I i ' I
r
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
NIL DESPERANDUM.
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. IV.
RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1874.
NO. 10.
r ,;
The Old, Old Story,
I bade him good-by, -
With a laughing eye,
In a careless, girlish way (
Bat I turned aside,
In time to bide
The tear that was bound to stray.
Yes, I brushed It off
WithaJoyotiB laugh;
It had fallen by him unseen )
Yet ho tiould not but know,
Ere ae turned to go,
a foolish girl I had been.
He could not but know
Why I trembled so
"'Neath the glance of his dark-blue eye ;
But back to my heart,
From whence it would start,
I repressed the rebel Bigh.
I hurried along
Through a motley throng j
But my eyes with tears were dim ;
. And my hevt was sore
It would, boat no more
With the jope I was dear to him.
TS'jt his words were oold,
And his parting told
Jt the warm love-throbs to still
But my passion wild,
Like a wayward child,
Would not yield to Reason's will.
I had loved him long,
Though I knew 'twas wrong,
For he gave me no look or word ;
Yet, passing me by
With a careless eye,
The chords of my heart were stirred.
I've Been him smile
On the lovely, while
He has sometimes frowned on me ;
Yet his name and face
I can ne'er erase
From t'uo books of my memory.
I will keep them there,
And oft in prayer
His dear name I'll waft above i
And the angels alone,
When the night-winds moan,
Will hear of my hopeless love.
A GHOST IX COURT.
Its Kviileuce Gives a Woman Her Prop
erty. In December, 1871, one Sylvester
Sadler, a farmer estimated to be -worth
$150,000, and residing in Poplar Island
'Creek Keck, in the Second Election
District of Queen Anne's. Md., where
be had a very large farm and a hand
some residence, was taken very sick
with pneumonia. After a few days'
severe illness he improved and became
convalesoent, but exposing himself too
noon, had a relapse, and on the 19th of
. .January, 1872, died. In the interval
of .convalescence between the two at
tacks of illness Sylvester Sudler sent
for his brother, Emory J. Sudler, a law
yer living upon Kent Island (a part of
Queen Anne's county), and got him to
write his will. This was duly executed
in the presence of three witnesses on
ithe 13th of Jaunnry, and delivered into
the custody of Emory J. Sudler, who
was understood to bo named the execu
tor. On the 15th Emory Sudler went
home, and did not return to Poplar
Island Creek lTeck until the 21st of
January, when he was summoned to be
presant at his brother's funeral, which
tftk place in Centreville the next day.
On, the 23d of January, Emory J.
Sudler, by request, read the will in
presence of two of the witnesses, Bev.
John Fleming and Mrs. Hannah Ed-
-wards, and the widow, Mrs. Mary Ann
Sadler, and the only child of Sylvester
Sudler, Emory J. Sudler, Jr., a boy of
twelve years. The will, after naming
Emory J. Sudler, Sr., sole executor,
and devising some small sums in the
shape of legacies, gave directions
that the real estate should be sold, and
out of the proceeds $500 should bo
paid to Mary Ann Sudler, while all the
rest of the estate should become the
property the decedent's brother, Emory
J. Sudler, whom he recognized as his
universal and only heir.
The widow and both of the witnesses
resent declared that the dooument
jd was not the will of Sylvester Sud-
The executor insisted that it was.
Jelled Mrs. Edwards and Bev. Mr.
to deny their signatures. Ue
ulu prove the will, and if it
ted he could show the court
s why his brother Sylvester
such a devise of his property,
otice also that he would on
day apply to the Orphans'
Court in, Centreville for probate of the
will.
This lie did ; but the widowappeal
ing likewise, entered a caveat on her
own part, and as the next friend of her
son, Emory Sudler, Jr. The court ap
pointed a day to hear testimony in re
gard to the will, and on that day all
three of the witnesses to the will were
present, together with the parties inter
ested. Mr. Matthew B. Merrit, the
third witness, swore positively to his
own signature and to have seen the
other witnesses sign. He identified
the document Ly its shape, the envel
ope containing it, a water-mark in the
paper, and an ink blot upon one corner
of the folded sheet Mrs. Edwards
could not swear that it was not her sig
nature totlie paper, but was not will
ing to swear that it was. She had been
in the honse daring all of Mr. Sylves
ter Sudler's illness, helping his wife to
nurse him, and had repeatedly heard
decbdent declare that he had left all
his property (except certain legacies
which she named, and which were in
accordance with the terms of the will
read) to his wife and child. The will,
after it was written and before being
executed, had been for two days in the
custody of the deceased. He had kept
it under his pillow ; had read it him
self ; had made her read it to him, and
had got the Bev. Mr. Fleming to read
it to him also. Henoe she was able to
speak so positively as to its contents.
