' . ' - - ' '
L ,, .. -
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr.. Editor and Publisher.
tflii DESPERANbtM.
Two Dollars or Annuti.
VOL. X.
IfclDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.
NO. 22.
i
i.
My Lndr.
k CONTRAST.
My little lady all in white,
Do you want to know, do yon want to know,
nnj i en at tins tree-foot, ont ol the linhtt
Are you sorry lor me that God made me soT
My bright little lady.
Are you grieved Hiat you ean jump and run,
ia your pretty Irock and your dainty shoes,
u as you ur.e, in or out of the sun,
With liKhfjome iect and heart iuU oi fun,
Whil'j 1 sit still, as 1 cannot choose
But sit still, my lady T
My old black irock burns hot on my back
My worn old irock, bought long ago,
When mother died and work is slaok,
And I d rather 'rcaa in my old saok
Than stint the little ones. Do you ki-ow
What hunger is, lady T
Oh, I beg your pardon. Those gentle eyes
Are rilling with tears, fast filling with tears:
You have kit your swans unfed; surprise
Is melting to pity. You're not too wise,
But you'll be wisr when at my years,
And you're kind, my lady.
Yes, I'm older, grayer, sadder too;
Oil. I've had my share, I've bad my share
Of things unknown to the like oi you
God sees us both. What he bids me do
I try to do. What he makos me bear
1 bear, my lady.
It's Imrd sometimes. The hungerand pain,
The children's crying that's worst of all.
But I do my best, and 1 don't complain.
There, 1'in glad to see you smile again.
Give n- e my crutch. No lear I'll tall
Still, thank yon, my lady.
Allhsugh I crouch at the loot of the'.ree,
And you o'er tho meadow run and shout,
There's the Rtlt-satne sun lor you and for mo,
The 8:imo hi nl i singing so merrily.
'lie good to ico you dance about,
5Iy merry lady.
Twould not make ino linppy to make you sad
And I don't like pity, and God is kind.
It' I your park and your castle had,
But no little sisters to mnke me glad,
No father to woik for to my mind
Twould be dull, my lady.
So we'll each of us go our appointed way,
Safe to the end, tufa to tho end.
For tome mu-t labor, and some must play.
11 you puts my door again some aay,
I'll be gl id to see you my beautiful friend,
My hweet little lady.
Mitt Mulock, in Hut per' t Bazar.
HALF AN HO JR.
"Your curiosity ia natural," said the
count. Krai ling. " It is true that I am
under Ilih ty ; yet, as you se". my hair i
whitertlmn snow. The change took
rlaee in the ppaee of half r.n hour.
When I tell you that nothing but the
will of an itnilaeable enemy stood be
tvpen me and a horrible death during
that hall-hour, you will be prepared fur
a startling .arrative.
' My cousin Angelo and myself were
fellow-students at Padua. No two
relatives could have differed more
widely in character than he and I.
"Angelo lived by himself in a close,
secret way, find shunned society us a
pestilence. I, on the contrary, never
spent tin hour by myself when I could
find any of my host of friends at leisure
to rec-ive me. The consequence was
that Angelo graduated with high
honor?, while I fell in love with the
beautiful daughter of Leonardo di
Porta.
"Unsteady as I was by nature, that
noble wotran found prod enough in me
to return my Jove. The knowledge of
my undeserved happiness sobered ine;
I settled down to hard work to gain
honor for her sake.
"Those weiv happy days, signor.
Youth, love and ambition made up for
me a paradise that I would not have
exchanged for that of our traditional
lirst parents. Like that, a serpent was
not long in creeping in to poison its
happiness.
' Pauline di Porta was seized with a
disease that threatened her life. The
solemn quacks who attended lier looked
wisn, gave her drugs, and finally left her
Iodic.
" It was easy enough for them to say,
She will die, no human power can save
her,' but how was it for me to bear?
My own death-warrant would have
seemed a mild trial to confront beside
the certainty that the woman of my love
was to pass away from me, with the
golden promise of her youth vet unful
filled .
"In my extremity I thought of An
gelo. lie had beeu appointed to the
professorship of chemistry in the col
lege, and hud already earned a wide
reputation for profound knowledge of
the science. It seemed possible that in
the resources of his learning there might
be a chance for the dying girl.
" I went to him and asked his aid.
At first he refused. What were human
life and human suffering to him, who
lived apart from his kind in a gloomy
egotism of his own ? I could not arouse
his sympathies, but I oid arouse his
fears for Uiuself. I don't know by what
violence 1 brought him to her bedside at
last.
;A curious change pased over hu
face as he gazed upon the sick girl. His
dull eye lighted up, and a flush came
into his sallow cheek. Was it her
wasted beauty, or her weakness and
suffering, that touched his cold nature?
Whatever it was.it made a worker of
miracles oi him in her behalf. Ik
watched her as a mother might a child,
administered powerful remedies known
only to himself, and in a week had cured
her.
" When she had recovered. I went to
him and humbly begged his pardon for
the violence I had used with him; he
looked at me with a strange smile.
