2
ljc imc0, Nero 131 oomftclD, 3n.
Tho houiewarJ voyage of tho Winged
Hover was a rapid one, but to Gilbert
Drew it seemed that ayes passed before
lie reached Rockport. do asked no one
of tho village people whom ho met for
news of Phebc. lie could not find voice
to, but he walked straight to the little
stone cottage and entered tho parlor un
bidden. A dress of snowy silk and a white bri
dal veil lay on the sola, and his lips grew
white with dread. But l'hebe came into
the room. She started back when she
saw him, then held out her hands invol
untarily, with a little glad cry,, drawing
thcui back the next instant uad making
an efFort to greet him quietly and coldly.
" l'hebe, you have not worn those?"
ho said, pointing to the sofa.
" No, I shall war them to-morrow."
He saw the look of dread, almost of
agony, that came over her' face, and he
caught her in his arms.
" My darling, you shall never wear
them," he cried ; and then he told nil his
.story rapidly, breathlessly. At first Phe
be was only able to realize tho fact of
Joe's death. But joy mingled with her
grief when she understood the whole.
Mr. Gerald Uaync, as he called himself,
needed no urging to induce him to leave
Rockport for parts unknown, after an in
terview which Gilbert had with hiin that
day. It was better so than to accuse him
openly for Phebe's sake, Gilbert thought.
Gossips were busy enough wk.li tho story
aa it was.
Two months later tho Indian muslin
dress that Phebe had laid carefully away,
she thought forever, was brought out
again ; and when the Espcranza, Captaiu
Drew's nctf ship, sailed out .of Rockport
harbor, a happy little bride went in her.
"What Makes tho Wind Blow.
If the question were asked, " Who
makes the wiud blow ?" all our young
friends would have a ready answer ; they
know that God controls all the forces of
nature. But h uses means. The sun is
Ilia great wind-maker. To understand
its action, think of the air as a great
ocean like water, but much lighter, en
tirely surrounding the globe. The sun
shines upou this ocean of air, and through
it on the earth heating them both, and
imparting most heat at the earth's sur
face. Rut the sun's rays shine more di
rectly down on 6ome parts than on others,
and therefore heat them more. Thus, it
is always hotter in the region of the equa
tor thau at the poles. Now heat expands
a fluid, makiug it lighter, and when part
of the air is expanded by heat it rises,
and the cooler, heavier surrounding air
rushes in to fill its place, aud thus wind
is produced. The following simple ex
periment will show just how this works :
Fill a large tin pail with water, in
which scatter some fine bread crumbs.
Place a burning lamp under the middle
of the pail, and the crumbs will soon be
gin to rise, carried by the heated column
of water, then making a curve towards
the sides will sink downward, and pass in
"horizontal direction along the earth's
surface. In a room containing a hot stove
drop into the air in different places bits
of light cotton, or dry thistle blossoms,
and you will see how the air is moving
to each point.
JL Good Decision-
A miser, having lost a hundred golden
eagles, sealed up in a bag, promised ten
of the eagles as a reward to any one who
should bring it to him. A poor man
finding the bag brought it to tho old gen
tleman and demanded the ten eagles ; but
tho miser, to batHe him, alleged there
were 110 eagles in tho bag when lost.-
The noor man, however was advised to
suo for the money ; and when the cause
came on to bo tried, it appearing that the
aeal had not been broken, nor tho bn
rinped. the iudge said to tho defendant's
counsel, "Tho bag you lost had 110 ea
gles in it, you say?" " Yes, your honor,"
says he. "Then," replied tho judge,
" according to the cvidenco given in court,
this cannot be your money, for hero are
only one hundred eagles ; therefore the
plaintiff must keep it till tho true owner
appears.
j&sar A writer in a contemporary men
tions the case of a student of Trinity
College, tried before Lord Gullimore for a
jietty theft. I ho deiense was his sta
tion in life, his prepossessing appearance
it iid. his family. 1 lie judge charged in
these words : " Gentlemen of tho jury,
this is a short issue, lhe prisoner at
the bar is a young gentleman of attractive
banners, and irreproachable connections
ho stole a pair of silk stockings and
you will find accordingly.
lor the Bloomfield Times.
