Willi
HENRY A.v PARSONS, ir., Editor and Publisher.
. NIL DESPEUANDUM.
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. XI.
MDGWA Y, ( ELK COUNTY, PA!, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1881.
NO.. 34.
r
'I
Tlio Farmer's Corn,
At early dawn, whon o'er the leavea
The hoar-frost creeps and steals their bloom,
When trees stand Btiflf in gloom
Beneath the sunless morn,
Old Farmer John salutos his slioavea
Of ripened corn. ;
Bright jewels 'mong the stubblo gleam,
And sparkle from his careless tread,
And gossamer, outspread,
Enrobes tho naked thorn;
But Parmer John, to all a-dream,
, Moves through his corn.
' Tho startled hare before him springs,
And down tho furrow speeds like wind,
Whilo cri.'p leaves spirt behind;
The yellow mists, upborne,"
Skim o'er tho valo on noiaolcss wings
Above the oom.
But Farruor John with anxious oy-os
The struggling streaks of dawn surveys,
And through the spreading haze
ThRt veils tho face of morn
A blood-red rim ho toes arise
To gvcot his corn.
And fear creeps through his trembling veins
As tho rising snn dilates in red,
And as each mountain's head
His ciimsnn hues adorn,
John quakos to think the coming rains
; May swamp his coin.
Still high o'oihead tho waning moon
Reveals a patch of clearing blue,
And hopo comes peering through
With Luna's welcomo horn,
That yot a fnvoriug sky at noon
Will bless tho corn.
The changeful sun, erst steeped in Are,
Behold, pours forth rich amber streams
Tiiat quench with bright joy-gleams
Tho frowns his face had worn,
For heaven nnd he may now conspire
To save tho corn.
Soc, o'or tho cast a golden mantle's flung!
Fust move the mists from out the north,
An:! ai tho winds come forth,
To little shreds are torn
The great cloud-masses that o'crhnng
The golden corn.
And lo! the wakened crows soar high;
How nrrow-ptraight they upward fly
O'er bits of dappled sky,
And leave tho earth forlorn!
While clouds of lazy rooks float by
The tempi ing corn.
What smiles sleep in the farmer's eyes!
To-day ho'll "in" that precious'grain,
For lie knows the dreaded rain
Such boilings dare not scorn.
So, whistling thanks to sun and skies,
lie loaves the corn.
The Parson's New Coat.
Tie village of Buzzville having gone
Btefcly through tho canning and pre
serving season ; having with praise
worthy zeal carried off the palm as re
garded tho "annual county fair," ovor
and abive the t-umjuiiding towns ; hav
iug shone ciirpicuouslyin an elaborate
"harvest, fe:.tivul" for their church and
yet surviving, now cast about for other
worlds to conquer before settling down
for the winter.
"Our minister needs anew coat," said
Miss Mirandy Stebbins, rattling her
knitting-needles iu huge delight at first
producing an idea; "he does, most
dretful bad," an that's a fact. Ilain't
any .of you noticed how shiny it's got?"
Sue cast a reproachful glance on all of
the circle who, while they waged war
on unbleached cotton and red flannel,
also carried on admirably the war with
their tongues and then proceeded :
"An I say it's a cryin' shame to see him
git up in that pulpit another Sunday
with that old coat on. Somethin' must
donn. I'm awful glad I thought of it."
"You hain't thought of it any quick
er'n anybody else," spoke up little Mrs.
B tehee, a" stout, buxom matron, with
flaming cheeks ; and hor black eyes
flashed volumes. "'Tain't alwus talkin
folks gits tho first idea, I've ben a-think-in
of that tama thing for some time
sow," she added, with a venomous snap
at the) p'acid figure behind the rattling
needles. "An' I shall do my best to git
the parfon ono," sho added, tho best
rye- bread premium, which MissMirandy
had successfully carried oft' before her
very eyes at tbe county fair, urgiDg her
on. .
"I fhall begin a subscription right
straight off, this very minute," cried
Miss Mirnndy, with great determina
tion, and starting from her chair, ignor
ing her rival completely. "How much
will you give, Mrs. Bassett?" she asked,
going into the center of the group to at
tack tho "Sqiaro's wife." .. . .
"An' I shall start ono, with my own
name first, before I ask other folks to
give," exclaimed little Mrs. Bisbee, tri
umphantly, with an unpleasant laugh
atMis3 Mirandy, who was known to be
"tight as the bark of a tree." "I'll give
five dollars," she added, in a loud voice,
determined to go without her new win
tor bonnet sooner than that her rival
should carry the day.
"An I'll join you with another five,"
spoke up the "Square's wife," looking
past Miss Mirandy to the stout little
figure with flaming cheeks. "Now, then,
Mrs. Bisbee, that's a good start, I'm
sure."
