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,, t 4 .. : K L K COUNTY- TltK REPUBLICAN i'A R T Y. ' " ;i i ! r
HENRY A.' PARSONS, Jr, Editor and Pumusiimi
"Two -Dqtt4H,8 pek Aknum
1 1 j. i 'a i-'
vol; i.
, : JIIDGWAY, PA;, THURSDAY,' AUGUST 3, 1871.
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NO. 22.
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1 7rT"TT
' LOVE AT SEA. ' ' "'
Foam-i-rested waves, from morn lo ulght, ..
That met nil round the deep lilue sky,
With here ana there n nail in sight,
Wlilch came, then mulshed to the eye.
Our glUterlnK wnke shono fur behind,
A path of silver reaching back ;
With shrill volco snug the suit sea wlud ;
Tho petrel hovering In our truck.
I.lnfccd arm in arm, Trticu skies were Inlr,
We trod tho deck with thoughtless aim,
Or sometimes, idly seated there,
Watched the Jai'r sails which wcut mid cumo.
O", Razlne down along the deep,
Wu marked the long, dark indolent swells,
And saw the bounding porpoise leap,
And heard ou board the hull-hour bills. .
Oil I what to ua was Time's swift flight
Or 3'irue itself, beyond a name Y
Oh I "lint to us tho noon or night,
To whom nil seasons were tho same?
For love possessed our souls, mid drew
Ills rosy veil before our eyes,
And, Steeped in bliss, our souls looked
through
Tho open gales of Paradise.
Left far hchlnd the new world lay;
Dim, distnnt, shadowy, and vast,
Tho old world rose before our way,
Kuplcte with records of tho past.
What tlmo fair Hesperus, rlslnjr, gleamed
Iu crimson deeps where sank the breeze,
Tho red sun from the far west seemed
To drop into the purple seas.
And ou the farthest verge of night
Kose tho full moon, like some pale uuu,
Her face nil wot with tears, and white,
When the sweet vesper hymn is done.
Or sailing on from high to higher,
Dy skirts of silver shining clouds, ,
Bhe seemed at times a ball of lire,
That struggled in tho tall dark shrouds.
On our side, spanned with quivering light,
The phosphorescent ocean lay,
And ou tho other, lost to sight,
Tho shadowy waves stretched far away.
And sometimes, like a silent ghost,
Dim outlined on the dark night sky,
Some fair ship, from a foreign coast
In distant seas would pass us by.
Oht soft, still night; oh! calm, rich days,
To which my thoughts like currents bend,
In whose bright wake my fancy plays,
There is uo voyage but hath its cud.
One morn I woke to scent tho brcezo
That over English downs had swept ;
And round our prow In sluggish ease
Tho waters of the" Mersey slept.
W. F. C.
WHY LUCY ELLEN DID NO! MAKIIY.
Why didn't Lucy Ellon Marigold get
married ? Hedn't any chances, eh?
Now jest you let mo tell you how it was.
Ltnoy Ellon was pretty enough; that
wasn't the trouble ; but you see them
Marigolds, they're sort of queer. Now I
don't go for ter say but she's as well off
single as inerried ; there's two sides ter
every thing ; according to my thinking,
I'd as soon be single and my own mu
Iress, as like Miss IloUyhock, who's al
ways a-lugging round a baby iu one
hand and a-doing of the work with
t'other; or like Miss Smilax you've
heern tell of young Smilax, how awful
sweet he was on her while they were a
courting? Law, bless you, how naturs
do change after gitting themselves iner
ried : 'twasn't more'n a fortnight afore
he changed his tune ; she'd no more
durst ask him for sixpence than you
durst put your head into a lion's mouth.
To be sure, it's different with a man ;
if ho don't marry, who's ter mend and
make for him ? Who's ter coddle him
up, and flitter and encourage him like 'i
Who's ter help him put the best foot for
ward, when thiygs kind of hitch ' If I
wus asked, I'd jest advise all the men to
marry, and all the women to stay single.
However, that's nothing ter do with
Lucy Ellen, that I see on, though ter be
hure she's took my advice, but no credit to
her, no more than if she'd took the var
ioloid when it was round. Maybe
you've heard of her gran'ther, Elder
Marigold 'i The folks set a heap by the
elder hereabouts, though he was the out
spokenest man that ever preached ; for
iustaiice, there was Deacon Thrift, used
to Hvo out on the turnpike ; the deacon
was mighty close-fisted, you see, and
some folks went for ter say that it was
worso'u that However, the elder got
wind of how the deacon hed sold six
foot of wood to Widder Hood for a good
cord, aud the next Sabbath the elder ho
gits up in the pulpit and preaches about
the widder and the fatherless though
mercy kuows Mrs. Hood hedn't uo
children, and was a sight better off than
the deacon and elder put together ; but
that wasn't no kind of reason why she
should be cheated out of her eye-teeth,
which they wore false ; and so tho elder
he goes for ter say a-loaning way out
over tho pulpit-oushing and pointing
fast ter oiie place aud then to auotber
m " I dou't care who it is, or where he sits
whether in the gallery or in the body
of the meeting-house, or in ths tUaronf
uuu, the man that 41 sell six foot of
W0')d for a good cord is worthy of fire
&ud brimstone, and I'm afonrd he'll git
his deserU." I've beord as how the dea
con made restitootion ; but that's noth
ing ter do with Lucy Ellen as I know of,
only the elder was her gran'ther, and as
likely a man as ever give out a psalm;
however, she didn't inherit nothing
iroui him, except a yoke of stoers and
some farming stuff. Ihe fact was, the
Marigolds might hev been somebodies
instead of nobodies and nothings, if
Harsh Marigold htdu't married as he
did, instead of nierrying as he ought to
hev done, though it don't become me to
say who . he ought to hev married.
