v. Xl4NBY A. PARSONS, Jr Editor and Publisher. ELK COUNTY THE REPUBLICAN PARTT. Two Dollars per kirsxm. VOL.1. . RIDGWAY, PA., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1871. NO. 40. 1 SUNDAY urgtMHS, lRnllT',MelAl Co,ne '''' friends I Ho if r wit tn mv One . - o J J vmi ttiuui BUUUB. i I Hflilt tn Bliara ,,Ul. 1 i uuia maae tno blind receive urae, nem me to believe t TnlrMltl.i la v Hi 1 uc, ftt the Jov t nnd when thn hejim. liKhtsjflflj looks as with the glenm VifTaln lT!K waste f" Htneel bv mTMl bended knoe : le must stoop low II ye?1110 j.uwer, u je would taste I i fo which my henrt would crawl, and crave, As 'twere a worm o' the dustf I wrltbed so low, it rose so high, Tbe mound tbnt sbut out all tbe sky : So broken was my trust. This morn I sought it! hardly one Ol all my nnshed tears would tun ; Instead Iroin out the sod A spring had gushed through dust and weeds Ana in me lignt ot uod it leeds My lile, direct lioin God. II. We are not only where we seem, But, lighted by some mystic gleam, Live also in a world of dream ! Some heavenward Window opes above Tbe sbut-np soul, to lean out of, Or let in waiting wings of love. Anil thence we pass out ol onr night A little nearer to the light ; Transfigured in tbe eternal sight. And oft when darkness tills the place, I kneel with dawn upon my face ; I leel the infinite embrace. Beyond the clou3s 'lis golden day, Soli airs ot heaven about me pln.v, Tbey waft all weariness away. Dear friends I sec no longer here Are with me ; I can feel them near; Bo tenderly tbey come to cheer ! And there in secret life is fed, Till full in tlowcr it lifts the bead, With all its leaves to heaven outspread. And by tbe peace within my breast ; All stormy passions roekt to rest ; I know tuat God huth been my guest. Gerald Masiey, in the Sunday Magazine. MR. AXOXYMOUS. PRESENT. One afternoon toward tho end of Sep tembur, the clocks in the City of Lon don struck four, and the daily routine of business in tbe house of Pucnkin Broth ers came to a close. These events were not peculiar to that particular day, but a story must have a beginning. The numerous clerks closed their ledgers and stowed away their papers with tar great er uliority than they had shown in bringing them out some six or seven hours before ; and as they put on their overcoats, hats and gloves, they begun to chat with each other. Une bad got an order for the theatre for two, and asked another to have a chop with him some where, and then go thither ; others were members of a volunUcr corps, and were in a hurry to get on their disguises and go and be half-right turned somewhere. All had some personal object, pertaining to love, war, pleasure, or dinner in view; in short, the striking of the clock had a ruagio power, and turned, them from me chauical cogs into men. Une youug man went up to the head of a department, and from him received papers, which he put into the breast' pocket of his coat, and then walked off without speaking to his iellow-clerks, beyond bidding good afternoon to one or another, and assenting once or twice to the fact of the weather being tine. " A mean beggar, that Mapleson," said Jones, as he arranged the flower in his button-hole." "Ay," replied Brown. " He dines for a shilling." " And inks the rim of his hat." " Perhaps he is poor," suggested the charitable Rjbinson. "Poor!" cried Jones. "Who isn't? Millionaires are not commonly found on clerks' stools. He has his salary, and he is not married ; and yet, he stints, and never goes anywhere, or does anything." "Perhaps ho has a vice," suggested Kobinson, who always fought the battle of the absent. " Ah ! he may have, certainly," re plied Jones the J ust. " But it isn't only his meanness," said Brown, who had made overtures to Ma pleson, which had been met with more politeness than cordiality ; " he is so con foundedly stuck up. Now, of all pride, I hate a mean pride." The unconscious subject of all this dis paragement walked down Cheapside to St. Paul's Churchyard, where he stopped before a bonnet-shop. "Still thtre," he muttered: that is lucky. How well it will become her I" He entered, bought the bonnet which had taken his fancy, aud with the little cardbox in his baud, started off in the direction of Islington. In vain did Hansom cabbies raise their whips, and omnibus cads cry " Tom ! Tom !" He walked every step of the way home. Home was a parlor on tbe ground floor a bright aud cheerful parlor, the ornaments and furniture of which, though not costly, wire ia perfect taste. There were flowers ; there was a piano, open : music and books lay about in a comfortable, but not untidy way. Home presently, tea treated as a meal, not the meaningless supplement lute diners un derstand by the term. "What do you think, Harry!" ex claimed the young lady in the course of the meal. " Think '(" replied Henry Mapleson, with his mouth full ; " why, I think that if there were many men of fortune who knew that I had a sister who could make such anchovy toast as this, they would soon carry her off from