There was no show now'for tho spin
ster's side, since, for various reasons of
her own, tho "Square's wife" had gone
over to her rival. So she stalked back
to her rocking-chair grimly, took up her
knitting work, and watohed, as best she
might, the subscriptions grow enthusi
astically under other hands than her
pwn. 7 - - . -- .
, At last, as the laughter and excite
ment progressed on all sides, she was
utterly unable to bear it another mo
ment longer, and jumping up, she mum
bled something about "must be home,"
and flounced out of the room.
"I'm glad ho gone," said the
" Square's wife," as. the door closed
after the retreating form of the spinster;
"I am sick to death of havin' you
always come to me for subscriptions ;
an' sho never gives the first cent her
elf." "She wouldn't see the need of the
parson's coat, if she had to open that
pocketbook of hern," said a tall, square-
built matron, who looked as if she had
plenty of opinions of her own, and
could express them when occasion re
quired.
" Gracious 1" ejaculated little Mrs
Bisbco, with a short laugh ; " who ever
see that pocketbook anyway ? . I never
did, an' I don't b'lieve any of you have
eitner." ,
"A cent's as big as a cart-wheel to
her," said the big square woman, who
didn't love Miss Mirandy to death.
"It all runs in the family. They
wouldn't any of 'cm open their months
to breathe, if they didn't get somethin'
at the same time they giv it out."
" Well, she won't put anythin' in her
mouth this time," observed the
" Square's wife," laughing, and Bottling
nacK comfortably, "its the hrst sewm'
meetin', I guess, whero she's gone home
before tea."
" An it means somethin' to pro home
before tea from Mrs, Deacon Higby's,"
exclaimed little Mrs. Bisbee, enthusi
astically, with an energetio bob of her
black curls over at the hostess. "So
shes lost her cake an' credit, too."
" I don't know," said Mrs. Deacon
Higby, deprecatingly, though she wrig
gled all over with delight at the implied
praise to her gunners. "Mv douehnuts
ain't so light as usual, an' the loaf cake
aint riz quito as Id like it. The
deacon came home last night in a chill
an' I ran in the midst of tverythin' to
give him a canifire sweat. So I didn't
hev as good luck as I set ont to hev."
Notwithstanding theso lamentable
failures, the round, oomfortablo visage
of Mrs. Deacon Higby presented a
series of rippling smiles that threat
ened to eclipse every feature of her ex
pressive face, while she smoothed her
fat hands complacently together.
"Oh, well, you can talk," said little
Mrs. Bisbee, energetically, and begin
ning to count up hor list of subscrip
tions to tho parson's new coat, "but we
all know, as well as the next one, what
your cookin' is. Fifteen, twenty, twenty
one, no, twenty-two Mrs. Spencer
Higginson's makes t wenty-twc twenty
five, twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-one
tbirhy-one and a quarter. Oh, dear 1
what a pity 'twarn't just thirty-two."
Til make it up," said the "Square's
wife," quickly, enjoying tho distinction
of being the only woman in the room
to whom a dollar or two more or less
diJn't make a matter worth a moment's
consideration. Now, then, thirty-two
dollars ought to git a first-rate article.
Where'll we buy it ? that's tho ques
tion." Hereupon ensued a lively discussion,
tlio deacon's wifo favoring employing
thi) village tailor, and, as he was second
consiu to her husband, family reasons
niilit have something to do with her
opibico. Some of the ladies falling in
with her, the idea would soon have
bc-c-n ev Tried, but for the warlike, de
termined attitude of tho other party,
who decidedly favored the coat being
made c ut of town.
"Twill be lots more stylish," said
Mrs. BasKftt, the "Square's wife," with
an undeniable air that took immensely.
" I shan't approve iu the least its being
done here. When we give apythiug,
let's give a good ono. How should w e
fool to see the parson up in the pulpit
with anything but the best on I"
Ti e view of the parson from his high
perch dispensing spiritual thiDgs, with
anything less than a town mado coat
adorning his person, was a sight that
even in imagination eo ruled tho circle
with disfavor that the whole roomful in
a body went over immediately to the
si1o of the " Square's wife." All but
Mrs. Deacon Higby. She remained
firm, while the round visage lengthened
ominously, and tbe little eves snapped.
" An if you think 'Biah Williams
would make any but a good coat, you're
much mistaken," she cried, with indig
nation. "I must take back my sub
scription then, for the deacon never'd
hear to my given' his second cousin on
his mother's sido seen an insult, ef tho
pareon never saw a coat." And, all her
feathers in filed, she sat straight up, and
glared at them all.
Now it never would do to offend
Deacon Higby in all the world ; every
body saw that at a glance; so, with many
sidelong looks at each other, each lady
began to cast ubout how she might
gracefully wriggle back on to the other
side without arousing the wrath of the
"Square's wife."
"Is'pose we had orter employ our
own church people," said little Mrs.