Marsh, you see, was named after his
mother's family the Marshes over the
river yonder ; they were fust cousins ter
the Swamps aud the Boggs, rich as mud
could make 'em, Wa'al, you see, Marsh
he spoiled it all by going and merry ing
the slackest piece of flesh and blood that
ever handled a broom, jest because she
hed a pretty face on ter her. Goodness,
luany's the times I've laughed till I hed
a stitch in my Bide to hear old Dr.
Heartsease tell about them highsterics
of hers. You see on day she was took
vtry bad in ouo ; tho fact wa?, it was
about hnying-time, and thoro was plenty
ter do, and Bhn wanted ter shirk it and
go off visiting her own folks ami leave
Tildy ter do the work, find she knew
Marsh would Bend her if he thought she
was poorly ; so away she goes working
herself into a hishBterio, or convulsion
or; something, jost as well as she know
how ter manulnctur em; ana she dial
know better'n most folks, for she'd been
with a woman who'd hed 'em real. So
Marsh ho Baddies up old Flyaway and
brings Dr. Heartsease, and the doctor he
takes a pinch of snuff deliberate like,
and looks at her tonguo, and feels her
pulse, and finds out as how she's a-play-ing
'possum tho worst kind ; and s.iys he
to Tildy, says he,
" Jest brinj? me up a Dig pitctier ot
b'iling water of Viling water; b'iling
hot, remember ana a tin tunnel I
' Whatever in the world are you going
for ter do, doctor?" says Tildy.
"f over you mind, Tildy, says lie.
" I'm going ter cure her up ; you jest
run and bring ine a big pitcher of
b'iling hot water mid a tiu tunnel."
Then, while Tildy was gone for 'em,
says he ter tho patient : Now, Miss
Maricold. if you uon t come out ot that
there tit of yourn" (and he spoke mighty
stern like,) "my treatment is, in such
cases, ter pour the oiling not water
down tho patient's throat through the
tin tunnel." And, bless you, sho come
right out of it aforo the b'iling water
and the tin tunnel got up Btairs.
" I feel better now," says she ; " but
ain't that rather severe treatment, doc
tor ?" for, you see, she believed he meant
to do it.
" In severe cases," says he, " we use
severe measures ; and then ne took
another pinch of snuff and said good-by,
and Marsh sent her over to see her folks
that afternoon for fear she'd hev a re
lapse. You see, Lucy Ellen hedn't no
chance ter grow up s she'd oughtcr ;
since sho was a child she heerd her
mother net out, and tell all sort of white
fibs such as how Marsh wanted her ter
hev help, and she herself wouldn't hear
to it, nor bo bothered with a Servant
about tho house, a-putting their fingers
intor the jam, and a-stealing of tho
clothes off one's back, when Lucy Ellen
hed heerd her father say that he couldn't
afford it noway ; and how Mr. Marigold
wanted her to hev a -Leghorn bonnet
and French flowers, but, tor her part,
she thought it would be a wicked folly
when so many heathen hedn t auy thing
but a fig leaf, when Marsh hed only
said that she might hev her old straw
whitened and pressed over, and Lucy
knew that the heathen d never git any
thing better if they looked ter her ; and
then she'd tell how Marsh wanted ter
buy another horse, when Lucy knew ho
hed ter sell Flyaway to pay off part of a
mortgage. Oh, 1 tell yiu, they were
the greatest cases for stretching of the
stocking out of all kind of shape, so
you'd hardly hev know'd what it was in
the first place, and, of course, Lucy
Ellen got ter be a chip of tho old block.
When she and her mother 'd got up
their bonnets all by theirselves, they'd
make folks think they'd bought 'em over
ter Shopville, and all that sort of deceit.
They used ter make as though they hed
plum-cake for tea regular, and Damson
preserves was common as dirt, and
green tea was a drug, and loaf-sugar no
great shakes. But, gracious, you
couldn't hev got the young fellows ter
believe a word of it ag'in Lucy Ellen ;
she'd jest bewitched 'em out of their
senses witu ner Drown eyes ana ner
blushes, and her airs and graces ; they'd
'a kissed the ground she walked on, but
she jest amused herself, and then flung
'cm over, as her mother did aforo her.
