fiiiiif
HENRY A PARSONS, J., Editor and Publisher,
i?,A' COUNTY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. :
Two Dollars i-er Asinra.
VOL. I.
RIDGWAY, PA., THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1872.
NO. 47.
poetr r..
(Original.)
liBT EVERT OTfK SWEEP BEFORE
HIS own DOOR.
(i parapAriue.)
Da we heed the homely .dafto, handed down from duya
of yorei,
" Ere you eweep your neighbor's dwelling, clear the
rubblph from yonr door,"
Let no filth, no rust there gather, loave no tracea of
decay,
Pluck np every weed unsightly, brush the fallen leaves
away 1
If we faithfully haye labored thus to wp without,
within,
Plucked up envy, eTll-spcaklug, malice, each beeettlng
ln,
Weed, that by the Mcred porta1 t " Inner temple
grow,
Poisonous weed the heart defiling, bearing bltternec.
and woe
Then, perchance, we may have lolsure e'er our neigh
bor watch to keep
All the work assigned u finished, we before his door
may sweep ;
Bhow him where the mosses clinging tokeas ever of
decay,
Where the thistles, thickly springing, daily must be
. cleared away.
But, alas) our work neglecting, oft we mount the
ludgment seat.
With his fallings, hi omissions, we our weary brother
greet;
In some hidden nook forgotten, searching with a care
ful eye.
We the springing weeds discover somo slight blemish
there descry.
For his slothfulness, his blindness, we our brother
harshly chide,
Glorying In our strength and wisdom, we condemn him
in our pride ;
Ask not tohy he has neglected thus before his door to
sweep,
Why grown careless, he has slumbered, failed his gar
den-plot to keep.
On the Judgment scat still sitting, we no helping band
extend
To assist our weaker brother his short-comings to
amend ;
For his weariness, his (altering, we no sweetcomrasnlon
Bhow
From our store no cordial bring hlm.no encouragement
bestow.
But, while busted with our neighbor, urging him to
ceaseless care
Calling to the thoughtless Idlers, to their labor to n.
pair
Lo ! nnsecn the dust has gathered, woerte are growing
where of yore
Klow'rets rare and sweet were blooming when wo swept
before our door.
Ah I how oasy o'er our brother faithful ward and watch
to keep.
But, alas I before our dwelling hard Indeed to dally
sweep !
Harder than to share the conflict, "by the mud" at
home to stay-
Easier for to sit In Judgment than te humbly watch and
pray. A. K. P.
THE STOItY-THLLJJIt.
RECOMMENDED.
Aud so you are going to auswo
absurd letter '"
that
" Of course I am going to answer it.
Do you think I .would throw away so
raro a chance lor tun ot toe nrst water r
Rocoinmendod ! Hal ha I that is glori
ous ! Now, for a young lady of twenty
rive, not killingly handsome, I think
my chances are looking up, don't you '"
" I wish my chances were half as good,"
snid Lina, with slight pique. The fact
is, Lina was a little jealous ot her mend.
as jealous as was consistent with sworn
friendshipon account of one Ralph
Chester. " But, Amelia, you must not
do this. The gentleman foolish as his
action is is evidently in earnest, and
you might excite hopes in him that you
never meant to fulfill. Bosides, it is
dangerous ; you will commit yourself
and
" Pshaw ! what a timorous creature
you are, Lina ! It's fun, I tell you.
And, oh, now I think of it, I am to send
my photograph in response to this ;"
taking up the " false presentment of
line-looking gentleman of about thirty
years of aero.
" Let mo see that, Amelia," said Lina,
eagerly. " You didn't tell mo about
that."
Didn't I ? Well, here it is. Not
bad-lookinrr face, after all. More char
acter in it than I should have given him
credit for iuderinrr by his imbecilo act
of seeking a wife solely on another's
recommendation."
" Upon my word. Amelia, he's a splen
did follow. Not exactly handsome but
what fine, earnest eyes ! and what a
mouth so firm, and yet so gentle in its
expression I W ere it not lor Ralph,
should really expect you to fall in love
with him. I'm half in love with him
myself, and almost inclined to take him
oil your hands,
" Capital ! Lina, capital ! I have it !"
exclaimed Amelia, clapping the prettiest
imaginable pair of hands. " You shall
send him your photograph, and I will
answer his letter and thus puzzlo his
consciousness by making two impres
sions instead of one. What a lark it will
bo !" and her merry blue eyes fairly
danced with delight at the thought.
" And what will Ralph Chester say i "
asked Lina, demurely, vet with the
faintest shadow of a blush on her face.
Amelia regarded her quizzically for a
moment, and then answered, "Uh,
shall tell Ralph you know. He will en
joy the joke as well as you and I. The
only fear I have is, that you may fall in
love with this paragon yourself."
Well, and why shouldn't I 'f " asked
Lina, saucily.
