r
'
HENRY A. PARSONS, Je., Editor and Publisher.
ELK COUNT Y THE RET UBLICA JV PARTY.
Two Dollars txa Anjjcm.
VOL. II.
RIDGIWAY, PAV THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1872.
NO. 7.
Mi
?
If
POETfi Y.
TWO MEADOW M.
Down In tli. pasture meadow.
Two footlets bare and browu,
Deep In the pointed clover.
Pronging the grasses down,
Eyoa that were sunny and nancy
Curls of a tawny gold
A smile of rippling sweetness,
And a rooutn half shy, half bold
Hp chafed the straw-colored millerv-
U laughed at the lowing klne
Heir of a limitless kingdom
Was thin princely boy of mine.
Down In tho pasture meadow.
Under a tinted sky,
Hopeful, and proud, and loving.
We stood my wife and I.
We watched the merry monarch,'
As h. stored his hat to the brim
With marguerites white and golden
Watched till the west grew dim.
The 8itmmerdied with its clover,
Tho daisies withered away .
Tbe Lesson of Life we am learning,
And its text is hard and gray.
Down In the meadow of marble-,
A ht ad ! tone cold and white
Marks where our boy is sleeping
His dreamless sleep to-night.
THE STO&Y-TELLE II.
MISS GEBMAIXE.
BY JUSTIX M'CARTIIY.
I.
In some purls of the suburbs of New
York city, the Bloomingdalo . region,
among tho rest, are quaint, picturesque,
and even romantic-looking old homes,
cottago-built, ivy-clad, flower-surrounded,
imbedded in gardens, and so sepa
rated from the ou,ter and busy world as
to seem no part of it. One of these,
which had been tenanted by successive
generations of the Oermaine family al
most, since the days of New Amsterdam,
was understood to be quietly offered for
sale some t wo or three years ago. Tho
family had run itself out, both in wealth
and in numbers. It had dwindled
down to a widow and a daughter. Then
the widow died, and the daughter of
eighteen was leit alone in the world
Her health was somowhat delicate ; her
means were small. She was ordered by
her physician to seek a warmer climate
for at least two winters, and she had
made up her mind to sell the old home
where she could no longer live without
the ever renewing of recent griefs.
Buyers ought to bo easily found for
so pretty and picturesque a place, and
could have been found readily enough
if things, were done in proper business
fashion. But Miss Isabel Oermaine
would do nothing in business fashion.
Offer after offer she peremptorily re
jected merely on seeing tho proposed
purchaser. " Oh, no, Mr, Rowan," sho
would say, her eyes filling with tears.
I couldn't give my darling mother's
house to him" (or to her, as the caso
might be). " I couldn't have him" (or
her) " wading in dear father's, library,
sleeping in dear mother's room ! It
can't be. I would rather never sell it,
and do without tho money somehow."
Mr. Rowan did not very well see how
the money could be done without, but
it was no use his talking. The young
lady would not sell the house to any
one whose looks and manner displeased
her. Many and many an eligible offer
did Mr. Rowan bring almost to a con
clusion, until Miss Germainc got a
. glance at the other party to tho pro
posed bargain ; and then the thing was
at an end.
Mr. Rowan was a buildor and ahouse
' decorator, whose principal premises
were somewhere in Fourth Avenue. lie
had always looked after the Oermaine
house, attended to its repairs and redec
.orations, kept its gas-fitting in order,
:and in every other way been its practi
cal business man ever since he startod
'in business for himself. His father had
been gardener to Dr. Oermaine, the
grandfather of our heroine. Mr. Kowan
had prospered as the family of his fath
er's patron decayed and declined, but he
always felt the same interest and affec
tion in the house and its occupants
now its one occupant. He it was" who
looked after every thing for Miss Ger
ma'ine, from the ordering of her mother's
funeral to tho selling of her houso. His
manner to the young woman was still
; somewhat as if he were a mere house-
decorator, or a land-steward, and she
: a lady of great fortuno and powerful
patronage.
The autumn was drawing on, and tho
Hectors insisted that Isabel must soon
leave New York and go either to Flor
ida or Algeria. Tho houso was not sold.
Miss Germaiiiti had just refused ah ex
cellent , offer, because the gentleman
waking it had let fall a hint that he
proposed to turn her father's library in
to a billiard-room. She grew pale, look
ed at Mr. Rowan ; and he knew the
thing was at an end.
" I dare say," he mildly pleaded, when
the gentleman had been bowed out, " he
could easily be induced to give up that
notion if you only askod him, you
know, and lust explained how you feel,
and-"
11 Never !" was the young lady's elo
quent reply. Its tone was, at least, as
'. decisive as that of M. Rouher's famous
" Jamais !" and there was this difference,
' that Isabel was in a position to keep her
' word, wluireas M. Rouher was soon out
t of all condition for maintaining his.