And she wu a pretty piece, for all her
silly notions ; for, you see, she looked a
sight higher than any of the neighbors'
sons. Bless you, I doubt if there was a
match ter please her in all the country
round, she hed such a mind ter be a fine
lady, and not bring the water ter wash
hor hands; she thought it was down
right vulgar ter work for your living,
or ter be seen doing it ; and you might
know whon tho Marigolds was house
cleaning, for there wasn't a blind left
open ; and washing-flays you mignt nave
pulled at the bell till all was blue afore
you'd raised any body, fcnd they hung
their clothes in the attic.
But one day she got her comeupance.
You see, every spring tho court comes
down here, and a heap of lawyers along
with it tine-looking gentlemen, with
kid gloves.on their hands, and a lot of
notions in their heads, and bags full of
papers and things. Wa'al, ons morning
there comes a young Mr. Barrister along
with them, as handsome us a pictur, an l
with manners like silk, and any number
of persons ter look ter. The moment he
clapped his eys on Lucy Ellon he was a
lost man. Law bakes, tho pains be took
ter git mterduced to her ! I heerd tell
us how ho lost several cusea that term,
and his clients was mighty cut up. But
Lucy Ellen, she always seemed ter go
uiion the principle that the more bother
plie put a feller ter the better he'd like
her for it ; and I gue68 she hed the rights
of it. Ho sho lmug lclt like sxty, and
iest flirted with him ull across the court-
room, ana on ine M.reei wnu ner eyss,
till, bv-and-by, ho cornered her one day,
and rot downright acquainted. It was
all along of her being run away with by
young lleuben fleets pony, xou see,
ho was a-takine bef out ter drive, and
ieBt eot out ter tho post-oilica for. half a
minute, When wnisa i ua wem me pouy
like mad. Mr. Barrister, he was jest
a-coming out of the court-house with a
witness, and be seed his chance, and
"went for that heathen Chinee" of a
nnnv. and stooDed bini lest US JjUOV JS1-
lea was on the pint of losing her senses
and being throwed out of the carriage.
Wa'al, of course, after that they couldn't
Btand on ceremony no more ; he'd saved
her life, and sprained his own arm, and
nothing ter do but ha must come up to
?a Marigold's and bo made much of.and
Lucv Ellon" bound ud bis arm in cold
baths as tender as a sweetheart; and
everv dav ha bed ter so aud report him.
self till the arm first all right. And then,
after thev'd irot him into training, he
went of his own will, jest like a pifcuo of
ujucmuery mat naa once got au impetu
ous. He used ter slip out of court be
tween tho calling of ; hii). cases, and clip
over to Marigold's place, Mid he a chat
along with Lucy Ellon in th6 best par
lor, that always mado you sneewj t:r go
inter it, or out in the porch, whore she
Was mostly sitting, sewing like a lady in
her muslin gowns, and curls, and neck
laces, and whatnots that the other young
fellows hed given her. . Oh, I tell you.he
was that much in love with her that the
Marigolds thought it was a sure thing
though he'd never said nothing in par
ticular; and I heerd tell as how Miss
Marigold hed begun to stone tho raisins
for the wedding-cake, and looked at
owiss muslins and delusion lace over to
Shopville. i But there's many a hole in
the . skimmer, and one of 'em was big
enough fof Lucy Ellen's . beau ter slip
through.; It was eDOupli uiuko your
heart bitr with envy and wish yourself
young agin, with a blush iu your cheek,
and a tortune in , your eyes, to see ner
and Mr. Barrister together, a-walking to
meeting, and a-lditering along the way,
and a-hanging over the gate in the twi
lights, and a-sailing oil at sunset ou tho
river. Wa'al, . we can't be young but
oust, i How he usad ter look at her.with
bis soul in them great eyos of his'n, and
every word uho said was law and gospel
to his ears. Them was heydays for Lucy
Ellen, and they might hov lapped over
ter this time if sho'd hed a proper res
pect for the truth, and not 'a tried to de
ceive and hoodwink him as was honest
as daylight with her, and would have
thought all the better of her for being
capable and doing her duty. But there,
it was the woy she was brought up : "as
tho twig is bent the tree's inclined." ' It
was second natur for her ter make be
lieve, and I don't know as she could help
it, no more'n she could help looking like
an apple blossom. Dear, dear 1 now
every body was a-taiking about what a
handsome couple they'd be, and what a
match it was for Lucy Ellen, and a-look-ing
forward to the wedding fixings, and
ter dreaming on the .wedding-cake, ana
a-planning it all Out for her, as folks do I
Ileusedter bring her books of verses,
and read 'em sitting on the door-step at
Lucy Ellen s feet,- and she thinking of
goodness kn'ows what, for I doubt if sho
understood a word of 'em, though she
mado believe mighty natural and pret
ty : sho knew how.
Ouo day whon ho drove her over to
Shopville, he asked what number of glove
she wore. . ..
"The last pair I bought," said she,
was sixes." Aud so they wore. They'd
got by mistake, you see, in among the
sevens, and she'd hed to sell 'em ter Hitty
Haven for half price. So Mr. Barrister,
he goes and buys tho handsomest pair
of sixes, tho color of the lilock bushes,
and all perfumed up, and Lucy Ellen
she thanks him in her pretty, innocent
way, and puts 'em out of Bight ; and soon
as ever his back's turned, over she skips
to Shopville, by herself, and gits a pair
of sevens ; .and when he comes ter walk
ter meeting with her next Sunday, says
she, smiling up at him sweet as musk :
" I shall never put on my boautiiul
gloves, Mr. Barrister, without thinking
of you."
