... ... .-.
,i .......
. 114 tiL
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publibiier.
ELK ObVNTY riftf REPUBLICAN PARTY,
TWO DOLLARS MB ANNUM.
VOL. I.
RIDGWAY, PA., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1871.
NO. 37.
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mTI ... ,
MY FAMILIAR.
There's a little blue-eved fairy,
Who flits about the house,
Boineiliues busy as a bee,
Turn us quiet as a mouse.
Ovi-r house and jard and garden,
Not two mluutcs quite iliu saiuc,
Loving Irolie full of mischief
Little Cully is her name.
When I sit down t my seeing,
M iking sacks and dresses line,
Dk'k comes stealing plus and cotton
To muke n-hliiK-books and line.
Tuen with whip aud boots and bat on,
Spurs his siick across the floor,
Suyiuir, "Good-bye, now Kin noinjr!"
Peeping backward through the door.
As I told him In the evening
Of the Saviour In the sky,
And the shining, glorious ungets
Who cun never, never dir,.
With his Utile tbuhby finger,
He pointed to a stur,
" Yes," he said, " I see the glory
Through the little holes, murumit."
lie asked me once so earnest,
This little tricksy Dick,
If eating " milk and honey "
Dili not make the angels sick t
And when the good Laid tent for him,
His knife and fishing-rod
He would "carry in bis pocket
Aud give them both to God."
UEU'IMJ 0L1 TOblElHER.
A FKKNCH LIIVG bTORY.
Some years ago a young man of the
name of Charles Letenier ft 11 in love
with the daughter of the physician with
whom he was ttudyiug. The physician
was not rich, and Charles had nothing,
so that, after all, he was a very bad
match for E.ise D muond, particularly
as there was a very rich banker who had
asked for the hind of Mile. Elise, think
ing, as a matter of course, that her
heart would accompany it.
Monsieur D sinond accepted the bank
er's settlement with great delight, and
Mrnn. Desmond assured her daughter
that from her own experience it was not
at all necessary to love her husband.
Elise cried a good deal, and Cuarle
swore he never would lve any one else ;
y t in spite of both these facts, Elise
was duly married to the b inker, and
Charles immediately sailed from Havre
on the first ship to New Orleans.
Elise and Charles bad bad a last in
terview, in which they had vowed all
sorts of loving and rumantio nonsense,
and among other things that, should
E iso ever be free, she would fly to the
otn-r end of the world to unite herself
to her faithful Charles.
But the banker, though some years
older than his wife, possessed a good di
gestion and a hard heart, aud conse
quently was uot likely to die, aud so he
lived for aluiOBt twenty-five years, when
at length hn gave up life and his for
tune, leaving Elise a widow, and if not
an inconsolable one, at least a very rich
one. E ise had rarely heard fr.-tu Charles,
but, in order that there might be some
link between them, she had constituted
herself guardian to a nephew of his, an
orphan.
Elise had no children of her own, and
she loved this boy lor his own saks, for
he was worthy of love, and also because
he reminded her forcibly of the lover of
her youth. Her husband had, on his
pirt, als adopted, not a nephew, but a
niece, Melanie Serve, who lived with
them, and bad for Elise the care and af
fection of a daughter.
Now it so happened that Charles's
nephew had a regular correspondence
with his uncle, from whom he disguised
nothing, ownins even the love he felt
for Melanie. He gave a glowing de
scription of her beauty, only forgetting
to mention her name. Charles, who hud
still preserved in his heart the image of
Elise as she was on her wedding-day,
c included that his nephew was iu love
with 1 er, and he became angry and
alarmed. lie was now rich, and began
to feel a longing desire to visit bis native
country ; for this purpose he began to
settle up his affairs, in the midst of
which came the announcement for which
hi had waited twenty-five years that
Elise was a widow. He wrote by the
next ship an ardent letter to bis beauti
ful E ise, and by the following saiKd for
Europe.
He announced his arrival at Havre,
stating that on such a day he would be
at the feet of EliBe. Oi the receipt ot
this letter Elise betran to prepare for his
arrival, choosing the style of dress and
colors which Charles used to say became
her most, and awaited his coming, kill
ing the time by giving Melanie a de
scription of her handsome Charles.
At last the bell rang, Elise, uuable to
endure her emotion, sank into a chair,
while Charles rushed iuto the room, and
without even casting a look at the mid
dl-aged lady, dress d like a caricature,
claspt-d Melauiein his arms, exclaiming :
"Elise! dear Eliso!"
At this E'ise opened her eyes. Where
was CharUs? Not the bald-headed,
sedate-looking gentleman before hi-r.
" Charles Letenier I Can it be '("
"Eise!" responded Charles, "can it
bo ?"
