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HENEIY A. PARSONS, Jb., Editor and Publisher. .
. ELK -COUNTY TUE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Two Dollars tm Ann cm.
. I.
RIDGWAY, PA., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1871.
NO. 35.
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i
VOL
tlX'S COMPLAINT.
HESTER A. BEtiKPtCT.
l'sc a poor 'iltle sorrowful baby,
For B'ldgct is 'way down stairs;
My tittcn bag statched my finder,
And Dolly won't say her p'aycrs.
I hain't seen iny bootiful mnmma
Since ever bo Ion' ado ;
An' I ain't her tunnln'est baby .
No loader, for B'ldgct Bald so.
My ma's dot anoder new baby ;
Dod dived It He did yes'erday,
An' It kics, It kics, oh, so defTul t
1 wis he would fate it away.
I don't want no " sweet 'lttle sister !"
I want my drod mamma, 1 do ;
I want her totiss me, au' tiss me,
An' tall me her p'ecious Lulu t
I dess my bid papa will b'ln' me,
A 'lttle dood tltten some day,
Here's nurse wld my mamma's new baby ;
I wis' s'e would tate it away.
Oh, oh, what tunnln' ycd finders 1
It sets me yite out o' its eyes I
I dess we will tecp it, and dive it
Sometanny whenever It kles.
I dess I will dive it my Dolly
To play wld mos' every day ;
And I dess, I dess Say, B'ldgct,
As' Dod not to tale it away.
The Children?! Hour.
A FORTUNE IN A TEACUP.
" You don't looli happy, Beatrice." '
Well'r"
" Not a very encouraging inflection on
the word, my dear. Does it invite sym
pathy or inquiry Y'
' " Neither."
" I believe you are out of sorts."
" Have you any objtction '("
Her handsome, good-natured brother
laughed outright.
' Very Berious objection, Beatrice, if it
makes you cross with me. Now, tell
me all about it."
" I've nothing to tell."
Harry Longworth gave her a quisle
look, mistrusting at once the cause ot
her unainiable mood. He was a tine
young fellow of two-and-twenty, with
a bright, cheerful face that won every
body's confidence, and the frankest,
sunniest temper in the world every
body's friend and a moot devoted brother.
Beatrice, two years younger, had been
slily called " Iceberg " by her school
friends, who had fouud considerable dif
ficulty in thawing the reserve of a cold
and apparently unsympathetic nature.
She was admired where she was scarcely
liked, for htr literary ability and flue
conversational powers, which she some
times chose to exhibit, gave her a claim
to be considered " brilliant " in the cir
cle where she moved. To her could
justly be applied Tennyson's description
of Maud " Faultily faultless, icily reg
ular, splendidly null."
She stood, in her elegant walking
dress, leaning against one of the veranda
pillars, and listlessly swinging a croquet
mallet to and fro. The sound of merry
laughter from a distance seemed to an
noy her, and she shrugged her shoulders
impatiently under her brother's touch.
"Beatrice, you have quarreled with
Doctor King."
She looked up with a defiant expres
sion. " That is my affair, Harry."
Inside the parlor, the window of
which stood open, a woman sat reading.
She closed her book at the sound of
voices, and sat erect, quiet, listening.
" You are making a mistake, then, in
your own affairs. This is the second
time, you know, and Doctor King is not
the man to endure trifling. For heaven's
sake, don't let your abominable pride
stand in the way to your happiness;
though I believe you would sooner die
by inches than yield, Beatrice."
" I yield only when I am in the wrong,
Harry. But what made you suppose
there was trouble between us ? 1 said
nothing."
"Probably you can recall the old
adage of actions speaking louder than
words, and then you know how easily
your gifted brother puts this and that
together. I was in John King's room
only half au hour ago ; found him pack
ing his valise, humming a little tune to
himsell, by-the-way, and not apparently
suffering from heart-disease. He told
me he was suddenly called to New York
could not tell when he would return.
But, now I find you in such a melancholy
frame of mind, I am convinced that he
was sent, not called, away, and that you
are responsible. Have you been gnaw
ing at the old bone of contention '("
" If you mean Mr. Warren, yes. I ac
cepted an invitation to ride with him
to-morrow. Doctor King objected un
reasonably. I am my own mistress yet,
I believe."
Hurry Longworth gave a comical
groan, which ended in a long sigh.
"Don't be foolish and obstinate,
Beatrice! I declare, the perversity of
women is one of the most unaccountable
things in this universe. I don't like
Warren a bit, with all his polished man
ners, and you may be sure Doctor King
has good reason for his antipathy. You
know you love John as well almost as
well as you do your precious brother !