me." " Young men of fortune do not marry their cooks; the new bonnet is much wore likely to rid you of me. But what 1 was going to say was, wa have got a oose. " It isn't you, pussy, and It is not me." quoted the brother, turning to the cat. " Oh, what grammar 1" , " The verb to get' takes an accusa tive, Busan. Bat about the goose. How did you steal it r" J " Nohow ; it came ; together with its giuieis, aim nan a aozen ot merry. ' " What! Mr. Anoymous again ?" "Yes." " He is very rood." said Harrv. a sari. ous expression coming over his face, " But there is one thing that I do wish ne wouia send nis name. 1 hate mys Wry." "Hit you like goose," added his sister. " Weil, yes : frankly, I do sherry like wise. He bivs that he is an old friend of our parents ; but if he is ashamed to acknowledge us no-v, I had sooner be without his charity. However, it is un gracious to say so : and after swallowing a twCPty-pouud note it would be absurd to strain at a goose and giblets. We will eat the bird on the day set apart by the church. Shall we invite our fellow- lodger r " Mr. Nicholson ' Oh. certainly." When the tea-things were cleared away, and the lamp lit, Susan Mapleson set to work upon her brother's buttons and socks, and while she sewed and darned, he read a novel aloud to her; equitable division of labor I Just as he had finished a chapter, the hall-door closed, and observing that Mr. Nicholson had come in, and that it weuld be a good plan to give him his invitation at once, Harry Mapleson rose and went out, returning presently, fol lowed by the fellow lodger, an elderly man with a slight stoop, who placed his hat and umbrella on a chair, and came forward to greet Susan, who took off her thimble to shake hands with him. "Have you been to tbe British Mu seum to-day '(" she asked. " YeB, my dear ; yes, as usual ; I am a leech applied by tho publishers to old books. " A leech 'r No ; a bee." "Well, that is perhaps a prettier way ot putting it, and more complimentary both to myself and the venerable authors 1 draw from ; they are flowery enough sometimes too. But tbe bee skips from bud to blossom iu a gay, coquettish manner, which would never draw the honey out of a black-letter volume, let alone a ruediicval manuscript. I fear that leech is more literal. " But then, what term would you have lett to apply to the publishers t asked Harry, "Nay, nay," said the old man; ' cannot complain. They pay me very well; there is not much competition in my musty line. A tyro in physiognomy might have pronounced Mr. Nicholson to be intel lectual and benevolent, but it would have taken an adept in the urt to deci pher the expression which habitually spread over his teatures. There was a weary, hopeless, hunted look which told of great suffering, eithtr mental or phy sical probably the tormer, lor the deep Hues about his mouth and eyes were of that character which is worn by sus tained rather than spasmodic action ot tbe muscles, tie was a man with a ter rible, because a secret, sorrow. I do not say that you would have gathered all this on the prest nt occasion, for when he was in the society ot toe Maplesong he was a different being. He was a lonely man ; most workers have two lives, a professional aud a natural one, but until quite lately he had been a student and nobing else ; studying for his livelihood; studying tor companion ship, even at meal-times; studying to hnd an opiate. But since he had termed an acquaintanceship which soon ripened into friendship with tke brother and sis ter, life had acquired a new interest for him, and that little parlor was an ark on the salt waste of his existence. He promised to dine with them on Michaelmas Day; and then Susan gave him his greatest treat some of Men delssohn's music. He would sit and lis ten till the water came into his eyes ; and this was not such a very curious phenomenon, for though the girl was not any very brilliant performer, treat ing her instrument like a musical tra peze, and going through all sorts of wonderful gymuastic feats upon it, she played witb rare feeling and expression, sending the notes into the heart, as it were. At half-past ten the party broke up. Harry Mapleson considered that as his sister rosa early to look after domes tic matters, and get his breakfast for him (for even a very small establishment requires considerable attention when you have only got tbe third part of a servant to " do" for you ) she ought to be early at the other end of the day, too ; so he invariably yawned and went up to his room at the top . of the house before eleven. But when he got there he made no preparations for going to bed, but put writing materials out on a table, and drawing from his pocket the papers which be bad received trom one ot tbe heads of departments before leaving the office, he sat down to work. It was three o'clock before his task was accomplished. " A slice ot luck this, be said to him self on turning iu at last; "just as I was wondering how I should meet those pay ments I had overlooked without cutting off some