S 2 4' r Qiljc imc0, New Bloomftdk J3k POLISHING THE WINDOWS. DT MRS. C. Wi.JLANDEnS. - FKS. WHIPPLE'S daughters were the most ctylish girls in the town. 'J here were four of tlieni, all handsome, and queenly and cultivated, with a little fortune of their own. which was left them two years before, arid which they were to come into full possession of when they were tweuty-one, but not a moment bo fore. Of course the young gentlemen of the village kept their eyes turned toward the Whipple family. If there was a ride, or a walk, or a party, or sociable, nothing could be done unless these four pretty maidens were concerned in it; much to the disgust of the rest of us, wlip had no ..especial expectations, whatever might he our individual pretensions to good looks and culture. There was another member of the Whipple family. This- young lady was a niece of Mr. Whipple, the child of a fa vorite sister, who had been unfortunate, and who died not long after her marriage. The child was such a mc, puny creature, with such awkward, shy vays, that she grew Cinderella-like, in such domestic ob scurity that none of us knew much of her until the event happened which I am about to relate. Cousin Ned was always an eccentric genius. IJe had been traveling all over Europe, and was the author of " Letters from Paris," published in our paper, that were thought Very brilliant, because they described the European fashions in a vi vacious way, and cut us Americans up for trying to ape Eugenia, when we ought to have enough sense to know that styles of one country were illy adapted to an other. Cousiu icd was regarded as a great catch. All the Whipple girls were de lighted when they heard of his intended return, and made mo promise to bring him over as soon as he was at leisure. Indeed, they had becu very attentive to nie on his account, as I very well knew, and I was- just foolish enough to be pa tronized by them, although I knew they barely recognized me at Saratoga, when we met there one summer. Among my letters that morning, I found one from Ned. lie had arrived in New York, and was only waiting he said, " to purchase me the handsome silk, at Stewart's," before comiug to us. As I knew there was to bo a birtly party at the Whipples, I ran over to show the letter, aud bog then to allow nie to telegraph to Ned to hasten, that he might be in season for the festivities. We were all sitting in the back parlor, talking over our new dresses and trim mings, wheu ;Mr. Whipple came in has- " Now, girls," this won't do; somo of you must polish the windows in front. Bridget is all out of sorts this morning. She says she will wash them, but she will not have timo to rub them, and that un less somo of you will help her, she will U'V, and it will be just like her to do it. So if you know what is for your interest, do fly around and get her good natured again ?" "Where's Said?" asked "all the girls in a breath. Said, was the orphan niece, and was expected to do everything that Bridget didn't. " She's sick, with one of her terrible headaches;" Mrs. Whipple said, with an indignant toss of the head. " Well, shu's always sick, it seems to ine." Cecelia cried out harshly. " I've been expecting she would give out ever since my birthday party has been, announced," said Iloso, spitefully. " I should think, you would be ashamed of yourself," Mrs. Whipple returned, as if there was a slight sense of justice left in her. " Said, has worked like a dog ever sinco this party was talked of. Look at the piles of cakes she has mado, and the creams and whips to say nothing of the dresses and furbelows. I should, think you might have somo mercy onthc child." " Well, I guess she can manage to pol ish these windows," Rose said, laughing ly. " You don't think I'm going to stand up there for everybody to look at who goes by?" " If you never do anything worse than polislv windows you nover will have occa sion to blush for yourself," the mother f.aid. " Well, I should blush to be seen do ing Bridget's work, and if eho can not do it, then Said must." " Said ! Said I" Rose screamed, at the foot of the stairs. " Well," answered a- sweet, pleasant Toioe from above. " Bridget wants somebody to polish the windows." Thcro was a little pause, as if gather ing strength to take up the cross then the sweet voice answered. " I'll como right down." " Well, hurry up, they are all cross Bridget and mother." " Yes, dear." Hose came buck to where we were sit ting, but somehow, the beauty of her face had all disappeared. Presently Said came in- with a white handkerchief resting on her curls, like a dainty morning eap, aud with a chamois skin in her hand. I do not suppose I had looked at Said for two whole years as observantly as 1 looked at her then. Was it possible this was the sallow, peaked-faced girl that had been called "Said?" Her form had rounded into the finest proportions, 'flic blue eyes looked from under the long, silken lashes, with a depth of ton4ernoss in them, such as one sees in the pictures of nuns grieving for the lost love of this world, aud yearning for the sanctificatiou of that to come. The pen sive rounding of the smooth cheeks, aud graceful curving of the red lips were perfect, and every motion was graceful aud winning. Said passed near mo with timid recog nition, blushing as if she expected no return to her salute. 