' Why, indeed of course !" said Ame
lia, with a slight tinge of raillery in hor
xone.
Frederick Upton was a physician, who,
having taken his degree at twentv-tive,
had ever since been established in the
thriving town of Auburn, and by dint
of fine talent and solid acquirements in
kis profession, had been steadily rising
in nublio estimation ever since. Tlin-ni.
tied and gentle in his manner, yet cheer
ful withal, be was a lavonte everywhere
and the only bar to his complete success
as a pbysican was that be was a bachelor,
There is a great prejudice in the minds
of many against eaiploying an unmar
nod physician.
Now, Dr. Upton had many lady
friends, any one of whom would have
been only too happy to help him in his
search after this great desideratum ; some
ot tbem, indeed, would no doubt nave
been willing to sacrifice themselves to
him on the strength of their good
wishes in his behalf." But his time was
so muoh occupied with his profession,
that ho really could could not visit peo
ple except in tho excercise of that profes
sion. So that, when Mrs. Smith invited
her pretty nieoe Aurora to visit her
house for the express purpose of making
her acquainted with the doctor, and
when Mrs. Brown sent for her own
daughter prematurely from boarding
school for tho saino charitable purpose,
the Fates arranged it that both the
Smiths and the Browns should be so re
markably healthy that there was no oc
casion lor the doctor s visits, and so both
plans, like the demonstrations of Euclid's
fifth preposition, fell through. And
when the blooming widow, Mrs. Tance,
suddenly loft off her mourning, and came
to church in a perfect love of a hat, with
her flaxen ringlets flowing temptingly
about her piquant little faco, she was
much disappointed to find that Dr. Up
ton s pow was empty, in consequenco ol
his having been called that morning to a
very urgent case.
x r T7..4 i, ,i t. 1 -f
nun, il. litl'U uuu unu iiu-uu, iuis.
Grant, on whose sound judgment he was
much in the habit of relying. This lady
said to him one day :
" Fred, 1 am not generally in lavor ol
recommending marriages ; but to ono
situated as you are, I think the experi
ment allowable, especially as 1 have
thought of a lady every way calculated
to make you a pearl of a wife, if you can
persuade her to ' accept tho situation.
In addition to her other charms and vir
tues, she, as only daughter of a well-to-
do lawyer, will one day como into pos
session of a pretty competency that will
bo no unwelcome audition to your in
come. What do you sny, now, of writ.
ing her a letter, inclosing your photo
graph, and proposing a correspondence
with a view to acquaintance, and por.
haps future matrimony not mentioning
my name, of course, as proposer of the
scheme r
" It seems indelicate, Mrs. Grant, with
all apology to yon for the remark. I have
too much respect for the sacrednoss of
marriage to
" To enter into it as a mere matter of
expediency, you would say. My dear
Fred, I don t a9k you to do that. I
would not for the world havo you marry
a woman if you did not love her. But
since I believe your heart to be yet dis
engaged, 1 really believe that an ac
quaintanco with Amelia Fanshaw would
ripen into love. She is really so lovely,
that I am only able to account for her
present single-blessedness on tho ground
ot her extreme lastidiousness.
" Fastidious, is she ? Then I suspect
my chances would be poor," said Upton,
with a grimace.
" Ot course I can t admit that doubt,
knowing you so well," was Mrs. Grant's
flattering reply.
I declare, Mrs. Grant, L wish you
were twenty years younger," said Upton,
gratefully. " I shouldn't have to look
lar lor a wile then, and ne gallantly
kissed tho cheek of the handsome old
lady whoso widow's cap had not lost an
iota ot its severitv in all tho years sue
had worn it.
" You will scarcely nnd a inoro ap
preciative wife, my dear Fred, said she,
with a gratified blush. " But now, to
return to Amelia. I have set my heart
on this match, because I love you both
as well as if you wore my own children,
and because 1 really believo that you
would make each other happy.
Well, my dear mend, said the doo.
tor. after ho had sat a few moments in
reflection, with, it must be confessed, a
rather quizzical expression on his hand
some face, " I would not take anybody's
advice but yours in such a matter, 1 as
sure you. But if you really and serious,
ly recommend it "
" I do in all truth aud soberness was
tho lady's answer.
Then, 1 will write. And the reader
knows how the letter was received. Two
days after its receipt by Amelia, Mrs.
Grant received the following lettor from
her :
" A , September 24th,
"Mr dear Mrs. Grant: I have
just been favored with a very curious
letter, a copy of which I enclose for
5'our perusal. Somehow I cannot help
connecting you in my mind with this
most singular procedure of Dr. Upton's
in tact, 1 have no other mend in An
burn that I could forgive for conspiring
in a plot to interfere with my luturo in
dependence. Of course I must regard
tho whole affair as a joke and to carry
it out to perfection, I have enclosed Lina
Edward s photograph in my answer to
his letter. Please do not undocoive him
let him continue to imagine the pic.
ture mine ; then, if he should happon to
fall in love both with my letters and
Lina's picture, wo shall bo able to verify
the fact that a man's heart possesses ono
of the common properties of matter
dauduhty. iours, affectionately.