" ' I have saved her life,' he said;
' but for me she would have died.'
"1 know it," I responded; 'lam
very grateful to you. Angelo.'
"'I did not do it for you,' he said;
I did it for myself. Do you know the
old tradition!" he added, with sudden
change of manner. He who saves a
life owts it lorever afterward.'
"I looied at him with a superstitious
brill; but ho was smiling, and it
paseed awtiy. I pressed him to visit
Pauline with me. 1 desired him to be
the mend ot my fuluie wife, and I said
" ' Don't tempt me,' ht laid, loomll .
' You can't tell what may come of it.'
I laughed at his solemnity, which I
supposed to be assumed in jest., and took
him with me to her house During the
interval prior to the day set for our
marriage, lie spent a part of nearly
every evening with us, and I, like a
blind f ol, was pleased at his friendly
interest in us.
" He rarely spoke when he was with
us, mostly sitting silently in some ob
scure corner, apparently buried in
thoueht. I should never have known
that he had ever paid any attention to
us, due lor what lie said tome one night
as we were going home together. He
Eaused abruptly in the road, and, laying
is hand on my arm, said, in a harsh
tone:
" 'Salvatore do you really love that
"I was startled, but I answered,
quickly:
" 'Before my own soul, Angelo.'
" ' Strange he muttered : "unstable
minds like yours are not prone to strong
attachments.'
"Unstable I may be,' I returned.
offended, 'but I know her value as well
as anv man could know it.'
" Yes,' he answered, walking on.
even a fool must love that woman. A
wise man might sacrifice his chances for
ner.'
"The subject was not renewed be
tween us ; but I did not forget the occur
rence, ana shortly after mentioned it to
Pauline. She had never liked mv
cousin from the first, and she appeared
to find something to alarm her in what
lie nart said to me.
"'Salvatore,' she said, nervouslv.'vour
cousin is an evil man. He does not love
yo", and would not hesitate to do you
an miury. Avoid him. Do not bring
him here again. Trust my woman's
instinct. I have seen the serpent where
you have only seen the eccentric friend.'
" I laughed at her fears, but promised
that if I could avoid Angelo without of
fending him I would do so. But it ap
peared that some subtle instinct had
revealed our thoughts to him; for from
that day he shunned my society and
never entered the doors of the Di Porta
mansion aeaw. I had not forgotten the
debt of gratitude I owed him. but
Pauline's fears had impressed me more
deeply Mian I knew, and I was glad
that he had choBen of his own free will
to avoid us.
"On the eve of our wedding, I met An
gelo by rhance at the door of my lodg
ings. He was engaged in conversation
with the lodge-keeper's daughter, a
coarse, Jow-bro ed Catalonian girl. He
aimed sharply as I approached, and the
girl mreatrd in haste.
"He looked at mo suspiciously, as if
he feared that I had overheard their
conversation.
" ' The girl is going to Rome to-morrow,'
he said ; 4 1 wished to send a mes-anj-e
hv her.'
" ' Very good,' I returned, laughing.
By the way, cousin, I am to be married
to-mirrow; will you not bo present?'
" 'Salvatore,' said he, laying his hand'
upon my shoulder with a smile, 'don't
count on any event until if is accom
pli hed. My words seem mysterious to
you. WU, come to my lodgings with
mc and I will explain.'
"His odd manner gave me a sense of
undefined alarm, but I permitted him to
tike my arm and lead me to his lodgings.
His rooms were on the top floor of an old
building. The arciied windows were
shaded by masses of rank vines, and
glazed with squares of stained glass,
througii which the moon was shining
with a weird, blood-red hue as we en
tered the room. A feeble taper was
burning on the table, and near it stood
a bottle of wine and two glasses. Evi
dently Angelo had counted upon my
visit and had prepared to be genial for
once in his life. He invited me to sit at
the tabie, and took a scat opposite to me,
where the red glare from the window
lighted up his haggard features. He
filled the two glasses with wine. I no
ticed, incuriously, that he held his hand
over mine an instant before be passed it
to me.
" To the future!' he said, as we both
drank. 'And what is that future to be
for you, Salvatore? Not the idle dream
of Happiness you have cherished. It
must be what I choose to make it. Your
lite, Salvatore, is in my hands.'
" I stared at him speechlessly. Had
the man gone mad ?
"'In that glass of wine,' he con
tinued, with a slow, deliberate accent,
was a subtle poison, known only to my
self. It I so will it you must die, and
leave no sign by which to convict me of
the crime. I do not desire your death,
but I do desire something from you
which only the fear of death can ex
tract. If you refuse to comply you have
but a halt an hour to live. No human
power but mine can save you, for 1
alone possess the antidote.'
"I looked wildly at his haggard face.
What I saw there convinced me that
he spoke the truth.
" ' What have I done to deserve this?'
I cried. ' What do you wish me to
do?'