RE GRET.
Brw.f.c,
rpiIE friendly smile oft disappears,
J- And leaves the heart to find
Solace from the doubts and fears,
Wrought by friends unkind (
Too soon, too oft, we say, farewell
Which ends tho greeting smile j
Too oft we portaud fall to tell
The hopes which most beguile.
Pursued by doubts, which end hi fears.
The heart to gloom will yield,
'Tis then, alas ! hope disappears,
'Tis then our fate seems scaled.
The rose ulpp'd hi the bud will fade,
Nor be a full-bloom flower j
A blighted friendship can't Invade,
Nor cheer a lonely hour.
Wo cannot hi a day forget
The Joys and hopes now fled j
We harbor sflll, a vain regret,
And grieve o'er pleasures lied.
When memory reviews the past,
Old thoughts we can't forget j
While the scenes wo hoped would
last
Will bring a vain regret.
THE MYSTERIOUS WIDOW.
DURING the war of 1814, Commo
dore Samuel Tucker had been sent
around to Penobscot Bay to protect the
American coasters, and while tho British
sailed up the Castinc.ho lay atThomaston.
It was a schooner that the Commodore
commanded, but she was a heavy one,
well-armed and manned and that she car
ried the true Yankee 'grit' the enemy
had received from them too many proofs.
On the morn'.ng of the 2Sth of August,
a messenger was sent down from Belfast
with the intelligence that a British frig
ate was coming from Castine to take him.
Tucker knew that, the British feared him,
and that also Sir John Thcrbrook had of
fered a large amount for his capture.
When the Commodore received the in
telligence his vessel was lying at one of
the wharves where he would have to wait
for two hours for tho tide to set him off,
but he hastened to have everything pre
pared to get her off as soon as possible,
for he had no desire to meet the frigate.
The schooner's keel was just cleared
from the mud and one of the men had
been sent upon the wharf to cast off .the
bowline, when a wagon drawn by . one
horse came rattling down to tho spot.
The driver, a rough-looking countryman,
got out upon the wharf, and then assisted
a middle-aged woman from the vehicle.
Tho lady's first inquiry was for Commo
dore Tucker. He was poiuted out to her,
and she approached him.
" Commodore, she asked, " when do
you sail from here ?"
" We sail right on, as soon as possible,
madam."
"Oh, then I know you will be kind to
me," the lady urged in persuasive tones.
My poor husband died yesterday, and 1
wish to carry his corpse to Wiscasset,
where he belongs, and where his parents
will take care of it."
" But my good woman, I shan't go to
Wiscasset."
" If you will only land mo at the
mouth of Sheepcot, I will ask no more.
I can easily find a boat there to take me
up"
" Where is the body ?" asked Tucker.
" In the wagon," returned the lady, at
the same time raising the corner of her
shawl to wipe away the tears. " I have
a sum of money with me, and you shall
be well paid for your trouble."
" Tut, tut; woman ; if I accommodato
you, there won't be any pay about it."
The kind-hearted old Comuiodoro was
not tho man to refuse a favor, and though
he liked not the trouble of taking tho
woman and her strange accompaniment on
board, yet he could not refuse. When
he told her he would do as she had re
quested, she thanked him with many
tears in her eyes.
Some of the men were sent upon the
wharf to bring the body on board. A
long buffalo robe was lifted off by the
man that drove the wagon and beneath it
there appeared a neat black coffin. Some
words were passed by the seamen as they
were putting the coffin on board, which
went to show pretty plainly that tho af
fair did not exactly suit them. It may
have been lrom prejudice on their part;
but then, seamen should be allowed a lit
tlo preiudice once in while, when wo
consider the stertt reality they have to
encounter.
