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HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. NIL DESPEnANDUM. Two Dollars per Annum.
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VOL. III. EIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1873. NO; 34.
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K
Tho Dark.
Where do the little chickens run
When they are afraid ?
Out ot the light, ont of the sun,
Into the dark, into the shade,
Under their mother's downy wing,
No longer afraid of anything.
Dear little girl, dear little boy,
Afraid of the dark,
Bid you good-by to the daylight with Joy,
Be glad of the night, for hark !
The darkness no danger at all can bring,
It iB the shadow of God's wing.
Where do the lit tle violets creep
In tho time of snow ?
Into tho dark, to rest and sleep,
And to wait for tho spring they go
Under the ground where no storm can reach
And God takes tendor care of each.
OFF THE STAGE.
I'm a super. I suppose yon knows
what that is ? If you don't, and ain't
theatrically inclined, I'll tell you. A
super's one of them as takes the small
parts in the play, where the "bnsi
ness " is important and tho " cackle "
particular. That's a super. When
Shakspeare wrote A man in his time
plays many parts," he must have had n
"super" in his eye, if supers was in
vented in those days, which I suppose
they was, or Shakspeare ain't the man I
took him for. Bless you, our role is
unlimited we does every tiling. Why,
in one piece sometime I takes a matter
of half a dozen parts, if not more. Sav
" Hamlet " is put up; first I'm a gnaril
n-walking on the ramparts of the castle;
then I'm a courtier attending on the
king; then I'm a recorder (which ain't
got nothing to do witli the law, as I
thought at one time, but performs on a
sort of flute); then I'm a sailor; arter
that a mute nt Ophelia s funeral; then
I'm a soldier again, or a courtier, as the
case may be. And there I am. A su
per's more important than anybody
may think.
I gets a shilling a night, and flndsmy
own color, which, being a saving man, I
usually manages to scrape enough tip
from the waste in the painting-room
form the matter of lime and ochre art
ists is pvodigals; and if I'm hard up for
black for a eyebrow or a moustache,
for instance I gets the needful from
the chimney-pipe of the- stove in the
property-room. I have worked my way
up to tho top of my profession in my
line, which is heavy'lead of supers; and
I've occasion to know that at particular
times, say the first night of a new piece,
I'm looked up to by the management to
carry the play through; and I generally
contrives to satisfy the most sanguinary
expectations. I'm proud of my profes
sion. I ain't only actor for the sake of
the filthy lucre (which I suppose means
coin), but for tho literature and art
'specially the art. I've studied it,
really studied it; you mayn't thiuk so,
but it's a fact.
I've been married, and lmd one child
a girl and I'm a widower. I was
married young, like most professionals.
She was in the third row of the ballet,
and inclined to be stout ; but she didn't
last long, poor soul ! She had an apo
plectic fit one night, and died in my
arms in the green room. I was verycut
' up at the time, because she was as good
a wife as ever wore a ring. My darter
Wis as good-looking a girl as you'd meet
anywhere ; quite different from her
mother not in the beauty line, because
she was nice-looking, too, but in size.
Rose was very thin. She followed in
the same steps as ray old woman ; and
I got her an engagement at our theatre.
Of course she fell in love girls always
do at that age, seventeen with as rising
a young fellow as I'd wish to see. I
was proud of Rose, and I was glad it
turned out so ; and, what's more, he
wasn't ashamed of me, although I was
only a- super, which made me proud of
him too. He was very jealous of Rose,
and wanted to take her off the stage and
marry her at once ; but I objected on
the score of age. I naked him to wait
a year, till she was a little older, and he
took my advice rather unwillingly, I
suspect, if his face was to be believed ;
but he didn't say bo, for he always gave
way to me, because I knew what was
better than he did.
One night Rose gets a letter sent
round to her from a gent in the boxes
a-asking her to meet him outside after
the performance. She was very much
hurt about it, for it vas the first insult
she'd received they gets used to these
things in time and brought the letter
to me. Just as I was a -reading it up
comes Charley that's her young man
and Rose snatches the letter out of
my hand and puts it in her pocket ; but
not before Charley had seen it. He
looks rurprised, and he says:
" What's that ?" says he.
" Oh I nothing," she says, playful
like, and runs away ; and he turned
away too, but not in the same direction.
When I saw Rose again, 1 says :
" Why didn't you show it to him ?" I
says.
"Oh, father!" she says, "he's so
jealous ; and if he'd seen it he'd have
thrashed the fellow," she sayst " and
perhaps got into a row, and I didn't
want him to do that."
Sue give me the letter, for fear he
should ask for it ; and I put it in my
pocket, never a-thinking no niorp
about it.