"AMELIA FANSHAW
" I don't like slang, as a general thing,'
said Mrs. Grant, to herself, as she folded
up this note, after reading it ; " but tho
most expressive thing I can say now, is,
thut I have decidedly ' put my foot in it'
this time. Vt ell, tho only thing that re
mains for mo to do is to keep my mouth
closed and let matters take what course
they will."
" I have received the lady s answer,
Mrs. Grant," said Upton, with a smile,
us he seated himself that afternoon on
her tete-a-tetc.
" Well, and what does she say ?" asked
tho old lady, demurely, as she picked up
some stitchos sho had dropped in her
knit tins'.
" Oh. her answer is very nice and lady
like, indeed exquisitely worded, in fact,
She has handled the extremely peculiar
circumstances as few ladies would have
done. I admire her epistolary gilts ex
tremely.
" And how about her face Y Hasn
she sent you her photograph f"
Yes but I was going to reserve m
judgment on that. The fact is, my first
impressions of tho face are unsatisfac
tory. There is an incongruity between
it and the letter that puzzles me.
" Not so obtuse as they imagine,
thought Mrs. Grant. But she merely
remarked : " Faces cannot always be
understood at the first reading.
" This is very truo. But some faces
are much harder to read than others. I
should imagine, for instance, from tho
letter, that Miss Fanshaw is a sort of
Beatrice ; and from the face, that sho is
Hero. Now, a Hero would inako too
tamo and sentimental ft wife to suit mo.
nover could love a woman, however
amiable sho might be, who hod no sense
of humor. And the face depicted horo
lacks the virtues of that. I- am sur
prised that you havo never noticed this
ourscll, observant as you ore.
Of course he misunderstood tho smilo
that played round Mrs. Grant's features
in this remark. " You think I am hy
percritical," said he, " I know. But I
assure you that I havo no disposition to
be so. 'lam altogether anxious to be
pleased witli Miss Fanshaw."
" Ah, well," said Mrs. Grant, " I think
you will be pleased with her. Wait till
ou see her ; photographs aro oiten ue-
ceitful." The good lady had been re
volving in hor mind a plan which she
now resolved to carry out.
Accordingly, about two weeks alter'
ward, sho sent for Dr. Upton profession-
lly. There was a young lady at ner
she said one Miss Lina lid-
wards who was sultering irom a severe
. ' I
headache. Sho had arrived from the
city only t ho day before, and having but
a short timo to stay in tho village, was
anxious to be as well as possible so as
not to lose her anticipated pleasure in
er visit
When tho doctor called, in the courso
of tho morning, he was ushered up stairs
to tho best room, and introduced to his
patient. She sat in an easy chair, with
a handkerchief tied round her head,
which pushed the wavy red gold of hor
hair away from the most attractive faco,
Dr. Upton thought, ho had ever seen. A
white brow, with a pair of tho sauciest
blue eyes beneath it, rather noaror to
gether than the strict laws of beauty
dmitted, but lust near enough to mane
her face all tho more piquant ; a noBo
that the Fates had undertaken to make
retvouste, but for beauty's sako had como
short of it ; a mouth, the rosy roundness
of which harmonized exquisitely with
its extreme firmness. And when sho
spoke, the soft gayety of her tone and
the merry flow of her conversation, quite
completed the capture of Dr. Upton's
fancy. " I think your headacho will bo
soon relieved," ho said, as ho took his
hat to say good-morning ; "it is a slight
neuralgic attack, and will easily yield to
medicine. Hut 1 will call in ogam, to
morrow."
Miss Lina Edwards's behavior, on his
leaving tho room, was rather odd for a
patient. She tore the handkerchief
from about her pretty brows, and, toss.
ing her abundant " tawny" curls into
shape, sho laughed a little mocking
laugh, in which there was tho Slightest
susnicion of sadness.
Oh, Mrs. Urant, what a nirce . sue
said, with two little tears of vexation
gathering in her eyes.
" Hut isn t he bandsome, ijiua t as.
ed Mrs. Grant mischievously. " And
don't you like him ever so much r
liinas blue eyes Hashed, as though
she would have made some saucy an
swer, but tho gathering tears soon
ouenehed tho fire in them, and sho hid
her lace in her hands, sobbing
Oh ! Mrs. Grant, what an indelicate
thing for me to do ! What will he think
of me when he finds it all out V
Leave that to me, my dear, said
Mrs. Grant. " I will take all the res
ponsibilitv."
Ol course JUiss .Edward s beaaaeno was
deal better tho next morning; but,
strange to say. Dr. Upton found it neces
sarv to call every day lor a ween alter-
ward. The last time ho called, Miss
Edwards was out, aud Mrs. Grant receiv
ed him alone.