" Hush, my good men," said the Com
modore, at he ho beard their murmured
remonstrances. " Suppose you were to
die awav from home, would vou not wish
J ; r
that your last remains might be carried!
to your poor pareuts! Come,hurry up,now.' I
The men said no more, an d ere long
tho coffin was placed in tho 1 told, and the
woman shown to the cabin. In less than
half an hour the schooner "was cleared
from the wharf, lind standing out from
the bay. The wind was ligh t roin tho
eastward, but Tucker had no fear of the
frigate now that he was onco out, of the
bay.
In the evening the lady pas sergercame
on deck, and the Commodore assured her
that he would be able to land hor early
on the next morning. She e: :pn2sscd her
gratification, and remarked that before
she retired, she would like to see that her
husband's corpse was safe. T his was of
course granted, and one of them lifted off
the hatch that she might go down into
the hold.
" 1 declare." muttered Dan iel
Carter,
an old sailor, who was
standing at
the
wheel, "she take on dre'fully.."
" Yes, poor thing," said Tucker, as he
heard her sobs aud groans.
D ye notice what u eye she & got I
continued Carter.
" No," said Tucker, only 'twas swollen
with tears."
" My eyes! but they shome, though,
when she stood there looking at tlic com
pass.
" Tucker smiled at the mar, s quaint
earnestness and without further remarks
he went down into the cabin.
When the woman camo up from tho
hold, she looked about the dec k of the
schooner strangely for several minutes
and then went off. There was something
in her appearance that puzzled C.irter.
He had been one of those who objected
to the coffin's being brought on board,
and hence he was not predispose d to look
very favorably upon its owner. The wo
man's eye ran over the schooner's deck
with a strange swiftness. Soon she went
to the taffrail and looked over at the stem
boat, and then she came and stood by the
biunaclc again.
" Look out, or you'll gibe the boom,"
uttered the passenger.
Carter started and found that the sail
was shivering. Ho gave the helm a
couple of strokes opart, and then east his
eyes again upon the woman, whose feat
ures were lighted by the binnacle lamp.
" Thanks, ma'am," said Dan. " Ha
hold on why, bless my soul, there's a
big spider right on your hair. .No not
thero. Here, I'll Ugh !"
This last ejaculation Dan made, as he
pulled something from the woman's hair,
which ho threw upon the deck with the
Ugh above mentioned.
Shortly nfterwards the passengers went
below, and ere long Tucker came on
deck.
" Commodore," said Carter, with a re
markable degree of earnestness in his
manner, " is that woman tnrncd in?"
" I rather think so," said Tucker, look
ing at tho compass.
" But say, didn't you notice anything
peculiar about that old woman ?"
" Why, Dan, you seem deeply interest
ed about her."
" So I am. Commodore, and so T am
about the coffin, too. Wouldn't it be
well for you and I to overhaul it ?"
" Pshaw ! you are as scared as a child
in a graveyard."
" Not a'bit. Just hark a bit ; that
woman ain't no woman.
The Commodore pronounced the name
of his satanie majesty in the most em
phatic manner.
" It's the truth Commodore I can swear
to it. I pretended thero was a spider on
her hair, and I rubbed my hand against
her face, By Sam Hyde, if it wasn't as
rough and bearded as a holystone. You
see she told me how I'd let tho boom jibe
if I didn't look out. I know thero wasn't
no woman thero, and so I tried her.
Call somebody to tho wheel, and let's go
and look at the coffin."
The Commodore was wonderstruck at
what he had heard, but with that calm
presence of mind that made him what he
was, sat coolly to thinking. In a few mo
ments he called one of tho men aft to re
lievo Carter, and then ho went down to
look after his passenger. Tho latter had
turned in and seemed to be sleeping.
Tucker returned and took Carter to ono
side.
" No noise, now, Carter ; follow me, as
though nothing had happened."
" Sartin."