When work was done for the night,
me and two or three others used to take
our pipe and pot which was half a
pint o'forepenny at a little pub. round
the corner, close to the theatre, where
we was known and respected. There
we used to talk over the events of the
evening ; and sometimes, when things
was slow, we'd even condescend to talk
politics, but not often we left them
frivolous subjects to people as hadn't
. the sense to appreciate art. While we
was there that night, in comes a gent
rather mopsy ; he swaggered up to the
counter, and calls for a bottle o' cham
pagne, and then asks us to drink, which
we did we never refuses that. Well,
he was a-going on about one thing and
another, and at last he says :
" That Rose is a nice girl !"
I pricks up my ears at this, and I
puts down the glass of champagne as I
".was just a-rising to my mouth the
glass as he paid for but I never says
nothing. Then he goes on a-boasting,
and says as he was a-going to see her
home, I jumps up, and I says :
"I'm that lady's father, and if I
wasn't a old man I'd knock you down."
Then I turns to my mates and tells
'em of the letter business ; and takes it
out of my pocket, and hands it to him,
and gives him a bit of advice as he
wanted. He was in that rage that he
was jutst a-putting up his fist to hit me,
when Joe Palter, one of us, floors him.
Then we handed him over to a polico
man. We was rather excited after
wards, what with having an extra half
pint and the champagne we drunk nfore
we knew who we got it from. Charley
used always to see Rose home after the
performance, and stay with her till I
come ; but he wasn't there that night,
and Rose said he hadn't come with her
as he always did, and laid the blame on
the letter. " She was naturally cut up
about it, and said :
" I'll tell him how it was in the morn
ing." Rut she snys :
" No !" she says, " if he can't think
me true to him without proofs, he
sha'n't at all."
I see'd it was no use a-arguing with
her, so I gives in. My little beauty
was very proud and I liked to see it ;
but I never thought as how pride would
turn love over as it did ; although I
ought to have known better, a-seeing
so often how Pauline had a narrow es
cape of it. She was very pale next
morning, and her eyes looked like mine
do sometimes, when I ain't got water
enough to wash with comfortable, and
I leaves the color round under 'em;
but it wasn't from that, I knowed, be
cause Rose was a very tidy girl. I
never says nothing, but I goes on a-eat-ing,
and not pretending to notice any
thing different ; and by and by we goes
off to the theatre. I was very curious
to see what Charley would do ; but he
only just takes off his hat Charley al
ways was a gentleman and turns away
again. This here made me feel very
queerish, and I didn't know what to
make on it.
Things went on in this hero unfor
tunate style for a week. Rose was too
proud to explain, although I wanted
her to ; but no, not her ! and there we
was. One morning she didn't come
down to breakfast as usual, so I gees up
to her bed-room and says :
" What's the matter, my beauty ?"
"Oh, father," says she, "I don't feel
very well just now. I dare say I shall
be all right to-night."
But her hand was a-trembling like a
leaf, and her eyes was sunk; and when
I come to look at her close, I wad stag
gered to see how Bhe'd altered in them
few days. It flustered me more than I
should a-thought; so I gives her a kiss,
and tells her to lie down quiet, and oft
I goes to a doctor. He comes and feels
her pulse, and such like; then he calls
me out on the landing, and says she's
in a high state of fever, and must be
kept very quiet, or he wouldn't be an
swerable for it. Then he began a-asking
me about myself, and my profession
and cetera.
"Not very rich, I suppose?" says he.
'.'Oh, well!" he says, we sha'n't quar
rel about the money."
And s'welp me goodness! as I'm
standing here, he never charged me a
blessed h'pcnuy for physic or nothing
not a ha'penny and found the bottles
besides! When Charley sees me by
myself, he didn't know what to make
on it. He fidgets about me for ever
so long, and at last he comes up and
asks where Rose was. I was very short
with him, a-treating her as he was,
though he didn't know the damage he'd
done; so I says stiff
"My daughter's at home, sir not bo
well as she might be."
"I hope she isn't ill," says he, quick.
"It don't much matter to you," I
says, "whether she's ill or not," and I
turns away, choking like, a-thinking of
my little deserted beauty a-lying so
quiet at home.
