HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher NIL DESPERANDUM. Two Dollars per Annum. VOL. V. EIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1875. NO. 3. Over (lio Way. Over tho way, over the way, I've seen a hoad that's fair and gray; I've neon kind eyes not new to tears, A form of grace, though full of yean. II jr fifty glimmers have loft no flaw And I, a youth of twenty-three, Ho Ijvo this lady, fair to see, I want Lor for my mother-in-law ! Over the way, over the way, I'vo Boen her with the children play. I've Been her with a royal grace Before the mirror adjust her lace; A kinder woman nono ever saw j Gol Moss and clioor her onward psth, And hlosa all treasures that she hath, And let hor bo my mother-in-law 1 0 .-er the way, over the way, 1 think I'll venture, dear, eome day (If you will loud a helping hand, And sanctify tho schomel've planned), I'll kneel in loving, reverent awe, Down at the lady's feet, and say: " I'vo loved your daughter many a day I'loano, won't you be my mother-in-law?" Scribtux't Monthly. THE BABES IX THE CLOL'DS. Years ago thoro suddenly burst upon tho western world a magnificent Btranger from f oivigii parts, ' ' with all his traveling glories on." It was the great comet of 1858, on tho grand tour of tho universe. Wo remember that comet summer, not so much for its grout astronomical event as for two singular incidents that more nearly touched our human sympathies, which will grovel in poor earthly affairs, even within sight of the most august celestial phenomena. One pleasant Saturday afternoon dur ing tho comet's nppeorauce, au aeronaut, after a prosperous voyage, descended upon a farm in tho neighborhood of a largo market town in one of tho Western States. He was soon surrounded by a curious group of tho farmer's family und laborers, all asking eager questions about tho voyage and tho management of the balloon. That secured by au anchor and a ropo in the hand of the aeronaut, its car being a foot or two above tho ground, was swaying leisurely backward and for ward in tho evening air. It was n good deal out of wind, and wa3 u sleepy and innocent monster in tho eyes of tho farmer, who, with tho owner's permis sion, led it up to his house, where, as he said, ho could hitch it to his fence. But before ho had thus secured it, his three children, nged respectively ten, eight find three, begged him to lilt them "into that big basket," that they might "sit on those pretty red cushions." While the attention of the aeronaut was diverted by more curious question ers from a neighboring farm, this rash father lifted his darlings one by one into tho car.. Chubby little Johnny proved the ' ouuca too much " for tho ueriul camel, and brought him to the ground; and then, unluckily, liot th baby, but the eldest hope of the family, was lifted out. The relief was too great for the monster. The volatile creature's spirit rose at once, he jerked his halter out of tho father's hand, and, with a wild bound, mounted into the air ! Vain was tho aeronaut's nuchor. It caught for a moment in a fence, but it tore away, and was off, dangling uselessly after the runaway balloon, which so swiftly and steadily rose that in a few minutes those two little white faces, peering over tho edge of tho car, grew indistinct, and those piteous cries of "Papa!" and "Mamma!" grew faint and fainter, up in the air. When distance and twilight mists l.ad swallowed up voices and faces, and nothing could bo seen but the dark crnol shape, sailing triumphantly away, with its precious booty, liko au aerial priva teer, tho poor father sank down helpless and speechless; but tho mother, frantic with grief, still stretched her yearning arms towards the inexorable heavens, and called wildly into the ununswering void. The aeronaut strove to console the wretched parents with assurances that the balloon would descend within thirty miles of the town, nnd that all might be well with tho children, provided that it did not come down in water or iu deep woods. In the event of its descending in a favorable spot, ho thought that the older child might step out leaving the younger iu tho balloon. . Then it might ngaiu uriso and continue its voyage. " Ah, no," replied tho mother, " Jen nie would never stir from tho car with out Johnny in her arms." Tho balloon passed directly over tho market town, and tho cliildrcn seeing many people in the streets, stretched out their hands and called loudly for help. But the villagers, though they saw the bright little heads, heard no calls. Amazed at the strange apparition, they might have thought the translated little creatures small angel navigators, on some voyago of discovery, some little cherubic venture of their own, as, head ing towards the rosy cloudlands and pur ple islands of sunset splendor, they sailed deeper and deeper into tho west, and failed away. When the sunlight all went away, and the great comet came blazing out, little Johnny was apprehensive that the comet might eome too near the a'ry craft, and set it on tire with a whisk of its dreadful tail. But when his sister assured him that tho fiery dragon was "as much as twenty miles away," and that God wouldn't let him hurt