The Bev. John Floming corroborated
Mrs. Edwards' statement, and testified
further, that before sending for his bro
ther. Mr. Sylvester Sudler had men
tioned to him how he intended to leave
his property, and consulted him about
giving th administration to Emory.
Emory, he said, was a little wild, and
be was afraid that giving him suoh a
v
I
trust might lead to trouble. Still it
would be a great help to his brother to
have the business, and he wanted to
assist Emory if he could. This Mr.
Fleming strongly advised him to do,
and Emory was accordingly sent for at
once. Still Mr. Floming was not will
ing to deny that that was the document
he had witnessed and his signature ap
pended to it.
Dr. James Potter, the family physi
cifli, testified that the decedent had re
peatedly told him during his illness,
that he had left all his property to his
wife and son.
On the other hand, Emory Sudler
pointed to the fact that none of the
three witnesses were able to dispute
their signatures, and he demanded that
the will be at once admitted to probate.
He said that he was quite aware that
his brother Sylvester had made state
ments in regard to his testamentary in
tentions that were at variance with his
testamentary act, and further stated
that he had written the copy of the
form testified to by Mrs. Edwards and
Bev. Mr. Fleming, at his brother's re
quest, and for the purpose of deceiv
ing. There was a reason for all this,
and for the peculiar character of his
brother's will; but his brother had
told him this in confidence, and he was
very reluctant to expose family secrets
to the publio gaze. The widow was
quite well aware of what he meant, but
he would not publish it unless it was
absolutely necessary to the establishing
of his rights, and unless the court com
pelled him to speak. The widow per
emptorily denied that she understood
the caveatee's insinuations, and defied
him to reveal any family secrets that
would be damaging to any person be
sides himself. The court thought that
it could not decide upon the validity of
the will until it had sifted the matter to
the bottom, but, in deference to Mr.
Sudler's reluctance to testify, adjourn
ed over for a week, holding the ques
tion under advisement.
When the court next met it announced
that Mr. Emory J. Sudler's further tes
timony was necessary to determine its
action in regard to the probate. Mr.
Sudler was accordingly again put
upon the stand, and testified that in a
private interview with his brother Syl
vester preliminary to drawing the will
Sylvester told him that he had known
for several years that his wife was on
unchaste woman, had been unfaithful
to him, and that the child, Emory J.
Sudler, Jr., was not his but an outcast.
He knew this, but only by negro testi
mony, and so indirectly and obscurely
that he could not have procured a di
vorce. He had accordingly said noth
ing, and taken no steps for a separa
tion. He was much older than his wife,
used to her, and considerably under
her influence ; in short, she controlled
him, and he could not get along well
without her. Still, in coming to die,
he could not bring himself to perpetu
ate a wrong, nor forget her infidelity,
nor leave his property to illegitimate
aliens. He accordingly dicta ed the
will produced in court, and to avoid re
crimination and (so he said) to keep
from being poisoned, had at the same
time got his brother to prepare the fic
titious will ct which mention has been
made. "Where is that will?" asked
the Chief Judge. Mr. Sudler produced
it. In appearance it was a f aa simile of
the executed will.
Mrs. Mary Ann Sudler repelled Mr.
Emory J. Sudler's statement with much
indignation, and her counsel announced
in court that she would take immediate
steps to vindicate her reputation and
punish her husband s brother for nis
foul aspersions by suing him for slan
der. The judges of the Orphans' Court,
however, while regretting the turn
things had taken, announced that they
were determined to admit the will pre
sented by Emory J. Sudler to probate,
and directed that gentleman to have his
bond ready for next court day.
The widow at once appealed, went
into the Circuit Court and got an in
junction, brought a civil suit against
Emory J. Sudler for slander, ana tried
to have him indicted for slander and
perjury both. Now ensued a succes
sion of legal proceedings of a very be
wildering sort the executor trying to
force the matter to a settlement, and
the widow's counsel resorting to all
sorts of dilatory steps. On the 19th of
January, 1873, however, one year pre
cisely from the day of Sylvester Sud
ler's death, it was announced that the
widow had actually discovered the will
which she all along claimed her hus
band had executed, and discovered it
in the most singular, not to say miracu
lous manlier. Now there was a change
in the spirit of the proceedings. The
caveators oeased their dilatory motions
and pressed for trial, while the execu
tor employed all the means in his power
to secure the law's delay. Last No
vember, however, the counsel on both
sides came to an arrangement by which
the issue might be definitely tried.
Monday week, March 3, the case was
called and the parties were ready for
trial. Judges Wickes and Stump were
both present, and the Chief Judge John
M. Bobinson came over from the Court
of Appeals at Annapolis expressly to
preside, so that we had a full bench.