The fact was that both had forgot
ten to make the addition of how much
twenty-five and twenty-five would come
to, and twenty aud twenty-five j but
now it all came with a rush, and Charles
remembered that Elise was forty-five,
and Elise discovered that Charles was
fifty, and that he looked it to a minute.
Char lea was not at all aware t'lat be
looked bis age, but he thought that
Eiise looked fully hers.
In this condition of things th conver
sation dragged considerably. Ech had
prepared love speeches to say to one
another, but now they would sound
ridiculous. Elise, in order to break an
awkward silence, drew a pretty gold box
from her pocket, and asked Charles if he
would take a piuoh of snuff.
"My Elise taking snuff 1" almost
shrieked the astonished Charles.
"For a cold, simply."
Coarles, nothing daunted, drew forth
a pipe,nd lighting it said :
" The ladles in New, Orleans always
allow it."
" My Charles with a pipe !" exclaimed
Eliae.
" Simply for amusement"
Melanie, feeling very much inclined
to laugh, called the attention of Ohnrlet
to a picture she had just finished.
Charles alvancol with Elise to the
table and examined the drawing, when,
on looking no suddenly, the youthful
lovers of former years discovered on
each of their respective noses gold-bowed
glasses.
Fearing to make any nuw discoveries
Charles took his leave, but was not long
in coming to his senses, and on bis re
turn to Elise no longer exptcted to find
a young girl, but was obligi d to acknowl
edge that E ise was quite a flue woman
Elise had also discovered that at fifty a
man was in the prime of life. Their
meeting was therefore agreeable and
pleasant, until Charles took up the paper
and commenced to read.
" Elise," he said, all at once, " there is
a rise in cotton." "
" Cotton," thought Elise, and Charlie's
eyes sparkled just as they used to when
he Slid "Elise."
E.ite entertained Charles with a some
what tiresome account of a law-suit, and
insisted that Charles sheuld read all the
papers, till, tired and weary, Charles ex
cluimfd :
" I'm deuced hungry, Elise ; do let us
have dinner."
Elise ordered it at once,
" There was a time," said she, " when
men thought more of their hearts than
their stomachs."
"There was a time when women
thought more of love than of law,"
promptly replied Charlos.
A few days after this Elise was obliged
to visit htr country residence, and asked
M iuriue to go with her. " Ha is like
what Charles us:d to be, and what I
thought he would still be."
M-turice was full of life and spirits,
which oausd Ease to sigh for the Charles
of her dreams.
Maurice accompanied her to the gar
den, ami, while She waB busily engaged
in talking to the gar lener, he hurried
her away to s- e the effect of the sun on
the lake ; then he began to recite poe
try. " Beautiful, Maurice; but I mi.Bt go
to the bricklayeis."
"Bricklayers! no, never! You must
go with me into the woods "
' I shall get my feet wet."
"Never mind,'' taid Maurice; "let
us forget all here in this beautiful coun
try" " But I am really hungry, Maurice."
" Hungry, aant? Then let us go to
some out-of-the-way farm house, get
some bread aud milk, and sit on the
grass and eat it."
" I prefer wine, and I am afraid of the
rheumatism."
t he day passed, and Elise had accom
plished nothing. Maurice was so im
pulsive there was no r sis tmg bis will,
and when, after a series of follies, cold
ind hungry, she got into the carriage
to drive home, her first thought was, " I
wish 1 had brought Charles."
Meanwhile Charles had got into the
habit of going every day to the house of
Elise. Sue bad gone away, but Melanie
did her best to entertain him. She
chattered, she laughed, she danced about
the n om.
" How like what Elise was ; how time
changes women, to be eure."
Melanie Sit down to the piano.
" Isn't that very noisy ?" said Charles,
" I don't hear any tune in it."
" Why, it is beautiful."
" Is it V Well, can't you play some nice
tune ?"
" I don't play old fogy music."
" It's much better than all that bang
ing ; Elise used to play what you call
old fogy music."
".So she does now."
" She used to love operas and plays,
too."
' Yes ; but operas and plays are now
so beautiful and touching, and yet she
never cares to go."
" They are all nonsense I mean the
old operas."
" I uever go to hear them."
Finding nothing to talk about in
doors, they went into the garden.
"O!" suddenly exclaimed Melanie,
j.ist look at that beautiful flower 1"
"Where?"
" Just on the top of the wall. Do get
it."
" Get it ! why, that wall is fifteen feet
high."
"Is it? Maurice can climb it."
"Well, he is a fojl for his pains. A
ladder and a seiv.int can get it if you
want it."
" Thank you. I will wait for Mau-ric-."
"What time did you order dinner?"