Bisbee, thoughtfully, seeing no one
else was willing to 'take it up. " An',
besides," she added, brightly, " p'r'ups,
seein' it's for the parson, 'Biah Williams
may do it considerable cheaper. So
we'll save a good deal."
"I don't know whether he will or
not," said the deacon's wife, sturdily.
" I ain't in 'Biah's business, an' I ain't
a-goin' to say what I don't knownothin'
about. Bat I do say, if the job is taken
away from him, an' he a church mem
ber in good an' regular standin', to give
it out down in the city, why, the deacon
'11 be so mad he won't git over it in one
spell, I can tell you I"
" Yes, I do think," said little Mrs.
Bisbee, reflectively, and giving a swift,
comprehensive look at the "Sqaure's
wife" at the same time that she ad
ministered, under the big table where
the work was being cut out, an admoni
tory pinch on that lady's toes, "that
probably 'Biah Williams won't charge
near so much. We don't know, you
know, but probably he won't. An'
then, besides, 'twould look rather queer
to hev" us go outside, you know, to git
some one else to do the work. They'd
think the 'First church in Buzzville'
had quarreled, maybe ;" and she fin
ished up with a laugh,
" So they would, so they would,"
cried every lady present, delighted to
find that some one else had done them
the good service of whirling them over
safely. " We wouldn't go out of Buzz
ville for anythin' ; an' 'Biah Williams
is jott the one to do it," they added, de
termined to do nothing by halves.
Ho oil having been poured upon the
troubled waters of Mrs Deaoon Higby's
spirit, she considered her husband's
family honor to be thoroughly vindi
cated, and resuming her former jolly
expression, she set aoout preparing to
pass around the fragrant tea and the
abundance of good cheer that accom
panied it ; and a committee of three-
Mrs, Squire Bassett. Mrs. Bisbee. and
In compliment to her relationship to
me aioresaia 'iJian Williams, Mrs,
Deacon Higby was unanimously ap
pointed to confer with the tailor and
order the coat.
Feeling quite sure at this point that
duty had been done and full reparation
for any fancied insult ' to the deacon's
family pride had been made, they one
and all, in a highly exalted frame of
mind, energetically set to work on the
supper,
" I nover see such eaters," said a muf
fled voico. The remark was addressed.
in the depths of a big closet full of all
sorts of family lumber and cast-off arti
cles, to another person who, like the
owner of the voice, was crammed in a
most uncomfortable position up against
the door that led into the " keepin'-
room whore tne sewing sooiety was
convened. "Whacketyl if we should
eat so much, I guess ma 'd whip us.
Just look at Miss Bassett stuff I''"
Thereupon the other figure bounced
up with great difficulty to get a good
view from the keyhole. When he had
gotten his eye fixed, he drew a long
breath. "Whew I don't sho, though!
An' see Miss Henderson I Her nose is
a yard long. Look at her bite into that
biscuit 1'
" Let me see let me see,"'exolaimed
the boy on tho floor, crowding un to
push the other away from the keyhole.
mat s my place, uet away, Tom, I
say. I want to see."
"'iam't your place any more n ''tis
mine," retorted the other, in an awful
whisper that but for the rattle of cups
and saucers going ou on tho other side
of the door must needs have been
heard. " The closet b'longs to both of
us ; so of course the kev-hole does."
"Well. I want to see once." said the
first boy, waiving the point of exclu
sive rights ; "so git away, or I'll hol
ler ;" and he gave a smort push to the
figure enjoying a view of the society
that caused it to take its eye quickly
away from tho key-hole, while he re
sented his wrongs.
"If you do, you wont git nothin'
only a whackin', an' I'll cut an' run," he
ilcclared, savagelv, dumping down into
the vacated place on the floor. " So do
look it you want ter; then you've got
to give the place back."
' bhe s beeinmn on another," cried
the victor, as loudly as he dared. "Oh!
my jum-zies ! I say, Tom "
", bat r said Tom, gloomily, on tho
floor.
"There won't be a scran left for us
if they keep on catin' like that, The
riz cake's ugoin' just awful ! Let's eo
out in the back yard and holler' fire,'
an' start 'em home."
"Oh no, we mustn't," cried Tom, in
alarm ; " that will spoil the whole.
They can't eat much more," he added.
decidedly. "An' then, after we've had
our supper, we'll start an' tell all wo
know. Hum t we heard lots? ' he asked.
enthusiastically.
"Lots 1" declared his brother; "Iauess
we have. Just twice as much as we did
at last B'ciety; then 'twas all about
Jinny Ann Bogers; that wasn't no fun
at all."
"Let's go to Cousin 'Biah's first." said
Tom, eagerly, ''an' mad him all un; an'
then we'll cut 'cross lots to Miss
MiiandyV. Let's, Joe."
"All right," said Joe. "I don't care
which one wo go to first. Oh, dear ! I
wish they was through."