" I wish they might last forever,
then," said he. And I'll be bound that
Lucy Ellon's heftrt gave a great thrill of
pain and delight, jest as mine did when
her father cut there, that s nothing to
do with Lucy Ellen, only I'll be bound
she thought he was going for to say
something worth hearing. But he never
did say anything nigher to it. She's
got them Ulock sixes hid away among
her finery ter this day, dreadful witness
es of her folly. . Perhaps she keeps 'em
as a kind ot reminder ot her sins as
penance, you know though, goodness
knows, she's suffered for 'em. Wa'al, I
sometimes think troubles is sent for our
advantage, ter learn us things we
wouldn't hev no idee of without 'em.
Now if Lucy. Ellen bed merried Mr.
Barrister, and things hed gone on
smooth, and sho'd 'a lived in grandeur
all her days, she'd 'a gone on deceiving
and making believe to the end of the
chapter, without ever Boeing the harm
or seeing what she was a-doing of; but
ono day comes along this here disap
pointment, n ni sort of fctirs tho soul up,
aud sets it ter wondering what it's all
for ; aud she goes to thinking and re
flecting about herself, and the upshot
is that Lucy Ellen Marigold isn't the
same girl to-day that she wag the last
time she set eyes on Mr. Barrister. You
see the term of court was drawing ter a
close, and Mr. Barrister he was us doep
in love as ever, when, the last day, he
went over to Marigold's placo, round by
Farmer Knowles's cider mill, and up the
lauo where the wild roses grew, that led
by Mis MoriKold'g kitchen windows ;
uud going by, natural enough, he looked
in, without a thought of doing anything
unhandsome, or peeking whore he wasn t
wanted ter, and thero, with her sleeves
rolled up over her white round arms,
with her cheeks like twin rose3, eyes like
jewels, stood Lucy Ellen, ironing away
tho week's . washing for dear life, and
bumming a love-song. Of course she
didn't see him, though he stood stock
still for a full minute, drinking iu the
lovt'liinisj nd the deftness of her. Then
be walked around to tho fore-door and
pulled the belt, t Thero was some delay
ui answering of the door, and then Miss
Marigold herself opened it, smiling like
summer.
j " Wouldn't Mr. Banister walk in ? So
glad to see bun."
I Mr. Barrister went in, heart as light
as a feather, and his mind made up, I
dou't doubt, to ask Lucy Ellen to be
lisn. ' , ,
, " Can I seo Miss Lucy ?" said he. 1
"'Ahen '." said she, a-coloriug and
clearing his threat, " Lucy Ellen will be
in presently, J gfiesa ; she stepped out a
while ago ter make a call up to Square
Tendoui's. I'rn expecting her back any
moment."
i Cau't you see the poor younrr man's
face at such wonderful news, the eyee
big ; with, aatonWiment and pain ? 1. 1
wonder which he believed at the fust mo
ment, bis own ear or his own eyes ?
" Miss Lucy has gone out, has Bhe ?"
be said, taking up his hat and looking
queer.
" Yes. Oh, don't be thinking; of go
ing, Mr. Barrister ; she left word behind
that she'd be back in a jiffy," (pushing
open tho blind) "ana i was to Keep who
called.. There, 1 do believe she's coming
now; no; but she'll be back before long,
depmid on't" And then sho foil ter tell
ing him big stories about the marshes
and the swamps, nna poo oi goiu teat
was said ter be buried on the place, no
body knew where, and it didn't matter ;
and Mr. Bai rister jest answered " No,"
and " Yes," and " Ah," without hearing
a word of it all, till Miss Marigold be
gan foe to think him. the miserablest
company iu the world, when, by-and-by,
the fore-door opened, and in came my
lady, Lucy Ellen, flushed and beaming,
dressed in her good clothes, with her
sunshade and her violet gloves.
' Oh, Mr. Barrister,'' she cried, have
you been here long ? How glad I am
ter see you I" And then she stopped and
changed color at the strange, strange
look in hor lover's eyes or tho eyes that
hed been hor lover's an hour ago which
hed took a terrible sadness.
" I am coins away," said ho. then.
" I wish ter bid you gOod-by, aud to
thank you for for much pleasure and
many many hospitalities."
" ut you will come this way ag in,
and come up ter see us ?" said Lucy El
len, lightine up, thinking he only want
ed a little encouragement. ," We hev
not lo3t you altogether ?"
" INo, JVliss Lucy, I shall never come
this way ag'in. You hev lost me alto
gether, if that is anything i and I I hev
lost more than any one; I hev lost niv
faith in womanhood." And then he took
up bis hat ag'in, and bowed himself out,
and they never set eves on him ag'in.
And them's jest the reasons why Lucy
Ellen Marigold never got merried. ,
Who the Healthy Girls Are.