them, ho was tranquilized, but soon afterward said, "I wish he would come n little nearer, bo I could warm myself, I'm so cold !" Then Jennie took off hor apron, and wrapped it about the child, saying ten derly, " This is all sister has to make you warm, darling, but she'll hug you close in her arms, aud we will say our prayers and yu shall go to sleep." " Why, how can I say my prayers be fore I have my supper? asked little Johnny. " Sister hasn't any supper for you or for herself, but we must pray all the harder, solemnly responded Jennie. So the two baby wanderers, alone in the wide heavens, unawed by darkness, immensity aud silence, by the presence of the great comet and the millions of tuipitying stars, lifted their little clasped hands, and sobbed out their sorrowful " Our father," and then that quaint little supplementary prayer; Now I lay me down to sleep,' I pray the Lord my soul to keep ; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord aiy oul to take. "There I God heard that, easy; for wo nre close to Him up here," said inno cent littlo Johnny. Doubtless Divmo love stooped to tho little ones nnd folded them in perfect peace for soon tho younger, seated on tho bottom of the car, with his head leaning ogainst his sister's knee, slept as soundly as though ho were lying in his own little bed at home, while the elder watched through the long, long hours, and the car floated gently ou in tho still night air, till it begun to sway and rock on the fresh morning wind. Who cau divine that simple little child's thoughts, speculations, and wild imaginings, while watching through those hours ? Sho may have feared com ing in collision with a meteor for many were abroad that night, scouts and her alds of the great comet or, perhaps being cast away on some desolate star island, or more dreary still, floating and floating on, night nnd day, till they should both die of cold and hunger. Poor babes in the clouds 1 At length, a happy chauce, or Provi dence we will say Providence guided the littlo girl's wandering hand to a cord connected with tho valve ; something told her to pull it. At onco the balloon began to sink, slowly and gently, as though some celestial pilot guided it through the wild currents of air, not let ting it drop into lake, or river, lofty wood, or impenetrable swamp, where this strange, unehild-liko experience might have been closed by a death of un speakable horror ; but causing it to de scend as softly ns a bird alights, on a spot where human care and pity awaited it. The sun had not yet risen, but tho morning twilight had come, when tho little girl, looking over tho edge of the car, saw tho dear old earth coming nearer " rising towards them," she said. But wheu the car stopped, to her great disappointment it was not on the ground, but caught fast in the topmost branches of a tree. Yet sho saw they wero near a house whence help might soon come, so she awakened her brother and told him the good news, nnd together they watched and waited for deliverance, hugging each other for joy and warmth, for they were cold. Farmer Burton, who lived in a lonely house, ou tho edge of his own private prairie, was a famous sleeper in general, but on this portieular morning he awoke before the dawn, and though he turned and turned again, he could sleep no more. So, at last, ho said to his good wife, whom ho had kindly awakened to inform her of his unaccountable wakeful ness, " It's no use, I'll just get up and dress, and have a look at tho comet." Tho next that worthy woman heard from her wakeful spouse was a hasty summons to tho outer door. It seems that no sooner did he step forth from liis house than his eyes fell on a strange por tentous shape, hanging on a large" pear tree, about twenty yards distant. He could see no likeness in it to nuything earthly, and he half fancied that it might bo the comet, who, having put out his light, had come down there to perch. In his fright and perplexity he did what every wise man would do in a liko ex tremity; he called upon his valiant wife. Reinforced by her he drew near the tree, cautiously recouuoitering. Surely pear tree never boro such fruit. Suddenly there descended from tho thing a plaintive, trembling little voice: "Pleaso tuke us down. We are very cold." Then a second littlo voice said: "And hungry, too. Please take us down." " Why, who are you f And where aro you t" The first little voice said: "It's us, and we runned away with a balloon. Please take us down." Dimly comprehending tho situation, the farmer, getting hold of a dangling rope, succeeded iu pulling down the balloon. Tho first lifted out little Johnny, who ran rapidly a few yards toward the house, then turned round and stood for a few moments curiously surveying the bal loon. The faithful little sister was so chilled and exhausted that she had to be carried iato the house, where, treni bling, sho told tho wonderful story. liefore sunriso a mounted messenger was dispatched to the Harwood homo, with glad tidings of greut joy. He reach ed it iu the afternoon, aud a few hours later the children themselves arrived in state, with banners and music, and cou voved in a covered hav-wagon and four. Joy-bells