I hurried back as. soon as 1 could,
and goes up to her room ; and, God
help me ! she was in that state sho
didn't know me, and wanted to know if
I'd brought a message from Heaven
from Charley, as she was certain he was
dead, because he hadn't been to see
her. I tried to soothe her, but it was
no good ; there she kept rambling on
about one thing and another, a-pretend-ing
to be talking to him, and a-telling
him not to be sorry, as she'd soon join
him. It made me feel quite queer
like, and moist about the eyes ; and I
remembered I was an old man, and be
gan to think how I should feel when I
was alone. She lay in this state for
a week, a-living chiefly on sop victuals,
as I was obliged to force down her
throat. It was a hard time not be
cause the money was short ; I didn't
mind that ; but I couldn't abide to see
my darling in pain. I never went near
the public then, but hurried home every
night as soon as the performance was
over, a-hoping always as she'd be better,
and would know me again ; but she
never did till about an hour before it
come. It was a Sunday night, at church
time. I used to like to think after
wards that my little darling was carried
up to Heaven on the sound of the bells,
as it died away on the breeze. I was
a-sitting quiet at the window, melancholy-like,
a-keeping my eye on Rose to
see as she didn't want nothing, and,
somehow, the night my poor wife died
came into my mind, and I couldn't get
rid of the thought nohow. The more
I tried, the more it would come. I
remember as well as if it were yester
day, when I had her in my arms in the
green-room, her a-looking up into my
face as though she wanted to Bay some
thing. So I says :
" Is it Rose, Mary ?" I says, and she
smiles, and I promised asl'd be a kind
father to her.
She smiles again at that, and lays her
head on my shoulder. Then I see her
eyelids a-closing, and that told me that
the Great Prompter had rung down her
curtain.
I was a-looking out of the window,
and I sees somebody turn the corner
and stop in front of the house; but it
was a-getting dark, and I couldn't make
out who it was I thought I knew the
figure, too. Just as I was a-puzzling
myself a-thinking how it could be, I
heard my little darling call " Father I"
I runs to her quick, for it was the first
time she'd knowed me since the fever
took her. I had such a clad feelinsr at
my heart as I can't tell here it comes
so fresh to me after waiting bo long,
although it seemed to choke me, too,
and I couldn't speak at the moment. I
sits down by her head and takes her
hand iu mine, and tliere we was, for a
matter of a minute or two before either
of us said a word, a-looking into each
other's faces, joyfnller than we'd been
for some time. Then says she:
" Father," she says, " I want to see
Charley." .
I says:
"You shall, to-morrow, my darling."
"Let me see him to-niglit, father,"
she says, beseechingly "let me see
him to-night, because "
And there she stopped.
I gets up not having it in me to tie
her want for anything as I could give
her, though I couldn't make out why
she was in such a hurry leastways, I
couldn't then ; I do now. I puts on
my hat, and just outside who should I
see a-eoining across the road from the
other side but Charley hisself. When
he knew he was wanted, he runs faster
than I could, and by the time I got in
the room there she was, with her arms
round his neck, a-smiling up into his
face, and ho was a-kissing of her, as
happy as birds. So I says nothing, but
goes and sits on the stairs outside, n
waiting till they had made it up. I felt
almost jealous of Charley, and I thought
God help me ! as how he would take
her away from me as soon as sho was
well. She was took away from me, but
not by him not by him.
I sat there for a matter of half an
hour in the dark, when all of a sudden
Charley gives a cry. I rushes in, and
there was my darling, with her head a
laid quiet on his bosom, and her eyes
shut ; and I could see, by the scared
look on his face, that my little beauty
would never cheer my poor old heart
again. English paper.
How the Chinese Play "Tan."
An officer having caused the arrest of
thirteen Chinese gamblers iu San Fran
cisco, found it necessary, in order to
make out a case against them, to be
come acquainted with the mysteries of
tho game, and accordingly sent for an
expert, who showed him all the tricks
of. a game he did not understand. The
game may be described as follows: The
game is an intricate and hazardous one,
and difficult to describe to one who has
not witnessed its operation, but its chief
points can easily be given. There is a
table upon which are pasteboard checks,
Chinese copper cash, chinaware but
tons, and a pewter instrument, tunuel
shajjed, and so arranged as to cover a
pile of cash when desirable. The cop
per cash lies in a loose pile at the left
hand of the game-keeper. When bets
are made the gamblers place their
checks, representing coin, on the right
of the squnre of plate-glass in front of
the keeper, and others place checks on
tht left. Tho keeper grabs a handful
of the loose copper cash, which only
figures as an article of furniture and
and has no real or fictitious value, and
places it under tho pewter instrument
before mentioned. The gamblers who
have placed money on the left side of
the plute-glass bet that there will re
main under the instrument one piece
of cash after the keeper with an abbre
viated wand has drawn away the cash at
the rate of four pieces each draw. Four
pieces is the regular number to draw
whenever the game is played, and the
bet is always upon the number left,
f only one piece remains the gamblers
on tho left side win, and those on the
right side lose. Sometimes great odds
are given by the keeper to his patrons.