Jjut before he could plaster his mlo
blue eye up to the key hole again, the
enterprising Thomas already had pos
nemon of that outlook ; so he was forced
to content himself with conjuring up
new dark plans on tho floor.
At last they had tho supreme pleasure
of seeing and hearing the biscuits, cake
and tea passed out into the kitchen ;
when, losing no time, they speedily took
themselves out to the charms of a sup
per with no one by to restrain.
Wnen tney had finally eaten till not
another crumb was possible, they each
grasped his cap, and flew as fast as was
possiblo on their pleasant errand.
"1 wouldn't 'a believed it." Mr.
'Biah Williams brought his hand down
hard on his knee, then stared at his
wife.
"I would," she said, spitefully.
' They're a mean, hateful set. It's jest
what I've alwus told you, 'Biah, only
you would have your own way. Now I
guoss you'll go over to the Methodists."
" 1 11 po to the Methodists next Sun
day, Sivah, if you want ter," said Mr.
Williams, decidedly. "I'll jine a
church where the folks ain't too big for
their clothes."
" Ain't too big for your clothes, you
mean," said his wife, with a bitter
laugh, " To think that stuck-up Miss
Bassett, whose father used to peddle
dared turn up her nose at your tailorin' I"
"An that Miss Bisbee, who don t
know what a good coat is when she sees
one," cried the tailor, in the greatest
exasperation, "a-settin herself up to
tell me how much I was to charge ! I
guess I'll learn her how to mind her
own business." And 'Biah got up, and
sticking his big hands in his pockets,
began to stalk up and down ;tho room
in high dudgeon. .
'"Biah!" Mrs. Williams stopped
combing out her scanty locks, and let
ting them string down each side of her
thin face, she eagerly faced her hus
band. " I'll tell you what to do."
"What?" asked her husband, stop
ping in surprise.
" xou charge era just twice as much
as you would 'a .done," eaid his wifo,
Eeering through the two wisps of light
air that hung dismally on either side
of her enraged countenance, "'an git
your pay out of 'em all; an' then you
give it back to tbe parson yourself, when
the coat's done."
" Good for you," cried her husband.
" Hain't you got a head, though I"
And then he was po delighted at her
cnteness that he lifted the two wisps
like pump handles and kissed her.
Meantime, Miss Mirandy Stebbins,
feeling herself overreached in her effort
to be the prominent originator of the
gift to the parson, and defrauded as to
the supper she had counted so much
upon, was doing up her corkscrew curls
in anything but a sweot frame of mind,
preparatory to the sleep that wouldn't
come at her bidding.
" It's outrageous I" she hissed to her
self, her false teeth being out and care
fully placed on the bureau. " I never
was so insulted in my life. That little
fat chunk of a Miss Bisbee, too, to do
it I An' Miss Higby to set by an' see
'em, an' never say a word I I'll be up
to 'em, I will."
Thereupon she blew out the candle,
and flounced her thin frame down into
the middle of her feather-bed, trying to
think of something bad enough to sat
isfy her thirst foi revenge. Suddenly
she sprang into a sitting postnre.
" I'll git straight up now on' write it
down, before I forgit it," she cried, in
great excitement, "for I never '11 git
it into my head so good again."
Aud clambering ont of bed, she groped
around iu the dark to light her candle,
when she proceeded to slip her feet into
some flannel slippers, and herself into
a monstrous bed-gown of wonderful
pattern.
" There, now, what was it? Let me
see," she said, scratching her head with
the end of a rusty penholder that she
had with great dilriculty found, after
much rummaging in the bureau drawer.
"Oh, yes, that was it. Yes, now,
then."
The old pen scraped its way over tho
small mangy piece of paper that Miss
Mirandy considered suitable for the oc
casion, until these words appeared:
"Reverend Mister Blodqett, Deah
Sin," (On second thoughts, consider
ing the "Dear Sir" too familiar, sho
had, with extreme pains, marked it
over, while a blush flew over her Rpare
countenance, and lighted up the dismal
bedgown.)
" Reverend Mister Blodqett, There
be-in' an efort started afoot to give you
a coat, I wish to stato ont of profound
respeck to yourself and Mis. Blodgett
an" here Miss Mirandy, finding still
quito a stock of respect loft within her
bosom, concluded to bestow it liberally,
so she added, with extra flourishes
"an your whole mclusivo family, that I
had the honor to propose the coat, an
should a had tho extreme pleasure of
presentin it in a way suitable to the
ocashun, if that insidious creature Mis.
Sotb. Bisbee hadn't insulted me at the
sewiu society this eveniu at Mis. Dea
con Higby's. Sho started all those la
dies to talk awful ubout me, behind
my back, when I wasn't there; but Tom
and Joe Higby are noble lads, an they've
est bon au tola mo all about it. Ho
pardon my assumption in writin', an be
lieve I would a give ter the coat if I'd
beu let to, an present my respecks to
Mis. Blodgett and ycur eldest daughter
au Sarah Ann, an all the rest.