, But that was a day of destiny. The
purchaser was at hand. The hour came,
' ' aud with It the woman. An English
lady, with one daughter, saw the place,
4 cams straightway in, and opened nego-
tiation with Miss . Oermaine herself.
. The lady's husband Mr. Alsager, was
about to live in New York as the head of
- the American branch ot a London bank
ing house. He and his family had been
staying at first in one of the fashionable
hotels in tha city, and his wife detested
the way of living there. Then they
took a furnished house on Murray Hill,
and kis daughter abhorred that She
would have a lawn, a garden, and a
house that was not new, and all these
attributes woro combined in Isabel's old
home. The elder ludv was fair, sweet,
and sympathetic; the daughter was
fair, plump, pretty, and with a winning
manner charmingly mado up of the af
fectionate and the imperious. Isabel
was especially touched by the fondness
of mother and daughter for each other.
They seemed liko tenderly attached sis
ters. When they heard that Isabel's
mother had lately died, their tone and
manner to Isabel grew moro friendly
and sweet than ever ; and Miss Oer
maine observed, with a swelling heart,
that the yousg English lady instinctive
ly threw her arm round her own mother
and clung to her as if the bare thought
of a possible separation had affrighted
her. The elder lady turned upon her
and smiled a sweet, reassuring smile ;
and Isabel loved them both. A basis of
negotiation was soon agreed upon.
" Papa will do anything we like," said
Miss Alsager.
" And I have only myself to please,"
said Isabel, with a sigh.
As the house would need some new
decorations to suit the taste of tho com
ing owners, Miss Oermaine earnestly
recommended Mr. Rowan, and mention
ed his long connection with the family.
Mrs. Alsager was only too glad to have
troublo taken off her hands ; and Isabel
ventured to make an appointment for
tho day next but one, when Mr. Rowan
could be present, and everything could
be arranged.
Tho next day but one, at tho appoint
ed hour, Mrs. Alsager and her daughter
Alice were at the place. They were
shown into a room in which thoy could
hear the notes of a piano. It was a
large, low-roofed room, with folding
doors that stood partly open. The au
tumn sun shone upon tho room whore
tho strangers stood, and left the smaller
apartment on which the folding-doors
opened partly in shadow. But Mrs. Al
sager and her daughter could see that in
the smaller room Isabel sat at a piano,
and that a handsome young man with
dark curling hair stood bosido her. She
was playing some sud, sweet air some
air that spoke vaguely, yet with pene
trating conviction, of separation and
farewell.
In a moment Isabel rose and advanced
to meet the visitors, yet not so quickly
but that the mother and daughter had
exchanged speaking glances. They
thought they could understand thiit
scene.
Miss Oermaine did not show tho
slightest embarrassment. " Mr. Rowan
has coov" she said. " I have boon try
ing to amuse him ;" and she smiled
rather a wan smile.
" Mr. Rowan '." repeated Mrs. Alsager,
in a tone of surprise ; and she looked
round for the elderly builder.'
" Not Mr. Rowan, the father," said
Isabel, " but his son ;" and she formally
fircsentod the youug man to the two
adies, who, fresh from England, bowed
rather coldly.
" My father says he begins to distrust
his own judgment in modern household
affairs," said yeuug Rowan, " and ho al
ways insists on one of us taking his
place when anything new has to be look
ed after. don't agreo with him. I
only wish I had as good an artistic judg
ment even by training as he seems to
havo by instinct. But he will have it
so, and so 1 have taken the liberty to
come to-day instead of him. If you
will allow mo to show you over the
house, Mrs. Alsager, I shall bo happy to
take your instructions, and to offer any
suggestion with your leave that may
occur to me."
His manner was as cocl and easy as
though he were a gentleman of fortuno
showing his now house to two or three
friends; yet in all the business details of
the inspection he deported himself sim
ply as the skilled artisan taking orders
and giving experienced suggestions.
Mrs. Alsager disliked him at first, mere
ly because she was a little shocked to
see a young lady on such familiar terms
with a house-builder's son. But his
manner was very good neither con
strained nor in tho least degree intrusive
his taste and judgment seemed per
fect, and he was certainly very hand
some. When young Rowan was taking his
leave Isabel shook hands with him in the
warmest manner, and said, in a low
tone,
"I shall see you again to-morrow i"
"Every day," ho answered, "if you
will allow me, until until you go."