" ' Salvatore,' naid he, with a harsh,
vibrating voice, you forced me to the
bedside of Pauline di Porta. You
tempted me to visit her afterward. 1
warned you, but you would not heed
the warning. It has come to this I
love her. I love her well enough to
sacrifice my salvation for her. You
must yield her to me or die.'
" 4 Then I will die where I sit,' I an
swered, resolutely. 4 Do your worst.'
' He glanced at me with a haggard
smile
' 4 See what love can do even with one
so weak as you.' be said, almost mourn
fully. 4 See what it has done with an
iron nature like minel I pity you but I
will not yield. I saved her life and it
belonss to me I'
" 4 You are a madman as well as a
villain,' I Baid. 4 Thank God she U
safe from you whatever happens to
me!'
"'Read that paper,' be returned,
without heeding my outburst. It con
tains my conditions.'
41 1 read it by the feeble light of the
taper. It was a letter to Pauline, break
ing our engagement in insultine terms,
and stating that I had left for Rome in
company with my lodge-keeper's daugh
ter. When I had finished he said :
44 4 1 have bribed the girl to leave
Padua. Copy that letter, sign it and go
where you please in safety, so that you
neither see nor communicate with
Pauline again. On these terms you are
sate, not otherwise.
' I tore the paper into a hundred frag
ments. " 4 You have mistaken your man,' I
said, sternly. 4 Sooner than budee a
loot, sooner than disgrace my lore with
such cowardly dishonor, I will die
twenty deaths -I will die proclaiming
your crime iu the streets.'
"I aro9e and attemptedtoreach the
door, but could not. The fatal poison
had already paralyzed my limbs, and I
sank hack into my chair with a groan.
44 4 Reflect, Salvatore,' he exclaimed,
earnestly. 44 With a long life yet left
before you, there is time to forget
Pauline and seek happiness elsewhere.
With death ail human things cease to
be. But little time is left you to decide.
It was ten o'clock when you drank the
wine. It is now five minutes past the
hour. In twenty-five minutes you
will cease to breathe.'
" He drew out his watch and placed it
on the table. It lay in a patch of the
blood-red light from the window. I
glanced at it vaguely, and saw that its
hands marked five minutes past ten. I
watched it while the slender bars of
steel moved over five minutes more o
my life, and then gazed up at my de
stroyer's face. It had faded to the color
of ashes, and his eves met mine with a
look of horror. Vile as he was he could
not see me die unmoved.
4 "Salvatore!' he cried, ten minutes
past ten.'
" I smiled at him in triumph. With
the abyss of the hereafter yawning at
feet my soul was calmer than his. There
was a dead silence in the room, broken
only by the soughing of the wind
through the vines at the window. The
poison seemed to be benumbing my
senses. Through a mist that beclouded
my eyes I saw Argelo's face growing
ghastlier ever moment, and the wntch
lying in the blood-red stain. I heard
him cry out agaia in a piercing accent,
4 Salvatore, fifteen minutes past ten.'
Then I sank into partial unconscious
ness." " Once again I heard Angelo's voice as
in a dream : 4 Salvatore, twenty minutes
past ten.'
"Then there seemed to be a sudden
confusion and a shrill outcry from
women's voices. In a hazy way I saw
the Catalonian servant enter the room,
followed by Pauline. I heard her voice
in wild entreaty. I saw her kneeling at
Angelo's feet, and I saw his pale face
bent over her in awful emotion. Then
En arm was passed about my neck and
a glass put to my lips. In a few moments
more I recovered my senses and looked
about me. The first object that I saw
was the watch marking twenty-eight
minutes past ten. The next was my be
trothed wife kneeling beside me.
"'Thank God, you are safe!' cried
Pauline. 4 Your cousin Angelo has
saved your life as he did mine. May
heaven reward him.'
"I glanced at Angelo and our eyes
met.
" 4 Yes,' I muttered, 4may heaven re
ward him.'
"'Pauline,' said Angelo, in a low,
hoarse voice, 4 leave us together for a
moment. He will recover, I ewear to
you. Go, I have only a word to say to
him.'
" When they had left the room he ap
proached me, and looking at me for a
mo'iient in silenee:
44 'Salvatore.' said he. with a writh
ing lip, 4 1 have lost my game lost it
through my love. The 'atalonian sus
pected more than I told her. Her con
science smote her and she hastened to
inform Pauline of her suspicions.
Pauline knows nothing of the truth.
She believes that she has wronged me,
that you were taken suddenly ill, and
that I saved your life. I thought my
self invincible. I was, to all but her
voice. I loved her too well to deny her
even my own chances of winning her.
Can you respect such a love? Can you
balance it against your bate of me, and
let what has paised be buried forever
from her knowledge? Salvatore,' the
man's voice trembled and bis eye grew
dim, 'what I carry iu my own he.irt
will revenge you amply; will you let
her keep her respect for me?"
"His miserv melted everv sterner
feeling of my heart.
" 'Angelo, I said, with emotion, 4 she
shall never know the truth.'