The principle of the game has been
given ; the minutiro is intricate. It is
hampered with all sorts of rules. The
balance of power rests with the keeper.
Such is his familiarity with the game
that he can tell at a glance, knowing the
total number of cash coins, what will be
the result of the game, and can make a
winning by cleverly sliding a coin be
tween his fingers and dropping it among
those to be counted as he raises the in
strument of .pewter.
After Her Money.
But one woman succeeded in fairly
melting the heart of one of the direc
tors of a Chicago Bank during the
panic. She was a young woman, not
particularly pretty, perhaps, but inter
esting, and she had tears in her eyes
and 850 in the bank. She rushed
frantically to one of the directors, and
asked if she could not draw her money.
" I am very sorry, madam," said he,
"but I can't help you to it just now."
"But I must have it immediately,"
she returned, passionately. " It's all I
have iu the world."
" Well, my dear madam, you must
have patience as well as the rest."
" But mine is an urgent case, and I
can't wait, because "
" Well, because what ?"
" Because," said she, with a smile on
her lip and a tear in her eye, "because
I'm going to be married, and I've got to
get some things. The man I'm going
to marry has not a cent to pay the min
ister, and he has only one leg, and so
I've got to see to everything myself."
The benevolent director dove down
into his pocket and produced his pri
vate purse, out of which he paid her
the amount. And she went on her way
rejoicing.
Waiting for Ills Frieud.
An eccentrio and partially insane old
resident of Brooklyn died recently. He
had long been known as the " Twelve
O'clock Man," for reasons thus stated
by a city paper:
But the "Twelve O'clock Man" was
known by sight by many persons who.
daily passed the City Hall at noon. For
seven years he had stood near the City
Hall, within sight of the clock, from 11
o'clock until the first stroke of the
noon-day bell, when he had slouched
vway to his home. For more than five
years his daily position was at a partic
ular part of the railing, .against the
pickets of which he leaned, and looked
mournfully at the clock. If spoken to
lie would mumble out an answer to the
effeot that he was waiting for somebody:
" He'll come by 12 o'clock; he said he
would."
It seems that the old man had earned
a sum of money by hard work, and had
at some time loaned it to a person who
had promised to pay it by 12 o'clock on
a certain day. The promise was not
kept, and the ld man's disappointment
drove him crazy.
The Abnttolrs of Paris.
The following description of the
abattoirs of Paris is from the pen of
the Hon. Jackson 8. Schulte, and was
first published by the AT. '. Shoe and
Leather Chronicle:
Tho Abattoirs of Paris are not es
sentially different from those of other
important European cities particularly
resembling that at Munich. The latter
I have had occasion to speak of before,
and it has many small conveniences
which are not found in tho one at Paris.
But for extent and variety of work
done, these Abattoirs ef Paris far ex
ceed anything found elsewhere in the
world.
Nearly two millions of people are
provided each day with all their large
meats, such as bef, mutton, veal, and
pork, from this establishment. Tho
extent of tho business is not more re
markablo than the nice economy which
is studied iu all the manipulations of
the establishment. But this Abattoir is
only a part of n complete system by
which the people are supplied with
food in Paris.
First, They have a cattle-market with
most extensive and commodious accom
modations, not only for housing and
caring for the animals, but also con
veniences for all classes of persons who
have to do with their management, such
as offices, an enclosed exchange, i-c.
It is quite within the truth to say
that the cattle-yards of Paris are as
clean and free from all disagreeable
smells and nuisances generally, as the
best regulated publio square- in an
American city." The construction of
the buildings, the water supply, the
thorough paving of all the yards,
streets, and passageways leading to and
from it, are all topics on which much
could be said to guide any effort which
should be made at imitation iu our own
country. Doubtless in any such at
tempt we should find that practically
we needed to make alterations ; for in
stance, the condition and temper of our
animals are very different from thaso
accumulated in these yards. These are
" domestic " animals in fact as well as
in name while our " Western steers "
aro wild and could not be readily
brought under the restraint to which
these animals submit.
The latter are gentle from having
been handled and even fondled from
birth, and can be led into their bath
and washed, as is their custom, but not
bo our wild Western steers ; such an
undertaking with them would be im
practicable. Let this hint serve gen
erally to indicate that differences do
exist which would render it quite im
possible for America to adopt all of the
methods and systems here in vogue ;
and when, therefore, I speak with com
mendation of any plan which seems
adapted to the wants of this people, I
would not have the inference drawn
that 1 would recommend its adoption
by our own people without modifica
tion. Second, Tliere is an Abattoir or rather
a series of them near by these cattle
yards to which are transferred all these
cattle as soon as they are bought by the
slaughterers. Each one of these slaugh
terers continues the same care and ten
der treatment of the animals after they
come into his hands as while in the
hands of tho cattle dealers, drovers, or
farmers. They are tied singly in clean
apartments, well supplied with clean
bedding each day, and fed with as
much care as if their value depended
upon each meal they consumed. How
different in this respect do our butchers
treat their animals !