Tho words were spoken by both iu a
low tone, but without the least attempt
at secrecy. Mrs. Alsager and her
daughter exchanged lightning glances
of wonder.
" Mamma, how strange !" Miss Alice
exclaimed, when tho two were in their
carriage together. " I do believe she is
in love with him the son of a builder,
or gas-fitter, or something."
" My dear, I almost thiukshe is. What
an odd country .!"
" She teems a perfect lady."
" She U a perfect lady. I am told that
there is no better family here than hers.
And I never met a more agreeable and
lady-like girl in my life."
" Nor I. I like her immensely. But
how can sha go on so with him Y Isn't
he a very handsome young man 'f
V Very. He would pass off for a gen
tleman anywhere. A strange country !
It will be long before I understand it ;
but I am inclined to like everything."
The details of redocoration and alter
ation required many interviews between
Mrs. Alsager and young Rowan. The
elder Rowan sometimes came, and was
always the respectful, commonplace man
of business, in whom one could not help
of feeling confidence, but whom certain
ly no one could take lor a genueman.
The more Mrs. Alsager knew of the
younger man tho more she hkod him.
He had been educated at Harvard, he
had read a great deal ; he could talk
French, and could convorse about Taine
and Ruskin and art : he could play the
piano ; yet he nover seemed to dream of
being above his business. Even Alice
after a while became quite reconciled to
him.
Both ladies crew very fond of Isabel.
Mrs. Alsager insisted that until she was
ready to leave the house not a hand
should be put to alter any of its arrange
ments, nor should the new owners nor
any of their servants enter it excopt as
visitors. This, at least, spared Isabel
some pangs. To the last tho old home
was to be tho sumo. She could nover
see any change in it except such change
as Fate inexorable had already made.
Isabel was to go to r londa, accompan
ied only by hor maid, a Swedish girl,
who had lived with her since they both
wero children. These last days were
very sad. Isabel was loaving the home
of her birth, her childhood, hor affec
tions the homo which now seemed like
tho sacred grave of her dead father and
mother. The doctors assured her that a
warm climate would restore her health ;
but sho sometimes fancied sho felt a pre
sentiment that her own grave would bo
made in the South, and she thought it
might perhaps as well bo so, although
she yearned to lie near her mother in
death. Yet she always showed an out
ward, cheerfulness and courage. Her
one great consolation was so purely sen
timental that practical minds would
scorn her for it the thought that tender
and kindly hands would care for the
places that had been hers, that the sweet
voices of loving women and tho pure
breath of an affectionate and happy
household would gladden the old rooms
so dear to her.
Was there no thought of sadness, no
grief of parting, no gleam of hope in
her which had another source 'f
Tho idea that had shot so quickly into
tho minds of Mrs. Alsager and her
daughter when first they saw young
Rowan with Isabel had never occurred
to him. He saw Miss Oermaine sweet
and friendly to him, as she was to his
father and to every one. IIo saw that
no idea of social separation ever seemed
to express itself in her manner. But
she came of a great old family, and his
father was only a better sort of a working-man,
and he himself aspired to no
thing higher than the succession to his
father's business. It never occurred to
him as possible that Isabel could care
for him. Now that his father had mon
ey and sho had none, his spirit and man
hood would have repelled such a thought
moro utterly than ever. As Isabel Oer
maine could not love such a fellow as
he, would he allow his soul to entertain,
even for an instant, the thought that
money could buy her 'i But he loved
her, mado her his idol, consecrated his
thoughts to her, confessed his love to
himself, and was glad in the knowledge
of it.
He came to see her for the last time
before hor journey South. They were
friendly, sad, and in a certain sense con
fidential. But each kept a great thought
back from the other.
" Would you mind doing me a little
favor before I leave you ':" he suddenly
asked.
" Surely I will do anything you wish.
What is it ?"
" Only to sing me thnt song once
more."
She looked up at him with sad and
speaking eyes. But he was looking
down ; had almost turned away.
She sat to the piano and played and
sang iu low, sweet tones tho air we have
already heard her play. Tho evening
was setting in ; the room was growing
gray in the dusk. The voice of t lie sing
er became fainter and fainter, as deep
ening emotions and memories poured in
upon her, and once it seemed as if she
were about to break down. But she rul
liod bravely and went on to the end.
He spoke not a word but " Thank you
and good-bye." Iu tho gathering durk
she hardly knew that he was going un
til he had gone. She looked eagerly
round, found that sho was alone, and
broke into tears.
II.