" O, I forgot it. I didn't care to eat "
Charles, who did care tor bis dinner,
soon left in search of it. When he re
turned Elise was still absent.
"C tine, Melanie, let us have a game
of chess."
" 1 never play chess."
So Charles was obliged to read for his
amuseineut.
When the carriage (tipped at the do r
Charles rushed to meet Eiise. They had
m ver, even in their younger days, been
morn glad to see each other.
Elise ordered supper, and Charles
made her a champagne punch. After
supper, Elise, seated by the fire in a
comfortable wrapper, played chess with
Charles, whilst Melanie and Maurice sat
in a corner looking at the moon stream
ing down on them.
" Pray, light your pipe ; I know you
are longing for it," suggested E ise.
"Give me a pinch of snuff, Elise?"
Charles asked.
And as Elise handed it to him he de
tained her band.
" Your hand is as pretty as ever.Elise j
will you give it to me?"
Elise smiled, placed her hand in that
of Charles, and said : '
How lucky it is we both got old to
gether!" And so invitations were sent for the
marriage nf Eliae and Charles, which
took place at the same time as that of
Melanie and Maurice.
A girl in Wisconsin swallowed forty
perousjiou caps. Her mother refrained
from punishing her, or even talking
snappishly to her.
; Bji biirltics of the Slave Trade.
The horrors of the African slave trade
still exist as ih following narrative
proves. It is taken from the evidence
given by the Rev. Horace Waller, print
ed in the recent Parliamentary Report
on the Sla.e Trade, issued in London :
' Kidnapping is prevalent all over
Africa, leading to all sons of petty dis
putes and retaliation, and the more dis
turbed the country is the cheaper slaves
become. So cheap do they at last be
come that Mr. Waller has known child
ren of the age of from eight to ten years
bought for less corn than would go into
a hat ; and it may be easily imagined
that when they are bought so cheaply
and when they fetch so large a price on
the coast, it pays the slave-dealer well
to collect as many slaves as he can,
knowing that he must lose a certain
proportion on the way, but also know
ing that the remainder will pay him a
large profit. It is (remarks Mr. Wallei)
like sending up for a large block of jce
to London in hot weather ; you know
that a certain amount will melt away
before it reaches you in the country, but
that which remains will be sufficient for
your wants. Mr. Waller further explain
ed how this " block of ice " melts in
transit :
" Sickness may break out ; they may
cross a part of the country where there
is very little food, and then many die of
famiue. Then, again, if there is any
thing like insubordination in the slave
gang, the axe aud knife are used freely
indeed, and an indiscriminate slaughter
takes place among all those who are in
clined to be obstreperous. We liberated
a gang of eighty-four slaves one morning,
and within a few miles of the place
where we liberated them we were shown
places in the bush whera slaves had been
killed only that morning, One poor
woman had a child on her back which
she bad recently given birth to, aud
which she was too weak to carry further,
aud the slave-dealer took it by the heels
and dashed its brains out against a tree.
Another woman was ill herself and could
not keep in line, and the slave-dealer
dasht-d her brains out with an axe, and
she was cut out of the slave throng.
Thr y are all united in a long string, the
men being yoked in heavy toiked sticks,
which are kept on their necks from the
time they are captured till the time they
are delivered to the slave-shipper, some
times for six weeks, and sometimes even
three months at a time."
Cranberries In Northern Wisconsin.
The Fond du Lao Commonwealth, has an
interesting article on the cranberries
near B rhn, Wis. The ext-nt of this
interest developed within two or three
years is surprising. Marsh lands, which
a few years ago Bold at $1 00 or less an
acre, are now worth hundreds of dol
lars an acre. Some forties are held
at 125.000. The Messrs. Carey and Mr.
Sicket, are the largest growers. Last
year the products of Mr. Sacket's marsh
sold for $36 OHO. This year his sales are
expected to reach $70,000 aud those of
Messrs. Caiey bb much.
Tdo Commonwtalth gives this descrip
tion ot picking cranberries on Mr. Sack
et's place :
He has about 600 acres. On Wednes
day last he bad 1,000 pickers, (nun,
women and children, of all sizes and
ages) kneeling in a single line, as close
together as a tile of soldiers, all busily
picking the rich, red berry from the
tangled vines before them. Slowly, very
blowly, the long line advances on their
knees, each picker pushing his pan or
basket forward, pulling his partly filled
sack or bag bi hind him. An overseer
to each one hundred hands, watches that
the ground is thoroughly cleaned of ber
ries, not unfrequently calling some eare
less picker from the line to pick over hia
neglected vines.