Third, They have a public market
not a private, fore-stalling affair, such
as disgraces too many of the cities of
America.
Beside several thousand private mar
kets and stalls where meat, fish and
vegetables are sold in all parts of Paris,
this one public market stands out by
itself unliko all the rest. Here all that
enters into the consumption of the city
finds place, both at wholesale and re
tail. During the early hours of the
morning I should judge the wholesale
dealers do the most of their business.
Most of the supplies are sold by auc
tion, under the most stringent regula
tions as to quality, weight, etc. The
rapidity with which these sales are ef
fected would astonish the most expert
auctioneer in our country. These sales
(at auction) are extended to fish of all
kinds as well as meats, and vegetables
too at most seasons of the year. The
manner of conducting these sales is pe
culiar, requiring a very quick judg
ment, particularly where the sales are
in lots without reference to measure or
weight. But the French market women
seemed to enjoy the excitement, for.
there was just enough uncertainty and
risk to make it a mild substitute for
gambling.
The three institutions above referred
to belong to one system, and should be
considered together. Without their
joint action the results which we ob
serve in Paris could not be secured.
All of these institutions are owned and
controlled by the Government, i. e.,
the ground and buildings are theirs and
the regulations are made without consul
tation with the occupants, although we
may suppose that their convenience and
experience has had ranch to do in es
tablishing the laws relating to the whole
subject.
What will most interest the tanners
to know is the manner of taking off
the hides and skins, and their disposi
tion and cure afterwards, and to this
subject I propose to oonflnemyselfnow,
reserving the more minute consideration
of the whole subject for another occa
sion. All hides and skins are " blown
off." This practice is supposed to be
adopted in order that the pelt may be
removed without flesh cuts, but I have
reason to think this is a subterfuge. It
is rather for the purpose of " blowing
up the meat" (at least that is the effect),
rather than to "blow off the pelts."
The pelt does become thicker (more
swelled) under the operation, and both
the meat and pelt look much improved,
but whether the result is finally any im-
Erovement is very doubtful. Every
ody has puffed wind bloated meat
and pelts, and every body understands
that they will lose these qualities before
they can be used or consumed. Beside,
does not the presence of so mneh air in
the vessels of these substances tend to
decay them much sooner than if this air
was not forced in ? This was the judg
ment of the butchers of New York
many years ago, when they procured an
ordinance to be passed which prohib
ited the " blowing " er rather "bloat
ing " process.
Very much of the " enlarged plump
ness " which the carcass shoavs is the
result of this injection of air, and per
sons not familiar with the process are
apt to ascribe it to the superior growth
of the animal. But this effect is avoid
ed in America because it is supposed to
superinduce decay.
The process of blowing off tho skins
and hides may be thus described : After
the animal is dead a small opening is
made at various parts of tbo body, al-
woysi on a line where the skin is finally
to be cut. In the first place a round
iron rod, about three feet long and half
an inch in diameter, is inserted between
the pelt and the flesh, and shoved in all
directions with a view of making passa
ges for the air. Then a pair of ordi
nary bellows, made large and strong, is
used to force air into these openings;
generally one opening under each fore
leg will suffice, but if not other open
ings are made. The blowing up is the
work of only one or two minutes;
tho effect is to bloat the whole
carcass to nearly double its natural
size, ana what will seem unreasonable
is that this effect is continued long
after the bellows is withdrawn ; the air
does not leave by the passages through
which it enters.
When the carcass is thus bloated the
iron rod aforesaid or a wooden stick is
used to pound the outsido surface of
the animal, for the purpose of disturb
ing the ligaments which hold the hide
and the flesh. The theory on which all
this process proceeds is the same as
that known to exist fn the peeling or
wringing of bark from the willow or
chestnut tree in the spring of the year.
A slight pounding or severe rubbing of
the outer surface will induce a separa
tion of the sap formation, and thus
limbs and branches of considerable size
can be peeled off. I doubt very much
whether the same eflect follows in the
skinning of animals ; I know it does not
to the same extent, for the knife is ttsed
near!) or quite as much by the French
skinners as with tis, with this differ
ence : in France the surface of tho meat
is sacrificed, and with us the hide.
This is the key which unlocks the secret
of all skinning of animals.