Both parties were represented by the
most eminent lawyers practicing on the
Eastern shore, while the oaveatee head
ed his array with John Sturgis Mack
line, of Washington County, who stands
at the head of Chancery practitioners
in this State, and is not unknown iu
national politics. The court room was
crowded with spectators, a great many
persons having come over from Queen
Anne's and Kent Counties, where the
parties have many friends and relatives,
and where the case has excited the
liveliest interest
The first two days of the trial were
chiefly consumed in preliminaries,
legal skirmishing and the like, and did
not furnish muoh matter of interest
But on Wednesday at Ihe opening of
the Court the issue was squarely joined
by the caveators presenting in Court
the will claimed to have been found
January 19th. 1873. and offering to
prove it as the actual and only last will
and testament of Sylvester Sudler. The
will admitted to probate was called lor,
and also the unexecuted and factitious
will, and all three placed side by side,
There was a remarkable similarity in
the appearance of the three documents,
which were all written upon eyeleted
legal cap of a very large size. A sta
tioner in Centreville testified that he
had sold a quire of this paper to Bev.
Mr. Fleming for Mr. Sylvester Sudler
some time about Christmas, 1871, and
Mr. Fleming prodnoed the quire of
paper, which he said he had got from
Mr. Sudler's writing desk shortly after
his death, and preserved by advice of
oounsel. There were three sheets want
ing from the quire.
Mrs. Edwards was now put upon the
stand and handed two wills so folded
that she conld only see her own signa
ture as witness. Comparing the two
most carefully, the witness, after long
hesitating, burst into tears and pro
tested she did not know and could not
tell which was her writing. All that
she could swear to was the fact that she
had only signed one will. She gave
further testimony to the facts that I
have recorded above and then stood
aside. Bev. Mr. Fleming was the next
witness. Carefully scrutinizing the
two signatures, the reverend gentle
man declared that viewing them sep
arately and apart he would not be able
to decide which was his handwriting
and which the forgery, but when they
were side by side he had no hesitation.
" That is my handwriting," said he,
touching one of the sheets, " and the
other undoubtedly is not." There was
a marked sensation in Court when it
was announced that the signature thus
identified was that appended to the last
discovered will. Mr. Mackline cross
examined the witness with great acute
ness and severity, but could not make
him swerve from his testimony nor in
validate the positiveness of his identifi
cation of the signature.
Mr. Matthew Merritt next came to the
stand. This witness had been overseer
for the late Sylvester Sudler, and was
now in Emory J. Sudler's employ.
After a very brief inspection of the two
signatures he positively identified one
as his own, and it was found to be that
subscribed to the will admitted to pro
bate. It was now the cavatee's time to
exult, but Mr. Pearce, of counsel for
caveators, a very shrewd young lawyer,
took the two wills, and after scruti
nizing them carefully, suddenly held
them before Meritt's eyes. " Now," he
cried, ' now, Mr. confident witness, let
me see if you know your signature so
certainly now." The witness hesitated,
stammered, and showed confusion.
" Your Honor s," said Mr. Pearce. turn
ing to the Court, the confusion of the
witness grows out of the fact that thera
is a private mark upon one of these
wills, but I happen to have my thumb
upon it just now. Mr. Merritt, will you
tell the Court which is your signature?"
" I declare to gracious I don't know,
Mr. Pearce," was Merritt's frank ad
mission ; " they are so muoh alike I
can't tell which from t'other, and if I
swore to both I'd be telling a lie." " I
don t feel sure about that, retorted
fearce, quickly; "maybe you wrote
both." The shot told. Merritt looked
at Emory Sudler, grew red in the face,
and said nothing. " How came you to
be so positive about it at first ? Did
you see that pencil mark on the mar
gin? persisted Pearce. But Merritt
denied that he had seen any mark, and
could not be made to commit himself
in any way. On cross-examination by
Mr. Mackline he said that Mr. Pearce s
manner had confused him, and he satis
factorily identified his signature to the
first will several times.
Thursday's and a great part of Fri
day's tessions were consumed in hear
ing " experts' " testimony in regard to
the handwriting of bylvesterandEmory
J. Sudler, and the three witnesses, the
caveators endeavoring to prove that the
will of 1873 was certainly in Emory J.