"lours to command,
"Miranda Steijiiiss."
Miss Mirandy couldn't help reading
this over threo oi four times, she was
s delighted with it. Then she blew
o'it, the licht, and clambered into her
feathers again. .-. .
"On second thoughts, she said, as
she drew up the thick comfortable
around her pparo chin, "I won't send it
now. 1 can atlord to wait, an when the
crat's done, I'll jest git 'Biah Williams
to stick it in one of the pockets That '11
bo 'most as good es helpin'give it;" and
hugely tickled at the turn of affairs, sho
composed her mind and fell asleep.
On tho first Sunday iu December a
bright, beautiful day the " First church
in Buzzville" wss crowded to its utmost
capacity. The presentation had taken
place the evening before, and consisted
in the coat being sent over at the hands
of the tailor's boy, with a note contain
ing the names of the fair donor3.
All eyes and ears were therefore agog
to see the parson ia his new habiii
men'.s, and to hear how he returned
thanks. As he went up the broad aisle
every neck was craned to catch a fight
of the new coat, and many nudges and
smiles were given to express the general
.satisfaction that was bubbling over in
tbe audieneo.
After tho first praver with a few pre
liminary "hems," the parson stood up
and began to unburden his mind of the
deep dnbt of gratitude that seemed to
weigh him down.
" Hem I It cive3 me great pleasure,"
he mumbled; then sought relief in his
handkerchief, which being in tho depths
of his left-hand pocket, required a
" strong pull and a long pull " to get it
out. "Hem I"
Whiz rustle went some small white
object out beneath the parson's hand up
into the air ; then it settled slowly, and
made its way down, down toward the
floor, when it fluttered a moment, lo
land in the second pew from the front,
directly in Deacon Higby's lap. The
two boys leaned past their mother to
see tho sight, and almost laughed aloud.
They didn't laugh again for many a day 1
'llie deacon heard tne concluding
words of Parson Blodgett's acknowledg
ment, who, now that he had his hand
kerchief, was all right; then he slowly
unfolded the paper in his hand and
examined its contents.
Which done, he turned and took a
long, deliberate look at his two sons,
who were placidly observing the erratio
movements of a belated ny on tue ceu-
lnK- ...
Miss Mirandy Stebbin s letter, though
not in the way she had intended, finally
reached the minister's hand, and she
had full revenge ; so also was the soul
of 'Biah Williams fully satisfied.
But those "two noble lads," the
deacon's sons, hod the jolliest whipping
ever known, and it wasn't safo to say
" sewing society" to them for one good
spell. Harper't Jicuar.
Why He Mourned.
The late George Borrow, of England,
was a man of powerful frame and was
six ieei iwo in ueigui wnuuuu uibbuucb.
Having been born at a period when
pugilism was in vogue it was one of
his father's accomplishments--he was
not slow to exercise his pnyweal capaci
ties if the occasion required . it La
menting, when he was verging toward
sixty, that he was childless, he eaid very
mournfully i "I shall soon not be, able
to knock a man down, and I shall have
no son to do it for me.
Oregon's wool crop amounts to 9,000,-
UUU pounds.
Two Pictures.
Many years ago an Italian artist, while
wandering through the streets of his
native city, saw a little boy whose coun
tenance bore a beauty so wondrously
pure that, in contemplating it, he for
got the troubles and anxieties thrust
upon him by pecuniary embarrassments.
" How I should like to portray those
features," ' soliloquized the trtist.
" Will you come to my studio, my lit
tle lad ? I should like so much to paint
your pioturo."
Most willingly the boy accompanied.
tho painter, and soon enjoyed the pretty
sight of another little lad his second
self smiling down upon him from the
artist's easel.
The painter often conk his every
thought in contemplation of the lovely
picture. When the bitterness of life
made him weary of living, he needed
but to lift his eyes to the beautiful pic
ture that graced the wall of his studio,
and its look of innocence and hope
would drive the shadows of despair
from out his heart and fill it with hap
piness. Many were the offers to buy
the portrait of the lovely child ; but
the artist, though often in want, stead
fastly refused to sell "his guardian
angol," as he called him.
. Years passed. Many times as he sat
and gazod upon the blooming beauty
of the face before him, the artist ques
tioned himself as to the probable fate
of the pretty child. " I would like to
see him once again; would liko to sea
how he looks." He would say to him'
self, "I wonder if I would know him?
Has he grown to be a man, good and
true, or a knave a ne'er-do-well; or
dees he dwell iu heaven?" And, as
once again the artist sauntered through
the streets of his beautiful town, he
came upon a youth whose features bore
the stamp of vices so terrible, of a
degradation so low, and an expression so
diabolical, that its sight caused him to
hem his steps. What a pioture ! "How
I should liko to sketch those features
as a contrasting piece to the beautiful,
pure innocence of tho boy I portrayed
years ago," said the artist to himself.