little expense, which could show Susan that I was bard up, I get this extr.t job ot work, which will set me straight. What a manager that girl is ! I am afraid she stints herself in dress and that, though, which must not be ; it shall not be, mother, it 1 can help it." And thinking of her who was gone he fell asleep. Susan s bedroom communicated witn the parlor, and when her brother and Mr. Nicholson went up stairs, sbe passed into it. returning again soon with a quantity of millinery materials, from wbicb she proceeded to conooct one ot those articles of feminine adornment which fathers and husbands pay so high ly for. " Poor old Harry I her thoughts ran, as her nimble fingers worked. "He thinks that I do not see that bis salary is too little for our expenses, and I durst not remonstrate with him when be wastes his money upon things I really uu not want; it would disappoint mm so t How little he thinks that I dften follow him into London, carrying my wcrk to the shop when it is oempleted I Tbe ordinary seamstress' work I tried at first was not worth while, but they pay well for this. I wish Harry would spend a little upon himself; I durst not give him a new coat or hat in return for his mantillas and bonnets. The idea of his getting me that bonnet; how surprised he would be to learn that I made it!" I'AST. The air of Harrow-on-the-Hill must be particular bracing, if the proverbial Bentiment about the bird of St. Michael, attributed to the boys educated there, be tounded on anything like practical ex- perience. The goose, tbey say, is an awkward dainty, being too much for one, and not enough for two. 1 know that if I had two sons who " asked for more" after finishing a goose at a sit ting, I should write to the Timet. It is true that there are geese and geese, and the specimen sent to the Maplesons may nave been exceptionally fine ; but though they had gone into training as it were, by dining at six instead of at one, and though they had the fellow-lodger to help them, they left pickings; and if some Harrovian curls tbe lip ot scorn, 1 cannot belp it; truth is my bobby. . Wl en they had got their first glasses ot sherry alter the meal, ilarry said : " We must drink the health of Mr. An onymous, please." " Mr. Anonymous," repeated Susan, sipping. " Mr. Anonymous," echoed Mr. Nich olson, who drank, and then added, ".home relative t " I don't know," replied Harry. " He is a deed, or rather a succession of deeds, without a name. He sent us the goose : he sent us this sherry ; he has made us more valuable presents. Do you think I ought to receive benefits without knowing from whom they come ?" " Certainly," said tbe fellow lodger " I think you have told me that in one ot bis brst letters this unknown profess ed himself a friend of your your moth' er's. Am I not correct 'C " Yes. But why such mystery ?" " Oh, there are several probable rea sons for that ; he may be ashamed of not doing more, You may have substantial claims upon him as a trustee of those tunds which 1 think you said had been unwisely invested, or ho may have a morbid dislike to being thanked. " It is strange, anyhow," said Harry, " that our mysterious benefactor should not have come forward to assist us when we most needed it." " When you lost your mother?" " Yes." " Perhapi,'' said Susan, " he was not in England then, and knew nothing aooui wuat baa happened. " That is very likely, said Mr Nichol son, " especially as you were supposed to be well provided for. Have you not said so r " Yes," replied Harrv : " our poor mother's little property was in a bank which broke, but, thank Uod I she did not know what had happened. She died in the belief that her children were beyond tbe reach of sordid cares." " It was about two years ago, I think you have said 'r"' " 1 es, two years last August. I was at college when summoned away to her bedside, for her illness was sudden and short. And just as we were recovering a little trom the shock, ruiu came. If 1 had been alone in the world I think that I should have enlisted or emigrated, tor l leit very desperate : but fortunate ly I had Susan to look after, and that steadied me. Well, we must net com plain. I was fortunate to get my clerk ship, and we managed to save that piano, and a few things which were sacred in our eyes, from the wreck." "it was a sad blow ; and the cares of life have fallen upon you early, my young friends," said Mr. Nicholson. "But pardon me for having led the conversa tion into Buch a melancholy channel. he added, seeing that Susan had much ado to restrain her tears. " I do not know how it happened." " Uh, Harry and I often talk over old times; I like it," said Susan. "It would be a dreadful thing to avoid speaking of mamma because she has been taken from us ; it seems to me that those we love are only really lost ' when we banish tbem Irom our memories. The old man bowed his head and sighed deeply. " Have you any likeness of her '(" he asked, after a pause. " u yes, replied busan ; and she rose and placed a minature in his hand. He gazed