" Well," said she, after ordinary topics
had been discussed, " what do you think
ot our Lina f
" It is nreciselv about Lina that I wish
to speak, " said Upton, his lip trombbng
a little. " X want to tell you irantiy
that, after having seen her, I am quite
sure that, in Miss Fanshaw's case, love
will bo impossible. Now, what am I to
do ? Miss Fanshaw has every reason to
believe mo in earnest, and in good faith
has answered my letters. It is very awk
ward for me to have to break off with her,
and looks very dishonorable: but my
conscience will not allow me to do other
wise. For, to tell you the truth, Mrs.
Grant, I do most decidedly love Miss
Edwards. Now, what ain I to do? You
aro mv best advisor.
" 1 have not proved so, it seems, in this
case." said Mrs. Grant. " But it seems to
ine, the straightforward way is the only
honorable way. If you love Lina Ed
wards, tell her so : and if sho loves you,
marry her sho is well worthy of you.
As tor Amelia b anshaw, 1 can answer lor
her. Sho is a girl of good sense and fino
teeung, and not at all ono to allow hor
self to fall in love with a man that sho
has never seen. In fact, I'm sure she is
generous enough to be delighted with
the choice you have made.
" I wonder, said Mrs. Urant to her
self, after he had left, "what he will
think ot my straightforwardness, when
ho comes to know the part I havo taken
in deceiving him ? "
A dav or two softer ward. Dr. Unton
was driving along a country road leading
to the village, on bis return irom a visit
to a neighboring tarnihouse. Ho was
driving slowly, and reflecting on the
dubious position of his affairs. Did Lina
love him ' was the question of all ques
tions that came uppermost in his
thought. Ho could not expect her to
love him on so short an acquaintance,
though ho needed no more time to make
up his mind as to loving hor. He wished
he dared muster courage to ask her the
question. Just as he came to that wish
for tho hundredth timo, he heard a door
shut, and looking up, behold the very ob
ject of his thoughts coming out of Squire
TuthiU 8 house.
" Good-morning. Miss Edwards."
" Oh. good-morning, doctor," said sho,
with a blush of recognition. u I have
just been calling on Mrs. TuthilL"
" A long walk for you."
"It is only two miles, I believe. Just
long enough for pleasant exercise this
fine day."
" The Fates have sent mo along just in
time to drive you homo, though," said ho,
alighting from his carriage. "Allow me
to holn vou to vour seat."
"Un, thank you l is win uu cuurming
to drive back. And with a bound sho
. n 1 t
gainod her place, and the dootor seated
himself by her si do.
It was very awkward, it, always w
awkward when' two people are loft by
themselves, who have something very
particular on their minds that remains
unsaid, to undertake to say naturally the
common words of courtesy. So they
were both silent. After a while, however,
Dr. Upton, as if ashamed ot his pusil
lanimity, cleared his throat for speech.
"Miss Edwards." said he, "I have
changed all my previous opinions about
love.
"How so V"
' I used to think it was a plant of
slow growth, but hnd 1 was wrong. U.x-
perience is the best of teachers. I love
you." v ,
" Un the contrary, you ought to des
pise me.
Ho looked at her in amazement. Her
head was bent down ; blushes covered
nor lace, and tears were starting irom ner
eyes
-rr . . 4 .1.
lie toon ner noukorcuiei, ana tenaeriy
wiped them away. " What do you mean,
Lino '(" he asked.
" That I am not Lino at all, and that I
have burnt my own fingers with tho fire
that I have been playing with," said she,
with a burst ot mortmcation. "1 am
Amelia Fanshaw. There, now, let me
got out of tho carriage and walk home."
" And whose nhotosranh was that vou
sent me, then 'r " ho asked, as if unable to
take in tho idea completely,
" It was Liina Edwards si ou see, at
first wo took youi letters as a joke, and
sent her picture inclosed in my letter,
iust to oonfuso vou. If vou want Lina
Edwards, I'm sorry to say you can't have
her, for she recoived a proposal from ono
Ralph Chester just before 1 lett homo
and accepted it. Do please to lot me
get out !
Ur. Uptons puzzled lace cleared up
rapidly, as Amelia went on with her ex
planation. When sho came to tho final
plea, ho burst into merry laughter.
Lict you get out -No indeed 1 uo
you suppose you are to go unpunished
for ploying such tricks on a poor helpless
doctor t" You are my prisoner now.
Get un. Lirrhtfoot " and ho gavlv
touched the horse with the end ot the
lash, to accelerate his speod.
Ho drove liko a whirlwind tor a while,
seeming to enioy the sensation of feeling
hertremblo at his side, finally, he slack
ed up, just as they were nearing the vil
lage, and bending bis lace down toward
her, like one not to bo contradicted, said
" A ow, Amelia, before we meet any one
else while none but God is our witness
tell mo that you love me !"