1 don t know what impulse made me rise, aud put my arm asound her neck, and kiss her, but the girls all burst out laughing when I did so, in such a sarcas tic manner that Said slipped hastily away, but not until I had seen the tears in her beautiful eyes. ' " What made you ksis Sjiid?" Hose asked, tartly, when I was seated again. "I couid not help it," I said; '-she is the prettiest creature L ever saw." Hose poutoVl. Said took the steps and mounted bold ly. As she stood there with the lace dra pery falling around her, with her perfect ly moulded arms moving over the glass, 1 thought what a pity it was that Ctusiu Ned could not see her, for it would be exactly the kind of picture to take his fancy. J ust then some ono entered tbe front gate, and came along the gravel, walk. " Bless me L" Hose cried, springing to her feet; " there is a stranger." and away she rau to airauge her toilette. Cecelia simply tucked her pretty foot on the cushion, and opened a book in the most graceful way imaginable. " Do get down, Said," gasped Mat; but Said went on polishing, as if sho had not heard. Mat went to the piano and struck a plaintive chord, jur as I recognized the voice of Cousiu Nad. Such a time as wo had. then ! Hose was recalled, and came down in a silk dress, and was so surprised, aud so de lighted, and it was so fortunate he had come in fceason for the party- Thcro was no end to the rapturous exclamations. Mrs. Whipple had somehow taken off the working gown she had been wearing all the morning, and come sailing for ward in a handsome wrapper. She kiss ed him on both cheeks, iu such a mother ly way, and then, after a time, made him try her raspberry shrub, and walked him all over the premises to see the improve ments that had been made Bince ho went to Europe. Ned was in his manners a gentleman, and listened as if sho wore telling him what he was most eager to know, but ev ery once iu a whilo his eyes glanced to ward the front wiudow, where Said was polishing, without a word of apology, or an attempt to , lea.ve her work. When the glasses were cleaned, and she had gone from the room, Ned asked : "Allow mo to inquire how it happens, Mrs. Whipple, that you are fortunate in haviug beautiful servants as well as ele gant daughters ?"- Must everything - be beautiful that comes within you pleasaut circle 1" Mrs. Whipple laughed, and tho girls laughed, but no one said, the youwj lady in our relative, and so Nod still supposed that Said was a house-servant. When we were passing down the walk to go home, and whilo Mrs. Whipple and her daughters were still at the hall door, we came near Said, who was standing among the rose bushes, culling buds i for vases. " Said," I asked, " may I introduco you to my Cousin Ned ? You have not forgotten each other, I trust?". Said blushed the color of the roses sho held in her hand, but with perfectly lady like grace, saluted him.: Ned was embarrassod any one oould see that but he did find words to say he certainly had not recognized her as he came in. lie stopped to select a bud from the fragrant mass, when Boso cried out, from the hall steps : " If you are ready Said, wo will ' ar range tho flowers." A little tremor passed over the beauti ful lips, but she bade us a pleasant good morning, and- went in. " In what capacity does that young la dy serve in her aunt's family ?" Ned ask ed, after he had swept off innumerable dandelion blossoms with his cane. " It would be difficult to say. She seems to bo as much a maid-of-alUwork as anything." Ned was absent-minded from that day forth. 1 wore the gorgeous silk he had brought me from Stewart's, but no one knew better than I, how dowdy 1 looked beside Said, in her cool, white muslin, looped up with moss rose buds. As none seemed to notice her, all being absorbed iu their admiration of the Miss es Whipple, Cousin Ned took her upon his arm, and, I am afraid, would not have left her the whole evening, had not Mrs. Whipple summ'oned her to take round the ices. I wish you could have seen Ned's face then, it flashed all over. The long and short of the story is, Said became' my cousin, and we are as fond of each other as if we were sisters'. At first the Whipples were very indig nant, but when Ned discovered that Mr. Whipple had made Said an heir ' equally with his daughters, and refused- to allow his wife to receive a penny of the money, they became very patronizing and kind. As Ned was amply able to buy the Whipples all out, and then have money to lend them, he cared very little for their likes hr dislikes. Said is us happy as the days are long, and blesses the hour when she was called upon to polish the windows. We do not suppose that every young person who polishes windows will see her lover come- up the gravel walk - but no sensible girl should be ashamed to be seen doing anything that is useful aud domestic, since no one whose opinion, is desirable will think less of her for being thus employed. (Juestiuns Auswered ly Science. 