at it in silence for some time, and then murmured : " How like I" " You knew our mother !" exclaimed Harry in surprise. i mean how use your sister, said Mr. Nicholson, handing the minature to him. " O yes ; there is a strong family re semblance," said Harry. " But since you will not have any more sherry, sup pose we go up to your room and smoke a pipe while Susan makes tea." W hen the old man and the young one had settled down to the mutual absorp tion of nicotine, tbe latter referred again to the subject of his personal af fairs. " The only thing I regret," said he, " is the way in which my sister is shut up. It must be a dreadful thing for her, poor girl, to be alone all day ; and it is bad for her to be entii ely with out any companion of her own sex." 'Have you no relatives or friends i asked Mr. Nicholson. "Our relatives cast us off many years ago, on account of a family inistorune. But there were some friends, who got me my present appointment, aud who would have taken charge of Susan. We declined, because of that family affair, for Susan thought, and I thought, that it would perhaps be brought up against her if she mixed in the society to which these friends would have introduced her. Ot course we did not put our refusal upon that ground ; Susau said she would not leave me, and, I believe they think me very wrong and selfish. I am quite confident that I am right myself, and yet the pride which shrinks from raking up an old shame can hardly be a false pride can it V" It is not an easy thing to decide in a moment the degree of pride which every man ought to allow himself to point out where the proper ends, and the false begins to beat the parish bounds be tween self-respect and vanity. No won der that Mr. Nicholson puffed bard at his pipe in silenoe. It was evidently no lack of interest that held his tongue, however, for he turned away his head, and his hand shook as though it were palsied. And probably Harry did not look for a reply ; he was thinking aloud as much as talking to the other ; and presently he perceived this, and said with a laugh : " A pleasant sort of com panion I must be with my sentimental egotism I My excuse is the relief it af fords me to speak out, and there is no one else upon whom lean inflict the ideas which sometimes plague me ; for, of course, I want Susan to think me as free from care as a lap-dog. And. then I seem to have known you all my life ; I forget that it is hardly six months since we left tbe house together one morning, and both walking city-wards, fell into conversation. But I know that you will pardon me." " There is no need for pardon," said Mr. Nicholson. " You do me a favor by taking me into your confidence. I am a lonely old fellow, who has Bpent the better part of his life away from his country." "Ah! where r" " The last few years at Simancas ; be fore that, in Paris ; before that, at Got tingen. I am little more than a musty old book-worm crawling from library to library ; living so much in the past as t have lost all connection with the present. You have recalled feelings, tympathies.associations, which I thought were lost to me forever." He paused for a while, and then said abruptlv : " How you must hate that member of your tauiily who brought upon it the shame of which you speak !" " O no, no, no 1" cried Harry. " You little think But I will tell you all about it some day. I see that you have finished your pipe ; suppose we go down stairs again." Sad subjects of conversation did not crop up again, and the rest of the even ing, though " musical," was not " mel ancholy." FUTURE. One evening in October Hirry Maple son came home at tbe usual time, but not in Lis usual state of calm composure. His face was pale, his eyes were spark ling with excitement, his forehead was bathed ia perspiration, and he flourished an evening paper about. " What is the matter?" cried Susan. "Djn't be alarmed it is good news. We can look the world boldly in the face, my dear; our father was innocent 1" "I know it; dtar mamma always said so." " Ay, but it is proved ! See here. I don't think you ever knew the details of the matter 'f" . " No ; I never wished to do so." " Well, then, I will not enter into them now. It is sufficient tor you to under stand that our father was a man of con siderable talent, who tcok a high degree at his university, and was considered a rising man by the political party whose cause he espoused. Indeed, for sometime he was private secretary to a Minister, and it was only because of his desiriug a more certain income upon his marriage that he resigned that unstable office, and accepted an appointment which was not dependent upon one set of men going out of office and another coming in. It was a position of trust, and large sums of money passed through his hands. Well, there was wrong-doing embezzlement, downright theft, in the department. Our father could not clear himself ; his name appeared to fraudulent documents which could not have been used without his signature in short he was condemn ed sent across the sea lost ; for from that time our mother could hear no more of him. " I am innocent," he said when they parted ; " but what does that matter the disgrace is the same. I hope to die soon ; but if this blessing is denied me, I desire to be forgotten, as though I had really escaped from this den of thieves. 