" I do, she said, quito snnplv
And so they rodo into Auburn together.
just as they were destined to ride many a
tune oiterward as lit. and Jlrs. I pton
Truthfulness.
Two country lads came ot on early
hour to a market town, and arranging
their little stands, sat down to wait for
customers. One was furnished with
fruits and vegetables of tho boy's own
raising, and the other supplied with
clams and fish. Tho market hours passed
steadily decreasing and an equivalent in
silver bits shining in his little money
cup. The last melon lay ou Harry's
stand, when a gentleman camo by, and
placing his hand upon it said, " What a
hne, large melon ! hat do you ask lor
it, my boy '"
" 1 ho melon is the last 1 have, sir :
and, though it looks very lair, there is
an unsound spot in it,' said tho bov,
turning it over.
" So there is, said tho man : " 1 think
I will not take it. But," he added, look
ing into the boy's fine, open oounto-
nanoe, " is it not very unbusiness-like to
point out the detects ot goods to cus.
tomers '("
'It is better than being dishonest,
sir, said the boy, modestly.
" You ore right, little fellow : always
remember that principle, and you will
find favor with God and man, also ; I
shall remember your little stand in fu
ture. Are those clams iresh r hecontin
ued, turning to Ben Wilson's stand.
" es. sir, fresh this morning, I caught
them myself, was tho reply, and a pur
chaso being made, tho gontleman went
awav.
' Harry, what a fool you were to show
the gentleman that spot in the melon !
Jow you can take it home lor your
pains, or throw it away. How much
wiser is lio about those clams 1 caught
yesterday V Sold them for tho same
price os I did tho fresh ones. He would
nover havo looked at the melon until he
had gone oway."
" Ben, 1 would not tell a lie or act one
either, for twice what I have earned
this morning. Besides, I shall be better
off in tho end, for I have gained o cus.
tomer, and vou have lost one.
And so it proved, lor the next day the
gentleman bought nearly all his fruits
ond vegetables of Hurry, but never spent
another penny at the stand ot his neigh.
bor. I bus the season passed, tno gen
tleinan finding he could always get a
good article ot liurry, constantly patron.
lzod him, and sometimes talked with hiin
a few minutes about his future prospects.
To become a merchant was Harry's great
ambition, and when the winter cama
on, the gentleman, wanting a trusty
boy for his warehouse, decided on giving
the place to Harry, hteadily and surely
ho advanced in the conhdence ot bis em.
ployer, until, having passed through va
rious posts of service, he became an hon
ored partner in the firm. Journal of the
Farm. ;
A Detroit policeman lately lound a
note book evidently belonging to a man
who believes in routine business. The
book is full of such sentences as these
" Monday--Buy a gallon of whiskey to
day, take four drinks. Tuesday Get a
e-ttllon of whiskey at noon ot ; aiso
get shaved : don t get drunk.
e-et almved : don t get drunk. Wednes-
day Soe if the whiskey is out, also, don't
drink until after dinner; also, see about
1 more whiskey .
STREET FLOWER GIRLS.
The Trade In Flowere Where They Come
From How They are Disposed of.
The fashion of woaring bulton-holo
bouquets came, liko most other fashions,
from Franco. A young and very pretty
girl conceived the idea of standing with
a basket of flowers on the steps of the
Jockey Club and presenting to eoch mem
ber a single flower as he passed. The
plan proved eminently successful, and
Mile, lsabello became quito the rngo.
She followed tho Club to all tha races,
ond wore tho colors of Count Lagrango,
the owner of the famous Gladiateur.
From that time a flower in tho button
hole bocamo quite on institution, ond
finally devoloped tho button-holo bou
quet, which is now considered dc rigueur
for a wedding toilet.
The poor littlo girls who accost tho
theatrical visitor with piteous entreaties
to buy a bouquet, arc tho true successors
ot tho lamous Isabelle, but do not re.
ceive quito such handsome pay for their
blossoms. For sho often recoived a gold
Napoleon for a Binglo rosebud, while the
uttlo bouquets prollored by these chil
dren aro sold for only ten cents. Thoso
perishing wares are arranged on a board
pierced with holes for their reception,
and invariably appear very bright and
blooming. A closer inspection bIiows
tho critical purchaser that some of tho
flowors, such os fucshias, verbenas, and
heliotropes, havo faded, but these ore
only tho sides of tho bouquet, the centre
being almost invariably occupied by a
largo tuberose or a blush rose. Next to
this is generally a mass ot scarlet gera
nium, and tho whole has a backing of
scarlet geranium leaves. The stalks aro
lett pretty long, so as to enable the pur
chaser to pin tho bouquet to the inside
lappel ot bis coat.