Girls, whose ages range from twelve
to eighteen, have an ideal standard of
size, and if by chance nature determines
otherwise, it is punished for its presump
tion. What corsets cannot effect, arsenic,
slate-pencils, chalk and vinegar can ;
and when all theso aids are brought into
requisition, tho saints are rewarded by
pallid cheeks, puny physiques waists
that a hand can almost span. The
mother knows that in the hour her little
girl modestly requests that " the hooks
or buttons be setback for mamma, eee,
can run my hand between my ' dress
waist and myself, and I do feel so untidy
with such a bag hanging round me,"
that tho warfare has begun, and until
tho day of her decline, the apostle's in
junction, to "keep the flesh in subjec
tion, will be scrupulously obeyed, .be
tween the eras of swaddling-band, and
corsets and crineline, there used to bo a
peroid of a few years, when arms and
limbs could climb trues and scale heights
like their I'rogm'-ors, mentioned by
Darwin, and muscle; sinew, and blood
bade fair to hold their own. The little
bareheaded, tanned girl of ten, astride a
hridleless and saddleless horse, or pad
dling down the stream on a raft of her
own constructing, had a season of pure
animal enjoyment, and it was thought
enough if she grew plump and rosy,
was early to bed and early to rise, and
could sins' the " fives " to the tune of
Yankee Doodle. Sho must have been
fur in her " teens," or out of them, bo
fore sho caught a glimpse of tho model
young lady, with tapered waist, pinched
feet, fastidious appetite, aud a general
air of languor prevading every move
ment? and utterance. - bhe looked upon
the lay-figure with admiration, and
forthwith commenced remodeling her
self, but with indiffrfrent success. " As
the twig is bent, the tree is inclined."
Nature had a good start, and she would
not yield to art without a hard struggle.
The few robust women of fifty to-day
are ttie ones whose young lives were
free and careless as tho birds, whoso
clothing never fettered limbs nor pressed
lungs, whose impulses and instincts wero
never checked or kilU-d outright by
Mrs. Grundy's .strictures. Woman i
Journal.
Tho Traveller's Tree.
This is the name given to a treo which
grows in Madagascar, so called because
the lower parts of its stems contain
pockets or receptacles, wnicu m the
driest seasons are filled with pure water,
The weary traveller is sure to find re
freshment by puncturing these pockets
with a spear, iho botancal inline ot
tho tree is Urania tpcchwi.-.. From a solid
trunk varying in higjit Irom ten feet up
ward, and similar in appearance, though
not nature, to that of tho southern
palmetto, Rprings up a bunch of stoma,
each about six or eight feet Ions:, and
each supporting a leaf of the same length
and some ten or twenty inches wide.
The leaves, wheu dried, form the thatch
of all the houses on tho eastern side of
island, making a perfectly wate-proof
covering, while tuo etoms nre used tor
partitions and sides, llio bark ot the
treo is very hard, and, unlike that of
the palmetto, is easily .stripped oft Iroin
the interior soft parts. For large bouses
this bark is cut in pieces of twenty or
thirty teat long a:td twelve to eighteen
inches wide, aud theentiro floor covered
with tho sanu, fis well joined B3 ordinary
timber. The green leaves are U3ed by
traders in place of waterproof wrapping
Darter for nackayes : bv the women fur
L 1 E r ' ' V "
table cloths, and the heavy pieces cut
out of them for platos at ; meals, while
certain portions are even firmed into
drinking vessels and spoons. But tho
chief peculiarity of this remarkable tree
is that, while standing iu the forest, the
stems always contain a large quantity
of pure fresh water, of which travellers
and natives make use iu the arid seasons,
when the wells and streams ari dry. To
obtain it, a spear is driven a few inches
deep in the thick end of the stalk, at its
l unctions with the trunk, aud then
withdrawn, when the water flows out
abundantly. As evey one of the twenty,
thirty, forty, or more stalks cin.give
from a pint to a quart of water, a large
amount is contained in each tree.
" Social cataclysms," says the Chicago
HqiuHUan, " are the effects of the opera
tion of that principle of natural selection
by which all nature, animate and inani
mate, is pervaded." The Louisville Jour
nal is in raptures over the information.
The Corns Isliyul and the. Gold Hunters.
A San Francisco paper tells tho fol
lowing: Tho swarthy, hoavy-bearded,
short-haired, . thickset buccaneer who
fabricated the tale of hidden treasure at
Cocoa Island has probably accomplished
more than he originally intended. With
each succeeding year the yarn has sus
tained embellishments. The 'original
buccaneer, like Washington's body ser
vant, has grown into many. Tho secret
he has told has also been credited to
buccaneers innumerable. According to
a careful estimate a larger num of money
has been expended iu .bunting the
treasure than the treasure itself the
loubloons, ingots and jewels ia sup-.
osed to be worth. Hundreds of thou
ands of dollars have beon wasted in
profitless . searches,, and not evon the
color ot gold has been discovered. .Eu
ropeans and,people of the Eastern States
have finally come to the conclusion that
the buccaneer bequeathed the tale with
malice aforethought, and that it really
has no foundation in fact. Bat we have
those in California who scout this theory.