Tho air of the South, and perhaps her
removal from scenes overshadowed by
melancholy association, did wonders for
Miss Oermaine. A few months made a
marked change. She grow stronger and
stronger every day. She had received
many letters from the place she still
called her home. Mr. Rowan the elder
wrote to her from time to time, and told
her with some apparent pride of the
kindness Mr. and Mrs. Alsager had
shown to his son, and how the latter was
a frequent visitor at their house. In ene
letter he mentioned the fact that he ex
pected his other son, Eustace, home soon
from Europe, where he had sent him for
education in Germany. Isabel had but
little , memory of Eustace Rowan, and
soon forgot this piece of news. Both
the Alsager ladios wrote to her several
times. At first they too mentioned
Frank Rowan often, and spoke warmly
of him ; but of late his name seldom
appeared in their letters.
In fact, after Isabel's departure, Mrs.
Alsager, seeing that Frank Rowan was
in education, manner, and nature a true
gentleman, had, so far conquered her
English prejudices as to ask her husband
whether they might not invite him to
dinner. Mr. Alsager, who had made all
his own way in life for himself, only re
plied, " Good gracious, my dear, why
not, if you liko iff" So that Frank
Rowan dined there once, and then of
ten, and was much liked by all.
Isabel had made up her mind that she
would pay a visit to New York, and was
actually writing to Mrs. Alsager on the
subject, when a bundle of letters came
in. Tho first was from Mr. Rowan. Af
ter telling her many scraps of unimpor
tant news, it wound up with these
words : " You will have heard, no doubt,
of my son's approaching marriage to
Miss Alsager. It's a great honor, and
one I nover looked for. But the boy is
a good boy, well brought up, and like a
gentleman ; and I am well pleased with
the prospect, as I am sure you will be."
'W ith trembling hands, and doing her
best to keep her Hps steady, Isabel open
ed Miss Alsager's letter. It was very
kind and affectionate. Toward the close
it assumed that she had heard from Mr.
Rowan all about the approaching mar
riage. " My dear, in your country we
English unlearn our nonsense, and find
that a man is a man. Twelve , months
ago I should have thought any one mad
who talked of such a thing. Now I am
reconciled to it ; to-morrow, perhaps, I
shall even rejoice. The lad is a perfect
gentleman, and he and she are immense
ly fond of each other. You ought to
take a deep interest in it, for it is indi
rectly all your doing. Had we not seen
you and your house it would never have
come about, Now caa't you follow the
example t I shan t " say what I onoo
thouirht about vou. but 1 do know Home
body, and I wish you would como up and
let me give you away.
Isabel lot the letters fall. So this,
then, was the end : and he Lad never
loved her nover ; ad that last night
she had so nearly betrayed herself I Oh,
how she loved him that night, and long
ed that he would but speak 1 That
night, and always for years and years
at least ! And ho had never loved her
all tho time ! In the full, deep misery
of tho knowledge there was to her but
the one consolation that sho had not be
trayed herself that her secret was and
ever should be her own. She disciplined
her heart for that night wrote two let
ters of reply and congratulation (in
which, however, she could not force her
self to mention Frank Rowan's name) ;
and announced that sho was soon about
to leave Florida for some other climate,
she was not yet certain where. When
bIio had sealed these letters she felt as if
she had signed her farewell to lifo and
hope and all that would have made life
worth the having. She left Florida in a
few days, and crossed the ocean to
Europe, and for a whole year was utter
ly lost to the friends who gathered un
der tho roof ot her old home.
HI.
Twelve months had passed away, and
at the door of the old home stood Isa
bel once again. She had grown weary
of her life in Europe, and she now be
lieved herself cured of her idle love. So
she had returned to her own couutry ;
and driven partly by friendship for Mrs.
Alsagi-r, partly by a nameless impulse,
sho went to the old house. She stood
for a moment at the little side gate so
familiar to her, then opened it and went
in.
It was a beautiful evening of early
summer, and the grass and the garden
looked friendly and winning to the eyes
of poor lonely Isabel. Their very friend
liness overpowered her, and she had to
stop for a moment in order to get the
tear-drops out of her eyes. As she
stood she saw twp figures seated on a
bench under a tree, a young man and
young waman. She knew Alice's fair
hair and graceful figure, although tho
girl's face was turned away ; and her
heart beat with a cruel pang as she saw
the dark curls of tho yoling man. His
face too sho oould not see ; but nobody
could fail to perceive at a glance that
these two were a young married pair,
Isabel determined to crush a weakness
that seemed shameful and selfish to her,
She would go up and frankly offer her
congratulations. . isut suddenly tho
young man raised his head ; Bhe saw his
face, and it was not tho face of Frank
Rowan ' It was like him that is,
somewhat like but it was not he ' Alice
now was nestling in his arms. Surely
this must be her husband, yet as surely
it is not r rank Kowan !