A portable wooden railroad track is
ruu from the warehouse to any part of
the marsh, and a bin-shaped car, pro
pelled by two men, is krpt near the line
of pickers, to which each person carries
his or her berries, where they are meas
ured and emptied iuto the car. The
picker receives a ticket on which is mark
ed the amount his berries measured, and
each Saturday exchanges his ticket for
currency at the rate of 75 cents for each
bushel of berries gathered. Girls, rang
ing from 13 to 20 years of age pick the
most, and average about one and a half
bushels per day. It is said some will
grthe-r four bushels, but very many tall
below one.
Worth of Four Pius.
There is, or was, a Polish lady, the
Countess of K , living in Paris. She
wears a very singular broooti or breast
pin. Eucircled by twenty precious
stones, on the ground of a daik blue
stone, and covered by a glass in front, is,
what dj you suppose? A portrait? No.
Alockofhair? No. What then? Just
four common in, bent together in the
form of a btar ! Wny does she wear such
a singular thing as this '( Her huBbaud,
a Polish nobleuiau, was put iu prison
because he was thought to b a secret
enemy of the Government. He was put
into a dark, deep dungeon, far down un
der the ground. He had no light He
could not tell when it was day, or when
it was night. Hti bad uo one to speak
to, for no one was allowed to go near
him but the keeper of the prison, and
be was not allowed to speak to him. Ha
had nothing to do; diys, weeks, aud
months passed, and he was still in his
dungeon; he was not brought to trial.
Poor man ! how miserable he was ! He
thought he would lose his mind; he
felt his reason beginning to give way.
Ou, if he only had something to dol
Feeling over his coat, one day, be found
tour pins, and he wept for j y. But you
say : " Four pins ! Aud what use were
they to him Y Why, he just took them
from bis coat and threw them on the
floor of his dungeon, and then he went
down his bands and knees, and felt all
over till he found them. ' When he
found them, he scattered them on the
floor again, and, could you have gone
into his dungeon, you would have found
him on his hands and knees groping for
his four pins! It was all bis work.
And when, after six years' imprison
ment, bis cell was opened to set him at
liberty, they found him groping in the
dark tor bis pin. And he would not
leave his prison without taking bis four
pins with him. Tney were bis best
triends, because they had given him
something to do ; and his countess bad
them made up iuto a breastpin, which
she valued more than gold. They had
preserved her husband's reason.
A Stampede of Horses.
On this side the Atlantic, and espe
cially in the far West, we have become
acquainted with that kind of panio
wbioh sometimes effect men as well
as animals (Bull Run, for example),
and is called "stampeding." The
horses of the Life Guards of London took
to "stampeding " one night during the
late sbam campaign at Aldershot, with
some fatal and many ludioroug results,
and now we hear that daring. the recent
sham campaign near St. Petersburgb
the Empress's Curiassers, 900 strong,
reaohed their halting plaoe ; the horses
were unsaddled and held by the head, or
lett alone so great was the faith in their
docility pending the arrival of the
picket-ropes. Suddenly one squadron,
frightened by a row in an adj icent
camp, broke loose, and in a twinkling
tbe whole 900 followed. They selected
" one large, poweiful horse as their lead
er, and with one look and a snort at him
which they meaut and he understood as
aprerou," dashed off in a solid column.
Couiiug on a river, crossed by a bridge
held by a cavalry picket, the leader
turned asidd, and the whole 900 swam
tbe stream. And here a pretty incident
occurred, illustrative of discipline and
the usa of quickness of mind in war.
The officer commanding the picket ord
ered the bugler to sound the appd, a call
used when the horses are fed. instantly
the old horses listened, turned, and trot
ted up in obedience to tbe call. The
young ones were not stopped until they
were blown with what, it is asu rted.was
a ruu of 100 (!) miles at tbe end ot
which, however, they would all havd
been dead. The lesson is that horses
fresh from the stables and not broken iu
to hard work need more watchful care at
starting on a campaign ; while the use
that may be made of the bugle-call is as
obvious as it is pleasing.
Growth of the Petroleum Trade.
According to the annual report of
the New York Chamber of Commerce,
just issued, tbe expoits of petroleum
in 1870 were 37 per cent, greater than
those i f the previous year, and nearly
all this increase, or 33 per cent, is ac
counted for by the shipment from the
port of New York. The total export
irom the United States in 1870 was 141,
208.155 gallons, against 1,500.000 in
1860, aud 99,281000 gallons in 1863,
showing an increase of nearly 42,000,000
gallons in two years The first sale no
ticed for export was in May, 1861, when
100,000 gallons were sent to foreign mar
kets. Antwerp, which has since led all
other ports in the importation of petro
leum, took iu that year 5.671 gallons,
increasing the amoant in tbe following
year more than 800,01)0 gallons. Great
Britain took 579.000 in 1861 and in
1862 increased her importation to 3,238,
000 gallons.