They will succumb to the thinnest min
ing excitement and start on prospecting
expeditions upon the slightest provoca
tion. : We also have a credulous class ; a
class who will accept Munchausen stor
ies for truth not only accept, but relish
them and pay for the enjoyment. The
Cocos Island treasure-seekers belong to
this class. They exhausted their means
a few months' ago, but are now recuper
ating for a fresh start. In view of the
foregoing facts information relative to
the island is of special interest. During
conversation with a gentleman who
returned from the island with the last ex
pedition, our reporter learned something
of its characteristics. Cocos Island is
iu the Pacific Ocean, about six hundred
miles west-south-west from Panama, in
lat. 5 deg. 30 miu. north. A majority of
the newspaper accounts have spoken of
the island as being very low and sandy.
This statement is incorrect. Tho island
is 2,000 feet high nnd is accessiblo in
only two places. There is but one solo
anchorage, and here a small patch of
beach is found. The island, according
to our informant, is four miles across
and twenty miles around, and is of vol
canic origin, ileavy timbers, a tpecies
of cedar, is found iu considerable quan
tities. The greater portion of the island
is hilly, and is covered with a heavy
growth of vines, weeds and grass. The
vinos form barriers at soino points which
it is almost impossible to penetrate. An
immense amount of rain falls upon the
island, preserving its mantle of green
all tho year round. Our informant has
visited the island several times at differ
ent seasons of the year, and ulways saw'
more or less rain. When tho storms pre
vail the island presents a beautiful sight.
Torrents of water dash over the seared
hills, forming lovely cascades, and wind
their way through the ravines to the
ocean. At one timo 100 cascades were
visible from a high bluff and some of
these wero of sufficient magnitude to
render them truly grand. Whilo the
island is constantly green, and contains
an abundance of fresh water, our in
formant assures us that it does not pro
duce any edibles. Wild hogs are found,
but they are decreasing in numbers and
do not seem to thrive. The pleasure
seekers have not made any attempts at
cultivation, but have devoted their en
ergies to the main question. The little
beuch is perforated with shafts, and tho
hills and valleys abound in shafts tho
number runs into the hundreds. Some
of the excavations in solid rock are over
le hundred and fifty feet deep, and
surely could not have been accomplished
without a large outlay of time, labor
and money. This rock contains iron
pyrites, but no trace of gold, silver or
other precious metal has. been found. It
is now uninhabited. Such is Cocos Is
land, the laud which has attracted at
tention for centuries past, and bids fair
to hold its peculiar sway for centuries
to come. Auother pleasure-seeking ex
pedition is iu process of organization in
this city.
Tho riumago of Birds.
I The differences of color and plumage,
according to the sex of the same class of
birds, are very remarkable. As a rule,
the male bird has a more ostentatious
plumuge than the female. But this rule
Laa its notable exceptions. Peacocks,
pheasants, grouse, birds of Paradise, and
perhaps hardly to be mentioned iu
such gorgeous company our owu black
bird, have very dull aud unconspicuous
mutes; yet the female toucan, bee-eater,
parroquet, macaw, and tit are, iu almost
every case, as gay and brilliuift as the
male. This anomaly has been explained
by recent naturalists by the influence of
the mode of nest building. The true
principle, with very few exceptions,
seems to bo thut, when both sexes are of
strikingly gay and conspicuous color:),
the nest is secreted, or such as to conceal
the bitting bird, whilef whenever there
is a striking contrast of colors, the mule
being gay and conspicuous, the feiuald
dull aud obscure, the nest is open, kuJ
the sitting bird exposed. This import
ant theory is best iilustratud by a fuw
exuuipks. Wu will first take suiue of
those group i of birds iu wliku the female
is conspicuously colored, aud iu most
cases exactly like the male, hi boiuo of
the most brilliant specimens of the king
fisher spuuies, the female exactly resem
bles the male. Kingfishers mostly build
thoir nests iu a doep hole in the ground.
The male and female of the showy mot
mots are exactly alike in color, and their
nest is in s hole under the ground. ' Puff
birds are often gayly colored. The sexes
are exactly alike. . The nest is in a slop
ing hole in the ground. - The barred
plumage and long crests of the hoopoes
urn oniumon alike to tha male and fa-
!mule, and the nest is iu a hollow tree.
The borbets are all very gayly colored ;
aud, what is remarkable, the most bril
liant patches are disposed about the head
and' neck, aud are very conspicuous.
The male and female are exactly alike,
and the nest is in a hole of the tree.