were rung in the neighboring ftowu, and in the farmer s brown nouse the happiest family ou tho continent thanked God that night. It would seem that this comet had same occult maddening influence on the balloons, for during its appearance there occurred in another Western State an in voluntary ascension, similar to the one I havo related, but more tragical in its termination. An aeronaut, while, if I remember rightly, repairing tho net-work of his balloon, was seated on a slight woodon cross-piece, suspended under it ; the car having been removed a few feet above the ground by merely a rope in tho hand of an assistant. From a too care less grasp this rope escaped, and in an instant the gigantic bubble shot upward, carrying tho aeronaut on his frail support. The balloon rose rapidly, but unstead ly, swaying aud pitching in the evening wind. As long as it remained in sight the form of the aeronaut could be dis tinguished, swinging beneath it. And as he was known to be a man of uncom mon nerve and presence of mind, it was hoped that even from his dizzy perch he might manage to operate on the valve, or at least to puncture a small hole in the balloon, and thus effect ft descent. But such efforts, if he made any, were vain, as for many days and nights thoro was anxious inquiry and patient search over a wide extent of country, with no result. We gavo him up. Only wifely love hoped on, and looked and waited. At last in a wild spot, the wreck of the balloon was found, and that was all. Still, wifely love hoped on, until, a mouth or two later, some children nut ting in a wood, many miles away from where the balloon was found, discovered half buried in the ground, a strange dark mass that looked like a heap of old clothes, but that there was a something, shapeless and fearless, holding it to gether. It was thought the aeronaut parted company with his balloon by loosening Li hold on the cords above him, in des perate effort to open the valve; but he may, nfter whirling in swift vortexes, or plunging nnd mounting, through cloudy abysses of air, have become unuervod by the awful silence of tho upper night, by the comet's fearful companionship, by whelming immensity and infinity, and wearily let go his hold, to drop earth ward. Children and Dogs. " Dogs is healthy for children," says the old wives, and not without founda tion in fact. Tho influence of these lively and affectionate playmates of child hood is very happy ; so much so that we havo sometimes thought that a boy who has never had a pet dog has been cheat ed out of half tho enjoyment and no small part of the moral culture of in fancy. But dogs have bad tricks, aud unless properly trained, are apt to bo anything but "healthy" for children. They express their affection iu a very bad way. We know that it is a common opinion that there is something wonder fully wholesome about a dog's tongue, and that his natural habit of lickiug tho objects of his affection is rather to bo en couraged than repressed. Nevertheless ouo of tho first requirements iu n dog for a child's pet i3 that he be trained to emulate prudent humanity and lestrnin his tongue. It is not " healthy," what ever the old wives may say. This, set ting aside the question of rabies alto gether. A much more common affection of dogs is a tape worm, for whoso de velopment both men and dogs havo to contribute. Its immature or cysticercal stage is spent in the human body, ofteu causing great mischief ; then it migrates to tho dog, completes its development, and makes provision for a new crop to infest humanity, forming cysts or hollow tumors in various parts of the body, The full grown worm is tho smallest tfenia known, only about one-qunrter of an inch in length. The embryo is often as small as ono two-hundredth of an inch; yet, according to Cobbold, deoth has been caused by a single individual lodged in the brain. At a lute meeting of the Australian Microscopical Society, Mr. Sidney Gibbons exhibited specimens re cently taken from a human subject, aud said there could bo no doubt that they were frequently implanted in children as a consequence of allowing dogs to lick their hands nnd faces. It is a nasty practice nt best, and a pot dog's first lesson should be to keep his tongue to himself. &'c icn tific A mcrican. At the Diamond Mines. When a new placer is discovered at the South African diamond mines, each miner chooses, or rather takes at a ven ture, a piece of land tliirty-oue feet square, at tho four corners of which ho places garden-pickets to establish his possession, as well as his boundary lines. This is the sole title of ownership, and he has sometimes to defend it with blows. Indeed, the last comers often seek to obtain possession of a claim by stratagem or force; they await the mo ment when the owner, going to break fast, takes away his tools, and leaves the ground unoccupied, to establish themselves in his place, and declare that they have placed there tho boundary lines. A trial follows, which is decided ou the spot by a boxing match, and the claim belongs to tho strongest. As soon as tiro existence of dinmouds is really established, the miners meet together nnd nominate a committee to administer