Iheso flowers come almost entirely
from New Jersey, and principally from
Union Hill near Orange. The littlo
girls buy them from the men ond women
who keep stalls about tho Astor House,
Vesey street, and the vicinity. These in
dividuals are, some ol them, owners of
nurseries and hot houses, ond in some
instances worth several thousand dollars.
During tho day timo they sell what they
can themselves, and then toward tho
afternoon they dispose of tho remainder
ot their stock to tho children, irom
whom they receive four, fivo and six
cents a bouquet, according to the amount
ot stock they have to get rid ot. Tho
flower girls then orrongo them on thoir
perforated boards, givo them a light
sprinkling of water, and tako their sta
tions along Broadway between 5 and 6
o'clock, when gentlemen are very good
customers for flowers. Even among tho
florists the greater part of the profit
comes Irom the orders ot gentlemen, la.
dies not purchasing, often apparently
irom a leehng that flowers ought to be
bought tor them, not by them. The ro.
mainder of tho little girls' flowers they
havo no market for, until the theatres
are open. Then they present thejr boards
to all the gentlemen accompanied with
ladies as a sort of mute appeal to their
gallantry. Generally the fair ones, either
from motives ot coquetry or ot pity
evince a wish for floral decorations, and
tho flower-girls are mode happy. But
on wet nights, and on wet afternoons, no
one will stop to buy flowers, and tho lit
tlo venders hnd themselves in straits of
difficulty
They then try tho largo
lager-boer saloons ond tho concert-gar
dens, but this they do with reluctance,
lor the men in those places ore coarse
and brutal, ond seldom will give more
than five cents. Thoso children who are
sent out by drunken parents to sell their
bouquets have then a terrible time.
Though dying with latigue and sleep,
they duro not return until tho last one
has been sold under penalty of severe
boating. Littlo things of seven ond
eight years may on such nights bo seen
taking furtive naps under porticos and
kitchen stoops, curled up in an uneasy
ball, witk tho Uttlo board ot bouquets ly
ing by their side. i. hey will otten pass
a wet and cruelly cold night in this
manner rather than face the brutalities
of somo drunken father or fierce virago
of a mother. All tho flower-girls, how.
ever, are not so miserably situated
Somo are warmly clad and well cared
for by their parents, who send them
regularly to school in tho afternoon
Some ot these more fortunate Ones work
in tho morning ot artificial flower inak
ing or tobacco stripping, or some other
occupation open to children. A ono ot
those aro so remunerative, however, as
tho flower-selling, by which tho neat
and tidy girls can average f2 a day.
Gentlemen like to buy of girls whoso at
tire is decent, and whose hair is trimly
arranged, and if they purchase from a
shoeless, stockingless. ragged flower-girl.
it is from motives of charity alone. But
tho neat ones, especially thoso who are
pretty, have regular customers who buy
of them every atternoon, rain or shine,
and who give them little presents on
holidays. In tho winter timo tho out
door flower business is almost entirely
suspended ond tho florists have no com
petition from tho little flower-girls. Then
the respectable ones go regularly to their
trades, and tho unkempt, ragged ones
pcddlo matches and big mourning pins,
ond sometimes tootb-picks. Up and
down over tho frozen snow and cold
pavements they wander, with their poor
littlo naked feet, their faces blue and
pinched, their fingers cramped with the
cold. (Sometimes they get Irozen to
death, m happened last year to a little
French flower-girl, and sometimes their
failing limbs betray them when they at
tempt to cross the street, and are driven
over. In either caso there is a hurried
inquest and a careless verdict. The tor
tured body, now insensible to pain, goes
to the Potter's burial-ground, and the
soul of the littlo flower-girl ascends to
those regions where flowers bloom for
ever and know no decaying, and where
pain, cold and hunger never come. N.
1 . i'aper.
A story is told of a lecture before tho
agricultural college students at Amherst,
on grape culture, in which tho lecturer
presented a bottle of wine mado from his
own grapes, and requested the class to
sip it to test its quality. The bottle
" lostea oniy to tne iiuru man.
The Chinese Plot to Destroy tho Chris-
tlnns.
Tho Bov. J. E. Mahord, Church of
England Missionary in China, has pub
lished an Interesting account of a recent
tour in China. He gives a brief history
of the plot against Christians, and of his
personal adventures. The plot origin
ated in Canton, and had for its object
tho general destruction of missionary
work throughout tho Empire. About
tho first of July last its execution began.
Through all tho cities and villages in tho
region of tho country around Canton
small powders called Shan-Sin-Fan, or
gods and genu powders, were distribut
ed. These were represented to possess
the power of preventing calamity and
disease, and were taken by multitudes
of people. On ond after July 12, pla
cards, written and printed, were issued
by thousands throughout the district,
within a hundred miles ot Uanton, an
nouncing that thoso powders were a
subtlo poison, ond were circulated by
tho foreign devils to ruin tho people,
Tho placards said that thoso who had
taken tho powders would within 20, or
at tho furthost 100 days bo attacked
with o dreadful disease.
