated tho
questioner in a louder tone.
" A little louder," said the wag.
" Name," shouted tho Judge.
" Taunton, Bristol County."
" What business do you follow ?"
" Main street," said the delinquent.
" Your business ?" yelled the officer.
" Bight hand Bido as you go up.
" How long have you been there ?"
" About two miles and a half."
" How old arc you, fellow ?" nervously
continued the judge.
" Boss carpenter."
" What in the devil is tho matter with
your ears ?"
" Dr. Scarpcl's oil, sometimes."
" What, sir ?"
" Sometimes Corem's ointment."
" Why don't you answer mo ?"
" Nearly five years."
" He's deaf as an adder," remarked tho
judge, turning to his subordinate; " clear
tho lubber out."
" You can go 1" yelled tho judge. " Is
it possiblo that a man can bo so deaf us
all that ?"
" I can't say," continued the delin
quent, pretending not to understand,
" but I should think"
" Go, go !" screamed the judge,
" there is nothing to pay. The Lord
pity tho Colonel who has a regiment like
you to command. Show him the door,
Major."
Our friend was never again summoned
to train during his residence in Taunton.
Tho Fat Man.
T1UDGET," said a lady in the
.ID city to a green Irish girl one
morning, as she was recounoitcring in the
kitchen, what a quantity of soap grease
you have got here. We can get plenty
of soap for it, and wo must exchange it
for some. Watch for tho fat man and
when ho comes along tell him I want to
speak to him.."
" Yes mum," said Bridget.
All tho moruing, Bridget between
each whisk of her dish cloth, kept a
bright look out of the kitchen window
and no moving creature escaped her watch
ful gaze. At last her industry seemed
about rewarded, for down the street came
a large, portly gentleman, flourishing a
cane and looking in a very good humor.
" Sure there's the fat man now," thought
Bridget and when ho was in front of
the house, out she flew and informed him
that her mistress wished to speak to
him.
" Speak to me my good girl ?" replied
the old gentleman.
' Yes, sir. she wants to spake to you
aud says would you be kind enough to
walk in, sir."
This request so direct was not to be
refused, so in a state of some wonderment
up the step went tho gentleman, and up
the stairs went Bridget, and knocking at
her mistress' door, put her head iu aud
exclaimed :
" Fat gcntleinon's in the parlor mum."
So saying she instantly withdrew to the
lower regions.
"In the parlor!" thought tho lady.
" what can it mean ? Bridget must have
blundered," but down to tho parlor she
went, and up rose her fat friend, with
his blandest smile and a most graceful
bow.
" Your servant informed mo madam,
that you would like to speak to me at
your service madam."
The mortified mistress saw the stato of
the case immediately, aud a smile wreath
ed itself about her lips in spite of herself,
as she said :
" Will you pardon the terrible blunder
of a raw Irish girl, my dear sir ?'I told
her to call in tlulat min tot ikeaw.iy
the soap grease, when 6tie saw him, and
she has made a mistake, you see."
The jolly fat geutleman leaned back in
his chair, and laughed such a hearty ha !
ha ! ha ! as never came from any of your
lean gentry.
" It is decidedly the best joke of the
season. Ha! ha! ha ! so she took me
for the soap-grease man, did she? It will
keep mo laughing for a month such a
joke?"
And all up tho street around the corner
was heard the ha! ha! ha I of the o!d
geutleman as he brought down his cane
every now and theu, and exclaimed:
" such a joke !''
Bridget's Mistake.
An Irish girl employed in a family in
the city, was sent out, a few evenings
since, with a physician s prescription,
with directions, to go to Barbour's drug
store. With true lelicity ot liiberman
ism she proceeded to a barber's shop, aud
with great assurance handed tho pre
scription to a sleek disciple of the shears,
ungucntous to tho cars, with the cool re
quest
" Fleaso, sir put up this for me."
Tho gentleman of the shears looked at
the paper, scrawled with to him meauing-
less.signsof the mysterious Zodiac. It
was all Creek to him, He hesitated.
" Please, sir, put that up for me, for
mistress is sick.
" Why, I don't know what it means'
replied tho barber.
" But give mo what's on tho paper,"
replied Bridget, somewhat excited,
The barber expostulated "Don't yor
see that wo cut hair hero f
" But what's iu them bottles ?" bIio re
turned. "That? Wrhy, that is hair ilo said tho
barber.