justice, aud to decide legal questions without further appeal. The first care of the committee is to determine when a claim may Vie considered as abandoned. It is decided that any claim that is not worked for three entire days is sup posed to bo given up, and may bo taken by the first comer. Au excep tion is made in case of illness or any other cause independent of the will of the miner. The owner, once established, is ne more at the mercy of brutal force, and any one desirous of procuring a por tion of laud must purchase it of the holder. At New-Rush the original pro prietors parceled out their claims in quarters, fifths, etc., and these portions always commanded a high price. One of my neighbors, owning a half claim, already worked to the depth of over sixty feet, at tho time of my departure was bargaining to sell it for twenty thousand dollars. This is tho reason why so few fortunes are inado at the mines. The Salaries of Professional Men. Talking of salaries in the learned pro fessions, says an exchange, it is estimated that the receipts of great actors in our day will about equal those of great law yers. Edwin Booth has made as high as $12,000 a month. Jefferson has made even more. This year, in a season ef forty weeks, Clara Morris will net alxmt 870,000; Charlotte Thompson about half as much. Boucicault, combining his royalty as dramatist aud his percen tage as star actor, is making $2,000 a week at Wallack's Theater, in New York. Great physicians, but only a few even of these, muke incomes comparable to 'those made by great lawyers and great actors. Mott, Parker, and Clarke have made as high as $100,000 each in the course of one year. Iu comparison with those professions tho divines and edi tors mako but paltry compensation. Ten thousand dollars a year is a salary paid but to about four employed editors in the country, while Messrs. Beecher nnd Chapin are the only divines whose in come reaches beyond $20,000. Of lec turers John B. Gough makes the largest income. His average price is $250 a lecture. Of these he will in a year de liver about 100, netting about $25,000 a year. The great lawyer, the great phy sician and the great actor aro said to be the host paid brain-workers in America. Cruelty. A recent writer notices the striking similarity of the monkey's fondness for cruelty to that of man, and says that every one does not know how much trouble au average monkey will put him self to in order that he may enjoy tha sufferings of other creatures. The mon keys of India feign sleep for hours when they want to catch and torture a crow, and exhibit intense delight in plucking it olive. The tiger in man is, perhaps, more money than tiger. Our cruel mnn is simply a monkey in human shape, and not a Mble beast at alL Useful Recipes for All. A stroiicr solution of hyposulphite of soda is said to bo excellent for cleaning silver. A teaspoonful of powdered borax dis solved in a quart of tepid water is good for cleaning old black dresses of silk, Cashmere or alpaca. Butter will remove tar spots. Soap and water will afterward take out the grease stain. Black shoes may be bronzed by a strong solution of anilin rod in alcohol. Four parts borax and three parts Epsom salts, mixed with tlu-eo or four tiarts warm wator to one part of the com plied substances, is said to form an ex cellont fireproof wash for clothes. It should be used immediately niter pre paration. Flnx seed nnd tallow are used in Ger many as n stuffing for cushions. One part of tallow to ten parts of flax seed are employed, tho mobility of tho greased seed rendering the cushion very soft and pliable. Gold bronze for furniture is a mix ture of copal varnish mixed with gold colored bronze powder. The last is bisulphate of tin. To prevent moths in carpets, wash the floor before laying them with spirits of turpentine or benzine. Straw matting should be washed with a cloth dampened in salt water. Indiau meal sprinkled over it and thoroughly swept out will also cleanse it finely. In washing windows, a nnrrow-bladed wooden knife, sharply pointed, will take out the dust that hardens in the corners of tho sash. Dry whiting will polish the glass, which should first be washed with weak black tea mixed with a little alcohol. Save the tea leaves for the purpose. Gray marble hearths enn be rubbed with linseed oil, aud no spots will show. Sprigs of wiutergreen or ground ivy will drive away red ants; branches of wood will serve the same purpose for black ants. Papering nnd planting are best done in cold weather, especially the latter, for the wood absorbs the oil of paint much more than in warm weather, while in cold weather the oil hardens on tho out side, making a coat which will protect the wood instead of soaking into it. Never paper a wall over old paper and paste. Always scrape down thor oughly. Old paper cau be got off by dampening with saleratus and water. Then go over nil the cracks of the wall with plaster of paris, and finally put on a wash of a weak solution of carbolic acid. The best paste is made out of rye flour, with two ounces of glue dissolved iu each quort of paste; half au ounce of powdered borax improves the mixture. Au oaken color can bo