r
tint
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
NIX, desperandum.
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. VI.
It IDG AV AY, ELK COUNTY, PA., TIIUKSDAY, APRIL 27, 1870.
NO. 10.
Home.
There is a land of every land the pride,
Beloved by Heaven o'er all the world beside ;
Whore brighter suns diijpe; se serener light,
And mil lor moons emparadfre the night i
A land of beauty, virtue, valo, truth,
Time-tut -we age and love-exalted yonth.
The wandering mariner, whose eye explores
The wealthiest ieles, the most enohanting
shores,
Views not a realm so bonntifnl and fair,
Nor breathes the spirit of a purer air;
In every clime the magnet of his sonL,
Touched by remembrance, trembles to that
pole;
For in this land of Heaven's peculiar grace,
The heritage of nature's noblest race,
There is a spot of earth snpromely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest,
Wbero man, creation's tyrant, casts Aside
His sword and pcepter, pageantry and pride,
While in his softened losks benignly blend
The sire, the sou, the husband, brother,
friend.
Hero woman reign., the mother, daughter
wife,
Btrew with fresh flowers the narrow way of
lire !
In the clear heaven of her delightful eye
An angel guird of lovoa and graces lie;
Around her knees domestic duties meet.
And fireside pleasures gambol at her feet.
Where shall that land, that spot of earth be
found ?
Art thon a man ? a patriot ? look around ;
Oh! ti on shalt find, howe'er thy footsteps
roam,
That laud thy country, and that spot thy
home !
HON I TOLD MY LOVE.
Oh, the glories of a sleigh rido in the
sparl ling brueitg nir of n Canadian win
ter I Tlio shy clear nnd exhilarating
keenly bright, but with a different de
gree of lucidity from that of a bright
8n.mmcr's o.ay. Broad expanding plains
the city receding behind us, us the
hnrsoi , leapiug onward to the munia of
their chiaiii g bells, make for the broad,
boundl.isa country. The fir forests are
clasped iu a shadowy, ghostly slumber.
Far away on our right are those pathless
fnuon id groves where the wolves con
gregate in hundreds. To the left lies a
ridge of hill sloping down tho river,
which is locked up iu the iron manacles
of the wi utor king. Ahead, ami right
beforo us, whither we ure bound, over
waste, nnd plain, and clearing, lies a
snugly Bbelt ri d village, the headquar
ters of the "lumberer" and the voya
geur. Our destination is not quite bo
far.
This said destination is a broadly
spread, low-lying farmstead, with its al
most numberless outhouses, consisting
of cattle sheds and dairies, corn stores,
roofings for winter fodder, wood stacks,
and other concomitants surrounding the
dwelling, alljpalisudid by zigzag fences,
as so many outworks to protect the com
fortable citadel. Within it, warm fires
blaze and sparkle frora the huge and
odorous logs crackling on the broad,
bounteous hearth. In the great common
chamber, rafted and picturesque as an
antique gothio hall, are warm hearts and
flashing eyes. Bearded men and fair
women are there laughing maidens,
and strapping young hunters who have
just shaken tho snow off their furs at
the portals. Despite the stern yet mu
sical baritone of the stinging wind as it
goes by, stinging cheeks, biting noses
into purple, and making the blood tin
gle, shouts of mirth and laughter liso
above the boreal blasts; and our leaping
sleigh, gliding flying along rather to
tho music of the soft musical bells, is
fast approaching its terminus.
" In the meantime," asks the reader,
" who occupy this Bleign V I hasten to
answer.
First, there was your humble servant,
the narrator, Dick Lonsdale by name,
bnt a few months back from the banks'
of the Isis, with the "bar" in prospect,
my "governor " baviug a snug interest
in the Iudia House. I add a few of my
personal itemp. Rather good-looking
(at least my wife says so), a fair shot, a
stunning "stroke oar," can hit with
wonderful vigor straight out from the
shoulder, am five feet ten and grow
ing, cau play tho fiddle, aud have tho
temper of an nngel. I have been one of
a party of adventurous sportsmen
"going in" for something worthy of
Alexander, and, with fishing tackle,
spears, and "shooting-irons," had done
no inconsiderable execution among the
denizens of the Canadian woods and
pounding "rapids," and hunted the
bear in his own bold and picturesque
fastnesses.
Enough for myself. Now for my com
panions. flace aux JJatnes, therefore; for,
nestling by my sido, wrapped up in
rugs and warm furs, is Lota d'Arville, a
bright eyed, rosy lipped, laughing Cana
diau, as lovely a girl-woman of seven
teen as glance of man ever rested com
placently upon. The Canadiau mother
and the French father were expressed iu
her name. Her playful lambent eyes
had exercised their sorcery upon me
ere this, and the modulations of a voice
une qunled for its low, soft sweetness,
completed the young siren's triumph.
This, by the way, for we had exchanged
no confidences as yet on a subject very
near to my heart.
We were bound to a merry sleighing
party at Windy Gap farm ostensibly to
a hunt upon a vast scale, which accounts
for my two rifles and ammunition lying
in the sleigh, and for the noble deer
hound, our third companion, who had
curled up his great body at our feet, and
aided to keep them warm. I had known
Lota's brother a yomg officer in the
Canadian rifles had killed " bar" at the
"salt-lieks" with him, had met the
whole family on board a St. Lawrence
steamer, and was now a guest at their
house enjoying their frank and bounte
ous hospitality.
' Hurrah I" Through the keen sonor
ous' air sleigh and horses bounded
along ! " Cling-clangl" go the chiming
bells. " Crick-crack I" goes the long
thonged whip, with a sharp, cheery
significance. My " Madawaska Cari
ole," a sleigh which is the perfection of
locomotion, is not less perfection than
the fiery steeds, with their sinews of
elastic steel, which I drive.
Driving the sleigh tandem is the
easiest thing iu the world, when you are
used to it. I was a member of the
"Tandem club," and considered rather
a crack hand. I exulted in my skill
now, as I bore my rosy companion flying
through the air, and the whip went
" crick-crack " liko a double-barrel go
ing r.ff, and the sweet bells sung and
chimed. "Oh I sweet echoes of far
distant wedding bells," I thought, and
the crisp snow was split and shattered
into diamond dust under the grinding
of the hoofs and the attrition of the
"runners," and with an exhilaration I
could not repress, I gave a vigorous
"Hurrah 1" which conveyed itself to
Liota, wrapped up in moose and bear
skins, and warm as a toast. A sweet,
girlish laugh echoed my exulting shout.
" Yon appear to enjoy this, Mr. Lons
dale, sue said.
"If I don't" "Crack-crack!'
filled up the kiat ,s. What a pair of
beauties. JtUioebus Apollo never drove
the like down the steps of heaven t The
wily Ithacan never " raised " such cattle
when he cleared the stables of Rhesus
of his horses. " Crick-crack I" and tho
horses neigh and toss their arching
necks, and the bells are chiming and
tinkling, and tlie mad, exulting rush up
lifts one like wine.
I remark to myBelf that tho sky has
deepened into an intense, still, darken
iug blue darkening with a strange, un
earthly, tenebrious inkiuess, betokening
a coming snow storm. No matter.
" Windy Gap " is right ahead, and the
welcome lights will blaze out of the case,
ments soon, for the afternoon is wearing
On we go, but I do not seo them yet;
and yet out no it s all right l
"Are you warm quite snug, dear
Lota 1" said I, half turning to look ut
the rosy, exquisite face peeping forth
with so much lurtive coquetry from its
encaarement of white cozy furs.
" Oh I so comfortable," she answered,
with a nestliug movement, and a smile
which, made my heart leap joyously up
ward. But my attention was called away to
the creeping, crepuscular inkiness of
the sky. It was light, yet not daylight,
but blue light to coin a word; that
wintry hue of livid darkening steel, al
ways tho precursor to a fierce change in
the weather. This only made the long,
level plains of snow gleam with a luster
the more dazzling and intense. I re
marked this, but with a momentarily di
vided aud wavering sense.
I had never (familiarly as we had
grown, and I was " honest as the skin
betweeu your brows," as she was in
fact) I had never said " dear Lota" be
fore, and the words were yet iu mine
arj like a sweet old burden. I loved
her with all my heart and sou), but I had
never told it. I yearned to tell her so
now; but I thought it scarcely fair, not
up to the mark of my manhood, to take
what seemed an unfair advantage of the
protection I was supposed to extend
over her. I magnanimously resolved to
wait, choking down the words, but not
for long.
Meantimo "crick-crack " went the
long whip, and still "cling-clang" went
the chiming bells, and tho horses held
on with unabated pace and splendid
vigor, but where hud " Windy Gap "
gone to all this time, for time was up,
and we should bo there by this?
"Gooduessl" exclaimed Lota, all at
once, " how straugo tho sky looks ! we
shall have more snow a heavy fall,
too."
"I fear so," I replied; "but, n'im
pprte, we'll soon be out of it. "
" We are very long, I fauey," she con
tinued, reflectively; "you nave driven
there quicker than this before. " Oil,
Heaven 1" she cried, with the sudden
ness of a revelation, " can we have lost
tho track ?"
Tho blank question warped with a
horrible jar on my most vivid fears.
Now or never was the time to bo cool.
" No, I think not," I replied, with as
sumed carelessness; "we shall come to
our landmark presently."
"A clump of fire an old mill, further
on; "yes," she added, "I recollect.
But we should have passed them loug ere
this. Oh, I fear we are lost I"
A cold chill seized mo as I tacitly ad
mitted that she was in the right. I
could not account for my error, i; such
was the case. I looked round the hori
zon, but beheld no friendly sign; it was
only a circle gathering closer and darker
the while. Suddenly my brave deer
hound lifted up his head and uttered a
low growl. The horses gave a startled
swerve just as nuldenly. A (strange,
lugubrious, but appalling sound came
all at onoe from windward, wailing like
a death cry a prolonged, awful, groan
ing discordance over the white gleam
ing snow; and then it died away.
The horses halted trembling; only the
shivering tinkle of the bells broke tho
death silence that fell like au ecliuso
over all.
" What is that ?" asked Lota, in a
shuddering whisper, as she clutched my
arm.
I listened. "It is the wind sighing
and dying away in the pino forest," I
answered.
"Aud wo do not go near the forest,"
she sail. "Hark I there it is again.
On, what what can it be i"
Agaiu the indescribably hideous and
lugubrious sound broke forth; clearer,
nearer. It increased ; it multiplied; the
horrible crescendo howling, shrieking
and ravening was not that of the wind
this time.
" Mercif'il God !" gasped Lota; " the
wolves!"
I never understood till that moment
what the concentrated essence of literal
deadly horror might mean. I never ex
periecoed the shock before or since; and
I have in my hunting excursions faced
my danger aud played out tho game,
manfully. To have lost the way was
terrible enough ; but the wolves and
Lota 1 For an instant I was numb and
dumb.
It was trne, however. The severity
of the weather, the migration or scar
city of the animals on whom these un
clean creatures preyed, had made their
hunger a raging, devouring madness.
They were encroaching on civilized ter
ritory, and, losing their usual character
istic and craven cowardice, were ap-
Eroaching the habitations of men,
aunting village and settlement. Woe
to those in their path 1 As the infernal
howl rose liugermgly again, the horses
darted away with a shrill neigh of fear,
and I guided them beginning to re
cover myself in an opposite direction,
while Terror, my noble hound, stood up
with every fang bared aud every hair
erect, waiting for tho enemy he had al
ready scented.
If my good horses had gone on so ad
mirably at first, they sped off now like
arrows from the bow, for the madness of
fear added wings to their speed, as that
of hunger did to the panting pursuers.
I was growing cool. Lota was pale and
calm. I felt proud of her, though it
was certain if we escaped not speedily
the brutes would run us down; and
then, herror of horrors, what a fate for
her I
I had two rifles, a revolver, ammuni
tion, a spear, and a wood-hatchet iu the
sleigh. I conveyed my intention to
Lota.
" Can you load those weapons with
those cartridges ?" I asked.
"Yes," was the answer; and she load
ed a " Fuller " and a " Manton " with
true hunter's skill. I took one rifle,
looked back, the pack was increasing.
I fired and Lota loaded; and one after
another fell, to be devoured by their
ravenous comrades; nnd still the horses
sped on.
The accursed things were, for all thip,
gaining ground. Doubts, fears, hopes,
trembling, were at my heart as I turned
to the swe; t girl whose life or death wore
all to me, and said :
" Lota! if we die together, remember
that I loved yon none but you I I tell
it to you now, if I may never again."
"Kill me first," she whispered; "I
hear your words I echo them. You
have my my heart, Richard "
" Oh, Lota, best beloved, what a mo
ment to confess ! and I know not if I
feel pain or gladness most."
" There are no secrets between us,"
said Lota, smiling. "Take this rifle ;
give me the pistol ; one kiss so !
they come. Save me from them at any
cost."
I thought my ears would have split at
their dreadful yells, for they were now
upon us, opening out to surround us ;
and though the horses held bravely on,
x dreaded every instant that sheer terror
would paralyze them. It is scarcely
iiossiblo to conceive the unutterable
lorror that was circling us both:
yung lovers with beating hearts for
ever from that hour interchanged with
each other.
With lolling tongues, eves of flame.
hoarse, deep growls, they had ceased to
bay and howl ; they were closing in upon
us. I remarked one huge monster in ad
vance of the rest ; his object evidently
being to leap into the sleigh from be
hind. I fired aud missed him I The
noxt moment his huge bulk came scram
bling over the back ; his paws were on
me ; his fiery breath on my cheek ; aud
I expected, as I murmured a short
prayer, to feel the fangs of the abhor
rent brute in my flesh. A flash ? a
crash ! a gush of blood and the crea
ture tumbled backward, shot through
the throat to the spine by my brave
Lota ! Then I plied hatchet, aud split
skull after skull, while the sleigh tore
on ; but i was giving up all nope, and
turning round oh, Heaven ! to spare
my darling a moro hideous fate when
shots and s-honts rang around, aud troous
of dogs aud hunters cams swiftly to our
aid aud we were saved ! Providence
had directed the sleigh to " Windy
Gap ;" our firing reached the ears of
our friends, and brought them out in
hot haste to aid us. We were saved 1
Aud as I bore her fainting form into tho
hospital hall, and clasped her tenderly
to my breast, you may guess how sincere
was the gratitude 1 breathed in silence
to Heaven.
It was the prelude to a wedding.
which occurred soon afterward; and you
may be sure I never forgot my fight
with the wolves, how pluckily my noble
Lota backed me, or the somewhat origi
nal but apropos mode in which I told
my love.
Geese as Practical Humorists.
A goose has perhaps the keenest au-
prociation of humor of any animal, un
less it be her own arch enemy, the fox.
The writer once saw in a little grassy
paddock some eight or ten fat and
healthy pigs and half a score of geese.
From this paddock a narrow, open gate
gave entrance into the farmyard, and as
evening drew on, the geese ranged them
selves in a row at this Thermopylae.
Obviously, supper time was approach
ing, aud the pigs wished to return homo
to their troughs. Equally clearly, the
geese had given each other the word not
to let them pass through the gate which
they guarded, without paying toll.
First came up a jolly, good humored lit
tle pig, who trotted cheerfully along
with a confidence which ought to have
disarmed criticism, till he came among
the geese. Then, with a caokle and a
scream, every neck was stretched to get
a bite at him, and, squalling and yelling,
the poor little porker run the gauntlet.
The same fate befell six or seven more
of his brethren in succession, each be
traying increasing trepidation as he ap
proached the fatal pass, and made a bolt
through the geese, whose chattering and
screeches of delight were almost indis
tinguishable from human laughter. At
last, the biggest pig of the party brought
up the rear. He was a pink-fleshed,
clean young fellow, with fat limbs and
Bides, aud his ears were cocked, and his
tail sharply twisted in the intelligent,
wide-awake manner which so completely
distinguishes the intellectual pig from
the mere swine multitude. With a loud
grunt of defiance, this brave beast
charged through the nock of geese, and
had actually almost gained the gate,
when a large, gray goose made one grab
at his fat ham, caught up the skin in a
bunch, and gave it a tremendous pinch
with her red beak. Needless to say, the
air was rent with the squeals of agony
of the injured pig and the ecstatio peeans
of the flock of geese in chorus. From
the order in which the transaction took
place, we derive the impression that a
similar game of prisoner's base probably
formed the entertainment of the geese
every evening.
Au advocate of Colmar has left one
hundred thousand francs to the local
madhouse. " I got this money." sayj
the candid lawyer in his will, " out of
those who pass their lives in litigation ;
in bequeathing it for the use of lunatics
I only make restitution. "
STUDYING HISTORY.
UNlrpPKlna Drfrit mt the "Cnrthaslnlnnii"
nnd the Final IHncomfltnre ! the "Ko.
nans."
Barnes, the schoolmaster in a suburban
town, read in the Educalibnal Monthly
that boys could be taught history
better than in any other way by letting
each boy in the class represent some
historical character, and relate the acts
of that character as if he had done them
himself. This struck Barnes as a good
idea, and he resolved to try it on. The
school had then progressed so far in its
study of the history of Rome as the
Punio wars, and Mr. Barnes immediate
ly divided the boys into two parties, one
Romans and the other Carthaginians,
and certain of the boys were named after
the leaders upon both sides. The boys
thought it was a big thing, and Barnes
noticed that they were so anxious to get
to the history lesson that they could
hardly say their other lessons properly.
When the time came, says Max Ade
ler, Barnes ranged the Romans upon
one side of the room and the Cartha
ginians on the other. The recitation
was very spirited, each party telling
about its deeds with extraordinary unc
tion. After a while Barnes asked a Ro
man to describe the battle of Caunne.
Whereupon the Romans heaved their
copies of Wayland's " Moral Science "
at the enemy. Then the Carthaginians
made a battering ram out of a bench and
jammed it among the Romans, who re
taliated with a volley of books, slates
and chewed paper balls. Barnes con
cluded that the battle of Cannes had
been sufficiently illustrated, and he
tried to stop it; but the warriors consid
ered it too good a thing to let drop, and
accordingly the Carthaginians sailed
over to the Romans with another batter
ing ram and thumped a couple of them
in the stomach.
Then the Romans turned in and tho
fight became general. A Carthaginian
would grasp a Roman by the hair and
hustle him around over the desks in a
manner that was simply frightful to bo
hold, and a Roman would give a fiend
ish whoop and knock a Carthaginian
over the head with Greenleaf's arith
metic. Hannibal got the head of Scipio
Africanns under his arm, and Scipio, in
his efforts to break away, stumbled, and
the two generals fell and had a rough-and-tumble
fight under the blackboard.
Caius Gracchus tackled Hamilcar with a
ruler, and the latter in his struggles to
get loose fell against the stove and
knocked down about thirty feet of stove
pipe. Thereupon the Romans made a
grand rally, and in five minutes they ran
the entire Carthaginian army out of the
schoolroom and Barnes along with it,
and then they locked the door and be
gun to hunt up the apples and lunch in
the desks of the enemy.
After consuming the supplies they
went to the windows and made dis
agreeable remarks to the Carthaginians
who were standing in the yard, and
dared old Barnes to bring the foe once
more into battle array. Then Barnes
went for a policeman, and when he
knocked at the door it was opened, and
all tho Romans were found busy study
ing iheir lessons. When Barnes came
in with the defeated troops ho went for
Scipio Africanus, and pulling him out
of his seat by the ear, he thrashed that
great military genius with a rattan until
Scipio begun to cry, whereupon Barnes
dropped him nnd begun to paddlo Caius
Gracchus. Then things settled down iu
tho old way, and next morning Barnes
aunounced that history ia tho future
would be studied as it always had been;
and he wrote a note to the Educational
Monthly to say that in his opinion th
man who suggested the new system
ought to bo led out and shot. The boys
do not take as much interest in Roman
history as they did on that day.
A Merchant's Resting Place.
The coffin in which A. T. Stewart was
buried was of oak, covered with black
silk velvet. The handles and mountings
were of gold, and the liniug of white
satin and fringe. The box in which the
coffin was inclosed to preserve it from
decay was of cedar, lined with lead two
inches thick. The plate reads as fol
lows: "Alexander T. Stewart. Boru
October 12, 1803. Died April 10,
1876." St. Mark's churchyard, in
which the remains of the dead merchant
are interred in the family vault, is at
Second avenue and Tenth street. It is
one of a number covered with marble
slabs and surrounded by an iron fence.
It is in the center of the third row, look
ing some whit neglected, and bearing
these words: "No. 112, A. T. Stewart's
family vault." The vault is ten feet
deep, and 12x25 feet, superficial meas
urement. The only other body in it is
that of Miss Clinch, a niece of Mrs.
Stewart.
Blind, but Not Helpless,
A Massachusetts paper says that some
three miles fro u Westminster village,
that State, and about half a mile from
any other house, an old lady has lived
entirely alone for more than fifteen
years. She is eighty-three years of ago,
and wholly blind; yet she builds her
own fire in an old fashioned fireplace,
makes her tea, and manages to prepare
her meals and do tho general work
about tho house. A neighbor carries
her a loaf of bread occasionally, chops
her wood, and maintains a distant over
sight of her affairs, but for the most part
she does her own work. Slie owns a
valuable timber lot and somo other real
estate, but prefers to live alone in her
darkness and old age rather than pay to
be taken care of.
Such a Mystery.
A college professor tells the following :
"During tho after dinner talk the
rough specimen for whom I was sur
veying remarked that mathematics had
always seemed a very wonderful thing
to him. Thinking to interest him some
what, I began to illustrate some of the
wonders ; among other, tried to show
him the way in which Neptune was dis
covered. After some twenty minutes of
elaborate explanation I was somewhat
taken aback to hear him say : Yes,
yes; it is very wonderful, very; but'
(with a sigh) there's another thing
that's alters troubled me', and that is,
why you have to carry one for evory
ton ; but if you don't, 'twon't come out
right.'"
Fashion Nolo.
A new style of finger ring has three
narrow bars of gold, one set with small
diamonds, one with pearls, and one with
turquoises.
The Shepherdess is one of the favorite
shapes for hats this spring. It has a
ronnd crown, the brim droops back and
front and turns up slightly on the side.
' The pockets of the short plaid busi
ness and walking coats for gentlemen
are cut of the same goods as the coat,
and are stitched on the outside of the
coat.
Light summer cashmeres, in all deli
cate shades, are to be used for polo
naises, or overskirts aud corsages', over
black velvet skirts for afternoon house
dresses.
Combination of light blue Bilk aud
dark blue velvet, and light green silk
and dark green velvet, are used for trim
ming hats. The. silk is almost white
and the velvet almost black.
A very pretty wrapper is made of blue
foulard, with a wntteau plait in the
back, with two ruffles embroidered in
white around the bottom of the skirt.
The collar and cuffs are embroidered in
the same manner.
An elegant mourning necklace and
pendant has the necklace made of small
squares of jet, joined with gold links.
In each square of jet is set a large
and brilliant diamond. The pendant is
joined to the necklace by gold work.
A street suit for a little girl of five
years consists of a kilt plaited skirt of
light brown camel's hair plaid, with
three rows of small crochet buttons up
the front. Tho sack is very long aud
has also three rows of buttons. With
this suit comes a hood made of Valen
ciennes lace and white swiss, trimmed
with brown ribbons.
One of the handsomest suits seen at
the New York spring openings had tho
back of the basque and the outer seams
of the coat sleeves laced up with silk
cord. The front of the basque was fast
ened, invisibly, with hooks and eyes,
while bows of ribbon were placed along
the front which simulated a double cord
ing. A very handsome dolman is made of
ecru-colored cashmere entirely covered
with braiding of the same color, and two
rows of gathered ecru lace around the
edge, and a lace jabot around the front.
Two standing rows of lace are around
the neck. In the back, where the sleeves
are formed, are two ribbon bows.
An odd suit for a boy has the knee
breeches made of blue flannel, with a
strip of chamois on the outer seams ;
on this strip at either knee are six gold
buttons. The vest ia of chamois, and
has gold buttons. Tho jacket is made
of the flannel with the turn-down collar,
revers, and culls of chamois, ornamented
with gold buttons.
An elegant wrapper is made of white
swiss muslin, with a watteau bock. The
wrapper has a deep Spanish flounce at
the bottom, having for its edge, first
deep Valenciennes lace, then a row of
embroidered swiss insertion, and last a
row of lace insertion. A broad lace in
sertion attaches the flounce to the skirt
of the wrapper. Up the front is a broad
wiss embroidered insertion, with lace
on either side. The bame runs up the
outer seam of the sleeve. The neck and
sleeves have a fall of lace. Around the
sleeves and on the top of tho watteau
plait are ribbon bows.
A German Yiew of Niagara Falls.
Mr. George F. Hine, of Syracuse, who
is completing his studies in Leipzic,
met with a somewhat singular descrip
tion of America's great waterfall, and
oommunicates it to friends at home. He
writes:
I was in a bookstore the other even
ing, and I picked up an English reader,
which is used very extensively in the
schools here for the study of English;
and I was so much amused over the fol
lowing description, that I copied it and
thought I would send it to you. The
reader has passed through its eighth
edition :
" THE-CATARACX OF NIAGARA.
"This amazing fall of water is made
by the river St. Laurence in its passage
from Lake Erie into the Lake Ontario.
The river St. Laurence is one of the
largest rivers in the world; and yet the
wnoie oi its waters is discharged into
this place, by a fall of one hundred and
fifty feet perpendicular. It is not easy
to bring tho imagination to correspond
to the greatness of the scene. A river
extremely deep and rapid, and serves to
drain the waters almost of all North
America into the Atlantio ocean, is here
poured precipitately down a ledge of
rocks, that rises, like a wall, across the
whole bed of its stream. The river a
little above, is near three-quarters of a
mile broad; and the rocks where it grows
narrower are four hundred yards over.
Their direction is not straight across,
but hollowing inside like a horse-shoe;
bo that the cataract, which bends to the
shape of the obstacle, rounding inwards,
presents a kind of theater, the most tre
mendous iu nature. Just in the middle
of this circular wall of waters, a little
island, that has braved the fury of the
current, presents one of its points, and
divides the stream at top into two parts;
but they unite again before they reach
the bottom. The noise of the fall is
heard at the distance of several leagues;
and the fury of the waters at the termi
nation of their fall is inconceivable. The
dashing produces a mitt that rises to
the very clouds, and which forms a most
beautiful rainbow, when the sun shines.
It will be readily supposed that such a
cataract entirely destroys tho navigation
of the stream; and yet some Indians in
their canoes, as it is said, have ventured
down it with safety."
That Animal.
A short time ago, at a school, during
a lesson on the animal kingdom, the
teacher put the following question:
" Can any boy name to me an animal of
the order edentata, that is, a front-tooth
toothless antmal ?"
A boy (whose face beamed with pleas
ure at the prospect of a good mark) re
plied: "I oau."
"Well, what is the animal t" asked
the teacher.
" My grandmother," replied the boy,
with great glee.
The Young Attorney.
The Detroit Free Presn thus describes
a youngster whocame to that place from
Boston to bo a lawyer:
It was amusing how quickly that boy
picked up a knowledge of legal busi
ness. It was his duty to stay in the
office when the lawyer went out, and he
felt all tho importance of his position.
When big boys came around to ask for a
job of carrying up coal Thomas went for
them heavy.
" Boy I he would answer in a severe
voice, " I don't want to sse you come to
grief, but if you don't hurry right down
stairs I'll get out a capias, switch you
behind the bars aud have you hung be
fore grass starts !"
The attorney had to go to Chicago one
day, and he told Thomas that he might
wash tho windows and slick up a little,
Thomas went in. He had new matting
put ou the floor, put a painter at work
and hired an old woman to wash every
thing which could be washed. It was a
neat job all around, and he felt as if he
onght to be praised for his enterprise.
The attorney begun to scold, but Thomas
remarked :
" Aiu't we as good as those one-horse
lawyers across the road f Is a law office
a barn or is it a law office ?"
Two weeks ago he was told to go-down
and order half a ton of coal to keep the
stove going till warm weather. Somo
one told him the coal would be consid
erably higher next year, and so, on the
ground of economy, he ordered five tons
sent up, and most of it had been dump
ed on tho walk before the attorney dis
covered the situation. Thomas would
probably have lasted a week or so longer
than he did, but for his reception of a
lady client who came to see the lawyer
about applying for a divorce. . The law
yer was trying the case in court, and the
boy had sole charge of tho office. He
received the lady in his usupI urbane
manner, aud when she inquired for the
attorney, he replied:
" He is out, but my legal services are
at your disposal."
She didn't seem inclined to consult
him, and he went on:
" Is it a case of wife beating or di
vorce ?"
She intimated that he was an impu
dent boy, and he replied :
" Very well, madam, we can't take
your case at all."
She 6aid she'd call and see the lawyer,
but Thomas answered:
" It won't do you any good. Wo can't
take your case at all not for love or
money."
She returned two hours later, when
the lawyer was in and Thomas was out,
and it was decided that the boy would
have to seek some other profession.
That evening, when so informed, he re
plied :
"All right. If I'm going to bo a law
yer I want things to git up and git
around. You don't want a lively boy
around here, and I saw that over a week
ago."
It was intimated th the hadn t better
"sass" any one, and he blandly re
plied:
" No one is sassing you. If yon want
this partnership dissolved we'll part
friendly, if you don t want to rush
things this is no place frr me."
He is peddling peanuts now, and the
way ho dusts around is the cause of his
having half a dozen fights per day.
Hotel Lifo in the City of Mexico.
Everything in the way of living,
writes a correspondent, is cheap in
Mexico, K)l course prices range higher
in the capital than elsewhere, but even
there the prices are much lower than
with us. The hotels for instance,
furnish excellent rooms at from $20 to
$50 a month. At the Hotel Iturbido the
rooms are very large, and usnually di
vided by curtains, so as to make a parlor
and a bedroom. The arrangement is a
pleasant one, and preferable to having
two rooms. Jt or thirty dollars a month
you can procure one of those apart
ments, handsomely furnished and
efficiently attended. The scheme of the
hotel extends no further. Your bath
and your meals are outside affairs. On
the ground floor of the Hotel Iturbide
is an excellent French restaurant and a
very good bath house. Theso are
separate establishments. The price of
the bath is two reals, twenty-five cents,
and at the restaurant two persons can
contract for meals at $7,50 each per
week. Of course there are other restau
rants, and of one, the Grand Tivoli, I
can speak safely in terms of unbounded
praise. It is arranged as a park, with
lovely grounds, fountains, streams and
flowers in profusion.
In the city dining places are scattered
about here aud there ; Chinese pagodas,
Swiss chalets, French cottages in minia
tureyou choose the retreat which
pleases you most. It is here that you
nnd the great tree, on one of whose
branches is a pretty little cabin, to
which you ascend by a spiral stairway,
if you prefer dining so far from mother
earth. I believe it will be conceded by
all who havo partaken of the menu of
the Grand Tivoli that a better cooked,
better served and more elegantly ap
pointed dinner could hardly be found
anywhere in the world. . The cooks are
of the finest Paris schools, the wines
genuine and the accessories simply fasci
nating. Goloid Silver Coin.
The bill introduced by Senator Wal
lace iu the United States Senate to pro
vide lor the coinage or goloid silver coin
provides for one dollar, half-dollar and
quarter-dollar pieces, bearing the in
scription of goloid silver. The dollar
is to contain nine and three-tenths
grains of pure gold and 229 grains of
pure silver, and the subsidiary coins in
proportion. The new coins are to be
legal tender for all payments except cus
tom duties and the interest on the pub
lio debt. Finally, the bill provides
that Mr. Wheeler Hubbell, the inventor
of the metal, shall be allowed a royalty
of one-tenth of one per cent. The bill
asserts that the combination will reduce
the size and weight and inoreese the
utility and value of the nation's coius.
The grand lodge of Good Templars of
Maine met in annual session at iSath.
There are nov two hundred subordinate)
lodges in operk Jon, with a membership
of 15,500, an increase of 2,000 during
tne year.
My Heart Is Thine.
When spring's first violet on the gale
Her tender perfume flings ;
When, deep In some sequestered va'o,
The thrush his love tale firgs ;
When all bright things of earth and tly
Iu hymns of praiee oorabine
One song, one prayer, alone breathe I s
" Svcot love, wilt thou be mine ?"
When from the woodland Btill and lone,
Through the long summer night,
Sad rhilomel's impassioned tone
Thrills with love's deep delight ;
When, steeped in balmiest breath of June
The earth seems half divino,
No ohange know I In wordj or tune,
But sing ! " Wilt thou be mine V"
When autumn's red andantnmn'a gold
Faint wood and wold and hill ;
When winter nights grow drear and cold,
Love, I am ohangeless still.
Though violets wither, roes fado,
Love's calondar and mine
JtUrk summer still in sun and shade,
Aud still my heart Is thino 1
Items of Interest.
Oregon produced 250,000 cases of can
ned salmon last year.
Latest from tho Black Hills" Send
me money to get home with."
Dr. Mudd, who set the shattered leg
of J. Wilkes Boot h, has been re elected
to the Maryland Senate.
The hens of France are said to earn
their owners $80,000,000 a year, and
their motto is eggs-sell-sior.
It is the crowd of f 00I3 . who rush to
the Black Hills. It is the army of wiso
men who rush for home again.
When a loafer enters the sanctum of a
busy editor, and the editor says: " Glad
to see you're back," what docs he mean J
When a rich man becomes poor it is
but just that ho should be cut by nil
poor acquaintances who clung to him in
better days.
Tho March cointrgo of the San Fran
cisco mint amonuted to $3,308,000,
agaiust $2,542,000 in the corresonding
month of last year.
Horace Greeley once said that the day
a ouug man finds oat how he can get a
dollar without honestly earning it, is the
worst day he ever saw.
A child can pick up a good deal of in
formation if it will keep its ears open
while its mother is conversing through
a knothole in the fence with the woman
next door.
A bull rushed into a millinery shop,
causing a stampede among the ladies
present. The woman in charge drove
the bovine gentleman out by exhibiting
the price of a spring bonnet.
The king of Burmah is to have a jour
nal. He will be the proprietor himself,
and in the prospectus he says that all
his subjects who do not subscribe will
be instantly killed. His inducements
are even more powerful than a gift
chromo.
One of Weston's competitors in a
walking match iu England was a man of
the name of Martin, who had his skull
trepanned after the battle of Inkermann,
his breastbone and several ribs 6et after
the storming of Redan, and a bullet
taken out of his right leg during the
Indian mutiny, Iu consequence of the
wound in his head ho in subject to epi
leptic fits, nnd he was seized in this man
ner during his match with Weston.
The Journal des ficbats publishes
what may be considered an official state
ment to the effect that tho number of
persons undergoing penal servitude or
simple imprisonment in France for of
fenses connected with the commune does
not exceed 1,500. Those who are under
sentence of penal servitude are serving
their time at the prison of Landcrnau,
in Brittany, and the others are under
confinement at Thouars and Belle-Isle.
A lumberman at work on the head
quarters of the Cache la Poudre was
slightly surprised the other day when a
big mountain lion sprung from a covert
and landed squarely on his back.
Luckily for the man, he had thrown his
overcoat loosely over his shoulders, and
it was pulled off by the beast, which
evidently thinking its owner was under,
made carpet rags of it in a moment.
But while he was doing this the lumber
man made very quick time toward camp,
and escaped.
A gentleman out of the kindness of
his heart asked a dozen email boys to
take a walk iu the field ono pleasant sum
mer day. But when he was ready to re
turn home they began to get weary, and
he took the smallest boy on his back.
Then they all cried to be carried in the
same way. lie then resorted to nn in
genious experiment. " 1 11 get horses
for us all," and jumping into a hedge,
be cut small wand3 for ponies for the
little fellows, and a great stake as a
charger for himself, which put mettle
into their little legp, and they all rode
cheerily home.
The inhabitants of the little village
of Haselmere, England, were somewhat
startled by a woman named Vincent, who
bad nn impression that she must oner
up a Scriptural sacrifice. Seizing a cat
she decapitated it with a hatchet. Im
mediately afterward she cut off her left
hand with the samp instrument, because,
as she said, it had offended her. When
Bhe had severed it at tho wrist, nil but a
small piece of skin, she ran about with it
dangling. A surgeon was Bent for who
arrested the hemorrhage and made a
proper amputation. Next day she was
removed to an asvlum, where she still
continues to madly rave about Scrip
ture.
Hepworth Dixon tells a story of bri
gandage in California twenty years ago.
Senati was the leader of a predatory
band, and Moreno was his nrst lieuten
ant. Los Angeles was the place of their
chief exploits, the most audacious of
which was to plunder several houses,
murder a marshal, and carry off several
Mexican girls. A reward of 81,500 was
offered for Senati's body, dead or alive,
and that was enough to make Moreno
disloyal to his chief. He shot Senati,
put his body in a cart, diew it to I Los
Angeles, got the reward, and; claimed
that bo had been a prisoner with the
bandits, not a companion. The truth
came out, however, and Moreno was
sut to prison for fourteen ytars.