Sudler's handwriting, and the signatures
to the probated will forgeries, while
the caveatee, on the other hand, sought
to snow that the signatures to the will
in his favor were genuine, while the will
of 1873 was a forgery, both text and
signature. The testimony was so much
divided and so contrarious upon these
points that neither party took much by
it, and little else resulted from it but
confusion to the jury and weariness to
the Court. " The Court will say to its
learned brothers," said Chief Judge
Robinson at last, somewhat testily,
" that with all due admiration for the
ingenuity of counsel, so abundantly
displayed on eaoh side, this issue must
be deemed chiefly a question of fact,
and however much you may attempt to
puzzle the jury with a showing of what
might be, they are likely to determine
the case by what is. Cannot you give
us the facts about the discovery of
these wills ? How did they come about ?
That will go a great w ay towards settling
the question of their genuineness."
J4 1 quite agree with your Honor,"
said Mr. Mackline, " and I hope you
will compel the other side to show a
raison d'etre for their so-called will if
they can." " We accept the issue, your
Honor," answered Pearce, " and will
now proceed to give the strange his
tory of the discovery of our will, show
ing how shall I say Providence? inter
fered in a mysterious manner to de
fend the rightful heir against the wily
plots of the conspirator and calumnia
tor." "Neo deua inter sit nisi dignua
vindice nodus," quoted Mr. Mackline ;
" our will came in the natural way and
is neither of celestial birth nor spiritual
growth." " We admit all that, your
Honor ; we admit that the probated
will never passed from Mr. Emory Sud
ler's hands until it went into those of
the register of wills. But we will now
give the history of the genuine will,
Call Betsy Jane Jackson." The wit
ness, a portly colored woman, took the
stand and testinea she was chamber
maid in Mr. Sylvester Sudler's house at
the time of his death. " What room
did Mr. Emory J. Sudley occupy when
he was there?" "The blue room."
The witness gave a sort of description
of a country house chamber, with blue
curtains to the windows, a blue and red
carpet on the floor, a high post mattog
any bedstead, and a writing table, etc,
"What was over the dressing bureau ?"
A looking glass." " What was above
the looking glass ?" " A picture in a
black, wooden frame." " What was the
picture?" "King Solomon goin to
have the babies chopped, in two,
" The judgment of Solomon, eh? That
will do." Mrs. Edwards was called,
and described the room and the picture
more fully stilL Bev. Mr. Fleming was
oalled again, and Mr. Pearce handed
him the will of 1873 and asked him if
he had ever seen that paper before. He
had. "How do you recognize it?'
" By a private mark I put upon it when I
found it." "State when, where, and how
you found it" " On January 19, 1873, at
half-past two o'clock in the afternoon,
in the blue room of the late Slyvester
Sudler's place, in the baok of a picture
representing the judgment of Solomon.
Mrs. Sudler, Mrs. .Edwards, and .Betsy
Jackson were all three present." "What
made you look there?" "I had re
ceived certain information "
" Stop there, cried Mr. Pearce; " call
Amanda Stinson." The witness, a tall,
middle-aged woman, with a fierce red
head, a freokled face, and a mouth
stained with snuff "dippings" innu
merable, took the stand and gazed
wildly about her. By dint of close
questioning she managed to convey the
information that she lived across the
creek from Mr. Sylvester Sudler's ; that
her boy Kite caught oysters and she
shucked them and sold them for a liv
ing. Her boy Kite wasn't exactly right,
but was the best creeter in the world,
and wouldn't tell a lie for nothing. He
was eighteen years old, but had no
schooling. She was troubled on ao
count of Kite's saying several times he
had seen old Mr. Sudler's speriit, for
she had taken it to be a sign Kite wasn't
goin' to live long, so she up and asked
Mr. John Fleming about it, and begged
him to see the boy, and pray with him.
She'd heard prayin' was a good cure for
sperrit-seeing. ' " What do you mean
by Mr. Sudler's spirit ? " "I mean see
in' his ghost like arter he's dead."
" Has Kite seen Mr. Sudler since his
death?" "He says he has a many
times, and Kite wouldn't tell a lie for
nothing." " Did Kite ever go to Mr.
Sudler s house when the old gentleman
was alive?" "Sometimes took oys
ters there 1 3 sell." " Was he ever up
stairs in the house, do you know ? "
"Who? lute? .bless you, he never
went nowhereb but to the kitchen,
never 1 " " Call Kite Stinson," said Mr.
Pearce, and the court-room was agog
with excitement as tne ghost-seer came
to the stand. He was a tall, bony youth,
with very long arms, and a decided
stoop in the shoulders. His hair was a
straight faded yellow, his eyes pale
blue and staring, and his skin tanned
and freckled to the hue of beach sand.
After a lit, la sparring among the law
yers as to his competency as a witness,
Kite was sworn. He stood with his
great bony hands resting on the crier's
desk, his wrists half a yard below the
sleeves of his threadbare linsey jacket
a very odd-looking, unsophisticated
leiiow. it nad got towards evening,
the court-room was growing dusky, and
the eager silence that prevailed made
the scene impressive.