given to new pino floors and tables by washing them in a solution of copperos dissolved in strong lye, a pound of the" former to a gallon of tho latter. When dry this should bo oiled, and it will look well for a year or two; then renew tho oiling, Kerosene and powdered lime, whiting, or wood ashes will scour tins with the least labor. Spots can bo taken out of marblo with finely powdered pumice stono mixed with verjuice. Cover the spots and al low the stuff to remain for twelve hours, then rub clean, dry, aud rinse. Soapstone hearths nre fir t washed in pure water nnd then rubbed with pow dered marblo or noapstoue, put on with a piece of tho same stone. Retrenchment Extraordinary. Tho following story is told of a pretty well-known gentleman, formerly con nected with the Pittsburgh press: This person was in tho habit of taking a "wee drap " too much at times, and when in tho resultant condition of exhilaration ho was, as mnny are, inclined to a lib erality and extravagance of expenditure to which his sober self was ah utter stranger. While ou one of his periodical benders, the fancy of our hero was struck with the beauty of a certain pair of vases of rare workmanship and ex quisite finish. With tho sentiment, " darn the expense," in his heart aud ou his lips, he bought thene vuses, at an immense price, and boro them home, and triumphantly called in his wife to admire them. "Why, John," said she, tho moment she sot her eyes on them, " what induced you to buy such costly ornaments as these? We can't afford to spend money this way. You will ruin us, you know you will;" and the poor lady raised her apron to her eyes and begau to cry. The sight was too much for our printer. " You are right, Mary," he said, "you are right, aud I am wrong. We can't afford these vuses; it was extravagant iu me to buy them. But don't cry; I'll fix it all right." So saying he let drive his fist through the two beuutiful vases, aud ns their fragments rattled about tho floor, he tnrued to his astonished and dismayed wife nnd said, " Now, Mary, we've got rid of those; I'll go and buy a couple of cheap ones, my darling." Nearly Got Out. Young Murray, a former clerk at Tiffany's, who stole something like 812, 000 worth of diamonds from his employ ers, was sentenced to seven years. A few days ago, says a Sing Siug corre spondent, the time of another convict by tho name of Murray expired. Mur ray, Tiffany's clerk, became aware of it, presented himself at the office and stated that his timo was out aud he would like his discharge. While the preliminaries were being arranged and the popers for Murray's discharge being made out, a keeper presented himself at the office and asked why his man Murray had not been sent for. He said Lis time was out, and thought it strange he had not been sent for. Then the first Murray was walked back to his cell nnd the right Murray discharged. The diumond thief is still in prison and will remain there for about six and a lialf years. Nothing More. An old farmer pur chased some sweet oil in a drug store, and being asked if there was "nothing else," he laid several packages on the counter, held up a hand with several string's tied on the fingers, and snid: "Let's see ! That red string is for the bar-soap ; that rag iu'for a broom ; that blue cord is for a calico dress j that braid means four pounds of sugar, and this other string is for sweet oil. No noth ing more," llovf to Keep House on a Small Salary. A clerk's wife sends to Scribner's magazine tho following-bit of experience, which may havo for many of our renders an interest both timely and practical: After many years of mnrried life passed in comparative affluence reverses came, and my husband was obliged to accept a situation in a large city, with a Binall salary of eight hundred dollars per year. I felt that this could suffice for our maintenance only by tho exerciso of the strictest economy. A littlo over fifteen dollars a week 1 How many times I di vided that eight hundred dollars by fifty two and tried to make it como out a littlo more. Still I determined to solve the problem of the day namely, whether ouo could keep home on a small salary, or whether boarding-house life was a necessity, ns so many clerks' wives as sert. We had neither of us been ac customed to economizing, end I felt it was but just, if my husbnnd worked hard for his salary, that I should per form the labor of making it go as far ns possible. Thirty replies wero received to om1 ad vertisement for two unfurnished rooms, without board. Looking them over carefully, I selected half-a-dozeu which canio within our means, and started on an exploring expedition. In a pleasant house and neighborhood I found a lady willing to rent two adjoining rooms, with closets and water conveniences, for tho modest sum of twelve dollars per month. In one room there were two deep south windows, where I coidd keep a few plants in the whiter. I consulted my husband, aud with his approval en gaged the rooms. We had one hundred and seventy-five dollars, ready money. With this we bought bright, but inexpensive carpets, a parlor cook stove,an oiled black waluut set of furniture, a table, a student lamp, a few dishes, aud