The continued growth of this trade
for ten years from 1500,000 gallons in
I860 to 141,000.000 in 1870 is a wonder
ful exhibit not only on account of the
rapid development of the oil interest,
but also because the yearly increase has
been steady. The daily average product
of the Pennsylvania oil district in De
cember, 1867, was 10,400 gallons; in the
sime mouth of 1870, it was 15,214 gal
lons a fact which shows the inexhaus
tibility of tbe wells in that region. In
regard to tbe home consumption, it is
estimated that it is equal to one half the
quantity exported making in round
numbers an aggregate consumption oi
1 1,000,000 gallons anuually. This enor
mous amount, reckoning the price at an
average of twenty cents per gallon, rep
resents a value of more than $12,000,000
for a single year certainly a remark
able return for a product unknown to
commerce ten years ago.
Deulinir Tenderly.
The great professors who can face the
battery of a thousand eyes direoted to
them on the rostrum, are frequently tbe
most diffident men when taken away
from their regular sphere of labor. There
was Professor Aytouu, who was too tim
id to ask papa for bis wife. When Jane
Emily Wilson suggested to him that be
fore she could give her absolute consent
it would be necessary that be should ob
tain her father's approval, "You must
speak tor me, said the suitor, " for 1
could not summon courage to speak to
tbe Professor on this subject" "Papa
is iu tbe library," said tbe lady. " Tuen
you had better go to him," said the
suitor, " and I will wait till you return."
Tbe lady proceed) d to the library, and
taking her father affectionately by the
nana, mentioned that f rot.-ssor Aytouu
had asked her hand in marriage. She
added, " Sh til I accept his offer, papa ?
He is so diffident that be won't speak to
you about it himself." " Then we must
deal tenderly with his feelings," said the
hearty old Christopher. " I'll write my
reply on a slip of paper, and pin it to
your DacK. " l'apa s answer is on my
back," said the younz lady, as she en
tered the drawing-room. Turning round.
the delighted suitor read, "With the
author s compliments
A War Document.
In an artiole on " Confederate Prices,"
the Brandon (Miss.) Republican says:
" For the benefit of future generations.
we publish the following specimen of
prioes paid during the late war. It is a
little bill of articles purchased by a mer
chant of Brandon from a wholesale
bouse in New Orleans, on the 27th of
Seotember. 1864 : Four pounds of in
digo, at $60 per pound, $240 ; twenty
pounds toilet soap, at $20 per pound,
$400 ; ten pounds camphor, at $20 per
pound, $200; twenty-six pounds soda,
t $t oer Donnd, $104 ; one docen cas
tor oil, pints, $120 ; ten gallons spirits
a. , ' . ,mi oa .inn
turpentine, at f ivu viu .u fi.u,
A Narrow Escape.
nOW A MOTHER AND HER FIVE CHILD-
HEN FLED FROM FIRE.
A correspondent writes from Michi-
8an! ... . ...
A thrilling incident and miraculous
escape from death was in the case of the
family of fiVe children of Mr. William
Maun of Bock Creek. When the moth, r
iv that they must leave tboir home,
after fighting the tire all day, she told
the children (five in number.) to go to
tbe lake and she would follow as soon as
she had gathered hub few articles to
take with her. They reached the lake
just iu time to be taken into a fishing
boat, wbioh three neighbors were about
to shove off in. The mother in tbe mean
time had gathered up what she could
carry, and started lor tbe lake, but
found the road which her children bad
taken so full of smoke and fire, and fall
ing trees, that Bhe took another course
through the woods, coming out some
distance above where the children had.
She knew not whether her pets had
passed through the fiery ordeal safely or
not. She naturally feared the worst,
but finally heard they had been taken
off by the boat.
Here commences the romantic ana
thrilling part of the story. There was
not an oar or sweep on board ; a pieoe of
board was all they had to control the
boat with. For some time the boat rode
gently upon the water, all the time
working a little out from shore, although
they dia not realize, on account of the
density of the smoke, how far they wore
getting from shore. They presumed
they could easily return at their pleas
ure. It soon became apparent, on ac
count of the roughness of the lake, that
they were rapidly drifting into the lake,
and they made all the efforts they possi
bly could to guide their unwieldy cratt
back toward the shore. Hour after hour
they labored, but all was in vain. They
knew that if they continued to drift
death was almost sure. All were in the
greatest despair.
The oldest of the children, a girl of
eleven summers, was tbe bravest of the
lot. She held the baby almost constant
ly during that terrible trip. On they
went, the waves frequently breaking
over them of course all were wet and
cold. Night came on with Egyptian
daikness. After weary and long, long
hours of suffering, daybreak was joyous
ly hailed. They were now beyond the
smoke of the burning forests. They
were sure they would soon hail some
vessel. All day long they looked until
darkness again set iu without seeing a
sail. At about two o'clock in the morn
ing of the third day out, one of Mrs.