The same remarks apply to the ground
cuckoos, save that they build a domed
nest. In the great parrot tribe, adorned
witu the most brilliant ana varied colors,
the rule is that tha sees are exactly
alike. All build in holes, mostly in trees j
but sometimes in the ground, or in white
ants' nests. If, on the other hand, we
take the cases wheu the male is gayly
colored, while the female is much less
gaudy, or even quite inconspicuous, we
find a totally different system of nost
biulding. Take, for instance, the chat
terers. These comprise Borne of the most
gorgeous birds in the world vivid blues,
rich purples and bright reds being the
most general colors. Tho females are
always obscurely tinted, and are ofteu of
a greenish hue, not easily distinguished
among the foliage. In tho extensive
families of the warblers, such as thrushes,
flycatchers and shrikes, as also in tho
case of the pheasants and grouse, the
males are mostly marked with gay and
conspicuous tints, while tho females are
always less pretentious, in the matter of
external beauty, and most frequently are
of the very plainest hues. Now, through
out : tho : whole families the nest . is
opcu ; and hardly a f single instance
can bo mentioned ' in which any
one . of ' these birds builds a : domed
nest, . or , places it in a .hole of a
tree, or underground, or in any place
where it is effectually concealed. In
these facts, the larger and more power
ful birds are- not -taken into considera
tion; because, with .these brilliant col
ors are, as a rule, absent, and they de
pend principally on concealment to se
cure their safety.. The apparent reasons
for this difference ' in the color of the
plumago of the sexes of different species
is very naturally explained. We have
seen that when the female bird has been
iu the shade as regards rivalling her
lord . and master in the way of " fine
feathers," tho oest was always an open
ono. The female bird, while sotting on
her eggs in an uncovered nest, would be
much exposed to the attacks of enemies ;
and any modification of color whioh
might render . hor more conspicuous
would often lead to her destruction and
that of her : nestlings. Those birds, on
the other hand, who, male and fenialo,
can boast equally attractive plumago,
build their nests in holes and crevices,
and have, therefore, much lees to fear
upon the score of discovery. Once a
Week. . '
Tho Ardennes Dog.
The dog of tho Ardennes accompanies
the flock when it leaves the pcnfold in
spring, ouly to return wheu the winter's
snow drives the sheep home again for
shelter. Each shepherd possesses ono or
two of these dogs, according to the size
of his flock, to act as sentinels. Their
office is not to ruu about and bark, and
keep the sheep in order, but to protect
them from outside foes. When tho
berdtman has gathered his flock in some
rich valley, these white, shaggy mon
sters crouch on tho ground, apparently
half asleep ; but now and then the great
sagacious eyes will open, and, passing
over the whole of their charge, remain
for a while fixed on the distant horizon
as though they followed a train of
thought which led them away from
earth so sadly do they gaze into the
infinite.
But let the mountain breeze bear to
his nostril the scent of the hated wolf,
or bis quick ear detect an unknown
noise, then is the time to see one of these
dogs in his glory. His eyes become
black with fierceness ; his hair stands
erect ; his upper lip becomes wrinkled,
showing a range of white, formidable
teeth, while a low growl alone escapes
trom bis throat. V hen his keen facul
ties have detected the whereabouts of
his foe, he rushes forward with a bound
that overleaps all obstacles, and a bark
that echoes from all the surrounding
Ullli!.
Every dog of the like breed who may
be near, takes up the note, and rushes
gleaming through the brushwood to
join in the attack. Tender as tho child
hood he protects, woo to him who dare
lift a band on ono of the little ones with
whom he has been brought up. It is
not he who buys him is his master ; it is
he who ted him when a pup, who pet
ted and shared his pittance with him
ho it is who has his love, and who recip
rocates his faithful affection. Overland
Monthly.
A Lndy Killed While Praying at tho
Bedside of Her Children.
The St. Josoph, Mo., Gazette gives the
following particulars of the death by
lightning of Mrs. Lovell and Mr. Blake
mau during a terriblo 6torui iu that vi
cinity. The house in which the persons
named were killed is situated about five
miles southeast from St. Joserih. It is
three stories high, with three principal
rooms and a ball on each floor. When
the storm commenced Mrs. Lovell was
up stairs iu a bock room reading from
t'ae Biblo to her little daughters. The
windows of the room having been blown
open, sho took her children, ran down
stairs, passing from the hall into a bed
room, put the children ou the bed, and
kueeled at the bedeide. In this position
the lightning struck her, causiug instant
death. Mr. Blakeman was iu the hall
aud the same bolt killed him. Several
other persons were more or le3s injured,
Mrs. Lovell was the wile of John S
Lovell, of Warren 'county, ' Va. Her
husband is now in .Virginia CLty Mon
tana. The two daughters, with; whom
she was kneeling iu prayer are aged re
spectively 9 and 6 . years. They wero
nmtured. .
. , Liquid Gold. , ;
Ouo of tha prettiest sights the human
eye ever rested upon is pure gold in its
liquid state. We saw iu the. Brunch
Mint, yefcterday, a jar containing several
gallons of the liquid, partially precipi-.
tatod. The liquid is the oolor of, pure
sherry wine, and greatly magnifies thai
which is precipitated u tha solid state
Looking through tho side of the jar et
the gold which had settled on the' bot
tom, it presented a splendor and 'mag
nifioence such as we never witnessed
even in the most brilliant sunset; an ap
pearance not unlike that which, one
would imagine the vault of heaven
would present if inverted and lined
with solid gold and lighted by a sum
mer sun. The assayer had his eye peel
ed while we were examining the jar.
Varson lieguter.
MISCELLaKLuDM items.
Halifax County, '. Va., boats 'em all.