some coal. With the few pictures, a rack of books, aud some ornaments in our possession, we docked tho rooms tastefully, and commenced tho serious business of keeping house ou eight hundred dollars per. year. We determined from the first that wo should not havo any accounts, but would pay cash for everything, and when we could not afford au article, do without it. After paying rent aud washerwoman we had fifty dollars per month for other expenses. Twenty dollars of this fur nished us a plentiful supply of food and paid car fare. I learned to lovo my work. Strength came with each day's labor, aud renewed health repaid euch effort put forth to make my little homo pleasant and restful to my husband. And how we did enjoy that little home ! When the stormy nights came, we drew our curtains, shutting out the world, with a bright fire, and tho soft glow of our reailiug-lamp upon the crimson cloth, reading a magazine or evening paper (in which wo were able to indulge), with a "God pity the poor this dreudful night," forgetting in our cozy and comfortable home how many there were in the great city who would call us poor. We always kept within my husband's salary, wealing plain but good und respectable clothing, aud eating simple but substantial food. And now, as circumstances have been improving with us, and we are living in a house nil our own, with servants, and thousands instead of hundreds a year, we look back to the year spent iu our simple, frugal littlo home, and know that it will always be the happiest portion of our lives. Improvement of the Mississippi. Tho passage of the bill for tho im provement of the mouth of tho Missis sippi river, by the application of the jetty system to tho southwest pass, was ac complished in the United States House, in substtuitiidly the same shape in which it was reported by tho committee on commerce. The bill authorizes Captain James B. Eads, of St. Louis, to con struct jetties at the southwest pass, pro vided there is no means employed which shall hinder navigation. Tho basis of the agreement is that Eads agrees to ob tain a depth of twenty feet of water throughout this pass within thirty months from the date of the approvol of the act, and an additional two feet dur ing each succeeding year until a depth of thirty feet shall havo been secured, for which tho government will agree to pay Mr. Eads 88,000,000, and the annual sum of 150,000 thereafter for tho main tenance of the channel at a depth of thu-ty feet. The first $500,0U0 is to bo paid when a channel of twenty-two feet 1.. 11 1. 1 .1 1 A ' - ' 111 in uepin auu iwo nunureu ieei iu wiuui is obtained, and 8500,000 moro when this depth is maintained for a year. A million of dollars each year is to be paid for tho addition of two feet permanent depth to the channel, and when the depth of thirty feet is finally obtained the remaining $2,000,000 are to be re tained by the government, one-half for ten years and tho other half for twenty years, as a guarantee of tho permanence of the work. The bill is strongly gmrd ed. The first $500,000, necessary to bo- gin tho work, is appropriated by tho bill, and it is provided tliat Eads shall take five per cent, bonds if tho government elect to pay him iu that way. They AVere Poor Then. Twenty-five years ago society in AYashington was not what it is to-day, Senators and Representatives and olli cers were poor. A correspondent, in writing of that time, says : But the order was shabbiuess and poverty, and, I think, it conduced to general socia bilitv and enjoyment. Tho officers of the army and navy (always our aristoc racy), and those who served the govern ment in other capacities, were profes sionally poor, of course. Therefore it became, hi a measure, fashionable to be poor, and it was wittingly said by a Washington lady, when the wife of an officer in tho army happened to have a rich father, who bought her a house, that sho rather lost ensto in the best so ciety of Washington thereby, nnd was looked upon a3 a nouvcatt riche. Limbs of Cattle. A writer in the Agricultural. Gazette cites his observa tion iu reference to the healing of broken bones of cattle. An ox fractured his leg ubove the knee, a heifer broko her thigh a compound fracture, another suffered a simple fracture, but in spito of differing doctors these animals were turned out to take their chances, and each and all ac tually made a good recovery iu the course of a few weks, DETERMINED TO BE A PIRATE. Itemilt of Pittrrnnl linrltlinn on a Detroit ;nr-Anry tIioiikIk In n. Wonilxliecl A Fond Farewell ull Around. CHAPTER I. THJ5 nor. He was one of that kind of boys who need a good whipping about twice per week, but who think they ought not to bo whipped moro than onco in two years. His amusement was sliding down hill on nothing, bluffing some boys, and pre paring Cayenne pepper lozenges for un suspecting cats. Ho was often heard to remark: "Things hnd got to git up 'n howl when Leonidas is around." CHAPTEU II. AT TWrUHHT. Time, sundown scene, tho interior of a well-preserved woodshed. The sound of blows and cries rent the solemn still ness of twilight's mystic- hour, and the old mnn was heard saying: "There, I guess that'll