Mann's children, a boy ot three summers,
died from hunger and exposure; when it
died it was lying in the bottom of the
boat with water half over its little body.
The little eleven years old girl said she
wanted tbe men in the boat to put it on
the bedding, but they would not, and
she was too weak and was holding the
baby, and could uot do it. The children
did not cry much on the last day, as all
were nearly exhausted. Finally, after
three days and nights, they were "drifted
on shore at Kincardine, Ont., where their
wauts were speedily attended to, and
from there sent to Port Huron.
During these three days, the reader
can imagine the motner s xeeiings.
Everybody that knew of the circum
stances supposed of course they had gone
to the bottom of the lake. The mother
came into Port Huron, and at once went
to tbe relief rooms. After making her
self known, and bewailing the fate of
her "hilar en in piteous bods ana moans
(she had supposed them all dead till this
moment,) Mrs. Fred. Wells, the Secre
tary of the Relief Association, told her
her children were here, well and appar
ently happy. I cannot picture the
soene. "Oa I Is it so ? is it bo ?" " God
bless their little hearts I" " Where are
they?" "Take me to them at once!
Mrs. Wells intormea ner tney were near
ov. and she would take her there at once.
Another aud more painful part of the
story was yet to be told to Mrs. Mann
How to do this was a query, ait tne la
dies in tbe room dreading to break
the dreadful tidings to her. At last
Mrs. Mann began to ask her how Emma
was. and then the next one. Finally
she asked how little Charley was ? No
one answered for a moment. She looked
ud and saw at once all was not right.
"Is he dead? is he dead?" and com
menced weeping as only a fond and lov
ing mother can, for the loss ot ner Doy
What Ailed Deacun Waterman.
It is not for us to meddle with the
local politioB of Rhode Island whilst that
Commonwealth has so rainy able citi
zens to look after its welfare. But tbe
Providence Journal introduces some
counsel to discontented experimentalists,
with the following tale, which of itself
and without reference to the local appli
cation of its moral must be copied as de-
serving a place in the current literature
of the day ; especially for the f-licity of
its luscious description ot a repast such
as is not to be had even at first-olass
hotels :
Jedediah Waterman was a substantial
farmer in Johnston. He was a deacon
in the church, voted the Whig ticket,
subscribed to the Journal, and was, in
all respects, a worthy and substantial
citizen, a Rhode Islander of the old
t-chool. He was nigh upon sixty when
he used to sav that he never had a pain
or an ache in his life, and had never
pasaed an hour in bed except for his
natural sleep, never on account of sick
ness or bodily weakness. B ut it came to
pass th.it the good deacon felt the need
of medical advice, and he sent for the
doctor. Dr. Fiske drove up in that old
fashioned pulky, old-fashioned even in
that dav. and bis old bay horse nobody
recollects tbm but we and arrived at
th rtann' house at hiffh noon, and
just as one of the deacon's hired men was
blowing the horn for dinner. This may
not have been altogether accidental, for
tbe deacon wsls famous for his good
cheer, and the doctor, like all other doc
tors that we ever heard of, was not al
together indifferent to the rational
Dlesures of the table. ,
Arrived just at that hour, the deacon
suggested that it vould not be well to
let the dinner cool while the consulta
tion went on, wbioh might as well be
deferred a little while ; and the case be
ing evidently not a dangerous one, the
doctor did not press tbe professional
matter, and, not to waste the time, took
seat at the well-spread table, whose
gratoful steam rose up in the most pro
vocative flavor. The deacon reverently
asked a blessing, and then, having served
his distinguished guest, betook him to
the work before him. It was what he
called " a biled dinner," and his wife
made some needless apologies, deolanng
that if she knew the doctor was coming
she would have had a better one. And
the deacon said, " Nonsense, ma ; the
doctor knows that we are plain folks,
and as be is on professional business,"
here the deacon looked gravely conscious,
' he will be content to take us as he
finds us." But the doctor said that the
dinner was capital ; and the doctor was
right, as he generally was.
So the deacon cut a dice of beet ana
a slice of pork and passed the plate over
to his wife, who put upon it two pota
toes, with a due quantity of turnip,
squash, beet, cabbage and apple sauce,
and passed the smoking pyramid in safe
ty over to the doctor. Every thing was
of the deacon's own raising, and of his
wife s own cooking. A large pitcher ot
cider, we can't help it, Mr. Conant, we
are telling this story juBt as it took
place wbioh Hezekiah, tbe deacon's
youngest son, named after his uncle, a
tamous revival preacher, went down
cellar twice to fill, adorned the plenteous
board. Atter all this came some apple
dumplings, and then Mrs. Waterman
brought on her chH a asuvre (she man t
call it by any such outlandish name) her
pies she was famous for her pies
mince, apple and pumpkin, one piece ot
each, a Bixtb oi a pie, conscientiously
divided, was put on each plate, and two
kinds ot cheese plain and sage.