The youth, having noticed the inter
est with which tho artist scanned him,
begged for money, for he was both a
boggar and a thief.
" Come with me to my studio; let me
paint your portait, and I will pay you
what you may demand."
The youth followed the artist. When
the sketch had been completed, and he
had hidden iu his pockets the coins the
artist gavo him, tho beggar turned to
go. As his gaze Jell upon the picture
of the little boy he started us if stung
by a serpent; while his eyes scorned
rivetpd on the painting, he paled as if
in death. It seemed as though he'd
ask a question, but tears appeared to
choke his utterance. He pointed to the
picture, and, throwing himself down on
his knees, ho wept and wailed aloud.
"Man, man, what ails you?' asked
the astonished painter.
"But twenty years ago you bid me
como to you, as now, and then, as now,
you portrayed me; see yonder face was
then mine own ! and now ? You see
me a wreck a ruin a human being,
so degraded that all the pure, tho good,
will turn their faces iu disgust 1"
Tho astonished artist could hardly
credit the testimony of his senses.
" But tell me man, whence this terri
ble change?"
The youth told his sad story : An
only son and of great beauty; his pa
rents spoiled him ; bud companions
taught him tliur vices ; brothels and
gambling dens became his home, until
he had lost his all, and then unable,
or, -lather, unwilling to work, and, as
yet, ashamed to beg, he began to steal ;
caught ia the act, ho was thrown into
prison; and then he went on to tell
hew each bad act appeared to contain
tho germ of another appeared to
create the desire ; aye, the necessity to
commit another and a worse one.
His story, as told by himself, sounded
terrible and brought tears to the paint
er's eyes. He adjured the youth to
give up his felonious career, and offered
hi-t assistance in so doing. His kind
endeavors came too late; sickness, the
conscqaence of vice and dissipation,
threw tLe unhappy youth upon a bed
of pain. He died beforo he had au op
portunity to prove the sincerity of his
repentance.
The artist placed his portrait by the
side of that beautiful boj ; and when his
patrons asked him why he put so terri
ble a face beside another of such won
drous beauty, he answered, sadly: "Be
tween yon demon and yon angel, there
are but twenty years of vice." Wm.
JiiclUer
Temper.
Happy is he who can command his
temper even under trying circum
stances. Tho evils wrought by un
bridled tempers are beyond calculation.
The violent temper of a fretful and iras
cible man gives his friends much con
cern. His conduct wane under its in
fluence renders him unamiable, and, of
course, greatly diminishes their regard
for him. And this is not all. If he has
any real responsibility, the emotions he
feels i re as painful as those ne causes
iu the breasts of others. When the
calm of retirement succeeds to the bus
tie of company, his solitary moments
are embittered by very mortifying re
flections; for it has been well remarked
" that anger begins with folly and ends
with repentance." A few bitter words
spoken in anger may rankle for a life
time. Self-command, besides prevent
ing their utterance, enables us to main
tain the dignity cf our nature as intel
ligent beings by establishing the empire
of reason over passions. It renders a
person the master of himself under all
the various circumstances of life; in
prosperity, cheerful without insolence;
and iu adversity, resigned and calm
without defection. It gives an effectual
chock to all the vicious propensities of
envy, malice and anger; and in the
same proportion as it restrains them, it
encourages the growtu oi virtue, pre
vents them from running into extremes,
and fixes their duo bounds. : " -
Plaited collarettes of mull, plain
white, dotted, embroidered, and polka-
dotted in black and colors, are much
worn, with scarf-bows to match.
Tat and Present.
Thero is a good deal ofj harmless
prattle about the superior health, the
strength and the wisdom of our great
grandfathers and great-grandmothers. -It
is a common thing to hear old people
who ought to have better senso, talking
about tho good old times and the higher
mental and physical ability of those who
lived long ago. While we have great
respect for the old folks, living and
dead, we must not shut our eyes to the
reality. The truth is that people live
longer now than ever they did. The
medical profession knows more now
than ever it did; and we could put into
the field to day a bigger army of cen
tenarians than our grandfathers could in
tho good old days when they were
young.
Moreover, old people now are much
more vigorous than the old people of
times past. Our people are growing
larger and stronger. It is not so very
many years since tho American woman
waj a slight, delicato creature? now she
is tall end portly. The numbers of sing
ularly tall and well-proportioned young
men and women to bo seen in the streets
of Now York to-day astonish the old
fellows who remember the boys and
girls of forty and fifty years ago. Some
persons imagine that this increase in
size is confined to the children of our
foieign-born citizens; but this is a great
mistake, for the increase growth is gen
eral. Certainly the mixture- of r.ces
may have something to do with it, but,
whatever may be the cause, it is a fact
plainly to be soenby any observer.