Isabel felt the blood mount to her
forehead, and her eyes grew dim and the
tears seemed to flicker and become en
veloped in a mist. Sho had not been
seen by the young married pair, and she
avoided them and hastened to tho house.
Tho door stood open, and, unseen by any
one, she entered the old familiar room
where the piano used to stand. A piano
was there still, and the tolding-daors
wero nearly closed. Isabel was about
to ring the bell iu order to make her
presence known, when she heard two
voices in the adjoining room ; and she
could not move troin where she stood ;
the sounds and words had a fascination
for her. Sho seemed to have no choice
left ; she could only stand and listen
" My poor Frank," said the voice of
Airs. Alasger, " 1 am so grieved about
you and about her ! But, you foolish
boy, why didn't you speak out in time i"
" I don't know I hadn't the courage ;
and even if I had, what would have
been tho use '( She never could have
loved me ; I know it."
It was the voico of Frank Rowan
which spoke thus :
" How would your brother have got
his wife if ho hadn't at least given Alice
a chance for accepting him ' Do you
think she could have proposed for
him '("
" Eustace is a better fellow than I am
every way ; and then Alice was always
near and you were so kind I But it
was different with s I moan with me
and now I have lost her forever."
" Frank," said Mrs. Alsager, speaking
in a very grave tone, " do you know, I
always suspected that in her heart Isa
bel Germaine loved you :"
"Oh, Mrs. .Alsager, don't torture me
for nothing. It can not be. If it were
so, why should sho have gone away in
such a manner ; lelt us without a word
to let us know where even a friendly
line might reach her ':"
" That very thing is one of my rea
sons. I can't tell why, but I have often
thought we wero not clear enough in
explaining about Alice's marri tse. I
took it for granted that your father had
explained everything, he took it for
granted that I explainod, aud we neither
of us did ; and I fear we made a sad
blunder of it."
" But what could that have had to do
with her sudden disappearance '"
" Don't you understand V Can't you
guess r"'
" I don't understand ; I can't guess."
" Suppose she thought it was you, and
not Eustace, that was to marry Alice?"
1 here was a sudden sound as if Frank
had sprung to his feet, and he ex
claimed,
" Oh, Mrs. Alsager, if I could only be
lieve in that, I would search the whole
world for her until I found her 1 And I
would bring her back or kill mvself be
fore her eyes ! What is life to me with
out her i
Isabel could endure no more.' A sud
den inspiration seized her. She turned
to the piano and played a few hurried,
aud tremulous bars of the old and fam
iliar farewell air which he knew so well,
There was a cry in the next room, a
crash, a flinging back of folding-doors.
and Mrs. Alsager and Frank rushed into
the room, and Isabel wag nearly faint
ing witn emotion nan shame, half joy
when the young man caught hor in
his arms.
No more of the storv needs to be told
but that tho Alsagers found tho old
home too small for them, as their daugh
ter Alice and her husband wero always
to live with them. So they discovered
anether place not very far away, and
they made arrangements to resell the old
home to Frank Rowan for his young
wife and himself. Nor does the tale
need ay particular moral, excopt per
haps, that in announcing by letter an
approaching marriage it is always safer
to mention the exact names ot tho per
sons about to marry.
An Improved Double Rail.
Iu a late issue of the Amnrkan Rail
way Time, T. U'illis Pratt has given a
description of ' a new and improved
double rail, by means ot which a contin
uous rail is secured, having as great a
width of top and bottom surface as pos
sible, without greatly exceeding in
weight per linear yard the best solid or
single rail in use at the f resent time.
The double rail has two necks spread
somewhat apart, thus giving a better
support to the top surface, and securing
less projection from tho vertical and
solid parts of tho rail, than in any of the
ordinary patterns. The bottom of tho
double rail is 25 per cent, wider than
any of tho usual patterns, and therefore
will not sink so rapidly into the cross
ties, and thus their wear and tear will
be diminished. Tho double rail, with
its groat lateral width, will preserve its
line either straight or curved much bet
ter than those, of tho single or compound
pattern. Tho two parts not being fitted
to each other by grooves, or in any
other of the modes by which one part is
brought in contact with tho other, there
will be less strain upon tho rivets and
bolts, and consequently a more compact
body ot rail will be maintained. The
two parts being exactly alike, less ex
pense will be incurred in tho manufac
ture, and greater facility attained either
in hrst laying tho track or in repairs.