Suoh was the dinner to which the in
valid invited his physician, and to which
both did ample justice. When it was
finished, and the deacon took a final pull
at the cider, he wiped his mouth, and,
with a melancholy air, approached the
subject of his malady, which the doctor
might have been excused tor quite for
getting. The doctor inquired about his
digestion, his . Bleep, his lungs and his
liver. He looked at his tongue ; he felt
his pulse, a little quickened by the mid
day exercise that he bad gone through,
but regular, firm, and apparently health
ful. Quite baifiad in his search fer the
hidden disorder, the doctor shook his
head gravely, as doctors are bound to
do, and said, " Well, what do you think
is the matter with you, deacon?"
" Wall," said the deacon, " I can't tell
what it is ; but somehow or other, it
seems as if as though I set down here,
as I did just now, and eat halt an hour
or so, and my appetite is all gone."
Things Mixed.
Some years ago, when the writer was
a reporter upon an Eastern paper, it de
volved upon him to write tor the same
edition an account of the presentation
of a gold-headed cane to Rev. Dr.
Mudge, tbe clergyman of the place,
aud a description of a patent hog-killing
and a sausage machine, which had been
put in operation at tbe factory, ciow
what made Rev. Dr. Mudge mad was
this : The inconsiderate buccaneer who
made up the forms of the paper, got the
two locals mixed up in a frightful man
ner, and when we went to press some
thing like this was the appalling result :
"Several of tbe Key. JJr. Mudge s
friends called upon bim yesterday, and
after a brief conversation, the unsus
picious hog was seized by the hind legs
and slid along a beam until he reached
the hot-water tank, flis friends ex
plained tbe object of their visit, and pre
sented bim with a very handsome gold-
beaded butcher, who grabbed him by
the tail, swung him around, slit his
throat from ear to ear, and in less than
a minute tbe carcass was in the water.
Thereupon he came forward and said
that them were times when the feelings
overpowered one, and for that reason he
would not attempt to do more than
thank those around him, for the manner
in which such a huge animal was cut
into fragments was simply astonishing.
The doctor concluded his remarks, when
the machine seized him, and in less time
than it takes to write it, the hog was cut
into fragments and worked up into de
licious sausage. The occasion will long
be remembered by the doctor's friends as
one of tbe most delightful ot their lives.
I be best piece can be procured tor ntteen
cents a pound, and we are sure that
those who have sat so long under his
ministry will rejoice that he has bean
treated so handsomely. Brooklyn Times.
Dangers of Liniburger Cheese.
Three children in St. Louis having
displayed symptoms of poison, soon at
ter eating Limburger cheese, led to an
examination. It was discovered that
the cheese did contain poison, but
imparted by the wrapper in which it is
always prepared for market. Tbe cheese
in itself is innoxious, but it is euveloped
in lead-foil wrappers, which are harm
less until they come in contact with s
liquid which will act upon them as a
dissolvent, in which case the liquid be.
comes poisonous by taking up the lead.
Tbe decomposition oi this cheese bad
produced a very strong acid, which came
in contact witn the poisonous wrapper,
and then spread throughout the cheese,
thus poisoning the whole cake. The
discovery of this fact ought to produce
a change iu the method of preparing
the cheese ior market.
Tbe loss of life in Persia from cholera-
pestilence and famine has been fright
ful. Of the 129,000 inhabitants of
Meschad, the capital of Kborasan,
two-thirds perished from hunger and
disease in the course of July labt, while
the remaining third fled, and were
mostly captured by roving troops of
Turkomans and Afgans, and led into
slavery. At other plaoes, cholera car
ried off great numbers of people. The
government seems to have been shame
fully indifferent to the sufferings of tbe
populace.
IMI9CE LLAOOTJS , ITE MS.
An old lady in Wisconsin has missed
only two ratals in seventy years.
Why does B precede C in the alpha
bet ? Because you must be before you
can see. Do you observe ?
A mntie dealer in a Western town an
nounces in bis window a sentimental
song, " Ttiou Hast Loved Me and Left
Me for Twenty -five Cents."
Caseyville, near Salt Lake, codtains
seventy-three husbands, who have, in
the aggregate 347 wives and 522 chil
dren. It has been estimated by Senator Car-'
penter, of Wisconsin, that the number of
lives lost in his State during the late
conflagration was from twelve to eighteen
hundred.