1 will not drag you and mv children down any lower. Do not speak of me to them never seek for tidings of me." Our mother prayed, remonstrated, wept in vain he was firm, saying that he knew it was for the best. That was eighteen years ago, Susan, when you were quite a baby, and I so young that I have only the vaguest remembrance of calamity and change. Well, our father had no more to do with that crime than we infants had : a man in the same de partment forged his name, and embezzled the money ; he is dyiag struck down with a painful disease, which leaves him in full possession of bis faculties ; and in his terror he has confessed, and he ap peals to the family of the man he has worse than murdered to us for for giveness ! Here it is see 1 Can you forgive him, Susan? I can't. Forgive him ! I wish him well and strong, that I might have my fingers round his throat, and my knee in his chest, and watch his black soul stifling in his black heart ! Soul I I hope " " Harry, liarry I ' " Well. well. I forgot myself : don't look frightened, Susan. It is well that the wretch has spoken at last, at all events : our father's memory will be cleared from reproach; and you can stay sometimes witn those good Poynter people, and see a little society." ftusan was protesting that Bhe was quite contented and happy under present circumstances, when she was interrupted by a knack at the door, and the fellow lodger entered the room. He too held a newspaper in his hand ; he, too, was evi dently under the influence of strong emo tion, for he stood glancing from one to the other with a strange, yearning ex pression in his eyes ; twice he essayed to speak, and twice his voice failed him. " You have seen th-s account in the evening papers, and have conoluded that we belong to the family of the Mr. Mapleson whose cruel story is told there '"' asked Harry. ihe old man nodded. " You are right : we ara his children. This sympathy is indeed kind." " Perhaps you yourself are a connec tion V" said Susan, with a woman's pene tration. The fellow-lodger at last forced words to his lips ; Yes," he sid, " I V " Liook to him. Harry I cried Susan : and if they had not run forward to sup port him, the old man would have fallen. 'i fiey got bim into a chair, bathed his forehead, gave liitn sherry, and he soon camo out of his faint. "The emolbn was too much for me," he said presently " I am myself again now. No, no, do not go for a doctor. I am not ill. It is nothing but an overdose of happiness ; a medicine," he added, with a sad smile, " that I have not been much accustomed to." "You were a great friend of his, per haps V" asked Harry, who looked puzzled ; but Susan glanced rapidly from the youthful features of her brother to the time and care-worn faoe of the other, and u light flashed upon her. "Father!" she cried. " My girl I My children !" In the course of that evening he told them all. How that, when a few years of his sentence had expired he was allow ed to live as a free man within the bound aries of the colony ; how his book -craft had gained him the situation of librarian to a wealthy settler, who had a touch of bibliomania, which it was difficult to gratify out there ; how he nearly died of the gnawing desire to communicate with his wife, but fought the battle out with what he felt to be self, and conquered ; how at length, when free to return to Europe, he had engaged in certain liter ary pursuits, which there is no occasion to specify, but in which he was event ually so successful, as to be in receipt of an income far beyond his wants ; how that, hearing of his wife's death, and certain that his children could not recog nize him, he had come to England and had contrived to obtain lodgings in the same house, and to make their acquaint ance. " And if it had not been for this happy ooi fession, would you have never told us who you were, papa V" asked Susan. " After the trial I have gone through," replied her father. " I think I may boast, never !" It is felt in certain influential circles that " something should be done " for "poor Mapleson;" something is also to be done for his so a Harry. This vague announcement sounds, I grant, woefully like " chops for two !" but I am in a po sition to stato that Mr. Mapleson will have a pension, and that Hrry will get a nomination; and when it comes to competitive examination, within certain limits, I'll back bim. Meantime, father and son and daughter are settling down into their relationship, and Harry has been relieved of a nightmare. It was this: He fancied that perhaps the man since dead by the bye who committed the crime his father suffered for, had made him the various presents he had accepted; and one evening when the three were together, he