This improved double rail is laid on
the tie thus: Two equal and similar
rails are placed side by side, enclosing in
the hollow parts between them a core or
tongue of wood. This core is intended
to exactly fit the hollow parts of the
rail, and to be of sufficient thickness to
keep the t wo side pitces a quavter of an
inch or more apart at the top and bot
tom flanges. The whole is to bo fasten
ed together with screw-bolts or rivets,
whichever may be found best in prac
tice. Tho side pieces are to break joints
at one-half their lengths, and tho wood
en core at equidistant intermediate
points. Splicing or fishing pieces of iron
to be used, if necessary, at each point on
the outside surfaces in the hollow of the
rails. This eombination is, in fact, a
double iron rail ; being two distinct
rails placed side by side, and kept from
contact with each other by the wooden
core, and yet bound together by the
bolts or rivets, ihus are secured the
qualities of a continuous rail with suf
ficient stiffness or rigidity, combined
with the elasticity imparted by naving
the parts pressed against a wooden sur
face. Beauty of Old People.
Jlen and women make their own
beauty or their own ugliness. Lord
Ly tton speaks in one of his novels, of a
man " who was uglier than he had any
business to be;" and if he could but
read it, every human being carries his
lite in his lace, and is good-looking or
the reverse as that lifo has been good or
evil. On our features the fine chisel of
thought and emotion are eternally at
work. Beauty is not the monopoly of
blooming young men and of white and
pink maidens. There is a slow-growing
beauty which only conies to perfection
in old age. Grace belongs to no period
of life, and goodness improves the longer
it exists. 1 havo seen sweeter smiles from
a lip of seventy than upen a lip of scy
enteen.
There is the beauty of youth and the
beauty of holiness a beauty much
more seldom met, and more frequently
found in the arm-chair by the tire, with
grandchildren around its knee, than m
the ball-room or promenade. Husband
and wife, who have fought the world
side by side, who have made common
stock ot loy or sorrow, and aged togeth
er, are not unfrequently found curiously
alike in personal appearance, and in
pitch and tono of voice just as twin
pebbles on the beach, exposed to the
same tidal influences, are each other's
second self. He has gained a feminine
something, which brings his manhood
into full relief. She has gained a iuas
culine something which acts as a foil to
her womanhood.
The Hunting Spiders.
Amongst the spiders called the hun
ters, and the vagrants, some seize the
prey like the lion, or the tiger, with the
aid of few or no toils, by jumping upon
them when they come within their reach.
We hade often observed a white or yel
lowish species of crab-spider a tribe so
called because their motions resemble
those of the crab, which lies in wait for
her prey in the blossoms of unbellifer
ous and other white-blossomed plants,
and can scarcely be distinguished from
them ; which, when a fly or other insect
alights upon the flower, darts upon it
betore she is perceived.
There is a very commau black and
white spider amongst the vagrants,
which may also be seen in summer on
sunny rails, window sills, etc. When
one of these spiders, which are always
on the watch, spies a fly or a gnat in the
distance, he approaches softly, step by
step, and seems to measure the interval
that separates him trom it with his eye ;
and if he judges that ho is within reach.
first fixing a thread to the spot on which
he is stationed by means of his fore-feet,
which are much longer and larger than
the others, he darts upon his victim with
such rapidity, and so true to an aim.
that he seldom misses it. Whether his
station is vertical or horizontal, is of
little consequence he can leap equally
weu irom timer, anu iu an uirccuoiis.
Lady Plllnla-A Pcn-amMuk Sketch.
Lady Pillula was nearly eighty years
of age, with tho withering marks of
time deeply written on her features and
her mittened hands, l et no small nerve
and vivacity remained in hpr frame.
She had nothing to do, so sho took med
icine. With little of interest in those
who wero about her to attract her at
tention, she fixed it on herself, and that
part of the body which became the solo
and specinc obiect ot her regard was hor
intestines. It is affirmed by physicians
that one can by nervous concentration of
thought upon one spot in the body in
duce or aggravate a local morbid action.
This was Lady Pillula's peculiarity. Her
passion was pills. Of these she was at
once an artist, a connoisseur and a miser.
Vast collections of empty pill-boxes lum
bered her room. Sho took pills before
she rose in the morning, before break
fast, at 11 o'clock, A. II., at 1. She took
Holloway as an appetizer for lunch, and
counteracted the ill effects of that un
timely meal with the celebrated anti
bilious pills of Cockle. Her dinner was
inaugurated with three boluses of rhu
barb and concluded with oloe. Her
nocturnal podophylhn was never preter
mitted. Sue scanned the newspapers
every morning for one purpose, tho dis
covery of new pills ; while her sister,
Lady W., sought tho columns of fashion-
able intelligence, and Lord .perusod
tho stock lists, she was busy registering
the latest novelties in pillular invention.