" 'Thank vou.' he muttered, wrinflinir
my hand. 4 You deserve the happiness
which is in store for you.'
" With these words he left the room.
On the next day he disappeared from
the city and was never heard of again.
"This, signor, is the history of the
half-hour. The poison left no trace
upon me, except this white hair. My
wife believes that some sudden stranee
illness caused it. To me it is the re
membrance of the most mournful and
most terrible period of my life."
How Ueneral Simpsou Served a Bully.
When the allies occupied Paris the
French officers, at all timea superior
with the small sword and equal with
the pistol to Englishmen, took everv
opportunity to insult the officers be
longing to the army of occupation, and
it has been alleged that there was a club
of Frenchmen, the members of whica
had sworn to devote their lives to the
killing off one by oneot the English
officers.
There was one Frenchman who
boasted of having kill-id a dozen of
English officers, and promised to go on
n this work. One evening he swag
gered as usual into his cafe, and to bis
astonishment actually saw one of those
hated Anglais occupying his chair; a
chair, be it remembered, that no one
hitherto had dared to sit upon except
himself. Mastering his passion he un
did his sword belt, and having p.aced
his sword on one side began to insult
the perfectly inoffensive English officer
who sat so unconscious looking in bis
(the Frenchman's) chair. He trod upon
the English toes, be deprived the Eng
lishman of his candles, be went from
one thing on to another without at all
being able in the least apparently to dis
turb the other's placidity. At last be
snatched the newspaper out of the Eng
lishman's band, and then the Briton
slowly rose up, displaying to the aston
ished eyes of the Gaul a guardsman
some six feet six inches high. The
giant, bending across the table, seized
hold of the Frenchman's nose with one
hand and bis chin with the other, and,
wrenching bis mouth open, spat down
bis throat. With a bowl the French
man, holding bis under jaw with both
hands, ran out of the room. His jaw
was broken, and neither be nor any of
bis comrades were seen again at that
cafe. We may as well add that the
English officer who thus made an ex
ample oi a bully was the late General
Sir J ames Simpson, who for a time com
manded in the Crimea, and who from
the day be joined the service until bis
death was the tallest officer in the Brit
ish army. Outturn's United Service
Magazine,
If a man is weary of life let him start
out of New York on a steamboat. Death
by one's own band is a co wardly under
taking. New Orltant Picayune.
TIMELY TOPICS.
The German'own Telegraph suggests
that our agricultural societies, which
give so many and high premiums for
fast trotting horses, might at least spare
a little for the encouragement of the
food which the noble animal is to eat.
Premiums for well-grown hay, clean
hay, hay from improved grasses, and
well-manaed hay fields, it thinks,
would surely be objects worthy the
attention of even a State agricultural
society.
A wretched woman, brought lately to
a London police court, proved to be the
wife of an ex-officer of the army. She
is of excellent birth, has been presented
at court, and is very accomplished, hut
can't keep from the gin bottle. The
name was studiously concealed. The
magistrate suggested an inebriate asy
lum but it was explained that her con
sent was necessary and that she
wouldn't give it. Ultimately her husband
came for her.
Forestry, so neglected in this country,
now receives very careful attention in
France as well as Germany. One of the
French under secretaries of state is di
rector of forests, and has a large staff.
An eminent French scientist, who com
plains that meteorologists too often neg
lect observations on animal or vegetable
physiology, recommends that the dates
ot the arrival and departure of migra
tory birds, the leafing and flowering of
plants, and the ripeningrf corn shall be
noted in each district. Notes, too, are
to be made by foresters of such natural
history phenomena as fall within their
notice.
The rate of increase in population of
seventy-two cities in the United States
during the decade is 34 HO rer cent.
Denver shows the maximum rate 61 1
per cent. The gain in San Francisco is
nearly half as much as that of Brook
lyn, and that ot New York is 6,910
more than the whole population of San
Francisco. The following is a table
showing absolute gains in population :
New York, 234 2R9; Philadelphia, 167,
978; Brooklyn, 159,594: Chicago. 17.
023; St. Louis. 64,130; Boston. 101 474;
Baltimore, 62.644: Cincinnati, 9 914;
San Francisco. 77,877; Pittsburg, 92,939.
Total, 1,160,651.
The terrible explosion in South Wales,
by which at least 118 livej were lost,
adds another to that long line of disas
ters which the inventive genius of Davy
and Stephenson has been powerless to
avert, in horror this colliery accident
approaches nearlv to that of Lundhill,
where, in 1857, ISO miners perished, or
to the calamity at Hartley, when 202
men were bu ied alive by the destruc
tion of the shaft. The responsibility in
litis instance may never be known, but
there is a certain timeliness in the news
that tho British employers and work
people have come to terms in regard 'o
the bi;l to determine tin degree oi lia
bility in the event of accidents. In ac
cordance with this agreement a systuin
of insurance may be established by em
ployers which will proveof mutual ad
vantage to them and the laborers
Agricultural statistics show that
in the last fifteen years the production
of wheat and barley iu the United States
lias doubled ; that, of corn, cotton and
tobacco more than doubled ; potatoes
nearly doubled; hay increased more
than one-third and oats about 110,000,
OiiO bushels. The vatt increase in
cereals is niainlf due to the rapid devel
opment of the Western and Northwes
tern States. During the present gener
ation the corn-center has been transfer
red from the South to the West, and
the wheat-center from the Middle States
to the far West. From 1870 to 1878 the
production of tobacco increased lOit.000
000 pounds, mainly in the South; while
Texas and Arkansas have been the chief
contributors to the increase of two and
a quarter million pounds oi cotton in
the same time. In the former 157,000,
000 were raised in 1870. and 500,000.000
in 1878; in the latter 1 12,000,000 pounds
in '70, and 318,000,000 in '78.
Ever since the mutiny of 1867 the peo
ple of British India have been disarmed,
though generally in villages bordering
upon a forest one or two inhabitants are
licensed to carry a matchlock, which,
although useful in driving off hogs, is of
small value in tiger slaying. This,
therefore, becomes especially the busi
ness of the magistrate of the district.
Consequently, when a tiger appears in
the neighborhood, one or two officials
pitch their camp in his neighborhood,
but are often thwarted for weeks by his
cunning, and sometimes do not get him
at all. A man-eating tiger is abnor
mally suspicious, and is off at the slight
est alarm. When once a tiger has be
come a man-eater be seems to care only
for man, and perhaps ou this account
usually comes off rather short ot food,
and when killed seldom presents a pros-
Eerous appearance. Not one tiger in a
undred. however, is a man-eater: but
ome let one of this sort get near a vil
lage, and it has often happened that the
wuole of the inhabitants will, after re
peated losses, in despair, move en masse
to a neighboring town for safety. ThU
has frequently happened in Central In
dia, but is cow rare.
The Electoral Vote.
The electoral vote of each State in
the United States is cquai to the number
of Senators and Representatives to which
it is entitled in Congress. The follow
ing is the electoral vote of each State at
present.
Alabama 10 Mississippi 8
Arkansas 6 Missouri 15
California 6 Nebiaska
Colorado.
3 Nevada 3
Connecticut . .
Delaware....
florid
Georgia
Illinois ,
Udiaca
Iowa
6 New Hampshire.... 6
3 New Jarooy ......... 9
4 New Yoik 35
11 North Carolina 10
21 Obio 'II
15 Orison 3
11 Pennsylvania 29
Konsag 6 Kliode Island
.. 4
Kentuoky 12
iouisiuuu H
Maine 7
Maryland 8
Mawachusetts . . . . 13
Michigan 11
MiuueooU .... ... 5
South Carol iua 7
Tennessee 13
IVxaa 8
Vermont ,. .. 6
Virginia H
Vest Virginia 5
Wisconsin 10
Total 369
"Where is your other shirt?" she
aaked, in a tone ot concern. " I have it
on," be replied, calmly, and then be
gazed into his wife's lace with a look of
quiet endurance, and went down to the
office to get out the fipex.Hawkeye.
The Use of Oaths.
The London Standard publishes the
following summary of the dedications
of allegiance made by members of the
lezislatUres of the couhtries mentioned :
In France, since the abolition of t he em
pire on the fourth of September, 1870, no
oath or affirmation has beevx adminis
tered in any form to members of the
legislature of the republic Nor is
there any formality which might be re
garded as an equivalent. Under the
empire new members made a declara
tion to the following effect: "I swear
fidelity to the emperor and the consti
tution." But the name of the Deity was
not included.
The members of the German parlia
ment take no oath, nor do they make
any affirmation whatsoever. The mem
bers of the Prussian, and most other
state parliaments, take an oath of loy
alty beginning with the words: 4,I
swear by God the Omnipotent and
Omniscient," and concluding with the
words, 44 so may God help me." To
this latter formula those who wish it
may add, "through Jesus Cbr'st, to
eternal bliss. Amen." Any one refusing
to take the oath, or commenting upon
it would undoubtedly be excludes from
the Prussian and other state parlia
ments. In conformity, however, with
the laws regulating the administration
ofoaths in civil and criminal courts,
an exception would be made in the
case of persons belonging to recognized
theistio religious communities, who,
like certain Mennonite and Jewish
sects, regard the name of the Deity as
too awful to be invoked in the trans
action of secular business. In these
cases a simple affirmation would be re
garded as equivalent to an oath. The
omission oi any oath in the German
parliament is occassioned by the wish
to avoid the delicate question ns to the
amount of loyalty due to the emperor,
in contradistinction to state sovereigns.
By the law passed on the 15th of May,
1868, Parliamentary oaths were abol
ished in Austria, and a simple affirma
tion was substituted. The first para
graph of the standing orders of the A is
trian reichsrath reads as follows:
" New members, on entering either of
the two houses, have, on the president's
challenge, in plpce of taking an oath,
to promise loyalty and obed.ence to the
emperor, inviolable observance of the
constitution, as well as of all other
laws, and concicntious fulfillment of
their duties." Upon the president
reading words to this effect, tho new
member simply replies, "I promise."
Article? thirty-seven and thirty-eight
rJ the rules of the Spanish congress say
that deputies, before they ean t ike their
seats, shall mnke the following oath,
which is read aloud by tin secretary of
the congress, all present standing: "Do
vou swear to observe, and make other
observe, the constitution ol tho Span
ish monarchy? Do you swear fidelity
and obedience to the legitimate King of
Spain, Alfonso XII? "Do you swrar
well and truly to behave in tho mis
sion confided to you by the nation
always and in everything seeking
the weliaro of the nation?" The
deputies then, two at a t!me, ap
proach the table of the president, and
kneeling on his right hand, he remain
ing sitting, they place their hands on the
Gospels lying open before them, and
say, "Yes, 1 do swear;" and the presi
dent then answers: 44 If you do so, may
God reward you, and, if not, may he
call you to account."
The president of tho Italian chamber
of deputies, seeing a nevv deputy in liis
place says: "I invite tho honorable
trentleman to tnke the oath in the form
following: 4 1 swear to be faithful to
the king, and to observe loyally the
fundamental statute and the other laws
of the state, with a single view to the
inseparable welfare of the king and the
country.' " The new deputy then, in
his place, stretches out h's right hand
and pronounces the one word, " Giuro,'
(' I swear.")
Ancient Musical Instruments.
Some years ago Captain Willoek,
when engaged in his researches nnnng
the supposed ruins ot Babylon, found a
pipe of baked clay about three inches
long, which, by common agreement of
antiquaries, is of Assyrian workman
ship. This little object can hardly be
less than a ooo years old, and is proba
bly the most ancient musical instru
ment in existence. It has two finger
holes, and when both of these are closed
and the mouth-piece is blown into the
note C is produced. If only one hole is
closed tho sound emitted is E. and if
both are open G is produced. Thus the
notes of this instrument produces the
tonic.the third and the fifth that is, the
intervals of the common chord, the notes
which, sounded together, form what Is
termed by musicians the harmonic
triad.
Here is at once established a certain
coincidence between our music and that
which must have existed during the
Babylonian captivity a coincidence
which to be sure a priori reasoning
might go far to establish, but never so
convincinelv to non-scientific under
standings as does the evidence of this
insignificant Dioe. The least observant
student of the art remains found among
the ruined cities of the Assyrian and
Babylonian plains cannot f to be
struck with the evidence which they af
ford of a strong and widely diffused
musical culture among the Mntireu
races who inhabited them. The Ire
quent introduction in mural paintings
and bas-reliefs of instruments of music,
the representations of concerts and long
processions of musicians, the repeated
allusions in the Bible to the musical
habits and skill of the people of Baby
Ion. all point to a sineular development
ot the art oi music. In the opinion of
Rawhnson, the Assyrians were superior
in musical skill, as they were in every
form of culture, to the Egypiians them
selves, and the Assyno-Babylonian
music was, there is little reison to
doubt, an early and yet a highly devel
oned form of the Asiatio tvee of musio
a type which possesses to this day
most extensive and most characteristic
developments among the slow-changing
nations of Asia. If we are asked for
moro positive proofs of the advance of
music aaong this nation, we point to
tho umistakab'e evidence afforded by
the constructional complication ot many
of their instruments We have from
among the ruins of Nineveh countless
representations of the harp, with strings
varying in number from ten to twenty,
six: of the lvre, identical in structure
though not in shape, with the lvre of
Greece; anaoi au instrument oiuering
from any known to modern musicians.
It was harp-shaped, was held horizon'
tall v. and the strings, six 4o ten in cum
ber, were struck by a plectrum held in
the right band it has been called the
eior.from its reismblance to the Hebrew
instrument of that name, we lino
frequent representations oi a guuar-
shaped instrument, and or a aouoio
pipe with a single mouth-piew, and
finger-holes on each pipe". Besidesthese
the Assyrians had musical bells, trum
pets flutes, drums, cymbals and tam-
borines. Almost every ono oi ineso
InBlrumonta either 111 ita oriffinal form
or sliehtly modined, is in tlse to this day
hv tome one Asiatio or Atricarl nation.
The ancient Greeks adopted the lyre
and the double pine; the former is still
used by the Abyssinians under the name
of kissar (Greek, kithara.) The double
pipe the present writer nas ni'oseii sceu
in ticohv tho Knutmpn nt the Nile. The
guitar of the Abyssinians is probably
identical with the long-necked guitar or
tambora depicted on both Egyptian
and Assyrian monuments, and still in
use all over the East and even in Hin
dostan. The ancient Assyrian harp is
re i arkable for not having the 44 front
pillar" which completes the triangle in
the European barp, and this apparent
defect of construction is characteristic
of every sort of harp employed in Asia
at this day. On Assyrian bas-reliefs we
find representations of concerts, in
which several of these instruments are
taking part. In one, for instance, we
see seven harps, two oouoie pipes,
drum, and the above-mentioned asor.