owned that this suspicion made him wretched. " Silly I" cried Susan ; " why, of course Mr. Anonymous was papa !" " Is that a fact father 'f " "Susan is right, my boy." . Chumhen'it Journal. Boston Rich Men in Disguise The Boston correspondent of the Roch ester Democrat writes : The old a J age that " you can't always tell what a man is worth by the clothes be wears," is true in more senses than one. One of the most poverty-stricken looking men that searches our business thoroughfares for old paper is worth half a dozen brick buildings at the south end, and an old apple woman in the vicinity of Kilby street pays taxes on a f30,000 house in the same part of the city. The foundation of the wealthiest foreign fruit house in town, Draper & Co., was laid by selling domestio fruit on a street corner thirty years ago. Some men have a knack of turning everything into green backs which they touch. Opportunity, too, is one of its elements of success. The head waiter of the Parker House, Barrett, understands his business, or he would not be able to erect a handsome granite building, which he is doing. This same person has real estate in Cam bridge, but continues to be a head wait er, and is happy. There is also another character rich in disguise. He is a porter in one of the State street banks. At the close of business hours he is disguised in overalls and an old hat, and sweeps out and dusts down. During business hours he acts as messenger, thus drawing two salaries. He owns eight houses, and al though worth $25,000 he is not above the menial service of an Irishman armed with a broom. One of the wealthy men of Newburyport rides into Boston every morning, except Sunday, and stands be hind the counter as faithfully as though he had a large family to support on a small salary ; but he is not happy. A Cape Coder, doing business in the city, and worth $000,000, works Bide by Bide with his help in the store, and does not dress so well as his salried clerk, who would not contaminate his hand with tarred rope undar any circumstances; which shows the difference in people. To Develop TnlcnU Place a man in a position that will fearfully tax him and try him, a posi tion that will often bring the blush to his cheek and the sweat to his brow, a position that will overmaster him at times, and cause him to rack his brain for resources. Place him in a position like this. But every time he trips go to his rescue ; go not with words of blame or censure, but go with manful words of encouragement ; look bim boldly in tbe eye, and speak them with soul and em phasis. This is the way to make a man of a boy, and a giant of a man. If a man has pluck and talent, no matter whether he ever filled a given position or not, put him in it, if worthy, and he will soon not only fill it, but outgrow it. But put one in a position with a faint heart. This is the way to kill him. Put him in grandly with most unmis takable confidence. Drop no caveats, but boldly point the wav. and then stand by with a will and countenance of a true friend. Thus try twenty men, such as have been named, and nineteen wiu succeed. Methodist churches were built in America last. year at tbe rate of four per diem. . Snnllnes, where They Come From nnd How Preserved. There are few delioacies so well-known and so highly esteemed as the sardine. The deliciouB flavor of the fish when the tin is. first opened, and tbe sweetness of the oil (always supposing a good brand) print their charms upon the memory. It will be unweloome news, however, to many to be told that anything good in this way is exceedingly scarce this sea son. Unfortunately, it was the same last year. Then the destroying demon of war took the fishermen from the vil lages, and, added to this, the fish were scarce, so that more was contracted for than could be delivered. This year it is worse. Few fish of any size have been caught (except some very large), least of all those of the finest quality. The con sequence is, that the French manufac turers jire again unable to carry out their contracts. The fishery, says the London Grocer, is carried on generally from July to November, all along tbe west coast of France. Two of the largest stations are at Douarnenez and Concatneau. Fleets of boats go out some few miles and spread out their nets, by the side of which some cod roe is thrown to attract the fish. The nets are weighted on one end and have corks attached to the other bo that they assume a vertical position two nets being placed close to each other, that tbe fish trying to escape may be caught in the meshes. Brosght to land, they are immediately offered tor sale, as, if staler by a few hours, they become seriously deteriorated in value, no first class manufacturer caring to buy such. They are sold by the thousand. Tbe curer employs large numbers of women, who cut off the heads of the fish, wash and salt them. Tbe fish are then dipped into boiling oil for a few minutes, ar ranged in various sized boxes, filled up with finest olive oil, soldered down, and then placed in boiling