This disease, it was affirmed, would
cause the bodies of thoso who had taken
the powders to swell until they died, un
less they obtained relief from foreign
physicians. The foroign physicians, tho
placards asserted, would demand largo
sums of money from thoir patients, and
compel them to outer their church bo-
fore they healed them. Those who en
tered tho church, and especially tho wo.
men, it was declared, would bo required
to join in the vilest deeds of shame.
Similar placards were circulated m l(oo
Chow and other treaty ports, and foi
somo time the greatest excitement pre
vailed among the people.
The hrst victim ot this plot vas an
unfortunate foreign seaman who hap
pened to sit by a well in one of the sub
urbs ot l'oo-Uhow. llo was accused by
the people of having poisoned the water,
and was severely beaten. After this
things becnino quiet for a time, and tho
authorities, assured the foreigners that
the people were peaceable. Soon, how
ever, intelligence was received that tho
Christian places of worship had been
destroyed in several localities, and that
tho lives of those who attended them
were in ioonardv. Manv Christians had
hair-breadth escapes Mr. Mahord
among the number and tho authorities,
foroign and native, wero alike unable or
indisposed to prevent the outrages.
A Remarkable Canary.
Tho Chicago Tributie says : One of the
most remarkable instances of endurance
and sagacity in tho ornithological line is
at present to been seen on South Hal
stead street, in the shape of an elderly
canary that has now reached the age of
twelve years, and is still as spirited a
songster as he was ten years ago. What
is more surprising in regard to this wee
bit of melody is the fact that it has been
stono blind for two years past, ond
looks" down with contempt on its
younger mates at their dearth ol music,
and still warbles his delicious music from
his own "song-book" with volume
enough to compensate for their short
comings. When darkness first came
upon tho littlo fellow ho experienced
much difficulty in locomotion, and wos
constantly coming in contact with the
wires of the cage or with tho perches
ii p i ji i i
inereoi. iy aegrees ins Dirusnip was
taught caution, and now he is perfectly
sure-lootQd. -He moves about with a
method wonderful to observe. On going
from perch to perch, ho climbs along by
the wires, at each step putting out the
foot as carefully as the blind man his
cane, and when he has reached the desired
position ho tunes up with great volubility
as if in self-congratulation at his superior
accomplishment. In walking ou the
floor ot his cage ho uses tho same precau
tions, and in his daily ablutions observes
oil tho forms and customs in vogue
among his more fortunate companions.
In this performance it u noticeable, how-
tor bo washes bis bead with the utmost
care, always avoiding contact between
his claws and any portion of the feathers
in the vicinity ot Ins sightless eyes. Such
sagacity in a bird so fragile is really
astonishing, and this little blind musician
is the pride of his owner, tho wonder of
tno neignoornooa, ana, wo suppose, the
envy ot bis leatberod brethren.
Housb Power vs. Mule Power.
Two farmers living near Galesburg got
to bantering about whether a span of
horses belonging to one could pull more
than a span ot mules belonging to the
other. It was decided to try it in tho
middle of the main street of tho village,
The mules wore bitched to one end ol a
long, 6tout chain, ond tho horses ot the
other end. At the words "lget up,
quickly sprang each span, both sharp
shod, gaining ond losing by hts ond
starts, tho horses finally pulling tho
mules after them. At another trial, tho
mules went off with their load. This
was followed by a long, cheering shout
from tho crowd. But after various trl
als, it was decided that the borses were
the strongest, for in tho last trial they
pulled the muv?s alter them, turning
them about in their harness, amidst the
great applause ot tho by-standers.
LoumUU Courier-Journal.
A SroRr with a Moral. A Ver-
monter named McNumara was " confi
denced" out of fifteen dollars in Troy,
Friday. The victim had the sharpers
arrested lor gambling, and, through tho
exertions of a lawyer, recovered his
money. Thinking, like many other in
nocent persons, that justioe should never
be rewarded, the Green Mountain man
started out of the court-room without
settling with his legal friend. The lat
ter thereupon had him arrested for gam
bling, and he was fined fifteen dollars,
whick was remitted on' his agreeing to
pay this amount to the lawyer. Moral-
Never bet on another man'i gama, and
keep out of Troy and th law.- Vttia
r,
Facts and Figures.
Keokuk. Iowa, has established a ten
contoourso of lectures by em ploying home
talent exclusively.
The receipts of groin at Buffalo last
year were 78,000,000 bushels, against
49,000,000 in 1870.
Trenton, N. J., owns the largest circu
lar saw in tho world. It is twenty-two
feet in circumference.
A Sioux City paper tells of a woman
there who "died, ond was dead two
hours and recovered ogoin."
Samuel Goodridge, of Canaan, Me., is
tho oldest man in New England 105
years. His last farm labor was perform
ed in his ninety-ninth year. His wife
lived to be ninety-seven, and their oldest
child is now living at tho oge of eighty-
ono.