The Treasury Department has receiv
ed a deposit of $67.86 on account of the .
post-office at Sitka, Alaska, being the
first deposit on the postal account re- '
ceived from that station.
Cotton prizes to the amount of $1,000,
open to the world $500 to the first,
$300 to the second, and $200 to the
third best bale are offered by the Ala
bama State Fair Association. This is
liberal, and should attract competition
from all over the cotton States.
The latest thing iu funerals is related
of Birmingham, Va., where a gentleman
who was bring carried to the cemetery
by his relatives, kicked at his e.offin-lid
and demanded to be let nut. If this
thing should beoome epidemic, it will
be very awkward.
Prominent English capitalists are
about to attempt the development of the
Canadian oil-fields, and will take steps
to introduce tbe products of their enter
prise into European markets. That
there are largo quantities of petroleum
in that section, there is no doubt.
Lillie Feckhaui, the young advocate
of woman suffrage out West, recently
died in Milwaukee from the effects of a
Russian bath. She we formerly con
nected editorially with the Toledo (Ohio)
Indtx, and bad lately been oailed to the
pastorate of a Uuitarian church in
Iowa.
Remember that now 1b the time to set
out hyacinth bulbs if you desire spring
flowers. And remember also that the
time has passed for setting out on stoops.
Don't do it, or you'll raise shakes. Boys
may be reminded that it is not season
able for setting out elsewhere at Bobool
time ; by doing this they will raise
cane.
A deibrmed chicken of common breed.
the deformity resulting from a broken
back, was entered at the MUBttingum
County (Ohio) Fair as a Hungarian cock
ofthe"Sclavi Magyar breed," just im
ported, and the sapient judges, atter
gravely inspecting it, awarded it tbe first
premium over one ot the nnest poultry
shows ever seen in the county.
Apropos of the great fires raging in
the North-west the Chicago Pott appeals
to the people or the government to take
some action toward preventing the reck
less aud improvident waste of our great
national timber resources. In less than
half a century, it says, if we continue in
our present course, wood ior fuel or for
building purposes will be scarcer here
tbau it is in England. What is needed
is a law prohibiting the cutting of trees
of less than a certain girth, providing
severe penalties for careless or wanton
bush-iirng, and compelling the annual
plauting of trees in the country, even as
the statutes provide tor the maintenance
of roads and construction of bridges.
The Kennebec Journal contains the
following incident : An old farmer iu
the vicinity of Augusta, about twenty
years ago, after concluding a " a trade"
for a large bale of goods with an
Augusta dealer in furniture, as he was
about to drive off, hailed the furniture
dealer with, " If you will throw in a
looking-glass, I will bring yer down a
barrel ot nice apples." The mirror was
" thrown in," and this was the last seen
of the farmer uutil a few days since, when
an aged farmer backed his " apple cart"
up to the sidewalk opposite the lurm
ture store, now occupied by sons of the
former owner, opened the door, and
shouted, " Here's yer apples." The sur
prise ot the sona was great; but the
father, who was present, remembered
tbe circumstances of the trade, aud
heartily greeted his old acquaintance,
who, atter a lapse ot twenty years, naa
not forgotten his promise.
Tbe romance of Enoch Arden finds an
unromantic illustration in Virginia.
One John Wiley, a private in a Virginia
regiment, was wounded during the early
part of the war, was for a long time con-
nned in the hospital, and then too the
oath of allegiance and went west. Mrs.
Y lley mourned bim as dead tor tour
years and then Decame .airs, wunam
Smith. A few days ago, as she sat on
the porcji of ber home, a bronzed travel
ler approached and embraced her most
enthusiastically. Smith first knocked
the man down and then atked him who
he was 1 It was John Wiley, husband
No. 1, bis feelings greatly wounded at
his reception. Explanations and apolo
gies followed. A compromise was ef
teoted, and for $200 Mr. Wiley agreed
to start at once for Colorado, to return
no more.
In collecting clothing for the Chicago
sufferers in Pawtucket, a few days since,
the children in one of the infant schools
were given a recess to go home and
bring whatever wearing apparel they
had to spare. One of the little girls
went home for ber share, and as her
mother had stepped out, concluded to
help herself, and accordingly packed up
all the dresses, etc, of which she was
possessed, save what she had on,' and
with all the gravity possible presented
them to the committee, who, of course,
packed them with the rest and sent them
away. When the little girl's mother
came to look for a change of clothe for
the child after school, the discovery of
what had been done took place, and the
consternation in that family can be bet
ter imagined than described. The little
miss aaid she bad been sent home to get
her clothes, which she had obeyed to the
letter.