" Oh, I see," said Bridget, " I've got
into tho wrong shop : but I thought that
twas an apothecary s Bhop 1 was sent to
an' faith an' sure I thought this smelt like
ouo.
Tho barber finally pointed out an
apothecary's shop, and Bridget returned
with the prescription not for tho hair but
for typhoid fever.
IteS Every column of a hewsnatier con
tains from fivn tn twenty thousand dis
tinct pieces of metal, according to size of
paper and typo. Tne displacement or a
sinzlo ono makes an error. Is it any
I wonder that errors occur r
SUNDAY READING.
The Blessed Bible.
IN SCOTLAND, during the times of
bloody persecution, when the soldiers
were marehiny about tho country, driving
people from their homes, burning their
houses, and putting many goodly people
to death, a pious father told his family
that there were soldiers near, and they
must hasten to the next village, wlioro
there was a strong old church tho fugi
tives could use as a fort. So 1 e told
Jcanic to take the big Bible for her load,
and that she must be very careful not to
let it get wet, or lose it by the way ;
" For we could not live," said he, " with
out the good book." So she wrapped a
gown around the Bible and started with
her father aud mother each of whom car
ried a child.
They had to cross a brook, but they
did not dare lo go by the bridge, lest
they should bo captured by the enemy
There was a place where tliey thought
they could cross on some stepping stones
but on reaching the place it had become
quito dark. So Jcauic's father waded
across and carried the others one by one,
until she was left quito alone. Jeanio
was much afraid to be left their by her
self, so she started to cross after her
father, stepping carefully faun stone to
stone. But presently her foot slipped
and down she went to the bottom. At
the same time up went her arms, holding
the J recious burden above her head. Tho
water came up to her waist, but, bracing
herself firmly against tho rapid current
she walked bravely on across the stream,
and had nearly reached the shore, with
her dear old book lilted as high as alio
could raise it, wheu she met her
father
returning to bring her.
" Father," she cried, " you told
me to
and I
take care of tho dear old Bible,
have done so."
Just as she said this they heard several
pistol shots aud tho sound of ap
proaching horseman. They soon hid
themselves in a little cleft of tho rocks,
and were not discovered.
Jeanio married in after years, and now
has great-great-grandchildren living. Tho
old Bible become hers' after her father's
death, aud iu it were written the names
of her seven children. It is still, in very
good condition, in the possession of her
descendants.
Jeanio never forgot thatdreadfui night
when sho carried the old Bible through
the deep water, and when she was dying
she seemed to bo dreaming of it and
said.
" I am in tho deep river iu tho deep
river, but I will hold up the dear old
Bible ! There take the book !" and she
ceased to breathe.
The Miller and the Camel.
The Arabs repeat a fable of a miller,
who was one day awakened by having tho
nose of a camel thrust into the window
of a room where ho was sleeping. 'It is
very cold out here,' said tho camel, I
only want to. get my noso in. After
awhile the camel asked that ho might get
his neck in, and then ho gained permis
sion to have his forefeet in the room, aud
so, little by little, crowded i n his whole
body. The miller found his rude com
panion was now becoming exceedingly
troublesome, for the room was not largo
enough for both. When ho complained
to the camel, ho received for answer, 'If
you do not like it you may leave; as for
myself I shall stay where I am.'
So it is with sin. It comes and knocks
at the heart, and pleads for only a littlo
indulgence, and so goes on, increasing
the demand until it becomes master in tho
soul. What then shall tho young do
but guard against sin, beware of its very
appearance, and above all, pray for tho
Holy Spirit, that by His grace they may
bo. enabled to keep their heart with all
diligence, and to guard against tho en
trance of auy thing that may defile or ruiu
the soul.
Is God Bead.
A very small girl whoso mother is dead
and whoso father had married again, but
had not assumed family worship, soon
after accosted him :
"Father, is God doad ?"
" No, my child," said ho, " what rnaken
you ask that qucstiop '("
" Why, you used to pray to him night
and morning when my mother was alive,
and did not know but what God was
dead too.
fi This whole ifo is but one great
school ; from the cradle to the grave wa
are all scholars. Tho voices of those wo
lovo, and the wisdom of past ages, and
our own experience are our teachers.
Afflictions givo us discipline,