water for some time. Women burnish the tins ; the la bels are put on, or sometimes enamelled on the tins, which are afterwards pack ed in wooden cases, generally contain ing 100 tins, and are then ready for ex port. ' It does not always seem to be remem bered that the longer the tin is kept un opened the more mellow do the fish be come ; and, if properly prepared, age improves them as it does good wine. But if they are too salt at first, age does not benefit them they always remain tough. The sizes of tins are known as half and quarter tins. There are two half tins, oue weighing eighteen ounces and the other sixteen ounoes gross. The quarter tin usually weighs about seven ounces, but there is a larger quarter tin sometimes imported. Whole tins, and even larger ones still, are used in France, but seldom seen here. As is wtll known, the sardine trado is an important branch of industry, very large quantities being consumed in France ; and the exportation to Eng land and America is truly wonderful.. Sayings of Prentice. " An editor in Michigan, talking of corn, professes to have two ears fifteen inches long. Some folks are remarkable for the length of their two ears." " ' Doctor, what do you think is the cause of this frequent rush of blood to my head';'' O ' it is nothing but an ef fort of nature. Nature, you know, oi Jiors a taeuvm.'" " The editor of the G saj'B he hopes to reach the truth. He is laying out for himself a long journey. II had better make his will before he stai ta. ' " Will you have the kindness to band me the butter before you '(' said a gen tleman politely to an ancient maiden. I am no waiter, sir.' ' Is that to? I thought, from ycur appearance, you had been waiting a longtime.'" "A Western rhymer says he writes only when an angel troubles his soul. We don't know that the fact of his own bouI being troubled gives bim the right to trouble the souls of other people." " ' You seem to walk more erect than usual, my friend.' 1 Yes, I have been straitened by circumstances.' " "A well-known writer Bays that a fine coat covers a multitude of sins. It is still truer that such coats cover a multi tude of sinners." " ' Landlord, you do me too much honor ; you let me sleep among tbe big bugs last night.' 'O! don't be too mod est, my dear lodger ; I doubt not tbey have your own blood running in their veins.' " Pensions, and to Whom Paid. The Soldiers bixce 1773. The fol lowing facts in relation to pensions have been compiled from data prepared for the report of the Commissioner of Pensions : " The aggregate annual amount of pen sions of widows and dependent relatives upon the roll J une 30, 1S7 1 , was lees than on the 30th June, 1870. This was owing to tbe lessening of individual pensions by minors reaching the age of sixteen years. There were 57,023 Revolutionary soldiers pensioned for services, 11,308 soldiers of the Mexican war, and 103,791 soldiers of the war of the rebellion pen sioned as invilids. It is thought that the annual expenditures for pensions for other than the latter class have nearly reached their maximum, and that during the next ten years they will gradually and materially decrease1." The following is a statement, com piled with great care in the Pension Office, of tbe total number of soldiers serving in tbe wars, and so forth, which the nation has engaged in since 1773. It will appear in tbe forthcoming re port of the commissioners of Pensions : Soldiers ot the War ot the Revolution 270 000 (Soldiers i-l the War of 112 bn.ti-il Koliiiai ul the Seminole War ot 1817 6, Hi I Kolitirrof the Hlack Hawk War of MX! 6,031 Holiliem of Hie Florida War ot ltOS to Mil SS.Saa KaldteiH ol tle Crek dimurbaucitof l<i li.ioi boldicn ot the BoutUweitieru dutturbaucr ol la) 2,803 8oliUers of the Cherokee Country du,tubuicta ot ism S.ssO Soldiers ot the Now York frontier dmturb. anoe. and of the Canadian Ho- bul Ion of 1888 1,128 Holdirra of the Mexican War of 14 7-i::u0 bul.UeiK of the War U the Reuelllou of ltfl.2,t8,W3 Boston is contemplating the annexa tion of a dozen or so of the neighbor ing towns. ' MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. The name of a London street has been changed to " Charles Dickens avenue." An Iowa court" has decided that a woman can bub her husband for .money borrowed of her. A young convert down in Maine de monstrated the force of habit by re marking in a conference meeting that some of the proceedings were not " ac cording to lioyle." A young blacksmith in London has undertaken to earn money in thn last two years in a rather novel way. Half a crown fee is paid to the individual who gives the first intelligence of the break ing out of a fire. This diligent youth has set fire to 109 different buildings, with no other purpose than obtaining the 109 half crowns. The last time he was detected, and is now on trial. A "jour " tailor named Jimmy Yolk, ninety-four years old, is now traversing Ohio as a professional " tramp." He has been on the tramp for seventy-five years, and has visited evory State in tbe Union