A lady of that county, who, year before
last, was the mother of three boys at a
time, none of them living, was, week be
fore last, the mother of four boy babies
all hearty and kicking-and every
body "doing well." . ., .,.) , ,
By the' late Texas Election law, any
person in that State making a bet or
wager upon the result of an election is
debarred from the privilege of casting a
vote. A similar law has long been in
forco in other States, but betting on
elections has not been stopped. ; 1
A California paper having accused
the Memphis Appeal of telling a false
hood, the LouiBville Courier-Journal re
marks : " It is comparatively safe, when
there is half a continent between you
and a Memphis editor, to tell him that
he lies, but it is death under any other
circumstances.". i i ., :, ' ,
The Nakomis (111.) Advertiser tells s
strange Btory of a horrible adventure of
two young men near Okaw. They were
wutohing in a thioket for deer to visit a
salt lick, when one of the hunters was
attacked by an immense snake, which
coiled ' around his arm and bit him in
Buch a manner that he died in a short
time. r , ,
There is a great excitement reported
in Udd Fellows and Masonic circles ot
Indianapolis. ' It seems that an. old
door-keeper of various lodges was led by
his wife to connive at her secreting her
self in an alcove where she Could see and
hear all that was going on, aud the re
sult was that Mrs. Pillbean learned all
the forms, ceremonies, and sublime mys
teries of Odd fellowship, and having
thus started on the upward traok, was
initiated by her perfidious old husband
into the three tirat degrees ot masonry.
Some men show most wisdom in mat
ing blunders. -'A ' Western, journalist
seems to have been wiser than he knew,
when, drawing upon his memory for po
etical quotations about woman, be de
livered himself in his newspaper as fol
lows: , , . , ,
O, womau, In thlno hours of ease, '
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please j ,
But seen too oft, fumiliar with her face, .
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.'
It is doubtful if Scott and Pope, so es
sentially un'ike, could, with the greatest
care, be again so happily combined to
present an old subject iu a new light. '
A young lady writes from Leaven
worth to the Chief of Police in Kansas
City as follows : " There is a man in
your place named Johnny Bascombe,
who is in love with me, and who was
driven away from our house last week
by my old father, who drives away
every one who comes to court me.
Please, lor my sake, nnd out Johnny and
give him my picture, which I enclose to
you, and tell him that I will stick to
him, father or no father, and if you ever
come up here I will come to see you and
thank you. Just tell Johnny that his
Julia sent him the picture, and he will
know it all." The police official is puz
zled to know what to do about the mat
ter.
The ex-Emperor of the' French seems
to endure his fall and exile with forti
tude, if not with complacency. The
English papers chronicle Mb movements
with almost as much particularity as
they do their Queen's. - Their accounts
show that he spends his time in driving
and walking about, seeing sights, and
making and receiving calls. On the
4th of July, he visited, in company with
the Prince Imperial, the royal arsenal
at Woolwich, where all the latest im
provements in ordnance were exhibited
to him, together with the process of
manufacturing the new thirty-five ton
guns. It is said that his health is better
'than when he was Emperor, and that
ho is gaming nesh.
Thero are some salt wells near Brand
enburg, Kentucky, which have been a
source of astonishment as well as revenue
to their fortunate proprietors. The first
was discovered accidentally of course,
as is usual in such cases ; and when it
was found that this yielded brine suffi
cient to manufacture from eighteen to
twenty barrels of salt per day, others
were sunk with equally satisfactory re
sults. But the most extraordinary part
of the business is, that it was soon found
that all the wells yielded, in addition to
tho brine,, enough gas to supply with
fuel the two furnaces and boilers re
quired by each well, together with a
surplus which the people of Branden
burg intend to utilize for lighting their
town. "" ' 1
The Titusville Herald tells this story
of a shoemaker's luck ! ' About twenty
five years ago Mr.- Robinson (the pre&mt
owner of the famous Kobiusou farm,
near Parker's Lauding, which has yielded
thousands of barrels of oil aud dollars to
its owuer) sold 100 acres of the f.trin to a
shoemaker named Grant, residing in the
vicinity, for $100, to be paid iu boots
and shoes for bis (Robinson's) family.
Within the last two years this tract has
proved the most valuable1 oil' territory,
an-. Urant, as well us Kobtnson, JM3 not
only been made wealthy from its oil,
but still receives a handsome revenue
from' the 'same." A fewweeks -ago Mr.
Robinson received the lost -'pair of boots
on tus contract, the $ 100 worth ot leath
er having just been used up.'
In the English and American armies
efficiency of Bight is one of the manifold
qualifications in the recruit ; but a pair
of spectacles in the German ranks causes
no greater surprise than a pipe does.
But for the spectacled rank and file,
where would have been the millions fit
men whom Moltke undertook to place
within a fortnight on the Rhine f Re
moved from ' study and in-door duty,
and put to active outside work, the power
of vision in a short-sighted person will
improve. , ,,' ,
The Saturday Review' adds that -with
the spread of education by -books .to
lower and lower strata of te social
mass a practioal solution of the problem
how to utilize short sight in war will
have to be faced in real earnest, as the
necessity of the case bag forced it upon
the Germans.