The two approached tho main hatch,
and stopped to raise it when Dan's hand
touched a small ball that seomed to have
been pinned up under the afterbreak of
the hatch.
" It's a ball of twine," said ho.
" Don't touch it, but ruu and got a
lantern, replied Tucker.
Carter sprang to obey, and when he
returned, a number of men had gathered
about the spot. The hatch was raised,
and the Commodore carefully picked up
the ball of twine, and found that it was
made fast to something below. IIo de
scended to the hole, and there he found
the ball of twine ran in beneath the lid
of the coffin, lie had no doubt in his
mind now that there was mischief boxed
up below, and he sent Carter for some
thing that might answer for a screw-driver.
The man soon returned with a stout
knife, and the Commodore sot to work.
He worked very carefully, however, at
the same time keeping a bright lookout
for the string.
At length the screws wero out, and
the lid was very carefully lifted from its
place.
"Great God in Heaven !" burst from
the lips of the Commodore.
t'By Sam Hyde!" dropped like a
thunderclap from the tongue of young
Sam.
" God bless you, Dan !" said the Com
modore. " I know'd it," uttered Dan.
The men stood for a moment and gazed
upon the coffin. There was no dead man
there but in the place thereof was mate
rial for the death of a score. The coffin
was filled with gunpowder and pitchwood.
Upon a light frame work in the centre
were nrranged four pistols, all cocked,
and the string entering the coffin from
without, communicated with tho trigger
of each.
The first movement of the Commodore
was to call for water, and when it was
brought, he dashed three or four bucket
fills into the infernal contrivance, aud
then breathed more freely.
" No, no," he uttered, as he leaped
from the hold. " No, no men. Do
nothing rashly. Let me go into the cabin
first. You may follow me."
Commodore Tucker strode into the
cabin, walked up to the bunk where his
passenger lay, and grasping hold of the
female dress, dragged its wearer out on
the floor. There was a sharp resistance,
and the passenger drew a pistol but it
was quickly knocked away tho gown
was torn off, and a man came forth from
the remnants of calico and linen.
The fellow was assured that his whole
plot had been discovered, and at length
owned that it had been his plan to turn
out in tho course of the night, and get
hold of the twine, which he had left in a
convenient place; he intended to have
gone aft, carefully unwinding tho string
as he went along ; then to have got iuto
tho boat, cut the falls, and as the boat
fell iuto the water, he would have pulled
tho twine.
" And I think you know," ho contin
ued, with a wicked look, "what would
have followed. I should not have been
noticed in the fuss I'd havo got out of
tho way, and you'd all have been in the
next world in short order. And all I
can say is, I'm sorry I didn't do it."
It was with much difficulty that the
Commodore prevented his men from kill
ing the villain on the spot. lie turned
out to be ono of tho enemy's officers, and
he was to have a heavy reward if he suc
ceeded in destroying the Commodore and
his crew.
Tho prisoner was carried on deck and
lashed to tho main riggiug, where he was
told to remain until the vessel got into
port.
" What a horrid death that villain
meant for us !" said Carter.
" Yes, ho did," said Tucker with a
shudder.
"lie belongs to the samo gang that's
been robbing and burning the poor peo
ple's houses on tho coast," said ono of
the men.
' Yes, ' said the Commodore, with a
nervous twitch of the muscles about the
mouth.
A bitter curse from tho prisoner now
broks on tho air, nnd with clenched fists
the Commodore went below.
In the morning, when Tucker camo on
deck, Seguin was upon the starboard bow,
but when he looked for the prisoner he
was gone.
" Carter, where's tho villain I lashed
here last night ?"
" I'm sure I don't know where he is,
Commodore Perhaps he has jumped over
board." The old Commodore lookod sternly in
Carter's eyes, nnd ho saw a twinkle of
satisfaction gleaming there. IIo hesitated
a moment then turned away and mut
tered to himself :
" Well, well, I can't blamo them. If'
tho murderous villain has gone to death,
he has only mot a fate which he richly
deserved. Better far it be him than that
my noble crew were uow in the ocean's
cold grave."