Now confess you do I"
The proud, willful woman made no
reply. The figure in the parlor stirred
quietly, changed its position so as to get
a glimpse of Beatrice Longworth's im
penetrable face, and looked at her eager
ly, a little sneer growing on the lips.
Both brother and sister were equally
unconscious of her gaze. Harry pleaded
long and eloquently with his sister, ap-
Earently to no purpose, for waiting till
e concluded, she said, quietly :
" If you have finished, 1 think I will
go to my room and dress for evening.
It is nearly time for the tea-bell."
She walked into the house with her
stately tread, leaving perplexed Harry
to reflect that, although blessed might
be peaoe-makers.it was doubtful whether
those who failed in their worthy efforts
in that direction were equally fortunate.
Sibyl Guerrin remained in the parlor
for a little while, apparently well pleased
with her own musings. She rose at
last, and with a gliding sort of motion,
in some way suggestive of a feline pro
pensity, went to her own room, whero
she gazed at hor reflection in the little
looking-glass on the wall, and solilo
quized :
" It is worth one more trial at least,
if you can play your cards well, Sibyl
Guerrin I Your are thirty-four, and
fast losing your wonderful complexion ;
but all your beauty is not gone yet I"
She looked complacently at tho black
eyes, which flashed back a triumphant
gleam, and let her heavy hair fall all
about her shoulders, passing her hands
admiringly through it, and pressing it
carelessly against the rich bloom of
cheeks which did not depend for their
crimson tint on any artificial aid. Sibyl
Guerrin's gipsy blood asserted itself in
strong coloring, and with her great glit
tering eyes, gave her a strange, uncanny
style of beauty fascinating to men and
detestable to women.
Blanche Longworth particularly dis
liked her. The two women met on a
common battlefield, giving no quarter
and looking for none. Sibyl Guerrin
had become infatuated with Doctor
King during the first week of their so
journ in the old country-house, and,
reckless of the supposed engagement be
tween him and Beatrice, used every lure
to draw him to her side. That she had
a certain influence upon him was unde
niable, and Beatrice looked on with
slow anger in her heart, the little flirta
tions with the objectionable Mr. Warren
being possibly the result of pique.
Tho tea-bell was rung precisely at six
o'clock, and tho boarders coming from
the woods, the lake and croquet-ground,
manifested a reasonable appetite for the
good things provided. Beatrice was in
her accustomed place, looking colder
than ever, in a plain whitu dress, fast
ened at the throat with a heavy gold
pin. Miss Guerrin was late, bringing
with her the odor of tube-roses, nestling
among the rich old lace which orna
mented her dress a delicate robe of
sheeny, orange-colored material, espe
cially becoming to her Spanish face and
hair.
Perhaps she made a little more bustle
than was necessary on taking her seat.
" Excuse me, Auntie Moore, for my
tardiness. I am sure I don t know how
I happened to sleep away all this de
licious afternoon. Thank you, Doctor
King," she added, with a particularly
thrilling glance at the gentleman named ;
" don't move, please ; I am so sorry to
disturb you."
Why she should make a statement so
wide of the truth in regard to her after
noon occupation, or rouse the doctor
from a brown-study by thanking him
so cordially for assistance he had not
made the slightest attempt to offer, was
best known to herself.
The dozen city boarders who were
associated in one family for the summer,
found plenty to talk about, and had
merry times at the table, presided over
by a motherly, genial old lady, who had
her eyes and hands constantly employed,
though she enjoyed as heartily as any
one the fun going on about her.
A ligbt-baired young man at the foot
of the table, one of Miss Guerrin's ad
mirers, said, timidly, in a momentary
pause : " Is the Sibyl in a prophetic
mood?"
The lady referred to smiled gracious
ly, and inclined her head,
"Never more so, Mr. Telfair; and
happy that such is the case, if there is
anything interesting in your cno to
night." He passed it to her, and they all
listened to the playful, graceful prophe
cies which she uttered for his benefit,
saying at the close : " I believe I have
the second-sight just now. Pray allow
me to test its accuracy and establish n
stronger claim to my name."
She pressed her hands upon her eyes,
and a large ruby ring which she wore
looked more like a great drop of blood
than ever to the nervous little Bister of
Mr. Telfair, who shuddered and whis
pered to her right-hand neighbor that
she was dreadfully afraid of that woman,
and wondered how Jack could like her
so much. One teacup after another was
handed to her, laughingly, and much
amusement created by her comments
upon each.
Harry Longworth requested the doc
tor to try and learn his fate at the hands
of the fair sorceress.