many timeB, walking on an average 3,000 miles every year. He has good eye sight yet, and professes to be able to work at his trade. He has just returned from a little walk into Nova Scotia, and is now en route for Texas. Tbe Speaker of the House of Commons enjoys a magnificent residence, finished and kept in repair at the public expense, and containing one hundred rooms. He receives a salary of $23,000, and on re tirement is always created a viscount and has a pension of $20,000, which cn his death passes to his eldest son. Oddly enough neither the late nor tho present Speaker, although married men, have any son to inherit theBe good things. Alarm bells of a new style have re cently been attached to thirty-four loco motives of a railroad company in Michi gan. The bell is placed immediately in front, and is so attached that at each revolution of the driving wheel it is struck once by a hammer. It is claimed that tho position of the bell causes the sound to be thrown forward and con ducted byhe earth and railroad track so that it can be heard a considerable distauce ahead of the train. A professorship of Chinese is mooted in California, aDd from theiuterest taken the idea may really before long find form. The English have long bad professor ships of the Oriental languages and literature with singular advantages to their sway in their Eastern possessions, aud from some popularization of Chi nese and its twin-brother, Japanese, we of the United States might derive no in considerable benefit in our commercial intercourse with the coming man. The records of the American whale fishery tell the story how petroleum ia driving other oils from the market. Only four years ago the whale fisheries of this country employed three thousand two hundred and eighty vessels, but Bince that period the number of the fleet has been continually decreasing. In a single year after the time named over two thousand nine hundred vessels went out of the trade. In the succeeding year there was a diminution of twelve ships, and this year there are fifty ships less. In four yenrs the entire whaling fleet of the United States has been re duced to one-thirteenth of its former ex tent, there being but two hundred and forty-nine vessels engaged in that trade in 1871. A Chicago lowr went to visit his girl one evening recently, but for some rea son, possibly that the fire had materially changed his condition in life, she re ceived and treated him coolly. He re mained standing in the parlor a few mo ments, but finally made a movement to ward the front door, remarking that "ho guessed he'd go." " Oh I" she remarked, starting from a beautiful condition of semi-unconsciousness, "won't you take a chair r" "Well, I don't care if 1 do," was bis reply, and he took the chair, thanking her kindly, and carried it homes He says it is a good chair, made of walnut, with stuffing, and green cover just what he wanted. But he is down on that girl, and declares he wouldn't marry her not if her father owned a brewery. Gail Hamilton recently attended a meeting of the woman's branch of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. She found it decided ly tiresome to stand in the aisle for two hours to listen to feminine oratory, and openly professes that if she is obliged to stand to hear anybody speak she prefers that the speaker should be a man. In the course of the meeting a small dog entered the hall, and after listening to the speeches proceeded to have a fit. The ladies present shrieked in fear, and called upon a man to put the dangerous beast out. Wherefore Miss Hamilton laments that women will never be true to themselves, but that after clamorous ly demanding an equality in all things witb men they seek refuge behind the latter whenever a small dog inconsider ately barks. That malicious,little brute furnishes her with a conclusive argument against tbe equality of women. Tbe Illinois Legislature has taken up the subject of abolishing Canada thistles. A bill has been introduced providing for a Canada Thistle Commissioner in each town, whose business shall be to extir pate them in the roads, and when he finds them growing upon any person's land, to place tbe infected spot iu quar antine immediately, and devise measures to prevent the spread of this botanical Ku-Klux. The Chicago Tribune says this is a matter of very serious moment to tbe farmers of the State, and may in volve thousands, even millions, of dol lars if the thistle is allowed to go on sowing itself unchecked. In one county alone there are two thousand acres of these noxious, purple-headed weeds and the flight of their winged seeds this fall will probably still further extend their area next year, and choke out all useful vegetation. The I'ribune is not inclined to envy the commissioner whose lines are cast where thistles are plentiful. His lot will be as thorny as that of Theo philus Thistle, the suoceesful thistle-sifter, whose mibhsp it hat perplexed so many school-boys to pronounce.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers