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fi7 113
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HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. NIXi DESPERANDTJM- Two bollars per Annum.
iVOL. V. MDGAVAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1875. yp. 2oT
Tlio Arctic Expedition.
FROM THE women's bide.
O let mo srailo a little, I pray
Just a littlo, Mid whilo 1 umy,
Even an a child nnilos: after to-day
I Bliall havo whole years to weep lu.
0 lot me talk like a child, tinoLid :
After to-day 'twill all be bid;
No band will lift np tho cofiiu-lid
Of the silence I shall sleep in.
In Portsmouth barbor tho good ship rides,
Itockod safuly upon the placid tidos,
As love in a happy heart abides,
Moving with each emotion,
With voices and bauds alive all o'er:
And to-morrow perhaps for evermore
1 shall look out from a desolate shore
Upon an empty ocean.
0 love, my hero and my saint,
My knight of the white shield, without taint,
This woman-heart turns sick and faint,
Although my lips may fail not :
1 Heo the rocks under smiling seas,
I bear a tempest in everv breeze,
I feel the icebergs as they freeze
In the deeps whore ship can sail not.
O love, my love, so bravo, so young,
Strong arm, pure heart, and silent tongue I
O lonely yoars that stretch out so long !
One cry, us of lost existence,
And my soul sits down before its doom,
As a white ghost sits at tho door of a tomb:
No moan, no shriek, no tears, no gloom,
Only a still persistence.
Bo of good cheer. Rail on, sail on,
Unto life or death; for both are one
To the iufiuito faith in sweet days gone,
To tho infinite lovo that folds thco.
These girlish arms are weak I know,
But my heart is strong as a woll-bont bow; t
And whither thou goot I will go,
In my spirit that upholds thee.
Sail on, tail on, through tho frozen seas,
To oiidlofs labors, and littlo ease :
Come back triumphant, if Heaven so ploaso,
Or with uuwun goal, inglorious;
Only como back ! No. Should God say
That he has crowned thee auother way,
Lovo ! boo, beyond our night, His day,
And wo aro yot victorious,
.Vim Unlock.
MAXWELL'S DREAM.
Late on a Hummer afternoon the Mil
liugton express wis rushing along at
lightning hpeod through tho beautiful
valley ol Wuuuahanna, making a terrible
rour among tho clilfs, and sending up a
warning ckuul of steam through the
mighty pines and oaks that grew erect
upon tho hillsides. In one of tho broad
parlor cars sat a gr. mp of three people,
consisting of a pale, richly-dressed young
lady, a stout, commanding-looking man
of sixty, and a thin-faced, delicate-featured
old gentleman, whoso ago wus per
haps eighty.
At a little distauce from these people
sat Maxwell Bryan, an important per
sonage of fifteen, whoso dress, orna
mented with brass buttous and a little
gold lace, showed him to bo a pupil iu
some military school. Ho was ou his
way home for his vacation, and he fer
vently hoped uotliing would interfere to
delay or prevent his coming delight.
Having littlo else to do ho hail been
traveling since eight o'clock that morn
ing ho gazed about him. It was not
long before his attention was attracted
by tho odd behavior of the venerable
gentleman of whom I have already
spoken.
The eyes of tho old gentleman were
brilliant as coals. They pierced every
thing aud searched everywhere Now
they would fasten themselves upon . the
decorated roof of the car, now they
would esamino tho nails of his lingers,
now they would rest upon tho face of
his lady companion, und now they would
apparently study the type of a magazine
that he held in his hand.
Maxwell tried hard to keep the cob
webs at a distance, but he failed. Ho
begau to doze, and a most delightful
medley arrayed itself before him, aud
tho noise of tho train sank into a low
music iu his dulled ears
Suddenly a titrange thing seemed to
happen. Ho thought ho saw tho flash
of tho old gentleman's eyes between his
half-closed lids; also that he put up his
thin while hand and drew aside the
handkerchief from his face; also that
the faco was very eager and very wide
awake. He also thought that tho other gentle
man was, like almost everybody else,
asleep. The old gent appeared to scru
tinize him with the utmost care. Then
to advance ono hand with tho greatest
caution, and to unfasten one button of
his coat. This was done safely. Then
ft second. Still tho sleeper did not stir.
Then a third ami tho last. The lappels
of the coat fell back. 'Die old gentle
man instantly pretended, to Maxwell's
imagination, to go to sleep once more,
but only for an instant. In a moment,
seeing that he hud not disturbed tho
sleeper, he was up again.
Maxwell thought he saw him lean for
ward, showing his whito teeth, aud,
with a smile upon his face, reached out
toward the breast of the other's coat.
From it he drew by slow degrees a largo
ilat wallet inado of red morocco, aud
clasped with two nickel hasps. This ho
held for au instant, nodding over it, and
patting it as if it were a great treasure.
Theu Maxwell's father appeared in
the car, and then his oranges mountod
into the air one by one, and as they fell
the venerable old gentleman caught the
largest, which had turned dark-red in
some curious way, and threw it out of
the open window of a tall castle whero
ho seemed, to be. Just as he did so a
dark shadow fell around, and Maxwell
thought he saw a forest, and away off in
the distance a sloping hill where the sun
had gouo down, making a face just like
the old man's, whilo a group of three
pine trees stood in tho very midst of tho
red sky, loaning towards each other with
their limbs iutorlacod.
Then he remembered no more ; he fell
into deep sleep, and he lost all his pic
tures. How long he elopt he did not
know ; but he was awakened by loud
voices and by a great deal of bustle and
stir. He aroused himself. All the peo
ple in the-car were searching and pry ing
under their seats, behind their parools
yes, and in their very pockets. The
pale lady was walking up and down with
a distracted air, wringing her hands and
uttering loud cries of despair, while the
strong genHunn etanding olosa beside
his seat still absently feoling of his
coatskirts looked bewildered and dis
tressed. The other the old geutloman
was still asleep, as Maxwell had first
seen him, and they had clearly not
thought it necesnaiy to arouse him.
" Lost I Lost 1" cried tho lady, iu a
voico of anguish. ' My portraits, my
dearest treasures gone I Impossible
impossible 1" Tears rau dowu hercheeks,
and sho stooped hurriedly here and
there, casting more glances into tho ob
scurity of the car.
Knots of people gathered about her
and about the gentleman. Maxwell has
tily joined the latter. The pocketbook
had been carefully placed in his pocket
at Millington, aud ho now discovered
that it was gone. It contained ivory
Cortraits of the lady's children and hus
aud, all of whom were now dead, and
also papers of inestimable and peculiar
value.
At this point the rolator cast an invol
untary glance at the still sleeping sep
tuagenarian. Tho travelers looked with
extreme compassion upon tho weeping
lady, and many attempted to console
her. Hut, filled with grief, sho refused
to be comforted, and hastened up aud
down the aisle of the car like one de
mented. The other gentleman endeavored to
soothe the lady, but instead of yielding
to his prayers to be quiet, sho cast her
self upon his breast aud gave herself up
anew to grief.
A strange feeling of confusion over
came Maxwell. H turned aside to
study out something that seemed to cling
in his head, and he could not tell how it
got there. A half-formed train of pic
tures ran through his mind, all connected
with a pocketbook; but all was as misty
as if a fog had penetrated his brain.
Any ono that had seen his face at this
time would have been startled at tho
changes that crossed it. Now it seemed
intelligent, and now it seemed puzzled;
now it seemed to understand something,
aud now it seemed to be more astonished
than ever.
All at ouco the train gave evidence of
coming to a standstill. It slowed grad
ually, and the rear lessened. It was
about to stop at Moldhill. Maxwell's
mind was one that worked quickly. He
got up and was about to leave the train.
' Search that boy 1" cried some ono.
J n a moment a heavy hand was laid
npou his shoulder. He looked up, and
saw the uncle looking at him with sus
picious eyes. He passed his hands
down his sides and down his pantaloons.
Then he said: " You can go," aud he
roleased him. The boy's indignation
caused the blood to leap into his face
like lightning.
Ho clenched his hands and gazed after
his iusulter with burning eyes. But his
glance fell once more on the prostrated
Judy. His sense of honor got tho better
of his rage, and in another instant he
was upon the platform of the small sta
tion. In another, he dimly saw the
train move off, and in auother it was
beyond his reach, speeding rapidly
away, with its red lights burning bright
ly behind.
Ho was alone, or nearly so. It was
still quite light, aud it would be two
hours before dark. Ho asked some
questions of tho station master.
" Are you very well acquainted with
the road, sir ?"
" Ought to bo," returned tho other,
gruflly, swinging an empty coat sleeve
toward tho boy; " used to be biakemau
before I had my arm took off."
" Well, do you remember a place,
twelve miles from here, in that direction
(pointing), whero thero are three pine
trees "
" Course I do," interrupted tho ether;
" they are on old Goulding's farm. We
always used to whistlo when we got
abreast of 'em, fur there's a little station
named Gouldiug's crossing closo by,
with a road over the track."
" Three trees, are you sure?"
" Yes. They kinder lean together,
don't they?"
" Yes."
Maxwell's heart leaped within him.
This part of the notion that was wander
ing in his head, at least, was true.
" Can I go to Gouldiug's crossing to
day?" " No, for the last down train has
loft. You can walk, of course. "
" Thank you."
The man weut away, wondering.
Maxwell reflected. He must reach tho
pine trees iu some way, and before eight
o'clock. It was then six. Even should
he walk wth prodigious swiftness, it
would take thre" hours, and then it
would bo dark. He asked a farmer, who
stood near by, about the road. The man
said that it was rougu aiul rouuuuuout.
The boy's eye fell upon a little brown
building that stood clow by tho track.
Ho knew that it ct ntained a handcar.
In a moment ho was walkiug toward it.
When ho reached it, ho looked behind
hiiu. The depot was deserted. Ho saw
the station master in tho distance, walk-
lug oil witn a utuo tin uox under nis
arm.
He was alone. Tho wholo region did
not contain a single man. Tho lock of
tho little house was simple enough. It
consisted of a peg of wood driven into a
hasp. Maxwell pulled it out, opened
the door, and beheld, standing upon its
rails, a yellow handcar, with its cranks
extended, as if in welcome. He shivered
a little at his undertaking. Ho might
be arrested, and locked up iu some jail.
He began "to push the car out of the
houso. It ran out almost of its own ac
cord. But it made a horrible noise.
Maxwell wondered why meu didn't come
from everywhere to stop him.
With littlo or no trouble the car was
turned upon tho proper rails, and was
headed for Gouldiug's crossing. Max
well got upon it, and seized the crunk.
In an iustant ho was of, spinning away
like ligh'niug, his slender back going
up and down liko a jumping-jack, and
the crank going round and round like a
coffee mill, aud all growing rapidlj less
and less in tho distance.
It was a great experiment, a wild test
of something that was almost certainly a
disordered dream. Yet there was a
great deal to encourage the hope that
there was a littlo tliat was real iu it aftor
all, and Maxwell pressed on with flushed
cheeks and pautiug heart.
Six miles, eight miles, ten miles, and
with many a rest and many an anxious
glance at the gradually darkening sky.
He came to Gouldiug's crossing at half
past seven. The place was lonely and
nilent, aud be rushed past it with all the
speed he could raoko. Ho now began to
feel a great ouxiety again. In a few
moments matters would be brought to
the test. Was it all a creation of his
fancy, or had that terrible old nion really
performed tho act? Then camo tho pic
ture of the grief-strickeu lady. Max
well steeled his heart against all doubts,
for her sake.
All at once, whilo he was languidly
pushing on, pale and half exhausted
with his exertions, the three great puies
burst upon his view, standing against the
broad red sky. His heart gave a leap.
He had at last arrived on the ground. He
ran ou slowly, barely moving 1 1 e crank,
and began to search tho ground with his
eyes.
The ground woa partly sandy and
partly covered with bushes. He wont
on for a hundred yards. He saw nothing.
Then ho stopped and sat down, and,
burying his face in his bauds, tried to
recall his impressions. First tho group.
Then tho old man with the handkerchief.
Then the uubuttouing of tho coat. Then
the pocketbook with its nickel clasps.
Then the throw from the window. Then
the oranges flying in tho air. Then
then then, yes, tho pine trees. Then
nothing. Ah, how much like a
mystery it all secnied I
But yet, hero ho was. Ho had nothing
to do but to search well, aud to put all
his doubts at rest by actual labor. Ho
went on n hundred yards. Here, ho
was certain, was the limit of tho dis
tance that was passed over after the
wallet was thrown aud before tho pine
trees were reached. He doscended from
his car, taking with him a small tin
lantern with a caudle that he found in
tho box. Then he began his task in
earnest. He walked up and down in tho
twilight, bending nearer and nearer to
the earth as tho light grew less and less.
It was a strauge situation. No one was
near. The frogs began to croak in the
pools near by, the owls began to hoot in
tho black trees, and the bats began to
whirl to and fro in the damp air. Still
the stooping figure of the boy went plod
ding here and there, now stooping to
feel of something beneath its feet, and
now straightening itself up for a littlo
rest. In a little whilo he lit his lantern.
Then he weut on, up aud down, now
around this tree and now around that,
but seeing nothing. Ho despaired a
score of times, but twenty times, too, ho
plucked up courago and renewed his
search. Nine o'clock came. His candle
was burned low, aud it was growing
cold. What a wild-goose chase 1 What
a silly task.
He heard a rumbling in the distance.
"Ah," said he, "auother train I I wish
that I were upon it!" His feet were
wet, aud ho was exhausted with huuger
and labor. His lantern hung carelessly
from his hand. Suddenly, like two rays
from a star, two flashes came out of the
earth. Tho boy gave a leap and a shout.
Ho had fonml tho -wallet ! Tim clasps
had betrayed itl His heart was in a
tumult, a thousaud things shot through
his brain. The portraits were there I
The beautiful lady would bo filled with
happiness !
That was enough for his kindly heart.
Ho was content. All that ho had done,
all his troubles aud all his work, sank
out of sight under tho knowledge that
he was able to convey a little joy. It
was a triumph of a quick wit and a ten
der heart over the sluggish boy-nature.
It had been a battle of the head and tho
sympathies against a natural selfishness,
against a natural inixmlso to let affairs
take their own courso. Ho had sprung
out of the mass of people- iu the car upon
a mere hint, and had dono on act that
the strongest man thero would havo
been proud of. Maxwell stood up twice
a mau.
But tho roar of tho train eauio nearer
and nearer. All at ouco ho gave a cry of
dismay. Tho hand-car was still upon
tho track! Two short, sharp shrieks
from the whistle an instant more then
a fearful cr;tsh and a smashing of tho
trees by tho roadside ! Tho traiu rushed
iuto sight. It was safe, but it was still
shrieking as if it had gone crazy. The
speed lessened.
"Hallo!" cried Maxwell; "it's my
chance for a ride homo. Hurrah!"
And he rau for tho train as fast as his
lefts could carry him. It was dark, and
as the people camo out to see whut tho
matter was, ho climbed in unseen, and
took a seat in an obscure corner. Fivo
minutes later tho cars went on. Fivo
minutes later still, the stowaway was
fouud by tho still angry conductor.
Maxwell told hisstory aud proved it. Tho
conductor, at first furious , grew inter
ested, and then ho laughed heartily.
"Good, good!" ho cried, and ho
struck his fat knee with great approval
of tho wholo matter. " Suppose you
telegraph at tho next station that'you
have found tho pocketbook. Telegraph
to the conductor of that train traiu 42
aud send it to Hillsboro, which is the
last stopping plnco befuro B . He
will read tho messago to the lady, and
sho will be at the depot to receive you
when we arnve.
" Capital I capital 1" cried Maxwell.
"Let us do it !"
At eleven o'clock that night Maxwell
stepped from tho train, and he fouud
himself instantly caught in the arms of
the lady. Sho was wild with joy. She
grasped the pocketbook with a cry of
iutenso delight anil kissed the blushing
boy time and again, to tho great aston
ishment of Maxwell's father, who stood
near by. Tho uncle, too came up, look
ing profoundly ashamed, and he thanked
the boy iu the most earnest manner.
It was, indeed, truo that tho elder
gentleman was insane. Thus tho finding
of the wallet was doubly fortunate, and
double gratitude fell to Maxwell's lot.
Thus ends this short history of the work
ing of a quick perception and a resolute
aud quick mind. Thousands of men
would have failed to do likewise ; und
so boys arc not always children.
PnisvENTiON. Prevention of cruelty
to animals, prevention of cruelty to
children, and now it is suggested that
there be a society for the prevention of
cruelty to women, with special reference
to clerks and others who aro required to
stand con&tautly, even when their duties
do not make this always needful. Hu
manity is opposed to cruelty, whether it
be to man, woman, child, or animal;
aud s.imo modification of a rulo that
saleswomen should never sit dowu would
be, to say the leant, humane.
Ice 80,000 Years Old.
The altitude of the Stevens miue on
Mount McClellan, Colorado, is 12,500
feet. At tho dopth of from sixty to two
hundred feet the oreyioe matter, con
sisting of silica, calcito, and ore, to
gether with the surrounding wall rock,
is a solid frozen mass. ,McClollan is one
of tho highest eastern spurs of the
snowy ran go; it has tho form of a horso
shoo, with a bold escarpment of felts
phatio rock nearly 2,000 feet high, which
in some places is nearly perpendicular.
Nothing unusual occurred until a dis
tance of some eighty or ninety feet had
been mode; then the frozen territory
was reached, and it has continued for
over 200 feet. There are no indications
of a thaw, Eummor or winter. The wholo
frozen territory is surrounded by hard,
massive rock, and tho lode itself is as
hard and massive as tho rock.
Tho miuers, being unable to excavate
tho frozen material with pick or drill,
found that the only way was to kiudlo
a largo wood lire at night against the
back end of the tunnel, and in the morn
iug tako out tho disintegrated ore. This
has been tho mode of mining for moro
than two years. The tunnel is over 250
feet deep, and there is no diminution of
the frost. Thero is, so far as can bo
seen, no opening or channel through
which tho frost could possibly have
reached such a depth from tho surface.
Thero aro other mines in the same
vicinity in a liko frozen state. The
theory is that the rock was laid down in
glacial times, when thero was cold
enough to freeze the very earth's heart.
In that case the mino ia an ice house
whoso stores have remained unthawed
for at least 80,000 years 1 The pheno
mena is not uncommon or inexplicable
when openings can bo found through
which a current of air can pass; but
cases which, like the Brandon frozon
well and tho Stevens miue, show no way
for fair currents, are still referred to
imbedded icebergs and the glacial period.
The Pulse.
Every person should know how to as
certain tho state of the pulse in health,
then by comparing it with what it is
when he is ailing, ho may have some
idea of tho urgency of his case. Parents
should know tho healthy pulso of each
child as now and then a person is born
with a peculiarly slow or fast pulse, aud
tho very case iu hand may bo that pecu
liarity. An infant's pulso is ono hun
dred and forty; a child of seven, about
eighty; and from twenty to sixty years
it is seventy beats a minute, declining to
sixty at four score. A healthf id grown
person's pulse beats seventy times in a
minute; there may be good health down
to sixty; 'but il the pulSe always exceods
seventy there is a diseaso; tho machine
is" working itself out; there is a fever or
inflammation somewhere, and tho body
is feeding on ltsrlf, an iu consumption,
when the pulse is quick that is, over
seventy, gradually increasing, with do
creased chances of euro, until it reaches
ono hundred and ten or one hundred
and twenty, when death comes before
many days. Whon the pulse is over
seventy for months, and there is a slight
cough, tho lungs are affected. The
pulso decreases when a recumbent posi
tion is assumed for any length of time,
and is increased by exercise, stimulants,
and the presence of food in the stomach.
The Hired Girl.
A hired girl should bo ingenious. Oue
of them, in tho employ of a West street
family, Daubury, discovered an unique
way of extracting teeth. She suffered
nearly a wholo week with an aching
tooth, but had not tho courago to go to
a dentist. One afternoon it troubled
her so much as to force her to look for a
remedy, aud she finally hit upon a plan.
With a piece of stout twine sho mado a
loop, which she put about her tooth.
Then sha took a bit of soap aud rubbed
it on tho floor, opposite tho back door.
The other end of tho twine she fastened
to the knob of tho closed door. Then
sho took a position on the soapod boards
and commenced to lean back. When
she had acquired a elopo of about forty
livo degrees, tho soap suddenly took
hold, and sho came down on the floor
with such forco as to knock a pair of ten
dollar vases from a mantel upstairs.
And thero she sat, reaching out for
breath, when tho affrighted family mado
their appearance, whilo tho offending
tooth dangled from a string against the
door.
Earthquakes Supplying Water.
Tho Santa Barbara (Cal.) Republican
has this passage: Many people are op
posed to earthquakes, and wo include
ourselves among the number, but in
this, as iu everything else, we find some
ono to dill'er with us. This gentleman
is J. P. Walker, who has a ranch near
llincou. Before our earthquakes he had
a lino wheat field which, up to that time,
had never had flowing water or spring
of any kind; all tho water it received
camo from the rains. After the earth
quake Mr. Walker was both surprised
and pleased to find a largo spring flowing
a good volume of soft water iu this field
whero water had nover existed before,
and, being on high ground, ho thinks of
conveying it iu pipes to his residence.
Col. Hollister tells us of a similar oc
currence on a ranch belonging to him,
several years ago, whero a volume of
water was spouted to a height of nearly
forty &;et for several days after the earth
quake, and thero has been a flowing
stream there ever since.
Presidential Candidates.
The New York S'ii says: The names
of tho gentlemen from whom tho re
spective parties will bo pretty sure to
select their caudiates for President next
year are not many. Here is a catalogue;
Republicans. B. II. Bristow, O. P.
Morton, E. B. Washburue, L. D. Mor
can. H. Wilson. J. G. Blaine.
Democrats. T. A. Hendricks, A. G.
Thurman, W. Allen, T. F. Bayard, J. S,
Black. S. J. Tilden.
Each of theso lists seems complete as
tho cose stands at present. . It is possible,
but not probable, that new men may
como ui) iu tho course of next fall aud
winter. For instance, if Gen. Hayes
should be elected Governor of Ohio by
a very large majority, hn would tako a
place iu the Republican list. Most like
ly some oue of these twelve gentlemen
will be the next President.
A PLUCKY WIFE.
She .Moon the (Inmblor who Won her lliiir.
i band's Money and n Krone Ensues.
It was one of the handsomest packets
on tho river, and among the pas3eugors
bound for Vicksburg were a Georgian
and hi? wife, who havo relatives in Mis
sissippi. He was a largo-sized, handsome-looking
man, and she was a pleasant-looking
littlo woman, with blue eyes and short
chestnut curls. One would have said
that she would have screamed at a tilt
of tho boat.
Ho sat smoking with other gentlemen
aftor shq had retired to her stateroom,
and the cabin was entirely clear of ladios,
when soma one proposed a game of cards.
In ten minutes after half a dozeu men
were shuttling cards over cabin tables,
and tho Georgian was matched against
a stranger to all on board. He was a
quiet, courteous, well-dressed man, and
had been taken for a traveler in search
of health. Ho was lucky with his cards,
but ho did not . propose playing for
stakes. It was tho nettled Georgian
who proposed it. Ho called himself a
champion hand at poker, aud whon he
found that ho had met his equal ho de
termined to test tho stranger's financial
metal.
They had fifty dollars ou tho tablo
when the captain looked into the cabin.
He caught the Georgian's eye and gave
him to understand that his opponent
was a river blackleg, but tho other gen
tlemen had dropped their cards aud
crowded around, money was up, and
the information had come too late. Bo
sides, the Georgian was doing well
enough, and ho flattered himself that
he could teach the courteous blackleg a
lesson.
It was a very quiet group around the
tablo. and after the play had continued
for fifteen minutes, tho gentlemen spoke
in whispers, aud soino of them wore re
minded of old times on the Mississippi,
when gamblers had thtf till run of every
boat.
The Georgian had luck with him from
the start, and while ho looked smiling
and confident tho gambler appeared to
grow excited and uneasy. His money
was raked across the table until tho
Georgian had $200 in greenbacks before
him. Tho stakes had boen light up to
this time.lboth men soeming to fear each
other's skill. Tho Georgian proposed
to increase them, and the gambler
agreed. In ten minutes the latter had
his 8200 back. Luck had turned. The
Georgian lost 20 ; then u0 ; then 80 ;
then 100.
Tho gambler s face wore a quiet smile,
as the Georgian became nervous. His
hands trembled as he held up tho cards,
and his face was wet with moisture.
" Como, gentlemen," said one of tho
group, " let s have a general band for
amucinmout, and thou turn in."
The Georgian looked up with a fixed
glance, and replied :
" I havo lost 400 ; ho must givo mo
a fair show.
The play went on. Tho heap of Green
backs at the gambler's right hand grew
larger. Once in a while the Georgian
won, but he lost ten dollars for every
ono gained, no finallv laid down his
cards, pulled a roll of bills from a breast
Eocket and. counted out 300. This was
is pile. Iu lees than ten minutes every
dollar of it had been added to the gam
bler's heap.
"Gentlemen, will you smoke? asked
the gambler, as ho turned around and
drew his cigar case.
They know his true character iu spite
of his disguiso, and they refused.
"lain sorry for my friend, no con
tinued, biting at the eud of a cigar, "but
you will agrco that tho play was fair."
me uoorgian nad passed out ou the
promenado deck. The gambler turned
to his stack of bills and was countiug
them when there was a sharp exclama
tion, the souud of a brief struggle, and
the littlo woman with blue eyes aud
chestnut curls entered the cabiu. She
was half undressed, a shawl thrown over
her shoulders, and she had a revolver in
her hand.
No one had seen leave her stateroom
and cross tho cabin. No ono knew that
her husband had tho revolver iu his
hand as she softly canioupon lum. " Go
back, ho whispered, "la incoming in a
moment !"
With swift motion she seized tho
weapon, wrenched it from his grasp.
and as she came down the cabiu to tho
tablo at which tho gambler sat, and
around which half a dozeu men yet lin
gered, her blue eyes were full of liro.
lne gamlJler looked up. The hammer
of the revolver camo up with a double
click. A white arm stretched out, and
tho muzzle of the revolver looked straight
into the gambler's face. Ho turned
pale ; tho men fell back. For half a
mimvto the deep sileneo was broken only
by tho faint spfUsh of tho paddle wneeuJ.
Uo! sue said.
He looked into her flaming eyes as if
ho could bluff her.
"Go!"
He rose up aud reached for the money.
"Leave it 1" she whispered, makiug a
threatening motion with tho revolver.
lie retreated back, tone oiiowed. tool
by foot he backed across the cabin, the
muzzle of the revolver always on a lino
with his face. Ho backed through tho
door ou tho promenado deck, and tho
railing was there.
" Jump, she whispered.
The boat was running along within
three hundred feet of the shore. Over
tho rail to the water was a terrible leap.
" You can have the money," he said.
"Jump," she repeated.
" I will not."
The arm camo up a little, and tho light
from the cabm showed him a cold,
strange, determined look on her faco.
Ho tiu-ued about, shivered, aud was over
the rail, leaping far out and unablo to
suppress a cry of alarm as he felt himself
goiug down. The boat swept along, her
arm fell, and ro-enteriug the cabin sho
sat down, leaned her head on the table
and wept bitterly. The passengers said
she was a " brick. Was sue I
An entomological poet out in Coffey
villo, Kansas, is inspired lo tho folio w
iucr. which, outside of its high poetio
merit, possesses great statistical merit ;
hiliould millions into millions multiplied l.
With ton million times ten million more,
'Twould suftioely represent a mil lionet h ot
Tb grjuuihoppera that puw our dour.
How They Did It.
The first snccossfnl experiment in the
way of outre advertising was made about
fifteen years ago by a tobacconist, who.
adopted the following method: De
siring to have his goods introduced ex
tensively among tho retail dealers, he
employed a number of meu to "work,"
as the politicians say, the various wards
of the city. One of these canvassers
would enter a cigar store and ask the
proprietor for a paper of " 's fine
cut." The tobacconist in all probability
had never heard of the article, but
recommended some other maker's,
which tho canvasser contemptuously
declined. In about an hour another
customer would come iu and make a
similar demand, and before tho week
was over the proprietor would find so
many inquiries for this special brand
that ho was compelled to make a pur
chase, and as the articlo was only sold in
large packages, it became necessary for
him, in order to effect a sale, to recom
mend it to his customers, and so tho
article became quito popular. Tho can
vassers were oftontimes compelled to
buy, but as the goods wero returned to
tho manufacturer and resold, very little
was lost on tho transaction. Ten men,
therefore, at a salary of 8 a week, for
thoso wero tho days of low wages, could
iu threo months have induced every
cigar store proprietor to make a pur
chase, and thus at au expenso of hardly
1,000 tho goods wero effectually intro
duced to the trade.
It is related that Day & Martin, of
London, caused their wares to bo ex
tensively introduced by having an ele
gant equipage, with footmen, etc., drive
up to a store with great clattor aud
cracking of whips. One of tho footmou
would descend, and in a loud voice ask
for a pot of "Day & Martin's patent
blacking." The storekeeper, unac
customed to have such an aristocratic
class of customers, approaches respect
fully and is very sorry that ho has not
thoso particular manufacturers' wares
on had, but he can recommend something
equally good. "No, no," cries tho
footman in decided tones, "master is
very particular and insists on using that
polish; but as I'm here now, I don't
mind waiting if you'll send out aud get
a pot." The shopkeeper, fancying that
by a littlo courtesy ho may secure the
custom of John Thomas's master, is only
too delighted, and resolves to have a
stock of n-iy & Martin's on hand against
similar contingencies.
A "Sham" Wedding.
The Washington correspondent of the
Rochester Jixpi'ens writes : Speaking of
shoddy iu matrimonial goods reminds
mo of a wedding which occurred here
tho other day. The morning papers
stated that tho evening before tho ac
complished Miss Dash, youngest daugh
ter of our distinguished townsman Gen
eral Dash, who is here in tho interest of
ono of tho largest manufacturing com
panies in the world, was united iu the
bonds of matrimony to tho Hon. Blank,
a highly respected and well-known gov
ernment official. The happy couplo will
make an extended tour to our principal
summer resorts, terminating with a trip
across the water. Tho display of pres
ents and the numerous gathering of
friends wero quito noticeable. This was
all very well, and iu tho main tho truth,
but not tho unvarnished truth by any
means, as the sequel will show. I hap
pened to know tho female party to tho
contract, so I begau to strip off tho tin
sel in tho interest of a few old maids of
my acquaintance, aud this is tho result:
Miss Dash is the daughter of a sewiug
maehino agent, who is as poor as a church
mouse, if he is the representative of ono
of the largest manufacturing companies
in the world. Sir Charles Henry is a
postmaster in Prince George county,
!Ud. J.uey visited our principal sum
mer resorts Harvey's, Freuud's and
several other ice cream saloons; and to
make a "short-cut," and at the same'
time save expense, ho rowed his Dul
cinea across the Auacosta river, which
constituted his Atlantic trip. Tho only
present I heard of was the bill of the
solitary hackman who conveyed them to
church; and as for the guthering of
friends there was quite a number of
gamin collected when the old man and
tho hackman had a littlo tut about the
fare."
The Female Population.
Only tho United States, Belgium, and
Italy have more men than women. This
attributed to tho wear and tear of
hard work, which kills off so many of
tho fair sex of theso countiiaa. Accord
ing to tho census of Dec. 31, 1871,
Italy had a population of 20,801,154,
yielding a percentage of 50.27 men and
TJ.7J wonion, hfty-cight per cent, of old
nt. of married couples, and six per
cent, of the widowed, of whom tue
widows moro than doubled the widow-
In France thero is relatively the
smallest number of births, though old
persons aro there preserved longer than
iu other countries, tweuty-two per cent.
of its inhabitants being over titty years,
and seven per thousand upward of
eighty. In tho United States thero are
only eleven per cent, upward of fifty,
while tue young oi Dotii sexes oniy
reaching twenty constitute fifty per
cent, of the entiro population.
His Home.
"Where is your house?" asked a trav
eler iu the depths of one of tho old
solemn wildernesses of tho great West.
" House ? I am t got no house.
" Well, where do you live ?"
"I live iu tho woods, sleep on the
great government purchase, eat raw bear
aud wild turkey, and drink out of the
Mississippi. And he added: "its
crettincr too thick with folks. You're the
second man I've seeu within the last
month : and I hear there is a whole fam
ily come iu about fifty miles down the
riwr. aud I am going to put out into the
woods again. 1 aiu't fond of too much
company."
Large tracts of lands iu tho south of
France, not hitherto cultivated, are be
ing planted with a kind of oak trees, be
neath which truiHes are generally found;
and it is expected that each acre of this
land, lately sold as low as five pounds
sterling, will yield a crop of tiuftleg
worth twenty pounds sterling a year.
" - interest.
To a squire who was boaNm.B . ,a
horso's speed, Foote, the witty comedian,
replied: "Pooh! my horse will stand
faster than yours can gallop."
It is singular that mineral waters are
only beneficial to tho wealthy. Wo
never knew a physician to advise a poor
man to go to any watering-place.
A philosopher asserts that the reason
why ladies' teeth decay sooner than gen
tlemen's is because of the friction of the
tonguo and the sweetness of the lips.