Several ladies of Troy, married and
single, ore talking about getting up a
society to oppose tho organization ol any
more "lodges" of any kind in that
city. They claim thcro aro too many at
tractions at the lodges every night in the
week to suit them.
Tho St. Louis Democrat is a Uttlo se
vere on Tennyson's effusions in the New
York ledger, and says that if it had been
sent anonymously to a country editor,
unaccompanied by a piece of fruit-cake,
or a cord of wood, it would havo been
unceremoniously consigned to tho waste
paper basket.
At a recent election in Greeley, Co
lorado, to take the will of the inhabitants
as to who they would wish for post
master, tho women wero allowed to
vote ninety-eight in all embracing the
opportunity to express their preference.
Both candidates had sleighs running for
tho purpose of bringing in the lady
voters.
A thief stole the overcoat of one of tho
reporters on tho Cincinnati Gazette last
week. Tho paper announced the fact,
together with the information that the
owner ol the garment was iust recover-
ing from an attack of smallpox of the
most malignant type, it is to oe iearea
the ruso ot tho despoiled reporter will
prove to be " too thin."
An ingenious Yonkeo was before tho
Postmaster-General the other day with a
postage stamp that had on its adhesive
sido a taste ol choice candy, one sort
had chocolate, another . orange, ft third
lemon, and so through tho list of popu
lar Bweetmeats. The inventor urged in
creased sales and waste that would come
from this improvement. The Postmaster-General
reserved his decision ns to
tho advisability of the Government buy
ing out tho confectionery business.
There is still a house standing in
Greenland, N. H., which was built in
1GS8, and is consequently 2J.J years old.
It is a two story-brick building, with high
gablo ends. It is 30 loot in lengtn by
'21 in width. Tho walls of tho lower
story aro eighteen inches thick, and all
the timber which enters into the construc
tion of the house is of oak, massive and
strong. This was for better protection
against tho Indians. There is a serious
rent high up in the east wall, believed to
bo a traco of tho earthquake of 1727, or
that of 1775. A Mr. Weeks built the
house, and it has remained in the family
possession ever since a rather remarka
ble circumstance.
Tho War Department, in addition to
its weather-signal system, is about to
establish an electrical system of storm
signals in all tho larger cities ot tho
country, by which every man who is on
the magnetic belt can, Dy watenmg mo
signals on his chimney-top or ridge
board, tell iust the moment when it will
bo safe for him to leave port (or cham-
pagnej tor home. A black nag nying
will Biguiiy "cross as a ucui vjpauuu
approaching." A white flag "every
thing is lovely ; sho is asleep." A red flag,
with white centre "look out lor squaus ;
baby just spanked." Whilo a white flag,
with rpd centre, indicates snnpiy "cau
tionary" measures on the part of the
" Old man," who can go borne under ruu
sail, but should roef his boots and dose
the binnacle lamp before going up stairs.
Titusviile Jlorald.
A Kansas paper revives amusingly
how Gen. Sherman failed os conspicu
ously in law as ho succeeded brilliantly
... r. t ii.. l.. i. :..i.
in war. xn iuu vnny Juj uawjuiig
days, tho General mado a slender liveli
hood in Calhoun county, and once, when
he had prepared himself most elaborate
ly, it is related that a " long, lank5 lean
genius," leaving bis ox team, came be
fore the court os his competitor. The
General summed up grandly, quoting
froely from an immense pile ot books
placed carefully bolore him, and citing
the English common law to prove his
point. The " bullwhacker" followed him.
ond ridiculed his precedents and scouted
ot his books. He said it was an insult
to the court to read from " tho common
law of England," and declared that " if
wo were compelled to tako any ot that
aristocratic British law," he wanted the
" very best Her Majesty had, and none
of her common law." That was enough;
the justice's faco was set, and the Gener
al lost bis case. It was tne lost ue ever
tried in Kansas.
At a reunion of tho New England As
sociation of Deaf Mutes, a few days since,
dinner-tablo speeches were made in tha
sign language by several persons in the
company, and ono individual supplied
entertainment and expressed the general
sentiment by singing "We wont go
Homo till Morning" with his nimblo
fingers. The Philadelphia Bulletin thinks
" it would be a fortunate thing for most
persons who are compelled to' attend
public dinners, if all the orators upon
such festive occasions could be induced
to fumblo out their eloquence with their
thumbs and fingers. ' And the applica
tion to church choirs of tho suggestion
afforded by tho deaf-mute singer would
bo productive of even more pleasing
results. The services at many of our
churches would be made much mora
reverential 11 tne singers should sing
only with their hands. Thcro wpuld be
I small opportunity lot diBplaY of har
monio effect, but the tad truth is that
too often the larger tho Opportunity in,
tnis respect vne worse w mult,"