The greatest known feats of physical
strength and endurance aro recorded to
the credit of tho young men of this age ;
and, indeed, it is hardly too much to as
sort that the greatest runners, the great
est walkers, the greatest jumpers, the
greatest swimmers, the greatest oars
men, tho greatest weight-lifters, the
greatest gymnasts, the greatest boxei-s,
the greatest fenceis ami tho heaviest
men that ever lived are among the
living to-day. Thero seems to bo a
universal increase in the growth of hu
manity. The height, the chest measure
ment and the weight of tho toldiers of
the immense armies of Europe of tho
present tim'o are at least as great as
they were among the picked men of the
much smaller European rmies of fifty
years past, clearly showing that, the
average man of to-day is as big and as
strong as Ihe picked mau of loug ago.
Tho fact stares us in the face that the
grown-up sons and daughters of the
old people of this country are, as a
rule, bigger and stronger than tbeir
fathers and mothers were. An ordinary
sized Englishman finds considerate
difficulty in squeezing himself into tho
armor of one of the Norman conquer
ors of his country; but what could one
of our Western farmers do with it?
Certainly he could pick it up and look
at it, but this is all.
We have great respect for the mem
oi y of our grandfathers aud greatgrand
fathers, as well as for our grandmoth
ers and great-grandmothers, but we
cannot afford to delude ourselves with
ideas and notions that fact aud figures
set aside. People are inclined to over
estimate the measure of wisdom and
ability of the grand old fellows of days
gono by. It is au amiable fault, but
btill a fault; because tho truth is not so.
Xcil' York Sun.
A Miner's Experience.
He was on his way home from Lead-
villo. Ho had on a ragged old summer
suit, a bad hat, and he had been taking
his meals thirty bouts apaitto make
lis money carry him through.
'le.s; I like tho country out that
wav," he replied to the query. ' lhe
elimite is good, tho sceuory is fine, and
some of the people are hone t as nerds
be. Tho trouble is knowing how to take
the bad ones."
" I should think that would be easy."
"Yes, it looks that way; but I had
soma cxpermr.ee. 1 am tho original
tliskivercr of the richest mine around
Leadville. Yes, I am tho very man,
though you couldn't think it to "look at
these clothes."
" Then you don't own it now ?"
" Not a bit of it."
" How is that."
"Well, I was looking around tho
hills and found signs. I collected some
specimens for assay, staked off a claim
and went off to tho assay or?. It was two
davs before he let mo know that I had
struck tho richest ore that he had ever
as:ayed and then hurried back to my
claim. Hang my buttons if it hadn t
been jumped."
"Uow'r"
" Why, a gang cf sharpers had found
the spot and built up a pole shunty and
hung out the sign of the First Baptist
church over the door. True as shoot
ing they had, and the law out there is
that no man can sink a shaft within 2UU
feet of a church building. Tbey saw
me coming, ana when 1 got there they
were holding a revival. Thero was six
of them, and they got up ono after the
other and told how wicked they had
been and how sorry they were, and
would you believe ltv-thcy had the cheek
to ask me to lead off in singing. I went
to law, but they beat me. 1 uree days
alter came the verdict, the First Bap
tist church had burned down, and Le
fore the ashes were cold the congrega
tion were developing a mine worth
$3,000,000. You see I didn't know
how to take them. '
" Was there any particular way to
take them?"
"You bet thero was. I ought to
have opened on the revival with a Win
chester rifle and given the coroner 850
for a verdict that they came to thoir
death from too much religion." Salt
Lake dtibune.
The Boston Watchman (Baptist) asks;
"Ha e we any preacher?'' the question
being suggested by tho fact that tho
leading papers of tbe denomination aro
publishing English instead of Ameiican
sermons. lt has a theory on the subject,
that while Americans preach -quite as
well as Englishmen-,-when an American
pastor is asked to furnish a sermon for
a paper he selects one oa "tome special
subject, -while English preachers are
contented to give their average dis
courses " on plain, simple Gospel
I themes."
i j Reconciliation. .,
If thou wort lying, cold and still and white,
In death's embrace, oh, mine enemy!
I think that if I came and looked on thee,
should forgivo; that something in the sight
Of thy still face would compter me, by right
Of death's sad Impotence, and I should see
How pitiful a thing it is to be
At feud with aught that's mortal, ' .
Bo, to-night,
Jly soul, unfurling her white flag of peace
Forestalling that dread hour when wo may meet,
Tho dead face and the living fain would err
Across the years, "Oh, let our warfaro oeaset
I.ifo ia so short, and hatred is not sweet; . .,
I,ot there ho peace between s ere we die."
Carotin A. Motion, in ScrWner.
HUM0H OF THE DAY.