711Y is rain water soft? Because it is not, lmpregnaieu wuu carin aud minerals. Why is it more easy to wash with soft water than hard ? Because soft water unites freely with soap, and dissolves it iustead of decomposing it, as hard water does. Why do wood ashes make hard water soft? 1st. Because the carbonic acid of wood ashes combines with the sulphate- of lime in tho hard water and converts it into chalk. 2d. Wood ashes converts some of tho soluble salts of water into insoluble, and throws them down as a sediment, by which tho water remaius more pure. Why has rain water such an unpleas ant smell when it is collected in a rain tub or tank ? Because it is impregnated with decomposed organic matters, in which it is collected. Why does water melt salt? Because the very minute particles of water insinu ate themselves into tho pores of the salt by capillary attraction, and force the crystals apart from each other. How does blowing hot foods make them cool ? It causes the air which has been heated by tho food to change rapidly, aud give place to fresh, cool air. Why do ladies fan themselves in hot weather ? That tho fresh particles of air may lie brought in contact with their face by the action of the f;tn ; and as every fresh particle of air absorbs sonje heat from the-skin, this constant change makes them eool. Does a fan- cool the- air ? No ; it makes tho air hotter by imparting to it the heat of our face, but cools our faces by trans ferrin": its heat to the air. tfeS As a fine-looking young man was coming out of the depot in Hartford, Conn., he was met by a beautiful girl who throw her arms around his neck, and kissed, him several times, exclaiming: " Oh, Charles, you have come at last. How happy I ain." The young man who was nut particularly bashful, relish ed tho kisses, and even went so far as to return tham, but tho-young lady, soon discovered her mistake, and was ready to scream with shaiuo aud mortification. It seems that she had expected her brother by tho traiu, who had been absent sov eral years in Europe, and was strikingly like tho -young stranger. The mistake was natural, uud was readily forgiveu. A Woudcrful Microscopic Discov ery. SCIENCE is yet ceaslcssly working'on to results still more surprising. The last advance, which has just been made in this city, is a very largo one. Until now the best microscope magnified object not more than two hundred lion times its size, and very low micros copists ever saw such power. Tho Piesi dent of tho Hoyal Society of England last Summer showed a shell magnified one hundred and forty-four million times, and this excited the astonishment of mi croscopists throughout the world. But the new opticle combination ut. com pleted in this city cxliibits tho same ob jects under the enlargement of nine thousand million times its natural magni tude. 1 f an ordinary domestic fly could be seen entire under such magnification it would seem to cover a space as large as the whole city of New York below Wall street. A man would appear more thaiiSiJiundred miles high, and a lady s hair CvouTd reach half-way from New York to New- Haven. This wonderful instrument is so sensi tive that a load word spoken near it destroys ill distinctness of vision, from the tremor imparted to it by the motion of the air, and a footstep on tho floor shakes it out of adjustment. The field of view that is, the area which can bo seen at once is a circle only the one twelve-thousandth part of an inch in di ameter. A niicroseropic shell called and aniiiiiiim, of which about ono hundred and forty placed end to end will reach an inch, and which is simply marked with lilies of the most exquisite delicacy when examined under ordinary powerful mi croscopes, exhibits under the new in strument half globes of white silex, whose diameter 'appears to be an inch and three quarters, aud of which only fifteen can be seen at once. In reality, the point of a cambric needle is larger than tho circle upon which those fifteen half globes exist, and yet that circle appears like a dessert plate covered with lady apples. Theso wonders we have seen, but how they are produced only men of se'.enee can fully explain and understand. JV. Y. ISun. Too Late- for Explanation. LORD MARK KERR, who distin guished himself at tho battle of I'ontenoy, was a good but eccentric of ficer, uud a terrible duelist. His debut was remarkable., lie was a lad of slight. effeminate appearance, apparently void of spir.it. His lather, tho Marquis ol Lothi an, when he brought him to London to join his regiment the Coldstream Guards requested the Colonel, who was his par ticular friend, to watch over him, and see that he submitted, to no improper liberties, and to instruct him in the way he should go, iu case ho had the misfortune to be insulted. Those were the days of hard-drinking, " prodigious swearing" and brutal man ners. This pacific young scion of nobil ity soon became a butt at mess, a- stop peg to hang practical jokes on, until at last a Captain of a year's standing threw a glass of wine in his face. Ho. still said nothing, but wiped his face with his handkerchief, and took no further notice of the insult ho had received. The Colonel thought it was high timo to-interfere, and invited him to breakfast,. trtf-u-tete, on the following morning at v o'clock. Lord Mark arrived punctually, ate his breakfast with perfect composure, and