" That's a very strange story you told
Parson Fleming, Kite ; what did you
mean by it ?" " 'Twarn't the least bit
of a story about it, sir, but all as true
as preachin'," insisted Kite. " I've
seed the old gentleman nigh on to a
dozen times." " Seen who ?" " Old
Mr. Sudler ; him what's gone." " Seen
him when?" "Since his death."
Seen him where ?" " No end o'
places. Out fishin', in the bow o' my
cunner (canoe), nights when I was
goin' to sieep, daytime at work. Lor',
a dozen and more times. I seed him
onst settin' on the fence when I was at
the wood pile a choppin' wood." " Did
he say much to you ?" " Nary a word,
only nodded and beckoned kinder,
you know. "Wern't you very much
afraid of him ?" No. He never did
me no harm. He used to give me many
a ten cent note." " What, the ghost
did?" "No, that was when he was
alive." " Did you ever touch him or
he you?" " Never but onst ; that was
the time I telled Parson Fleming
about." " Well, suppose you tell thoso
gentlemen about it, Kite.
" Well, I will. You see I was at the
oyster pile one afternoon a shuckin'
away for dear life, 'case it was cold and
the wind was blowin' sharp, and I want
ed to git done. Then I see him, standin'
right front o' me, noddin' and beck'nin'
to me at a great rate. So I says to him,
t aint no use to bother me now, 1 m
busy. Then he kinder frowned and
keeped on a noddin'. But I only shuck
my head and keeped on shuckin'. Then
fust thing I knowed he was standin'
right over me and puttin' his hand on
the check handkeroher I had round my
neck hero s the handkercher now,
trentlemen and the hand burnt into
me like fire. So I kinder fell forred
like on to the eyster pile and dozed off
for a minute into a dream-like, and
what I dreamt was this, gentlemen :
I was in a kind of a strange room here
the witness gave a graphic description
of the blue room and I seed a tall man
thar settin' writin' at a table, and he
got up and folded the paper this way
like, and took a picter down from the
wall There he described the picture of
the " Judgment of Solomon" and took
some boards outen the baoK and put
the paper in thar, tacked the boards
on agin, and hung the picter up the
same as it was before. Then I didn't
see no more, but waked up, and found
I was layin on the eyster pile, sprawled
out. f" Epilepsy," said Mr. Mackline,
sotto voice. So I picked up my knife
and went on shuckin', for I was oold
and shivery and wanted to git done,
And, gentlemen, true as gospel, when
I tuck off the check handkercher from
my neck that night this here hole was
burnt into it just like the print of a
red-hot hand."
The court-room was intensely silent
as Kite handed Mr. Pearce the hand
kerchief, and Mr. Pearce passed it to
the jury.
" Well, Kite, have yon ever seen
that tall man sinoe whom you saw in
your dream ?" " No, sir." " Would
you know him, do you think, if you
saw him now ?" "I dunno, indeed
sir." "Well, look carefully around
the court-room, and tell me if you see
him now.
There was a breathless silence as
Kite went methodically about his task,
craning his long neok and peering
around him in the gathering twilight.
Suddenly he lifted his bony band and
held it out arm's length, pointing with
forefinger towards Mr. Emory ttudler
" Yen's a man that " be began, then
cried quickly, ' breathlessly, " That's
him I that's him I And the old one's
behind bim ! I see bim point he's
frowning black he's look out he'll
strike you down 1" The whole court
room rose with excitement, all except
Emory Sudler, who fell in a dead faint,
and Kite. who. crying, " he's gone I"
crouched and hid his eyes shuddering.
Judge Bobinson adjourned tne uonrt
at once. Next morning Emory Sudler
was missing, and Matthew Merritt
came into Court and confessed his
share in the conspiracy. Testimony
was taken for two days longer, both to
show what Emory Sudler's character
was, and to prove the affectionate rela
tion that had subsisted between Syl
vester Sudler and his wife. Then the
case was given to the jury, who had al
ready agreed upon their verdict from
the moment of Kite Stinson's dramatio
testimony, and the opportune appear
ance of the ghost in the court room.
CLEAR GRIT.
Actions of a Boy which gave Future
Promise of a Man.
About thirty years ago. said Judge
P., I stepped into a book store in Cin
cinnati, in search of some books that I
wanted. While there, a little ragged
boy, not over 12 years of age, came in
and inquired for a geography.
" Plenty of them, was tne salesman s
reply.
" How mncn ao iney cosi r
"One dollar, my lad."
" I did not know they were so much."
Ha turned to go out, and even opened
the door, but closed it again and came
back.