It is said that the hurrying to catch
trains and boats, of which thero is neces
sarily so much in these days, tends to
produce diseases of tho heart and brain.
A Boston editor blushes for tho ignor
ance of threo young girls of that city who
tried to get their horso's he ad down so
that it could drink by unbuckling tho
crupper.
If you cut tho back legs of your chair
two inches shorter than tho front ones,
tho fatiguo of sitting will bo greatly re
lieved and tho spino placed iu better
position.
Peruvian guano is now charged with
the crime of introducing tho potato boo
tle ; but iu Colorado, whence this fellow
comes, they don't troublo themselves
with guano.
The Carlists recently caught a man,
bathed him iu petroleum, applied a
lighted match to him, and danced by tho
light thereof. They had no personal
grudge against him.
We have heard of asking for bread
and receiving a stone, bnt a gentleman
may be considered as still worse treated
when ho asks for a lady's baud and ro
ceives her fathor's foot.
If, in instructing a child, you aro vexed
with it for a want of adroitness, try, if
you have never tried before, to writo
with your left hand, and then remember
that a child is all left hand.
Up to the close of 1874 eleven millions
of dollars had been expendod on tho
great naval arsenal and docks of Spezia.
American men-of-war in the Mediter
ranean, when needing repairs, put iu at
that port.
The latest story of the Niagara hack
men is, that one of them drove a wed
ding party one morning to a clergyman's
house. In the afternoon the clergyman
was visited by tho driver, who demauded
a percentage of the marriage fee.
Iu Minnesota the boys go grar,shop
periug at the rato of sixty cents the ton,
and on au average manure the soil wit h
twenty-five thousand tons of tho in
sects per day. They count upon break
ing up tho State treasury or tho hop
pers, ono of the two.
Last year tho State of Massachusetts
gilded the dome of its Stata-houso, and
now it has boon compelled to pay for
hermetically sealing the windows to the
cupola above that the glittering surface
may not bo tarnished by the expectora
tions of tobacco-using visitors.
It is calculated that 75,000 Americans
havo gone over to Europo to see what
they can see this summer, aud that tho
husbands will lay out over thero fifty
millions of dollars iu new whistles for
their wives aud daughters. A few thiug
embobs are necessary, of course.
Mr. Backus, of Michigan, was so inju
dicious as to smoke in tho same wagon
with a can of oil. If Prof. Peters, in
scanning around among tho planets,
should happen to get a glimpse of auy
thiug that looks like a fragment of Mr.
B., he will send word to tho papers.
A rod-haired lady, who was ambitious
of literary distinction, fouud but poor salo
for her book. A gentleman, in speaking
of her disappointment, said : " Her
hair is red, if her book is not." Au
auditor, in attempting to relate the joko
elsewhere, said : " She has red hair, if
her book hasn't."
M. Lilo strongly recommends tho use
of bread mixed with sea water in cases
of disease arising from poverty of blood,
for convalescents recovering from acuto
diseases, and for healthy persons of dcli
cato constitutions. The water must bo
gonuino sea water, not the sea salt of
commorco iu water.
That some soldiers appear stover ly
about their clothes wheii others are
clean and tidy, is accounted for by tho
unequal commands of tho company olli
cors. The captain never comes to a halt
without telling his men to "dress up on
the right," allowing the meu on tho left
to look as shabby as they pleaso.
The business of packing fruits, vege
tables, and meats in hermotically-seid-ed
cans, though of comparatively recent
origin in this country, has had a rapid
growth, and has now reached largo di
mensions. The amount of capital in
vested is J20J000J0j)0,the..numbor.iJ
number of cans packed every year 100,
000,000. " When I married," said Ex-Chancellor
of the Exchequer Lowe at a Loudon
partv. "I declared. With all my world -
Y cooda I thee endow,' although I
hadn't a shilling in the world. " " But,
chimed in the wife, "you nad your
splendid talents. "Yes, my dear; but
you know 1 dian I enuow you wnu
them," was the right honorable gentle
man s reply.
A Paris journal reports that recently
iu the Butte-aux-Cailles, oue of the poor
est quarters of that city, a human buby
monkey was born, with an ordinary boy a
face, a long tail, and considerable hair
on its body. The father of the beast, a
workmau, got wrathy over the birth,
and immediately left hifl home with a vis
iblo prospect of going crazy ; his wife,
iti mother, was very much cast down bo
cause it was born with upper aud lower
teeth, and sho was therefore unable to
wet nurso it.
Stand Back At the Bunker Hill
monument celebration the crowd pressod
upon the platform for the speaker and
distinguished guests, aud were in dan
ger of breaking it down. The chair
man's entreaties to the crowd to fall
back being unheeded, he appealed to
Daniel Webster, who arose and said:
"Gentlemen, you must fall back."
"We cannot," was the reply, "it is im
possible; the crowd behind are pushing
us forward." Webster said: " Gentle
men, uothing is impossible tin Bunker
Hill; you musk fall back." 1'he crowd
tell back."