" Nothing very startling to be told of
me, Harry. Destiny in tea-grounds!
What are we coming to in this nine
teenth century '"
He leaned back in his chair with a
good-natured smile as he granted the
request. A tall, well-formed man with
fine face, a little too grave, perhaps, at
times, with the imprint of manifold
cares which had come upon him early in
life, and from which he could seldom es
cape, he was a man to command univer
sal respect and regard.
Sibyl Guerrin took the cup from Har
ry Longworth's hand.
A fair future, if not a startling one,
I hope. Oh "
The exclamation was sharp and sud
den. She set the cup down hurriedly
and shivered, dropping her face in her
hands. When she lifted it, the uncanny
look was stronger than ever, and the
rich color of her cheeks had somehow
faded a little. Every eye was upon her,
and Jack Telfair's sister gave a little
hysterical laugh.
"Pray excuse me, I I" She
hesitated, and faltered : " Doctor King,
do not urge me to"
Again she paused, and half rose from
her seat, sinking back as if overcome
with the effort.
"Can it be possible, Miss Guerrin,
that you have seen such horrible visions
in that crockery cavern as to make you
faint 1" If so, we must surely kuow
what they are !"
She shook her head violently.
" Please don't ask me 1" she murmured
in a distressed tone, and with a face to
correspond.
If she had deliberately attempted to
excite the curiosity of the company, she
had fully succeeded, and with one ac
cord they urged her to gratify it
With a very reluctant air she again
took up the teaoup, and said, in a slow,
solemn tone :
" Doctor King leaves us within twelve
hours. He has a journey before him.
There is an aocident a bridge carried
away he does not come back to usl
Don t ask for more." '
The doctor received all the attention
at once. ,
" Is it true, King, that you have any
idea of running away before we break
up for the season ? That's not fair, if it
is a faot."
" I did intend to go to New York to
morrow, and had not decided when I
should return. So far, you may be con
vinced that our Sibyl is reliable," with
a searching look at Miss Guerrin, which
might be interpreted to mean, " How in
the world did you know anything about
ur
The lady sat with her head resting on
her hand, in a drooping attitude, as if
her efforts in reading the future had
produced a very depressing effect. She
had looked up but once, glancing slyly
across the table at Miss Longworth, who
sat quiet and slightly contemptuous.
"Ill news travels fast, .King," re
marked Harry Longworth. "I did not
suppose you had mentioned your trip to
anybody but me."
Miss Guerrin's attention was roused.
The black eyes were very black, indeed,
as she said :
" Your words, Mr. Longworth, seem
to imply my former knowledge of the
fact"
" Pardon me, Miss Guerrin, I had no
intention of doubting your prophetic
powers. Please don't be offended. You
see, I am rather new to this sort of busi
ness. I oh, of course, you didn't ! he
didn't I mean, tee didn't Well, I de
clare," with a long breath, "I give it
up I"
Doctor King came to his help.
" I have not seen Miss Guerrin since
the morning mail came in. She knew
nothing of my change of plans from
me."
Harry Longworth found it hard work
to keep from laughing outright, at the
way in which the innocent mail was
made responsible for the caprice of a
female who sat as unmoved as if it was
of no consequence to her if every man
at the table died within twenty-four
hours.
" You won't go now, of course, Doctor
King," twittered a voice near him.
Little Mary Shannon's faith in Sibyl
Guerrin had been unbounded since the
discovery of a certain somebody's ini
tials in her teaoup.
Perhaps the man's resolution did fal
ter for a moment, and his eyes sought
Beatrice Longworth's with a troubled,
questioning gaze. Possibly she might
have seen the look, if her attention had
not been wholy absorbed in the folding
of her napkin.
" Business uieu can seldom Lore their,
choice in such matters," was his answer.
" I must go to-morrow, and trust to the
Fates to take care of me."
He rose from the table as he spoke,
holding the door open for the ladies to
pass out. Miss Guerrin happen to be
the last. She touched his arm lightly.
" Don't go."
It was her lost chance, and she threw
considerable effect into the two little
words. Useless, however.
" Unfortunately I must," he replied.
The tube-roses were thrown aside
that night with a cruel gesture.
" I hate her I hate her I" she mutter
ed, with the black look in her eyes again,
" and I would rather see him dead than
married to her."
For once she had overestimated her
power. Doctor King was on his way
to New York before breakfast-time the
next day.
It was early twilight. Beatrice Long
worth, calm and majestic as ever, was
pacing musingly backward and forward
in the garden. It was impossible to
read her thoughts. It was doubtful
whether the most intense emotions could
be reflected in that placid countenance,
even if they disturbed the heart in her
breast. She held a book in one hand,
her fingers between the leaves, and
might have been conning a lesson like
the most faithful schoolgirl.