" I have (rot sixty-one cents, said
he ; " could you let me have a geo
graphy, and wait a little while for the
rest of the money t
How eagerly nis iittie Drignt eyes
looked for an answer I and how he
seemed to shrink within his ragged
clothes when the man, not very kindly,
told him he could not. The disappoint
ed little fellow looked up to me, with a
very poor attempt at a smile, and left
the store. I followed him, and over
took him.
" And what now ?" I asked.
" Trying another place, sir."
" Shall I go too, and see how you suc
ceed ?"
'Oh, yes, if you like, said he in
surprise.
Four different stores I entered with
him, and each time he was refused.
Will you try again 1 aslted.
' Yes. sir. I shall try them all, or I
should not know whether I could get
le."
We entered the fifth store, and the
little fellow walked up manfully, and
told the gentleman just what he want
ed, and how much money he had.
' You want to buy a book very cheap?"
said the proprietor.
" Yes, sir, very much.
" Why do you want it so very, very
much ?"
" To study, sir. I can t go to school,
but I study when I can at home. All
the boys have got one, and they will
get ahead of me. Besides, my father
was a sailer, and 1 want to learn of tne
places where he used to go."
" Does" he go to these places now 7
asked the proprietor.
" He is dead, said the boy, softly.
Then he added, after a while, " I'm
going to be a sailor, too."
" Are you, though r asked the gen
tleman, raising his eyebrows curiously.
' Yes, sir, if 1 live.
"Well, my lad. I will tell you what I
will do ; I will let you have a new
geography, and you may pay the re
mainder of the money when you can, or
I will let you have one that is not new
for fifty cents."
"Are the leaves an in it, ana just
like the others, only not new ?"
"Yes, just like the new ones."
"It will do just as well, then, and I
shall have eleven cents left toward buy
ing some other book. I am glad they
dd not let me have one at any of the
other places."
The bookseller looked up inquiring
ly, and I told him what I had seen of
the little fellow. He was much pleased,
and when he brought the book along, I
saw a nice, new pencil and some clean,
white paper in it.
" A present, my lad, lor your perse
verance. Always have courage like
that, and you will make your mark,"
sail the bookseller.
" Thank you, sir, you are so very
good."
" What is your name r
" William Haverley, sir."
" Do you want any more books ?" I
now asked him.
" More than I can ever get, he re
plied, glancing at the books that filled
the shelves.
I gave him a bank note. " It will
buy some for yon, 1 said.
Tears of joy came into his eyes.
" Can I buy anything I want with it?"
" Yes, my lad, anything."
" Then I will buy a book for mother,"
said he ; "I thank you very much, and
some day I hope I can pay you back."
Ho wanted my name, and 1 gave it to
him. Then I left him standing by the
counter so happy that I almost envied
him, and many years passed before L
saw him again.
'Last year I went to Europe on one of
the finest vessels that ever ploughed
the waters of the Atlantic. We bad
very beautiful weather until very near
the end of the voyage ; then came a most
terrible storm that would have sunk all
on board bad it not been for the cap
tain. Every spar was laid low. the rud
der was almost useless, and a great leak
had shown itself, threatening to fill the
ship. .The crew were all strong, willing
men, and the mates were practical sea
men of the first-class ; but after pump
ing for one whole night, and the water
still gaining upon them, they gave up
iu despair, and prepared to take the
boats, though they might have known
no small boat could ride suoh a sea.
The oaptain, who had been below with
his charts, now came up ; he saw bow
matters stood, and, with a voioe
that I heard distinctly above the roar
of the tempest, ordered every man to
his post
- It was surpiising to see those men
bow before the strong will of their cap
tain, and hurry back to the pumps.
The captain then started below to ex
amine the leak. As be passed me I
asked bim if there was any hope. He
looked at me, and then at the other
passengers, who had crowded op to
bear the reply, and said, rebukingly:
"Yes, sir, thero is hope as long as
one inch of this deck remains above
water ; when I see none of it, then I
shall abandon the vessel, and not be
fore, nor one of my crew, sir. Every
thing shall be done to save it, and if
we fail it will' not be from inaotion.
Bear a hand, every one of you, at the
pumps."
Thrice during the day did we de
spair ; but the captain's dauntless cour
age, perseverance, and powerful will
mastered every man on board, and we
went to work again.
" I will land yon safely at the dock
in Liverpool," said he, "if you will be
men.
And he did land us safely : but the
vessel sunk moored to the dock. The
captain stood on the deck of the sink
ing vessel, receiving the thanks and the
blessings of the passengers as they
fassed down the gang plank. I was the
ast to leave. As I passed he grasped
my hand and said:
"Judge P., do you reoognize me i
I told him that I was not aware that
I ever saw him until I stepped aboard
his ship.