last you for a day or two I I've put up with your snss as long as I can !" No reply nothing but deep-drawn sol 13 and quavering sighs. Tho old man threw away tho strap and walked into .the house, and Leonidas eat on tho corner of nn old table to medi tate. CHAPTER 111. A BLOODY. liESOf-VE. "That's the last licking I'll ever take from any mortal mnn !" whispered the lad, shaking his fist at tho kitchen door. "And I'll make tho old man sorry that he ever laid a strap over his only son I" He resolved to run nwny and become a pirate ! Ho would sail the raging main, revel in murder, acquire ducats, and then come home and take revenge on his , " father. With Leonidas to resolve was to execute. He entered the house, pass ed up stairs, and was soon engaged in : making up a bundle, consisting of one I pair of patched pauts, ono photograph of j his girl, one jack-knife, one cotton sock, aud a few walnuts. Tho buudlo was thrown out of the window, and then CHAPTER IV. LEONIDAS LOOKS AROUND the room for tho last time. Tho bedstead looked familiar, the old blue chest iu tho corner had a thousand tender memories connected with it, and tho broken-down chair seemed to hold out its arms and plead for him to stay. 1 would it tuo out man nadn t lick ed me," answered Leonidas; "but I'll show him what kiud of a coffee mill I am!" He passed down stairs, and halted to embrace tho baby. Ho wasn't dowu on his mother, and ho gave her a sweet smile. He crawled in behind the stove, and whispered to tho dog : ' Good-bye, old Samson. I d liko to stay here, but I'm too old to be licked !" Aud he passed out of doors, nnd the grent wide world was before him. CHAPTER V. SOL15MN THOUGHTS. Securing his bundle, Leonidas crept into tho back yard to seo if it was reidly best for him to beeomo a pirate. The polar wave chewed at his ears and red dened his nose, aud he wondered if the pirate business wasn't pretty sold busi ness, tie Uidn t Know whether it was best to make for Toledo or Chicago in order to become a buccaneer, but ho finally passed through tho gate. He walked nround the nouse several times to catch a glimpse of his mother. It was hard to tear himself away. He knew how she would take on next day, aud the papers would call it another Charlie Ross case, and ho decided to go into tho yard and think it over again. C'UAPTEB VI. A KAY Ol" LIGHT. After a littlo time spent in thought, Leonidas decided that if his father would agree never to lick him again, aud would give him $2 per week to buy candy, lie would not run away and be- come a pirate. He would go in ami make the proposition to the old man, and if it should be rejected farewell to home welcome a career of blood. Ho went in. No ono had noticed his absence, aud every face looked as nat ural as if he hadn't been gone twenty eight minutes. Ho felt somo littlo delicacy about broaching tho proposi tion, and, as a "feeler," he nsked tho old mnn to lend him his knife. It was handed to him nnd returned nfter n while, and Leonidas decided to put oft' making the proposition until morning. He got into his little bed feeling that it was positively his last night, but the next forenoon he was heard splitting wood in the back yard and saying to Jack Sparling : "I've concluded to wait until he licks mo just onco moro, and then nothing can stop mo nothing on earth." De troit Free I'itm. A California Husband's Wrongs. Her mother had told her not to marry until she was nblo to support a hus band; but she heeded not her gentle mother's warning; she went and got civil-contracted to a man who was a fine, ong-winded talker, and who could sit around and keep a stove warm better than any one she ever saw in her life. Aud then how proficient he was in lying in bed and snoring, on a December morning, while she got up and split the wood, made tho fire, fed the horses, swept tho floor, boiled the coffee, blacked his boots, mended that hole in his coat, sewed ou that shirt button, aud laid a a pipeful of tobacco and the matches alongside his pillow. And how loving she must have felt toward him, when he got up last at about ten o'clock, cursing her for making a noise, and wanted to know why there was no beef steuk and eggs on the table, aud why she hadn't pawned her watch it was a dying mother's gift in order to give him whisky money. And when, after three years of this, she left him, and went to work as a sewing girl, people spoke of the depravity of the woman who left her husband. Gambling. Speaking of poker playing, a corre spondent says: I have known a party of distinguished citizens play poker two days and two nights, eating and drink ing from trays held by servants. One of them was at one timo winner of $75,000, but at the close of the game the loss and gain wns not great. I have often come down from the couch of innocence to a nine o'clock Washington breakfast, and found the same party of men playing away just as I bad left them the night before, Little Faniiny. When we see a precious bloesoni That we tended with Buch caro, Eudoly taken from Oiir bosom, Though our aching hearts despair, Hound bin little grave we linger, Till the setting sun is low, Feeling all our hopes hav perished With the Dower we