Her brother Harry came running
down the walk, grasping a yellow en
velope in his hand, on which she read
the words, " Western Union Telegraph
Company," while he stood before her
out of breath. Possibly she grew a little
paler.
" Oh, Beatrice !" he half whispered,
crushing the envelope in bis hand as
though he had accidentally exposed it,
" don't make it any harder for me to
tell you "
" Tell me at once," Bhe interrupted.
with an imperative gesture.
"The train was thrown from the
track !" his voice growing husky ;
" most of the passengers escaped unhurt;
but Doctor King lost his li "
The word died on his lips, for his
stately sister, with a choking sort of
cry, fell at his feet unconscious.
The exclamation which broke from
him was in startling contrast to his
previous tone of distress. By Jove !"
he cried, fercely. " Beatrice 1 Mercy
on me, what's to be done '("
A man with a fainting woman on his
hands is generally as forlorn a spectacle
as cun be seen. Harry Longworth was
no exception to the rule, and gazed im
ploringly in every direction, while at
the same time, by some strange con
tradiction, a broad smile was striving
for possession of the perplexed face.
He raised her in his arms and started
for the house, but before he had gone a
dozen steps she opened her eyes, and
struggled to be released. He put her
down gently, holding her with one arm
about the waist
" Upon my word, Beatrice, it was too
bad to tell you, bat how was a fellow to
know whether you loved him or not V
I mean King, of course." He hurried
on, seeing the white fare quiver. " He
is all right, bless you I 1 was going
to tell you so, and that he lost his light
overcoat"
Beatrice must have loved her brother,
or she could never have forgiven his
practical joke. It was a little hard
upon her, but perhaps the end justified
the means.
" You see how it was," he explained.
"King was awfully out up by your
treatment and I was just crazy to find
out whether you cared for him or not
He is a great deal too good to be abused.
He knew we would hear of the accident,
and naturally supposed his friends
would be alarmed. It was a light affair,
however. Nobody was hurt, though a
baggage-car was smashed up; and I
thought I would break it to you gently,
and all that sort of thing."
Two hours later Doctor King received
a characteristic telegram from the youth
of an inquiring mind, reading it with a
light in his eyes and a warm flush creep
ing over his face. He was on board
the night-train for the north, and aston
ished everybody by walking into the
dining-room at breakfast.
Miss Shannon's faith in Sibyl Guer
rin's predictions was a little shaken.
Miss Longworth's satisfaction was
almost visible in her face, but lest the
prophetess should be wholly discomfited,
the more generous ones expatiated
largely on singular coincidences con
nected with fortunes, both in and out of
teacups.
False Education.
With the excellent means of educa
tion we have, and the good use we some
times make of it, we are often negligent
of the advantages offered, and use the
vory worst offered. A writer in Lippin
cotC Magazine for October, in an excel
lent article on education, rebukes this
tendency to wrong and false education,
saying that the English nobleman vho
sends to Paris for his daughter's dresses
is reasonably certain thnt be, and his
daughter's husband after him, can con
tinue sending, and that in the training
of his child he is fostering no habit
which cannot be rightfully indulged in.
The American knows, if ho knows any
thing, that the habits of luxury in which
his child is reared unfit her for the du
ties of the life to which she will in all
likelihood be called that he cannot
hope that his family wealth will long
survive him, any more than his daugh
ter will love a man to whom that wealth
will be unimportant. Experience and
observation alike tell him that wealth
iu this coun.ry rarely continues in a
family three generations, and that at
any time he may find himself a poor
man again. Yet he regulates his life
and that of his children as if his wealth
and theirs were assured forever, and as
though the habits of a lifetime were to
be broken liko wisps of straw. His
daughters are unfit to marry any but the
rich men they experience so much diffi
culty in finding, and a man of moderate
means is careful to avoid asking them
to change, their habits of life. There are
few sadder pictures than the one we see
when some inch woman of braver heart
than most of her sex chooses the portion
-of a poor man's lovu and vainly seeks to
adapt herself to a life of which she has
hitherto known nothing. The habits of
her girlhood bind her like stroug fetters,
her ignorance of domestic duties weighs
her to the earth, the loss of social posi
tion, or the feeble efforts she makes to
support it, wear out her life in bitter
repinings, until her health gives way
and she dies, leaving her faults to vex
the world in her children, and her vir
tues undiscovered save by her husband,
who hides from himself all else of her
memory.
Anvils.
In a deserted shop in Pittsfield, Mass
achusetts, there rests on its block an an
vil that has done duty for more than
three hundred years. It is as sound to
day as it was in 1G33, when Eltweed
Pomeroy, after welding for the Stuarts
the ponderous horseshoes of the same
style and pattern that his ancestors had
made during generations for the Tudors
and Plantagenets, grew weary of taxes
without law, and work without wages,
and anvil in hand sailed for the new
world. A deft workman, he throve in
the settlements, and left his anvil as an
heirloom to his descendants. They show
you in the Tower of London tho anvil
on which the sword was forged that
Richard Caiur le Lion used in his contest
with Salada, and at the collection of
Pompeian excavations in Naples there is
an anvil, certainly older than the Chris
tian centuries, which, of precisely the
same shape we use, had evidently done
service fur stalwart workmen of many
generations before the city was buried.
But, better still, in the Egyptian room
of the British Museum, there is a verita
ble anvil of the Pharaohs. It is older
than Rome, older than Greece, older than
Jerusalem ; as old as the days of Abra
ham, and probably in existence when
the patriarch "was come into Egypt
and the Egyptians beheld Sarai that she
was very fair." It is just like a modern
anvil, made apparently in the same way,
weighing about seventy-five pounds, and
sound as it was when first struck by the
hammer thirty centuries ago.
A Pocket Edition of a Town.
A correspondent of the San Francisco
Bulletin, who has travelled " up country"
in California, writes thus :
Fifteen miles from the summit of the
Kiamath Mountains, down the Salmon
River, is the small mining town of Saw
yer's Bar. It is the littlest mite of a
Dlace. nroiected on the smallest se.aln. and
has things arranged in the snuggest
fashion 1 nave seen in an American vil
lage for a great while. It is as tight and
as trim and diminutive as any Swiss or
German hamlet. There is scarcely two
rods' width of bottom land, bordered by
a steep hill, and the town is only a few
rods in length ; yet in that extremely
small pi tee are enough people packed to
gether to furnish a school of over fortv
scholars, a church, stores, hotels, &c, be
sides countless little patches of cabbages,
terraces of flowers or fruit, wee bits of
gardens, &o. The orchard of Mr. Tan
ner is a marvel of neatness, with its
pretty, square-hewn stone terraces, its
trelliced vines, strawberries, melons,
peaches, borders of flowers, all on a space
so little that one could almost put' t into
his pockbt, and yet big enough to have
yielded $ 120 worth oi rruit this year.
bought some grapes of him. All the
merchandise sold in Sawyer' Bar is
brought over from Areata, on the coast.
a distance of one hundred miles, on
pack-mules, at a cost of about five cents
per pound treigntage.
Six Dnys' Struggle with a Boil.
I awoke on Monday morning with 'a
painful itching, biting, stinging feeling,
all in a spot no larger than a lOzenge.
Woke up Mrs. Quad, and asked her
opinion. She said it was a both ' Woke
up .Long Primer who shares our couch.
After Beveral kicks at the spot, he inti
mated that it was a boil. Had some
difficulty in standing tip to eat break
fast. Went down town ; asked every
body what was good for boils. Had
seventy-four recipes, running from stick
ing salve to a hot iron. Only swore
forty-one times during the day.
Tuesday. Didn't wake up I was
already awake. I measured the boil and
found it as large as a tea-cup, and the
feeling was worse. Tried to repeat a
hymn, but had to break off and kick the
dog four blocks to ease my mind. Chil
dren got under the table, and seemed to
feel a presentiment. Mrs. Quad un
usually gracious, and not hinting any
thing about pin money. Went down
town. Man said he'd pay my fare on
the car. Struck at him and explained
thatitmademy back ache to ride. News
boys kept a whole block off. Man asked
me tor a dollar, and I tried to kill him
on the spot, only restrained by respeot
for my boil. Number of swears fright
fully increased. Had Job flung at me
forty times. Concluded to tit up all
night, but got a little sleep while stand
ing on my head. Put some flax seed to
the boil.
Wednesday. House cot on fire at
daylight. I told the folks to let her
burn, but they put it out. One man
wanted to know why I didn't display
more ambition. Tried to shoot him, but
he got over the alley fence. Children
were sent to the country this morning,
probably for change of air. Boil is now
as large as a teacup and saucer both,
particularly the saucer. No signs of
"heading." Seems as if I should go
mad I am mad. Put some more flax
seed on, and tried to look sad and pen
sive. Just got to looking so when I ran
against a chair. Policeman pounded on
the door and said he would arrest me if
I didn't stop that family fight. Told
him I was the onlyone up, about as high
as I could get. Said he would sympa
thize with me, but went off and forgot
to. Can't keep track of the adjectives.
Have contracted for a barrel of flax
seed.
THURSDAY. Wife left home this
morning, probably for a change of air.
Left a note on the table, telling me she
was quite positive I had a boil. Peddler
rang the door bell, and asked me if I
wanted some pie-plant. The coroner
was lugging him away on a dray the
last I saw. Friends called and wanted
ki see my Don. i luaignautly retused
to allow them to do so, and they went
off offended, saying that I was mighty
particular, iiig nre round the corner,
and I started to go. Fireman gave me
a kick for a joke. I tried to tight the
whole department, but came to just as
they were shoving me through a back
window. The exercise caused the boil
to enlarge. I was too exhausted to swear;
merely stood myself np against the wall
slanting, and reviled boils. Cat and
dog both disappeared ; probably for
change of air.
Friday. Am lying on the floor, too
indignant to move. Tho boil is there
yet. I havo made up my mind to let it
run. hervant girl reached me in some
victuals through the window, and said
that I seemed to be restless about some
thing or other. 1 could only reply by a
look. I have calmness which comes from
a knowledge that one is looking into his
tomb. Coroner has been here twice, and
seemed much put out that I hadn't
killed anybody else. Said I had gone
back on him. Fellow came up here to
pay ine some borrowed money. Asked
me why 1 was not playing base ball, and
got offended at my silence. Said I
needn't feel so stuck up cause I happened
to have a big boil ; and. went away with
out handing over. I am just at the point
where man cares nothing lor anything.
The boys are shouting mad dog under
the window, hoping to get me up, but I
don't move.
Saturday. Was just passing into an
unconscious state, singing a hymn of
resignation, when i telt i telt well, I
yelled, I sprang on top of the table,
kicked off the crockery, ripped up the
sofa, tore up a ten cent shinplaster, and
tried to find some one to take my note
Eayable on Bight. The boil was broken,
called the dog, whistled to the cat,
sent a dispatch to the family, raised
the wages of the girl, and told the man
who owed me borrowed money, that he
could pay me any time it suited him,
and I haven't got it yet.
lake things easy when you have a
boil. They are good for the health.
Although no one blames a man with
a boil for swearing, don't swear. They
don't amount to anything. Any one
can have a boil as well as not. All
you havo got to do is to endure.
Honor the Scissors. The Guelph
Mercury says: "Some people, ignorant
of what good editing is, imagine the
getting up of selected matter to be the
easiest work in the world to do, whereas
it is the nicest work that is done on a
paper. If they find the editor with
scissors in his hand they are sure to say,
" lutx I that i the way you get the ongv
nal matter, eh 1" accompanying their
new and witty question with an idiotic
wink or smile. The facts are, that the
interest, the morality, the variety aud
usefulness of a paper depend in no small
degree upon its selected matter, and few
men are capable of the position who
would not themselves be able to write
many of the articles they select. A Ben.
sible editor desires considerable selected
matter, because he knows that one mind
cannot make so good a paper as five or
six.
' A Curious Advertisement. An
English advertisement reads : "To Cbris-
t'aus A young man never having the
blessing ot the use of his limbs through
being set on wet grass, earnestly solicits
forty-two postage stamps. In return he
will tend, tree, six best nickel silver tea
spoons and tongs to any part of Lon
don.
Lessons from the Chiengo Fire.
TltE GHASTLY FARCK OF FIRE-PROOF
BUILDINGS HOW $2,130,000 WAS LOST.
From the Chicago Tribune.
Some most extraordinary revelations
have been made by the fire with regard
to the architecture of the Post Office
and Custom House building, which
proving to have been a sham and a
fraud of the worst kind, has involved
a loss of an immense sum of money.
The vault of the Sub-Treasury office,
in which Collector McClean had de
posited all the funds pertaining to his
department, was built upon the seoond
story. It rested upon two iron pillars
built from the basement, with two iron
girders of great strength and weight
connected with the wall. A third gird
er connected the two pillars, forming a
framework. A heavy fire-proof vault
was built upon this foundation, and
proved to be about the weakest in the
city in resisting the fierceness Of the
fire. There were in the vault at the
time of the firo $1,500,000 in greenbacks,
$30(1,000 in national bank notes, $225,-
000 in gold, and $5,000 in silver, making
a total of $2,130,000, of which $30(i,ooo
was in specie.
in an old iron sate which was lett out
side the vault was deposited $35,000,
consisting of mutilated bills and frac
tional currency. This safe was regarded
with scorn and deemed nnworthy a
lace in the vault, liut like the little
fishes in the net, its insignificance saved
it. When the building caught fire, and
blazed with fervent boat, the miserable
iron pillars melted, and the immense
vault with its. fabulous treasures tell to
the basement, burying the insignificant
safe and its mutilated contents. The
consequence was that the contents of
the latter were saved, while $l,b00,000 in
currency was burned to powder, and
hopelessly lost.
lhe specie was scattered over the
basement floor, and fused with the heat.
