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HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. ' NIL DESPERANDUM. Two Dollars per Annum.
YOL. Y. BIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, DECEMBETl 23787 . NO. 44.
TIio Music of Childhood.
When I bear the waters fretting,
When I Bee the chestnut letting
All her lovely blossom falter down, I think:
"Alas the day I"
Once, with magical sweet singing,
Blackbirds set the woodland ringing
That awakes no mou while April hours wear
themselves away.
n our hearts fair bope.lay smiling
Sweet as air, and all beguiling ;
And there hung a miet of bluebells oa the
Blopo and down the dell t
And we talked of Joy and splendor
That the years unborn would render i
And the blackbirds helped us with the story,
for they knew it well
Fiping, fluting : "Bees are humming;
April's here, and summer's coming :
Don't forgot us when yon walk, a man with
men, in pride and joy (
Think on ua in alleys shady
When you step a graceful lady;
For no fairer days have we to hope for, little
girl and boy.
"Laugh and play, O lisping waters I
Lull our downy sons and daughters ;
Come, O wind, and rock their leafy cradle in
thy wanderings coy ;
When they wake we'll end the measure
With a wild sweet cry of pleasure
And a ' Hoy down derry, let's be merry, little
girl and boy 1' "
OXE BIGHT OF A WIFE.
"John," said I one night to my hus
band, as I put my basket of sewing
away preparatory to retiring, " John, as
you go down to-morrow morning, I
wish you would atop at Mrs. West's door
and leave her $5 for me."
"Five dollars!" and my lord looked
up quite astonished. "For what?"
' Way, sho is collecting money to aid
that society sue is secretary or, ana as I
always felt interested in it, I told her I
would give hor S5."
I snid this with quite a show of as
surance, though I really felt quite un
easy ns to the reception of my request,
for' John is rather notional in some of
his ways; however, I had been cogita
ting some matters lately in my own
niiml, and determined to make a bold
stand.
"Well, Sarah," at length came the
reply, "you need not count on my do
ing any such thing. I don't approve
of that society at all, and not one centof
my money shall go to help it. "
"I givo it out of money," said I,
growing bolder. "I only asked you to
leave it at her door for me."
"Your mouey ! What do you
mean?"
"I mean what I say my money.
Have 1 no right to spend money as well
as you ? I don't approve of the Masons,
but that dots not hinder you from
spending m mey and time for them as
much as you have a mind."
John looked at mo quite amazed at my
nudden outbreak. You see, I had al
ways been tho most amiable of wives.
Then ho broke out quite triumphantly:
"Come, now, who earns the money
that maintains this family ?"
"You and I together, said I.
" Together ! Well, I should like to
nee the tirst cent you havo earned in the
seven years wo havo been married.
Together! Well, I call that pretty
rich."
My spirits were visibly declining un
der his ridicule, but I kept on as boldly
as I could.
" When we were married you thought,
or proteuded to think, yourself very
happy in assuming the eore of board and
wardrobe. I didn't ask it of you. You
asked mo to bo your wife, knowing well
nil that meant. "
"As nearly as I remember," inter
rupted John, " you were mighty ready
to acoopt me."
"Granted to save argument, "said I,
coloring.
"Well, wo stood up in church to
gether, and you promised to love,
cherish, etc., and so did I."
"And obev, too," said I ; "but you,
in return, endowed me with all your
worldly goods, and the minister pro
nounced us man and wife; and so we
have lived."
"Yes," said John, complacently,
"and as I lookback over the time, I
think I have dono what I agreed, and
made a pretty good husband. I really
think you ought to be thankful when
you seo how some wives live."
"Well," said I, "I think I have
been a domestic, prudent wife, and I
don't feel one atom more of gratitude to
you than you ought to feel to me for
being a decent wife. Is it any more
merit that you keep your marriage prom
ises than that I keep mine ?"
" Sarah, you are positively very acri
monious to-night. Don't you think we
had better go to bod ?"
" No, sir. Well, meantime we have
laid by money to buy 'this house, and
still have some in the bank."
" Thanks to my hard work !" chimed
in John.
" More thanks," said I, "to the per
fect good health we have always had.
We made all these promises for better
or for worse. Now it has been better
for us all the time. Had you been sick
or honest misfortune befallen you, I
should have managed some way to re
duce our expenses so that yeu might feel
the burden as little as might be. Had I
been sick, more care would have fallen
on you. But we helped each other save,
and now I claim an equal right with you
in spending money."
" Whew ! Why, that is treason. But
go on." '
" If we occupied the respective posi
tions of superior and subordinate, I
should do what I do for you for a fixed
stipend, and no questions should be
asked as to the use made of it. Being
equals, I will not ask compensation as
a servant ; but because the contract we
have made is a lifelong and not easily
broken, I do not therefore call it very
magnanimous in a prosperous man to
accept these services and render in re
turn only my board and the least amount
that will creditably clothe me."
You see I was growing irate. John's
temper, too, was evidently on the rise.
"What do you mean by services ?
Housework! I am sure a home is as
much for your satisfaction as for mine;
and I am sure the tailor does not leave
much of my sewing for you to do."
' I don't complain of housowork nor
of doing your sewing; but I do think
the burden of little Johnny has fallen
on me."
" It strikes me," said he, with a pro
voking complacency of tone, " that if
you earned his living yon would have
less to say about the burden falling on
you."
"John," said I, "answer me hon-
estly. Do you work any harder or any
longer now than you did when he was
born I
"I don't know as I do," said he; " I
always worked hard eaough.
" Well, and so do I. But now as to
Johnny. I presume you will allow you
self half owner of him, as the law allows
you entire control over him. How much
do you do lor him I
" I maintain him. I do mv pa t."
"No, John, you are wrong; you don't
do your part. From the first you never
have. Did not weary months go by in
which you bore no part whatever of tho
burden i
" Well, that is curious complaining ;
wnat would you nave me do?
"You might have got a servant, in
stead of letting all the housework fall
on me; or you might have kept a horse
so that I could ride out and enjoy the
fine weather; but that is all post now."
"I should say that it cost me enough
for the doctor, nurse, etc., without
talking about Keeping a horse."
" True, it cost enough; but I am talk
ing about the division of the burden
Was the part you bore in the payment
of those bills equal to my part in the
matter? Would you have taken my
place for that money if it were to have
been paid you instead of those who
cared for you t 1 think not.
"Didn't I have all his clothes to
buy?"
" No, sir. I went without new clothes
of any sort for a season, and the money
saved from my wardrobe supplied all
that was needed ; and 1 might add that
all his other clothes have been got in
the same way."
" Well, really, I had no idea how
much of a martyr you were. Next you
will be clothing me in the same way,
How thankful I ought to be for so calcu
lating a wile.
" Now, iu these two years," said I,
continuing in the fane of his sneer, " all
of the care and confinement consequent
on attending the child have fallon on
me. I have managed some way to ac
complish my housework and sewing as
I used. I can hardly think how it has
bee i' done. Did it ever occur to you
to think how many times I have been to
church since he was born V
"You wouldn't expect a man to take
care of a baby, would you ? That isn t
a man's work."
" Isn't it ?" said I, bitterly ; " then I
wouldn't have a baby. I have been to
church just four times, and then some
visitor had 6taid with Johnny. How
many times did you ever get up in the
night to sootho him when he has been
sick and fretful ?
" How do you suppose," said he, "I
could work by day if I didn't get my
night's sleep ?
" Just the same way that I do when
my night is broken, exactly.
" Well, Sarah, what is the drift of all
this talk, any way ? ler I don t see any
use in prolonging it."
" Well, then it is my original state
ment that as I did my part of the" fami
ly labor and took all the care of Johnny,
and you are a man in prosperous cir
cumstances, I am entitled to as much
money for that as if 1 were employed aud
paid by the month for the same work,
and I have a right to spend money for
things that don't suit you, if I please to
do so ; and I may add," said I, with a
sudden vehemence, "that it is mean and
contemptible in you to try to oppose or
forbid my doing so."
John said no more. 1 saw by the
look in his eyes that he was quite angry ;
and so was I. That was the first time
in our married life that we failed to kiss
each other good-night. Indeed, I felt
guilty, though I hardly know why, but
was late before I fell asleep.
Tho next morning all was serene. No
trace remained of the evening's storm,
but nothing more was said about the
obnoxious subscriptions. Next day I
met Airs. est, and she thanked me
very much for doubling my money.
Dear John I lie d.dn t mean to be
unkind, but he had never stopped to
think about such things. When his
next settlement came, and he slipped a
820 bill into my hand and said, "That
is for your private purse," I really
thought he was the best husband in the
world,
Girls' Dresses.
The vest overdress is one of tho most
popular overdresses for girls. It is a
partly-fitted polonaise, with a deep
Louis XV. vest set in. The back is
shorter than the long front, and has but
one seam ; for very stout girls it is bet
ter to skape a side form in the back,
making three seams, in the English
fashion. The side of the garment has
a useful square pocket. The long front
slopes away sharply to show the vest,
which is set in with the side seams, or,
if greater warmth is required, this vest
may have a separate back made of flan
nel. The kilt skirt is generally worn
by girls, but a gored and flounoed skirt
may be used if preferred. Braid in
short parallel pieces, and giving the
military effect, is the trimming most
used for these suits. The materials are
any dark warm wool stuff, such as cash
mere, serge, camel's hair, or Knicker
bocker. Solid colors are preferred for
such dresses, but the design is also
liked for plaids, as it requires so little
trimming. For very small girls who
cannot arrange their dresses carefully it
is, perhaps, better to attach the kilt
skirt to the vest overdress, making the
whole suit one garment. To do this the
placket opening of the skirt should be
made on one side, and the belt of the
skirt should be tacked to the back and
sides of the overdress. .
The gamins of London, being forbid
den to beg in the streets, have neatly
circumvented the low. They purohase
a bundle of straw, commerce of all
kinds being free, and sitting at the cor
ner of a street entreat pedestrians to buy
a single whisk. It is said that some
urchins by this traffic make a profit of
over ten dollars a day.
THE MIND IN DISEASE.
dome Interemlnff but Startling Incident
of a Hclentiflo Theory.
The Popular Science Monthly cites
some curious incidents of the acute de
velopment of certain mental faculties in
disease. As the impairment of one
faculty intensifies the power of another,
so physical prostrations of a similar
nature produce the same phenomena.
Imagination and memory, as the most
impressionable faculties, are subject to
physical influences. Imagination has
produced death when the physical ail
ment did not warrant it, and courage
has not unfrequently enabled men
stricken with disease to overcome its
ravages. It is estimated that a large
proportion of the deaths of a cholera
visitation result from terror. This dan
ger is distinctly recognized by physi
cians, who often combat the terror they
encounter as much as the real disease.
Tho effect of imagination is illustrated
iu the textbooks of mental philosophy,
by instances where criminals condemned
to death were placed in a warm bath,
with the information that they were to
bo bled to death ; then came a slight cut
and finally death. Such is the effect of
imagination on mind and body. Hypo
chondria and homesickness are namos
given by the doctors to mental diseasos
that havo often had fatal results.
Tho Monthly states the case of n near
relative suffering from extreme nervous
debility, who begged to be taken to an
asylum for the insane on account of a
vivid and unnatural impression of
"thinking of two things at the same
time." The same person was also
afflicted with startling consciousness of
things happening to her children at a
distance, which proved to be correct, the
anticipation of what people were going
to say, aud the power of reading the
motives of others. A similar phenome
non oamo within the experience of a now
famous actor, who, in his younger days,
was given to a free use of stimulants.
He anticipated the words and thoughts
of those who were speaking to him, and
would frequently approach a strangor
on the streets and startle him with call
ing his name, speaking hi3 thoughts,
telliuR him some aocret of his past life
or some undisclosed intention for the
future. The impulse to do this at times
was irresistible. Of late years this mor
bid poroeption has passed away entirely,
and, as is stated, it would seem to be
because it has not beeu subject to the
excitation of stimulants.
Dr. Steinbeck onoe found an illiterate
peasant praying aloud in Greek and
Hebrew when he was prostrated with
disease ; it was subsequently ascertained
that he had heard tho parish minister
pray in those languages when he was a
child, and, though ho could not recall a
word of them when in health, they came
back to him in disease Abercrombie
relates how tho attendants of on asylum
found a youug girl inmate playing diffi
cult anl exquisite music on tho violin,
with no previous instruction or practice
only she had beeu accustomed to sleop
in a room adjoining that occupied by an
itinerant musiciau of great talent. Sho
could only play these airs when asleep.
Memory in aged persons otten grows
more vivid with advancing age and de
clining powers. Sir Walter Scott, who
had overstrained his physical powers.
speaks of being haunted by a " sense- of
pre-existenco. The faculty of lntensity-
ing in sleep the thoughts or study in
which one is engaged iu waking hours
belongs to the saw e phenomena.- A stu
dent in Germany, anxious to acquire tho
language, and deeply immersed iu the
study of it, in order to attend lectures,
found that he could carry on a conversa
tion fluently in his sleep, though he
could only stumble along when awake.
ihe latent mania oi "mmd reading is
perhaps another development iu the
same direction.
They Were All " Rulued."
It must have been a very touching
scene iu tho Tweed mansion the other
day, says the New York lYibune, when
the news was communicated to the fam
ily iu such an abrupt and unseomly
manner that the eminent statesman had
oozed away. "What! Gone?" they
all said, with uplifted hands aud staring
eyes hands that went up and eyes that
bulged with such perfect 6imultaneous
uess and uniformity that it seemed as
though the movement could only have
been perfected by practice. Then one
of the sons, with a sudden realization of
the terrible blow to the reputation of
the family, uttered the exclamation:
"We are ruined." Another member of
tho family iu dramatic attitude before
a mirror belonging to the city of New
York gasped: "Ruined I" A. son-in-law
of the statesman who had oozed
caught the refrain, and agonizing away
into the embrace of a luxurious arm
chair belonging to the city of New
lorn moaned: limned. All over
the mansion, the princely mansion be
longing to the city of New York there
were noises of sobbing and waitings of
distress, and everybody said, with a
unanimity that could not have beeu sur
passed even if the old mau himself had
made out the returns: "ituined!
Then the sheriff's officers began to take
on in the same way and say they were
ruined; and the hack driver round the
corner doubtless joined in the general
chorus with the remark that he was ruin
ed; and Sheriff Conner, when he heard
the news, immediately dropped his face
into his hands aud said audibly that he
was ruined. For a little thing like that,
we have never known such large and
pervading consequences in the way of
ruin. Well might the sheriff and his
deputies meet each other with the mel
ancholy remark : ' What ruins we are,
and what ruins we pursue."
A Little Hint.
The teeth are covered with a delicate
enamel that is liable to injury from the
use of any hard substanoe, like a knife
or gold toothpick. The enamel once
broken or chipped off opens the tooth to
decay. The gums and bluing of the
mouth are also likely to be injured. A
quill or a soft piece of wood make the
best toothpick. A celebrated aurist, or
ear doctor, onoe said that no person
should put anything inte his ear smaller
than his elbow.
Curious Tolson StorIe.
A stoi'V is coins round the dailv nrnna.
to the effect that a man once spit into a
rattlesnake's mouth, and tho snake died ;
ue did tho same ining to an adder, and
it diod also. Another adder would not
open its mouth, so he spit on a stick,
rubbod tho spittle on the addor's nose,
and it diod. A non-poisonous black
snake was treated in tho same way, but
it did not die ; and the oouolusiou is
drawn that human saliva is as poisonous
for poisonous snakes as the poison of
snakes is for man.
In order to realize the improbability
of this story, we will state that tho
poison of snakes is not their saliva; but
a special fluid Becreted iu a bag situated
near the root of the poisonous fang,
which is provided with a channel to con
duct the poison from the bag to near the
point, so that it may bo injected into the
wound.
Many poisons, dangerous if given by
injection, are harmless in the stomach,
where, by the digestive powers of the
gastric aud other juices, they are decom
posed and made harmless. So the vac
cine virus, which by inoculation pro
duces the well knowu ulcer, is porfectly
harmless when swallowed ; and several
other organic poisons, especially of the
septio kind, of animal origin, are only
dangerous when entering the system by
a wound, and may with impunity bo
taken into the mouth and stomach. An
excoriation or scratch on the lips or
tongue, by which they may enter the
circulation, is dangerous, as has been
proved by many examples. Henco the
danger of wounds during dissection by
medical students, by which the decom
posed animal matter of the subject en
ters tho circulation, and kills the poor
victim rapidly ; while students with an
unimpaired skin on their hands may dis
sect any subject with impunity. A case
is on record of a young lady who kissed
the dead body of hor father. She had a
little excoriation on her lip, which was
touched by the moisture on the lips of
the corpse ; it soon inflamed with all
the characteristics of a virulent dissec
tion wound, and in a few days sho was a
corpse also. The poison had entered
into the circulation of her blood.
Experiments iu this line are of course
highly objectionable ; but as far as ex
perience has shown, most poisons of
this kind may with impunity be taken
in the stomach. If the saliva of man or
animals has any dangerous Qualities, it
is Mostly 'only manifest when entering
the circulation of the bitten individual,
and especially wh n the saliva has been
changed in its nature by the excitement
of passions, such as great fear, anger,
etc. Hence arises the often malignant
appearance of bites by infuriated men or
animals ; while the iutordnctiou of such
saliva into the stomach weuld undoubt
edly, in most cases, not be attended
with serious consequences. This shows
the absurdity of the idea that the nor
mal human saliva should be poison in
the month of any animal, whether possess
ing poison bags connected with its
teoth or not.
The story reminds us of one which
went rouud the papers some years ago,
about a man who was bitten by a rattle
snake through his boot. Long after his
death, every one who tried on the boot
died of the consequence of a scratch in
the foot, produced by a serpent's tooth
projecting inside the boot ; and tho
cause of the mischief was only discover
ed when many persons had been killed.
The inventor of this story did not know
that the rattlesnake poison is only active
when freshly injected from tho poison
hag.
Another Horse Disease.
The Philadelphia Press ' says : For
some time another epidetnio has pre
vailed among horses in this city. Tho
new disease is pronounced by skilled
veterinary surgeons to bo " Aptha
Zartica," or eruptive fever. The disease
is stated to be even more contagious
than tho epizootic, and unless it is
arrested at once will prove fatal. In
several instances in large stables where
one horse is attacked tho disease spreads
rapidly through the stable, and very few
animals coming in contact with those
affected escape. The first symptoms of
tne disoase are noticed by a peculiar ex
pression of the countenance, saliva flow
ing from the mouth, aud moisturo ex
uding from the eyes. In some cases it
is accompanied with troubled breathing
and considerable fever. Upon opening
the mouth of an animal stricken with
this malady there will be found small
vesicles ou the edge and upper portions
of the tongue and gums. On the third
or fourth day's illness large patohes of
the covering of the tongue drop off and
the animal refuses food. The disease,
as in other eruptive fevers, whether in
mau or beast, runs a fixed course, and
the eruption cannot safoly be arrested
unless proper remedies are immediately
applied, together with good nursing,
which adds materially to the speedy re
covery "of the animal, which may be
effecteof in from six to ten days. At a
recent meoting of Pennsylvania veteri
nary surgeons the nature and treatment
of the new disease were discussed by a
number of the members, all of whom
pronounced the disease to beoontagious,
and advised that the sick horsos shou d
be kept apart from those which had not
taken the disease. An epidemio has
also broken out within the last few days
on the outskirts of the city and in
Camden among hogs and cattle, which
is somewhat similar to " Texas fever."
Among hogs the disease has proved
terribly fatal, as in some cases the farm
ers have lost, in a few hours, from sixty
to seventy per cent, of their stock. In
Camden and its immediate vicinity the
stock has more or less been attacked,
and many hundreds of hogs and cattle
have died. At the present writing the
disease has not beeu arrested, although
every known remedy has been applied.
For the purpose of ascertaining the na
ture of this new malady a committee of
five veterinary erperts are holding ooun
cil, and will in a short time suggest a
remedy for this new aad fatal disease.
A miserly old apple and peanut ped
dler of Rochester, N. Y., who has scraped
together about $100,000, had a little
five-year-old boy arrested and brought
into court the other day for stealing a
board, worth one cent, to play shinny
with; but the judge discharged the
youthful criminal with a mild lecture.
SYMMES' HOLE IN THE EARTH.
The RctItiiI of an Old nnd Boinpwliat
Htnrtllng Theory.lu the Hollow of the
Earth.
Americus Symmos, Esq., of Louis
ville, lectured at Riversido, Ohio, re
cently, explaining a theory which his
lather, uaptain John isymmos. pro
mulgated fifty years ago. The term
" Symmes' Hole1' was for many years in
the mouths of the people, but is at
present seldom heard, and scarcely ever
understood.
The lecturer said that his father. Capt,
John Cloves Symmes, retired from the
army after the war of 1815, and in 1818
became convinced in his own mind that
the earth was hollow and habitable on its
interior surface. Capt. Symmes devo
ted tho remainder of his lite to the
study of scientific matters, with especial
reference to their bearing upon his
theory. - He petitioned Congress to
grant him means to make an expedition
to the north, expecting to penetrate the
girdloof everlasting ice which surrounds
the. pole, to sail into the interior of the
earth, and to take possession of the
glorious country to be found there, in
tho name of the United State-H. Ho was
full of patriotic desire that his own be
loved country should have the glory
and profit of the grand discoveries,
which he never doubted would some day
be made. He was so inspired with this
lovo of country that when Russia teudur
ed him the command of an expedition
he declined, because he felt thai it
would be successful, aud the iriory there
of redound to that country and be de
nied to tho United States. Thus he
even sacrificed the fondest hopes of his
life upon the shrine of his patriotism,
and died, iu 1829, broken-hearted. He
died as he had lived, certain that his
theory was correct and would ultimately
be demonstrated.
Capt. Symmes held that the depres
sion in the outward surface of the earth
began at some point between the sixty-
eighth and eightieth degrees of latitude,
aud that the transition space, or verge,
as he termed it, occupied about 1,800
miles, after which the convexity would
ceaso, and the surface would become
concave, opening toward the interior.
lie maintained that the crust of the
earth was about 1,000 miles thick, leav
ing an interior surface of about 6,000
miles. The distance from one run of
the depression of the outward Biu-face to
tho other he claimed to be about 4,000
miles, aud the depression iu the shape
of a funnel until the narrowest poiut
should be reached, whence tho surface
widened out into the interior concavity.
Light and heat being essential to this
new world, Capt. Symmes relied upon
the rays of the sun being cabt directly
into the opening a certain distance, and
then being refracted and reflected until
they should yield light and heat to the
whole interior ; but should there not be
sufficient sunlight aud heat, the lecturer
seemed to think that there might be a
sufficient quantity of inherent heat to eke
out the requirements of nature.
Mr. Symmes cited several facts from
the experience of Arctic explorers, all
going, as he thought, to prove the cor
rectness of his father's theory. Dr.
Hayes, Capt. Hall, aud others had gone
far enough north to see nimbus
clouds hanging over open wat.-.r in the
distance, indicating warmth. Wood
drifting from the north had been picked
up with cuts iu it made with an ax,
showing that this interior region was in
habited with a race who understood the
use of iron. The lecturer compared
Capt. Hall to Moses, as being permitted
to look into the uppermost laud, but not
to enter and enjoy it. He spoke with
profound sorrow of the fact that the
Polaris turned back when within one
day's sail of tho open water, which would
have inevitably conducted her into the
interior of the earth, whereby his father's
theory would have been demonstrated,
and the United States have acquired
dominion over the new world of Sym
meszc nia, as he termed it
At this point tho lecturer appeared so
overcome with the intensity of his re
gret that so fine on opportunity for
proving the correctness of his father's
theory should have beeu lost, that ho
was obliged to terminate his lecture, be
ing almost prostrated with a sudden
dizziness.
The Speaker of the House.
The speakership of the United States
House of Representatives is the third
office in the country in rank and dignity.
In case of there being vacancies at the
same time iu the offices of President,
Vice-President, and president of the
Senate, the speaker would act as Presi
dent till an election was held.
The office is one of much power and
responsibility. It requires a minute
knowledge of the rules of parliaruenlery
law, and the ability to apply them
promptly when occasion arises; tact and
capacity for managing men; dignity,
presence of mind, readiness and im
partiality. It is no easy thing to preside over c,
noisy . body of nearly three hundred
earnest partisans; and the speaker who
does so successfully, is entitled to re
spect and praise. . '
The speaker's most important duty is
to appoint the committees of the House,
which shape the business and legislation
of the body, aud which, therefore, need
to be formed with the greatest judgment
and care.
The mode of electing the speaker is
simple. It usually requires a majority of
the votes cast to elect him. When the
House meets, the clerk of the last House
calls it to order, and presides during the
election of speaker; and no other busi
ness can be entered upon until an elec
tion has been made.
The roll of members is called alpha
betically, and as each member hears his
name, he cries out the name of his candi
date for speaker; and this process goes
on over and over again, until a majority
have united on a candidate, and have
thus made a choice.
" Ain't you rather old to ride for half
price I" said a oar conductor to the elder
of two boys. " Well, remarked the
youth, " I am under fourteen, and this
boy with me is only six. . That don't
make twenty, and you will take two
boys under ten for half price each."
TOWN AND COUNTRY.
It Ik Not Where we I.lve but the Manner
of Our Lire that Telle the Story.
The New York Tribune has the fol
lowing : In spite of January bills, dull
trade, and depression in stocks, mar
riages are reported as unusually numer
ous this winter, and crowd faster on each
other in theso weeks whioh precede the
holidays. Not marriages of the showy
son, euner, wuere point laoe and pres
ents of plate and diamonds argue a
foundation of comfort and ease.'at least
for the present ; but quiet little wed
dings, where the brido wears muslin and
the bridegroom his one Sunday suit,
and there are no rich kinsfolk, and no
money in bank, and nothing but love
and hard work to depend upon for the
future. Whethei Tom aud Amelia are
wise in marrying at all on such a founda
tion is a matter safely to be left for tho
gossip of their friends ; it is one which
will settle itself by tho amount of love,
common wi.se, and ability for work
which each takes into (he partnership.
Next to this genoral question comes,
now that they are marrieil, the point for
decision as to whore they shall live.
Will hard work, eoonouiy, and affection
bring them comfort aud happiness soon
er iu the town or the country ? In such
a question the chances end advantages
for a probable family aro always to be
taken into account. II Tom is free
footed as to business engagements, his
prudent friends are apt to aruge him to
go West, take his little capital or skill
in business to some new settlement and
"grow tip with thg town."
Health, wealth, virtues of every
grade, he is assured, will be promoted
by such a change. There will be over
powering arguments, based on purer
air, purer morals, the lack of tempta
tion, to display, and the cheapness of
living, winding up with the general as
sertion that God made tho country after
the veiy best model of Arcadia, and
left the towns to tho making of mnu or
the devil. Now the Tribune has always
urged this side of the question, found
ing its arguments, howevor, on the
pluiu facts that th- cities were over
crowded; that the markets for small
capital, for ordinury skill or kno .vledge
lay in the hali-settled tracts of the West
rather than ir large cities; that, simply
from the vast amount of competition iu
town, the amount of intelligence,
pluck, unduvance which would give a
young trader or professional mau cer
tain success iu u growing village would
not carry him through the first year in
New Yort. Wo do not retract these as
sertions. If Tom has neither n secured
position, money, family, nor political in
fluence, Miero is not much chance for
him this winter in New York; while
without my of theso he may make a
fair succetis in ft Western town.
But let us suppose he has what ho
calls a "fair piarl " iu this city ; ho is a
mechanic ecviain of work ; a clerk ou
small pay; a doctor, clergyman, journal
ist, wi n a very moderate but sure in
come. lorn and Amelia weigh this in
come in their minds incessantly, and it
appeals such a miserable little sum I 11
they measure it. against their actual
needs, it is small enough, but if (as is
most common) against the income of
Tom's employer or fiat of the million
aire whose carriage wheels throw mud on
them at the crossings, it shrivels and
withers quito out of Mcht. On half tho
sum, Tern's cousin, out in Smith City,
uves in a double uncK house, drives his
wagon, and as Amelia cries ecstaticilly,
has a farm of teu acres, for the vege
tables, h-ns, cow and children ! Still,
the present income is a bird, though a
small one, iu the hand, and it is not at
all certain that there are any in the bush.
Therefore they resolve to stay in town,
at 1 ust until "the times lift a littlo."
Having so resolved, we have a word or
two of consolation for them. To sensi
ble, genuine pooplo tho scale of expendi
tures is very evenl" balanced between
New York aud Smith City. Tom's work
or services, to begin with,oommand one
half as much more wages iu the larger
city; routs and provisions are double or
troblo tho price in New York; fuel and
lights about equal; the wages of servants
of the ordinary sort, as Amelia will prob
ably not require skilled cooks, butlers,
and other masters, ranee very nearly
even; if she choses to do her own work,
it will cost half tne time and strength to
do it hero that it will in the country;
clothing of all kinds, including shoes,
art. treble the price iu tho village, and
more costly iu proportion a it is distant
from the seaboard cities.
"But," cru3 Tom, "tha temptation
to outlay here I Sooiety, dress, amuse
mentall these ure exigeut in their de
mauds in the city. And the children
if God sends them I don't want to
bring them tin in a community where
they will be reminded of their inferiority
at every turn. I want them to feel as
good as the best." Tom, in short, re
gards Smith City as a Utopia where he
shall find the sublimer virtues and a
Spartan simplicity of life. It is nothing
of the kind. There is no such place iu
the Uuited States. If you should go to
the top of the highest peak and find a
cabin there, a wonuui shall come out of
it with her calico skirt pinned back after
the latest fashion plate known to her,
and judge of you by your clothes. In
fact, iu small towns there is more
anxiety to follow "the style," more
blind, idiotio subservience to fashion in
dress, furniture, ana habits of life, thou
iu the metropolitan city. Amelia, in
her tuird floor flat, can do her own cook
ing or washing, if she pleases, dress
herself in her waterproof and old felt
ht, and nobody but Tom will either
know or care ; whereas in Smith City, a
new gown, an idea different from her
neighbois', a way of cooking potatoes
unauthorized by public opinion, will
bring on her the cackling of the whole
community. Snobbishness, vulgarity,
love of display, lie in wait for her in one
place as much as in the other. Her
boys will be made to feel their in
feriority to the squire's sons. The vil
lage, as well as New York, will have its
grog shop ready for them, its gambling
table, its other and straigbter roads to
ruin.
The sum of the whole matter is that
it is not the skies under which your
young friends choose to live, but the
manners which they carry with them,
that will give them true success. Com
mon sense, eocuomy, and contempt of
sham will help them to live comfortably
in New York or Pike's Teak. And if
they givo to their children something
bettor thau money or social position to
stand upon, they will never feel their in
feriority to those who have them.
Chinee Cheap Labor.
We are coming TJnole Samee,
Lee hundred million stlong,
We are eoming to makeo' Frisoo
All samee as Hong Kong.
We will workee beree cheapeo,
Beat white man allee way,
An J makee poor white lonmen
For obow-ohoy clay all day.
San Diego Union.
Items of Interest.
There are seventeen fashionable ways
for a lady to do up her hair, and none of
the ways require over four hours' time.
There are about 65,250 professional
beggars in Paris, of whom 25,480 aro
women, 14,500 men, 13,060 girls, and
12,310 boys.
The losses by fire in New England, iu
November, were a million aud a half
dollars, nearly two-thirds of them iu
Massachusetts.
The State census of South Carolina,
which has just been completed, shows a
total population of 923,447, an increase
of thirty per cent, iu five yoars.
Two ladies were talking about uota
papers, and one said: "I alwnvn nun
Irish lincu." "Do you," said the other,
"why. I think York Mills muslin ever
so much better."
Many a fond mother has been per
suaded by an affectionate daughter to
part with her 1812 velvet cloak, aud havo
it converted into an underskirt. So
stjlish, you know !
The total number of teachers iu all
the States and Territories is 247,300, be
ing nearly one to every nine children in
constant attendance, and of the teachers
about one-half are women.
" Now my little girls and boys," said
a teacher, "I want you to be very still
so that you can hear a pin drop." Iu a
moment all was silent, when a littlo boy
cried out: " Let her drop !"
A Western paper has this personal
item : Those who know nice old Mr.
Wilson of this place will regret to hear
that he was assulted in a brutal manner
last week, but was not killed.
Three hnndred locomotives aro
stabled at Syracuse, aud whenever two
hundred and fifty of them cro screech
ing and tooting the Syracuse infants
moan in their cradles aud wish they were
dead.
A Pennsylvania boy lugged an eight-
eeu-ounce can of nitro-glycerine around
in his pocUet lor ten days beloro his
parents took notice of it, aud tho way
they smiled on him till the cau changed
bauds was simply gorgeous.
Philadelphia manufacturers have in
troduced improvements in their ma
chinery for punching cold iron, by which
they are able to punch a half-inch holo
through au inch and three-quarters of
wrought irou cold, making a perfectly
smooth perforation.
Ninety mechanics and artisans wtih
their families havo immigrated from
Pennsylvania and settled on Hood river,
Oregon, and over threo hundred will
follow in tho spring. They intend build
ing a college, a woollen mill, a grist
mill, and other educational aud indus
trial establishments.
It will be hardly necessary to tell the
name of the facetious party who went
into a dry goods storo the other day,
and was observed to bo looking about,
when the proprietor remarked to Lira
that they didu't keep whisky. "It
would save you a good many steps if
you did," was the quick reply.
A Mr. Allen, of Los Angoles, Cal.,
has left 810,000 to the county, on condi
tion that it should be kept at interest
until it would amount to 30,000. jn
case it was not accepted by that coimty
it was to go to any county of ouy State,
except Cook county, 111., which should
agree to the terms. The will has beeu
probated, but the testator's relatives
contest it on the ground of his insanity.
Fort Plain is greatly troubled over
some recent kissing business. A young
married man kissed a pretty girl at a
sociable. His wife was angry. He ex
plained that ho did it by mistake, and
there was peace for a day or two. The
pretty girl heard of the terms of settle
ment, however, andbeing angry in turn,
reported around town that the young
married man had made tho same mis
take hundreds of times. Hence the
difficulty, and there is apparently to be
no end to it.
Australian statistics show that insanity
of a violent kind prevails to a frighU'ul
extent ou that continent. Iu 1861 there,
were 161 inmatas of asylums iu Sonth
Australia, being ono to 750 inhabitants.
In 1870 they numbered 307, and at the
close of 1871 there wero as many as 324,
or one to 021 of the population. Ibese
figures do not represent the entire list of
insane, but only madmen and other in
mates of the asylums.
A brakeman on one of the railroads
went to the superintendent for permis
sion to " lay off" for a day, and mode a
request for a pass to ride home on. The
superintendent said : " If you were
working for a farmer, aud wanted to go
home, do you suppose he'd hitch up his
team and take you?" "No," said the
brakeman ; " but if ho had a tearu al
ready hitched up, and was going right
pass the door, I'd say he was a mean
cuss not to take me." He got his pass.
An improvement in safety lamps has
been devised by Mr. Boullenot, of Paris.
It consists in replacing the lamps usual
ly employed 1n mines containing fire
damp by others supplied with air out
side the mines, aud branches are lod into
all the workings. Through these com
pressed air is forced from the surface by
air pumps, and the improved lamps are
screwed to tho air pipes by couplings
with stopcocks. The cylinder inclosing
the flame is protected by a cage, aud the
products of combustion pass off through
two pieces of gauze. The match for -lighting
ihe lamp is inserted through, a
spring dip, ignited within the lamp,
and cannot be withdrawn iintil it is extinguished.