" Do you remember tne ooy m uin
oinnati ?"
" Very well, sir J William Haverly.
" I am he," said he. " God bleas
von 1"
And uod bless nobie uapt. txtvr-
erly 1
Fashion Notes.
English light woolen fabrics are in
general favor with Parisian dress
makers.
Tweeds, serges, twills and diagonals
are trimmed with ostrich feathers in
their natural tints.
The lace scarfs are having quite a
popular run. Among the new styles
are ecru lace, similar to yak in color and
pattern, price $6.75, and the white
Spanish ones for $12.
The size of parasols is much increas
ed and far more decided than hereto
fore. Very handsome changeable serge
silk ones, with fancy pearl handles,
sell for $6, $7 and $8.
It is said that bias stripes, and floun
ces cut on the bias, are entirely out of
fashion. It has been the style of trim
ming so long that one does not give this
news without hesitation.
Floral ornaments were never more
varied ; whole nosegays are worn on
the head ; beetles, flies, butterflies and
birds are less fashionable than tufts of
daffodils, primroses, wall flowers and
Parma violets.
Some of the most fashionable shoes
now are made of kangaroo skin. One
of the features claimed as an improve
ment is that it does not rub off, stretch,
or caack. The prices range between
$8, $9 and 810.
The new bonnets are peculiar, and as
a rule not at all becoming, no matter
how much trimming is put on. Stately
matrons look absurd in the spring
headgear, and young girls altogether
too jaunty to be genteel.
The newest robe for deep mourning
is made with a tablier front of drawn
double crape ; the train and sleeves
are of paramatta, faced with crape ; the
bodice is entirely covered with the
same, as well as the fraise inside of the
stand-up collar around the neck. The
toilet is called Chiselhurst
A double chatelaine braid on the
back of the head is newer than the
single braid now so generally worn.
Smooth hair parted in the middle, and
disposed in large waves, is the favorite
fashion. Finger puffs are arranged on
the back of the head, instead of a braid,
for dressy coiflures.
The Wonders of Australia.
The Brisbane (Australia) Courier
publishes the following official telegram
from Mr. Walter lull, the Government
botanist, dated from Cardwell, and re
ceived by the Queensland Secretary of
J-iands : " We have examined the banks
of the Mulgrave, Russell, Mossman,
Daintree, and Hull rivers, and have
been more or less successful in finding
suitable land for sugar and other tropi
cal and semi-tropical productions. The
asoent of the summit of Bellenden Kerr
was successfully made by Johnstone,
Hill, and eight troopers. At 2,500 feet
in height we observed an undesoribel
tree with crimson flowers, which, excels
the Poinciana regia. Colvillia raoemosa.
Lagersstroma regia, and the Jacaranda
mimosifolia. At 4,400 feet a tree ef
fern, which will excel in grandeur all
others of the Alboreous class. A palm
tree at the same height which will rival
any of the British-India species in
gracefulness. On the banks of the
Daintree we saw a palm tree cocoa,
which far exceeds the unique specimen
in the garden of the same genera from
Brazil in grandeur and gracefulness.
While cutting a given line on the bankB
of the river Johnstone, for the purpose
of examining the land, an enormous tig
tree stood in the way, far exceeding in
stoutness and grandeur the renowned
forest giants of California and Victoria,
Three feet from the ground it measured
150 feet in oiroumference ; at fifty-five
feet, where it sent forth giant branches,
the stem was nearly eighty leei in cir
cu inference. The river Johnstone,
within a limited distance of the coast.
offers the first and best inducements to
sugar cultivation."
The Heos A "Piece."
The following is an authentic compo
sition not "retouched."
THE HENS.
the hen my friends is a very useful
animal, it has to legs and 3 toes and
one little claw. Boosters when they are
old enough to have little spurs on their
legs whioh are their weapons of defence
now to return to hens, they lay eggs
and it helps to make cake and pud
dings.
she scratches up food for her chiok
ens. bens when it is oold curl one f ut
under the feathers, and stand on the
ougher. hens when they bave laid
their eggs begin to cackl. Boosters and
hens go to bed at 4 o ciook.
1-2-3 the bumble be
j - the Booster crow . .
and away ah goes. :-i
O. H. N.
age nine years.
Items of Interest.
The number of hares and rabbits
produced annually iu Great Britain is
said to be 30,000,000, supplying 40,000
tons of foud.
A Western agricultural editor says,
it mnkes " good garden sass " to let
your bens and chickens into yout neigh
bor's ground.
Using a canoeled postage stamp
caused a man to be fined $500 and costs
in the United States District Court the
other day in Utica.
A boarding house boy, on being asked
by an amateur mineralogist what he
thought was the strongest of substances?
replied, promptly, " butter."