There are lumps of fused eagles valued
at from $500 to $1,000, blackened and
burned, but nevertheless good as refined
gold. The employees have been com
pelled to rake the whole building, and
have recovered altogether about five
sixths of the whole amount. It is prob
able that days will pass before they will
be able to find the remainder.
It is a fortunate circumstance that
only a week ago $500,000 in gold, and
$25,000 in silver had been shipped from
the city.
lhe building was, as before stated, a
fraud of the most barefaced description,
and consequently an everlasting dis
grace to the country. That a vault con
taining treasure to the amount actually
lost, pillars, which gave way and let it
fall in ruins, and should yet make a
boast of being fire-proof, is a piece of
irony the most acute.
Hut tuis vault was only one ot the
frauds. The fire-proof dtors of the
Post Office vault, in which were stored
the records, proved frailer still. The
hinges of the massive portals which were
to protect the Government records were
only affixed to a single brick. When,
therefore, the walls expanded with the
heat, the sturdy doors tell out ot their
own weight, each hinge carrying with
it the single brick to which it held,
while the remainder ot the wan was as
firm as possible.
Ot course all the records were hope
lessly ruined.
This vault was lire ana burciar-proot.
Experts are not the only persons who
can judge of the value of a vault whose
doors had such, a leeble hold.
The building is one of a large number
built on the same plan, and the condi
tion of the lower vault suggests great
weakness in those erected in other cities.
It is probable that the Government will
order an inspection of all existing vaults.
Tho Sweetness of Hume.
He wbo has no home has not the
sweetest pleasure of life ; he feels not
the thousand endearments that cluster
around that hallowed spot to fill the void
of his aching heart, and while away his
leisure moments in the sweetest ot lite s
joys. is nnstortune your lot, you will
hud a friendly welcome from hearts
beating true to your own. The chosen
partner to your toil has a smile of ap
probation when others have deserted, a
hand ot hope when all others rotuse.and
a heart to fexl your sorrows as her own.
Perhaps a smiling cherub with prattling
glee and joyous laugh, will drive all sor
row from your careworn brow, and en
close it in the wreaths of domestic bliss.
No matter how humble that home
may be, bow destitute its stores, or how
poorly its inmates are clad ; if true
hearts dwell there, it is yet a home a
cheerful, prudent wife, obedient and af
fectionate children, will give possessors
more real joy than bags of gold and
windy honors.
The home of a temperate, industrious,
and honest man will be his greatest joy.
He comes to it weary and worn, but the
musio of the merry laugh and the happy
voices of childhood cheer him. A plain
but healthful meal awaits him. Envy,
ambition and strife have no place there,
and with a clear conscience he lays his
weary limbs down to rest in the boBoui
of his family, and under the protecting
care of the poor man's friend and helper.
Irish Bulls.
It was an Irishman who wanted to
find a place where there was no death,
'that he might go and end his days there.
It was an Irish editor that exclaimed,
when speaking of the wrongs of Ireland,
" Her cup of misery has been for agts
overflowing and is not yet full !" It was
an Irish newspaper that said of Kobes
nierre that " He left no children behind
him except a brother, who was killed at
the same time." It was an Irish coroner
who, when asked how he accounted for
an extraordinary mortality in Limerick,
replied sadly, "I cannot tell. There
are people dying this year that never
died before. It was an Irish hand-bill
that announced, with boundless liberal
ity, in reference to a great political de
monstration in the Botunda, that "La
dies, without distinction of sex, would
be welcome.
MISCE1.LAE0US ITEMS.
The latest extract from "What I
know about Farming:" Catch your
butterflies late in August. Select the
deep yellow ones if you would get good,
sweet, salable butter.
' An irate little man rushed into the
publication office of one of our leading
daily papers lately, and pointing to a
certain article in a late issue, demanded
to know who wrote it. An advertising
clerk, who is six feet in height, coolly
answerd, "I did," which so amazed the
questioner that without another word he
turned and left the office.