New Quarterly Magazine.
Drawing, Hanging and quartering.
There appears to be much misappre
hension existing as to the English pun
ishment 'or treason, pnd this may be a
fitting occasion on which to point out
that the sentence of decapitation, pure
and simple, is one unknown to the Eng
lish law (t?r the innovations oi tue
Long parliament and commonwealth, of
course, legally go tor nothing;, ine
same doom ot drawing, hanging, evis
ceration, dismemberment and quarter
ing was passed on peer and peasant
alike (of course, I except the fair sex,
whose invariable sentence was combus
tion), but constitutional lawyers held
that, inasmuch as the sovereign could,
in his mercy remit the whoie of the
penalty, so bo had the power to dis
pense with any part. Thus, usually in
the case of peers and connections ol
noble families, decapitation was, by the
king's grace, all that was exacted. The
soundness of this theory of the royal
prerogative was doubted by Lord Wil
liam Kussell in the case cf Lord Staf
ford, executed for alleged complicity in
the pretended popish plot, in the reign
of Charles II. The rather overrated
husband of Rachel Wriothesley, with a
brutal fanaticism that does not display
his character in a favorable light,
eagerly craved that his political oppon
ent should undergo to the full the
degradation and suffering involved in
his sentence. Charles, however, exer
cised his prerogative. When Lord Kus-
sell s own turn came tor fiu share m tje
Rye House plot, the king again dis
played this peculiar form ot alemency,
accompanying the remission with the
sardonic remark: 44 My Lord Russell
shall now experience that I do indeed
possess that power which lie denied me
n tho case of my Lard fstatlord." tsut
to return. The drawing, as every legal
scholar knows, means the drawing of
the criminal to the place ot execution,
and therefore precedes the infliction of
death. Accordicg to Mr. Justice Black-
stone, vol. iv., 44 drawing" formerly
meant, and formerlv actually involved,
drugging the condemned along the
ground by a rope tied about his legs to
the place of execution; and this torture
the judgment literally ordains. 4'But,"
says the learned author of the 44 Com-
mencanes," " usually a sledge or hurdle
is allowed, to preserve the ononuer
from tho extremo torment of being
dragged on the ground or pavement.
This quaiut view of indulgence seems
of a piece with the same legal sage's
oft-quoted vindication ot the humanity
and propriety of the English nr in the
judgment for treason paised upon wo
men al uded to above. The passage
is worth consulting. The last crimi
nals 44 drawn" to the gallows, were. 1
believe. Colonel Despard ("see ante, pag'-
371). and his gang. As they were to be
executed in the prison in which they
were confined, and as the government
insisted that they should be 44 dvawn,"
this grimly humorous expedient was
bad recourse to. The conventional
sledge or hurdle the body of a cp.rt or
tumoru without the wheels was intro
duced into the prison yard, and the con
do.uncd men entered it in batches of
two at a time (except the colonel who
had the honor of an appearance en seul)
at the door ot the staircase leading to
their cells, and tho vehicle thus making
four trips, its miserable passengers were
drawn across the flagged space to the
foot of tho stairs leading to the tower
on winch they were to die. W hen the
veil. me returned, alter its third journey,
to take up the colonel, that gentleman
remarked and no wonder "Hal ha!
What nonsensical mummerv is this?
The late Dr. Don;n tells us (" London
in the Jacobite Times' ) that when
during the horrid year that followed
the 45, the sledges arrived to receive
their wretched occupants outside tne
gates ol Newgale, to Bet out on their
uh-istly progress to Tyburn or Kenning
ton common, the polite keener of the
tail would announce the tact to the
moribund in these courteous terms
14 Now, gentlemen, if you are quite
ready, your carriages are at the door.
noieaana Queries.
The Orlentler Poisonous.
It Lis stated that the oleander is
deadly poison, and may frequently prove
a treacherous loncnmir it not careiuuy
watched. It is one of our most beauti
ful window plants when covered with
its large rose-like blossoms, but in
these blossoms the weapon of death
resides. A case is recorded of a child
having eaten a few flowers and being
poisoned by the same. The annals of
the Peninsular war states that 44 a num
ber of French soldiers went out foraging
near Madrid, returned laden with the
fruits of their search. One of the nuin
ber, with a view oi securing some
wood to mako skewers for the meat,
cut a quantity of oleander bows. and.
having stripped them of t he bark, used
the wood in the meat. The result was.
that out of twelve who ate of the roast
seven died, and the rest wero dancer-
ously ill." The poisonous principal is
bo subtle that its exhalations alone are
sufficient to cause serious accidents, and
even death, to those who recline or bleep
tor any uo e unoer ineir innuence. II
exists equally in every part of the plant,
uuv u is conaiueraoiy weasenea dv cut
.1 t! . T " T7 -I
wvauuu. .urat itw luTKer.