Among a party of Swedish emigrants
recently arrived in Portland, Me., was
a man and his wife, about forty-five
years old, with nineteen children.
An uncle left eleven silver spoons to
his nephew in bis will, adding, " He
knows the reason why I have not left
him the whole dozen." The nephew
had stolen one.
Prop. H. R. Palmeb of Chisago, Prof.
L. O. Emerson of Boston, and other
noted teachers, hold a four weeks Musi
cal Institute at Dunkirk, N. Y., be
ginning July 19.
The editor of the Leavenworth Daily
Argus touchingly remarks in the obitu
ary of his paper : "We went into the
business determined to run it or bust.
We have busted."
The Maine peoplo are waking np to
the enforcement of the fish laws, and a
mail was fined $50 the other day for
merely bringing a salmon to market in
Bangor out of season.
Henry Meiggs is free to return to
California. The Legislature have pass- ;
ed an act declaring his long-forgotten
offences to be bygones, which the. Gov
ernor vetoed. The bill was then pass
ed over the veto.
It is calculated that if the body of
each of the 270,673 persons who died
in the United States in 1870 was allowed
a full-sized grave, the whole would oo
cupy about two hundred and two acres.
If they were cremated, the ashes would
make excellent manure for about a
thousand acres.
Now here is a case of pure innocenoe.
An Iowa railroad employee, whose sig
nal lantern, like that of the foolish vir
gins, was left without oil, wrote to the
supply officer for " some more of that
red oil," not knowing that the color of
the lantern globe had something to do
with the shade of light it threw out
It takes six goats a month to feed a
large boa constrictor. They are swal
lowed whole, the time for each being
two hours and twenty minutes, during
which the reptile makes terrifio efforts
and disgusting contortions. He then
lies in a torpid state till his food is dis
solved, when he makes known that he
is ready for another meal.
The newspapers and periodicals pub
lished in this country in 1860 numbered
4,051. In 1870 the number had in
creased to 5,871. According to a recent
statement the number has increased
since that time to 6,875, more than 1,000
having been added within three years.
Of this number 647 are dailies, 5,175
weeklies, and 1,053 monthlies, etc.
The movement against railroads in
the West operates disastrously on cer
tain industries in the East. The re
ceipts of Western railroads have fallen
off more than twenty-five per cent., and
the result is that the corporations can
not afford to order the manufacture of
rails. As a consequence orders are
slack in the Troy mills, and some of
them will probably close.
A western paper speaks of the house-
cleaning season as that when divine
woman has her own way about the
house, while the "old man " takes his
solemn repast from the top of the flour
barrel, and, in sleeping, enjoys the
freedom of the interval between his
bed-room and the front fence. It is a
season of meditation, white-wash, and
calm unimpassiotied profanity.
Five Legal Distinctions.
Turner's dog had bitten off Hadley's
cow's tail, and there was conflict in the
testimony as to whether the dog was
acting on his own free will, or whether
he was obeying the commands of his
master. The jury would nave been
troubled to make a verdict had it not
been for the following very explicit in
structions of his Honor, the Court :
First The Court instructs the jury
that if they believe from the evidence
beyond the influence oi a .reasonable
doubt plaintiff's cow's tail was bitten
off by defendant's dog, they should
find for the plaintiff, and assess his
damages at such sum as they think the
tail was proven to be reasonably worth,
not to exceed the amount claimed in
the petition.
Second The Court further instruots
the jury that if they believe from the
evidence that tne dog was acting on nis
own responsibility, and not under the
control of defendant, then the case par
takes necessarily of the nature of a
proceeding in rem, and they must find
for the defendant and against tne aog.
Third The Court at the instance of
defendant's attorney further instruots
the jury that a cow knowetb not the
value of a tail until after she loses it,
and in assessing the damage they have
a right to take into consideration all
the facts and circumstances in the ease ;
the disadvantages as well as the advan
tages of a cow's tail ; the value to the
oo w, the information gained by the loss
of the tail, and deduct said sum from
the total assessment
The iurv retired and returned with a
verdict in the words and" figures follow
ing, to wit : " We, the jury, find for
the plaintiff one aoiiar ana nuy cents.
Sam Potts, foreman."
Bua Poison. A strong alum water is
a sure death to bugs of any description.
Take two pounds of pulverized alum
and dissolve in three quaris oi uouing
water, allowing it to lie over the fire
until thoroughly dissolved. Apply
while hot with a brush, or what is bet
ter, use a syringe to force the liquid in
the cracks of the walls and bedstead,
Soatter also the powdered alum freely
in all these places, and you will soon be
rid of those insect nuisances whioh fill
one with disgust