spoke but littlo. At length the com manding officer broke ground. " Lord Mark," said he, " I must speak to you on rather a delicate subject, but, as your father's friend, l am compelled to waive ceremony. Captain L , yes- terday morning, publicly passed an-affront on you, which both your honor and the credit of the regimen require youito no tice." " What do you think, sir, I ought to do ?'' inquired Lord Mark. " Call on him for an. explanation," re joined tho Colonel. "It is, I fear, too late for that,"'rcplied the young Ensign, " I shot him at eight this morning, and it you take the trouble to look, out of the front window, you will seo him-on a shutter!" No more Ckuiplalnls.. A married gentleman, every tim,e he met tho father of his wife, complained to him of. the ugly, temper and disposition of his daughter. At last, upon one oc casion, becoming .' weary of the grumb lings of his son-in-law, the old gentleuiau exclaimed 5 " You are right ; sho is an impertineut jade, and if 1 hear any more complaints of her I will disinherit her." The husband made no more complaints. In Hie Dark. A MINISTER was traveling in tl backwoods, and espying a cabin, 1 entered on a mission of mercy. Tho lad; of the house (she being present alon. and rightly judging his errand) when si saw him approaching, seized the Bibb mil- lind as he entered was to all intents bus ti .i i ii ly (Vigageu in perusing uic volume. 11 noticed, however, that she held tl: letters reversed, or in other words upsid down. After the usual courtesies, th minister inquired what she was reading " O, 'bout the old prophets," was th evidently self-satisfactory reply. " It is very edifying to read tho suffer ings of Christ," said the minister. " And so that good man is dead, i.-i he ?" asked the matron, evidently getting interested. ' Certainly He is." " Well, that is just the way. I'vo been at John a long time to get him to take a newspaper, but be won't. J' very body in the world might die, and we not hear a word 'bout it," said tlio woman, in a rapid tone. " Ah, Woman you are in the dark," said the preacher, with an elongated face. " Yes, I know we are. I've been at John a long time to put a window in at the fur end of the house, but ho wos't do that either." " I perceive that you are very weak in ' knowledge." "1 know I am weak, and I guess if you had had the bilious lever, and been taking saxafrax and catract pills as long as I have, you'd be weak too," replied the woman, in rather an angry tono of voice, and half an octave higher than us ual. What Becomes ot Tins. Numbers of people have entirely be wildered and stupefied themselves in en deavors to arrive at some rational conclu sion on the subject of pins. The statisr tical accounts of the numbers of pina turned out annually at Birmingham and Sheffield alone, would lead one to expect that the earth itself would present the appearance of a-vast pincushion. Where are those pins of- which the yearly fabri cation is on so vast a scale '( Pius are not consumed iiaan article of diet. Pins) do-not evaporate. Pins must bo some where. All the pins which have besn mado since civilization set in, must be iu existence in some shape or other; wo ought to seo nothing else, look in what direction we might, but pins. Reader, bow many pins are imported into your own house within the course of the year ? Do you know what becomes of theso pins? There are a few in vour wife's pincushion, and-one may occasionally bo seen gleaming in the housemaids waist band; but where are the rest ? It is per fectly astounding how seldom one encoun ters a pin "on the loose. INow ana then, by rare chance, as when a carpet is taken up, you may catch a glimpse of a pin lving in a crevice : but even this is an uncommon occurrence, and not to bo counted. You often want a pin and take trouble to get one. Whero are alb the pins that ought always to auco everywhere ? be in attend- A Knotti Text. There was once an itinerant preachcrl in West Tennessee, who, possessing con siderable natural cloquenco,had gradually! become possessed of the idea that he wasl also an extraordinary fiiblical scholar.- Undcr.this delusion he would very freJ ciuentlv at the close of his sermons, askl any member, of Iris congregation who! might have a " knotty text" to unravelj to speak it, and he would explain it at once, howover much it might havel troubled " less distinguished divines." I On one occasion), in a large audience, lui was particularly, pressing tor some one hi propound a text ; but no ono presuming to do so, he wa;about to sit down with- out an opportunity to show his learning! when a chap baclc by the uoor announccti -.- ...... Tie had a Biblo matter of trreat " con! cern," which ho desirod to be enlighten ed upon. The preacher ouito animated ly professed! his willingness and ability and the congregation' iwas in great-excite went. " Wrhat I want to -know," said the out skier, " is, whether.- Job a turkey was hen or cobbler ?" ' The "expounderV looked confused, an tho congregation tittered as tho question cr capped the cliina by exclanmug, in loud voice : " I fotchod him dbwn on tho fust ques tion I" . ' From that tune forward, the practic of asking for difficult continued. passages, was disj