A new. rich and larse coral bank hai
been discovered ten miles south of the
cot.it el bolarra, Italy.
Tho 0 Ion.
How dear to my heart re the scenes ol Ber
muda, When fond reiollectl ns present them to
view
The rosy tomato, the bright-eyed potato,
The tear-drawing onion whioh flavors the
tew;
That folly round onion,
That tilver-tkinned onion,
The sweet scented onion whioh grew In the
isle.
How sweet from the hot frying pan to reoeive
It,
As poised on my fork it incliued to my lips;
Not a lull state dinner would tempt me to
leave it,
Though ooupled with neotar that Jupiter
sips;
That Jolly round union,
That silver-ekinned onion,
The sweet-scented onion whioh grew ta the
isle.
And now lav removed from that loved situa
tion,
Tears of regret will intrusively flow,
As lancy reveita to Bermuda plantations,
And sighs for the union wherever we go;
Thut jolly round onion,
That silver-skinned onion,
That sweet-scented onion which grew in the
hie. Lawrence American.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
About 3 000 watches are sold every
day in the United States.
Four-pound sweet potatoes is Florida s
showing this season.
A small boy would rather bust a pa
per bag than be president. moaern
Argo.
The Chinese have named their war
vessels atter the letters of the Greek
alphabet.
A good many Scotch and English.
with money enough, are settling in
Manitoba.
Two-thirds of the world s trouble lies
between an extinguished light and the
edge of the bed.
A vounir man in Iowa has become
partly demented by his vain efforts to
raise a mustache.
Eighteen thousand Norwegians are ex
pected to make the United States their
home this year.
At the Swiss universities this year
the female students have carried oil
most ot the prizes.
A Chicago woman accidentally killed
her son while shooting at a target, and
is insane with griei.
It was the man caught by a prairie fire
on his own section ot land who ran
through his property rapidly.
The skipper who lost bis dog over
board remarked that his bark was on the
troubled seas. Lowell Sun.
The baso drum player makes more
noise than anybody else, but he doesn't
lead the band. There is a moral to this.
Steubenville Herald.
A man arrived in Leadville with a
white shirt on a few days ago. and the
governor had to put the city under mar
tial law at once.
Au impecunious man generally desig
nates a ten-dollar note as a 44 William,"
because he is not on such terms of famil
iarity with it as would entitle him to
call it 44 Bill."
Ninety-cne cities in tho United States
havo a population of over 8,000.000. or
about one-sixth of the whole popula
tion, and this does not include cities
with less thi.n so.ooo population.
To divert nt any time a troublesome
fancy, run to thy books; they presently
fix thee to them, and drive the other
out of thy thoughts. They always re
ceive thee with the same kindness.
Saliie Martha Brown Washington
King Greeu Violet Ada Moore Thomp
son, the only daughter ot an aged
colored man in the Natural Bridge dis-
rict, v irginia, is memded in the present
United States census.
A Nebraska Sunday-school was on a
railroad excursion. A bov leaned out
ot a car window and tired a revolver at
the same instant that a girl put her
head out at another window, and the
bullet killed ber.
John Geis was buried at Rochester in
a coffin which he bad kept in bis house
eighteen years for daily contemplation.
ins lain n y uau inreatcnea to nave it
removed, but his threat to haunt them
after death deterred them.
A lawyer wrote 44 rascal " on the bat
of a brother lawyer, who on discover
ing it entered a complaint in open
court against the trespasser, who be
said bad not only taken bis hat, but
bad also written bis own name in it.
The largest pump factory in the
world is suid to be that of the Southern
Pump company, at East Mashvihe,
lenn.. where a complete pump is turned
out every two minutes Their works
cover fourteen acres and employ 225
men.
The skull and horns of an uncom
monly large mountain ram were found
imbedded in a pine tree in Idaho. It is
supposed that the beast was caught and
starved in the tree when it was a sap
ling, leaving bis bead to be overgrown
by the wood.
A young lady of Iowa, Miss Annie
Conde, was lately married. We have
heaid at some timeot an ancient dame
who was tempted in the garden of
Eden by a serpent, but this is the first
occasion that has occurred to notice of
a man being willingly embraced in
the coils of an anaconda. Waterloo Ob
server.
Now is the time when the eentle
housewife beseechcth ber husband to
write "raspberry" labels for her canned
fruit, which she proceeds to paste on
her jars containing strawberries, and
the argument will not take pkee until
next winter when the company is as
sembled for the feast. Kokonto Tribune.
Seme cynical tlderly people say there
are no inducements for a young m n to
marry in these days, but tbey are
wrong. Where are all those nice l'ttle
inducements that our young men spend
four evenings in a week with, and call
on between times t tee if th3y didn't
leave their cane behind the door?
Aluldlttown Transcript.
" If every one's internal care
Were written oa hia brjw.
How many would our piiy share
That have our euv now!
The lalal seoret when reveal'd
Ol evaiy aotiiug brtut
Would abow 'ta. oaiy when eoaecal'd
Their lot appeared ia bett, '