On tho first occasion of her reading the
advertisement of tho notorious Revalen-
ta Arabica, headed " No moro Pills or
any other medicine," the announcement
proved too much for her, and she fainted.
She only recovered upon tho exhibition
of a whole box of " Brandreths." One
form of pill she abhorred, namely, tho
minute globules of Homeopathists.
These she condemned as utterly un
worthy of a trial by any adult interior.
iho most agrocablo surprise you could
pass upon hvc was to present her with a
not ui new pills. She would take them
tiie same evening, and pronounce on
their qualities next day with the precis
ion and 'gusto of a connoisseur. Indeed,
tho mania affected her morality. She
became morbid in tho pursuit of her
fancy ; invading her sister's boudoir or
even Lord W.'s dressing-room in tho
hope of finding some stray box of her
oondiments. It a visitor happened to
carry such specifics with him or left
them in his room, Lady Pillula took
tithe of them. She had several times
been nearly poisoned. Once she swal
lowed a number of buckshot which an
incautious sportsman had turned into
an empty pill-box on unloading his gun.
In another instance some glass beads
met with a similar accident.
One item of comfort to bo extracted
from this strange but authentic caso,
should not pass unmarked. Mot with
standing tho vast numbers of portentous
patents, irom tho exhibition ot which
? ii. . .
liinunicraoie consequences were pieagea
to ensue, Lady Pillula's organs seem to
be contrived to resist them all. It was
only affected by blue pill in unusual
quantities, or prescriptions administered
uy uvi punLuittu , luu uuiiiiieBsiie&H 01
most patent pills was a constant source
of vexation to her, though it amply tes
tified to the simplicity of the materials
with which people are gammoned.
Lord . used to amuse himself occa
sionally at his sister-in-law's expense.
Ho asked Savory or Corbyn for the lat
est inventions, and brought home boxes
of them. He himself slyly mixed some
rare and monstrous compositions, rang
ing from pitch to beeswax or bread, and
was entertained to find that the old lady
placed some of these high in her stand
ard ot excellence. W hen, however, he
twitted her with hor credulity, and with
the perils to which she was exposing
herseii by her unreasoning addiction to
such fraudulent devices, she replied upon
him rather sharply,
" Lverybody takes pills of some sort.
she said. " Some swallow opinions
wholesale without knowing much of
what is in them. Some people take their
priest's prescription as if it wero certain
to contain a specific for their souls.
Others take their political ideas from po
litical quacks and gulp thorn with the
most credulous simplicity. I have seen
you take tor granted any pill the editor
of the Chime makes up for you of a
morning, and havo known you to bo tho
worse ot it. uthor people, here she
looked wickedly at her brother-in-law,
who took a turn at speculation now and
then "swallow the lies ot promoters
and stock-jobbers and suffer a good deal
more than I do tor their temerity. Af
ter all, I would rather be deluded any
where than in my braius. JSu the Author
oj Uinz liaby.
Expert Carving.
Hue, who by extended explorations of
a section ot the habitablo globe scarcely
known save by its name, between Tar-
tary and (J lima, gives many extraordin
ary accounts of customs and manners
peculiar to the people, which strangely
contrast witn our civilization.
On one occasion he came upon a Mon
gol encampment. Being kindly received,
no purchased a sheep of a native. " k
Mongol butcher slaughtered the animal
with such surprising despatch as to as
tonish tho good Catholic Father. But
the climax was when, with a lonz knife,
the butcher drew out the entire skele
ton from the flesh without fracturing or
doing violence to a single bone.
They are so expert in that particular
art, which amounts almost to a science,
knowing as they do each bone, its name
and exact position the frame of an ox
or any other animal is treated in the
same manner with unerring facility,
As Turks use neither knives nor forks,
they have the skill to jerk out the bones
ot a towl when placed upon the table.
with similar adroitness, leaving the body
in its original form. Their knowleds
of anatomy, however, falls immeasura
bly below that of the Mongols, who
practice dissections on worthless carcases
for the purpose of ascertaining how
they are constructed.
A little girl in Milwaukee was lately
frightened to death by the noise of a mill
into which she ran.
Fact 8 and Figures.
A company has paid 50,000 for the
privilege of boring and raising oil on
ands ot tho (Jhickasaw .Nation, north ot
Texas and west of Arkansas.
Fresh salmon is considered high-priced
at twelve cents a pound in San Francis
co at this season, but they have to pay
fifty cents a pound for halibut.
They have a haunted house in Henne
pin, Minn. It hag been vacant for a
long time, but every night the upper
windows are brilliantly lighted.
A man named Atcheson Wells- while
wading in the river at Brownsville, Tex
as, stepped into a quicksand, and van
ished from sight in a second. A new
way of sinking wells.