A La Crosse paper says : " The forests
on the islands in the Mississippi are full
of gray squirrels. It seems these squir
rels are now moving west, and the cap
tain of the ferry-boat says the river is
full of them swimming to the Minnesota
shore. The crop of nuts in Wisconsin is
small, and these squirrels go where they
may provide for the winter."
A young Albaniau woman, above or
dinary weaknesses, while out walking
the other day, suddenly found herself
brought to by her hoop-skirt falling
around her feet. Instead of leaving the
article just there, and endeavoring to
appear to ignore the fact, as most women
would have done, she quietly picked it
up and made for the nearest shelter port
to refit.
An English custom iB a handball-ringing
contest. The competition for this
year took place at the Zoological Gar
den, Bellevue, a fortnight ugo; special
excursion trains weie run from various
parts of Lancashire, Staffordshire and
Yorkshire, and about twenty thousand
persons were admitted into the Gardens
in the course of the day. Fourteen
bands entered, and prizes were won
ranging from 2 to 14.
A physician out in Racine, Wis.,
comes in for a scoring for the careless
manner in which he performed his pro
fessional functions on a recent occasion.
A young lady became suddenly ill while
at church, fainted away and was con
veyed to her home. The physician was
called in and pronounced her dead. Pre
parations were made for the funeral ; a
large concourse of people had gathered
about the house, and the clergyman had
begun to read the service for the dead,
when a slight movement of the body
was noticed, and afterward a faint beat
ing of the pulsa. Restoratives were ap
plied, and the young woman soon open
ed her eyes and spoke to her friends.
She is now able to attend to her house
hold duties as usual. That doctor is
C" '.' r f i. q Al- j. f
der false pretences.
Dairy farming in the Far West is an
occupation which offers great induce
ments to farmers having but little capi
tal. A man who went to Hall county,
Nebraska, and took a homestead, in the
spring of I860 bought twenty-six cows
on credit and went to making butter
and cheese. In July last, besides sup
porting his family, he had built and paid
tor a barn, was out of debt, and owned
twenty cows, twenty two-year-olds, fif
ten yearlings, and twenty-three calves
to say nothing of six head of cattle that
he had given to a daughter for a mar
riage portion. A man near Cheyenne,
Wyoming, started in the dairy business
in the spring of 1808, by milking five
cows and carrying the milk on foot to
bis customers. In the tali of 180'. I he
was milking fifty-two cows, all bought
from the profits of the business started
on so snivll a scale, and in 1870 he was
milking eighty-live cows. ror dairy
purposes the wild native grasses of those
regions aro pronounced fully equal to
the richest clovor or blue grasses.
Tho agricultural interests of Nova
Scotia are suffering seriously from the
fact that the young men and women of
that province are annually leaving home
by thousands to avail themselves of the
better prospects offered them in the
United States, while there are scarcely
any new-comers to take their places.
Hence it is a common thing to see aged
women tilling the fields. Skilled labor
is wretchedly remunerated in Nova Sco
tia. A story is told of a young man
who, at the end of three years' service in
a gas-fitter's establishment, was receiv
ing $1.25 a week, and on applying to
his employer for an increase of salary,
was assailed with outrageous abuse.
Disgusted at this, he sailed for Boston,
where he received immediate employ
ment at $12 a week, and soon after had
his wages increased one-third. Girls
employed in shoe factories and similar
occupations receive from 02 J cents to
.'Jo a week, while by going to the
States they cau easily earn more as ser
vants in one week than they could earn
in a month at home. The young men
who seek their fortunes in the States
rarely fail of success, and it is no won
der that annexation is ardently desired
by the masses, as it is considered the
only practical remedy for tho present
unpinusant state ot alt airs.
It is a singular fact that the extremes
of civilization should meet side by side
upon our Western plains in the territo
ries of Wyoming and Utah. A lady cor
respondent, Mrs. A. G. Woolson, who
has recently passed through the two ter
ritories, speaksof her feelings after leav
ing Wyoming for Utah, saying : " A few
moments ago I was rejoicing that the
territory in which I stood had honored
woman as no State had ever honored
her before, and now I had come into a
region, in the very heart of our Christian
laud, where she is Bunk to the lowest
position Bhe has ever held in the early
barbarisms of the world, and where ber
intellect and her individual importance
are as much ignored as if she were one
of the beasts that perish. We left her
sitting at the councils of State, and now
we 'are to behold her the contented and
abject slave of the bestst and moBt ma
terial needs of man. With such a marked
contrast in the social atmosphere of
these two contiguous territories, we ex
pect some difference in their outward as
pects, and are almost surprised that no
sudden marvels in earth or sky should
have made us aware that the boundary
was crossed."