In all large cities of America the
butchers are tenacious of the appear
ance of their beef ; the outside cuticle
must be preserved. No mark of the
knife must be seen. But with the
packers the case is different and hence
their hides are much freer from flesh
cuts. Their beef is not exposed for
sale in tho ' carcass. The butchers of
France, Germany, Austria, and Switzer
land are unmindful to a very great ex
tent how their outside beef surface ap
pears. Thev always exoose the inner
side to view, and dress this by overlay
ing with fat in the most artistic man
ner disregarding nil considerations
but the preservation of the pelt. Of
course there are, for this reason, but
few cuts. Whenever a slip of the knife
is made it takes the direction of the
meat and not the pelt. The result is
that both hides and skins are freer
from flesh cuts than either in England
or America, where a different estimate
is put on the relative value of hides and
beef.
Slavery Among the Ants.
Among ants the habit of slave-making
as discovered by the Gorman naturalist,
Uuber, is one of the wonders ot tne
animal kingdom. This habit belongs
to the Amazons, or red snts of South
Africa. These leave their own dwelling
in the evening, go to that of some tribe
of black ants with the intention of
making captives. The assailed are,
however, not to submit so tamely. They
organize for the defence and resist their
assailants furiously. The battle is long
and fierce, sometimes one side some
times the other having the advantage.
We have read of and admired the bra
very of the Old Guard in their charge
at Waterloo, but here are charges and
counter charges as fierce as any on that
famous field. We admire our Revolu
tionary fathers for defending their
homes against foreign invasion, but
what shall we say of the onts defending
theirs until all the adult members of
the tribe are killed or wounded. But,
not" stopping to dilate upon the con
test, we can say the Amazons may be
defeated, but they will prqbably con
quer, and after killing or rendering
helpless all. their adult foes, descend
into the dwelling, make captive, and
convey the larva . and young to their
homes. This done, and the slaves being
trained to perform the duties of their
new condition, the captors give them
selves up to a life of ease and beoome
so enervated and imbecile as to be un
able to care for themselves. If after a
short . period their slaves are removed,
the tribe will",die for want of food. The
distinguished naturalist to. whom I re
ferred took a colony and removed their
serfs. The result was the tribe were
dying rapidly, when a single slave was
introduced, and was immediately set at
work supplvinsr fod. rearing young.
and in every respect caring for the
body, so that in a few hours me ana
vigor flourished where had been only
indications oi innrmity and tleath.
How the Old Hone Died.
Gen. Otto Frederick Marshall, of the
town ol Wheeler, Steuben county, N,
Y., owned for twenty-two years a horse
that died a short. time since, apparently
because he felt himself injured- or
slighted by his master. The horse was
twenty-eight years' old, and appeared as
well as usual. Gen. Marshall ". had
driven him to the post-office & distance
of one mile and a half, once a day dur
ing all' that time Every day, unless it
was Sunday, the old horse made his
regular pilgrimage, driven by his owner
to the post-office. At -length one. eve
ning -a short fime age,-the General
thought he would drive another horse
and leave the old. horse at home. On his
way back from the. office he met the old
horse, who evidently surmised that
something Wrong had happened, and
had broken out of the pasture. The old
fellow made his trip as usual to the
post-office, and returning, entered the
pasture, lay aown, ana aiea.
Pnnl and Virginia.
It was during the French occupation
of Mauritius that the terrible shipwreck
took place which furnished Bernardin
de St. Pierre with the motive for his
beautiful and touching lore story., " Paul
and Virginia," the scene of which is laid
in this island. In 1741 drought and a
plague of locusts had occasioned a ter
rible scarcity in Mauritius, then called
the Isle of France; and the following
year the St. Geran was sent out.from
the mother country, richly laden with
provisions, to the relief of the starving
colonists. About four o'clock one fine
afternoon Round Island was sighted
from the ship, and the captain, M. De
la Marre, wished to profit by a fine
moonlight night to enter what is now
known as tombeau Bay, or the Bay of
Tombs, but was persuaded to lie out
side until morning, ignorant of tuo
sea-coast, tho officer allowed the sn.p
to drift during the . night upon a dan
gerous reel boom a league irom wnu.
The sea always runs high there, and
the St. Geran was driven with great
violence among the breakers.
Every effort was made to lower the
boats, but some were crushed by the
falling masts, and others were swept
away by the waves. In a short time tho
keel was broken in two, nnd the ship
became a total wreck. At the captain'B
request tho chaplain pronounced a gen
eral benediction and absolution, and
the "Ave Maria Stella" was sung.
Then ensued a sceno of indescribable
confusion. Numbers of the crew flung
themselves into the soa, grasping planks,
oars, yards ; but the heavy waves tore
them from their frail supports, and
nearly all perished.
A brave sailor namea uaret matte
great efforts to save the captain, whom
he implored to take off his clothing ;
but M. De la Marre, who displayed in
this catastrophe much greater personal
courage and pity than seamanship, re
fused to do so, en the ground ttiat it
did not become the dignity of his posi
tion to land without his uniform. Caret
at length succeeded in placing his cap
tain on a plank, nnd by swimming along
side endeavored to get him safely to
land. Encountering a raft on which
some of the crew had sought refuge, the
captain thought he would be safer with
them. He left the plank, and succeed
ed in reaching the larger support.
Caret plunged to avoid collision, and
on rising to tho surface again was hor
ror-struck to hud that the craft with all
on board had been ingulfed.
On board tuo St. Geran were two
levers, Mile. Mallet nnd M. De Peramon,
who were to be united in marriage on
reaching the island. The voung man.
as anxious and agitated as the girl was
calm and resigned, when the others
left, was making a sort of raft on which
to save her who was dearer than his
own life. On his knees he implored
her to descend with him on the frail
but sole hope for safety ; and to insure
a greater certainty, he begged her to
take off the ' heavier part of her
garments. This she steadily refused
to do. When he found his most
earnest solicitations vain, and all hope
of saving her lost, though she
entreated him to leave her, he
quietly took from a pocket-book a
tress of hair, kissed it, and placed it
on his heart. With his arm round her
to shield her as far as he could to the
last, calmly awaited the terrible catas
trophe at her side. Isor had they long
to wait, for they were soon washed from
the deek. Their bodice were picked up
the following day, clasped in tho close
embrace in which they awaited death.
This touching incident formed the
ground-work of the beautiful story
over which so many tears have fallen.
Mauritius was then but little known,
and St. Pierre's pictures of its life nnd
scenery were all drawn from imagina
tion ; but the story has invested the
far-off island with an atmosphere of ro
mance. Two structures at Pample-
mousses known as the tombs of Paul
and Virginia are still shown to visitors
two dilapidated piles of brick,, still
betraying traces of whitewash on their
crumbling sides. When visited by Mr.
Pike, who had been asked by a roman
tic young lady to gather for her some
flowers from the tombs, he fouud the
surrounding grounds converted into an
impassable swamp by recent rains. Ro
mance is evidently at a discount in
Mauritius.
Finding a Boofjack.
A housekeeper writes tho following
plaint to the Cleveland Leader :
When the average husband of the
period wants to flud a bootjack he steps
to the buttery door, and leaning against
the door-way with his hands in his
pockets, whistles meditatively as his
eyes wander along the upper stieives.
When a break in the tune occurs, you
may know he has found the cake, which
he devours absently, still looking for
the bootjack. Being now deprived of
that aid to reflection whistling, he
executes a waltz in slow movement, sus
tained bv a large piece of cake in one
hand, and a sizable pickle in the other.
After a while, as the bootjack does not
make its appearance the husband does,
at the door of the room, where you are
Kettinor the baby to sleep, and shouts
" Jane," at the top of his voice, under
the impression that you are up stairs,
an impression speedily removed. To
cover the oonf usion of his retreat, he
steps on the dog's tail and bumps the
bird-cacre with his head, then wants to
know what you have done with that
bpotjack, and why it is that you never
keep things in their place. If you are
wise, and simply and calmly point, like
Columbia, to the object in question
hanging ' on its accustomed nail, he
seizes upon it wrathfully, with the
solemn vow that it was. not there when
he went through the room before.
The offending boots are' finally left in
the doorway where it is. convenient to
trio over them, and serenity transpires.
unless you have occasion to go around
them,' when you will at once see their
value as a natural means of obstructing
a passageway. It is estimated that one
pair of boots judiciously ' disposed
about an apartment of medium size,
will prevent either a well-disposed per
son or a professional burglar : from
quietly making his way about it.
At tea time the average husband does
not care about any cake ; it isn't much
like that his mother used to make.
Items of Interest.
Salmon have been introduced into
many of the New Zealand rivers with
success.
The Indianapolis bankers refuse to
let men who have " run " them deposit
their money again. , ' .
It is stated that 50,000 pilgrims have
passed through Paris since August on
their way to shrines.
Johnstown boasts of a man who "never
enjoyed a day's sickness in his life.
He would be a remarkable man if he
had. " ....
The cashier of the Merchants Na
tional Bank of Lowell, Mass., is said to
be a defaulter to the amount of 850,-
00-
The Ashantee nation is a great Africau
power. It numbers three million souls
of whom some two hundred thousand
are warriors.
A poor man, who was ill, being asked
by a gentleman whett
any remedy, replied,
auv remedy, I?ut I
had taken
aiu't taken
taken lots of
physic.
Tho will of the Empress uowager oi
Austria directs that 5,000 Soly masses
should be read for the repofiS of her
soul, and 5,000 florins aro set apan for
this purpose.
The amount of land devoted to wheat
culture iu Great Britain is only one
half larger than that devoted to the
same object in tho State of Illinois.
Illinois has 2,500,000 of people to sup
ply j Great Britain 33,000,000.
Since the year 1848, in which gold
was nrst aiscovereu m vjuuiiuuk., mnu
State has produced 81,380, 700,000 worih
of the precious metal. The greatest
yield was in 1853, when the product was
$G8,000,000.
A correspondent who professes to
have tried the experiment, says tnac
a strong solution of carbolic acid and
water poured into tne noies kuib uu iuu
ants it touches, and the survivors im
mediately take themselves off.
John T. Irvinor savs that he cannot be
convicted of the burglaries for which he
has been indicted, and tho JNew iorK
police agree with him in that opinion.
There is sometning very butujbd
tho way the dete?tives have acted in the
Nathan case.
TTelmhold. the frreat Buchu buster,
is now living in Paris, supported by his
relations in Philadelphia. A few weeks
Rince he was arr jsted and imprisoned
for cutting his wife in the head with a
carving knife, when he was on one of
his periodical tares. He has become a
poor, miserable, drunken wretch.
Tim Telmranl. of Shreveport Ija.,
learns that nearly all tho candidates for
Governors iu the Western States have
publicly announced their cordial
friendship for the Patrons of Husbandry,
and about inis time are givju iuuio in
tention to agricultural matters than
ever they did before in all their lives.
Ah old man at Ivry, France, recently
died of joy. He had been very poor all
his life, whenho was suddenly informed
that ho had fallen heir to a large for
tune. The old man was greatly agi
tated bythejnews, andvas hastening to
the Mayor's office to sign some neces
sary papers, when he fell dead in tho
street.
The Evancrclicnl Alliance, which has
held a session in New York, is an asso
ciation of Protestant Christians who
have organizod for the ostensible pur
pose of promoting harmony among the
several elements of Protestantism, and
of combating tendencies hostile to the
unity and integrity ot mat Diancii ox
Christianity.
Sceno in a Cincinnati court (charge,
nssault upon a housekeeper)" Did she
ever ask you to marry her ?" "Yes."
What did you say ?" " 1 told her to
wait until her teeth wore grown.
What did she say then?" " Nothing.
"What did sho do?" "Went down
town and bought a new set of teeth.
Case dismissed.
An iuvestication into the affairs of
the suspended Merchants' Union Bank,
of Dubuque, Iowa, by the directors,
shows that a system of frauds have been
perpetrated upon the stockholders and
patrons by tho officers of the bank,
which has never been exceeded in any
concern of its size. The amount ab
stracted reaches 8329,478.
Most good farmers practice tying up
the cows in the barn every night
throughout the summer season, and
those who do not ought to begin now.
They are better off in the barn t han out,
to say nothing ot tuo great economy oi
manure. This gives an opportunity to
feed more or less in the barn and not
only to keep up the. condition but, to a
considerable extent, the yield of milk.
Miss Mary P. Smith, of Norwich,
Conn., has sued Lewis A. Hyde, of the
same town for 8300 damages. It seems
Mr. Hyde, who is a prominent citizen,
was carrying home a piece of lead-pipe
in a horse-cur and leaned it against the
seat. A sudden jerk of the car caused
it to fall, and unhappily it strucli' Miss
Smith's foot, causing her, as alleged,
serious injury. Hence the suit, which
will be ably contested.
A lady suggests that if the church
going ladies were to dress in calico nud
wear sun-bonnets, scores pi her sex
would attend divine service who stay
away because they can not dress like
their fashionable sisters. She says she
has often asked lady members of her
congregation why they absented them
salvcs from the house of worship, and
the reply in nearly every case has been
that they " had nothing fit to wear," or
that they were " waiting until their hew
suit was finished." - j
At a county fair the -other day, my
curiosity was excited by the following
mysterious inscription over the door of
a booth: " Walk in and seethe Dancing
Tree 1" Curious to witness such a phe
nomenon, I paid my mJney, went in,
and presently found that I constituted
tne emir -uuuieuoe. ouuu alter my en
trance, a . puny, sickly-looking being,
dressed as a wild Indian, appeared, and,
placing himself in an attitude, asked
me in a melancholy voice to look at him.
"Well," said I, "but the dancing
tree 1" " That's the name given me by
the chief of my tribe," replied the sav
age. "The Dancing Tree is a great
chief." And he sat down apparently
well satisfied with himself.