A local of an Indianapolis paper says
that he does not depend upon journalism
for his daily bread, but raises hens.
Which moves an envious rival to ask
whoso hens he raises.
An inventive genius of Kalamazoo has
succeeded in bringing out an eight-leg
ged steam walking machine that can
hitch to and walk off with any amount
of tonnago that wheels can roll.
A negro was rescued in good condi
tion in Charlottesville, Ya., on Friday
evening, after lying at the bottom of a
well, covered with about fifty feet of
earth and stones, for nine hours.
Before we have had scarcely a breath
of spring the annual croakers are pre
dicting only half a crop of peaches.
According to them' we have had only
half a crop for many years, but that half
crop has served a very good purpose.
In Michican University, a tall eirl bv
the name of Miss White, whom the stu
dents call AUia Longa, has solved every
problem in tho mathematical course, in
cluding one which has remained unsolv
ed by the graduating classes for fifteen
years.
It was said by a looker-on that when
President Grant introduced his cabinet
to the Japanese embassy thero was no
hand-shaking. "The Americans snap
ped their heads in the usual jerky way,
but tho Japanese gave them tho grace
ful sulam of the Last. An Oriental
only knows how to bow."
Madame Thiers, wife of the President,
has iriven her decision against womeu
being adorned with hair that grows not
trom their own scalps. JUadamo believes
that Paris rules the world of Fashion,
and that the wife of the supremo execu
tive rules the fashion of Fans. We wish
her success in her endeavor : it will re
lievo the purses of men and tho heads
of women.
The ballot which it is proposed to in
troduce in England will consist of a
piece of paper bearing an official stamp.
and having on it the names and de
scriptions of all the candidates. The
voter, after erasing the names of the can
didates for whom ho does not wish to
vote, will fold it so that the names can
not bo seen, and after exhibiting tho of
ficial mark on the back, will deposit it
in the ballot box.
They have a resolute old fellow up in
Washington Connty who, because his
property was placed in the hands of his
son, to prevent his squandering it upon
drink, took to his bed and stayed there
day and night for twenty years. He
was determined that if his son had his
property he should take care of hiin. Ho
has been in good health all this time, but
ii waited on liko a child.
An Aintralinn tianer erives a very sim
ple remedy for all forms of sore throat,
and one which it asserts is certainly em
cacious. It is wearing a soft old silk
handkerchief next the skin and c,loso
around tho neck, especially during the
night. A common sore throat is said to
be relieved in an hour by this appbea
tion ; a serious caso requires a day to be
cured. Such a remedy is so simple that
every one may easily test it without
danger or difficulty.
Piceon-flyine is one of the popular
sports of Belgium. The breeding and
training of birds are carried on in the
most systematic manner, and matches
are frequently instituted for various dis
tances from one to nine hundred miles
for trained birds of different ages. At
some of the railway stations in Belgium
large numbers of those birds may often
be seen in charge ot a single man, wno
has instiuctions for letting them loose
at certain distances from their homes.
The Sacramento Dee says a box run
ning the full length of the front of the
telegraph office in that city hag hereto
fore furnished a tempting seat tor the
habitues. It is now covered with zinc,
which has boon conuected with the bat
terieg that were contained in the box.
A person Bitting upon the box without
touching his hands thereto will not feel
tho electricity, but if his hands drop on
tho box, or he puts them thereon to as
sist him in rising, he receives such a sud
den and astonishing shock as sends him
an unbelievable number of feet toward
the lofty roof and to the adjacent river.
Any good day a person may see some of
these unfortunates, unexpectedly struck
by this domesticated lightning, describ
ing a fifty-feet parabola in the air.
Mr. Joseph Sullivant, of Columbus,
Ohio, a well -known naturalist, publishes
an account in the Ohio State Journal of
the capture of tho Bannari astuta, or
ring-tailed cat of the Rio Grande region.
It was taken in Fairfield County, Ohio,
and was said to have been accompanied
by a second specimen. The occurrence
ot this animal so far north is vory re
markable, and it may bo a question
whether it had not been brought from
Mexico or California, and escaped from
confinement. It is an animal very much
sought after as a pet, being clean in its
habits, and readily becoming very tame
and affectionate ; indeed, it would seem
to be quite a desirable animal to domes
ticate and keep about the house as a
protection against rata and mice. Some
years ago a specimen of this game ani
mal was brought into the ' Smithsonian
Institution, having been captured in a
hen-coop near the city. It was in capi
tal condition and in lull fur ; but it had
evidently escaped from captivity, aa
shown by iba marks oi the rubbing of
a collar around the neck.