cherished so. Items of Interest. A mnn with large feet should nover stand upon trifles. No other living thing can go so slow on an errand as a boy. The American eagles of Texas county, Mo., have been stealing sheep. Teoplo who are always wanting some thing new should try neuralgia. Poor men and hens are obliged to scratch to get nlong in this world. The saying, "excuse haste nnd a bad pen," has been ottributed to a pig who ran away from home. A soft nuswer turneth away wrnth, but we loao our patience with people who are continually asking soft questions. If you want to get an idea how tho Brooklyn court room looks during tho Beecher trial, look nt a box of sardines. The mnn who makes a will these days is only paving the way for tho court to pronounce him a fool or a lunatic after his death. Tho other day a Buffalo man named Farthing married a young girl whoso mother, although quite wealthy, wouldn't give her assent. Au Illinois farmer, who has fourteen children and a healthy wife, says thnt the bottom of the potato bin seems mado of India rubber. "The great need of Cairo," said a capitalist after being taken over the town, " is a fine-tooth comb factory, with a re tail store in connection." Agesilaus, when one told him there wns one did excellently counterfeit a night ingale, and wonld have had him hear him, said: "Why, I have heard the nightingale herself." A young lady iu a neighboring town is engaged to bo married to a gentleman named Homer Place; and you can judgo for yourself whether sho thinks "there's no Place like Homer" not. A gentleman, who was formerly nn officer in the Coldstrenm guards, wns brought up nt tho Southwick (London) police court recently on tho chnrgo of having stolen nn umbrella, nnd was committed for trial. A matter-of-fact doctor's wife attempt ed to move him by her tears. " Ah !" said he, "tears nre useless. I have ana lyzed them. They contain a littlo phosphate of lime, some chlornto of sodium and water." Neennh wants some ono to discover a lead mine iu that vicinity, to bring down tho price of tho metal. A policeman there has been shooting at a mad dog for three weeks and tho city has to furnish the material. A New York editor, says au exchange, is engaged to marry a foreign princess. Sho will not lose casto by tho match, for tho young editor is of noble blood him self. Ho is a count, one of the old original line of Noah Counts. A very flexible temperance pledge is this, which is circulated among Boston fashionable ladies: 1 promiso that no in toxicating liquor shall be used in this house for cooking purposes, and in sick ness, that it shall bo given conscien tiously. It rarely happens that a death occurs nt a funeral. Mr. Symonds, of Saugus, Mass., was seized with apoplexy while j (lttendiut: tho funernl of a friend, and died instantly. lie had celebrated tne fortieth anniversary of his wedding the night previous. London street thieves steal tho fur trimming from ladies' sacks. Going be hind a lady with a sharp knife they cut tho fur down just at tho center of tho back, and thou, giving a quick tug with each hand, tear off' ns much fur as will como off at one pull. A gentleman passing ncross tho play ground of a public school was nffrouted by the boys, and was ndvised to com plain to tho principal, which he did: " I have been abused by some rascals of the place, and I canio to acquaint you of it, as I understand you aro tho principal." A MilforJ (N. II.) boy was charged with stealing a gold pen, pleaded guilty, and was sent to the reform school. A young girl has since been detected steal ing from tho same storo, and the identi cal pen which the boy was said to have stolen was found in her possession. The boy is to be pardoned. Economy in business matters is now the rule. The head of a firm observing cu3 of his men loitering about lately said : "John, times are so dull we shall havo to lay you off awhile. Stay around nud wo will give you job work at the usual rate, forty cents an hour." John stayed ; ho got about eight hours a day job work, right along, and ho thanks his employer for doing what he did to him ; for his wages before were only $1.75 per day. Moral : liet well enougn nione. Kot so Funny for Charles. Charles Williams, of Westchester, Pa., was found guilty of libeling the pastor and officers of the First Presbyterian church. The article charged tho pastor with gross immorality, and that he M as be ing tried before a commit toe of the church, und that although the testimony elicited wns bo damaging as to create fears that the reverend gentleman would be lynched, there was no doubt but that he M'ould be acquitted. Williams took the stand after the testimony had been elicited for tho prosecution, and ad mitted thnt he had written the article, and sent it to a New York paper, iu which paper it was published. He also stated that he knew there was not a werd of truth in his statement, but that ho had written it for fun, and to creute a sensation. Cube for Frosted Feet. Dissolve a quarter of a pound of washing soda in a gallon of hot water, and soak the feet thoroughly, afterward rub with vinegar, and the cure is certain.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers