Two Dollars per Annum.
HENRY Al PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher-
, NO. 47.
VOL. VIII.
RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1879
Vi
It
Tbe Foor fiddler's Ode
TO HI! OLD riDDLB.
Torn,
Worn,
Vpprem'd, I monni;
Dad,
Bad,
Three-quarters mad ;
Maney gone,
Credit none ;
Dims it door,
Half a tcor. ;
Wife In Uln,
Twin, again
Others ailing,
Nnrsea railing,
Billy a hooping,
Also Door .toe.
With festered toe.
Come then, my fiddle.
Come, my olden, time-worn friend,
With Joyous, .welling, brilliant sounds,
Borne sweet, thr.ngh transient, aolaoe lend. ,
Thy polished neck I clasp in close embrace.
While eosacy of joy illumes my face.
When, ,ver tfay Wrings I draw mp bow
My 'drooping spirits heavenward rise ;
lively strain I touch, and lol
I seem to mount above the skies.
There on Fancy's wtng I .oar,
hegardless of all the duns at door;
Oblivious all I I feel my woes no more
But rklp o'er . the atrluga,
As my old - fiddle slugs.
" Cheerily, merrily go 1
Presto I '' 'good master,
You very well know
I will find music
If vou will find bow,
From E to Alt, to O below."
Fatigued, I pause to change the time
Por some AAanio, solemn and sublime.
With graceful action moves the sinuous arm ;
My heirt, responsive to the soothing charm.
Throbs equally ; whilst every health-corroding care
Ues prostrate, vanquished by the soft mellifluous air
More plaintive grown; my eyes with tears overflow,
And patience mild.soon smoothes my wrinkled brow
Beedy hautboy can squeak, walling flute can squall.
The. serpent make grunt and the trombone may bawl
But my Poll, my old fiddle's, the prince of them all,
Oonld e'en Dryden return, thy praise to rehease,
Bis ode to Cecilia would seem rugged verse,
Now to thy case, in flannel warm to lie,
Till called to please thy muter by.
Apollo.
SHOOTING FOR LIFE:
A COSSACK 8 ADVENTURE IN BOEHABA.
When the Turkomans captured me on
the Syr-Daria (said Captain Kosta
renko, handing me a tumbler of tea and
lemon-juice, with the air of a man who
knew that I wonld need some refresh
ment before his story ended), they car
ried me sonth and sold me at Khiva.
Bat I didn't stay there long for in
Central Asia a slave changes hands as
often as a horse does among us and
before I had time to see more of Khiva
than that it was a little cobweb of dirty
streets, with a big palace in the middle
and mnd wall ten feet high all ronnd
it, I found myself handed over to a mer
chant from Bokhara, who was just start
ing home again across the Kizil-Konm
(Bed Band) desert.
I was a strapping young fellow in
those days, and could manage a horse or
ft saber with any man. Moreover, 1
knew the native language well, which
was a rare thing with a Russian in those
days; so my new master counted upon
getting ft good price for me in Bokhara,
nd took all possible care of me on the
road.
I needn't tell you about the desert
journey, for you've seen it all for your
elf the thirst, and the scorching, and
the hot, prickly sand, and the prayer at
unset, and the halts beside the wells,
nd the camels strung out in single file,
nose and tail together. But we had one
adventure on the way that was to have
consequences which 1 little dreamed of.
There were three or four Afghans in
our company, all noted marksmen, who
one day amused themselves by having a
shooting match. I got leave to join
them, and beat the whole lot, to the
great delight of my master, who had
bet high on me, and the amazement
of the men themselves. I heard one of
them whisper to another, " This will be
news for Seid Ali, if he is still in Bok
hara;" but I thought nothing of it at
the time.
The evening that we reached Bokhara,
after we had got ourselves settled in one
of the great caravansaries, the four
Afghans and I sat down at the door to
have a game of "pasha wuzeeree." I
described it once to an Englishman, and
he told me that they have a game some
thing like it, called "forfeits," which
they play at Rojdestvo (Christmas). It's
played with dice, and has fonr throws,
three of which are called shah (king),
wnzeer (vizier) and ghornmsaug (rob
ber). The fourth (farmer) counts for
nothing. When any two players have
thrown king and vizier, the first who
throws robber, is seized by the vizier,
- who leads him np to the king. Buying,
" I've caught a robber." The king asks,
" What has he done ?" and the vizier
answers, "He's stolen his sister's trons-
ers,"or, "lie's pulled a horse's feathers
off," or some such uonseuae. Then the
king orders him to stand on his head, or
' throw down his turban and pick it up
. with his teeth, or anything else he may
think of ; and bo the game goes on till
every one has had his turn.
While we were playing, a tall, hand
some man in a rich dress, who looked
like a Persian, came swaggering by.
Just as he got close to us, I happened to
throw "robber."
One of the Afghans gave the others a
look, as much as to say: "Now you'll
see some fun I" and, catchiDg hold of
me, called! out: "I've caught a rob
ber." " What has he done, then ?"
" He has shown himself a better shot
than Seid Ali," answered the other, at
the top of his voioe. .
The Persian's face grew black as
night, and with one stride he was
among ns, looking at me as if he could
eat me raw.
"Are you he who can shoot better
than I can, then ? Tbey have taken you
too soon from your mother, child ; you
are no match for a man 1"
" Men fight with weapons ; women
and Persians with their tongues. Try
Ine."
Like lightning the fellow whipped
' out a pistol, and let fly at me. I sprang
. aside just in time; but he was drawing
his seoond pistol, when my master, see
ing what was going on, came rushing up
- as if he were mad.
Help, brothers 1" he yelled; this
slave is ft present for Hazret (his majes
ty). Let no one dare to harm him V
"What is all thist" asked ft sharp
voioe; and through the crowd came a
tall, thin, hatched face fellow, so grandly-dressed
that I made sure he must be
torn great man, especially as every
body got out of his way as if he had
broa ft tiger. I learned afterward that
he was the captain of the palace guard,
8hahrookh Khan.
My master told his story, and the
Afghans, on being questioned, gave the
whole history of the Bhooting-match in
which I had beaten them. At the men
tion of that, I thought I saw Shah
rookh's face brighten, as if he had oome
upon the very thing he wanted.
" This is matter for the ameer (king)
to decide," said he. " Let the Oorooss
(Russian) be kept here to-night; to-'
morrow he shall be sent for."
Sure enough; the first thing next
morning, three men made their appear
ance at the door of the room into which
I had been put. The foremost (who
wore a rioh robe of flowered silk) had
round his forehead the yellow band
which was the badge of the ameer's
makhramt (confidential servants); the
other two appeared to be soldiers.
" Follow ns, Oorooss," said the makh
ram; " his majesty calls you."
Away we went, right through the
heart of the city. It seemed much
larger and more populous than Khiva;
and after the silence and loneliness of
the desert, all this crowd and bustle
porters, fruit sellers, traders, camels and
wagons with seven foot wheels fairly
made my head go round. Every race of
Asia, from the east to the west, seemed
to be gathered there. Sallow, narrow
eyed Tartars, with the dust of the desert
still upon them; tall, gaunt, hook-nosed
Turkomans; fat, lumpy Sarts, and lean,
high-cheeked Persians; squat, gnome
like Bashkirs, who had almost the look
of bears on hind legs; yellow-faced
Chinamen, with long pig-tails, and
shaggy, monkey-like Dhouwanas, in
huge fur bonnets; slender, graceful
Hindoos, wearing silver rings on their
wrists and ankles; portly Khokandese
merchants aid filthy Kirghiz pilgrims;
skinny Kasbgarirs, with huge bat-like
ears projecting from under their little
saucer-shaped caps; and tall, stately
Afghans, in white frocks and green
sashes, stuck all over with pistols and
daggers like the wall of an armory.
At the corner of one of the principal
streets there seemed to be something
special going on, for such a crowd had
collected there that the street was quite
blocked up. But the raakhram flourish
ed his . saber-tipped rod, shouting,
" Make way for the servants of the
king I" and the soldiers let fall their
musket-butts on the toes of the people,
or prodded them behind with their
bayonets, so that there was a way open
ed for us in no time. And when we got
into the middle of the throng, what
should I see but two men shaking a lot
of human heads out of a sack, just like
so many potatoes a sight which I saw
often enough in after days, but which
rather took me aback just then. The
makbram, seeing that I looked puzzled,
tindly explained to me that it was one of
she ameer's pleasant habits, whenever
my town or village offended him, to
levy upon it a tribute of so many heads,
nd that if the man who collected them
happened to be short in his reck on -ng,
off went his own head to make
ocatters straight which must have
greatly encouraged the popular study of
arithmetic.
A little farther on we beard a terrific
yelling and screeching, proceeding ap
parently from a group of native soldiers,
in the midst of which lay. a ruan flat on
his back, with a huge fat fellow seated
cross-legged on his cbet like a night
mare, by way of keeping him comfort
able, while two sturdy Bokhariotes were
laying on to the soles of his feet with
whips with all their might and main.
But the best of the whole affair was that
the fellow who was being flogged never
uttered a sound, while the two who were
flogging him screamed and howled like
demons incarnate to save him the
trouble, perhaps, of doing it himself.
So he got his five-and-twenty whacks,
and was cast off; when instantly np
jumped two more soldiers, and whacked
the first two (for not hitting bard
enough, I suppose) ; and then a corpu
lent old officer, who had been looking
on with ft ploasant smile, waddled up
and gravely boxed their ears all round,
is if he had been giving them his bless
ing, after which the congregation dis
persed. At last we came to a steep hill, and as
we ascended it, I began to see overhead,
as well as the clouds of dust would let
me (for walking through the streets of
an Asiatio town when the wind's blow
ing is quite as bad as meeting a simoon
in the desert), a huge fortress-like
building, something after the style of
our governor-general's place at Oren
burg, which, with its painted parapets,
and many colored towers, and great
white battlementsmade quite a grand
show in the bright morning sunsn ne.
The makhram told me that this was the
ameer's palace, and that they were
going to take me before him at onoe ;
but when I ventured to ask what he
wanted with me, the Bokhariote only
shook his head in a way that wasn't at
all encouraging. It was curious to see,
as we neared the entrance, how silent
all three of them beoame, and how the
swagger with which they had marched
through the town changed to a cautious
timid step, like some one approaching
the lair of ft wild beast, from which fact
I could pretty well guess what this
worthy ameer must be like.
Just outside the great gate stood fifty
or sixty cannon (mostly brass twelve
pounders), all in a row like Napoleon's
guns in the Kremlin at Mosoow. I no
ticed one that was made of iron and
silver bands, turn about; and the
makhram told me it had been taken at
the capture of Khokand, ten years
before.
Two soldiers were standing at the
gate as we entered ; and I saw one of
them point to me and draw his hand
across his throat, and the other nodded,
which didn't raise my spirits much, I
can assure you.
Inside, all was deadly still ; and the
loneliness of that great wide court, with
its giim silence, as if the whole place
were holding its breath before some
thing dreadful, struck colder upon me
than anything yet. However, I hadn't
much time to think of it, for the next
moment I was led through a deep arch
way into the inner court. It waa very
much like the other, only not bo lonely,
for the Barbazi (soldiers) of the palace
guard were drawn np in line along
either Bide of it, in their red jacket-,
leather trousers, and high black sheep
skin oars, and at their head was
Shahrookh Khan, with Beid Ali beside
him.
I had just time to notice a stone bJ
oony on the further Bide, with enrtft.
of yellow silk before , wnen in our-1
tain was Budddenly drawn back, and
this is what I saw :
Seated cross-legged on ft pile of
cushions was ft short' fat man, with a
broad, heavy face, without a sign of
life in it except its small, restless black
eyes. He wore ft long blue ro.Se and
pointed red cap, and his breast was
ooveied with medals. I saw the
makhram bow to the earth, and then I
knew that this dumpy little fellow waa
the ameer himself, who was going to de
cide whether I should live or die.
" Is this the man T" asked the ameer.
His voioe was low and rather pleasant:
but, every time he spoke, one nide of
his face twitched as if jerked with a
string.
" Your majesty has said it," answered
Shahrookh Khan.
The ameer looked hard at me for a
moment, and then clapped his hands
twice. Instantly a door flew open in
the wall, and out came ft tall, gaunt,
hideous-looking black man, wearing
nothing but a pair of white cotton draw
ers, splashed with blood, and carrying a
huge broad-bladed knife, juBt like a
butcher's chopper.
Then I thought all over, and I settled
my face as firmly as I could, that the
unbelievers might not think me afraid.
But I fancy it was only done to try me;
for the ameer, after watching me for ft
moment to see how I took it, waved the
headsman back with his hand, and said
to the makhram. -Make proclama
tion 1"
The makhram raised his arms, and
shouted thrice Ooshar 1" (attend) and
then went on:
" This is the command of Nasr' Ullah
Khan Bahadoor, the great ameer of
Bokhara: Seid Ali and the Oorooss
shall shoot three times at a mark in bis
majesty's presence, and he who is beaten
shall be beheaded on the spot. May his
majesty live ft hundred and twenty
years 1"
This was more than the Persian had
bargained for, and when he saw that in
stead of getting me knocked on the head,
it was my life or his own, he looked no
happier than a wolf in a trap. However,
there was no drawing back now, and he
had just to make the best of it.
They put down ft little square carpet
in one corner, to show where we should
stand, and then they brought ns ft couple
of long Afghan rifles, with about a dozen
cartridges each. In the midst of a dead
silence, with all those countless eyes
watching us curiously, we loaded our
pieces, and stood ready.
All this while there was no sign of a
target ; but suddenly Shahrookh Kahn
came forward with a small round shield
(jubt big enough to cover ft man's
breast), with a polished stone in the
middle. Then he stationed two soldiers
in the corner opposite ours, about three
foet apart, and passing ft light rod
through the strap of the shield, rested
the two ends on their shoulder. This
was to be our mark a ta rget with living
supporters, who might be killed or not,
just as it happened.
At a sign from the ameer, Seid Ali
stood forth, and aimed so long and care
fully, that I saw he wain't quite sure of
winning. At last he let fly. There was
a dull thud, and the shield rocked
violently. His ball had gone through
it pretty near the center, but withont
touching the stone.
The ameer nodded, and I stepped for
ward in turn.
I knew that, with my own life for the
stake, I should be the shakier the long
er I waited, so I fired the moment I got
my aim fair on the sparkle of the central
stone. There was a sharp crash, and a
shower of sparks seemed to fly np from
the shield. I had split the stone I
We loaded and fired again. The
Persian did better this time, but he was
still wide of the center. I went wide of
it, too, but I managed to graze the ring
that had held the central stone, and that
was still a good inch nearer than he
was.
Just then I caught sight of the ameer's
face, and a grewsome sight it was. It
had flushed purple, and the great thick
lips were drawn back, showing his
sharp white fangs, like the teeth of a
mad dog; and his cruel black eyes
looked at Beid Ali, as if they could see
the knife already at his throat. I saw
the same look on his face many a time
afterward, bnt it never seemed half so
hideous as it did then.
And when I looked at Seid Ali, his
proud handsome face seemed to have
grown pinched and ghastly all of a Bud
den, as if death were clutching it with
unseen fingers. It was pitiful to see
him trying to steady his hand for the
final shot, knowing that it was his last
chance of life; but at last his gun went
off almost at random, and the bullet
struck full on the breast of one of the
target bearers, who dropped dead with
ont a crv.
The ameer waved his hand and
another soldier stepped forward, pushed
awn the corrjse with his foot, and laid
the end of the rod upon his own shoul
rlr. The moment the target was
straight again, I flred, and went right
into the center.
Th echo of the shot was still ringing,
when the headman's knife flashed and
fell, and Seid Ali'a head rolled on the
pavement, blotting the smooth white
stones with its blood.
" Een kari padishah hast (It is the
king's doing) I" cried the exeontioner,
holding np the head by its long black
The soldiers, with one yoice, repeat
ed T. ia thA king's doing."
And the ameer himself rubbed his
great fat handa (for seeing people killed
always put him in good humor) and said
to me, " It ia the will of Allah hence-
lortn inou ar mj -
kA fulfilled the old saving.
" He who sets ft trap for bis neighbor
may get caught himself." uavxa act.
in spirit oj tne . we.
i - nnihar' awkwardness
wSh her" daaid: "I declare
a woman ought never to have ft baby
nin aha n owe how to hold it I
" Nor a tongueeither," quietly respond
ed the young mother.
TIMELY TOPICS.
Spain is of more account in this world
than ia geajly supposed. It took,
together wituv" colonies, 2,600 dis
tinctions of all kinds at the Paris exhi
bition, while E lland end her colonies
took 2,465. J,
A consignment of 970 sheep from
Kentucky, said to be the finest ever
raised in this country, brought eight
and seven cents a pound in Massachu
setts market recently, whereat the Bos
ton Cultivator exdaims: " How is that,
Northern farmera I"
Philippns writes to the London Timet
that he finds a horse's shoes will by de
grees (he being worked lightly at first)
wear down till a stratum of the hoof is
reached at whiA he ran perfectly well
be worked without shoes in fact, goes
better withont them.
In January, 1871, a French gunner
was struck by a fiagment of a Prussian
shell which can'ed away his jaw, nose
and both eyes. The surgeons have at
last devised for him a metallic mask,
with eyes, a false nose and an artvloial
jaw that permits him to masticate his
food. The woman he was engaged to
when the war broke out married him.
Willie Williams was taken from the
poorbouse in Detroit, Mich., when he
was a little boy, and made a drudge in a
physician's family. He was sent to
school, where he frequently complained
of hard work at home, insufficient food,
and severe punishment. A few days ago
he went to market with five dollars to
make some purchases. He returned
with the change two dollars short, and
said, on being questioned, that he had
spent the missing money for a pistol
with which to shoot himself. The phy
sician tried to take tbe weapon away
from him, but he ran into another room,
looked the door and committed sucide.
English photographers avoid the strain
on the sitter's eyes, which usually re
sults in a ghastly stare, by having a
clock-face as the point to which they
are directed, the eyes being allowed to
travel slowly from the figure XII. all
round. The rotatory movement of the
eyeball in adapting itself, step by step,
to tbe figures upon bo small a circle at
such a distance, is so excessively fine as
to cause no interference with tbe pho
tographic process. The eyes are excel
lently well defined, even to the iris, and
the picturea have a marked superiority
over those previously taken in the man
ner in which the details of the eyes are
reproduced. The sitters have expressed
themselves as not having had any strain
upon their eyes. .
The latest exploit of the San Francis
co reporter is the alleged exposure of a
process for manufacturing hens' eggs
from deleterious materials, Accoriing
to the narrative the albumen is imitated
by a mixture of sulphur, carbon and
fatty matter obtained from the slaughter
bouses and rendered sticky with muci
lage. The yelk is made of blood, alios-
pliate of lime, magnesia, muriate of am
monia, oleic and margario acids 8Ld
colored with chrome yellow. The shells
are shaped by a blow-pipe from a mats
of gypsum, plaster of Paris, carbonate
of lime and oxide of iron. After tbe
shells are blown the albumen is forced
in through a hole in tbe small end and
sticks to the sides; then the yelk is
added, and after being covered with
more of the albumen mixture the hole
is sealed with cement, the complete egg
is rubbed pretty smooth and laid aside
for packing. It is asserted that many
barrels of these eggs have been shipped
eastward for consumption.
Itarifd Treasure Brought to Light.
There has been considerable excite
ment among the residents of Rossville,
H tat en island, over the good fortune of
Christopher Meister, a German market
gardener, living on the Lake farm on
Lake island, near the sound shore. Mr.
Meister and his son, while digging a
pit to bury turnips, in ft sandy spot
near the shore, struck a large stone
three feet below the surface. Upon re
moving the stone they discovered an
old-fashioned iron pot, of about a
peck's capacity, filled with what appear
ed to be large oonper coins. Thev at
once removed the pot to the house, and
after cleaning a few coins, which were
black with age, found them to be Span
ish silver dollars, some of them bearing
date 1743. The form occupied by Mr.
Meister was owned and occupied by the
Lake family before and during tbe
revolutionary war. It seems probable
that the treasurefpund by Mr. Meister
was hidden wberloound by some of the
Lake family during one of the raids
made by tories on the island;' About
five years ago a number of gold and
silver coins were dug up in the garden
of ex -Sheriff Negnant at Rossville, and
still later a box full of Spanish, dubloons
waa found on the farm of Mr. Jrospean.
near the old Methodist Episcopal
church at Rossville. Mr. Meister was
highly elated over his good fortune, and
intended making lurtner explorations,
believing that there is more buried
treasure in the vicinity. New York
Zrtoune,
Graphlcaltties."
I'm saddest when I Sing Sing. State
Mr. John Frost ia the author
"Beautiful Snow."
In France there are regular schools
for the training of dogs. One teacher
1 nA ;i
JIM JJUppUB
Ten men declare that they could not refuse
io put weir reet in uayara layior snoei,
Does Fall River have its beginning
in
the spring? Cincinnati Saturday
Night, Sommer near there, probably.
The camel is ft paragrapher of the
animal kingdom; he has auoh ft funny
column, you know. Yonkert Oatette.
Certain! v: bat a donkev with a hHHh
bray haa a funnier eall'em than the
camel.
Fnt away the littla discount
That our greexjbaok aaed to wear.
Be win need the badge no longer,
. He has olimbed the golden stair.
Oooe to meet Old Bullion." , '
He York Graphic,
Hereditary Effenta of Drink.
Dr. Willard Parker, referrihff to the
hereditary effect of drink, said to a New
fork repot ter: "Of all agents, alcohol
is the most potent in establishing hered
ity that exhibits itself in tbe destruction
of mind and body. It transmits an ap
petite for strong drink to the children,
and these are likely to have that form
of drunkenness which may be termed
paroxysmal; that is, they will go for a
considerable period without any indul
gence, until at last all barriers of self
control give way. The drunkard by in
neritance is a more helpless slave than
hia progenitor, and the children he
begets are more helpless still. Heredi
tary effects of drink are shown in insani
ty, idiocy, epilepsy and other affections
of the brain and nervous systr-3. Prit
chard and Esquirol, two great authori
ties on the subject, attribute one-half
of the cases of insanity in England to
the use of alcohol, and the same is prob
ably true in this country. One-half of
the idiots are of drunken parentage. I
have been acquainted with several men,
naving brilliant and cultivated minds,
who inherited the vice, and they have
stated to me that there were times when
the impulse to drink strong liquor was
irresistible, and that nothing had power
to dissuade them from yielding to it.
An instance of how a mother, accus
tomed to the use of alcohol, influences
her offspring, may be related from my
own experience. A merchant in good
circumstances came to me for medical
advice. He was in the habit of getting
intoxicated every night before retiring.
His mother also drank habitually, and
died of paralysis. He had two brothers
and three sisters. The oldest brother
died a paroxysmal drunkard. My patient
was always in a state oi menial aiscom
fort and was suspicious and jealous to
the most unreasonable degree. Tbe
third brother and child died a drunkard,
and the fourth child, a sister, was an
inmate of a lunatio asylum. The filth
child was intolerable on account of her
eccentricity. The sixth child, also a
woman, died of consumption. The second
son, my patient, married a woman of
fine physical and mental organization.
They had two sons; the elder was asso
ciated with his father in business, and
was an energetioman, but very excitable,
and although not an habitual drunkard,
was a- slave to his other animal appetite.
The other child was in reality a moral
idiot. Here, in spite of the restraining
influence of the fine mental and physical
organization of the mother, we see the
effects of alcohol cropping ont in the
third generation. We do not always
see the worst effects of the hereditary
influence of alcohol, because of the fre
quent mingling of good blood with that
which is tainted. From my own obser
vations and the testimony of others, I am
led to the conclusion that by far the
laiger share of mental disease, poverty
and crime is the direct heritage of alco
hol. It is also the cause of a great shore
of our bodily disease, and is shortening
rne average duration of life. Hobbies,
in a work on sanitary science, Bays tbat
tbe average duration of life in this city
in 1810 was between twenty-six and
twenty-seven years. Since then it has
decreased until the average age does not
now exceed fifteen years. If we reduced
the death rate to what it was fifty years
ago mere would ne a saving of more
than 11,000 lives every year. Our city
ought to be one of the healthiest in the
world. A careful examination will al
ways reveal the fact that indulgence in
alcoholic beverages and the death rate,
as well as the increase in mental and
nervous diseases, have a relative propor
t on. Of course there are other de
generative causes, but they go back to
intemperance as tne primary one.
Fires.
There is just now what writers who
wish to be fine wonld call "an eni-
demio " of conflagrations. Reports of
Bros reach ns from all parts of the coun
try. When the "devouring element.
which is another approved phrase, de
stroys a city, the accounts are long and
impressive, and tbe statement of dam
ages, in figures, startling: yet the ag
gregate of loss by isolated fires during
ine last lew days is very large, footing,
in not a large number cases taken ool-
lectively.not less than 8100,000. Causes
in many of these cases are not given
bnt there is one cause, carelessness.
which, for want of a better, niav be
safely assigned. Now and then mention
is made of a defeotive flue," which is
carelessness in the concrete. It wonld
be very easy to preach about prudence
and caution, but the best warning is to
be found in the facts. The present hard
weather naturally leads to the employ
menc oi a nigner temperature in
warming buildings of all kinds which
require to be warmed ; and the
result is greater danger and more
frequent burnings. Very few houses
get anything like a careful inspection at
the beginning of winter, so that flues
which are defeotive remain so, and heat
ing apparatus which is dangerons ia not
made safe, as it might easily be at small
expense. There are men of suoh nrn-
denee that their houses are not likely to
take fire from any fault of their own;
but tbey are not many. The world will
go on trusting to good luck until tbe
final conflagration; but protest against
such infatuation will not be in vain, if
here cr there it shall save a home or a
lite. New York Tribune.
Domestic Rights on the Rail.
When one of the trains from New
York reached this citv the other dav. an
old gentleman got np and started for
the rear end of the car. He had gone
bnt a few steps before the old lady who
bad been sitting with him rose up with
her hands full of knitting work and fol
lowed him down tbe aisle, her hands
extended. It waa now noticed by the
Easeengera mat tne oia iaoy had placed
er ball of yarn in his pocket. When
he got up he turned aronnd several times
before starting, and in so doing bad
wound the yarn aronnd him so that the
old lady bad no choice except to follow
him, drop her knitting or see her yarn
broken. She aaid not a word, but
passenger noticing what waa going on
reacnea np ana gently taking the nn
oonaoioua oia gentleman by the ear,
turned bim aronnd so he saw what he
waa doing, and tbe varn waa saved . By
this time the rest of the paasengera were
roaring with laughter. New JJaven
Palladium,
About Languages.
The following interesting extracts are
from a sermon preaohed by Rev.
Joseph WiW in Brooklyn and published
in tbe New Toik Champion :
A British poet has presented in poe
try the special features of several of the
European languages, which we gite 1
" Greek's a harp we love to hear i
l.atln In a trumpet clear ;
Spanish like an organ swells i
ItaJUn rings Its bridal bells ,
Franoe, with many a frolio mien,
Tunes her sprightly violin ;
Ijoud the German rolls bis drum
Wben Bosnia's dashing cymbals cone i
But Britain's eoni may well rejoice,
For English Is the human voice."
There are eight languages in the
bounds of Christian civilization that
may be accounted powerful, because
they are the tongues of vigorous peo
pie ; they are the English, Russian,
German, French, Spanish, Italian, Por
tuguese and Scandinavian. Bat of these
all are indigenous, except the English,
so that tbey die if transplanted. Look
at this couutry and behold what a ceme
tery it is for languages. Once the French
had strong hold and promised to abide
here ; but it is now nearly gone, even
from the State of Louisiana and Cana
da, the last places of retreat.
If we take note of the population ac
cording to these several languages, we
shall see the prophetic future of the Eng
lish. It is spoken by about ninety mil
lions, Russian seventy-five, German fifty
six, Frenoh forty, Spanish thirty-eight,
Italian twenty-nine, Portuguese four
teen and Scandinavian nine. Within the
control of the governments of these
languages we find England to have
rule over 255,000,000 people, who
do not, as yet, speak English,
and we find tbat the other seven
have onlv seventy-five millions out
side of themselves ; here is an im
portant difference. If we look at them
by territorial limits, leaving out Russia,
we find the English language to own
12,882,686 square miles, Germany 449,
684. French 571,578, Spanish 4,694,811,
Italian 114,468, Portuguese 4,028,311,
and Scandinavian 1,308,830. The ag
gregate number of square miles pos
sessed by these six languages, is 11,167,
620, which altogether, you see, own
1,215,066 miles square less than the
English. This balance itself is more
than Germany, France and Spain put
together. The English language is di
vided only into two governments, but
the other six are divided into twenty
six. In one hundred years
from now the Eaglish language will be
spoken by a thonsand million people.
Thus we need no stretch of fancy to see
tbat what the prophet speaks of in the
text will be accomplished in due time.
This language will soon be universal;
by common consent it will become the
language of the world. All the changes
going on among nations forecast its
nbiouitv. China, bv an. imperial de
cree, has just added to her language 700
Eaglish words. Her sons by tbe thou
sand are with ns, and by the thousand
they are learning our mother tongue.
The Japanese, till a few years ago, car
ried on their foreign conespondence
through the Dutch, but now they have
changed to the English. Besides, in the
50,000 schools in Japan English is being
taught.
When the Sultan Dies.
"Scarcely has the sultan drawn his
lost breath," says a recently published
work, " when his wives, his favorites,
m short, all the women whose power is
now at an end, are desired to be ' off '
within four-and-twenty hours. This
change of scene is a veritable rout. It
may rather be compared to a ship
wreck, when each passenger tries to lay
hold of some means of safety, by which
she may float on the surface, and may
bo prevented from sinking into the
deep where all are forgotten tbat ia
to say, the depth of tbe old seraglio.
Thither are transferred those of the
kadinea and favorites whom their
sterility had already condemned. Those
who are mothers alone are allotted the
protection of the imperial palace, for
reasons of state make it unadvisable tbat
they should be removed from the su
perintendence of the beir of the empire.
As to the other ladies, they must disap
pear with their slaves and female at
tendants, although, perhaps, there may
be some among the latter who, thanks
to fresh patronage, find the means of
loJging themselves in the little female
courts which are formed upon the old
ones. The old seraglio, situated at the
extreme end of the palace, is a sad and
lugubrious building, a very tomb, where
human beings are buried alive. Im
agine a medieval castle, with its lofty
crenelated walls and its narrow windows,
the whole surrounded by a thick and
dark mass of ancient cypresses ; one
may then perhaps form a correct idea of
the retreat which, as m a prison, con
fines the fallen goddesses of the harem.
Beyond the apartments destined to the
ladies, the old seraglio also contains a
number of buildings, among which may
be reckoned the imperial treasury, the
library, the mosque, which contains
auoh relics as the standard of the
prophet, hia beard, etc. There it is,
under the shadow of these religious
souvenirs, that the poor abandoned
beauties of a former Ottoman court
have to submit to the most severe se
clusion. Their goings in and out are
confined to what are strictly necessary,
and their relations with the world strict
ly watcnea. Bucn are the suspicions
of their new sovereign, which cause
them, doubtless, to regret the uncertain
affection of their def unot husband. Poor
souls, thus placed between the jealousy
of the dead and the living I But reasons
of state cannot listen to the dictates of
the heart. Each sultan looks upon
himself aa the responsible guardian of
the honor of his predecessors, and in this
capacity he ia bound to take care that the
widows of these prinoes(or whatever their
title may be) should be subject to strict
and watenful supervision. This seciu
sion, however, ia not for life, and with
time the jailer shows himself more oom
plaoent, and relaxi in some degree the
severity of hia watch. The indulgence
ia not shown until those who are thus
confined have passed the period of
temptation. It is when the amiable
kadine haa reached her fiftieth year that
tbe reigning sultan places at her dis
posal one of the royal residences, an,d
pegs set w not as ene pieaees,
FOR THE FAIR SEX.
Fnahlew Notes.
Cream color ia a favorite shade for
evening gloves.
The newest chatelaine bags are of
sealskin, with silver mountings.
The favorite flower this season ia the
rose ; fine flowers are out of fashion.
Handkerchiefs with colored embroider
ed edges are converted into " breakfast
ties."
Stylish coats are made of wool da
masse with vest and cuffs of silk mate
lasse. New chatelaine pockets are of blaok
morocco, inlaid with red gold. Belt
buckles are made to match.
A yellow gauze dress trimmed with
knots of blue and red was recently made
in Paris and pronounced perfectly
sweet.
Conch shell chains of roses and medal
lions, with amphorae and soarabcei pen
dants, are used this season, and are in
high favor.
Some of the late imported costumes
are remarkable for their plainness, being
made without flounce or ruffle of any
description.
New white undressed kid gloves are
trimmed with three rows of inch-wide
Valenciennes insertion and ft knife
plaited frill of lace.
Among the new fashions for house
hold affairs is the one of having table
cloths and napkins with colored borders,
embroidered by hand or with the color
woven into the goods.
There is a fancy for putting fans of
plaited satin (about as deep as the fan
carried in the hand) at intervals around
the foot instead of a flounce. It is con
sidered especially stylish to have the
rich fabrio of the overskirt reach from
the belt to the foot, whore it iB fringed,
and these fans are then inserted, either
in the Beams or perhaps in the middle
of the breadths as well.
Fur-lined and fur-trimmed wraps will
be fashionable, Sealskin sacks will
take the lead in fur garments. These
garments are cut longer than formerly
worn, and are trimmed with a band of
black martin, chinchilla, or silver-pointed
otter fur. Muffs are smaller and boaa
are worn flat Of course, all rich furs
will be worn, but sealskin is the ton fur
for the winter of 1878-79.
News and Note for Women.
Worth uses thousands of yards of
Breton lace daily.
A woman may wear anything she
pleases nowadays, except a one-button
glove.
A French lady never varies the flower
that she wears for a button-hole bou
quet. The Japanese ladies, when attending
the theater, change their dresses be
tween each act.
During the last century the head
dress of a fashionable lady added three
feet to her stature.
Among the favors given at a " Ger
man " recently in New York, were gold
scarf pins for gentlemen and bangles for
ladies.
Avoid the extremes of fashion. To
dress np to its entire demand is to sub
mit to a condition of perpetual self
burlesque. Owners of pearl jewelry should be
careful to keep it from exposure to
greasy surfaces, as contact of this kind
destroys its luster.
A medical writer informs ladies that
by a too active ubo of their fans they
check perspiration and produce cutane
ous diseases.
A London magistrate lately declared
the outside pockets on ladies' dresses to
be an inducement to thieves. He pro
nounced them to be a foolish and im
proper fashion, nor did he pity any one
for losses thus incurred.
A beautiful English woman was walk
ing in the Rue de la Paix, when a French
puppy greatly annoyed her by pertina
ciously dogging her and glaring at her.
She turned upon him and said :
" Really, I have not a sou to give yon."
A Look into Vesuvius.
General Collis. who has been
Mrs.
traveling in Europe for the last seven
months, and whose graphio letters have
been read with general interest, writing
from Italy, describes her visit to the
erupting crater of Vesuvius as follows:
"I pushed to the very mouth of the
crater yes, and looked down right into
the yawning abyss. Unlike Sir Charles
Coldstream, I did see something in it,
and heard it, too. Never shall I forget
those awful moments. From deep down
in the very heart of the mountain how
far beneath me I cannot say came a
rumbling of distant thunder, followed
by more rapid and sharp detonating
sounds, like the explosion of firearms,
then a flash, a peal of thunder, and
presently it belched forth dense olouda
of smoke, ascending to an incredible
height, followed by a discharge of fiery
red bowlders, small stones, streams of
molten lava an 1 scarlet flame. The in
terior of the crater seemed lined with
layers of pure sulphur of a beautiful
yellow tint, made more intense by con
trast with the immense body of black
lava by which I waa surrounded.- -Deep- -
down into the crater seemed ft sea of
smoldering fire. It is extraordinary
how little we realize the danger of an
adventure like this until it is over. Had
I learned before I started of the sad fate
which six vears ago befell a similar oartv
of explorers, I might have hesitated. It
waa in 1872 that a party of twenty stu
dents from Naples ascended the moun
tain during an eruption. They itood
upon the brink of the crater, when sud
denly they were enveloped in ft cloud of
sulphurous smoke and falling projectiles.
Eight of them (some say all) perished,
and I believe only two of their bodies
were ever recovered. The descent was
pleasant enough; in fact the sensation
waa more agreeable than otherwise, for
at every step our aafety was assured by
the sinking of onr feet into the deep
ashes and aooriee. We arrived at Naples
at about 7 p. m., delighted with our
most profitable work, and regretting
only that our glories and adventures
were not shared by those absent onea
whose society would have made the joy
pf tbe day absolutely complete."
I
IS