A Pneumatic Tulio Four Hundred
Miles Long.
The following extract from a letter de
scribes the operation of a pneumatic tube
between Glasgow and London. Proba
bly few of our readers are aware of the
existence of the process by which messa
ges and packages are almost instantane
ously transmitted between tlicso two cit
ies :
" I had occasion to send a telegram to
London the other day, and in a few mii
utcs received a reply which led me to
suppose that a serious error had been
committed by my agents, involving many
thousand pounds. I immediately went to
the telegraph office and asked to rcc my
mcsssage. The clerk said, "Wo can't
show it to you, as we sent it to London."
' But,' I replied, 'you must have my orig
inal paper here ; 1 wish to sec that.' lie
again said : ' No, we have not got it ; it
is in the post office at London.' 'What
do you mean ?' I asked; ' pray let mo seo
the paper I left here half an hour ago.'
'Well,' said he, ' if you must see it, wo
will get it back in a few minutes, but it is
now in London.' lie rang a bell and in
five minutes or so produced my message,
rolled up in pasteboard.
"It seems that for some months there
has existed a pneumatic telegraph betwixt
Glasgow and London and betwixt London
and the other principal cities of the king
dom, which consists of an iron tube, into
which the messages arc thrown and sent
to their destination. I inquired if I
might get a message sent. ' O, yes, come
around here.' lie. slipped a number of
messages into the pasteboard scroll, pop
ped it into the tube and made a signal.
I put my car to the tube and heard a
slight rumbling noise for seventeen sec
onds, when a bell rang beside me, indica
ting that the scroll had arrived at the
General Postoffice, four hundred miles
off ! It almost took my breath ' away to
think of it. If I could only go to Bos
ton with tho same relative speed, you
might count on my passing an evening
every week at No. 121 Beacon street, and
returning homo to sleep. Who knows
but we may be conveyed in this marvel
ous manner before many years ?
"Perhaps you are aware thero has been
a large tube between tho general post-,
office in London and the station in Eus
tico square in operation for a number of
years. The mail bags for tho north are
all sent by this conveyance, so that the
postoffice receives letters up to a few min
utes before the train leaves, three miles
off. The transit takes less than two sec
onds! Surely this is an ago of wonders." .
A Hard Story.
A Philadelphia paper says : There is
a doctor in the northwestern part
of this consolidated city who is especially
remarkable for being, as the women term
it, " short and crusty."
A week or two since, he was called to
visit a patient who was laboring under a
severe attack of cheap whisky.
" Well, doctor, I'm down you see
completely floored I've got tho tremen
dous delirium, you know!"
" Tremens, you fool ! Whcre'd you
get your rum ?"
" All over in spots ; broke out promis
cuously, doctor !"
" Served you right."
; Father died of tho Eame disease ; it
took him under the short ribs aud carried
him off bodily."
" Well, you've got to take something
immediately."
" You're a trump, Doc. Here, wife,
I'll take a sip of old rye."
" Lie still, you blockhead ! Sirs. B.,
if your husband should get worso before
I return, which will be in an hour, give
him a dose of that trunk strap ; maybo
that will bring him to a sense of his
folly."
The doctor sailed out grandly, and
within ou hour sailed in again, and found
his friend of tho ' trenienduous delirium'
in a terrible condition, writhing and
struggling with pain. His wife, a femalo
of the kind but ignorant school, came up
and laying her hand on tho doctor's arm,
said :
"Doctor, I gavo him the strap, as you
directed."
" Did you thrash him well ?"
" Thrash him ?" exclaimed the aston
ished woman, " no I cut the strap into
hash and made him swallow it !"
"0, Lord, doctor," roared tho victim,
" I swallowed the leather, but but"
"But what?"
' I swallowed the whole strap, but I'm
darned if 1 could go the buckle !"
Tho doctor administered two bread
pills and evaporated.