How to avoid drowning stay at
home.
Advice to a married man : Put a safety
valve upon your snlf-esteem if you do
not want to got "blown up."
"I would not strike you for 10," said
J., playfully, to his friend E. "Well,
you would not get it if you did," replied
E. Philadelphia Sun.
"Oh, why hhould tho spirit of mortal be proud,"
Or take in its strength such a boastful delight,
A singlo bald hornet can scatter a crowd,
And a wasp that means business can put it
to flight.
"Yon want a flogging, that's what
you want," Baid a parent to an unruly
son. "I know it, dad, but I'll try to get
along without it," said the independent
brat. ' "
Lesson for young housekeepers
"How can you tell a young fowl from
an old one?" "By tho toeth?" "But
fowls have no teeth I" "I know they
haven't, but I have !"
A newly married couple riding in a
carriage, were overturned, whereupon a
standerby said it was "A shocking
sight." "Yes," said the gentleman, "to
see those just wedded fall out so soon.'
A clergyman remarked the other day:
"Alas! how times change! In the Old
Testament days it was considered a mir
acle for au ass to speak, and now it '
seems as though nothing short of a mir
acle would keep one quiet."
Tho cable has informed us that the
czar and the Empeior William kissed
eoch other when they met at Dantzig;
but it forgot to add that after the oscu
lation the czar gave a significant sniff
and remarked in an "aside": "Great
Ciesar, Bill! you've been eating Lim-
burger!
A vouncr lady became so much dis
satisfied with a gentleman to whom sin
was engaged to be married that sho dis
missed him. In revenge he threatened
to publish her letters to him. "Very
weil," replied the lady. "I have no rea
son to be ashamed of any part of my
letters, except the address."
Habitual Mouth ltrcnthiuff.
Many people sleep with tho mouth
open, and tnus make this organ per
form a duty which 6iioutd ue transacted
by the noso. There are many objec
tions to this, and Dr. Wagner clearly
points them out. Tho air iu passing
through the channels of the nose, for
instance, is raised to the temperature of
the body before it rc-eches the larynx.
luus breathing, now matter now low
tho temperature may be, the sense of
cold is never felt below tho border of
the soft palate. But when one breathes
through the mouth on a cold clay the
sensation proceeds as far as tho larynx,
and an irritating cough may be caused.
then, again, in noso breathing tho air
is moistened by the natural secretions
which cover the turbinated bones in a
condition of health, and the short
bristly hairs at the openings of tbe nos
trils act as a filter to arrest impurities
and reduce tho likelihood of laryngial,
bronchial or pulmonary disease. In
fants, athletes, savages and animals
breathe through the nose; the ordinary
civilized man employs tho mouth to an .
unnecessary, and often to a veryinjun- .
ous, extent.
The causes of mouth breathing are
myriad. Complete or partial closure of
the passages, polypus, congonitol bony
closure, enlarged tonsils, protruding
teeth, adhesion of the soft palate of tho
posterior wall of thephaiynx all these
are sufficient causes of mouth breathing.
The indications are not to subtle as not .
to be readily recognized. Retracted
lipp, open mouth, i t ceding gums, pro
truding teeth, shrunken alae, decreased
eize of the nostril.-.' orifices, wrinkles at
tho eyes' outer angles, and lines ex
tending from the alae to the mouth
angles are the predominant signs. The
effects of mouth breathing upon the
pharynx areoften most deplorable. The
mucous membrane becomes much irri
tated. A chronic engorgement of the
blood vessels may take place, until
permanent dilitation of the vessels is
produced, aud so on until tho disease
known as clergyman's sore throat is
produced. Tho writer devotes a part
of his space to showing the bad results
of Bleeping with the mouth open, and
suggests au appropriate remedy. If all .
snorers were to adopt it one of the most
disagreeable noises of the night would
be silenced, for people who breathe
through their noses wh'de sleeping never '
snore. The fifty short and clearly
printed pages of which this monograph
consists appear to exhaust the subject.
Dr. Cliuton Woijner.
The Fourteen Wonders of the World.
The seven wonders of the world, in
ancient times, wore the pyramids of
Egypt, the Pharos of Alexandria, the
walls aud hanging gardens of Babylon, .
the Temple of Diana, the statue of the '
Olympian Jupiter, tho Mausoleum cf
Ai temesia and tbe Colossus at Bhoues. '
The reven wonders of the world in
modern times aro the printing-press, tho -steam-engine,
the telephone, the phono-
crapn, pnotograpu, telegraph and elec
tric light. ' . " '
The so-called "seven wonders of th '
ancients were mere trifles oompared
with those of the present time. The .
Brooklyn bridge, for example, would,
make the banging, gardens tf Babylon,
a mere toy, while the whole seven won-'
dera put together would sink into in
significance could their builders have -seen
a lightning-express train at full
speed.